1,720,971 research outputs found
6-Methoxyflavone Inhibits NFAT Translocation into the Nucleus and Suppresses T Cell Activation
No full textNFAT plays a crucial role in the immune system by regulating the transcription of inducible genes during immune responses. In T cells, NFAT proteins govern various cellular events related to T cell development, activation, tolerance induction, and differentiation. We previously reported the NFAT1-dependent enhancer activity of conserved noncoding sequence (CNS)-9, a distal cis-acting element, in the regulation of IL-10 transcription in T cells. In this study, we developed a T cell-based reporter system to identify compounds that modulate the regulatory activity of CNS-9. Among the identified candidates, 6-methoxyflavone (6-MF) significantly inhibited the enhancer activity of CNS-9, thereby reducing IL-10 expression in T cells without affecting cell viability. 6-MF also downregulated the transcription of NFAT1 target genes such as IL-4, IL-13, and IFN-gamma. Treatment of 6-MF inhibited the translocation of NFAT1 into the nucleus, which consequently interrupted NFAT1 binding to the target loci, without affecting the expression or dephosphorylation of NFAT1. Treatment of 6-MF to CD4(+) T cells or B cells isolated from mice with atopic dermatitis significantly reduced disease-associated cytokine production, as well as the levels of IgE. In addition, oral administration of 6-MF to atopic dermatitis mice ameliorated disease symptoms by reducing serum IgE levels and infiltrating lymphocytes. Conclusively, our results suggest that 6-MF can be a potential candidate for the development of an effective immunomodulator via the suppression of NFAT-mediated T cell activation.X1122sciescopu
The Transcription Factor Ets1 Suppresses T Follicular Helper Type 2 Cell Differentiation to Halt the Onset of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
No full textSingle-nucleotide polymorphisms in ETS1 are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Ets1?/? mice develop SLE-like symptoms, suggesting that dysregulation of this transcription factor is important to the onset or progression of SLE. We used conditional deletion approaches to examine the impact of Ets1 expression in different immune cell types. Ets1 deletion on CD4+ T cells, but not B cells or dendritic cells, resulted in the SLE autoimmunity, and this was associated with the spontaneous expansion of T follicular helper type 2 (Tfh2) cells. Ets1?/? Tfh2 cells exhibited increased expression of GATA-3 and interleukin-4 (IL-4), which induced IgE isotype switching in B cells. Neutralization of IL-4 reduced Tfh2 cell frequencies and ameliorated disease parameters. Mechanistically, Ets1 suppressed signature Tfh and Th2 cell genes, including Cxcr5, Bcl6, and Il4ra, thus curbing the terminal Tfh2 cell differentiation process. Tfh2 cell frequencies in SLE patients correlated with disease parameters, providing evidence for the relevance of these findings to human disease. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in ETS1 are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Kim et al. show that Ets1 deletion in T cells, but not B cells or DCs, result in SLE-like humoral autoimmunity, which was due to the expansion of GATA-3+Bcl6+ Tfh2 cells and could be alleviated by neutralizing IL-4. Tfh2 frequencies in SLE patients correlate with disease parameters, suggesting therapeutic relevance for IL-4 blockade. ? 2018 Elsevier In
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
NFAT1 Regulates Systemic Autoimmunity through the Modulation of a Dendritic Cell Property
No full textThe transcription factor NFAT1 plays a pivotal role in the homeostasis of T lymphocytes. However, its functional importance in non-CD4(+) T cells, especially in systemic immune disorders, is largely unknown. In this study, we report that NFAT1 regulates dendritic cell (DC) tolerance and suppresses systemic autoimmunity using the experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) as a model. Myasthenia gravis and EAMG are T cell-dependent, Ab-mediated autoimmune disorders in which the acetylcholine receptor is the major autoantigen. NFAT1-knockout mice showed higher susceptibility to EAMG development with enhanced Th1/Th17 cell responses. NFAT1 deficiency led to a phenotypic alteration of DCs that show hyperactivation of NF-kappa B-mediated signaling pathways and enhanced binding of NF-kappa B (p50) to the promoters of IL-6 and IL-12. As a result, NFAT1-knockout DCs produced much higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-12, and TNF-alpha, which preferentially induce Th1/Th17 cell differentiation. Our data suggest that NFAT1 may limit the hyperactivation of the NF-kappa B-mediated proinflammatory response in DCs and suppress autoimmunity by serving as a key regulator of DC tolerance.112sciescopu
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Lactobacillus helveticus suppresses experimental rheumatoid arthritis by reducing inflammatory T cell responses
No full textAlthough probiotics could confer health benefits to host physiology, their efficacy is strain
specific. To identify anti-inflammatory probiotics, an ex vivo screening system was developed,
and validated effector functions of selected candidates using experimental rheumatoid
arthritis as an in vivo model. Lactobacillus helveticus HY7801 was selected as the best candidate.
Oral administration of L. helveticus HY7801 prevented the development of collageninduced
experimental arthritis, and diminished disease progression and severity by reducing
antigen specific IgG levels and inflammatory immune response. Administration of L. helveticus
HY7801 may induce regulatory CD11c+ dendritic cells, which in turn induce a phenotypic
alteration of immune cells by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-
17A) while enhancing anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) by CD4+ T cells. This study suggests
that screening of probiotic strains based on the IL-10highIL-12low selection criterion may be
applicable to identify anti-inflammatory probiotics as an efficacious food for treating inflammatory
immune responses including rheumatoid arthritis.
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.1771sciescopu
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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