Susceptibility of the Elderly to SARS-CoV-2 Infection: ACE-2 Overexpression, Shedding, and Antibodydependent Enhancement (ADE)

The world is currently facing a serious SARS-CoV-2 infection pandemic. This virus is a new isolate of coronavirus, and the current infection crisis has surpassed the SARS and MERS epidemics that occurred in 2002 and 2013, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 has currently infected more than 142,000 people, causing 5,000 deaths and spreading across more than 130 countries worldwide. The spreading capacity of the virus clearly demonstrates the potential threat of respiratory viruses to human health, thereby reiterating to the governments around the world that preventive health policies and scientific research are pivotal to overcoming the crisis. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) causes flu-like symptoms in most cases. However, approximately 15% of the patients need hospitalization, and 5% require assisted ventilation, depending on the cohorts studied. What is intriguing, however, is the higher susceptibility of the elderly, especially individuals who are older than 60 years of age, and have comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. In fact, the death rate in this group may be up to 10-12%. Interestingly, children are somehow less susceptible and are not considered as a risk group. Therefore, in this review, we discuss some possible molecular and cellular mechanisms by virtue of which the elderly subjects may be more susceptible to severe COVID-19. Toward this, we raise two main points, i) increased ACE-2 expression in pulmonary and heart tissues in users of chronic angiotensin 1 receptor (AT1R) blockers; and ii) antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) after previous exposure to other circulating coronaviruses. We believe that these points are pivotal for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of severe COVID-19, and must be carefully addressed by physicians and scientists in the field

High dose of dexamethasone protects against EAE-induced motor deficits but impairs learning/memory in C57BL/6 mice

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune and neuroinflammatory disease characterized by demyelination of the Central Nervous System. Immune cells activation and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines play a crucial role in the disease modulation, decisively contributing to the neurodegeneration observed in MS and the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the widely used MS animal model. Synthetic glucocorticoids, commonly used to treat the MS attacks, have controversial effects on neuroinflammation and cognition. We sought to verify the influence of dexamethasone (DEX) on the EAE progression and on EAE-induced cognitive deficits. In myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide (MOG35-55)-induced EAE female mice, treated once with DEX (50 mg/kg) or not, on the day of immunization, DEX decreased EAE-induced motor clinical scores, infiltrating cells in the spinal cord and delayed serum corticosterone peak. At the asymptomatic phase (8-day post-immunization), DEX did not protected from the EAE-induced memory consolidation deficits, which were accompanied by increased glucocorticoid receptor (GR) activity and decreased EGR-1 expression in the hippocampus. Blunting hippocampal GR genomic activation with DnGR vectors prevented DEX effects on EAE-induced memory impairment. These data suggest that, although DEX improves clinical signs, it decreases cognitive and memory capacity by diminishing neuronal activity and potentiating some aspects of neuroinflammation in EAE

Female sex hormones mediate the allergic lung reaction by regulating the release of inflammatory mediators and the expression of lung E-selectin in rats

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud Fluctuations of estradiol and progesterone levels caused by the menstrual cycle worsen asthma symptoms. Conflicting data are reported in literature regarding pro and anti-inflammatory properties of estradiol and progesterone.\ud \ud \ud Methods\ud Female Wistar rats were ovalbumin (OVA) sensitized 1 day after resection of the ovaries (OVx). Control group consisted of sensitized-rats with intact ovaries (Sham-OVx). Allergic challenge was performed by aerosol (OVA 1%, 15 min) two weeks later. Twenty four hours after challenge, BAL, bone marrow and total blood cells were counted. Lung tissues were used as explants, for expontaneous cytokine secretion in vitro or for immunostaining of E-selectin.\ud \ud \ud Results\ud We observed an exacerbated cell recruitment into the lungs of OVx rats, reduced blood leukocytes counting and increased the number of bone marrow cells. Estradiol-treated OVx allergic rats reduced, and those treated with progesterone increased, respectively, the number of cells in the BAL and bone marrow. Lungs of OVx allergic rats significantly increased the E-selectin expression, an effect prevented by estradiol but not by progesterone treatment. Systemically, estradiol treatment increased the number of peripheral blood leukocytes in OVx allergic rats when compared to non treated-OVx allergic rats. Cultured-BAL cells of OVx allergic rats released elevated amounts of LTB4 and nitrites while bone marrow cells increased the release of TNF-α and nitrites. Estradiol treatment of OVx allergic rats was associated with a decreased release of TNF-α, IL-10, LTB4 and nitrites by bone marrow cells incubates. In contrast, estradiol caused an increase in IL-10 and NO release by cultured-BAL cells. Progesterone significantly increased TNF- α by cultured BAL cells and bone marrow cells.\ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud Data presented here suggest that upon hormonal oscillations the immune sensitization might trigger an allergic lung inflammation whose phenotype is under control of estradiol. Our data could contribute to the understanding of the protective role of estradiol in some cases of asthma symptoms in fertile ans post-menopausal women clinically observed.The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. Gabriela Cavriani for her help in this\ud study and Zilma Lucia da Silva (Depth of Pharmacology) of Institute of\ud Biomedical Sciences of University of São Paulo (São Paulo, Brazil) for\ud technical assistance and for Mayara Munhóz de Assis Ramos and Suzanne\ud Kane of Los Angeles, California for further English revisions to our\ud manuscript. This study was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa\ud do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Grants 2001/13384-4, 2004/14128-0, 2006/\ud 55950-0, 2006/14128-4, 2007/55631-4, 2009/51886-3 and 2009/07208-0 and\ud CAPES (PNPD 0188085, 02610/09-4). W. Tavares de Lima is a fellow\ud researcher of CNPq

Modernist Toilette: Degas, Woolf, Lawrence

<p>COPD animals were submitted to therapeutic protocols as described in materials and methods. Further, all animals were euthanized, lungs were obtained and sections were stained by PAS (Periodic Acid Schiff) as described in methods. In A) representative graphs and B) photomicrographs of PAS stained sections. Data representative of two experiments. n = 5–8 animals per group. One-way ANOVA.</p

The oral tolerance phenomenon and the regulation of pathogenic Th17 cells during the EAE model.

Recentemente demonstrou-se o papel de células T produtoras de IL-17 na patogênese da esclerosa múltipla e de seu modelo, a EAE. Através da produção desta e de outras citocinas, a população chamada Th17 promove o rompimento da barreira hematoencefálica e a conseqüente infiltração de células patogênicas para dentro do SNC. Nesse contexto, em nosso trabalho utilizamos o fenômeno da tolerância oral para avaliar a capacidade deste em suprimir a resposta imune durante o modelo de EAE, mais especificamente as células Th17. Nossos dados demonstram uma diminuição de IL-17 tanto na periferia como no SNC dos animais tolerados. Além disso, detectamos menos CCL2 e IL-6 em células extraídas do CNS dia 10 pós-imunização. Não observarmos diferença na produção de IL-4,5,10, 13, IL-12p70, TNF-a, e IFN-g entre os grupos. Em suma, nossos resultados mostram que o fenômeno da tolerância oral é capaz de suprimir parâmetros de EAE devido a uma menor capacidade linfoproliferativa associada a uma supressão de células patogênicas Th17 tanto na periferia como no SNC.It has recently been shown the role of IL-17 secreting cells on the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and also in its model, EAE. Due to the secretion of this and other cytokines, the population so called Th17, promotes the disruption of the blood-brain barrier and the following infiltration of pathogenic cells into the CNS. In this context, in our work we used the oral tolerance phenomenon to evaluate its supressive capacity, more specifically over the Th17 cells. We showed that oral tolerated mice has a diminished production of IL-17 both in the periphery and in the CNS. Futhermore, we detected lower levels of CCL2 and IL-6 also from brain and spinal cord extracted mononucear cells at day 10th post-immunization. We were not able to detect differences on IL-4,5,10, 13, IL-12p70, TNF-a, e IFN-g between the groups. Thus, our results show that the oral tolerance phenomenon suppresses EAE findings, mainly due to a lower lymphoprolipherative response associated to a supression over the expansion of Th17 pathogenic T cells both in the periphery and inside the CNS

ZIKV Infection and miRNA Network in Pathogenesis and Immune Response

Over the years, viral infections have caused severe illness in humans. Zika Virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus transmitted by mosquito vectors that leads to notable neurological impairment, whose most dramatic impact is the Congenital ZIKV Syndrome (CZS). ZIKV targets neuronal precursor cells leading to apoptosis and further impairment of neuronal development, causing microcephaly, lissencephaly, ventriculomegaly, and calcifications. Several regulators of biological processes are involved in CZS development, and in this context, microRNAs (miRNAs) seem to have a fundamental role. miRNAs are important regulators of protein translation, as they form the RISC silencing complex and interact with complementary mRNA target sequences to further post-transcriptional repression. In this context, little is known about their participation in the pathogenesis of viral infections. In this review, we discuss how miRNAs could relate to ZIKV and other flavivirus infections

It takes guts for tolerance: The phenomenon of oral tolerance and the regulation of autoimmune response

The intestinal tract is a peculiar environment due to its constant contact with the microbiota agents, food antigens and other molecules. Such exposure requires the establishment of important regulatory mechanisms in order to avoid inflammatory response and self aggression. In this context, the GALT plays a very relevant role due to the presence of several different cellular populations which are the main players in this phenomenon. Moreover, it was described a while ago that the oral ingestion of a given molecule is able to induce systemic tolerance to the same molecule when it is used as an immunogen by parenteral route, known as oral tolerance. This observation led researches to use these mechanisms to induce tolerance against cognate antigens of different autoimmune diseases. In this context, in this review we focused on several tolerance inducing mechanisms which are relevant not only for the maintenance of intestinal tract but also for the suppression of T effector cells, such as Th1, Th2 and the newly described Th17 cells. To name a few, CD103(+) dendritic cells, Tr1 cells derived IL-10 secretion, Foxp3 conversion and CD4(+)LAP(+) regulatory cells induction are among the recently described features of the tolerogenic environment of the intestinal tract. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Bariatric Surgery Reverses Natural Killer (NK) Cell Activity and NK-Related Cytokine Synthesis Impairment Induced by Morbid Obesity

Background Obesity is related to a higher rate of infections and some types of cancer. Here we analyzed the impact of obesity and weight loss induced by Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on immunological parameters, i.e., cytokine productions and natural killer cell function. Methods We analyzed 28 morbidly obese patients before and 6 months after RYGB. Biochemical parameters were analyzed in plasma. The percent of natural killer (NK) cells, their cytotoxicity, and the production of cytokines by peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analyzed. The percent of NK cells was determined by flow cytometry and cytokine production determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. NK cytotoxicity was determined by the lactate dehydrogenase release assay. Results The weight loss 6 months following surgery was 35.3 +/- 4.5 kg. RYGB also improves biochemical parameters. No significant difference was found in the percent of NK cells after surgery. We found an increase in the production of interferon-gamma, interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18, but not in IL-2, 6 months after RYGB. Cytotoxic activity of NK cells was significantly enhanced 6 months after RYGB [17.1 +/- 14.7% before RYGB vs 51.8 +/- 11.3% at 6 months after, at 40: 1 effector to target cell ratio; p<0.001]. We observed significant post-surgical improvement in the cytotoxic activity curve in 22 out of 28 patients (78.6%), irrespective of the target to effector cell ratio. Conclusions The weight loss induced by RYGB modifies the production of cytokines related with NK cell function and improves its activity.Foundation for Aid to Research of the State of Sao Paulo (Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo-FAPESP)CAPESCNPqCAPES/PNPD[0188085