High–temporal resolution profiling reveals distinct immune trajectories following the first and second doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines

Knowledge of the mechanisms underpinning the development of protective immunity conferred by mRNA vaccines is fragmentary. Here, we investigated responses to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccination via high–temporal resolution blood transcriptome profiling. The first vaccine dose elicited modest interferon and adaptive immune responses, which peaked on days 2 and 5, respectively. The second vaccine dose, in contrast, elicited sharp day 1 interferon, inflammation, and erythroid cell responses, followed by a day 5 plasmablast response. Both post-first and post-second dose interferon signatures were associated with the subsequent development of antibody responses. Yet, we observed distinct interferon response patterns after each of the doses that may reflect quantitative or qualitative differences in interferon induction. Distinct interferon response phenotypes were also observed in patients with COVID-19 and were associated with severity and differences in duration of intensive care. Together, this study also highlights the benefits of adopting high-frequency sampling protocols in profiling vaccine-elicited immune responses

Mitochondrial respiratory complex I defects in Fanconi anemia.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare, complex disorder that manifests in childhood. Children with FA suffer bone marrow failure, leukemias, or solid tumors. FA-associated mutations are found in 15 proteins that are involved in DNA repair. Some of these proteins have extranuclear activities involving redox balance, apoptosis, and energy metabolism; and recent data demonstrate respiratory impairment in FA cells, suggesting that altered mitochondrial function is a factor in this disease

Enfisema lobare Congenito in 4 lattanti.

Vengono riportati 4 casi di enfisema lobare congenito in lattanti e ne vengono descritte le caratteristiche cliniche e le implicazioni chirurgiche

Oxidative stress in myelin sheath: The other face of the extramitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation ability

Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is not only the main source of ATP for the cell, but also a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which lead to oxidative stress. At present, mitochondria are considered the organelles responsible for the OXPHOS, but in the last years we have demonstrated that it can also occur outside the mitochondrion. Myelin sheath is able to conduct an aerobic metabolism, producing ATP that we have hypothesized is transferred to the axon, to support its energetic demand. In this work, spectrophotometric, cytofluorimetric, and luminometric analyses were employed to investigate the oxidative stress production in isolated myelin, as far as its respiratory activity is concerned. We have evaluated the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), markers of lipid peroxidation, as well as of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), marker of ROS production. To assess the presence of endogenous antioxidant systems, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities were assayed. The effect of certain uncoupling or antioxidant molecules on oxidative stress in myelin was also investigated. We report that isolated myelin produces high levels of MDA, 4-HNE, and H2O2, likely through the pathway composed by Complex I-III-IV, but it also contains active superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, as antioxidant defense. Uncoupling compounds or Complex I inhibitors increase oxidative stress, while antioxidant compounds limit ROS generation. Data may shed new light on the role of myelin sheath in physiology and pathology. In particular, it can be presumed that the axonal degeneration associated with myelin loss in demyelinating diseases is related to oxidative stress caused by impaired OXPHOS

Mitochondrial respiratory chain Complex I defects in Fanconi anemia complementation group A.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare and complex inherited blood disorder of the child. At least 15 genes are associated with the disease. The highest frequency of mutations belongs to groups A, C and G. Genetic instability and cytokine hypersensitivity support the selection of leukemic over non-leukemic stem cells. FA cellular phenotype is characterized by alterations in red-ox state, mitochondrial functionality and energy metabolism as reported in the past however a clear picture of the altered biochemical phenotype in FA is still elusive and the final biochemical defect(s) still unknown. Here we report an analysis of the respiratory fluxes in FANCA primary fibroblasts, lymphocytes and lymphoblasts. FANCA mutants show defective respiration through Complex I, diminished ATP production and metabolic sufferance with an increased AMP/ATP ratio. Respiration in FANCC mutants is normal. Treatment with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) restores oxygen consumption to normal level. Defective respiration in FANCA mutants appear correlated with the FA pro-oxidative phenotype which is consistent with the altered morphology of FANCA mitochondria. Electron microscopy measures indeed show profound alterations in mitochondrial ultrastructure and shape