| 1. |
- Gustafsson, Katarina, et al.
(författare)
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Isolation and partial characterization of an interleukin-1-like factor from rat testis interstitial fluid.
- 1988
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Ingår i: Journal of Reproductive Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-0378 .- 1872-7603. ; 14:2, s. 139-150
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Testicular interstitial fluid (ISF) was collected by in vivo perfusion of rat testes and analyzed for the presence of interleukin-1 (IL-1) activity by utilizing a murine thymocyte proliferation assay. IS obtained from nine rats were all positive with dose-response curves of IL-1 activity similar to those produced by rat testicular aqueous extracts, rat macrophage IL-1 and human recombinant IL-1α. Chromatofocusing of pooled ISF revealed a single peak of IL-1 activity with an estimated isoelectric point of 6.1–6.3. HPLC size exclusion chromatography demonstrated two active peaks with apparent molecular ratios Mr of 15,000–18,000 and 5000–7000, respectively. The molecular properties of the 15,000–18,000 Mr component are very similar to those of an IL-1-like factor previously isolated from seminiferous tubules. Our results indicate that the testicular IL-1-like factor is secreted by the seminiferous tubules into the interstitial tissue. Its function in the testicular interstitium is unknown but it might be relevant for the tendency to testicular relapse of childhood lymphocytic leukemia.
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| 2. |
- Matthiesen, Leif, 1954-, et al.
(författare)
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In-situ detection of both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in resting peripheral blood mononuclear cells during pregnancy
- 2002
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Ingår i: Journal of Reproductive Immunology. - 0165-0378 .- 1872-7603. ; 58:1, s. 49-59
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Local and possibly systemic curtailment of the maternal immune response is important for a successful pregnancy. Although the local milieu at the utero-placental interface is likely to harbor the most prominent alterations, it is suggested, at least in mice, that systemic immunity is also tolerized during pregnancy. In the present study, we investigated mRNA expression of the key immunomodulatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a and interferon (IFN)-? during normal pregnancy. Material and methods: In-situ hybridization (ISH) of cytokine mRNA in resting peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was used to detect the number of cells spontaneously expressing cytokines. Eleven women with normal gestations were followed during pregnancy as well as 8 weeks postpartum, and compared with 10 non-pregnant healthy controls. Results: The numbers of IFN-? and IL-4 mRNA expressing cells were found to be significantly increased during pregnancy and postpartum compared with non-pregnant controls. Pregnant women and non-pregnant controls did not differ in their expression of TNF-a and IL-10. Conclusion: Our studies demonstrated increased numbers of both IFN-? and IL-4 mRNA expressing cells in blood suggesting that systemic immunomodulation, albeit partial, takes place during normal pregnancy. It is proposed that enhanced IL-4 expression, possibly in concert with other elevated anti-inflammatory immunomodulatory cytokines, curtail the potentially hazardous effects of IFN-? on systemic immunity during pregnancy.
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| 3. |
- Abelius, Martina, et al.
(författare)
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Placental immune response to apple allergen in allergic mothers
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Reproductive Immunology. - : Elsevier. - 0165-0378 .- 1872-7603. ; 106, s. 100-109
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The immunological milieu in the placenta may be crucial for priming the developing foetal immune system. Early imbalances may promote the establishment of immune-mediated diseases in later life, including allergies. The initial exposure to allergens seems to occur in utero, but little is known about allergen-induced placental cytokine and chemokine release. The release of several cytokines and chemokines from placenta tissue after exposure to mast cell degranulator compound 48/80 or apple allergen in placentas from allergic and healthy mothers was to be analysed. Four placentas from women with apple allergy and three controls were applied in a placental perfusion model with two separate cotyledons simultaneously perfused with and without apple allergen (Mal d 1). Two control placentas were perfused with compound 48/80. In outflow, histamine was quantified spectrophotofluorometrically, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, TNF and IFN-gamma by a cytometric multiplex bead array and IL-13 and CXCL10, CXCL11, CCL17 and CCL22 with an in-house multiplex Luminex assay. Compound 48/80 induced a rapid release of histamine, CXCL10, CXCL11, CCL17 and CCL22, but not of the other factors. Apple allergen induced a time-dependent release of IL-6 and TNF, but not of histamine, in placentas of women with apple allergy compared with the unstimulated cotyledon. CCL17 levels were slightly increased after allergen stimulation in control placentas. Allergens can induce placental cytokines and chemokines distinctly in allergic and healthy mothers. These mediators may affect the prenatal development of the immune system and modify the risk of diseases related to immune disorders in childhood such as allergies.
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| 4. |
- Bartoszek, Krzysztof, et al.
(författare)
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Controversies around the statistical presentation of data on mRNA-COVID 19 vaccine safety in pregnant women
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Reproductive Immunology. - : ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD. - 0165-0378 .- 1872-7603. ; 151
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The work entitled "Preliminary Findings of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons" published on April 21, 2021, in The New England Journal of Medicine, presented data collected from American surveillance systems and registries. However, problems with an unanimous interpretation of those results appeared in the public debate and citing articles. Some stated that the risk of miscarriage in vaccinated women was similar to historical values reported before the vaccines approval. The others stated that risk was highly above-normative in women vaccinated during the first and second trimesters. We found several problems with the statistical treatment/interpretation of the originally presented values: a substantial percentage (up to 95.6%) of missing data, an incorrect denominator used for risk estimation, and too short follow-up that disabled the evaluation of the studys endpoint in numerous participants. Eventually, the Authors published a corrigendum on September 8, 2021, and pointed to updated data. Herein, we explain the statistical controversies raised by the original presentation and stress that analyzing the trade-off between knowledge and confusion brought by the release of incomplete results of such a high social interest, should aid in solving the dilemma of whether to publish preliminary data or none.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Bruno, V., et al.
(författare)
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Low molecular weight heparin -induced miRNA changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in pregnancies with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Reproductive Immunology. - : ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD. - 0165-0378 .- 1872-7603. ; 151
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (uRPL) is a clinical condition for which there is a lack of evidenced-based therapies. However, in clinical practice, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) has been widely used as an empirical therapy since immune effects have been hypothesized in modulating immune tolerance at the fetal maternal interface. Epigenetic mechanisms are involved in establishing of immune tolerance, at fetal-maternal interface. To investigate potential induced immune-epigenetic changes at maternal periphery level, which could reflect the maternal-fetal interface condition, seems to open up new therapeutical strategies, since microRNAs circulating in maternal plasma and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) may be specific and sensitive immunological markers/predictors of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as RPL.Our aim in this pilot study is to evaluate potential LMWH effects on genes regulating immunological response key mechanisms related to maternal-fetal tolerance processes, by studying circulating miRNAs in maternal peripheral blood. We tested a panel of selected miRNAs on three groups: 18 healthy pregnant women, 20 pregnant women affected by uRPL, 18 pregnant women affected by uRPL, treated with LMWH. The majority of differentially expressed miRNAs (miR 374a-5p, 19a-3p, 30e-5p, 128-3p, 155-5p and 200c-3p) were found to be modulated by LMWH, which seems to have a positive function in RPL patients, by bringing patients values back to those comparable to the control ones. Selected microRNA panels would appear to be an effective clinical tool for uRPL diagnosis and management. LMWH-modified miRNA expression levels could be targets for immunotherapy, as LMWH would appear to restore physiological miRNA levels, which are dysregulated in uRPL.
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| 7. |
- Collin, Mattias, et al.
(författare)
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Constitutive expression of the antibacterial CXC chemokine GCP-2/CXCL6 by epithelial cells of the male reproductive tract.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Reproductive Immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-7603 .- 0165-0378. ; 79, s. 37-43
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The reproductive tract is continuously challenged by potential pathogens present in the environment. Therefore, robust host defense mechanisms are essential both for the health of the individual and for fertilization. Antibiotic innate immunity peptides possess broad antimicrobial activity. Recently, we found that the CXC chemokine, granulocyte chemotactic protein (GCP)-2/CXCL6, possesses antibacterial activity. In the present study, we investigated, therefore, the presence of GCP-2/CXCL6 in the human male reproductive system. GCP-2/CXCL6 was detected at 19nM (mean; range: 5-47nM; n=14) in seminal plasma of fertile donors, i.e. at levels more than 100 times higher than those previously reported for the related chemokine IL-8/CXCL8. No GCP-2/CXCL6 could be detected in blood plasma of healthy donors, indicating local production in the male reproductive tract. In vasectomized donors, significantly lower levels of GCP-2/CXCL6 were found (mean: 3nM; range 2-7nM; n=7), demonstrating that the testis and epididymis contribute significantly to the GCP-2/CXCL6 content of seminal plasma. Strong expression of GCP-2/CXCL6 was found in the epithelium of the testis, epididymis and seminal vesicles, while the prostate epithelium showed weak expression, as determined by immunohistochemistry. A biological function is suggested, viz. at concentrations of the order of those found in seminal plasma, GCP-2/CXCL6 has antibacterial activity against the urogenital pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae. GCP-2/CXCL6 in seminal plasma may play roles in both host defense of the male urogenital tract and during fertilization.
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| 8. |
- Consiglio, Camila, et al.
(författare)
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Immune system adaptation during gender-affirming testosterone treatment
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Reproductive Immunology. - : Elsevier. - 0165-0378 .- 1872-7603. ; 159, s. 29-30
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Biological sex impacts human immune responses, modulating susceptibility and severity to immune-related diseases. Female generally mount more robust immune responses than males, resulting in lower infection severity and greater autoimmunity incidence. Here, we addressed the contribution of testosterone to human immune function by analyzing a cohort of subjects undergoing gender-affirming testosterone treatment. We performed systems-level immunomonitoring through mass cytometry, scRNA and scA-TAC-Sequencing, and proteome profiling of blood samples at baseline and following 3 and 12 months of treatment. Testosterone treatment was associated with a low-grade inflammatory profile, evidenced by upregulation of proinflammatory plasma proteome (e.g., EN-RAGE, OSM, TNF), and induction of an inflammatory transcriptional program associated with NFkB signaling, and TNF signaling. Following testosterone treatment, higher NFkB activity was revealed in CD4 T, CD8 T, and NK cells in scATACseq analyses. Further, testosterone increased monocytic inflammatory responses upon bacterial stimulation in vitro. Although testosterone was associated with this inflammatory profile, it also exerted negative effects on antiviral immunity. Firstly, the percentage of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) decreased over transition, with pDC also displaying phenotypic changes associated with lower IFN responses. Secondly, bulk transcriptomics analyses show an overall reduction of IFNa responses. Thirdly, testosterone treatment led to reduced IFNa production upon PBMCs stimulation with a viral agonist. Our results show that testosterone has broad effects on the human immune system, and significantly modulates important players in antiviral immunity and inflammatory response. Identifying pathways involved in immune sexual dimorphism will help define novel targets for effective prevention and treatment of immune-mediated diseases.
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| 9. |
- Cunningham, Kelly A, et al.
(författare)
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CTA1-DD is an effective adjuvant for targeting anti-chlamydial immunity to the murine genital mucosa.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of reproductive immunology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-7603 .- 0165-0378. ; 81:1, s. 34-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chlamydia trachomatis is a significant human pathogen with potentially severe disease sequelae in the genital tract, including infertility. A successful vaccine will need to effectively target immunity to the genital mucosa. Intranasal immunisation with cholera toxin (CT) can target immunity to the genital tract, but has the potential to cause neurological side effects. CTA1-DD is a non-toxic potent mucosal adjuvant which combines the enzymatic properties of CT, with a B cell targeting moiety. Here, we demonstrate that intranasal immunisation with CTA1-DD and chlamydial Major Outer Membrane Protein (MOMP) results in the induction of neutralising systemic and mucosal antibodies, and reduces the level of chlamydial shedding following intravaginal challenge with Chlamydia muridarum. Thus, CTA1-DD is an effective adjuvant for vaccine development against Chlamydia trachomatis, and possibly also a range of other genital pathogens.
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| 10. |
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