Immune responses of neonates to B pertusis antigens

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Regulatory T cells depress immune responses to protective antigens in active tuberculosis.

RATIONALE: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death, and the role of T-cell responses to control Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections is well recognized. Patients with latent TB infection develop strong IFN-gamma responses to the protective antigen heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA), whereas patients with active TB do not. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the mechanism of this difference and evaluated the possible involvement of regulatory T (Treg) cells and/or cytokines in the low HBHA T-cell responses of patients with active TB. METHODS: The impact of anti-transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta and anti-IL-10 antibodies and of Treg cell depletion on the HBHA-induced IFN-gamma secretion was analyzed, and the Treg cell phenotype was characterized by flow cytometry. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Although the addition of anti-TGF-beta or anti-IL-10 antibodies had no effect on the HBHA-induced IFN-gamma secretion in patients with active TB, depletion of CD4(+)CD25(high)FOXP3(+) T lymphocytes resulted in the induction by HBHA of IFN-gamma concentrations that reached levels similar to those obtained for latent TB infection. No effect was noted on the early-secreted antigen target-6 or candidin T-cell responses. CONCLUSIONS: Specific CD4(+)CD25(high)FOXP3(+) T cells depress the T-cell-mediated immune responses to the protective mycobacterial antigen HBHA during active TB in humans.

In situ chemical modification of peptide microarrays. Application to the study of the antibody responses to methylated antigens

info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The primary cellular immune responses to B. pertussis antigens in infants

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Humoral response against heat shock proteins and other mycobacterial antigens after intravesical treatment with bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) in patients with superficial bladder cancer

Few studies have analysed the antibody response during intravesical BCG immunotherapy for superficial bladder cancer. We have examined the evolution in serum antibody response against several heat shock proteins (hsp), including the recombinant mycobacterial hsp65 and the native protein P64 from BCG, GroEL from Escherichia coli (hsp60 family), recombinant mycobacterial hsp70 and the E. coli DnaK (hsp70 family), against purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD) and the AG85 complex of Mycobacterium bovis BCG, as well as against tetanus toxoid in 42 patients with a superficial bladder tumour, 28 treated with six intravesical BCG instillations and 14 patients used as controls. We also analysed the lymphoproliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells against PPD in this population. Data of antibody responses at 6 weeks post BCG were available in all 28 patients, and at 4 month follow up in 17 patients. All patients who demonstrated a significant increase in IgC antibodies against PPD at 4 months follow up had a significant increase already at 6 weeks of follow up. In contrast, IgG antibodies against hsp increased significantly from 6 weeks to 4 months post- treatment. A significant increase in IgG antibodies against PPD, hsp65, P64, GroEL, and hsp70 at 4 months follow up was observed in 10/17, 8/17, 10/17, 4/17 and 8/17 patients. Native P64 protein elicited a higher antibody response than recombinant mycobacterial hsp65. No increase in antibody response was observed against Dnak from E. coli, against AG85 or tetanus toxoid after BCG therapy. An increase in IgG antibodies against P64 at 4 months follow up compared with pretreatment values was found to be a significant predictor of tumour recurrence (P < 0.01). Further studies with a larger number of patients are needed to confirm the value of the antibody response against P64 as a clinical independent prognostic factor.

In situ chemical modification of peptide microarrays: application to the study of the antibody responses to methylated antigens.

Peptide microarrays are useful tools for characterizing the humoral response against methylated antigens. They are usually prepared by printing unmodified and methylated peptides on substrates such as functionalized microscope glass slides. The preferential capture of antibodies by methylated peptides suggests the specific recognition of methylated epitopes. However, unmodified peptide epitopes can be masked due to their interaction with the substrate. The accessibility of unmodified peptides and thus the specificity of the recognition of methylated peptide epitopes can be probed using the in situ methylation procedure described here. Alternately, the in situ methylation of peptide microarrays allows probing the presence of antibodies directed toward methylated epitopes starting from easy-to-make and cost-effective unmodified peptide libraries. In situ methylation was performed using formaldehyde in the presence of sodium cyanoborohydride and nickel chloride. This chemical procedure converts lysine residues into mono- or dimethyl lysines.

CD207+ CD103+ dermal dendritic cells cross-present keratinocyte-derived antigens irrespective of the presence of Langerhans cells.

Recent studies have challenged the view that Langerhans cells (LCs) constitute the exclusive antigen-presenting cells of the skin and suggest that the dermal dendritic cell (DDC) network is exceedingly complex. Using knockin mice to track and ablate DCs expressing langerin (CD207), we discovered that the dermis contains five distinct DC subsets and identified their migratory counterparts in draining lymph nodes. Based on this refined classification, we demonstrated that the quantitatively minor CD207+ CD103+ DDC subset is endowed with the unique capability of cross-presenting antigens expressed by keratinocytes irrespective of the presence of LCs. We further showed that Y-Ae, an antibody that is widely used to monitor the formation of complexes involving I-Ab molecules and a peptide derived from the I-E alpha chain, recognizes mature skin DCs that express I-Ab molecules in the absence of I-E alpha. Knowledge of this extra reactivity is important because it could be, and already has been, mistakenly interpreted to support the view that antigen transfer can occur between LCs and DDCs. Collectively, these data revisit the transfer of antigen that occurs between keratinocytes and the five distinguishable skin DC subsets and stress the high degree of functional specialization that exists among them.

A Novel Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for the Opportunistic Pathogen Propionibacterium acnes and Characterisation of Type I Cell Surface-Associated Antigens.

We have developed a novel Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme (MLST) and database (http://pubmlst.org/pacnes/) for Propionibacterium acnes based on the analysis of seven core housekeeping genes. The scheme, which was validated against previously described antibody, single locus and Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) typing methods, displayed excellent resolution and differentiated 123 isolates into 37 sequence types (ST). An overall clonal population structure was detected with six eBURST groups representing the major clades I, II and III, along with two singletons. Two highly successful and global clonal lineages, ST6 (type IA) and ST10 (type IB1), representing 65% of this current MLST isolate collection were identified. The ST6 clone and closely related single locus variants (SLV), which comprise a large clonal complex CC6, dominated isolates from patients with acne, and were also significantly associated with ophthalmic infections. Our data therefore supports an association between acne and P. acnes strains from the type IA cluster and highlights the role of a widely disseminated clonal genotype in this condition. Characterisation of type I cell surface-associated antigens that are not detected in ST10 or strains of type II and III identified two dermatan-sulphate-binding proteins with putative phase/antigenic variation signatures. We propose that the expression of these proteins by type IA organisms contributes to their role in the pathophysiology of acne and helps explain the recurrent nature of the disease. The MLST scheme and database described in this study should provide a valuable platform for future epidemiological and evolutionary studies of P. acnes.

Innate immunogenicity and in vitro protective potential of Schistosoma mansoni lung schistosomula excretory-secretory candidate vaccine antigens

Excretory secretory products (ESP) of Schistosoma mansoni developing larvae are ideal potential vaccines as such molecules may readily induce host primary immune responses, and local memory immune response effectors that would target, surround, and pursue the larvae while negotiating the lung blood capillaries. We herein characterized the cytokines response ESP, e.g., SG3PDH, 14-3-3-like protein, TPX, and calpain induce in the natural context of infection, and defined the global cytokine profile conducive to effective schistosome larvae killing. Accordingly, spleen cells (SC) taken from naive, and 7-, or 9-day S. mansoni-infected mice were stimulated in vitro with the selected ESP, in a recombinant or multiple antigen peptide (MAP) form, and examined for production of T helper type (Th) 1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines, and the ability to mediate in vitro attrition of lung-stage schistosomula. The study indicated that larval ESP principally elicit Th1 and Th17 type cytokines. Recombinant SG3PDH was the only test ESP to additionally activate SC from S. mansoni-infected BALB/c mice to release higher IL-4 levels than unstimulated SC and mediate significant (P