Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from severe asthmatic children release lower amounts of IL-12 and IL-4 after LPS stimulation

Inhibitory effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Cunila spicata Benth. on phlogistic agents-induced cellular migration in the airways of mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Cunila spicata Benth. Is a creeping and aromatic plant that has an ethnopharmacological indication in the southern region of Brazil, in the Araucaria Forest biome. It's used as an alternative therapy for respiratory diseases for men and animals since the "tropeirista" movement in colonial Brazil.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Investigate the influence of oral administration of hydroalcoholic extract of C. spicata (HECS) on cellular inflammatory processes in the airways of mice.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The HECS was obtained by the ultrasound-assisted technique. Phytochemical analysis of the volatile compounds was performed using gas-chromatography with mass spectrometry. To investigate the biological activity of HECS, the animals were pre-treated with HECS orally 1 h before and the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) model was used, in which the animals were subjected to inhalation of different pro-inflammatory agents such as carrageenan (CAR), histamine (HIST), capsaicin (CAP), bradykinin (BK), and 48/80 compound (C48/80). After sacrifice, BAL sample was collected from the bronchi and was analyzed for total and differential white blood cell counts, compared with control groups.

RESULTS

Fourteen volatile phytocompounds were identified in the HECS, the main ones being 2-bornanone, menthofuran and camphene. Among the HECS treated animals, all showed significant maximal inhibition (MI) when challenged with pro-inflammatory agents by nebulization. In the group of animals that received CAR, the MI was 72.77 ± 3.88%, compared to the negative control (NC). There was a predominance of lymphocytes (59.18 ± 4.07%). For the HIST group, MI was 64.03 ± 4.33%, in relation to the NC, with predominance in macrophages number (76.53 ± 2.78%). In the CAP group, the MI obtained was 38.90 ± 11.31%, with greater macrophage migration occurring (80.98 ± 3.44%) in the higher dose. For animals subjected to BK inhalation, the MI was 48.63 ± 3.95% with macrophages predominance (64.33 ± 10.04%). In the group that received C48/80 inhalation, the MI was 40.25 ± 5.30% (100 mg kg^-1), with higher occurrence of macrophages (72.97 ± 4.23%).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that HECS had a non-specific inhibitory effect on cellular migration induced by different pro-inflammatory agents, reducing inflammation in airways of mice. These effects coincide and support its ethnopharmacological use as an alternative medicine for respiratory diseases in regions where the plant is prevalent.

Polymorphisms in the interleukin 4 promoter -589C/T gene and the risk of asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To identify the association between polymorphisms in the interleukin 4 (IL-4) promoter -589C/T gene and the risk of asthma.

METHODS

The databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Chongqing VIP (CQVIP), and Chinese Biomedical Literature (CBM) were searched and appropriate journal articles on the association between polymorphisms in the IL-4 promoter -589C/T gene and the risk of asthma were retrieved from establishment of the database to April 2021. All relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, to the exclusion of duplicate publications, studies with no whole composition, imperfect information or inability to extract data, animal experiments and reviews, and systematic reviews. The software Review manager 5.3 was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Literature search led to retrieving of 16 publications containing 3181 cases and 3786 controls. The results show that CT, CC, and T gene polymorphisms were risk factors for asthma [odds ratio (OR) =1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89-1.24; OR =1.04, 95% CI: 0.85-1.27; OR =1.98, 95% CI: 1.54-2.53]. Ethnic subgroup analysis showed that genotype CT was associated with the risk of asthma in the Asian population (OR =1.75, 95% CI: 1.01-3.05).

DISCUSSION

Through the study of IL-4 (C-590T) gene polymorphism, it was found that CT, TT, and T gene polymorphism were risk factors for asthma, and the results suggested that this locus polymorphism was related to the risk of asthma. The results of subgroup analysis showed that CC and T gene polymorphisms were risk factors for asthma. Thus, IL-4(C-590T) may be the susceptibility gene of asthma.

Perspectives on Systems Modeling of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are the key drivers of the immune responses. These cells undergo activation, proliferation and differentiation into various subsets. During these processes they initiate metabolic reprogramming, which is coordinated by specific gene and protein activities. PBMCs as a model system have been widely used to study metabolic and autoimmune diseases. Herein we review various omics and systems-based approaches such as transcriptomics, epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics as applied to PBMCs, particularly T helper subsets, that unveiled disease markers and the underlying mechanisms. We also discuss and emphasize several aspects of T cell metabolic modeling in healthy and disease states using genome-scale metabolic models.

Interleukin-12B gene polymorphisms and bronchial asthma risk: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This meta-analysis aims to investigate whether interleukin-12B (IL-12B) -1188A/C or the promoter polymorphisms may be a risk factor for asthma.

DATA SOURCES

Web of Science, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang databases were searched (updated August 20, 2015).

STUDY SELECTIONS

Articles evaluating the association between IL-12B genetic polymorphisms and asthma risk were selected.

RESULTS

13 eligible studies with a total of 5092 subjects were finally included in this meta-analysis. For IL-12B -1188A/C, analysis by ethnicity indicated that there was a markedly reduced risk for asthma in East Asian (CC + AC vs. AA: OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.50-0.81, P < 0.001). For IL-12B promoter, analysis by ethnicity indicated there was a markedly increased risk in East Asian (MM vs. WM + WW: OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.18-2.10, P = 0.002). Analysis by allergic state revealed the similar results in atopic subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

IL-12B -1188 C allele may be a protective factor against asthma in East Asian. In addition, promoter MM genotype may be a risk factor for asthma in East Asian and allergic people.

The anti-inflammatory and pro-resolution effects of aspirin-triggered RvD1 (AT-RvD1) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with severe asthma

Asthma is an inflammatory disease that is characterized by a predominance of eosinophils and/or neutrophils in the airways. In the resolution of inflammation, lipid mediators such as resolvin D1 (RvD1) and its epimer aspirin-triggered RvD1 (AT-RvD1) are produced and demonstrate anti-inflammatory and pro-resolution effects. In experimental models such as airway allergic inflammation induced by ovalbumin in mice, RvD1 and AT-RvD1 alleviate some of the most important phenotypes of asthma. Here, we demonstrated the effects of AT-RvD1 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy individuals and patients with severe asthma stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (DM). AT-RvD1 (100nM) reduced the concentration of TNF-α in PBMCs from healthy individuals and patients with severe asthma stimulated with LPS or DM. In addition, AT-RvD1 lowered the production of IL-10 only in PBMCs from patients with severe asthma stimulated with LPS. These effects were associated in part with decreasing NF-κB activation. Moreover, AT-RvD1 significantly increased phagocytosis of apoptotic neutrophils by monocytes from patients with severe asthma. In conclusion, AT-RvD1 demonstrated both anti-inflammatory and pro-resolution effects in PBMCs from patients with severe asthma and could become in the future an alternative treatment for asthma.

Current and future biomarkers in allergic asthma

Diagnosis early in life, sensitization, asthma endotypes, monitoring of disease and treatment progression are key motivations for the exploration of biomarkers for allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma. The number of genes related to allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma increases steadily; however, prognostic genes have not yet entered clinical application. We hypothesize that the combination of multiple genes may generate biomarkers with prognostic potential. The current review attempts to group more than 161 different potential biomarkers involved in respiratory inflammation to pave the way for future classifiers. The potential biomarkers are categorized into either epithelial or infiltrate-derived or mixed origin, epithelial biomarkers. Furthermore, surface markers were grouped into cell-type-specific categories. The current literature provides multiple biomarkers for potential asthma endotypes that are related to T-cell phenotypes such as Th1, Th2, Th9, Th17, Th22 and Tregs and their lead cytokines. Eosinophilic and neutrophilic asthma endotypes are also classified by epithelium-derived CCL-26 and osteopontin, respectively. There are currently about 20 epithelium-derived biomarkers exclusively derived from epithelium, which are likely to innovate biomarker panels as they are easy to sample. This article systematically reviews and categorizes genes and collects current evidence that may promote these biomarkers to become part of allergic rhinitis or allergic asthma classifiers with high prognostic value.