Innate and adaptive immune responses against picornaviruses and their counteractions: An overview

Picornaviruses, small positive-stranded RNA viruses, cause a wide range of diseases which is based on their differential tissue and cell type tropisms. This diversity is reflected by the immune responses, both innate and adaptive, induced after infection, and the subsequent interactions of the viruses with the immune system. The defense mechanisms of the host and the countermeasures of the virus significantly contribute to the pathogenesis of the infections. Important human pathogens are poliovirus, coxsackievirus, human rhinovirus and hepatitis A virus. These viruses are the beststudied members of the family, and in this review we want to present the major aspects of the reciprocal effects between the immune system and these viruses.

Role of cytokines in atherosclerotic inflammation response: A review

Cytokines play an important role in the pathological process of atherosclerosis(AS),affecting the progression and prognosis of cerebrovascular diseases concerned with AS.Cytokines mainly include C-reactive protein,interleukin,tumor necrosis factor,chemotactic cytokines,matrix metalloproteinases,etc.These These cytokines promote or inhibit the inflammatory response and plaque formation during AS process through different targets and mechanisms.A comprehensive understanding of the cytokines in the occurrence and development of AS is conducive to search for new therapeutic targets and drugs.

Gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of SARS patients

AIM： To investigate the role of inflammatory and anti-vira genes in the pathogenesis of SARS. METHODS： cDNA microarrays were used to screen the gene expression profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells （PBMCs） in two SARS patients （one in the acute severe phase and the other in the convalescent phase） and a healthy donor. In addition, real-time qualitative PCR was also performed to verify the reproducibility of the microarray results. The data were further analyzed. RESULTS： Many inflammatory and anti-viral genes were differentially expressed in SARS patients. Compared to the healthy control or the convalescent case, plenty of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1, TNF-α, IL-8, and MAPK signaling pathway were significantly upregulated in the acute severe case. However, anti-inflammatory agents such as IL-4 receptor, IL-13 receptor, IL-1Ra, and TNF-α-induced proteins 3 and 6 also increased dramatically in the acute severe case. On the contrary, a lot of IFN-stimulated genes like PKR, GBP-1 and 2, CXCL-10 and 11, and JAK/STAT signal pathway were downregulated in the acute severe case compared to the convalescent case. CONCLUSION： Gene expression in SAPS patients mirrors a host state of inflammation and anti-viral immunity at the transcription level, and understanding of gene expression profiles may make contribution to further studies of the SAPS pathogenesis.