Scope: Changes in the intestinal flora are related to autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) development. The aim of this study is to investigate the synergistic effects of probiotics and prebiotics on liver injury induced by concanavalin A (Con A). Methods and results: C57BL/6 mice are fed probiotics (Pro), prebiotics (Pre), synbiotic (Syn) for 7 days and then Con A is injected via tail veins to induce AIH. Additionally, methylprednisolone (MP) is gavaged 0.5 h after the Con A injection. It is found that both Pro, Pre, Syn, and MP decrease the levels of serum transaminase, liver F4/80+ macrophage cells, and hepatocellular apoptosis. Pro, Pre, and Syn decrease proinflammatory cytokines, elevate levels of anti-inflammatory as well as restored immune imbalance in AIH. Besides, Pro, Pre, and Syn not only reshape the perturbed gut microbiota, but also maintain intestinal barrier integrity, block the activation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/TLR4/NF-𝜿B pathway in the liver. Interestingly, the effects of Syn are superior to Pro or Pre alone in Con A-induced acute liver injury. Conclusions: Syn obviously facilitates AIH remission. The combined use of Pro and Pre is effective in improving Pro and Pre efficacy and can be an important tool for preventing and adjuvant treating patients for AIH.
Purpose: Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are complicated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis due to the compromised immune function after chemotherapy. Here, we report a case of cytomegalovirus retinitis in a 4-year-old girl with ALL to emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and intravenous administration of antiviral medication in this group of patients. Case Report: A 4-year-old girl with ALL was diagnosed of fulminant CMV retinitis after chemotherapy. Funduscopic examination revealed perivascular sheathing in pole and peripheral retina of right eye. Large areas of yellowish-white edema, hemorrhage and exudation along the vessels were seen in the superior nasal retina. Few perivascular sheathings were found in peripheral retina without obvious hemorrhage and exudation in left eye. With early diagnosis and prompt intravenous administration of ganciclovir,the lesion of the fundus subsided and the vision was restored over 4 months of follow up period. Conclusions: In summary, CMV retinitis can occur in ALL pediatric patients who receive chemotherapy only, especially in the maintenance stage. With routine follow-up, early diagnosis and intravenous antiviral therapy, these patients may have a good prognosis.
Background
Increasing evidence in recent years has suggested that Th1, Th17 cells act as a crucial regulatorin autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Rapamycin, as a inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which modulates T cell activation, differentiation and migration, is known to be able to selectively inhibit the activation of T helper cells including Th1 and Th17 subsets. However, little is known about the underlying regulatory mechanisms.
Results
In this study, we demonstrated that rapamycin ameliorated AIH in mice model by inhibiting Th1 and Th17 cells. Further analysis revealed that the suppressive function of rapamycin was associated with the downregulation of p70s6k-STAT3 signaling, which is downstream of mTOR, in AIH mice.
Conclusions
These findings suggest a previously unrecognized role for rapamycin immunoregulatory function and its protective effect on AIH, providing additional insight for the selection of alternative clinical protocols for autoimmune diseases.
Background: As a new immunotherapeutic target, the inhibitors of programmed death 1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathway have been used to treat a variety of tumors including small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, the biomarkers now used to predict the efficacy of SCLC immunological checkpoint inhibitors are still in the exploratory phase. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the prevalence and prognostic roles of soluble PD-L1(sPD-L1) protein in the blood of patients with lung cancer. Methods: A total of 94 patients with SCLC who were diagnosed by histopathology or cytopathology between March 2018 to November 2018 were enrolled. Blood samples plasma were collected at the time of diagnosis. 17 samples of healthy subjects matching in sex and age from the Health care Center of the hospital were also studied as control. The level of sPD-L1 protein in the blood was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). And the correlation of sPD-L1 expression with tumor stage, distant metastasis, and pro gastrin releasing peptide (ProGRP) was analyzed. Results: Expression of sPD-L1 in SCLC patients was significantly higher than healthy people(P<0.05).A cutoff value of 1.362ng/ml was distinguished in patients according to Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Dynamic changes of sPD-L1 are associated with progressive disease(PD) a , partial response(PR) a and stable disease(SD) b in SCLC patients(a P<0.01, b P>0.05).The expression of sPD-L1 in serum was positively correlated with ProGRP. Conclusion: Our results indicated that changes of plasma SPD-L1 levels in SCLC patients are associated with prognosis. Plasma sPD-L1 protein is a great biomarker in SCLC and may play an important role in sifting the beneficiaries of immunotherapy.
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