Airway and Blood Monocyte Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals an Antiviral Phenotype in Infants With Severe Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is the primary cause of lower respiratory tract infections in children <5 years of age. Monocytes, especially in the respiratory tract, are suggested to contribute to RSV pathology, but their role is incompletely understood. With transcriptomic profiling of blood and airway monocytes, we describe the role of monocytes in severe RSV infection. METHODS: Tracheobronchial aspirates and blood samples were collected from control patients (n = 9) and those infected with RSV (n = 14) who were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. Monocytes (CD14+) were sorted and analyzed by RNA sequencing for transcriptomic profiling. RESULTS: Peripheral blood and airway monocytes of patients with RSV demonstrated increased expression of antiviral and interferon-responsive genes as compared with controls. Cytokine signaling showed a shared response between blood and airway monocytes while displaying responses that were more pronounced according to the tissue of origin. Airway monocytes upregulated additional genes related to migration and inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the RSV-induced interferon response extends from the airways to the peripheral blood. Moreover, RSV induces a migration-promoting transcriptional program in monocytes. Unraveling the monocytic response and its role in the immune response to RSV infection could help the development of therapeutics to prevent severe disease.

A rationale for carboplatin treatment and abdominal hyperthermia in cancers restricted to the peritoneal cavity.

The purpose of this study was to optimize the treatment of cancers restricted to the peritoneal cavity by combining i.p. chemotherapy with abdominal hyperthermia. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the uptake of carboplatin into CC531 tumor cells was increased at temperatures higher than 41.5 degrees C at dose levels of 5 and 50% cell kill. Carboplatin-DNA adduct formation and cytotoxicity, however, were already increased at temperatures of about 40 degrees C, indicating that carboplatin-DNA adduct formation and consequently cytotoxicity could be enhanced by mild hyperthermia (temperatures in the range of 39-41.5 degrees C). CC531 tumor bearing rats were treated i.v. and i.p. with carboplatin (6.15 mg/kg) in combination with regional hyperthermia of the abdomen (41.5 degrees C for 1 h). The mean temperature was 41.5 +/- 0.3 degrees C (SD) in the peritoneal cavity and 40.5 +/- 0.3 degrees C in the esophagus. Enhanced platinum concentrations were found in peritoneal tumors (factor 3) and in kidney, liver, spleen, and lung (a factor 2 average), after the combined i.v. or i.p. carboplatin-hyperthermia treatment. Pharmacokinetic data of i.p. CBDCA combined with hyperthermia demonstrated an increased tumor exposure for total and ultrafiltered platinum in plasma. The areas under the concentration x time curve for total platinum at 37 degrees C and 41.5 degrees C were 69 and 210 microM/h, respectively; for ultrafiltered platinum these values were 47 and 173 microM/h. This may have been due to a slower elimination of platinum from the blood at the higher temperature (t1/2 beta for total platinum 99 and 156 min at 37 and 41.5 degrees C, respectively). The direct exposure of the tumor via the peritoneal fluid appeared to diminish, since the area under the curve for total platinum was lower at 41.5 degrees C than at 37 degrees C (576 microM/h versus 1255 microM/h, respectively). Our results indicate that the advantage of adding hyperthermia is caused by an increased drug exposure of the tumor via the circulation. This was supported by the fact that platinum concentrations in peritoneal tumors after carboplatin treatment at elevated temperatures were similar for the i.p. and i.v. routes.

Separation and characterization of hexokinase I subtypes from human erythrocytes.

Hexokinase (ATP: D-hexose 6-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.1) type 1 from human erythrocytes exists in four electrophoretical distinct forms, termed Ia, Ib, Ic and Id in order of their increasing anodal electrophoretic mobility at pH 8.8. We were able to separate type Ia, Ib and Icd on phosphocellulose by using a discontinuous gradient elution. The three chromatographically distinct forms do not differ in their affinity constants for the substrates glucose and MgATP2-. In addition the inhibition by glucose 1,6-diphosphate does not differ significantly for all forms. However, the regulation of these inhibitions by inorganic phosphate is much less for type Ia compared to the other subtypes (P = 0.001). Aging of the red cells is accompanied by a relative increase of the proportion of type Ic and Ia, which is the less regulated form of the enzyme. This shift in electrophoretic and regulatory properties is argued to be due to a post-translational modification of the primary enzyme.

Erythrocyte metabolism in purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency after enzyme replacement therapy by infusion of erythrocytes.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency is associated with a severely defective T-cell immunity. A patient with purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency was treated with transfusions of irradiated erythrocytes and plasma. This resulted in a remarkable correction of the metabolic disturbances in the patient. The urinary excretion of inosine, deoxyinosine, guanosine, and deoxyguanosine decreased, whereas uric acid excretion as well as serum uric acid concentration increased. It could be shown that the enzyme activity of the circulating erythrocytes correlated inversely with the urinary excretion of nucleosides and directly with the excretion of uric acid. As a consequence of the therapy, several glycolytic intermediates of the erythrocytes were increased, especially 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. The high 2,3-diphosphoglycerate level caused a shift to the right of the oxygen dissociation curve (P50 = 32.9 mm Hg). The immunological status of the patient showed definite improvement after the enzyme replacement therapy.