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Aims Current methods to induce tolerance following allotransplantation or in autoimmunity carry significant morbidity, and research is very active in investigating alternative methods which could minimize toxicity. Spheroids from adipose stem cells (SASCs) are increasingly gaining interest, they hold a great proliferative and differentiating potential. An immunomodulatory effect has not been investigated on SASCs yet. In this study, we analysed the immunomodulatory properties of SASCs and compared them to ADSCs. Main methods Adipose stem cells (SASCs and ADSCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from healthy individuals. We analysed the cytokine production and proliferation of T cells co-cultured with adipose samples or conditioned medium. Key findings SASCs modulated cytokines production and proliferation of heterologous and autologous T cells. In the heterologous assays, we observed a reduction of IFNγ and IL-17 production and an increase of IL-9 in γδ T cells. The soluble factors present in SASCs sovranatants were also able to induce a slight reduction of IFNγ and an increase of IL-9, IL-10 and IL-17 while they could not modulate the proliferative ability of γδ T cells. In the autologous assays, we observed a reduction of the proliferative ability of T cells in co-culture at different ratios with SASCs. Analysis of the SASCs secretome showed an increased IL-5, IL-10, IL-4 and IL-13 production compared to the ADSCs one, demonstrating greater anti-inflammatory properties. Significance Our preliminary results support the idea that SASCs exert more pronounced biological immune modulation compared to the classical adherent ADSCs, especially in heterologous experimental settings.

Obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), hypertension (HTN), and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) often cluster together as "Cardiometabolic Disease" (CMD). Just under 50% of patients with CMD increased the risk of morbidity and mortality right from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as it has been reported in most countries affected by the SARS-CoV2 virus. One of the pathophysiological hallmarks of COVID-19 is the overactivation of the immune system with a prominent IL-6 response, resulting in severe and systemic damage involving also cytokines such as IL2, IL4, IL8, IL10, and interferon-gamma were considered strong predictors of COVID-19 severity. Thus, in this mini-review, we try to describe the inflammatory state, the alteration of the adipokine profile, and cytokine production in the obese state of infected and not infected patients by SARS-CoV2 with the final aim to find possible influences of COVID-19 on CMD and CVD. The immunological-based discussion of the molecular processes could inspire the study of promising targets for managing CMD patients and its complications during COVID-19.

Summary Aim To study the relationship between respiratory/allergic disorders and chronic environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure to husband or at workplace among non-smoking women of a general population in Italy. Methods Analyses regard 2195 married or employed women. Information was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. ETS exposure was validated by salivary cotinine. Results Exposure both to husband and at work resulted a significant risk factor for current dyspnoea (odds ratio (OR) 1.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20–2.16), any shortness of breath at rest (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.83–4.30), recent wheeze (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.04–2.82), recent attacks of shortness of breath with wheeze (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.05–3.26), asthma diagnosis/symptoms (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.09–2.08), diagnosis of asthma or bronchitis/emphysema (obstructive lung diseases (OLD)) (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.40–3.58), current cough/phlegm (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.07–2.15), and rhino-conjunctivitis (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.13–1.94). Exposure only at work yielded higher adjusted odds ratios for all health conditions, except for rhino-conjunctivitis. Overall, about 24% of shortness of breath at rest, 16% of dyspnoea, 17% of rhino-conjunctivitis, 12% of OLD, and 10% of asthma diagnosis/symptoms are attributable to the effect of exposures to both husband and at work. Twelve percent of shortness of breath at rest and 10% of rhino-conjunctivitis cases might be avoided by eliminating exposure only at work and only to husband, respectively. Conclusions Lifetime ETS exposure, especially at work, is associated with respiratory symptoms/diseases, and it accounts for a sizeable proportion of such disorders. The combined effect of both exposures is higher than the separate effects.