Project description:Cohort study of 137 renal transplant recipients and 29 non-immunosuppressed controls, looking at clinical influences upon monocytic HLA-DR density (mHLA-DRd) and associated clinical outcomes (namely, malignancy development)
Project description:HLA-DR-lacking HSPCs [HLA-DR(-) HSPCs] were detected in aplastic anemia (AA) patients with HLA-DR15. HLA-DR(-) HSPCs may evade the attack by CD4+ T-cells recognizing the autoantigen presented by HLA-DR15. The goal of this study is to clarify the immune escape mechanisms from antigen-specific T-cells by comparing the trranscriptome profile of HLA-DR(+) HSPCs and HLA-DR(-) HSPCs.
Project description:Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) is a heterogeneous population of cells that can negatively regulate T-cell function. As opposed to murine MDSC, which are characterized as Gr-1+CD11b+ cells, human MDSC are not so clearly defined due to lack of specific markers. Our lab has previously identified a new subset of MDSC as CD14+HLA-DR-neg/low cells from PBMC. CD14+HLA-DR-neg/low MDSC not only suppress proliferation and IFN-gamma secretion of autologous T cells, but also induce CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells that are suppressive in vitro, whereas the counterpart CD14+HLA-DR-high monocytes don’t have the effect. In this study, we compare the immune-related gene expression between CD14+HLA-DR-neg/low MDSC and CD14+HLA-DR-high monocytes to better characterize the difference between these two populations and to find new potential specific marker for human MDSC. PBMC were isolated from fresh blood healthy donor by density centrifugation. CD14+ cells were isolated by AutoMACS CD14 microbeads using a AutoMACS (Miltenyi), and then stained with CD14 and HLA-DR antibodies. MDSC and monocytes control cells were sorted as CD14+ HLA-DR-neg/low and CD14+HLA-DR-high cells respectively. The sorted two populations were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and shipped to the company on dry ice for RNA isolation and further microarray.
Project description:Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) is a heterogeneous population of cells that can negatively regulate T-cell function. As opposed to murine MDSC, which are characterized as Gr-1+CD11b+ cells, human MDSC are not so clearly defined due to lack of specific markers. Our lab has previously identified a new subset of MDSC as CD14+HLA-DR-neg/low cells from PBMC. CD14+HLA-DR-neg/low MDSC not only suppress proliferation and IFN-gamma secretion of autologous T cells, but also induce CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells that are suppressive in vitro, whereas the counterpart CD14+HLA-DR-high monocytes don’t have the effect. In this study, we compare the immune-related gene expression between CD14+HLA-DR-neg/low MDSC and CD14+HLA-DR-high monocytes to better characterize the difference between these two populations and to find new potential specific marker for human MDSC.
Project description:Complications due to long-term administration of immunosuppressive therapy increase the morbidity and mortality of liver transplant recipients. Discontinuation of immunosuppressive drugs in recipients spontaneously developing operational tolerance could substantially lessen this burden. However, this strategy results in the development of rejection in a high proportion of recipients who require lifelong immunosuppression. Thus, there is a need to identify predictive factors of successful drug withdrawal and to define the clinical and histological outcomes of operationally tolerant liver recipients. Methods. We enrolled 102 stable liver transplant recipients in an immunosuppression withdrawal trial in which drugs were gradually discontinued over a 6-9 month period. Patients with stable graft function and no signs of rejection in a liver biopsy conducted 12 months after cessation of immunosuppressive therapy were considered operationally tolerant. Results. Out of the 98 recipients who completed the study, immunosuppression discontinuation was successful in 41 recipients and rejection occurred in 57. Rejection episodes were mild and were resolved in all cases. Development of tolerance was independently associated with time elapsed since transplantation, recipient age, and male gender. No histological damage was apparent in protocol biopsies performed after successful drug withdrawal.
Project description:In stable renal transplant recipients with hyperparathyroidism, the vitamin D agonist paricalcitol reduces the level of proteinuria. Animal studies have indicated possible anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects of paricalcitol. We hypothesised that early introduction of paricalcitol in de novo renal transplant recipients would reduce proteinuria and counteract development of fibrosis in the allograft.