'Elderly humans have compromised humoral and cellular immune responses, which lead to reduced protection to infectious agents and to vaccines. Currently, available vaccines suboptimally protect the elderly population. The capacity to class switch the Ig H chain is critical to the effectiveness of humoral immune responses in mice and humans. ... More
SOCS2 influences LPS induced human monocyte-derived dendritic cell maturation.
AuthorsHu J, Winqvist O, Flores-Morales A, Wikström AC, Norstedt G
JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID19779605
'Dendritic cells (DCs) are highly specific antigen presenting cells, which link innate and adaptive immune responses and participate in protecting hosts from invading pathogens. DCs can be generated in vitro by culturing human monocytes with GM-CSF and IL-4 followed by LPS induced DC maturation. We set out to study the ... More
IL-4 amplifies the pro-inflammatory effect of adenosine in human mast cells by changing expression levels of adenosine receptors.
Adenosine inhalation produces immediate bronchoconstriction in asthmatics but not in normal subjects. The bronchospastic effect of adenosine is largely mediated through adenosine-induced mast cell activation, the mechanism of which is poorly understood due to limitations in culturing human primary mast cells. Here, we show that human umbilical cord blood -derived ... More
Mannoproteins from Cryptococcus neoformans promote dendritic cell maturation and activation.
AuthorsPietrella D, Corbucci C, Perito S, Bistoni G, Vecchiarelli A
JournalInfect Immun
PubMed ID15664921
Our previous data show that mannoproteins (MPs) from Cryptococcus neoformans are able to induce protective responses against both C. neoformans and Candida albicans. Here we provide evidence that MPs foster maturation and activation of human dendritic cells (DCs). Maturation was evaluated by the ability of MPs to facilitate expression of ... More
Induction of Treg by monocyte-derived DC modulated by vitamin D3 or dexamethasone: differential role for PD-L1.
AuthorsUnger WW, Laban S, Kleijwegt FS, van der Slik AR, Roep BO
JournalEur J Immunol
PubMed ID19688742
Specific therapy with modulated DC may restore immunological tolerance, thereby obviating the need for chronic immunosuppression in transplantation or autoimmunity. In this study we compared the tolerizing capacity of dexamethasone (Dex)- and 1 alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3)-modulated DC. Treatment of monocytes with either VD3 or Dex resulted in DC with stable, ... More
A Candida albicans mannoprotein deprived of its mannan moiety is efficiently taken up and processed by human dendritic cells and induces T-cell activation without stimulating proinflammatory cytokine production.
AuthorsPietrella D, Lupo P, Rachini A, Sandini S, Ciervo A, Perito S, Bistoni F, Vecchiarelli A
JournalInfect Immun
PubMed ID18591233
Mannoproteins are cell wall components of pathogenic fungi and play major virulence and immunogenic roles with both their mannan and protein moieties. The 65-kDa mannoprotein (MP65) of Candida albicans is a beta-glucanase adhesin recognized as a major target of the human immune response against this fungus, and its recombinant product ... More