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1.
Fetal Diagn Ther ; 2024 May 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38740011

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Fetal thoracoamniotic shunts are common lifesaving interventions but frequently require replacement. Needle fetal thoracoscopy is a technique that uses standard thoracoamniotic shunt introducer sheaths to permit direct visualization and even instrument manipulation during shunt deployment to facilitate optimal positioning and primary shunt function in the most challenging cases. CASE PRESENTATION: In this study, five patients who underwent needle fetal thoracoscopy-assisted thoracoamniotic shunt placement were reviewed. Three patients with large, macrocystic congenital pulmonary airway malformations (CPAM) with evidence of worsening mediastinal shift and/or hydrops and two patients with large chylothorax with fetal hydrops were treated. Four cases had previous shunts that failed due to poor sonographic visualization during initial placement, cyst septations, shunt obstruction or dislodgment. Needle fetal thoracoscopy was used to disrupt cyst walls and septations, clear hematoma, and confirm optimal initial position of the shunt. In this series, one severe CPAM patient with short cervix developed preterm labor postoperatively resulting in neonatal demise. The remaining four patients experienced resolution of hydrops and progressed to successful delivery with excellent neonatal outcomes. CONCLUSION: Needle fetal thoracoscopy is a procedure that may be selectively deployed in challenging thoracoamniotic shunt cases impacted by recurrent failure, poor sonographic windows, and challenging fetal positioning.

3.
AJP Rep ; 13(4): e89-e93, 2023 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38090535

ABSTRACT

Fetal airway obstruction in one twin of a diamniotic pregnancy presents unique challenges. Very few cases of ex-utero-intrapartum-treatment (EXIT) procedures for twin pregnancy have been reported and only in dichorionic pregnancies. We report a singular methodology for EXIT-to-airway procedures in two pregnancies involving monochorionic and dichorionic twins. Two cases of EXIT-to-airway in twin pregnancies were performed in 2018 and 2019 at a regional fetal treatment center. Case 1 involved a giant cervical teratoma in a monochorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancy with preterm labor at 29 weeks. Case 2 involved a dichorionic-diamniotic pregnancy with a large cervical lymphatic malformation with preterm labor at 36 weeks. In each case, the polyhydramnios caused the affected twin's amniotic sac to be the presenting sac for the surgical approach. Bronchoscopy and successful intubation was completed after 22 and 10 minutes of uteroplacental bypass, respectively. The bystander twins were delivered second without intubation and resuscitated without perinatal distress. EXIT-to-airway appears to be a reasonable option for twins including monochorionic pregnancies, via delivery of the affected twin first followed by delivery of the bystander twin. Thoughtful preparation and counseling by an experienced multidisciplinary team permits an EXIT-to-airway approach for twin pregnancies even in an emergent setting.

4.
J Vasc Interv Radiol ; 34(10): 1822-1826, 2023 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37327944

ABSTRACT

Management of splenic cysts in children remains undefined. Sclerotherapy is an innovative, less invasive treatment. This study examined the safety and preliminary effectiveness of sclerotherapy for splenic cysts in children compared with those of surgical treatment. A retrospective review of pediatric patients treated for nonparasitic splenic cysts from 2007 to 2021 was performed at a single institution. Posttreatment outcomes for patients who underwent either expectant management, sclerotherapy, or surgery were reviewed. Thirty patients aged between 0 and 18 years met the inclusion criteria. Cysts in 3 of 8 patients who underwent sclerotherapy were either unresolved or recurred. Patients who underwent sclerotherapy and required surgery for residual symptomatic cyst had an initial cyst diameter of >8 cm. Symptoms resolved in 5 of 8 patients who underwent sclerotherapy, with a significantly reduced cyst size compared with that in patients with continued symptoms who underwent sclerotherapy (61.4% vs 7.0%, P = .01). Sclerotherapy is an effective treatment for splenic cysts, particularly those measuring <8 cm. However, surgical excision may be preferable for large cysts.


Subject(s)
Cysts , Splenic Diseases , Humans , Child , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Child, Preschool , Adolescent , Sclerotherapy/adverse effects , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local , Cysts/diagnostic imaging , Cysts/therapy , Splenic Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Splenic Diseases/surgery , Treatment Outcome , Sclerosing Solutions/adverse effects
5.
Immunobiology ; 228(1): 152304, 2023 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36508885

ABSTRACT

A detailed understanding of protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 is incredibly important in fighting the pandemic. Central to protective immunity is the ability of the immune system to recall previous exposures. Although antibody and T cell immunity have gained considerable attention, the contribution of the NK cell compartment to immune recall and protection from SARS-CoV-2 has not been explored. In this study, we investigate the NK cell responses to stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 in previously exposed and non-exposed individuals. We show that NK cells demonstrate an enhanced CD4+ T cell dependent response when re-exposed to SARS-CoV-2 antigen. The enhanced response is dependent on T cells and correlates with the number of SARS-CoV-2 specific CD4 T cells. We find that IL-2 is a critical mediator of NK cell function. These findings suggest that NK cells contribute to the protective responses against SARS-CoV-2 through a cooperation with antigen-specific CD4 T cells and have significant implications on our understanding of protective immunity in SARS-CoV-2.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Interleukin-2 , Killer Cells, Natural , mRNA Vaccines , Adult , Humans , Antibodies, Viral/immunology , COVID-19/immunology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Killer Cells, Natural/immunology , SARS-CoV-2 , Vaccination , CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes , mRNA Vaccines/immunology
6.
Fetal Diagn Ther ; 49(9-10): 394-402, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36380641

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (SFLP) is the preferred intervention for stage II-IV twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS); however, there is no consensus on whether SFLP or expectant management (EM) is the preferred strategy to manage Quintero stage I TTTS. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to estimate whether SFLP or EM is the cost-effective strategy for management of Quintero stage I TTTS. STUDY DESIGN: A decision-analysis (DA) model compared SFLP to EM for 1,000 pregnant people with monochorionic-diamniotic twins affected by stage I TTTS. All subjects were assumed to be appropriate candidates for either SFLP or EM. Probabilities, costs, and utilities were derived from the literature. The DA was conducted from a healthcare payor perspective, and the analytic horizon was over the course of an offspring's lifetime, with primary outcomes of survivorship (i.e., no intrauterine fetal demise or neonatal death) and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment. The model incorporated Markov processes with 4-week cycles throughout pregnancy. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) for each strategy were calculated and compared to estimate marginal cost effectiveness. An ICER of USD 100,000 per quality-adjusted life year was used to define the cost-effectiveness threshold. One-way sensitivity and Monte Carlo analyses (MCA), as well as microsimulations, were performed. RESULTS: For base-case estimates, SFLP was found to be cost-effective compared to EM in the management of stage I TTTS. In one-way sensitivity analysis, varying each variable along pre-specified ranges did not result in changes in the conclusion. MCA projects SFLP as the cost-effective strategy in 100% of runs. CONCLUSIONS: With base-case estimates, SFLP is estimated to be the cost-effective strategy for the treatment of Quintero stage I TTTS when compared with EM. This remained true across a wide range of inputs.


Subject(s)
Fetofetal Transfusion , Pregnancy , Female , Infant, Newborn , Humans , Fetofetal Transfusion/surgery , Cost-Effectiveness Analysis , Watchful Waiting , Laser Coagulation , Fetoscopy , Lasers , Pregnancy, Twin
7.
Front Pediatr ; 10: 983492, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36225336

ABSTRACT

Objective: Liver herniation is a known risk factor for increased severity in CDH and is associated with clinically significant pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. Better studies are needed to understand the growth of the herniated liver compared to the liver that remains in the abdomen and how this liver growth then affects lung development. Serial hi-resolution fetal MRI enables characterization of liver growth throughout gestation and examination of macroscopic features that may regulate liver growth. Here, we hypothesized that the nature of liver herniation affects liver growth and, in turn, affects lung growth. Methods: Clinical data were retrospectively collected from consecutive cases of prenatally diagnosed isolated left-sided or right-sided CDH from June 2006 to August 2021. Only those cases with MRI lung volumetry for both mid-gestation and late-gestation time points were recruited for analysis. Cases with fetal chromosomal abnormalities and other major structural abnormalities were excluded. Fractional liver volume and liver growth was indexed to estimated fetal weight and compared to lung growth. Results: Data was collected from 28 fetuses with a left liver-down CDH (LLD), 37 left liver-up CDH (LLU) and 9 right liver-up CDH (RLU). Overall, RLU fetuses had greater overall and fractional (intra-thoracic vs. intra-abdominal) liver growth when compared to LLD and LLU fetuses. Additionally, intra-thoracic liver growth was consistently slower than intra-abdominal liver growth for either right- or left-sided CDH. When the liver was not herniated, a positive correlation was seen between liver growth and lung growth. However, when the liver was herniated above the diaphragm, this positive correlation was lost. Conclusion: Right-sided CDH fetuses exhibit greater liver growth compared to left-sided CDH. Liver herniation disrupts the normal positive correlation between liver and lung growth that is seen when the liver is entirely within the abdomen.

8.
J Pediatr Surg ; 55(7): 1313-1318, 2020 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30879756

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to develop a multi-institutional registry to characterize the demographics, management, and outcomes of a contemporary cohort of children undergoing congenital lung malformation (CLM) resection. METHODS: After central reliance IRB approval, a web-based, secure database was created to capture retrospective cohort data on pathologically-confirmed CLMs performed between 2009 and 2015 within a multi-institutional research collaborative. RESULTS: Eleven children's hospitals contributed 506 patients. Among 344 prenatally diagnosed lesions, the congenital pulmonary airway malformation volume ratio was measured in 49.1%, and fetal MRI was performed in 34.3%. One hundred thirty-four (26.7%) children had respiratory symptoms at birth. Fifty-eight (11.6%) underwent neonatal resection, 322 (64.1%) had surgery at 1-12 months, and 122 (24.3%) had operations after 12 months. The median age at resection was 6.7 months (interquartile range, 3.6-11.4). Among 230 elective lobectomies performed in asymptomatic patients, thoracoscopy was successfully utilized in 102 (44.3%), but there was substantial variation across centers. The most common lesions were congenital pulmonary airway malformation (n = 234, 47.3%) and intralobar bronchopulmonary sequestration (n = 106, 21.4%). CONCLUSION: This multicenter cohort study on operative CLMs highlights marked disease heterogeneity and substantial practice variation in preoperative evaluation and operative management. Future registry studies are planned to help establish evidence-based guidelines to optimize the care of these patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II.


Subject(s)
Lung , Registries , Respiratory System Abnormalities , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Lung/abnormalities , Lung/surgery , Prenatal Diagnosis , Respiratory System Abnormalities/diagnosis , Respiratory System Abnormalities/epidemiology , Respiratory System Abnormalities/surgery , Retrospective Studies
9.
Cell Death Dis ; 10(10): 721, 2019 09 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31558708

ABSTRACT

Exencephaly/anencephaly is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality and the most extreme open neural tube defect with no current treatments and limited mechanistic understanding. We hypothesized that exencephaly leads to a local neurodegenerative process in the brain exposed to the amniotic fluid as well as diffuse degeneration in other encephalic areas and the spinal cord. To evaluate the consequences of in utero neural tissue exposure, brain and spinal cord samples from E17 exencephalic murine fetuses (maternal intraperitoneal administration of valproic acid at E8) were analyzed and compared to controls and saline-injected shams (n = 11/group). Expression of apoptosis and senescence genes (p53, p21, p16, Rbl2, Casp3, Casp9) was determined by qRT-PCR and protein expression analyzed by western blot. Apoptosis was measured by TUNEL assay and PI/AV flow cytometry. Valproic acid at E8 induced exencephaly in 22% of fetuses. At E17 the fetuses exhibited the characteristic absence of cranial bones. The brain structures from exencephalic fetuses demonstrated a loss of layers in cortical regions and a complete loss of structural organization in the olfactory bulb, hippocampus, dental gyrus and septal cortex. E17 fetuses had reduced expression of NeuN, GFAP and Oligodendrocytes in the brain with primed microglia. Intrinsic apoptotic activation (p53, Caspase9 and 3) was upregulated and active Caspase3 localized to the layer of brain exposed to the amniotic fluid. Senescence via p21-Rbl2 was increased in the brain and in the spinal cord at the lamina I-II of the somatosensory dorsal horn. The current study characterizes CNS alterations in murine exencephaly and demonstrates that degeneration due to intrinsic apoptosis and senescence occurs in the directly exposed brain but also remotely in the spinal cord.


Subject(s)
Anencephaly/pathology , Apoptosis , Brain/pathology , Necrosis/pathology , Neural Tube Defects/pathology , Spinal Cord/pathology , Amniotic Fluid/metabolism , Anencephaly/chemically induced , Anencephaly/embryology , Animals , Apoptosis/drug effects , Apoptosis/genetics , Brain/cytology , Brain/embryology , Caspase 3/metabolism , Caspase 9/metabolism , Cellular Senescence/drug effects , Cellular Senescence/genetics , Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16/metabolism , Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21/genetics , Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Disease Progression , Female , Mice , Microglia/cytology , Microglia/drug effects , Microglia/metabolism , Microglia/pathology , Necrosis/embryology , Necrosis/metabolism , Neurons/cytology , Neurons/pathology , Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p130/genetics , Retinoblastoma-Like Protein p130/metabolism , Spinal Cord/cytology , Spinal Cord/embryology , Spinal Cord/metabolism , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism , Up-Regulation , Valproic Acid
10.
J Pediatr Surg ; 54(6): 1138-1142, 2019 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30898401

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical presentation and operative outcomes of patients with congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) within a large multicenter research consortium. METHODS: After central reliance IRB-approval, a retrospective cohort study was performed on all operatively managed lung malformations at eleven participating children's hospitals (2009-2015). RESULTS: Fifty-three (10.5%) children with pathology-confirmed CLE were identified among 506 lung malformations. A lung mass was detected prenatally in 13 (24.5%) compared to 331 (73.1%) in non-CLE cases (p < 0.0001). Thirty-two (60.4%) CLE patients presented with respiratory symptoms at birth compared to 102 (22.7%) in non-CLE (p < 0.0001). The most common locations for CLE were the left upper (n = 24, 45.3%), right middle (n = 16, 30.2%), and right upper (n = 10, 18.9%) lobes. Eighteen (34.0%) had resection as neonates, 30 (56.6%) had surgery at 1-12 months of age, and five (9.4%) had resections after 12 months. Six (11.3%) underwent thoracoscopic excision. Median hospital length of stay was 5.0 days (interquartile range, 4.0-13.0). CONCLUSIONS: Among lung malformations, CLE is associated with several unique features, including a low prenatal detection rate, a predilection for the upper/middle lobes, and infrequent utilization of thoracoscopy. Although respiratory distress at birth is common, CLE often presents clinically in a delayed and more insidious fashion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.


Subject(s)
Pulmonary Emphysema/congenital , Child , Child, Preschool , Dyspnea , Humans , Infant , Midwestern United States/epidemiology , Pulmonary Emphysema/epidemiology , Pulmonary Emphysema/surgery , Respiratory System Abnormalities , Retrospective Studies , Thoracoscopy/statistics & numerical data
11.
Curr Stem Cell Rep ; 4(2): 182-187, 2018 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30873337

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In Utero Hematopoietic Cellular Transplantation (IUHCT) is a promising intervention for the non-toxic treatment of congenital disease that hinges on the assumption of fetal immunologic immaturity and an inability to reject a hematopoietic allograft. However, clinical IUCHT has failed except in cases where the fetus is severely immunocompromised. The current review examines recent studies of engraftment barriers stemming from either the fetal or maternal immune system. RECENT FINDINGS: New reports have illuminated roles for maternal humoral and cellular immunity and fetal innate cellular immunity in the resistance to allogeneic IUHCT. These experimental findings have inspired new approaches to overcome these barriers. Despite these advances, postulates regarding a maternal immune barrier to IUHCT provide an inadequate explanation for the well-documented clinical success only in the treatment of fetal immunodeficiency with normal maternal immunity. SUMMARY: Characterization of the maternal and fetal immune response to allogeneic IUHCT provides new insight into the complexity of prenatal tolerance. Future work in this area should aim to provide a unifying explanation for the observed patterns of success and failure with clinical IUHCT.

12.
Pediatrics ; 140(5)2017 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29042421

ABSTRACT

A previously healthy 3-week-old boy presented with 5 hours of marked fussiness, abdominal distention, and poor feeding. He was afebrile and well perfused. His examination was remarkable for localized abdominal tenderness and distention. He was referred to the emergency department in which an abdominal radiograph revealed gaseous distention of the bowel with a paucity of gas in the pelvis. Complete blood cell count and urinalysis were unremarkable. His ongoing fussiness and abnormal physical examination prompted consultation with surgery and radiology. Our combined efforts ultimately established an unexpected diagnosis.


Subject(s)
Abdominal Pain/diagnostic imaging , Abdominal Pain/etiology , Appendicitis/complications , Appendicitis/diagnostic imaging , Abdominal Pain/surgery , Acute Disease , Appendicitis/surgery , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male
13.
Sci Rep ; 6: 28837, 2016 06 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27354027

ABSTRACT

Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells are critical to the maintenance of tolerance toward alloantigens encountered during postnatal life pointing to the existence of a process for self-education. However, the impact of developmentally encountered alloantigens in shaping the phenotype and function of iNKT cells has not been described. To better understand this process, the current report examined naïve iNKT cells as they matured in an allogeneic environment. Following the prenatal transfer of fetal hematopoietic cells between age-matched allogeneic murine fetuses, cell-extrinsic signals appeared to dictate allospecific patterns of Ly49 receptor expression and lineage diversity in developing iNKT cells. Regulation for this process arose from cells of hematopoietic origin requiring only rare exposure to facilitate broad changes in developing iNKT cells. These findings highlight surprisingly asymmetric allospecific alterations in iNKT cells as they develop and mature in an allogeneic environment and establish a new paradigm for study of the self-education of iNKT cells.


Subject(s)
Natural Killer T-Cells/physiology , Animals , Cell Lineage , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Mice, Inbred C57BL , NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily A/metabolism , Natural Killer T-Cells/transplantation , Transplantation Tolerance
14.
Pediatr Surg Int ; 32(7): 635-47, 2016 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27112491

ABSTRACT

Fetal teratomas are the most common tumors diagnosed prenatally. The majority of these tumors are benign and cured by complete resection of the mass during the neonatal period. Prenatal diagnosis has improved the perinatal management of these lesions and especially for the teratomas that might benefit from fetal intervention. A comprehensive prenatal evaluation including conventional ultrasounds, Doppler, echocardiography and fetal MRI, is essential for an effective counseling and perinatal management. Antenatal counseling helps the parents to better understand the natural history, fetal intervention, and perinatal management of these tumors, which differ dramatically depending on their size and location. Fetal surgical debulking improves survival in cases of sacrococcygeal teratoma with cardiac decompensation. Additionally, the use of an EXIT procedure reduces the morbidity and mortality if a complicated delivery in cases of cervical and mediastinal teratomas. Here, we offer an overview of all fetal teratomas and their recommended management, with emphasis on in utero treatment options.


Subject(s)
Fetal Diseases/diagnosis , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Ultrasonography, Prenatal/methods , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Teratoma/diagnosis , Teratoma/embryology
15.
Chimerism ; 6(1-2): 8-20, 2015 Apr 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26517600

ABSTRACT

Compulsory exposure to genetically foreign maternal tissue imprints in offspring sustained tolerance to noninherited maternal antigens (NIMA). Immunological tolerance to NIMA was first described by Dr. Ray D. Owen for women genetically negative for erythrocyte rhesus (Rh) antigen with reduced sensitization from developmental Rh exposure by their mothers. Extending this analysis to HLA haplotypes has uncovered the exciting potential for therapeutically exploiting NIMA-specific tolerance naturally engrained in mammalian reproduction for improved clinical outcomes after allogeneic transplantation. Herein, we summarize emerging scientific concepts stemming from tolerance to NIMA that includes postnatal maintenance of microchimeric maternal origin cells in offspring, expanded accumulation of immune suppressive regulatory T cells with NIMA-specificity, along with teleological benefits and immunological consequences of NIMA-specific tolerance conserved across mammalian species.


Subject(s)
HLA Antigens/immunology , Immune Tolerance , Immunologic Memory , Rh-Hr Blood-Group System/immunology , T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology , Animals , HLA Antigens/history , History, 20th Century , History, 21st Century , Humans , Rh-Hr Blood-Group System/history
16.
J Immunol ; 195(8): 4001-9, 2015 Oct 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26363051

ABSTRACT

Transplanting stem cells before birth offers an unparalleled opportunity to initiate corrective treatment for numerous childhood diseases with minimal or no host conditioning. Although long-term engraftment has been demonstrated following in utero hematopoietic cellular transplantation during immune quiescence, it is unclear if prenatal tolerance becomes unstable with immune activation such as during a viral syndrome. Using a murine model of in utero hematopoietic cellular transplantation, the impact of an infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus on prenatal allospecific tolerance was examined. The findings in this report illustrate that established mechanisms of donor-specific tolerance are strained during potent immune activation. Specifically, a transient reversal in the anergy of alloreactive lymphocytes is seen in parallel with the global immune response toward the virus. However, these changes return to baseline following resolution of the infection. Importantly, prenatal engraftment remains stable during and after immune activation. Collectively, these findings illustrate the robust nature of allospecific tolerance in prenatal mixed chimerism compared with models of postnatal chimerism and provides additional support for the prenatal approach to the treatment of congenital benign cellular disease.


Subject(s)
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation , Transplantation Chimera/immunology , Transplantation Tolerance , Allografts , Animals , Female , Fetal Diseases/immunology , Fetal Diseases/therapy , Mice , Pregnancy
17.
Surgery ; 158(3): 846-56, 2015 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26266763

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The diabetic phenotype of wound healing is in part characterized by impaired neovascularization and deficient endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) recruitment. Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) is a potent mobilizer of EPCs from the bone marrow (BM). A suggested mechanism for EPC mobilization from the BM is mediated by matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and stem cell factor (SCF). Taken together, we hypothesized that overexpression of Ang-1 in diabetic wounds will recruit EPCs and improve neovascularization and wound healing. METHODS: An endothelial lineage BM-labeled murine model of diabetes was developed to track BM-derived EPCs. FVBN mice were lethally irradiated and then reconstituted with BM from syngeneic Tie2/LacZ donor mice. Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin. Dorsal wounds in BM-transplanted mice were treated with Ad-Ang-1, Ad-GFP, or phosphate-buffered saline. At day 7 after injury, wounds were harvested and analyzed. A similar experiment was conducted in EPC mobilization deficient MMP-9 -/- mice to determine whether the effects of Ang-1 were EPC-dependent. RESULTS: Overexpression of Ang-1 resulted in greatly improved re-epithelialization, neovascularization, and EPC recruitment in diabetic BM-transplanted wounds at day 7. Ang-1 treatment resulted in increased serum levels of proMMP-9 and SCF but had no effect on vascular endothelial growth factor levels. According to our FACS results, peripheral blood EPC (CD34(+)/Cd133(+)/Flk1(+)) counts at day 3 after wounding showed impaired EPC mobilization in MMP-9 -/- mice compared with those of wild-type controls. EPC mobilization was rescued by SCF administration, validating this model for EPC-mobilization-deficient mechanistic studies. In MMP-9 -/- mice, Ad-Ang-1 accelerated re-epithelialization in a similar manner, but had no effect on neovascularization. CONCLUSION: Our results show that Ang-1 administration results in improved neovascularization which is dependent on EPC recruitment and has direct effects on wound re-epithelialization. These data may represent a novel strategy to correct the phenotype of impaired diabetic neovascularization and may improve diabetic wound healing.


Subject(s)
Angiogenesis Inducing Agents/pharmacology , Angiopoietin-1/pharmacology , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/pathology , Endothelial Progenitor Cells/drug effects , Neovascularization, Physiologic/drug effects , Wound Healing/drug effects , Angiogenesis Inducing Agents/administration & dosage , Angiopoietin-1/administration & dosage , Animals , Biomarkers/metabolism , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/metabolism , Endothelial Progenitor Cells/metabolism , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Female , Flow Cytometry , Mice , Mice, Knockout , Treatment Outcome
18.
J Immunol ; 195(4): 1506-16, 2015 Aug 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26136432

ABSTRACT

Little is known about how the prenatal interaction between NK cells and alloantigens shapes the developing NK cell repertoire toward tolerance or immunity. Specifically, the effect on NK cell education arising from developmental corecognition of alloantigens by activating and inhibitory receptors with shared specificity is uncharacterized. Using a murine prenatal transplantation model, we examined the manner in which this seemingly conflicting input affects NK cell licensing and repertoire formation in mixed hematopoietic chimeras. We found that prenatal NK cell tolerance arose from the elimination of phenotypically hostile NK cells that express an allospecific activating receptor without coexpressing any allospecific inhibitory receptors. Importantly, the checkpoint for the system appeared to occur centrally within the bone marrow during the final stage of NK cell maturation and hinged on the instructive recognition of allogeneic ligand by the activating receptor rather than through the inhibitory receptor as classically proposed. Residual nondeleted hostile NK cells expressing only the activating receptor exhibited an immature, anergic phenotype, but retained the capacity to upregulate inhibitory receptor expression in peripheral sites. However, the potential for this adaptive change to occur was lost in developmentally mature chimeras. Collectively, these findings illuminate the intrinsic process in which developmental allorecognition through the activating receptor regulates the emergence of durable NK cell tolerance and establishes a new paradigm to fundamentally guide future investigations of prenatal NK cell-allospecific education.


Subject(s)
Immune Tolerance , Isoantigens/immunology , Killer Cells, Natural/immunology , Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism , Lymphocyte Activation , Receptors, Immunologic/metabolism , Adoptive Transfer , Animals , Bone Marrow Transplantation , Clonal Anergy/genetics , Clonal Anergy/immunology , Graft Rejection/immunology , H-2 Antigens/immunology , Homeostasis , Immunophenotyping , Killer Cells, Natural/cytology , Mice , Models, Animal , Phenotype , Transplantation Chimera
19.
Cell ; 162(3): 505-15, 2015 Jul 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26213383

ABSTRACT

Exposure to maternal tissue during in utero development imprints tolerance to immunologically foreign non-inherited maternal antigens (NIMA) that persists into adulthood. The biological advantage of this tolerance, conserved across mammalian species, remains unclear. Here, we show maternal cells that establish microchimerism in female offspring during development promote systemic accumulation of immune suppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) with NIMA specificity. NIMA-specific Tregs expand during pregnancies sired by males expressing alloantigens with overlapping NIMA specificity, thereby averting fetal wastage triggered by prenatal infection and non-infectious disruptions of fetal tolerance. Therefore, exposure to NIMA selectively enhances reproductive success in second-generation females carrying embryos with overlapping paternally inherited antigens. These findings demonstrate that genetic fitness, canonically thought to be restricted to Mendelian inheritance, is enhanced in female placental mammals through vertically transferred maternal cells that promote conservation of NIMA and enforce cross-generational reproductive benefits.


Subject(s)
Fetus/immunology , Genetic Fitness , Immune Tolerance , Mammals/physiology , Pregnancy/immunology , T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology , Animals , Antigens/immunology , Chimerism , Female , Humans , Male , Mammals/immunology , Mice , Placenta/immunology
20.
Prenat Diagn ; 35(8): 769-76, 2015 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25903660

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to compare the impact of varying degrees of visceral herniation on the growth rates of the contralateral and ipsilateral fetal lungs in cases of isolated left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). METHODS: Data were retrieved from 58 fetuses with isolated left-sided CDH undergoing magnetic resonance imaging studies at both mid-gestation (20-30 weeks) and late-gestation (>30 weeks) time points. The growth of the right and left lungs (ΔLV-R and ΔLV-L) was calculated. The impact of the degree of visceral herniation on the growth disparity between the right and left lungs was then compared. RESULTS: Measurable growth occurred in both lungs between the mid-gestation and late-gestation time points in each group. The ΔLV-R exhibited a strong correlation with ΔLV-L. However, the right lung grew significantly faster than the left lung (ΔLV-R = 1.36 vs ΔLV-L = 0.17 mL/week, P < 0.001). A higher degree of visceral herniation appeared to decrease the growth rate disparity by progressive limitation of the growth of the right lung. CONCLUSION: The contralateral lung retains the potential to grow faster than the ipsilateral lung during the third trimester. A higher degree of visceral herniation places progressive limitations on contralateral lung growth thereby diminishing the growth rate disparity between the right and left lungs.


Subject(s)
Abnormalities, Multiple/embryology , Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital/embryology , Lung Diseases/embryology , Lung/abnormalities , Lung/embryology , Abnormalities, Multiple/diagnosis , Abnormalities, Multiple/etiology , Adult , Female , Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital/complications , Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital/diagnosis , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Lung Diseases/diagnosis , Lung Diseases/etiology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Trimester, Second , Pregnancy Trimester, Third , Prenatal Diagnosis , Retrospective Studies
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