La réponse immunitaires est régulée par des molécules de co-signalisation, qui, en apportant des signaux inhibiteurs ou activateurs, modulent les fonctions lymphocytaires. Nous avons focalisé notre étude sur deux co-effecteurs et membres de la famille CD28/B7 : PD-1 (Programmed Death 1) et BTLA (B and T Lymphocyte Attenuator), tous deux décrits, à l’image de CTLA-4, comme inhibitrices de l’activation lymphocytaire T. Au cours de ma thèse, nous avons pu évaluer l’expression et le rôle de PD-1 et BTLA sur les lymphocytes B normaux et pathologiques. Dans une première partie, nos travaux ont montré que ces molécules sont exprimées à la surface des sous populations B du sang périphérique et des tissus et qu’elles sont également finement régulées au cours de l’activation B. Par la suite nous avons démontré pour la première fois que BTLA et PD-1, à l’image des cellules T, sont recrutées, après activation, au niveau du récepteur de la cellule B et qu’elles exercent un rôle inhibiteur sur l’activation de ces mêmes cellules. Dans une seconde partie, grâce au développement d’un outil en cytométrie multicouleurs, nous avons analysé, dans une cohorte de 72 lymphomes B, l’infiltrat immunitaire ainsi que l’expression de PD-1, BTLA et leurs ligands. Ce travail, par son analyse de la physiologie B d’une part et de pathologies tumorales B d’autre part, donne un nouvel éclairage sur les rôles complexes des co-récepteurs BTLA et PD-1. / The immune response is regulated by co-signaling molecules, which, by providing signals inhibitors or activators, modulate lymphocyte functions. We focused our study on two co-effectors and CD28/B7 family members: PD-1 (Programmed Death 1) and BTLA (B and T Lymphocyte Attenuator), both described, like CTLA-4, as inhibitors of T lymphocyte activation. This work allowed us to evaluate the expression and the role of BTLA and PD-1 on normal and tumoral B lymphocytes. In the first part, our work has shown that these molecules are expressed on B cell subsets of peripheral blood and tissues and are also finely regulated during the B cell activation. Subsequently, we have demonstrated for the first time that BTLA and PD-1, like T cells, are recruited after activation at the B cell receptor, and they exert an inhibitory role on the activation of these cells. In the second part, through the development of a multicolor cytometry tool, we analyzed the immune infiltrate and the expression of PD-1, BTLA and their ligands in a cohort of 72 B-cell lymphomas. Taken together, these results, by his analysis of the physiology of B cell from B cell malignancies, give a new insight into the complex roles of BTLA and PD-1 co-receptors.

Os mastócitos (MC) são células teciduais, ricas em mediadoras inflamatórias, envolvidos na resposta alérgica, com papel imunomodulador cada vez mais reconhecido. Células Dendríticas (DCs), por sua vez, são sabidamente necessárias para a resposta imune, sendo as células apresentadoras de antígenos mais eficientes, capazes de responder prontamente frente à sinais de perigo. Neste trabalho, demonstramos que o contanto celular de DCs com MCs (iDC-MC) induz a geração de DCs com imunofenotipo tolerogênico. As iDC-MC exibiram menor expressão de HLA-DR e maior expressão de PD-L1, assim, não foram capazes de manter uma proliferação alogeneica. Ainda, os linfócitos expostos as iDC-MC induziram maior expressão de FoxP3+, IL-10 e TGF-β, capazes de suprimir a proliferação de linfócitos T naïve estimulados com mitógeno. Além disso, o contato resultou na maior produção de IDO, fenômeno este, bloqueado quando MCs foram tratados com anti-PD-1 ou iDCs tratadas com PD-L1 ou PD-L2, mas a produção se manteve inalterada após o tratamento das iDCs com anti-histamínicos. / Mast cells (MC) are tissue resident cells, rich in inflammatory mediators, involved in allergic reactions, and with an increasingly recognized role in immunomodulation. Dendritic cells (DCs), on the other hand, are central to the determination of immune response patterns, being highly efficient antigen-presenting cells that respond promptly to changes in their microenvironment. Here, we show that direct cell contact between iDCs and MC bends DCs towards tolerance induction. These MC-exposed DCs decreased HLA-DR but increased PD-L1 expression and stimulated T lymphocytes to express FoxP3+, to secrete TGF-β and IL-10, and to suppress the proliferation of mitogen-stimulated naïve T lymphocytes. Furthermore, contact with MC induced DCs to express higher levels of indoleamine-2,3-deoxigenase (IDO), a phenomenon that was blocked by treatment of MC with anti-PD-1 or by the treatment of DCs with anti-PD-L1 or PD-L2, but not by blocking of H1 and H2 histamine receptors on DCs.

This work describes a novel technique to prepare ultra-thin composite Pd-porous metal membranes for H2 separation. This novel technique consists of the gradual smoothing of the Porous Metal (PM) support's surface with several layers of pre-activated alumina particles of different sizes. The deposition of coarse, fine and ultra-fine alumina particles resulted in the narrowing of the PM' surface pore size distribution. The excellent surface smoothness achieved after the grading of the PM 's surface support allowed for the preparation of gas tight Pd layers as thin as 5.6?m. The Pd layers were extremely uniform due to the presence of the grade layer and strongly attached to the support. Composite Pd membranes prepared on graded supports showed H2 permeance as high as 50 m3/(m2 h bar0.5) at 500ºC and ideal selectivities (H2/He) as high as 27000. Moreover, the H2 permeance and ideal selectivity were stable over 1100 hours at 500ºC in H2 atmosphere. Composite Pd-Cu membranes showed H2 permeance as high as 30 m3/(m2 h bar0.5) at 450ºC and ideal selectivities (H2/He) as high as 900. The H2 permeance and ideal selectivity of Pd-Cu membranes were stable over 500 hours at 450ºC in H2 atmosphere. The outstanding long-term H2 permeance and ideal selectivity stability of all composite Pd and Pd-Cu membranes represented a breakthrough in composite Pd membrane synthesis. The thermal stresses arising from the mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the Pd film and the support were determined by means of x-ray diffraction. The results indicated that the release of stresses began to occur at temperatures close to 400ºC. Also, the release of stresses took place with a visible sintering of Pd clusters within the thin Pd film. The stresses due to the absorption of H2 were also studied and modeled. It was estimated that the maximum compressive stress under which these composite Pd membranes were characterized was equal to 260 MPa.

ABSTRACT Recent global interests in developing hydrogen economy generate substantial research and development for hydrogen production worldwide. Pd membranes are especially suited for high temperature hydrogen separation and membrane reactor applications. Alloying Pd with Ag not only suppresses hydrogen embrittlement, but also increases the permeability of the alloy membrane. The main objective of this work was to carry out fundamental studies to understand the properties of the porous stainless steel (PSS), morphologies of Pd and Ag deposits on PSS, and the structural changes of the membrane layer upon heat treatment. Both coating and diffusion and co-plating techniques were employed in the study. The Pd-Ag membranes that had sandwiched Ag layers suffered from very low selectivity due to the voids formed because of high diffusion rate of Ag. Alloy membranes with high selectivity can be prepared by applying intermediate annealing after each Ag deposition. On the other hand, the homogeneity of the alloy depended very much on the thickness of the deposited layers and annealing temperature and time. A stable co-plating bath was developed to co-plate Pd and Ag simultaneously. Pd-Ag membranes were prepared from co-plating bath using ultrasound to accelerate the plating rate.

Precision medicine has allowed for the development of monoclonal antibodies that unmask the anti-tumor immune response. These agents have provided some patients durable clinical benefit. However, PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitor therapies are effective in a small group (10-20%) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients when used as single-agent therapy. The approved companion diagnostic is expression of the immune cell surface molecule, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), on tumors measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Studies in tumor biology and immune surveillance dictate that PD-1 inhibitor efficacy should depend on the level of PD-L1 expression; however, the literature has not followed with convincing evidence. The limitations of this test include timing of tissue acquisition, tumor heterogeneity, and timing of therapy relative to the expression of PD-L1. In addition, the requirement of analyzing tumor tissue biopsy samples from a patient is cumbersome. Thus, a peripheral blood biomarker that predicts efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition would be optimal for precise and cost-effective treatment. A history of chronic inflammatory diseases may be advantageous for a cancer patient who is treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and may allow them to then mobilize a swift immune response to tumor cells. Specific biological components of this persistent inflammation may predict PD-1 inhibitor response. We have taken a novel approach to leverage national healthcare claims data that couples patient history with response to therapy. We have identified potential peripheral blood biomarkers of response to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors using a combination of healthcare outcomes and molecular markers that correlate with therapeutic efficacy.

Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Irregular screening to identify infected individuals and a lack of sterilizing immunity to C. trachomatis has led to a dramatic increase in the number of reported C. trachomatis infections over the last twenty years. Repeated infections with C. trachomatis lead to serious sequelae such as pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy, which can result in infertility.

121 f. / Submitted by Ana Hilda Fonseca (anahilda@ufba.br) on 2013-04-12T15:31:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação final-Francisco Xavier Julião.pdf: 1887183 bytes, checksum: 43c99b717d99959d6c766aca8a3e7001 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Hilda Fonseca(anahilda@ufba.br) on 2013-05-13T17:47:56Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação final-Francisco Xavier Julião.pdf: 1887183 bytes, checksum: 43c99b717d99959d6c766aca8a3e7001 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-05-13T17:47:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação final-Francisco Xavier Julião.pdf: 1887183 bytes, checksum: 43c99b717d99959d6c766aca8a3e7001 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / CAPES / O presente trabalho investigou os efeitos das propriedades eletrônicas em catalisadores a base de Pd e Pt suportados em alumina modificada com o terra rara praseodímio, avaliando sua atividade e tolerância a compostos de enxofre na reação de hidrogenação de aromáticos. Os catalisadores foram preparados pelo método de impregnação difusional, caracterizados por FRX, DRX, DRS-UV-Vis, XPS e TPD de aminas e testados na reação de hidrogenação da tetralina, na presença de tiofeno, além da realização de um estudo termodinâmico da reação. Os testes catalíticos foram realizados em um sistema micro-catalítico pulsado. Os resultados mostraram que o catalisador Pd-Pt/Al2O3-Pr apresentou uma elevada tolerância ao tiofeno, devido a combinação dos seguintes efeitos: (i) a modificação do suporte com praseodímio, que favoreceu uma interação metalsuporte capaz de diminuir a força de ligação metal-adsorvato e favorecer as interação eletrônicas intermetálicas; (ii) o efeito sinérgico a adição de um segundo metal, paládio, em conjunto com a adição do modificador promovendo transferências eletrônicas do tipo Pt→Pd, Pt→Pr e Pd→Pr; (iii) a migração do paládio para superfície catalítica, considerando que o paládio apresenta uma maior resistência ao envenenamento por compostos sulfurados. Através do estudo da seletividade também foi verificado que as propriedades do paládio foram mais efetivas para os catalisadores bimetalicos, o qual favoreceu a formação do isômero trans-decalina. Também pode-se observar, através da relação trans/cis-decalina (estável), que o sistema bimetálico Pt-Pd sofreu pouca influência nas suas propriedades eletrônicas com a adição contínua do veneno. O sistema em estudo mostrou um efeito de conjunto, pois o catalisador Pd-Pt/Al2O3- Pr apresentou pouca sensibilidade ao envenenamento por enxofre e uma atividade moderada, para concentrações do veneno até 2500 ppm de tiofeno, mostrando-se um catalisador robusto para aplicação em processos de hidrotratamento . / Salvador

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-08T14:59:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 2940644 bytes, checksum: 1b1c6c2e9969d935855932e2f2a1e436 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-13 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This work presents a development and implementation of control adaptive techniques for a planar manipulator robot with two degrees of freedom, formed a rotational and a prismatic link. The rotational link is made up of a branch long U-shaped aluminum activated by a motor-reducer DC, its angular position is sensed by a ten turn potentiometer. The prismatic link is a double-acting pneumatic cylinder with a single rod fixed inside the branch U-shaped being triggered by an electropneumatic proportional valve, where linear position is given by a potentiometric ruler. Using the recursive least squares (RLS) estimator is obtained the mathematic model that represents each robot link so as uncoupled, then is designed and implemented an adaptive controller Proportional Derivative (PD-control) by pole placement to obtain the positions of the robot manipulator links. The experimental results are presented, as well as evaluation of the system response under the action of controllers implemented / Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento e implementação de técnicas de controle adaptativo para um robô manipulador de dois graus de liberdade planar formado por um elo rotacional e outro prismático. O elo rotacional é composto por um ramo extenso em formato de U em alumínio acionado por um moto-redutor de corrente contínua, cujo sensoriamento da sua posição angular é realizado por um potenciômetro de dez voltas. O elo prismático é um cilindro pneumático de dupla ação com haste simples fixada na parte interna do ramo em U sendo acionado por uma válvula eletropneumática proporcional, onde sua posição linear é dada através de uma régua potenciométrica. Através do estimador dos mínimos quadrados recursivos (MQR) é obtido o modelo matemático representativo para cada elo do robô de forma desacoplada e em seguida é projetado e implementado um controlador adaptativo proporcional derivativo (PD) via alocação de polos para obter o controle de posição dos elos do robô manipulador. Os resultados experimentais são apresentados, assim como a avaliação da resposta do sistema sob a ação dos controladores implementados

Os mastócitos (MC) são células teciduais, ricas em mediadoras inflamatórias, envolvidos na resposta alérgica, com papel imunomodulador cada vez mais reconhecido. Células Dendríticas (DCs), por sua vez, são sabidamente necessárias para a resposta imune, sendo as células apresentadoras de antígenos mais eficientes, capazes de responder prontamente frente à sinais de perigo. Neste trabalho, demonstramos que o contanto celular de DCs com MCs (iDC-MC) induz a geração de DCs com imunofenotipo tolerogênico. As iDC-MC exibiram menor expressão de HLA-DR e maior expressão de PD-L1, assim, não foram capazes de manter uma proliferação alogeneica. Ainda, os linfócitos expostos as iDC-MC induziram maior expressão de FoxP3+, IL-10 e TGF-β, capazes de suprimir a proliferação de linfócitos T naïve estimulados com mitógeno. Além disso, o contato resultou na maior produção de IDO, fenômeno este, bloqueado quando MCs foram tratados com anti-PD-1 ou iDCs tratadas com PD-L1 ou PD-L2, mas a produção se manteve inalterada após o tratamento das iDCs com anti-histamínicos. / Mast cells (MC) are tissue resident cells, rich in inflammatory mediators, involved in allergic reactions, and with an increasingly recognized role in immunomodulation. Dendritic cells (DCs), on the other hand, are central to the determination of immune response patterns, being highly efficient antigen-presenting cells that respond promptly to changes in their microenvironment. Here, we show that direct cell contact between iDCs and MC bends DCs towards tolerance induction. These MC-exposed DCs decreased HLA-DR but increased PD-L1 expression and stimulated T lymphocytes to express FoxP3+, to secrete TGF-β and IL-10, and to suppress the proliferation of mitogen-stimulated naïve T lymphocytes. Furthermore, contact with MC induced DCs to express higher levels of indoleamine-2,3-deoxigenase (IDO), a phenomenon that was blocked by treatment of MC with anti-PD-1 or by the treatment of DCs with anti-PD-L1 or PD-L2, but not by blocking of H1 and H2 histamine receptors on DCs.

Les macrophages associés aux tumeurs (TAM) sont des cellules immunorégulatrices qui s’accumulent massivement dans le microenvironnement (ME) tumoral. Chez les patients atteints de cancer de l’ovaire (CO) ou de mésothéliome pleural malin (MPM), leur densité est associé à un mauvais pronostic. Le projet est porté sur la caractérisation des mécanismes impliqués dans leur recrutement et leur polarisation. L’éctonucléotidase CD39 hydrolyse l’ATP enadénosine extracellulaire, présentant des propriétés immunosuppressives. Nous avons montré que les TAMCD14+CD163+ isolés de CO et les M générés in vitro en présence de M-CSF, expriment un niveau élevé de CD39membranaire comparativement aux M immunostimulants. L’inhibition de CD39 diminue les fonctions immunorégulatrices des M CD163+CD39+high (i.e. IL-10 etPD-L1). Nous avons identifié la cytokine IL-27, sécrétée parles neutrophiles infiltrants la tumeur, comme rhéostat de l’expression de CD39. En conséquence, neutraliser l’IL-27pendant la différenciation des M en présence de M-CSF diminue l’expression de CD39 et PD-L1 ainsi que la sécrétiond’IL-10 par ces M . Parallèlement, nous avons montré que les effusions pleurales du MPM induisent la migration des monocytes via CCL2, polarisent les monocytes en MCD163+ et protègent des cellules tumorales de l’effet des agents cytotoxiques. L’ensemble de ces résultats suggère que le ciblage du recrutement (CCL2) et des molécules impliquées dans la polarisation des TAM (ligands du MCSFR,IL-27, CD39) représentent de nouvelles pistes thérapeutiques dans le traitement de certaines tumeurs solides. / Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are immunosuppressive cells that can massively accumulate in the tumor microenvironment (ME). In patients with ovarian cancer (OC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), their density is correlated with poor prognosis. Targeting mediators that control the recruitment or the polarization of immunoregulatory macrophages (M ) represents therapeutic challenge to overcome tumor-associated immunosuppression. The ectonucleotidase CD39 hydrolyzes ATP into extracellular adenosine that exhibits potent immunosuppressive properties. We report here thatCD14+CD163+ TAM isolated from OC patients and Mgenerated in vitro with M-CSF, express high levels of the membrane ectonucleotidase CD39 compared to classically activated M . CD39 blockade diminished some of the immunosuppressive functions ofCD163+CD39hugh, such as IL-10 secretion. We identified the cytokine IL-27, secreted by tumorin-filtrating neutrophils, located close to infiltratingCD163+ M , as a major rheostat of CD39 expression and consequently, on the acquisition of immunoregulatory properties by macrophages. Accordingly, the depletion of IL-27 down-regulatedCD39, PD-L1 expression as well as IL-10 secretion byM-CSF-M . In parallel, we showed that pleural effusion of MPM induced monocytes migration via CCL2, the polarization of monocytes into CD163+ and induced protection to tumor cell death after chemotherapeutic treatments. Collectively, these data suggest that targeting the recruitment (CCL2) or molecules that maintain the immunosuppressive phenotype of TAM(CD39, drived by IL-27 and M-CSFR ligands) could give substantial benefit to the treatment of some solid tumors.