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Background: Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine has been considered as a potential therapeutic strategy and the next research hotspot, but their efficacy against prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) remains undefined. This study aimed to find potential antigens of PRAD for mRNA vaccine development and identify suitable patients for vaccination through immunophenotyping. Methods: Gene expression profiles and clinical information were obtained from TCGA and ICGC. GEPIA2 was used to calculate the prognostic index of the selected antigens. The genetic alterations were compared on cBioPortal and the correlation between potential antigen and immune infiltrating cells was explored by TIMER. ConsensusClusterPlus was used to construct a consistency matrix, and identify the immune subtypes. Graph learning-based dimensional reduction was performed to depict immune landscape. Boruta algorithm and LASSO logistic analysis were used to screen PRAD patients who may benefit from mRNA vaccine. Results: Seven potential tumor antigens selected were significantly positively associated with poor prognosis and the antigen-presenting immune cells (APCs) in PRAD, including ADA, FYN, HDC, NFKBIZ, RASSF4, SLC6A3, and UPP1. Five immune subtypes of PRAD were identified by differential molecular, cellular, and clinical characteristics in both cohorts. C3 and C5 had immune "hot" and immunosuppressive phenotype, On the contrary, C1&C2 had immune "cold" phenotype. Finally, the immune landscape characterization showed the immune heterogeneity among patients with PRAD. Conclusions: ADA, FYN, HDC, NFKBIZ, RASSF4, SLC6A3, and UPP1 are potential antigens for mRNA vaccine development against PRAD, and patients in type C1 and C2 are suitable for vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Biallelic pathogenic NBAS variants manifest as a multisystem disorder with heterogeneous clinical phenotypes such as recurrent acute liver failure, growth retardation, and susceptibility to infections. This study explores how NBAS-associated disease affects cells of the innate and adaptive immune system. Methods: Clinical and laboratory parameters were combined with functional multi-parametric immunophenotyping methods in fifteen NBAS-deficient patients to discover possible alterations in their immune system. Results: Our study revealed reduced absolute numbers of mature CD56dim natural killer (NK) cells. Notably, the residual NK cell population in NBAS-deficient patients exerted a lower potential for activation and degranulation in response to K562 target cells, suggesting an NK cell–intrinsic role for NBAS in the release of cytotoxic granules. NBAS-deficient NK cell activation and degranulation was normalized upon pre-activation by IL-2 in vitro, suggesting that functional impairment was reversible. In addition, we observed a reduced number of naïve B cells in the peripheral blood associated with hypogammaglobulinemia. Conclusion: In summary, we demonstrate that pathogenic biallelic variants in NBAS are associated with dysfunctional NK cells as well as impaired adaptive humoral immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To elucidate heterogeneity of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) based on B cell immunophenotyping. Methods: Immunophenotyping of 4 B-cell subsets in peripheral blood from patients with active IgG4-RD (aIgG4-RD, n=105) was performed using flow cytometry to get preliminary B-cell heterogeneity spectrum. Then 10 B-cell subsets were characterized in aIgG4-RD (n = 49), remissive IgG4-RD (rIgG4-RD, n = 49), and healthy controls (HCs, n = 47), followed by principal components analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis to distinguish B-cell immunophenotypes and classify IgG4-RD patients into subgroups. Results: Cluster analysis identified two endotypes in 105 aIgG4-RD patients based on 4 B-cell subsets: Group1 with higher Breg and naive B cells (n = 48), and Group2 with higher plasmablasts and memory B cells (MBCs) (n = 57). PCA indicated that aIgG4-RD consisted of plasmablast-naive B cell and MBCs-Breg axes abnormalities. There was a negative relationship between naive B cells and disease activity. Both plasmablasts and MBCs were positively associated with serological biomarkers. Cluster analysis stratified aIgG4-RD patients into 3 subgroups based on 10 B-cell subsets: subgroup1 with low MBCs and normal Breg, subgroup2 with high MBCs and low Breg, and subgroup3 with high plasmablasts and low naive B cells. Patients in subroup2 and subgroup3 were more likely to be resistant to treatment. Conclusion: Patients with aIgG4-RD can be divided into 3 subgroups based on B cell heterogeneity. The B cell immunophenotyping could help elucidate the pathogenesis of IgG4-RD, identify patients with potential refractory IgG4-RD, and provide important information for the development of new therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional manual gating strategies are often time-intensive, place a high burden on the analyzer, and are susceptible to bias between analyzers. Several automated gating methods have shown to exceed performance of manual gating for a limited number of cell subsets. However, many of the automated algorithms still require significant manual interventions or have yet to demonstrate their utility in large datasets. Therefore, we developed an approach that utilizes a previously published automated algorithm (OpenCyto framework) with a manually created hierarchically cell gating template implemented, along with a custom developed visualization software (FlowAnnotator) to rapidly and efficiently analyze immunophenotyping data in large population studies. This approach allows pre-defining populations that can be analyzed solely by automated analysis and incorporating manual refinement for smaller downstream populations. We validated this method with traditional manual gating strategies for 24 subsets of T cells, B cells, NK cells, monocytes and dendritic cells in 931 participants from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Our results show a high degree of correlation (r ≥ 0.80) for 18 (78%) of the 24 cell subsets. For the remaining subsets, the correlation was low (<0.80) primarily because of the low numbers of events recorded in these subsets. The mean difference in the absolute counts between the hybrid method and manual gating strategy of these cell subsets showed results that were very similar to the traditional manual gating method. We describe a practical method for standardization of immunophenotyping methods in large scale population studies that provides a rapid, accurate and reproducible alternative to labor intensive manual gating strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction has been shown to play a critical role in cancer biology. However, its involvement in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) remains significantly understudied. Methods: RNA sequencing data of 30 pairs of iCCA and paracancerous tissues were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (WMU). The WMU cohort (n = 30) was integrated with public TCGA (n = 30) and GSE107943 (n = 30) datasets to establish a multi-center iCCA cohort. We merged the TCGA and GSE107943 cohorts into an exploration cohort to develop a mitochondria signature for prognosis assessment, and utilized the WMU cohort for external validation. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Hallmarker analyses were used for functional interpretation of iCCA associated mitochondria-related genes (MRGs). In addition, unsupervised clustering was performed to identify mitochondria-based iCCA subtypes with the data of three institutions. Further investigations were conducted to examine the impact of mitochondrial dysfunction on drug responses, alteration of the tumor immune microenvironment, and immune responses. Results: Two hundred and sixty-three iCCA-related MRGs were identified to be related to fatty acid metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and apoptosis. Through univariate and multivariate Cox, and LASSO analyses, a mitochondria signature with five optimal MRGs was established to evaluate the prognosis of iCCA patients with the AUC values ranged from 0.785 to 0.928 in the exploration cohort. The signature also exhibited satisfactory performance in the WMU cohort with AUC values of 0.817-0.871, and was identified as an independent risk predictor in both cohorts. Additionally, we found that patients with higher mitochondria score with poor prognosis presented lower infiltration levels of CD4+ T-cell, NK cells, and monocytes, and demonstrated higher sensitivity to targeted therapies, including sorafenib. Furthermore, two distant mitochondria-based subtypes were determined, and subtype 2 was associated with shorter survival time and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Finally, the differential protein expression of five key MRGs was verified by Immunohistochemistry. Conclusion: We found mitochondrial dysfunction modulates aberrant metabolism, oxidative stress, immune responses, apoptosis, and drug sensitivity in iCCA. A mitochondria signature and two mitochondria-based iCCA subtypes were identified for clinical risk stratification and immunophenotyping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To elucidate the diversity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) based on immunophenotyping. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from 143 SLE patients and 49 healthy individuals. Circulating B, T, and dendritic cells were defined using flow cytometric analysis as recommended by the Human Immunology Project Consortium. Based on these results, immunophenotypes were distinguished by principal components analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis was used to classify SLE patients into subgroups. Results The proportions of Treg and follicular helper T (Tfh) cells were higher in SLE patients than in healthy controls, whereas Th1 and Th17 cell proportions did not differ. Proportions of class-switched memory B cells and IgD-CD27- B cells were increased in SLE patients as well. The largest difference compared to the control group was observed in the proportion of plasmablasts, which was higher in SLE patients and correlated with disease activity as assessed with the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group index. PCA indicated that the immunophenotype of SLE patients consisted of abnormalities of the T and B cell axes. Cluster analysis showed that the SLE patients could be stratified into 3 subgroups (with high proportions of plasmablasts in all groups): patients who did not show the characteristic features (T cell-independent group), patients with a high percentage of Tfh cells (Tfh-dominant group), and patients with a high percentage of memory Treg cells (Treg-dominant group). The percentage of patients whose SLE was resistant to treatment was highest among the Tfh-dominant group. Conclusion Our study indicates that patients with active SLE can be divided into 3 subgroups based on T cell heterogeneity. Further immunophenotyping studies should help elucidate the pathogenesis of SLE and provide important information for the development of new therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Global life expectancy is rising, with the 60 + age group projected to hit 2 billion by 2050. Aging impacts the immune system. A notable marker of immune system aging is the presence of Aging-Related Immune Cell Phenotypes (ARIPs). Despite their importance, links between immune cell phenotypes including ARIPs and mortality are underexplored. We prospectively investigated 16 different immune cell phenotypes using flow cytometry and IL-6 in relation to survival outcome among dementia-free Framingham Heart Study (FHS) offspring cohort participants who attended the seventh exam (1998–2001). Results: Among 996 participants (mean age 62 years, range 40 to 88 years, 52% female), the 19-year survival rate was 65%. Adjusting for age, sex, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) serostatus, higher CD4/CD8 and Tc17/CD8 + Treg ratios were significantly associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR: 0.86 [0.76–0.96], 0.84 [0.74–0.94], respectively), while higher CD8 regulatory cell levels (CD8 + CD25 + FoxP3 +) were associated with increased all-cause mortality risk (HR = 1.17, [1.03–1.32]). Elevated IL-6 levels correlated with higher all-cause, cardiovascular, and non-cardiovascular mortality (HR = 1.43 [1.26–1.62], 1.70 [1.31–2.21], and 1.36 [1.18–1.57], respectively). However, after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and prevalent cancer alongside age, sex, and CMV, immune cell phenotypes were no longer associated with mortality in our cohort. Nonetheless, IL-6 remained significantly associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (HRs: 1.3 [1.13–1.49], 1.5 [1.12–1.99], respectively). Conclusions: In 19-year follow-up, higher Tc17/CD8 + Treg and CD4/CD8 ratios were associated with lower all-cause mortality, while the CD8 + CD25 + FoxP3 + (CD8 + Treg) phenotype showed increased risk. Elevated IL-6 levels consistently correlated with amplified mortality risks. These findings highlight the links between immune phenotypes and mortality, suggesting implications for future research and clinical considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is a non-selective cation channel involved in sensitivity to a plethora of irritating agents and endogenous mediators of oxidative stress. TRPA1 influences neuroinflammation and macrophage and lymphocyte functions, but its role is controversial in immune cells. We reported earlier a detectable, but orders-of-magnitude-lower level of Trpa1 mRNA in monocytes and lymphocytes than in sensory neurons by qRT-PCR analyses of cells from lymphoid organs of mice. Our present goals were to (a) further elucidate the expression of Trpa1 mRNA in immune cells by RNAscope in situ hybridization (ISH) and (b) test the role of TRPA1 in lymphocyte activation. RNAscope ISH confirmed that Trpa1 transcripts were detectable in CD14+ and CD4+ cells from the peritoneal cavity of mice. A selective TRPA1 agonist JT010 elevated Ca2+ levels in these cells only at high concentrations. However, a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect of JT010 was observed on T-cell receptor (TcR)-induced Ca2+ signals in CD4+ T lymphocytes, while JT010 neither modified B cell activation nor ionomycin-stimulated Ca2+ level. Based on our present and past findings, TRPA1 activation negatively modulates T lymphocyte activation, but it does not appear to be a key regulator of TcR-stimulated calcium signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adversity during infancy can affect neurobehavioral development and perturb the maturation of physiological systems. Dysregulated immune and inflammatory responses contribute to many of the later effects on health. Whether normalization can occur following a transition to more nurturing, benevolent conditions is unclear. To assess the potential for recovery, blood samples were obtained from 45 adolescents adopted by supportive families after impoverished infancies in institutional settings (post-institutionalized, PI). Their immune profiles were compared to 39 age-matched controls raised by their biological parents (non-adopted, NA). Leukocytes were immunophenotyped, and this analysis focuses on natural killer (NK) cell populations in circulation. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) seropositivity was evaluated to determine if early infection contributed to the impact of an atypical rearing. Associations with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), two cytokines released by activated NK cells, were examined. Compared to the NA controls, PI adolescents had a lower percent of CD56bright NK cells in circulation, higher TNF-α levels, and were more likely to be infected with CMV. PI adolescents who were latent carriers of CMV expressed NKG2C and CD57 surface markers on more NK cells, including CD56dim lineages. The NK cell repertoire revealed lingering immune effects of early rearing while still maintaining an overall integrity and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The workup of lymphoproliferative disorders ( LPDs) involves the combined use of flow cytometry ( FC) and immunohistochemistry ( IHC). This often results in duplicate immunophenotypic testing and adds costs that may not be eligible for reimbursement based on the Medicare National Correct Coding Initiative. We aimed to establish a cost-effective diagnostic algorithm based on initial FC categorization to reduce repetitive immunophenotyping. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 242 cases of suspected LPDs with concurrent FC and IHC testing over a 12-month period. We correlated FC with surgical diagnoses and evaluated the frequency of repeat IHC testing. Results Repetitive immunophenotyping was common; overall, 85% of cases had at least one marker repeated. Concordant cases were significantly less likely to have markers repeated than discordant cases. Of concordant B cell malignancies, 57% represented recurrent disease; however, repeat marker usage was not decreased as compared to new diagnoses. The most frequently repeated markers were CD3, CD5, CD10, and CD20. Conclusions We propose that in concordant cases, CD5 and CD10 should not be repeated by IHC; this would decrease the use of these markers by 80% and 76%, respectively. We developed an algorithmic approach to IHC usage that has improved incorporation of FC data at our institution and may reduce healthcare costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a collection of abstracts from the 44th Annual Meeting of the American College of Toxicology, covering a range of topics related to toxicology research. The abstracts discuss various studies, including the protective effect of an antioxidant on kidney fibrosis in mice, sex differences in the lung-brain axis transcriptome in response to exposure to indoor fungi, and the evaluation of respiratory sensitizers using an in vitro model. Other studies explore the role of asparagine synthetase in colorectal cancer tumor metabolism, the induction of platinum resistance in ovarian cancer by certain substances, and the modulation of lung injury and inflammation by an RNA-binding protein. Additionally, the frequency of potential drug interactions in pediatric patients and the rescue role of myricetin in testicular oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in a rat model of Parkinson's disease are examined. The document also includes studies on the effects of nicotine products on gingival tissue, the safety evaluation of a novel sweetener alternative, the cardiovascular effects of a specific drug in monkeys, the use of an in silico system for drug development assessments, the release of cardiac troponin I from cardiomyocytes, the Membrane Proteome Array platform for assessing biotherapeutics, the translational and in silico assessment of liver injury for a specific compound, a modified method for collecting cerebrospinal fluid in rodents and monkeys, and different methods of delivering gene therapies to the central nervous system in non-human primates. These abstracts provide [Extracted from the article]

Adoptive cellular therapy with immune effector cells (IECs) has shown promising efficacy against some neoplastic diseases as well as potential in immune regulation. Both inherent variability in starting material and variations in cell composition produced by the manufacturing process must be thoroughly evaluated with a validated method established to quantify viable lymphocyte subtypes. Currently, commercialized immunophenotyping methods determine cell viability with significant errors in thawed products since they do not include any viability staining. We hereby report on the validation of a flow cytometry-based method for quantifying viable lymphocyte immunophenotypes in fresh and cryopreserved hematopoietic cellular products. Using fresh or frozen cellular products and stabilized blood, we report on the validation parameters accuracy, uncertainty, precision, sensitivity, robustness and contamination between samples for quantification of viable CD3+, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD3–CD56+CD16+/– NK cells, CD19+ B cells and CD14+ monocytes of relevance to fresh and cryopreserved hematopoietic cellular products using the Cytomics FC500 cytometer (Beckman Coulter). The acceptance criteria set in the validation plan were all met. The method is able to accommodate the variability in absolute numbers of cells in starting materials collected or cryopreserved from patients or healthy donors (uncertainty of ≤20% at three different concentrations), stability over time (compliance over 3 years during regular inter-laboratory comparisons) and confidence in meaningful changes during cell processing and manufacturing (intra-assay and intermediate precision of 10% coefficient of variation). Furthermore, the method can accurately report on the efficacy of cell depletion since the lower limit of quantification was established (CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ cells at 9, 8 and 8 cells/µL, respectively). The method complies with Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) standards for IEC, FACT-Joint Accreditation Committee of ISCT-EBMT (JACIE) hematopoietic cell therapy standards, International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use Q2(R1) and International Organization for Standardization 15189 standards. Furthermore, it complies with Ligand Binding Assay Bioanalytical Focus Group/American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, International Council for Standardization of Hematology/International Clinical Cytometry Society and European Bioanalysis Forum recommendations for validating such methods. The implications of this effort include standardization of viable cell immunophenotyping of starting material for cell manufacturing, cell selection and in-process quality controls or dosing of IECs. This method also complies with all relevant standards, particularly FACT-JACIE standards, in terms of enumerating and reporting on the viability of the "clinically relevant cell populations." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RECK is a candidate tumor suppressor gene isolated as a gene that induces flat reversion in a cell line transformed by the KRAS oncogene. Since RECK knockout mice die in utero, they are not suitable for studying the effects of RECK on tumor formation. In this study, we found an increased incidence of spontaneous pulmonary adenomas in mice with reduced RECK expression (RECK-Hypo mice). To evaluate the effects of RECK expressed by either tumor cells or host cells on tumor growth, we established a tumorigenic cell line (MKER) from the kidney of a C57BL/6 mouse and performed syngeneic transplantation experiments. Our results indicate that when RECK expression is low in host cells, transplanted MKER cells grow faster and kill the animal more rapidly. Since RECK is required for the formation of proper fibrillin fibers that serve as a tissue reservoir for precursors of TGFβ-family cytokines, we assessed the levels of TGFβ1 in the peripheral blood. We found a significant increase in TGFβ1 in RECK-Hypo mice compared to wild-type mice. We also found that the proportion of FOXP3-positive regulatory T (Treg) cells among splenocytes was higher in RECK-Hypo mice compared to the control mice. Furthermore, the number of FOXP3-positive cells in spontaneous hematopoietic neoplasms in the lungs as well as tumors that formed after MKER transplantation was significantly higher in RECK-Hypo mice compared to the control mice. These findings indicate that RECK-mediated tumor suppression involves a non-cell-autonomous mechanism and that possible roles of TGFβ1 and Treg cells in such a mechanism warrant further study., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Cellular Physiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: PIWIL1 polymorphisms' role in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) relapse susceptibility remains undiscovered. Methods: A case-control designed and multiple logistic regression model was performed to evaluate the overall risk of pediatric ALL and five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of PIWIL1 gene (rs35997018 C>T, rs1106042 A>G, rs7957349 C>G, rs10773771 C>T, and rs10848087 A>G) in 785 cases and 1,323 controls, which were genotyped by TaqMan assay. The odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to estimate the relationship. Stratified analysis was used to investigate the correlation of rs1106042 and rs10773771 genotypes and pediatric ALL relapse susceptibility in terms of age, sex, number of white blood cells (WBC), immunophenotyping, gene fusion type, karyotype, primitive/naïve lymphocytes, and minimal residual disease (MRD) in bone marrow. Finally, the haplotype analysis was performed to appraise the relationship between inferred haplotypes of PIWIL1 and pediatric ALL risk. Results: Among the five analyzed SNPs, rs1106042 A>G was related to increased ALL risk, and rs10773771 C>T was related to decreased ALL risk. Compared to the GG genotype, the rs1106042 GA/AA had a deleterious effect on children of age <120 months, who were female and male, had high or average number of WBC, pro-B ALL, pre-B ALL, T-ALL, low- and middle-risk ALL, E2A-PBX fusion gene, non-gene fusion, abnormal diploid, high hyperdiploid, hypodiploid, and normal diploid. Moreover, rs1106042 A>G harmfully affected primitive/naïve lymphocytes and MRD on days 15-19, day 33, and week 12. On the contrary, rs10773771 TC/CC exhibited a protective effect on ALL children with the TEL- AML fusion gene. Haplotype analysis demonstrated that haplotypes CAGT, TACC, TACT, and TAGT were significantly associated with increased pediatric ALL relapse susceptibility. Conclusion: PIWIL1 rs1106042 A>G was related to increased ALL risk, and rs10773771 C>T was linked to decreased ALL risk in eastern Chinese children. Rs1106042 GA/AA may predict poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opinion statement: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most diagnosed malignant neoplasm and is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in men worldwide. Despite significant advances in screening and treatment of PCa, given the heterogeneity of this disease, optimal personalized therapeutic strategies remain limited. However, emerging predictive and prognostic biomarkers based on individual patient profiles in combination with computer-assisted diagnostics have the potential to guide precision medicine, where patients may benefit from therapeutic approaches optimally suited to their disease. Also, the integration of genotypic and phenotypic diagnostic methods is supporting better informed treatment decisions. Focusing on advanced PCa, this review discusses polygenic risk scores for screening of PCa and common genomic aberrations in androgen receptor (AR), PTEN-PI3K-AKT, and DNA damage response (DDR) pathways, considering clinical implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment prediction. Furthermore, we evaluate liquid biopsy, protein biomarkers such as serum testosterone levels, SLFN11 expression, total alkaline phosphatase (tALP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), tissue biopsy, and advanced imaging tools, summarizing current phenotypic biomarkers and envisaging more effective utilization of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in advanced PCa. We conclude that prognostic and treatment predictive biomarker discovery can improve the management of patients, especially in metastatic stages of advanced PCa. This will result in decreased mortality and enhanced quality of life and help design a personalized treatment regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine the utility of CD11c expression on monocytes in normal controls and patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) (n = 23) with flow cytometric immunophenotyping. Methods: Twenty-three CMML samples and 10 control bone marrows submitted for lymphoma staging without evidence of disease were examined. Results: Monocytes in CMML samples ranged from 4% to 35%. Expression of at least one aberrant monocytic marker was found on the monocytes in 18 (82%) of 22 evaluable cases. The most common aberrancy was underexpression of CD11c (n = 15), while none of the bone marrow controls showed underexpression of CD11c. Conclusions: A distinct heterogeneous population of monocytic cells with underexpression of CD11c was identified in all these cases. CD11c underexpression was independent of other aberrancies, including HLA-DR underexpression (n = 14), aberrant CD56 expression (n = 11), and underexpression of CD33, CD38, and CD14 (n = 6, 5, and 5, respectively), supporting the utility of CD11c expression status on monocytes in establishing a CMML diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess a large series of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with t(8;21) for both IGH@ and IGK@ B-cell gene rearrangements and for expression of PAX5, OCT2, and Bob.1 by immunohistochemistry and expression of CD19, CD79a, CD20, and CD22 by flow cytometry immunophenotyping. Methods: A total of 48 cases of AML with t(8;21)(q22;q22) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and/or heavy chain and light chain immunoglobulin rearrangement studies where paraffin-embedded and/or fresh frozen material was available for study; previously performed flow cytometry studies were also reviewed in available cases. Results: Our study yielded 1 of 19 cases of AML with t(8;21) with an IGH@ gene rearrangement; blasts were associated with weak PAX5 expression. In addition, expression of antigens CD79a by flow cytometry and OCT2 by immunohistochemistry were highly associated with PAX5 expression, and CD19 was expressed in most cases assessed. Conclusions: Although B-cell antigen and B-cell transcription factor expression is seen in the majority of AMLs with t(8;21)(q22;q22) and correlates with PAX5 expression, immunoglobulin gene rearrangements are an uncommon event in this group of leukemias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Acute mixed-lineage leukemia (AMLL) is characterized as the acute leukemia involved with acute myeloid cells and lymphoid cells at the same time. The AMLL is easily misdiagnosed because of a dual character involved with lymphoid and myeloid cells. At present, researches of AMLL in adults are more common. Only some are reported for children. Therefore, our aim was to study clinical characteristics of the childhood AMLL. Methods: From January 2000 to July 2009, 14 cases of AMLL children were selected by morphological and immunophenotyping methods from 185 cases of childhood acute leukemia admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Science and Technology of Huazhong University. Medical records of all AMLL cases were reviewed for clinical characteristics. Findings: Fourteen cases of AMLL were screened from 185 cases of acute leukemia by morphology, immunology, cytogenetics and molecular (MICM). The rate of childhood AMLL accounted for 7.57% of pediatric acute leukemia (AL) diagnosed in the research period; white blood cell count in most of the patients was normal, the average value being 31.0×109/L in the first visit. In the 14 cases of AMLL, 8 cases were B-Ly+/My+, 2 cases were T-Ly+/My+B, and 4 were T+B-Ly+/My+. Among them, nine cases received treatment. Consequently, 6 cases reached complete remission (CR); 1 case had not complete remission; 2 cases did not complete the treatment. Conclusion: The diagnosis of AMLL should depend on the comprehensive evaluation of MICM. As there are still many problems concerning AMLL, it is very necessary that the research units collaborate with each other to improve the prognosis of childhood AMLL. The limitations and applications of the results are that they are only based on the patients of one hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Tissue microarrays offer an efficient way of examining a large number of tumour cases on a single glass slide. A major concern, however, is tumour heterogeneity. Also, the use of tissue microarrays in biopsy material is unexplored. The purpose of the present study was to assess the possibility and validity of arraying three 0.6-mm cores per case in endoscopic gastric cancer biopsies for immunophenotyping. Methods and results: Thirty-eight cases were studied with immunohistochemical staining for p53, CD44v6 and vascular endothelial growth factor. Full tissue sections were compared with triple core-tissue microarrays. Thirty-six cases contained three cores with tumour, one case contained two cores with tumour and one case contained only a single core with viable tumour and was excluded. Three further cores had been lost from three separate cases on the sections for immunohistochemistry. κ values for whole-sections versus tissue microarrays ranged between 0.77 and 0.94. p53 immunohistochemical staining (interpretation as + or –) yielded the best result with only 1/37 mismatches, whereas CD44v6 (graded both for intensity and extent) showed 3/37 mismatches. The small depth of tissue in cores from biopsies necessitates all cores being arrayed flush with the face of the recipient wax block for maximizing the number of sections available. Compared with the first section over 30 additional 4-µm sections were available before the first case (with one core left) had to be excluded and 80 sections before half the tissue cores were lost. Conclusions: It is impracticable to array more than 120–150 cores per block. Tissue microarray with three cores per case is feasible and valid for studying biopsy material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequencies of human platelet-specific alloantigens (HPAs) vary between different ethnic groups, and genotyping using DNA techniques has been preferred over immunophenotyping methods for population studies. Using a polymerase chain reaction with allele-specific primers (PCR-ASP) method, we determined the allelic polymorphisms of five HPA systems among 174 unrelated individuals of two different Brazilian ethnic groups including Amazon Indians (n = 95) and blood donors (n = 79). Comparison of the calculated gene frequencies of the two alleles of HPA-1, -2, -3, -4 and -5 systems for Amazon Indians and Brazilian blood donors showed that gene frequencies obtained for the two alleles of HPA-1 (P < 0.001), HPA-2 (P = 0.001) and HPA-5 (P < 0.001) were significantly different between the two groups of individuals. All natives tested carried the HPA-2a and the HPA-5a alleles, but the HPA-1b and HPA-4b alleles are absent from the Indian population. It was also observed that all blood donors carried the HPA-1a, HPA-4a and HPA-5a alleles. In conclusion, the present data indicate differences in the frequency of the HPA systems between Amazon Indians and Brazilian subjects who present a high rate of racial admixture. While the frequencies of the HPA-1 and HPA-5 genes seen in Amazon Indians are similar to those reported for Oriental populations, the frequencies of the HPAs alleles in Brazilian blood donors are comparable to those reported for populations in North America and Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity alters the capacity of effective immune responses in infections. To further address this phenomenon in the context of COVID-19, this study investigated how the immunophenotype of leukocytes was altered in individuals with obesity in severe COVID-19. This cross-sectional study enrolled 27 ICU COVID-19 patients (67% women, 56.33 ± 19.55 years) that were assigned to obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, n = 9) or non-obese (BMI < 30kg/m2, n = 18) groups. Monocytes, NK, and both Low-Density (LD) and High-Density (HD) neutrophils were isolated from peripheral blood samples, and surface receptors' frequency and expression patterns were analyzed by flow cytometry. Clinical status and biochemical data were additionally evaluated. The frequency of monocytes was negatively correlated with BMI, while NK cells and HD neutrophils were positively associated (p < 0.05). Patients with obesity showed a significant reduction of monocytes, and these cells expressed high levels of PD-L1 (p < 0.05). A higher frequency of NK cells and increased expression of TREM-1+ on HD neutrophils were detected in obese patients (p < 0.05). The expression of receptors related to antigen-presentation, phagocytosis, chemotaxis, inflammation and suppression were strongly correlated with clinical markers only in obese patients (p < 0.05). Collectively, these outcomes revealed that obesity differentially affected, and largely depressed, innate immune response in severe COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunophenotypic characterization of leukemic cells has become essential for the diagnosis of acute leukemias (AL) and chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (CLPD). Immunophenotyping allows to classify AL according to (i) lineage assignement of the leukemic clone based on the degree of specificity (or “score”) of expressed markers, (ii) the différentiation level of the clone and (iii) the presence of irrelevant markers. In addition, some rare AL subtypes may be identified, such as M0, M6 “variant” and M7 FAB types, as well as “biphenotypic” (hybrid) AL. Finally particular immunophenotypic profiles are of pronostic value or associated with specific cytogenetic abnormalities. In leukemic phase CLPD setting, some circulating lymphoid cell immunophenotypic profiles are strongly correlated with morphology as defined by the FAB and REAL classifications. In addition, some marker expressions are of pronostic value. However, proper choices of sample nature, monoclonal antibodies and immunophenotyping methods are essential to improve quality, reliability and reproducibility of the results and must be carefully controlled in and between laboratories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV-1 is a highly host-specific retrovirus that infects humans but not most nonhuman primates. Thus, the lack of a suitable primate model that can be directly infected with HIV-1 hinders HIV-1/AIDS research. In the previous study, we have found that the northern pig-tailed macaques (NPMs) are susceptible to HIV-1 infection but show a nonpathogenic state. In this study, to understand this macaque–HIV-1 interaction, we assembled a de novo genome and longitudinal transcriptome for this species during the course of HIV-1 infection. Using comparative genomic analysis, a positively selected gene, Toll-like receptor 8, was identified with a weak ability to induce an inflammatory response in this macaque. In addition, an interferon-stimulated gene, interferon alpha inducible protein 27, was upregulated in acute HIV-1 infection and acquired an enhanced ability to inhibit HIV-1 replication compared with its human ortholog. These findings coincide with the observation of persistently downregulated immune activation and low viral replication and can partially explain the AIDS-free state in this macaque following HIV-1 infection. This study identified a number of unexplored host genes that may hamper HIV-1 replication and pathogenicity in NPMs and provided new insights into the host defense mechanisms in cross-species infection of HIV-1. This work will facilitate the adoption of NPM as a feasible animal model for HIV-1/AIDS research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 26‐year‐old mule gelding was evaluated for chronic weight loss and decreased appetite. The mule had been losing weight and intermittently hypophagic for approximately 7 months. Laboratory analysis of whole blood and plasma identified severe total hypercalcemia, marked hypophosphatemia, markedly increased parathyroid hormone concentration, and marked lymphocytosis. A sestimibi scan intended to identify parathyroid gland tissue was nondiagnostic. Results of flow cytometry and PCR for antigen receptor rearrangement (PARR) were consistent with a B cell lymphoproliferative disorder, likely chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Although not previously described concurrently, these conditions may sometimes arise together, complicating definition of the underlying mechanism for weight loss and hypercalcemia in aged equids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of splicing factor‐coding gene polymorphisms in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) susceptibility is still unclear. Methods: A case–control designed model was used to estimate the overall risk of pediatric ALL and five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of splicing factor‐coding genes in 808 cases and 1,340 controls, which were genotyped using a TaqMan assay. Stratified analysis was performed to explore the association of rs2233911 genotype and pediatric ALL susceptibility. The influence of splicing factor arginine/serine‐rich 1 (SFRS1) polymorphisms on the sensitivity to different chemotherapeutic regimens based on minimal residual disease (MRD) levels was analyzed. The haplotype analysis was adopted to evaluate the association between inferred haplotypes of the splicing factor‐coding genes and pediatric ALL risk. Results: Among the five analyzed SNPs, SFRS1 rs2233911 AG/GG exhibited a significant association with increased pediatric ALL risk. The stratified analysis further identified the harmful effect of SFRS1 rs2233911 AG/GG in specific subgroups. Moreover, rs2233911 AG/GG had a protective effect on MRD in marrow of ≥0.01% 12 weeks of Chinese Children Cancer Group chemotherapeutics, but provided a harmful effect on MRD in the marrow of ≥0.01% at days 15–19 of the South China Children Leukemia Group chemotherapeutics. Haplotype analysis of these five SNPs yielded haplotypes ACGCC and ACGTC significantly correlating with increased pediatric ALL susceptibility. On the contrary, haplotypes GCATG and GTACC were linked with remarkably decreased pediatric ALL risk. Conclusion: SFRS1 gene polymorphism was associated with increased pediatric ALL risk and indicated that rs2233911 AG/GG might be a potential biomarker for choosing chemotherapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology enables researchers to investigate a genome at the cellular level with unprecedented resolution. An organism consists of a heterogeneous collection of cell types, each of which plays a distinct role in various biological processes. Hence, the first step of scRNA-seq data analysis is often to distinguish cell types so they can be investigated separately. Researchers have recently developed several automated cell-type annotation tools, requiring neither biological knowledge nor subjective human decisions. Dropout is a crucial characteristic of scRNA-seq data widely used in differential expression analysis. However, no current cell annotation method explicitly utilizes dropout information. Fully utilizing dropout information motivated this work. Results We present scAnnotate, a cell annotation tool that fully utilizes dropout information. We model every gene's marginal distribution using a mixture model, which describes both the dropout proportion and the distribution of the non-dropout expression levels. Then, using an ensemble machine learning approach, we combine the mixture models of all genes into a single model for cell-type annotation. This combining approach can avoid estimating numerous parameters in the high-dimensional joint distribution of all genes. Using 14 real scRNA-seq datasets, we demonstrate that scAnnotate is competitive against nine existing annotation methods. Furthermore, because of its distinct modelling strategy, scAnnotate's misclassified cells differ greatly from competitor methods. This suggests using scAnnotate together with other methods could further improve annotation accuracy. Availability and implementation We implemented scAnnotate as an R package and made it publicly available from CRAN: https://cran.r-project.org/package=scAnnotate. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mouse Igh locus is organized into a developmentally regulated topologically associated domain (TAD) that is divided into subTADs. Here we identify a series of distal VH enhancers (EVHs) that collaborate to configure the locus. EVHs engage in a network of long-range interactions that interconnect the subTADs and the recombination center at the DHJH gene cluster. Deletion of EVH1 reduces V gene rearrangement in its vicinity and alters discrete chromatin loops and higher order locus conformation. Reduction in the rearrangement of the VH11 gene used in anti-PtC responses is a likely cause of the observed reduced splenic B1 B cell compartment. EVH1 appears to block long-range loop extrusion that in turn contributes to locus contraction and determines the proximity of distant VH genes to the recombination center. EVH1 is a critical architectural and regulatory element that coordinates chromatin conformational states that favor V(D)J rearrangement. Here the authors show enhancers in the Igh locus play a major role in configuring locus architecture and in V(D)J recombination, and identify a link between enhancer hub formation, locus contraction and cohesin-mediated loop extrusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auto-immune diseases are complex and heterogeneous. Various types of biomarkers can be used to support precision medicine approaches to autoimmune diseases, ensuring that the right patient receives the most appropriate therapy to improve treatment outcomes. We review the recent progress made in modeling several autoimmune diseases such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, primary Sjogren Syndrome, and Rheumatoid Arthritis following extensive molecular profiling of large cohorts of patients. From this knowledge, BMKs are being identified which support diagnostic as well as patient stratification and prediction of response to treatment. The identification of biomarkers should be initiated early in drug development and properly validated during subsequent clinical trials. To ensure the robustness and reproducibility of biomarkers, the PERMIT Consortium recently established recommendations highlighting the importance of relevant study design, sample size, and appropriate validation of analytical methods. The integration by AI-powered analytics of massive data provided by multi-omics technologies, high-resolution medical imaging and sensors borne by patients will eventually allow the identification of clinically relevant BMKs, likely in the form of combinatorial predictive algorithms, to support future drug development for autoimmune diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we consider how high‐content flow cytometric methodology at appropriate scale and throughput rapidly provided meaningful biological data in our recent studies of COVID‐19, which we discuss in the context of other similar investigations. In our work, high‐throughput flow cytometry was instrumental to identify a consensus immune signature in COVID‐19 patients, and to investigate the impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 exposure on patients with either solid or hematological cancers. We provide here some examples of our 'holistic' approach, in which flow cytometry data generated by lymphocyte and myelomonocyte panels were integrated with other analytical metrics, including SARS‐CoV‐2‐specific serum antibody titers, plasma cytokine/chemokine levels, and in‐depth clinical annotation. We report how selective differences between T cell subsets were revealed by a newly described flow cytometric TDS assay to distinguish actively cycling T cells in the peripheral blood. By such approaches, our and others' high‐content flow cytometry studies collectively identified overt abnormalities and subtle but critical changes that discriminate the immuno‐signature of COVID‐19 patients from those of healthy donors and patients with non‐COVID respiratory infections. Thereby, these studies offered several meaningful biomarkers of COVID‐19 severity that have the potential to improve the management of patients and of hospital resources. In sum, flow cytometry provides an important means for rapidly obtaining data that can guide clinical decision‐making without requiring highly expensive, sophisticated equipment, and/or "‐omics" capabilities. We consider how this approach might be further developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past several decades, our understanding of how B cells are generated and what function they perform has continued to advance. It is widely accepted that Bcell subsets play a critical role in mediating immune response. Surprisingly, human and murine malarial infections cause major alterations in the composition of B-cell subsets in both the spleen and periphery. Multiple B-cell subsets are well characterized in murine models following primary and secondary infection, although in human malarial infection, these subsets are not well defined. Furthermore, a rare known function of B cells includes the potential role of regulating the activities of other cells in the body as regulatory cells. Plasmodium infection strongly alters the frequency of these regulatory B cells indicating the immunoregulatory function of B cells in malarial. It is important to note that these subsets, taken together, form the cellular basis of humoral immune responses, allowing protection against a wide array of Plasmodium antigens to be achieved. However, it remains a challenge and an important area of investigation to understand how these B-cell subsets work together to provide protection against Plasmodium infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The factors determining whether infection will occur following exposure to SARSCoV-2 remain elusive. Certain SARS-CoV-2-exposed individuals mount a specific T-cell response but fail to seroconvert, representing a population that may provide further clarity on the nature of infection susceptibility and correlates of protection against SARS-CoV-2. Exposed seronegative individuals have been reported in patients exposed to the blood-borne pathogens Human Immunodeficiency virus and Hepatitis C virus and the sexually transmitted viruses Hepatitis B virus and Herpes Simplex virus. By comparing the quality of seronegative T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 with seronegative cellular immunity to these highly divergent viruses, common patterns emerge that offer insights on the role of cellular immunity against infection. For both SARS-CoV-2 and Hepatitis C, T-cell responses in exposed seronegatives are consistently higher than in unexposed individuals, but lower than in infected, seropositive patients. Durability of T-cell responses to Hepatitis C is dependent upon repeated exposure to antigen – single exposures do not generate long-lived memory T-cells. Finally, exposure to SARS-CoV-2 induces varying degrees of immune activation, suggesting that exposed seronegative individuals represent points on a spectrum rather than a discrete group. Together, these findings paint a complex landscape of the nature of infection but provide clues as to what may be protective early on in SARS-CoV-2 disease course. Further research on this phenomenon, particularly through cohort studies, is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fact that cancer is one of the leading causes of death requires researchers to create new systems of effective treatment for malignant tumors. One promising area is genetic therapy that uses small interfering RNA (siRNA). These molecules are capable of blocking mutant proteins in cells, but require specific systems that will deliver RNA to target cells and successfully release them into the cytoplasm. Dendronized and PEGylated silver nanoparticles as potential vectors for proapoptotic siRNA (siMCL-1) were used here. Using the methods of one-dimensional gel electrophoresis, the zeta potential, dynamic light scattering, and circular dichroism, stable siRNA and AgNP complexes were obtained. Data gathered using multicolor flow cytometry showed that AgNPs are able to deliver (up to 90%) siRNAs efficiently to some types of tumor cells, depending on the degree of PEGylation. Analysis of cell death showed that complexes of some AgNP variations with siMCL-1 lead to ~70% cell death in the populations that uptake these complexes due to apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a challenging disease with a growing genetic landscape, even though there is substantial gap between developed and non-developed countries when it comes to availability of such new technologies. This manuscript reports a 5-year retrospective cohort of newly diagnosed ALL patients and their genetic findings and outcomes. An expanded genetic evaluation by using FISH and RT–PCR was implemented, aiming to identify Ph-like alterations. Patients were treated according to our local protocol, which allocated patients according to age and Philadelphia-chromosome status. A total of 104 patients was included, with median age of 37.5 years. Philadelphia chromosome was detected in 33 cases of B-lineage. Among 45 Ph-negative B-lineage, after excluding KMT2A or TCF3-PBX1 cases, we identified 9 cases with Ph-like fusion. Ph-positive and Ph-like patients had higher initial WBC (p = 0.06). Out of 104 cases, two cases did not start chemotherapy and an early death rate of 10.8% was found. Allogeneic transplantation was performed in 18 cases, being ten performed in first CR. Three-year overall survival (OS) and 3-year event-free survival were 42.8% and 30.8%, respectively. For patients treated with a pediatric regimen, 3-year OS was 52.5%. Extramedullary disease (HR 0.42) and platelet counts (HR 0.9) were independently associated with OS. We still face excessive non-relapse mortality that compromises our results. Alternative strategies implementing FISH and RT–PCR are feasible and able to identify Ph-like fusions. Delays in allogeneic transplantation, as well as the unavailability of new agents, impact long-term survival. Measures to decrease early infection are desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barcoded flow cytometry is a multiplexing technique allowing for the simultaneous acquisition of cells from different donors or experimental conditions in a high‐throughput manner. This approach allows to synchronize acquisition of samples and reduce variance introduced through the operator or technical platform. However, to date, only very few flow cytometry barcoding protocols have been developed, which often suffer from technical limitations. Here, we developed a novel barcoding protocol for a full‐spectrum flow cytometry platform. We developed a 21‐color immunophenotyping assay for up to 20 different samples analyzed simultaneously with comparable variance between repeated single‐tube acquisition and postde‐multiplexing. Barcoding offers great potential in parallelizing the analysis of complex cell populations such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Consequently, we assessed the performance of our method in situations where PBMCs were challenged with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), a strong mitogen and broad activator of B cells and T cells, and superantigen Staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB) that has been reported to induce polyclonal T cell activation. PBMCs were either barcoded before pooled challenge or challenged individually pre‐barcoding. Our final workflow included pooled immunophenotyping followed by machine learning aided single‐cell data analysis and enabled us to identify robust PHA and SEB mode of action related phenotypic changes in PBMC immune cell lineages. Conclusively, we present a novel technique allowing the barcoded acquisition and analysis of PBMCs from up to 20 different donors and present a valid basis for the future development of complex immunophenotyping protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large granular lymphocytic leukaemia (LGLL) has been described in a range of species but has been most commonly reported in humans and dogs. In both species, this neoplasia exhibits diversity in both phenotype and biological behaviour with phenotype only partially predicting behaviour. There is currently little knowledge of concurrent haematological and serum biochemistry features or concurrent occurrence of distinct neoplasia in canine LGLL cases. This study presents a canine case series and defines haematological parameters, novel serum biochemistry findings and phenotype of the large granular lymphocytes in an Australian case series. Neutrophilia was the most common haematological abnormality, identified in 43% of dogs, and 84% of dogs with biochemistry data available had elevated serum gamma‐glutamyl transferase. Five of the 40 dogs in this study exhibited concurrent neoplasia during the period of the study, demonstrating this is a relatively common clinical outcome in canine LGLL cases. In agreement with previous canine and human studies, the most common LGLL phenotype in dogs is CD3+, CD4− and CD8+. Further work is needed to define the variables predictive of the biological behaviour of LGLL in dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most common type of leukemia in Western Europe and North America. It is mainly a disease of the elderly [9]. Average age of incidence - 72 years [5]. The pathological substrate is cells of the immune system - predominantly mature lymphocytes with a B-phenotype [1]. The clinical picture is variable, the rate of development of the disease is characterized by a wide range both in objective data and in hematological analyzes. The disease can be asymptomatic for many years, and is detected only during routine examination as an incidental finding. In such cases, a strategy of observation and waiting is chosen, without applying specific treatment. The main goals of treatment are to achieve complete or partial remission with improvement and stabilization of the clinical and hematological picture. [10]. To study the features of the epidemiology, clinical course and modern methods of treating CLL, a study was conducted on the basis of a database of 50 patients registered at the Consultative and Diagnostic Center of the Oncological Institute, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. It was found that the main group with this diagnosis is people 55-75 years old (62%). The mean age of diagnosis among the selected group is 63 years. The incidence of CLL among men (58%) is slightly higher than among women (42%). The use of bio immunotherapy allows you to establish a positive trend in the course of the disease, as well as improve the quality of life of patients [4]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liver is a complex organ that governs many types of metabolisms, including energy metabolism and other cellular processes. The liver also plays a crucial role in important functions in immunity, and the activity of liver tissue-associated immunity affects the outcome of many liver pathologies. A thorough characterization of the liver immune microenvironment may contribute to a better understanding of immune signaling, the mechanisms of specific immune responses, and even to improved predictions about therapy outcomes. In this paper, we present an optimized, simple, and rapid protocol to characterize the liver-associated immune cell milieu. We believe that the most suitable technique for obtaining a complex immune cell suspension and for removing contaminating blood cells is to perform mouse liver perfusion, using only phosphate buffer saline. Combining an enzymatic digestion and a mechanical dissociation of liver tissue, followed by cell purification, improves downstream applications. This combination is an essential prerequisite for immune cell determination and characterization. We then demonstrate a flow cytometry-based multiparametric immunophenotyping along with a gating strategy to detect and quantify liver endothelial cells, T cells (helper and cytotoxic), B cells, NK cells, NKT cells, neutrophils, monocytes (subsets included), dendritic cells (subsets included), macrophages and Kupffer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) accounts for almost 15% of all breast carcinomas. The potential of ILC to metastasize to the gastointestinal system is significantly greater than that of invasive ductal carcinoma. Gastric metastasis occurred in the ninth year of the follow-up in a patient who was operated on the right breast due to ILC. The patient was investigated for simultaneous masses in the stomach and colon, and a random mass was found in her right breast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, the immune system is understood to be divided into discrete cell types that are identified via surface markers. While some cell type distinctions are no doubt discrete, others may in fact vary on a continum, and even within discrete types, differences in surface marker abundance could have functional implications. Here we propose a new way of looking at immune data, which is by looking directly at the values of the surface markers without dividing the cells into different subtypes. To assess the merit of this approach, we compared it with manual gating using cytometry data from the Singapore Longitudinal Aging Study (SLAS) database. We used two different neural networks (one for each method) to predict the presence of several health conditions. We found that the model built using raw surface marker abundance outperformed the manual gating one and we were able to identify some markers that contributed more to the predictions. This study is intended as a brief proof-of-concept and was not designed to predict health outcomes in an applied setting; nonetheless, it demonstrates that alternative methods to understand the structure of immune variation hold substantial progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B-cell development is a very orchestrated pathway that involves several molecules, such as transcription factors, cytokines, microRNAs, and also different cells. All these components maintain the ideal microenvironment and control B-cell differentiation. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that bind to target mRNA to control gene expression. These molecules could circulate in the body in a free form, protein-bounded, or encapsulated into extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes. The comprehension of the role of microRNAs in the B-cell development was possible based on microRNA profile of each B-cell stage and functional studies. Herein, we report the knowledge about microRNAs in the B-cell the differentiation, proliferation, and also in hematological malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cellular changes in adaptive immune system accompany the process of aging and contribute to an aging-related immune phenotype (ARIP) characterized by decrease in naïve T-cells (TN) and increase in memory T-cells (TM). A population-representative marker of ARIP and its associations with biological aging and age-related chronic conditions have not been studied previously. Methods: We developed two ARIP indicators based on well understood age-related changes in T cell distribution: TN/(TCM (Central Memory) + TEM (Effector Memory) + TEFF (Effector)) (referred as TN/TM) in CD4 + and CD8 + T-cells. We compared them with existing ARIP measures including CD4/CD8 ratio and CD8 + TN cells by evaluating associations with chronological age and the Klemera Doubal measure of biological age (measured in years) using linear regression, multimorbidity using multinomial logistic regression and two-year mortality using logistic regression. Results: CD8 + TN and CD8 + TN/TM had the strongest inverse association with chronological age (beta estimates: -3.41 and -3.61 respectively; p-value < 0.0001) after adjustment for sex, race/ethnicity and CMV status. CD4 + TN/TM and CD4 + TN had the strongest inverse association with biological age (β = -0.23; p = 0.003 and β = -0.24; p = 0.004 respectively) after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity and CMV serostatus. CD4/CD8 ratio was not associated with chronological age or biological age. CD4 + TN/TM and CD4 + TN was inversely associated with multimorbidity. For CD4 + TN/TM, people with 2 chronic conditions had an odds ratio of for 0.74 (95%CI: 0.63–0.86 p = 0.0003) compared to those without any chronic conditions while those with 3 chronic conditions had an odds ratio of 0.75 (95% CI: 0.63–0.90; p = 0.003) after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, CMV serostatus, smoking, and BMI. The results for the CD4 + TN subset were very similar to the associations seen with the CD4 + TN/TM. CD4 + TN/TM and CD4 + TN were both associated with two-year mortality (OR = 0.80 (95% CI: 0.67–0.95; p = 0.01) and 0.81 (0.70–0.94; p = 0.01), respectively). Conclusion: CD4 + TN/TM and CD4 + TN had a stronger association with biological age, age-related morbidity and mortality compared to other ARIP measures. Future longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the utility of the CD4 + subsets in predicting the risk of aging-related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric antigen receptors (CAR)-modified T cells are an emerging therapeutic tool for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, in patients with CLL, well-known T-cell defects and the inhibitory properties of the tumor microenvironment (TME) hinder the efficacy of CAR T cells. We explored a novel approach combining CARs with lenalidomide, an immunomodulatory drug that tempers the immunosuppressive activity of the CLL TME. T cells from patients with CLL were engineered to express a CAR specific for CD23, a promising target antigen. Lenalidomide maintained the in vitro effector functions of CD23.CAR+ T cells effector functions in terms of antigen-specific cytotoxicity, cytokine release and proliferation. Overall, lenalidomide preserved functional CAR T-CLL cell immune synapses. In a Rag2−/−γc−/−-based xenograft model of CLL, we demonstrated that, when combined with low-dose lenalidomide, CD23.CAR+ T cells efficiently migrated to leukemic sites and delayed disease progression when compared to CD23.CAR+ T cells given with rhIL-2. These observations underline the therapeutic potential of this novel CAR-based combination strategy in CLL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]