Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0018133 (graft-versus-host disease)
 18,032 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cyclosporin A (CsA) is a potent inhibitor of cytokine (IL-2-IL-6, IFN gamma) production by CD4+ T lymphocytes stimulated via the T cell antigen receptor pathway. This action results in indirect inhibitory effects on the growth and differentiation of B lymphocytes (IL-4 and IL-6). Using experimental models, it has also been shown that the functional activities of mononuclear phagocytes (IFN-gamma) and other antigen-presenting cells, production of mast cells (IL-3) and eosinophils (IL-5) and the activity of natural killer (NK) cells may be inhibited indirectly by CsA. In addition, however, CsA blocks B cell responses to Ca(2+)-dependent signals (e.g., anti-IgM) downstream of phosphatidyl inositol diphosphate hydrolysis; Ca(2+)-independent responses (e.g., to LPS or IL-4) are largely unaffected. In general terms, the functions of macrophages are unchanged or reduced in the presence of CsA. These include phagocytic activity in vitro and in vivo, chemotactic migration, superoxide and H2O2 production, protein (including monokine) secretion and MHC gene product expression. Antigen presentation (e.g., by epidermal Langerhans cells) may be affected, especially at high drug concentrations. There is recent evidence that CsA inhibits mediator (histamine and prostaglandin) release from human mast cells and that mucosal mast cell numbers may be diminished in CsA-treated animals exhibiting graft-versus-host disease or helminth infections.
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PMID:The effects of cyclosporin A on non-T cell components of the immune system. 150 9

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is the major complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Dysregulation of inflammatory monokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) has been noted in both clinical and experimental GVHD. We present evidence that interleukin-1 (IL-1), another inflammatory monokine, is an important mediator of GVHD. Expression of the gene for IL-1 alpha as well as the gene for TNF alpha is increased in the skin of mice with GVHD. Inhibition of IL-1 function by the in vivo administration of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) reduces the immunosuppression and mortality of GVHD without impairing the engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells. GVHD thus appears to be a systemic inflammatory process in which monokines, especially IL-1, appear to be important mediators. Inhibition of IL-1 by IL-1ra represents a novel approach to the understanding and control of GVHD.
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PMID:Inhibition of interleukin-1 by an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist prevents graft-versus-host disease. 183 96

To determine the degree of graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis that might be necessary if cord blood (CB) transplantation is more widely applied, we compared human cord blood mononuclear cell (CBMC) and adult peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferative responses and stimulatory capabilities; to examine the utility of UVB irradiation for GVHD prophylaxis, we compared proliferative responses, antigen-presenting cell (APC) stimulatory functions, and cytokine production by untreated and UVB-irradiated CBMCs. The two cell types, CBMC and PBMC, proliferated equally both in response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and alloantigen in mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC). Cord blood stimulatory function in MLC was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced to 60% of PBMC stimulatory capability. Ultraviolet-B irradiation at a dose of 100 J/m2 of CBMCs significantly (P < 0.01) inhibited PHA stimulation by 79.4%, reduced responder activity in MLC by 75.8%, and inhibited stimulatory activity in MLC by 55.6% as compared with the activity shown by untreated CBMCs. The same dose of UVB preserved 59.9% of CFU-GM and 65.9% of BFU-E colony growth as compared with untreated CBMCs. Production of lymphokines (IL-2, GM-CSF, LIF, and gamma-IFN) by PHA-stimulated CBMCs was decreased, but monokine (IL-1 beta and IL-6) production was unchanged. We conclude that UVB irradiation at a dose of 100 J/m2 inhibits CB lymphocyte activation and preserves the cellular growth potential of CB hematopoietic progenitor cells.
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PMID:The effect of UVB irradiation on proliferative activity and cell growth potential of cord blood. 807 20

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) involves mainly skin, liver and intestines. Other organs such as heart, muscle and central nervous system are seldom affected, although their parenchymal cells also express alloantigens, such as MHC class I antigens. The mechanism of this selective involvement of distinct organs in acute GVHD is not well understood. We postulated that it might be related to the selective migration of activated alloreactive T cells. Indeed, T cell infiltration, revealed by examination of serial samples using flow cytometry and immunohistology, occurred early and continuously in the target organs such as the liver, but not in a non-target organ, the heart, in a murine acute GVHD model. Since T cell migration is largely controlled by the expression of chemokine and chemokine receptors, we investigated the chemokine spectrum in target/non-target organs of mice with acute GVHD. We found that in the spleen and liver MIP-1alpha, MIP-2 and Mig were the predominant chemokines expressed. In another target organ, the skin, MIP-1alpha, MIP-2, MCP-1 and MCP-3 were all highly expressed. In a non-target organ of acute GVHD, the heart, the predominant chemokines expressed were MCP-1 and MCP-3. This distinct pattern of chemokine expression in these organs may contribute to the preferential recruitment of inflammatory cells into the liver and skin, but not into the heart, in acute GVHD.
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PMID:T cell infiltration and chemokine expression: relevance to the disease localization in murine graft-versus-host disease. 1209 66

The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the blunted allo-responsiveness of umbilical cord blood (UCB) T cells have not been fully elucidated. Protein expression of NFATc2 (nuclear factor of activated T cells c2), a critical transcription factor necessary for up-regulation of multiple cytokines known to amplify T-cell allogeneic responses, is reduced in UCB T cells. Affymetrix oligonucleotide microarrays were used to compare gene expression of primary purified CD4+ UCB T cells to adult peripheral blood CD4+ T cells (AB) at baseline, 6, and 16 hours of primary stimulation. NFAT-regulated genes exhibited lower expression in UCB CD4+ T cells including the following: granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 3 (IL-3), IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-2 receptor alpha (IL-2Ralpha; CD25), CD40L, and macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1alpha). Transcription factors involved in the NFAT pathway including C/EBPbeta, JunB, and Fosl1 (Fra-1), as well as Th1- and Th2-related transcription factors STAT4 (signal transducers and activators of transcription 4), T-bet, and c-maf showed reduced expression in UCB compared with AB during primary stimulation. Reduced cytokine, chemokine, and receptor expression was also found in UCB. Gene array data were confirmed using RNase protection assays, flow cytometry, and quantitative multiplexed cytokine measurements. Reduced global expression of NFAT-associated genes, as well as cytokines and chemokines, in UCB CD4+ T cells may contribute to the decreased graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) observed after UCB transplantation.
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PMID:Reduced expression of NFAT-associated genes in UCB versus adult CD4+ T lymphocytes during primary stimulation. 1294 96

This study was aimed to investigate the migration and distribution processes of allogeneic donor T lymphocytes in the organs of recipient mice. GVHD model was established by transfusion of the splenocytes of eGFP transgeneic C57BL/6 mice together with born marrow cells harvested from C57BL/6 mice into BALB/c mice underwent 8.0 Gy total body irradiation. The migration and homing of eGFP(+) cells were tracked by stereo-fluorescent microscopy or inverted fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry. The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed on supernatants from the tissue homogenates to detect the amount of MIP-1alpha. The results indicated that GVHD clinical manifestation and pathological changes of organs appeared on day 8 post transplantation. eGFP-positive donor T cells in recipient organs were observed by inverted fluorescence microscope in frozen section, or by stereo-fluorescence microscopy in living organs, such as liver, spleen, skin, lungs, bowels, and tongue. The highest expression of MIP-1alpha was on day 7 post transplantation in the liver (491.3 +/- 32.1 pg/ml), and day 3 post transplantation in the spleen (881.5 +/- 45.2 pg/ml), respectively (P < 0.05). It is concluded that GVHD was induced by splenocytes of eGFP transgeneic C57BL/6 mice. eGFP(+) cells in the organs can be observed by fluorescent microscopy. In this GVHD model, donor T cells proliferate and infiltrate in liver, skin, bowels, as well as lungs and tongue. MIP-1alpha may be in relation with the infiltration of T lymphocytes in liver and spleen.
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PMID:[Migration and distribution of allogeneic T lymphocytes in organs of graft-versus-host disease mouse model]. 1709 89