Effect of Chinese Herbal Medicinal Ingredients on IL-2 mRNA Levels of T Lymphocytes in Mice Measured Using Semiquantification RT-PCR

In this study, the IL-2 mRNA levels of T lymphocytes in normal mice stimulated by nine Chinese herbal medicinal ingredients （CHMIs） were measured using semiquantification reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that astragalus polysaccharide （APS）, epimedium polysaccharide （EPS）, Chinese angelica polysaccharide （CAPS）, propolis flavone （PF）, and astrogalosides （AS） promoted IL-2 mRNA levels in T lymphocytes in vitro and in vivo to differing degrees, and the level of IL-2 mRNA induced by propolis polysaccharide （PPS） in vitro was higher than that induced by the control, which differed from that of PPS in vivo.

Ambiguous nucleus regulates the proliferation and percentage of T lymphocytes in peripheral blood

The aim of this study was to examine the immunomodulatory role of the unilateral ambiguous nucleus （Amb）. We performed electrical stimulation of the unilateral Amb, electrical stimulation of the left parietal cortex and the lateral hypothalamus following unilateral Arab lesion, as well as microinjection of acetylcholine chloride and hemicholine-3 into the unilateral Amb, and electrical stimulation of the unilateral Amb after injection of atropine, mecamylamine, propranolol, and phentolamine. Results showed that the number and proliferation of peripheral blood T lymphocytes were increased after electrical stimulation of the unilateral Arab. The cholinergic neurons in the Amb released choline substances to alter cellular immunity, thus confirming that the Amb mediates the neuro-immunomodulatory process.

Cross-talk between hepatic stellate cells and T lymphocytes in liver fibrosis

Background: Fibrosis results from inflammation and healing following injury. The imbalance between extracellular matrix(ECM) secretion and degradation leads to the ECM accumulation and liver fibrosis. This process is regulated by immune cells. T lymphocytes, including alpha beta( αβ) T cells, which have adaptive immune functions, and gamma delta( γδ) T cells, which have innate immune functions, are considered regulators of liver fibrosis. This review aimed to present the current understanding of the cross-talk between T lymphocytes and hepatic stellate cells(HSCs), which are the key cells in liver fibrosis. Data sources: The keywords "liver fibrosis", "immune", and "T cells" were used to retrieve articles published in Pub Med database before January 31, 2020. Results: The ratio of CD8 +(suppressor) T cells to CD4+(helper) T cells is significantly higher in the liver than in the peripheral blood. T cells secrete a series of cytokines and chemokines to regulate the inflammation in the liver and the activation of HSCs to influence the course of liver fibrosis. In addition, HSCs also regulate the differentiation and proliferation of T cells. Conclusions: The cross-talk between T cells and HSCs regulates liver fibrosis progression. The elucidation of this communication process will help us to understand the pathological process of liver fibrosis.

Correlation analysis of TCM syndrome types with T lymphocytes and biochemical indices in patients with HBV-related primary liver cancer

Objective:To investigate the correlation between T lymphocytes and biochemical indices in patients with Primary liver cancer(PLC)associated with hepatitis B virus(HBV)and TCM syndrome differentiation.Methods:263 HBV-related PLC patients who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively collected.There were 127 cases of liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome(48.3%),48 cases of spleen deficiency and dampness syndrome(18.3%),31 cases of liver and gallbladder dampness and heat syndrome(11.8%),35 cases of liver and blood stasis syndrome(13.3%),and 22 cases of liver and kidney Yin deficiency syndrome(8.4%).The general data,T cell subsets,oncology and virology indicators,oncology characteristics,biochemical indicators and other data were counted.Epidata and Excel were used to collect and summarize the data,and SPSS26.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results:There was no significant difference in gender and age distribution among the five syndrome types(χ^(2)=5.462,F=1.979,ALL P>0.05).The differences among T lymphocyte count(χ^(2)=57.785,P<0.001),CD4(+)T cell count(χ^(2)=47.103,P<0.001)and CD8(+)T lymphocyte count(F=12.760,P<0.001)were statistically significant.The T lymphocyte count,CD4(+)T lymphocyte count and CD8(+)T lymphocyte explicit count in patients with liver and kidney Yin deficiency syndrome were significantly lower than those in the other four syndrome types.AFP(χ^(2)=89.986,P<0.001),CEA(χ^(2)=95.501,P<0.001),CA199(χ^(2)=30.044,P<0.001)of the five syndrome types increased successively from the syndrome of liver depression and spleen deficiency to the syndrome of liver and kidney Yin deficiency,and the difference was statistically significant.There were statistically significant differences in the inner diameter of main portal vein,portal vein cancer thrombin and extrahepatic metastasis among the five syndrome types(ALL P<0.001).The main symptoms of portal vein cancer thrombin and extrahepatic metastasis were liver-gallbladder dampness-heat syndrome and liver-blood stasis syndrome.The differences among PLT(χ^(2)=39.234,P<0.001),Alb(χ^(2)=75.171,P<0.001),TBil(χ^(2)=51.140,P<0.001),AST(χ^(2)=55.881,P<0.001),PT(χ^(2)=21.515,P<0.001)were statistically significant.PLT and Alb decreased successively from the syndrome of liver depression and spleen deficiency to the syndrome of liver and kidney Yin deficiency.PLT and Alb of the syndrome of liver depression and spleen deficiency were significantly higher than those of the other four groups,and TBil and AST of the syndrome of liver and gallbladder dampness and heat were significantly higher than those of the other four groups.PT of liver and kidney Yin deficiency was significantly higher than that of the other four groups.The lymphocyte count,CD4(+) lymphocyte count and CD8(+) lymphocyte count were negatively correlated with AFP,PT and TBil(ALL P<0.05),and positively correlated with PLT(P<0.05).T lymphocyte count was positively correlated with AIb(P<0.05).Conclusion:This study found that patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome have better cellular immune function,liver function and prognosis.Patients with liver and kidney Yin deficiency have lower cellular immunity,worse liver function,and worse prognosis.Portal vein carcinoma embolus and extrahepatic metastasis were mainly characterized by dampness and heat of liver and gallbladder and blood stasis of liver.Patients with lower lymphocyte counts have poorer blood clotting,worse the liver reserve,and the higher the risk of further cancer.

THE ADAPTABLE CHANGE OF THE FUNCTION OF T LYMPHOCYTES FOR PHYSICAL EXERCISE WITH OXYGEN

Objective To find out the possible regularity and mechanism of the adaptable change of human be- ing T lymphocytes for physical exercise with oxygen and bring the original data for the Movement of All People Im- proving their Health. Methods We selected 16 untrained female students in university and let them had the same amount of exercise for 8 weeks. After that, we collected the cycle blood at the time point or before exercise, the end of exercise and 1 hour after exercise at the end or the 0,first, 2 nd, 4 nd, 6 nd and 8 nd week respectively, so as to de- termine its stimuli index (SI) by MTT method. Results In the different time sect, such as the early stage or exer- cise, quiet condition,as soon as the end of exercise and 1 hour after exercise, we found that the SI were obviousIy low- er than that or normal (P<0.05),especially in the time sect of the end or exercise. Continuing to 4 weeks,the func- tion of T lymphocytes restored gradualy and it lasted to the 8th week, the SI in quiet condition and 1 hour after exer- cise had restored to normal (P>0.05),but in the end or exercise, it still was low,however. the extent of the cases se- lected was in a condition or acute excitability. Conclusion As the bodies adapting to the exercise, the function of T lymphocytes restored slowly and the rate increased faster and faster.

Influence of REV and ALV-J Co-Infection on Immunologic Function of T Lymphocytes and Histopathology in Broiler Chickens

The aim of present investigation is to study the effect of single- and co-infection with REV and ALV-J on T lymphocytes bioactivities and histopathology in broiler chickens. The bioactivities of blood and spleen T lymphocytes including lymphoproliferation responses, cytotoxicitic responses, and histopathology of spleen were detected in broiler chickens singly- or co-infected with REV and ALV-J at different days post inoculation and the virus expressions in spleen of infected broiler chickens were detected with immunofluorescence assay （IFA）. The results indicated that blood and spleen T lymphocytes proliferation responses and cytotoxicity in broilers infected with REV or/and ALV-J were inhibited in the whole observed period compared with controls. In the co-infected chickens they were highly inhibited than in the single-infected. The histopathology of spleen in infected chickens at 17 and 37 d post inoculation （dpi） indicated that cell interium increased, the numbers of lymphocytes decreased, and the regrowth were destroyed or decreased, especially more significantly at 17 than at 37 dpi. The different numbers of virus were detected in spleen lymphocytes in REV- infected and/or ALV-J-infected chickens. In the spleen of co-infected chicken, both REV and ALV-J were detected and the total numbers of viruses were more than in chickens singly-infected with REV or ALV-J. Thus, the co-effect of REV and ALV-J caused more immunosuppression on T lymphocytes bioactivities in broiler chickens than single-effect of ALV-J or REV, which contributed to the sever histopathology and the product of tumor cells. This study will be helpful for understanding the effect of co-infection with many viruses and control them in poultry.

Frequencies and Characterization of HBV-specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes in Self-limited and Chronic Hepatitis B Viral Infection in China

Hepatitis B virus （HBV）-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes （CTLs） are believed to play a major role in viral clearance and disease pathogenesis during HBV infection. To clarify the differences in host immune responses between self-limited and chronic HBV infections, we constructed three HLA-A＊0201/HBV tetramers with immunodominant epitopes of core18-27, polymerase 575-583 and envelope 335-343, and analyzed the HBV-specific CTLs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells （PBMCs） from patients infected with HBV. The frequencies and expansion ability of HBV-specific CD8＋T cells in most self-limited HBV infected individuals were higher than those in chronic HBV-infected patients. HBV-specific CD8＋T cells could be induced by in vitro peptide stimulation from chronic patients with a low level of serum HBV-DNA but not from those with a high level of serum HBV-DNA. In chronic infection, no significant correlation was found either between the frequencies of HBV-specific CD8^＋ T cells and the viral load, or between the frequencies and the levels of alanine transaminase. Our results suggested that the frequencies of HBV-specific CTLs are not the main determinant of immune-mediated protection in chronic HBV infection and immunotherapeutic approaches should be aimed at not only boosting a HBV-specific CD8^＋T response but also improving its function.

Glypican-3-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes induced by human leucocyte antigen-A*0201-restricted peptide effectively kill hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro

Objective: To investigate potential human leucocyte antigen(HLA)-A2-restricted epitope peptides of glypican-3(GPC3) and determine the cytotoxicity of peptidespecific cytotoxic T lymphocytes(CTLs) against hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) cells.Methods: The potential HLA-A*0201-restricted GPC3 peptides were screened using computer algorithms, T2 cell-binding affinity and stability of peptide/HLA-A*0201 complex assay. The peptide-specific CTLs were generated and their cytotoxicity against GPC3+SMMC 7721 and Hep G2 cells was detected using IFN-g based enzymelinked immunospot and lactate dehydrogenase release assays in vitro.Results: A total of six peptides were identified for bindings to HAL-A2 and the GPC3522–530 and GPC3 229–237 peptides with HLA-A*0201 molecules displayed high binding affinity and stability. The CTLs induced by the GPC3 522–530 or positive control GPC3 144–152 peptide responded to the peptide by producing IFN-g, which were abrogated by treatment with anti-HLA-A2 antibody. The GPC3 522–530-specific CTLs responded to and killed SMMC 7721 and Hep G2 cells, instead of GPC3-silenced SMMC7721 or Hep G2 cells. GPC3 522–530-specific CTLs response to HCC cells was blocked by anti-HLA-A2 antibody.Conclusions: The GPC3 522–530 peptide contains antigen-determinant and its specific CTLs can effectively kill HCC in a HLA-A2-restricted and peptide-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that this peptide may be valuable for development of therapeutic vaccine.

Construction of HA-1-DC Nucleic-acid Vaccine and Induction of Specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes

An HA-1-DC nucleic-acid vaccine was constructed to induce anti-leukemia effect after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). DCs were generated from HSCT donors in vitro, and its immunologic activity was assayed by using flow cytometry and mixed lymphocytes reaction. HA-1 gene was electroporated into the cultured DCs to construct a DC nucleic-acid vaccine. After transfection for 48 h, the expression of HA-1 protein could be detected by using Western blot. The DCs were cultured with syngenic lymphocytes to induce specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). The cytoxicity of the CTLs was detected by LDH assay. The results showed that The DCs derived from peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs) expressed the phenotype of DCs, and were effective in stimulating proliferation of the allogenic lymphocytes. After electroporating for 48-h, HA-1 protein was detected by using Western blot. The cytotoxity of inducing CTLs was higher than the control group. It was suggested that minor histocompatibility antigen HA-1 could be considered as a target of immunotherapy against leukemia after HSCT.

Effects of Immunopotentiator of the Traditional Chinese Medicine on T Lymphocytes in Chicken Blood

In order to investigate the mechanism of action of immunoenhancer, the effects of the traditional Chinese medicine immunopromoter on the quantity and the transformation rates of T lymphocytes in the chicken blood were determined. Total 120 chickens were randomly assigned into three groups. The 1% and the 0.5% of the Chinese medicine immunopromoter were added to the chicken drinking water, respectively. The quantity of T lymphocytes in each group was measured by a-Naphthyl acetate esterase （ANAE） staining. The results showed that the percentages of T lymphocytes of the treatment groups were significantly higher than that of the control group （P〈0.05）, and the percentage of the 1% group significantly higher than that of the 0.5% group （P〈0.05）. In conclusion, the transformation rates of T lymphocytes showed that the Chinese medicine immunopromoter had the significant enhancing effect on the transformation rates of T lymphocytes of the treated chickens. The traditional Chinese medicine immunopromoter had the distinct function to promote the quantity and the transformation rate of T lymphocytes.

Effect of Mg^(2+)level on the functions of CD8^(+)T lymphocytes and NK cells in patients with COVID-19

Objective:To investigate the changes of Mg^(2+) levels in serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)of patients with COVID-19 and its effects on the functions of CD8^(+)T lymphocytes and NK cells.Methods:A total of 165 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Ezhou Central Hospital from January 20 to February 20,2020 were divided into mild/common group(98 cases)and severe/critical group(67 cases).At the same time,34 healthy persons were selected as the control group.Peripheral blood was collected and PBMCs were isolated,the level of Mg^(2+) in serum and PBMCs was detected.The subsets of CD8^(+)T lymphocytes and NK cell and the expression levels of their surface inhibitory molecular PD-1 and activator molecular NKG2D were detected by flow cytometry.The correlation between Mg^(2+) concentration and the expression levels of PD-1 and NKG2D was also analyzed.Results:Compared with the control group,the concentration of Mg^(2+) in serum and PBMCs,the counts of CD8^(+)T lymphocytes and NK cell in patients with mild/common and severe/critical groups were significantly reduced(P<0.05),while the expression level of surface inhibitory molecular PD-1 were significantly increased(P<0.05),while the expression level of the activation molecule NKG2D were significantly decreased(P<0.05).However,the changes of the above indicators in patients with severe/critical group were greater than those in the mild/common group(P<0.05).In addition,the Mg^(2+) concentration in COVID-19 patients was negatively correlated with the expression level of PD-1 on CD8^(+)T lymphocytes and NK cells(P<0.05),and positively correlated with the expression levels of NKG2D(P<0.05).Conclusion:The concentration of Mg^(2+) in the serum and PBMCs of COVID-19 patients is significantly reduced,which may cause the function of CD8^(+)T lymphocytes and NK cells to be inhibited.

Follicular helper T lymphocytes in health and disease

A correct antibody response requires the participation of both B and T lymphocytes and antigen presenting cells. In this review we address the role of follicular helper T lymphocytes(T FH) in this reaction. We shall focus on the regulation of their development and function in health and disease. T FH can be characterized on the basis of their phenotype and the pattern of secretion of cytokines. This fact is useful to study their participation in the generation of antibody deficiency in primary immunodeficiency diseases such as common variable immunodeficiency, X-linked hyper Ig M syndrome orX-linked lymphoproliferative disease. Increased numbers of T FH have been demonstrated in several autoimmune diseases and are thought to play a role in the development of autoantibodies. In chronic viral infections caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B or C virus, increased circulating T FH have been observed, but their role in the protective immune response to these agents is under discussion. Likewise, an important role of T FH in the control of some experimental protozoan infections has been proposed, and it will be important to assess their relevance in order to design effective vaccination strategies.

Bystanders or not?Microglia and lymphocytes in aging and stroke

As the average age of the world population increases,more people will face debilitating aging-associated conditions,including dementia and stroke.Not only does the incidence of these conditions increase with age,but the recovery afterward is often worse in older patients.Researchers and health professionals must unveil and understand the factors behind age-associated diseases to develop a therapy for older patients.Aging causes profound changes in the immune system including the activation of microglia in the brain.Activated microglia promote T lymphocyte transmigration leading to an increase in neuroinflammation,white matter damage,and cognitive impairment in both older humans and rodents.The presence of T and B lymphocytes is observed in the aged brain and correlates with worse stroke outcomes.Preclinical strategies in stroke target either microglia or the lymphocytes or the communications between them to promote functional recovery in aged subjects.In this review,we examine the role of the microglia and T and B lymphocytes in aging and how they contribute to cognitive impairment.Additionally,we provide an important update on the contribution of these cells and their interactions in preclinical aged stroke.

Correlative factors of poor prognosis and abnormal cellular immune function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease

BACKGROUND Alzheimer’s disease(AD)is a serious disease causing human dementia and social problems.The quality of life and prognosis of AD patients have attracted much attention.The role of chronic immune inflammation in the pathogenesis of AD is becoming more and more important.AIM To study the relationship among cognitive dysfunction,abnormal cellular immune function,neuroimaging results and poor prognostic factors in patients.METHODS A retrospective analysis of 62 hospitalized patients clinical diagnosed with AD who were admitted to our hospital from November 2015 to November 2020.Collect cognitive dysfunction performance characteristics,laboratory test data and neuroimaging data from medical records within 24 h of admission,including Mini Mental State Examination Scale score,drawing clock test,blood T lymphocyte subsets,and neutrophils and lymphocyte ratio(NLR),disturbance of consciousness,extrapyramidal symptoms,electroencephalogram(EEG)and head nucleus magnetic spectroscopy(MRS)and other data.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent prog-nostic factors.the modified Rankin scale(mRS)was used to determine whether the prognosis was good.The correlation between drug treatment and prognostic mRS score was tested by the rank sum test.RESULTS Univariate analysis showed that abnormal cellular immune function,extrapyramidal symptoms,obvious disturbance of consciousness,abnormal EEG,increased NLR,abnormal MRS,and complicated pneumonia were related to the poor prognosis of AD patients.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the decrease in the proportion of T lym-phocytes in the blood after abnormal cellular immune function(odd ratio:2.078,95%confidence interval:1.156-3.986,P<0.05)was an independent risk factor for predicting the poor prognosis of AD.The number of days of donepezil treatment to improve cognitive function was negatively correlated with mRS score(r=0.578,P<0.05).CONCLUSION The decrease in the proportion of T lymphocytes may have predictive value for the poor prognosis of AD.It is recommended that the proportion of T lymphocytes<55%is used as the cut-off threshold for predicting the poor prog-nosis of AD.The early and continuous drug treatment is associated with a good prognosis.

Subgroups of peripheral immune effector cells in cervical cancer patients are more sensitive to radiation therapy than chemotherapy

Background:CD8 positive T lymphocytes and natural killer(NK)cells in the peripheral blood of cervical cancer patients exhibit varying sensitivities to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.Methods:A total of 50 healthy peoples and 60 cervical cancer patients were recruited.The patients with cervical cancer were separated into two groups:radiation and chemotherapy,and blood sample were collected before and after treatment.Data on the proportion of CD8 positive T lymphocytes and NK cells were gathered for analytical evaluation.Results:Compared to healthy individuals,patients with cervical cancer exhibit a reduced proportion of CD8 positive T cells within their peripheral blood.And for patients with cervical cancer,radiation therapy has been found to be more effective than chemotherapy in increasing the proportion of CD8 positive T lymphocytes and NK cells.Conclusions:These results suggest that radiation therapy increases the levels of CD8 positive T lymphocytes and NK cells within the peripheral blood of patients with cervical cancer.The study hypothesis that the changes in the percentage of CD8 positive T lymphocytes may serve as a potential indicator for predicting treatment efficacy.

Protective Effects of Lentinan against T Lymphocytes Injury in Mice under Chronic Radiation Stress

Objective To study the effects of lentinan (LTN) on mice exposed to chronic radiation. Methods Animals were divided into three groups (n = 10), they were animals exposed to radiation (Rad), normal control animals (Ctr), and irradiated animals treated with LTN (Rad + LTN). Animal model of chronic radiation stress injury was induced by irradiating mice with 60 Co γ-ray for 6 weeks from Monday to Friday consecutively. Before radiation, the mice in Rad + LTN group were ip injected with 0.5 mL LTN (0.01 mg/mL), whereas mice in other groups were injected with 0.9% physiological saline. The effects of LTN treatment on irradiated mice were examined by histological analysis on the spleen. The cell numbers and viability of T lymphocytes, which were isolated from the spleen, were determined by Trypan blue staining. Nitric oxide (NO) production and interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion in T lymphocytes were also measured. Results Chronic radiation significantly reduced the body weights and the spleen and thymus indexes, associated with reduced T lymphocytes viability and functions, and elevated NO production. Treatment with LTN significantly normalized the elevated NO production, and attenuated the negative outcomes resulting from radiation mentioned above. Conclusion The results suggest that radioprotective effect of LTN may be contributed by improved T lymphocytes viability and functions via regulating the NO and IL-2 production in T lymphocytes.

Measurement of subgroups of peripheral blood T lymphocytes in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome and its clinical significance

Objective To investigate the changes of subgroups of peripheral blood T lymphocytes in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and its clinical significance.Methods Subgroups of blood T lymphocytes in 93 patients with SARS were detected by flow cytometer. The results detected in 64 normal subjects and 50 patients with AIDS served as controls.Results The numbers of CD3 +, CD4 +, and CD8 + lymphocytes all significantly decreased in acute phase of patients with SARS [(722±533)/μl, (438 ±353)/μl, (307±217)/μl)] compared with those in normal controls [ (1527±470)/μl, (787±257)/μl, (633±280)/μl, all P<0. 01) ], which was different from what we observed in patients with AIDS who had decreased CD4 + [ (296±298)/μl] but increased CD8 + [ (818 ±566)/μl counts. The counts of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8 + lymphocytes decreased more apparently in patients with severe SARS. All the five patients who died had CD4 + counts less than 200/μl. As the patients' condition improved, CD3 +, CD4 +, and CD8 + counts gradually returned to normal ranges.Conclusion The damage of cellular immunity is probably an important mechanism of pathogenesis of SARS.

Effects of Shen-Fu Injection (参附注射液) on Apoptosis of Regulatory T Lymphocytes in Spleen during Post-Resuscitation Immune Dysfunction in A Porcine Model of Cardiac Arrest

Objective： To investigate whether Shen-Fu Injection（参附注射液, SFI） reduces post-resuscitation immune dysfunction in a porcine model of cardiac arrest by modulating apoptosis of regulatory T lymphocytes（Treg） in the spleen. Methods： After 8-min untreated ventricular fibrillation and 2-min basic life support, 24 pigs were divided into 3 groups with a random number table, i.e. SFI group, epinephrine（EP） group, and saline（SA） group（8 in each group）, which received central venous injection of SFI（1.0 m L/kg）, EP（0.02 mg/kg） and SA, respectively. The same procedure without CA initiation was achieved in the sham-operated（sham） group（n=6）. After successful return of spontaneous circulation（ROSC）, apoptosis rate of splenic Treg was detected by flow cytometry; and the m RNA expression of forkhead/winged helix transcription factor（Foxp3） of splenic Treg was detected by real time-polymerase chain reaction; and the levels of interleukin-4（IL-4） and interferon-γ（IFN-γ） in porcine splenic Treg were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Results： Compared with the sham group, the apoptosis rate of Treg was significantly decreased, and the levels of Foxp3 m RNA expression, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IFN-γ/IL-4 were increased in the SA group（P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. Compared with the EP and SA groups, SFI treatment increased the apoptosis rate of Treg and reduced the levels of Foxp3 m RNA expression, IFN-γ and IFN-γ/IL-4（P〈0.05）. Conclusions： SFI has significant effects in attenuating post-resuscitation immune dysfunction by modulating apoptosis of Treg in the spleen.

Phenotypic and Functional Analysis of Porcine T Lymphocytes

Porcine and other higher mammals express clusters of differentiation (CD) antigens on the surface of T lymphocytes, such as CD2, CD3, CD4, CD8, etc. However, in porcine, a high percentage of the CD4 +CD8 + T lymphocyte subpopulation exist in the peripheral blood and the ratio of the CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocyte subpopulations is reversed. These differences bring new challenges to better understanding of the phenotype and function of porcine T lymphocytes in antigen recognition and immune response.

Demethylating agent decitabine induces autologous cancer testis antigen specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vivo

Background Cancer testis antigens （CTAs） are a novel group of tumor associated antigens.Demethylating agent decitabine was reported to be able to up-regulate CTAs through its hypomethylation mechanism,thus enhance the immunogenicity of leukemia cells.However,few researches have ever focused on the questions that whether this immunostimulatory effect of decitabine could induce autologous CTA specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes （CTLs） in vivo,and if so,whether this effect contributes to disease control.In this study,we aimed to show that decitabine could induce specific autologous CTLs against some mouse CTAs in leukemia cells in vitro and in vivo.Methods Several mouse CTAs were screened by RT-PCR.CTL specific to one of the CTAs named P1A was detected and sorted by P1A specific dimer by flow cytometry.The activity of specific CTLs was measured by real time RT-PCR.Results We firstly screened expression of some CTAs in mouse leukemia cells before and after decitabine treatment and found that decitabine treatment did up-regulate expression of many CTAs.Then we measured the CTLs＇ activity specific to a mouse CTA P1A in vivo and showed that this activity increased after decitabine treatment.Finally,we sorted these in vivo induced P1A specific CTLs by flow cytometry and demonstrated their cytotoxicity against decitabine treated leukemia cells.Conclusions Our study showed the autologous immune response induced by decitabine in vivo.And more importantly,we firstly proved that this response may contribute to disease control.We believe that this immunostimulatory effect is another anti-cancer mechanism of decitabine,and this special effect would inspire new applications of decitabine in the field of leukemia treatment in the future.