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The synergistic effects of Korean Red ginseng (KRG, Panax ginseng C.A. Mey.) on conventional systemic therapeutics of atopic dermatitis (AD) have not been studied yet. To analyze the synergistic effects of KRG extract and the conventional systemic therapeutics of AD in TNCB-induced AD mouse model, we determined the change in modified scoring of index, the transepidermal water loss, the skin pathology, serum IgE, and the expression of various cytokines after combination treatment to the five-week-old NC/Nga female mice. The severity of AD was significantly decreased in the KRG + hydroxyzine (AH) group than AH group, and in the KRG + evening primrose oil (EPO) group than EPO group. A significant decrease in dermal inflammation was observed in the KRG + AH group than that in the AH group, and in the KRG + EPO group than that in the EPO group ( p = 0.008), respectively. A decrease in CD1a expression was observed in the KRG + AH group when compared to the AH group ( p = 0.008), and KRG + EPO group when compared to the EPO group. Compared to the CS group, the KRG + CS group showed a significant decrease in IL-17 expression. A combination of KRG and conventional systemic therapeutics can safely and effectively manage the AD.

Leukemic bcr-abl positive dendritic cells (DCs) are likely to be present in vivo in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients, but no data are available on their functional qualities. We analyzed the circulating BDCA-1+ myeloid DC compartment in 15 chronic phase CML patients. Phenotypic features of CML DCs were comparable with that of normal DCs, except for the CD80 and CD40 antigens, significantly under-represented in CML patients. Nonetheless, no differences were found between normal samples and leukemic DCs in the allostimulatory ability, as well as in the production of cytokines and polarization of T cell responses. CML DCs were analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and found positive for the bcr-abl translocation. However, when bcr-abl+ DCs were tested for their ability to stimulate an autologous T-cell response in vitro, we could not detect a specific recognition. We conclude that an apparently normal circulating DC compartment carrying the Ph+ chromosome can be identified in CML patients; however, these cells appear unable to trigger a protective anti-leukemic immune response in autologous T cells.

Self-glycosphingolipids bind to surface CD1 molecules and are readily displaced by other CD1 ligands. This capacity to exchange antigens at the cell surface is not common to other antigen-presenting molecules and its physiological importance is unclear. Here we show that a large pool of cell-surface CD1a, but not CD1b molecules, is stabilized by exogenous lipids present in serum. Under serum deprivation CD1a molecules are altered and functionally inactive, as they are unable to present lipid antigens to T cells. Glycosphingolipids and phospholipids bind to, and restore functionality to CD1a without the contribution of newly synthesized and recycling CD1a molecules. The dependence of CD1a stability on exogenous lipids is not related to its intracellular traffic and rather to its antigen-binding pockets. These results indicate a functional dichotomy between CD1a and CD1b molecules and provide new information on how the lipid antigenic repertoire is immunologically sampled.

Background: The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) activation has generally been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and dendritic cells (DCs) are the most efficient antigen presenting cells that play an active role in the development of atherosclerosis. The effects of PPARgamma on DCs maturation and immune function remain unknown now and we, therefore, studied the influence of PPARgamma agonist ciglitazone on the maturation and immune function of DCs., Methods: Human monocytes were purified and immature DCs derived; ciglitazone (25 micromol/L) was added to the medium for 24 hours; ox-LDL (50 microg/ml) was then added to the medium for another 24 hours. The immunophenotypic expressions (CD1a, CD40, CD86, and HLA-DR) were analyzed by FACS and endocytosis function by FITC-dextran and the cytokines secretions of culture supernatants (IL-12,IL-10,TNFalpha, and IL-2) were measured with ELISA., Results: Ciglitazone reduced ox-LDL induced immunophenotypic expressions of DCs (CD40, CD1a, and HLA-DR). Ox-LDL inhibited the endocytosis of DCs, which was prevented by ciglitazone; ciglitazone attenuated ox-LDL induced cytokine secretions of DCs (IL-12, 116 +/- 29 versus 34 +/- 3 pg/ml*; IL-10, 49 +/- 1 versus 28 +/- 9 pg/ml*; TNFalpha, 46 +/- 16 versus 24 +/- 8 pg/ml*, *P < 0.05 compared with ox-LDL, respectively)., Conclusion: Our study suggested that one of the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of PPAR-gamma agonist ciglitazone was mediated by inhibiting the ox-LDL induced maturation and immune function of DCs.

Background: The antithyroid thioureylenes, propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole (MMI), are effective in the treatment of patients with plaque psoriasis. The mechanism of action of the drugs in psoriasis is unknown. Since the drugs reduce circulating IL-12 levels in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism, the effect of propylthiouracil on CD1a expression in psoriatic lesions was examined in biopsy samples of patients with plaque psoriasis. CD1a is a marker of differentiated skin antigen presenting cells (APC, Langerhans cells). Langerhans cells and skin monocyte/macrophages are the source of IL-12, a key cytokine involved in the events that lead to formation of the psoriatic plaque., Methods: Biopsy specimens were obtained from six patients with plaque psoriasis who were treated with 300 mg propylthiouracil (PTU) daily for three months. Clinical response to PTU as assessed by PASI scores, histological changes after treatment, and CD1a expression in lesional skin before and after treatment were studied., Results: Despite significant improvement in clinical and histological parameters the expression of CD1a staining cells in the epidermis did not decline with propylthiouracil treatment., Conclusions: It appears that the beneficial effect of propylthiouracil in psoriasis is mediated by mechanisms other than by depletion of skin antigen-presenting cells.

DC are professional APC that are promising adjuvants for clinical immunotherapy. Methods to generate in vitro large numbers of functional human DC using either peripheral blood monocytes or CD34+ pluripotent HPC have been developed recently. However, the various steps of their in vitro production for further clinical use need to fit good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions. Our study focused on setting up such a full procedure, including collection of mononuclear cells (MNC) by apheresis, separation of monocytes by elutriation, and culture of monocytes with GM-CSF + IL-13 + autologous serum (SAuto) in sterile Teflon bags. The procedure was first developed with apheresis products from 7 healthy donors. Its clinical feasibility was then tested on 7 patients with breast cancer. The characteristics of monocyte-derived DC grown with SAuto (or in some instances with a pooled AB serum) were compared with those obtained in the presence of FBS by evaluation of their phenotype, their morphology in confocal microscopy, and their capacity to phagocytize latex particles and to stimulate allogeneic (MLR) or autologous lymphocytes (antigen-presentation tests). The results obtained demonstrate that the experimental conditions we set up are easily applicable in clinical trials and lead to large numbers of well-defined SAuto-derived DC as efficient as those derived with FBS.

Background: Lung allergen recognition that takes place in the airways of asthmatic subjects is still a controversial matter., Objective: We hypothesized that a rapid allergen recognition process requires the presence, at the mucosal surface, of professional APC, such as B7+ alveolar macrophages (AM) and/or CD1+ dendritic cells, which usually have a lower expression in the normal human lung., Methods: Studies were performed on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid collected from 10 untreated allergic subjects and 10 adult normal volunteers. Further controls consisted of five untreated pulmonary sarcoidosis (PS) and four extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA) individuals. To ascertain whether T helper 2-type cytokines or allergen influence B7 and CD1 antigen expression, in vitro studies were carried out using unprimed (naive) cord blood plastic-adherent monocytes., Results: Cytofluorymetric analysis revealed that AM from asthmatics, unlike those from normal subjects or patients with PS or EAA, overexpressed B7-2, CD1a and, to a lesser extent, B7-1 surface molecules. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed the presence of CD1+ dendritic cells in the BAL fluid from asthmatic subjects. On in vitro cultured naive cord blood monocytes both purified Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus allergen and T-cell cytokines, i.e. IL-4 and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, induced surface expression of B7-2 and CD1a receptors, whereas they had no appreciable effect on that of B7-1 membrane molecule., Conclusions: Taken together, these findings support the proposal that airways of atopic individuals are equipped with professional APC that synergize with allergen-specific T cells for the recognition of intact allergens. When the recognition process takes place, asthmatic symptoms could develop in genetically susceptible individuals.

In recent years, it has been shown that a nonclassical, major histocompatibility complex-independent system (i.e., CD1-restricted T-cell responses) is involved in T-cell immunity against nonpeptide antigens. The CD1 system appears to function by presenting microbial lipid antigens to specific T cells, and the antigens so far identified include several known constituents of mycobacterial cell walls. Among the four known human CD1 isoforms, the CD1b protein is the best characterized with regard to its antigen-presenting function. Expression of CD1b is upregulated on human blood monocytes upon exposure to granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor, alone or in combination with interleukin-4 (IL-4) (S. A. Porcelli, Adv. Immunol. 59:1-98, 1995). Rifampin (RFP) and its derivatives are widely used for chemoprophylaxis or chemotherapy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, this agent was found to reduce the mitogen responsiveness of human B and T lymphocytes, chemotaxis, and delayed-type hypersensitivity. The present study extends the immunopharmacological profile of RFP by examining its effects on CD1b expression by human peripheral blood monocytes exposed to GM-CSF plus IL-4. The results showed that clinically attainable concentrations (i.e., 2 or 10 microg/ml for 24 h) of the agent produced a marked increase in CD1b expression on the plasma membrane, as evaluated by fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis, whereas it had no effect on cytosolic fractions, as indicated by Western blot analysis. This was found to be the result of increased CD1b gene expression, as shown by Northern blot analysis of CD1b mRNA. These results suggest that RFP could be of potential value in augmenting the CD1b-restricted antigen recognition system, thereby enhancing protective cellular immunity to M. tuberculosis.

Contact allergens sensitize the immune system by the binding to and subsequent activation of Langerhans cells (LCs), the antigen-presenting cells of the skin. At present, new chemicals are usually tested for their contact allergenicity in animal models. To develop an animal-replacing predictive in vivo assay for the identification of potential contact allergens, we compared the effects of epicutaneous application of six known contact allergens, five known irritants and two dermatologically inactive chemicals on LCs in skin biopsy cultures from seven healthy donors. Immunohistochemical analysis of cryostat sections of all the biopsies treated with contact allergens showed 1) a large reduction in the number of LCs in epidermis, as evaluated by a decrease in human leukocyte antigens (HLA)-DR-expressing cells, and CD1a-expressing cells and 2) accumulation of the remaining LCs at the epidermal-dermal junction. In contrast, the irritants, inactive chemicals, and solvents did not induce these changes. Morphometrical analysis indicated that the contact allergen-induced reduction in the number of HLA-DR+ and CD1a+ LCs per millimeter of epidermis was significant and was dependent on the concentration of the contact allergens. Flow cytometric analysis of isolated epidermal cells confirmed the immunohistochemical findings. In combination, these results suggest that the culture of ex vivo human skin explants provides a promising model to predict potential allergenicity of newly produced chemical compounds and can therefore replace current animal models.