Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Univ., 2004. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

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by Li Wen. / "April 2000." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 200-236). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1956.

Allergies have the potential to be a life-long debilitating fight, especially the severe reactions from allergies such as anaphylaxis. Peanut allergies tend to be both common and severe, and they happen to be found hiding in many food products. People can have allergic reactions to food products that were made in the same facility as peanut products, that is why it is so important to be aware of the products that are being consumed. The incidence of peanut allergies has increased in the last decade, which is why it is crucial to study these allergies. This thesis looks at when the best time is to introduce peanut products to young children and the common risk factors that are associated with peanut allergies in children. The risk factors that are being looked at include: genetics, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity. This thesis also investigates a couple of treatment options for if your child develops a peanut allergy.

<p>Among food allergies, peanut has attracted the most research attention because the allergy is typically lifelong, often severe and potentially fatal. Furthermore, other than epinephrine, there are no treatments available to date. A decade of research has provided a great deal of insight into the factors that promote and regulate the <em>development </em>of allergic responses. However, less in known about the factors involved in the <em>elicitation</em> of the most common and severe manifestation of peanut allergy, namely anaphylaxis. The research in this thesis centers on the investigation of cellular and molecular pathways leading to peanut-induced anaphylaxis (PIA) as well as potential therapeutic targets. Specifically presented are: i) the development and characterization of a mouse model of PIA (Chapter 2), ii) the role of molecules including histamine, leukotrienes (LT) and platelet-activating factor (PAF) (Chapter 3) and, iii) the relative contribution of mast cells, basophils and macrophages as well as IgE and IgG₁(Chapter 4). Our data show that oral sensitization to peanut in C57BL/6 mice generated local and systemic markers of type-2 immunity that was associated with robust and consistent clinical anaphylaxis following antigen challenge. In this context, concurrent blockade of PAF and histamine receptors markedly decreases the severity of these reactions. Moreover, they demonstrate that distinctive immune effector pathways involving activation of mast cells (via IgE and IgG₁) and macrophages (via IgG₁) cooperate to elicit a broad range of systemic reactions to peanut. These findings highlight that concomitant and progressive recruitment of immune-effector pathways leads to a full range of anaphylactic reactions and therefore, therapeutic strategies for PIA may need to target several pathways or, alternatively shared components within these pathways. Combination therapy blocking both PAF and histamine may represent such as a therapeutic approach.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)

<p>Pre-clinical and clinical data strongly support the use of immunotherapies for cancer treatment. Cancer vaccines offer a promising approach, however, the outcomes of clinical vaccine trials have been largely disappointing, prompting a need for further investigation. Using the B16F10 murine melanoma, we have investigated the local events within growing tumors following recombinant adenovirus immunization. In chapter 2, we investigated the ability of a pre-clinical vaccine to elicit only transient tumor growth suppression. We observed that tumors were initially infiltrated by a small number of highly functional tumor-specific CD8+ T cells following vaccination that instigated a rapid adaptive response in the tumor that suppressed local immune activity. In chapter 3, we questioned whether increasing the rate and magnitude of early immune attack would result in more robust tumor attack prior to tumor adaptation. Increasing the rate of tumor-specific CD8+ T cell expansion following vaccination resulted in tumor regression and durable cures in approximately 65% of treated mice. Further analysis revealed that tumor regression correlated with an early burst in immune attack that outpaced tumor adaptation. In chapter 4, we explored whether the same vaccine could be improved when combined with immunomodulatory antibodies. Vaccination combined with anti 4-1BB and anti PD-1 resulted in complete tumor regression and durable cure of >70% of treated animals and was associated with increased local immune activity. Gene expression profiling revealed a unique gene signature associated with the curative treatment, which was also associated with positive outcome in human melanoma patients. The described research sheds new light on mechanisms that limit the efficacy of therapeutic cancer vaccines. Namely, rapid tumor adaptation, triggered by early vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells, acts to suppress the local immune response prior to maximal immune attack. Strategies to overcome these adaptive processes should therefore be considered in future vaccine design.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)

Type 2 (TH2) immune responses evolved to respond to helminth parasite infections by the production of TH2 cytokines, which stimulate anti-helminth immunity. Macrophage migration inhibitor factor (MIF) is a pleiotropic cytokine, which is produced by many cell types. We demonstrate that mice deficient in MIF have enhanced clearance of a helminth parasite. MIF deficiency in CD4+ T cells was found to be the most important for mediating parasite clearance. We mimicked MIF deficiency by administering an inhibitor of the MIF tautomerase activity, sulforaphane, and this also increased parasite clearance (Section I). TH2 immune responses underlie allergy and allergic asthma, in which the same cytokines that help expel parasites are released in response to innocuous substances. Integral to the initiation of adaptive TH2 immunity are dendritic cells (DCs), which take up antigen and stimulate antigen-specific CD4+ T cell responses. We found that DC expression of ADAM10, a zinc-dependent metalloproteinase, is critical for the development of TH2 immune responses and IgE production from B cells. This effect is demonstrated in both allergic airway inflammation and anaphylaxis models. ADAM10-deficient DCs are unable to cleave Notch1 receptors, resulting in reduced IL-6 production and this ultimately results in decreased TH2 activity. ADAM17 is closely related to ADAM10 in both structure and function. Interestingly, mice from which ADAM10 and 17 are removed from DCs (ADAM10/17DC-/-) have a distinct phenotype from both ADAM10DC-/- and ADAM17DC-/- mice in models of allergic airway inflammation (Section I). We also examined another effect of TH2 cytokines on the interaction between mast cells and myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). We sought to understand how histamine and IL-13, mediators made by mast cells, affect the immunoregulatory function of MDSCs. MDSCs in IL-13-deficient mice with tumor are more prevalent in circulation rather than in tumor or organs, which could be due to changes in CCL2/CCR2 chemotaxis. In addition, MDSC function after treatment with the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, decitabine was examined. This treatment reduced their suppressive function and increased the expression of molecules needed for antigen presentation. Overall, TH2 immunity has multifaceted roles in anti-parasite immunity, allergic asthma, and MDSC function (Section II).

Exposição a alérgenos de poeira doméstica é fator de risco para o desenvolvimento de doenças alérgicas. Os objetivos foram estudar a resposta inflamatória pulmonar alérgica induzida pela sensibilização i.n. ou s.c. ao extrato do ácaro Blomia tropicalis (Bt) e avaliar a participação da molécula adaptadora Myd88. Animais C57BL/6 sensibilizados com solução de extrato de Bt adsorvido ao alum exibiram altos níveis de IgE e aumento do número de eosinófilos. Contudo, animais sensibilizados apenas com Bt não apresentaram aumento dos níveis de IgE. Assim, animais C57BL/6 ou MyD88KO foram sensibilizados com uma dose maior do extrato de Bt (i.n. ou s.c.) e desafiados i.n. As sensibilizações produziram aumento do número células no BAL e níveis de IgE. Os parâmetros celulares em animais MyD88KO se mostraram inibidos, contudo, os níveis de IgE foram similares aos dos animais WT. Concluindo, o desenvolvimento de inflamação pulmonar alérgica não requer alum e sensibilização i.n. ou s.c. induz o recrutamento de células, dependente de MyD88 e produção de IgE, independe de MyD88. / Exposure to allergens from house dust is a risk factor for the development of allergic diseases. The objectives were to study the allergic lung inflammatory response induced by sensitization i.n. or s.c. to Blomia tropicalis (Bt) extract and determine the role of MyD88 adapter molecule. C57BL/6 mice sensitized with Bt extract solution adsorbed to alum exhibited high levels of IgE and increased numbers of eosinophils. However, animals sensitized only with Bt did not show increased levels of IgE. Thus, C57BL/6 or MyD88KO mice were sensitized with a higher dose of Bt extract (i.n. or s.c.) and challenged i.n. The sensitization produced increased cell number in BAL and IgE serum levels. Cell parameters were inhibited in MyD88KO mice, however, IgE levels were similar to those of WT mice. In conclusion, the development of allergic lung inflammation does not require alum, i.n. or s.c. sensitization induces cell recruitment dependent of MyD88 adaptor molecule and IgE production is independent of MyD88.

Exposição a alérgenos de poeira doméstica é fator de risco para o desenvolvimento de doenças alérgicas. Os objetivos foram estudar a resposta inflamatória pulmonar alérgica induzida pela sensibilização i.n. ou s.c. ao extrato do ácaro Blomia tropicalis (Bt) e avaliar a participação da molécula adaptadora Myd88. Animais C57BL/6 sensibilizados com solução de extrato de Bt adsorvido ao alum exibiram altos níveis de IgE e aumento do número de eosinófilos. Contudo, animais sensibilizados apenas com Bt não apresentaram aumento dos níveis de IgE. Assim, animais C57BL/6 ou MyD88KO foram sensibilizados com uma dose maior do extrato de Bt (i.n. ou s.c.) e desafiados i.n. As sensibilizações produziram aumento do número células no BAL e níveis de IgE. Os parâmetros celulares em animais MyD88KO se mostraram inibidos, contudo, os níveis de IgE foram similares aos dos animais WT. Concluindo, o desenvolvimento de inflamação pulmonar alérgica não requer alum e sensibilização i.n. ou s.c. induz o recrutamento de células, dependente de MyD88 e produção de IgE, independe de MyD88. / Exposure to allergens from house dust is a risk factor for the development of allergic diseases. The objectives were to study the allergic lung inflammatory response induced by sensitization i.n. or s.c. to Blomia tropicalis (Bt) extract and determine the role of MyD88 adapter molecule. C57BL/6 mice sensitized with Bt extract solution adsorbed to alum exhibited high levels of IgE and increased numbers of eosinophils. However, animals sensitized only with Bt did not show increased levels of IgE. Thus, C57BL/6 or MyD88KO mice were sensitized with a higher dose of Bt extract (i.n. or s.c.) and challenged i.n. The sensitization produced increased cell number in BAL and IgE serum levels. Cell parameters were inhibited in MyD88KO mice, however, IgE levels were similar to those of WT mice. In conclusion, the development of allergic lung inflammation does not require alum, i.n. or s.c. sensitization induces cell recruitment dependent of MyD88 adaptor molecule and IgE production is independent of MyD88.