Distinct dendritic cell subsets dictate the fate decision between effector and memory CD8(+) T cell differentiation by a CD24-dependent mechanism.

The contribution of different DC subsets to effector and memory CD8(+) T cell generation during infection and the mechanism by which DCs controls these fate decisions is unclear. Here we demonstrated that the CD103(+) and CD11b(hi) migratory respiratory DC (RDC) subsets after influenza virus infection activated naive virus-specific CD8(+) T cells differentially. CD103(+) RDCs supported the generation of CD8(+) T effector (Teff) cells, which migrate from lymph nodes to the infected lungs. In contrast, migrant CD11b(hi) RDCs activated CD8(+) T cells characteristic of central memory CD8(+) T (CD8(+) Tcm) cells including retention within the draining lymph nodes. CD103(+) RDCs expressed CD24 at an elevated level, contributing to the propensity of this DC subpopulation to support CD8(+) Teff cell differentiation. Mechanistically, CD24 was shown to regulate CD8(+) T cell activation through HMGB1-mediated engagement of T cell RAGE. Thus, there is distribution of labor among DC subsets in regulating CD8(+) T cell differentiation.

Alveolar Macrophages Prevent Lethal Influenza Pneumonia By Inhibiting Infection Of Type-1 Alveolar Epithelial Cells.

The Influenza A virus (IAV) is a major human pathogen that produces significant morbidity and mortality. To explore the contribution of alveolar macrophages (AlvMΦs) in regulating the severity of IAV infection we employed a murine model in which the Core Binding Factor Beta gene is conditionally disrupted in myeloid cells. These mice exhibit a selective deficiency in AlvMΦs. Following IAV infection these AlvMΦ deficient mice developed severe diffuse alveolar damage, lethal respiratory compromise, and consequent lethality. Lethal injury in these mice resulted from increased infection of their Type-1 Alveolar Epithelial Cells (T1AECs) and the subsequent elimination of the infected T1AECs by the adaptive immune T cell response. Further analysis indicated AlvMΦ-mediated suppression of the cysteinyl leukotriene (cysLT) pathway genes in T1AECs in vivo and in vitro. Inhibition of the cysLT pathway enzymes in a T1AECs cell line reduced the susceptibility of T1AECs to IAV infection, suggesting that AlvMΦ-mediated suppression of this pathway contributes to the resistance of T1AECs to IAV infection. Furthermore, inhibition of the cysLT pathway enzymes, as well as blockade of the cysteinyl leukotriene receptors in the AlvMΦ deficient mice reduced the susceptibility of their T1AECs to IAV infection and protected these mice from lethal infection. These results suggest that AlvMΦs may utilize a previously unappreciated mechanism to protect T1AECs against IAV infection, and thereby reduce the severity of infection. The findings further suggest that the cysLT pathway and the receptors for cysLT metabolites represent potential therapeutic targets in severe IAV infection.

Liver-resident CD103+ dendritic cells prime antiviral CD8+ T cells in situ.

The liver maintains a tolerogenic environment to avoid unwarranted activation of its resident immune cells upon continuous exposure to food and bacterially derived Ags. However, in response to hepatotropic viral infection, the liver's ability to switch from a hyporesponsive to a proinflammatory environment is mediated by select sentinels within the parenchyma. To determine the contribution of hepatic dendritic cells (DCs) in the activation of naive CD8(+) T cells, we first characterized resident DC subsets in the murine liver. Liver DCs exhibit unique properties, including the expression of CD8α (traditionally lymphoid tissue specific), CD11b, and CD103 markers. In both the steady-state and following viral infection, liver CD103(+) DCs express high levels of MHC class II, CD80, and CD86 and contribute to the high number of activated CD8(+) T cells. Importantly, viral infection in the Batf3(-/-) mouse, which lacks CD8α(+) and CD103(+) DCs in the liver, results in a 3-fold reduction in the proliferative response of Ag-specific CD8(+) T cells. Limiting DC migration out of the liver does not significantly alter CD8(+) T cell responsiveness, indicating that CD103(+) DCs initiate the induction of CD8(+) T cell responses in situ. Collectively, these data suggest that liver-resident CD103(+) DCs are highly immunogenic in response to hepatotropic viral infection and serve as a major APC to support the local CD8(+) T cell response. It also implies that CD103(+) DCs present a promising cellular target for vaccination strategies to resolve chronic liver infections.

The effector T cell response to influenza infection.

Influenza virus infection induces a potent initial innate immune response, which serves to limit the extent of viral replication and virus spread. However, efficient (and eventual) viral clearance within the respiratory tract requires the subsequent activation, rapid proliferation, recruitment, and expression of effector activities by the adaptive immune system, consisting of antibody producing B cells and influenza-specific T lymphocytes with diverse functions. The ensuing effector activities of these T lymphocytes ultimately determine (along with antibodies) the capacity of the host to eliminate the viruses and the extent of tissue damage. In this review, we describe this effector T cell response to influenza virus infection. Based on information largely obtained in experimental settings (i.e., murine models), we will illustrate the factors regulating the induction of adaptive immune T cell responses to influenza, the effector activities displayed by these activated T cells, the mechanisms underlying the expression of these effector mechanisms, and the control of the activation/differentiation of these T cells, in situ, in the infected lungs.

The critical size of hydrogen-bonded alcohol clusters as effective Brønsted bases in solutions.

The alkyl oxonium ion, which is a protonated alcohol, has long been proposed as a key reaction intermediate in alcohol dehydration. Nonetheless, the dynamics and structure of this simple but important intermediate species have not been adequately examined due to the transient nature of the oxonium ion. Here, we devised a model system for the key step in the alcohol dehydration reaction, in which a photoacid transfers a proton to alcohols of different basicity in the acetonitrile solvent. Using time-resolved spectroscopy and computation, we have found that the linkage of at least two alcohol molecules via hydrogen bonding is critical for their enhanced reactivity and extraction of the proton from the acid. This finding addresses the cooperative role of the simplest organic protic compounds, namely alcohols, in nonaqueous acid-base reactions.

T cell responses during influenza infection: getting and keeping control.

The 2009 influenza pandemic highlighted the threat that type A influenza poses to human health. Thus, there is an urgency to understand the pathobiology of influenza infection and the contribution of the host immune response to virus elimination and the development of lung injury. This review focuses on the T cell arm of the adaptive host immune response to influenza. We assess recent developments in the understanding of how primary influenza virus-specific T cell responses are induced by antigen-presenting cells, the interaction of activated effector T cells with antigen-bearing cells in the infected lungs. Also examined is the contribution of influenza-specific effector T cells to the development and control of lung injury and inflammation during infection.

Viral infection of the lung: host response and sequelae.

Because of its essential role in gas exchange and oxygen delivery, the lung has evolved a variety of strategies to control inflammation and maintain homeostasis. Invasion of the lung by pathogens (and in some instances exposure to certain noninfectious particulates) disrupts this equilibrium and triggers a cascade of events aimed at preventing or limiting colonization (and more importantly infection) by pathogenic microorganisms. In this review we focus on viral infection of the lung and summarize recent advances in our understanding of the triggering of innate and adaptive immune responses to viral respiratory tract infection, mechanisms of viral clearance, and the well-recognized consequences of acute viral infection complicating underlying lung diseases, such as asthma.

Differential response of respiratory dendritic cell subsets to influenza virus infection.

Dendritic cells (DC) are believed to play an important role in the initiation of innate and adaptive immune responses to infection, including respiratory tract infections, where respiratory DC (RDC) perform this role. In this report, we examined the susceptibilities of isolated murine RDC to influenza virus infection in vitro and the effect of the multiplicity of infection (MOI) on costimulatory ligand upregulation and inflammatory cytokine/chemokine production after infection. We found that the efficiency of influenza virus infection of RDC increased with increasing MOIs. Furthermore, distinct subpopulations of RDC differed in their susceptibilities to influenza virus infection and in the magnitude/tempo of costimulatory ligand expression. Additional characterization of the CD11c-positive (CD11c(+)) RDC revealed that the identifiable subsets of RDC differed in susceptibility to infection, with CD11c(+) CD103(+) DC exhibiting the greatest susceptibility, CD11c(+) CD11b(hi) DC exhibiting intermediate susceptibility, and CD11c(+) B220(+) plasmacytoid DC (pDC) exhibiting the least susceptibility to infection. A companion analysis of the in vivo susceptibilities of these RDC subsets to influenza virus revealed a corresponding infection pattern. The three RDC subsets displayed different patterns of cytokine/chemokine production in response to influenza virus infection in vitro: pDC were the predominant producers of most cytokines examined, while CD103(+) DC and CD11b(hi) DC produced elevated levels of the murine chemokine CXCL1 (KC), interleukin 12p40, and RANTES in response to influenza virus infection. Our results indicate that RDC are targets of influenza virus infection and that distinct RDC subsets differ in their susceptibilities and responses to infection.

Critical role of kinase activity of hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 in anti-tumor immune surveillance.

Immunotherapy has fundamentally changed the landscape of cancer treatment. Despite the encouraging results with the checkpoint modulators, response rates vary widely across tumor types, with a majority of patients exhibiting either primary resistance without a significant initial response to treatment or acquired resistance with subsequent disease progression. Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is predominantly expressed in hematopoietic cell linages and serves as a negative regulator in T cells and dendritic cells (DC). While HPK1 gene knockout (KO) studies suggest its role in anti-tumor immune responses, the involvement of kinase activity and thereof its therapeutic potential remain unknown. To investigate the potential of pharmacological intervention using inhibitors of HPK1, we generated HPK1 kinase dead (KD) mice which carry a single loss-of-function point mutation in the kinase domain and interrogated the role of kinase activity in immune cells in the context of suppressive factors or the tumor microenvironment (TME). Our data provide novel findings that HKP1 kinase activity is critical in conferring suppressive functions of HPK1 in a wide range of immune cells including CD4+, CD8+, DC, NK to Tregs, and inactivation of kinase domain was sufficient to elicit robust anti-tumor immune responses. These data support the concept that an HPK1 small molecule kinase inhibitor could serve as a novel agent to provide additional benefit in combination with existing immunotherapies, particularly to overcome resistance to current treatment regimens.

Maturation and localization of macrophages and microglia during infection with a neurotropic murine coronavirus.

Macrophages and microglia are critical in the acute inflammatory response and act as final effector cells of demyelination during chronic infection with the neutrotropic MHV-JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV-JHM). Herein, we show that "immature" F4/80(+)Ly-6C(hi) monocytes are the first cells, along with neutrophils, to enter the MHV-JHM-infected central nervous system (CNS). As the infection progresses, macrophages in the CNS down-regulate expression of Ly-6C and CD62L, consistent with maturation, and a higher frequency express CD11c, a marker for dendritic cells (DCs). Microglia also express CD11c during this phase of the infection. CD11c(+) macrophages in the infected CNS exhibit variable properties of immature antigen-presenting cells (APCs), with modestly increased CD40 and MHC expression, and equivalent potent antigen uptake when compared with CD11c(-) macrophages. Furthermore, CDllc(+) and F4/80(+) macrophages and microglia are localized to areas of demyelination, in some instances directly associated with damaged axons. These results suggest that chronic CNS infection results in the appearance of CD11c-expressing macrophages from the blood that exhibit properties of immature APCs, are closely associated with areas of demyelination, and may act as final effectors of myelin destruction.

Laparoscopic repair of perforated duodenal ulcers: the simple "one-stitch" suture with omental patch technique.

BACKGROUND: We present, here, the technique and results of our laparoscopic simple "one-stitch" suture with omental patch technique for treating 35 patients with perforated duodenal ulcer. METHODS: The laparoscopic treatment included peritoneal lavage, suture of the perforation without knotting, and then tying the suture over the omentum. Follow-up gastroscopy was performed after an eight-week course of medication with proton-pump inhibitors. RESULTS: Conversion to laparotomy was necessary for two patients, because of a large-sized perforation and the inadequate localization of the perforation site, respectively. The mean operative time was 64 minutes and the mean hospital stay was 6.8 days. Operation-related complications occurred in two patients, including one case of pneumonia and one case of gastric stasis. CONCLUSIONS: This simple "one-stitch" suture with omental patch technique is a safe and easy procedure, and it has an acceptable morbidity rate and a low conversion rate.

Detection and quantitation of eosinophils in the murine respiratory tract by flow cytometry.

Traditionally, the identification and quantification of eosinophils in inflammatory tissues and exudates has been primarily based upon morphologic criteria and manual counting. In this study, we describe a new flow cytometry-based assay to enumerate eosinophils present in murine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) and lung parenchyma obtained from the normal/non-inflamed respiratory tract, following experimentally-induced allergic pulmonary inflammation, and during experimental infection with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). By using a murine Siglec-F-specific antibody in combination with antibodies directed to CD45 and CD11c, we demonstrate that eosinophils can be distinguished from other cell types in the BAL fluid and lung parenchyma based upon their distinct CD45(+) Siglec-F(+) and CD11c(low/-) staining profile. In the BAL fluid, this flow cytometry-based method of eosinophil identification/quantitation yields results comparable to the standard morphology-based method without the potential observer bias or staining artifacts inherent in morphology-based quantitation. Furthermore, this flow cytometry-based method can be directly adapted to enumerate eosinophils infiltrating the inflamed lung parenchyma, thereby obviating the need for quantitative morphometry of tissue sections.

Influenza A induces dysfunctional immunity and death in MeCP2-overexpressing mice.

Loss of function or overexpression of methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) results in the severe neurodevelopmental disorders Rett syndrome and MeCP2 duplication syndrome, respectively. MeCP2 plays a critical role in neuronal function and the function of cells throughout the body. It has been previously demonstrated that MeCP2 regulates T cell function and macrophage response to multiple stimuli, and that immune-mediated rescue imparts significant benefit in Mecp2-null mice. Unlike Rett syndrome, MeCP2 duplication syndrome results in chronic, severe respiratory infections, which represent a significant cause of patient morbidity and mortality. Here, we demonstrate that MeCP2Tg3 mice, which overexpress MeCP2 at levels 3- to 5-fold higher than normal, are hypersensitive to influenza A/PR/8/34 infection. Prior to death, MeCP2Tg3 mice experienced a host of complications during infection, including neutrophilia, increased cytokine production, excessive corticosterone levels, defective adaptive immunity, and vascular pathology characterized by impaired perfusion and pulmonary hemorrhage. Importantly, we found that radioresistant cells are essential to infection-related death after bone marrow transplantation. In all, these results demonstrate that influenza A infection in MeCP2Tg3 mice results in pathology affecting both immune and nonhematopoietic cells, suggesting that failure to effectively respond and clear viral respiratory infection has a complex, multicompartment etiology in the context of MeCP2 overexpression.

A novel function of CXCL10 in mediating monocyte production of proinflammatory cytokines.

IFN-γ-inducible protein 10 (CXCL10), a chemokine that is abundantly secreted in response to inflammatory stimuli, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease. Whereas CXCL10 is traditionally recognized for recruiting pathogenic T cells to inflamed sites, its nonchemotactic role during inflammation remains poorly defined. In this report, we identified a novel function of CXCL10 in the regulation of the inflammatory potential of human monocytes to produce cytokines. We found that CXCL10 was necessary and sufficient for IFN-γ-primed human monocytes to induce a robust production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-12 and IL-23. CXCL10-induced monocyte production of these cytokines depended on CXCR3 receptor engagement as well as on the Iκ B kinase and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. By using an innate-mediated murine colitis model, we demonstrated that anti-CXCL10 Ab treatment robustly suppressed the local production of myeloid-derived inflammatory cytokines and intestinal tissue damage. Together, our data unravel a previously unappreciated role of CXCL10 in the amplification of myeloid cell-mediated inflammatory responses. Targeting CXCL10 is therefore an attractive approach to treating inflammatory diseases that are driven by innate and adaptive immunity.

Biphasic tautomerization dynamics of excited 7-hydroxyquinoline in reverse micelles.

The excited-state tautomerization dynamics of 7-hydroxyquinoline in the water pools of reverse micelles has been investigated by monitoring time-resolved fluorescence spectra and kinetics as well as static absorption and emission spectra with a variation of water content and isotopic fractionation. The normal and the tautomeric species are found to reside preferentially in the bound- and the free-water regions of the micelles, respectively. The excited-state tautomerization of the normal species in the bound-water layers is suggested to occur via two different channels, depending on rotamers at the moment of excitation. The cis tautomerizes via proton relay from the enol group to the imino group along a hydrogen-bonded water bridge, unusual in water but common in alcohols, whereas the trans tautomerizes via the stepwise individual acid-base reactions of two prototropic groups as found in bulk water. Proton relay can take place because water in the pools has substantially reduced polarity and disrupted hydrogen-bond networks compared with bulk water.

[Nine cases of sporadic acute hepatitis E in Korea].

Hepatitis E virus is an enterically transmitted virus that causes endemic cases of acute hepatitis in many countries in Africa, and Southeast and Central Asia. Sporadic cases of acute hepatitis E also have been reported in developed countries. In non-endemic areas, most of the sporadic cases of hepatitis E are introduced from the endemic areas. Until now, only three cases of acute hepatitis E have been reported in Korea. Recently, we experienced nine cases of acute hepatitis, in which serologic studies showed positive of IgM anti-HEV. We report these as cases of acute hepatitis E. These cases suggest that HEV infection occurs sporadically in Korea and should be considered as a cause of cryptogenic acute hepatitis.

Photoinduced strong acid-weak base reactions in a polar aprotic solvent.

The excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) of the strong photoacid, N-methyl-7-hydroxyquinolinium, was studied in the presence of different weak bases such as methanol, ethanol, and dimethyl sulfoxide in an aprotic solvent of acetonitrile. Here, we present chemical kinetics analysis of the ESPT mechanism to explain biphasic fluorescence decay of the parent photoacid and the sign reversal of the rise and decay of the resulting conjugate-base fluorescence. The ESPT of the free photoacid showed a molecularity of 2 with reacting alcohol molecules. In the ground state, it was found that a fraction of the photoacid formed 1 : 2 hydrogen-bonded complexes with the residual water present in the aprotic solvent or 1 : 1 complexes with the additive alcohols. In the excited state, these adducts underwent proton transfer when complexed further with diffusing alcohol molecules.

Stress-associated erythropoiesis initiation is regulated by type 1 conventional dendritic cells.

Erythropoiesis is an important response to certain types of stress, including hypoxia, hemorrhage, bone marrow suppression, and anemia, that result in inadequate tissue oxygenation. This stress-induced erythropoiesis is distinct from basal red blood cell generation; however, neither the cellular nor the molecular factors that regulate this process are fully understood. Here, we report that type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1s), which are defined by expression of CD8α in the mouse and XCR1 and CLEC9 in humans, are critical for induction of erythropoiesis in response to stress. Specifically, using murine models, we determined that engagement of a stress sensor, CD24, on cDC1s upregulates expression of the Kit ligand stem cell factor on these cells. The increased expression of stem cell factor resulted in Kit-mediated proliferative expansion of early erythroid progenitors and, ultimately, transient reticulocytosis in the circulation. Moreover, this stress response was triggered in part by alarmin recognition and was blunted in CD24 sensor- and CD8α+ DC-deficient animals. The contribution of the cDC1 subset to the initiation of stress erythropoiesis was distinct from the well-recognized role of macrophages in supporting late erythroid maturation. Together, these findings offer insight into the mechanism of stress erythropoiesis and into disorders of erythrocyte generation associated with stress.

IL-21R signaling suppresses IL-17+ gamma delta T cell responses and production of IL-17 related cytokines in the lung at steady state and after Influenza A virus infection.

Influenza A virus (IAV) infection of the respiratory tract elicits a robust immune response, which is required for efficient virus clearance but at the same time can contribute to lung damage and enhanced morbidity. IL-21 is a member of the type I cytokine family and has many different immune-modulatory functions during acute and chronic virus infections, although its role in IAV infection has not been fully evaluated. In this report we evaluated the contributions of IL-21/IL-21 receptor (IL-21R) signaling to host defense in a mouse model of primary IAV infection using IL-21R knock out (KO) mice. We found that lack of IL-21R signaling had no significant impact on virus clearance, adaptive T cell responses, or myeloid cell accumulations in the respiratory tract. However, a subset of inflammatory cytokines were elevated in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of IL-21R KO mice, including IL-17. Although there was only a small increase in Th17 cells in the lungs of IL-21R KO mice, we observed a dramatic increase in gamma delta (γδ) T cells capable of producing IL-17 both after IAV infection and at steady state in the respiratory tract. Finally, we found that IL-21R signaling suppressed the accumulation of IL-17+ γδ T cells in the respiratory tract intrinsically. Thus, our study reveals a previously unrecognized role of IL-21R signaling in regulating IL-17 production by γδ T cells.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus-induced cell death exhibits features consistent with a nontypical form of apoptosis.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), an arterivirus, belongs to a group of RNA viruses that are cytopathic for macrophages and establish persistent infections. Apoptosis is the presumed mechanism of cell death in monkey kidney cell lines and porcine alveolar macrophages after infection with European PRRSV isolates. However, evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies using North American strains have failed to identify apoptosis in cells supporting virus replication and suggest that apoptosis is present in only uninfected bystander cells. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mechanism of cell death following the infection of MARC-145 cells with wild-type (P6) and a cell culture-adapted (P136) strains derived from the North American isolate SDSU-23983. At 2 days after infection with P136, cytoplasmic blebbing and nuclear condensation were absent in monolayers containing almost 90% infected cells. By day 3, these infected cells detached and showed evidence of apoptosis, including nuclear condensation and inter-nucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Apoptosis in single infected floating cells was confirmed by the co-localization of FITC-anti-digoxigenin antibody, used to detect uridine-digoxigenin-labled nuclear DNA in a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay, and Texas red-labeled PRRSV antibody. A majority of infected floating cells were also positive for the uptake of trypan blue, an indicator of necrotic cell death. These results demonstrate that apoptosis does occur in PRRSV infected cells, but is a late event during PRRSV replication and rapidly culminates in a necrotic-like death.