Germline Mutations in NFKB2 Implicate the Noncanonical NF-κB Pathway in the Pathogenesis of Common Variable Immunodeficiency To investigate the molecular cause of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), scientists carried out exome sequence analysis of a family diagnosed with CVID and identified a heterozygous frameshift mutation, c.2564delA, in NFKB2 affecting the C terminus of NF-κB2. [Am J Hum Genet] Abstract | Press Release Preferential Binding to Elk-1 by SLE-Associated IL10 Risk Allele Upregulates IL10 Expression Scientists assessed 19 tag SNPs, covering the interleukin-10 (IL10) gene cluster including IL19, IL20 and IL24, for association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in 15,533 case and control subjects from four ancestries. [PLoS Genet] Full Article Basis for Fluctuations in Lymphocyte Counts in Fingolimod-Treated Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Researchers aimed to determine the range of fluctuation in total lymphocyte counts (TLCs) in peripheral blood over a 4- to 7-year period in patients with multiple sclerosis receiving fingolimod and the relation between TLCs and T-cell subsets that are differentially regulated in the lymph nodes by fingolimod. [Neurology] Abstract Dysregulation of Anti-Inflammatory Annexin A1 Expression in Progressive Crohn’s Disease Researchers examined the association between annexin A1 (ANXA1) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the effects of anti-TNF-α, Infliximab, therapy on ANXA1 expression. ANXA1 and TNF-α transcript levels in PBMC were measured by RT PCR. [PLoS One] Full Article Treatment with Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Biologics in Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 Positive Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis The authors investigated the response to and safety of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) positive patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The therapeutic response was evaluated in 10 HTLV-1 positive and 20 negative patients with RA at three months after the beginning of anti-TNF therapy using the European League Against Rheumatism improvement criteria. [Arthritis Care Res] Abstract Expression Regulation of Co-Inhibitory Molecules on Human Natural Killer Cells in Response to Cytokine Stimulations Researchers showed that the expressions of co-inhibitors on natural killer cells, including lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3), programmed death-1 (PD-1), and T cell immunoglobulin and ITIM domain, are differently regulated by cytokines interleukin (IL)-10, IL-12, IL-15, interferon-α, and tumor growth factor-β (TGF-β). Among the tested cytokines, IL-12 is the most powerful inducer of LAG-3, and TGF-β is the strongest suppresser of PD-1. [Cytokine] Abstract Increased Frequency of Intestinal CD4+ T Cells Reactive with Mycobacteria in Patients with Crohn’s Disease Investigators assessed the frequency of mycobacteria and Escherichia coli reactive T cells in intestinal biopsies from patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. [Scand J Gastroenterol] Full Article Pollen-Induced Antigen Presentation by Mesenchymal Stem Cells and T Cells from Allergic Rhinitis This study investigated the immune effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on allergen-stimulated lymphocytes from allergic rhinitis (AR) subjects. In contrast to subjects with allergic asthma, MSCs caused a significant increase in the proliferation of antigen-challenged lymphocytes from AR subjects. [Clin Transl Immunol] Full Article |