1,721,036 research outputs found
Stimulated human limphocytes express tyrosine hydroxilase: ultrastructural immunolocalization
No full textInfluence of dopamine receptor gene polymorphisms on circulating T lymphocytes: A pilot study in healthy subjects.
No full textDopamine is a key transmitter in the neuroimmune network, acting through five dopaminergic receptors (DR): the D-1-like D-1 and D-5 and the D-2-like D-2, D-3 and D-4. Several DR gene variants exist and may affect DR expression and activity. We assessed total lymphocytes, CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood of healthy subjects and their association with selected DR gene variants (DRD1 rs4532 and rs686, DRD5 rs6283, DRD2 rs1800497 and rs6277, DRD3 rs6280 and rs1800828, DRD4 rs747302 and 7 48-base pair VNTR). DRD1 rs4532 and rs686 and DRD5 rs6283 were associated with total lymphocytes, and with CD3+ and CD4+ (but not CD8+) T lymphocytes, while none of the D-2-like DR gene variants showed any association with lymphocyte counts. An arbitrary score based on the activity of D-1-like vs D-2-like DR correlated with total lymphocytes, CD3+ and CD4+ T cells (but not with CD8+ T cells). The association between D-1-like DR gene variants and lymphocyte count, and in particular with CD4+ (but not CD8+) T lymphocytes, may imply a functional prevalence of D-1-like over D-2-like DR in CD4+ T cells. This is the first study showing an influence of DR gene polymorphisms on lymphocyte count, and in particular on CD4+ T cells. Future studies should address the possible association between DR gene variants and the immune function in health and disease. The relevance of these findings for the immune effects of dopaminergic agents should be also carefully examined. (C) 2015 American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics
Expression of dopaminergic receptors on human CD4+ T lymphocytes: flow cytometric analysis of naive and memory subsets and relevance for the neuroimmunology of neurodegenerative disease
No full textDopamine (DA) is a crucial transmitter in the neuroimmune network, where it contributes to the nervous system-immune system interplay as well as in the communication among immune cells. DA acts through five different dopaminergic receptors (DR) grouped into two families: the D1-like (D1 and D5) and the D2-like (D2, D3 and D4). By use of 5-color flow cytometric analysis, we examined the expression of DR on human CD4+ naive T lymphocytes (CD3+CD4+CD45RA+CCR7+), central memory (TCM, CD3+CD4+CD45RA-CCR7+) and effector memory T cells (TEM, CD3+CD4+CD45RA-CCR7-). In addition, in cultured CD4+ T cells we investigated the changes in DR expression induced by stimulation with antiCD3/antiCD28 antibodies. Results showed that CD4+ T cells always expressed all the five DR: D1-like DR were identified on average on 11.6-13.1 % and D2-like DR on 3.1-8.1 % of the cells. DR on CD4+ naive T cells, TCM, and TEM had distinct expression patterns: naive T cells expressed more D1-like than D2-like DR, which on the contrary were increased in TCM and TEM cells. In cultured CD4+ T cells stimulation with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibodies increased the expression of D1-like DR by 71-84 % and of D2-like DR by 55-97 %. The frequency of DR was higher in apoptotic cells in comparison to viable cells, however stimulation increased all DR on viable cells, without affecting their expression on apoptotic cells. The present results contribute to unravel the complexity of dopaminergic pathways in human CD4+ T lymphocytes, suggesting their involvement in memory functions as well as in apoptotic processes. In view of the role of CD4+ memory T cells in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration during Parkinson's disease, the relevance of these findings must be assessed in the clinical setting
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
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
Do Th17 lymphocytes and IL-17 contribute to Parkinson's disease? A systematic review of available evidence
Full text linkParkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, appearance of Lewy bodies and presence of neuroinflammation. No treatments currently exist to prevent PD or delay its progression, and dopaminergic substitution treatments just relieve the consequences of dopaminergic neuron loss. Increasing evidence points to peripheral T lymphocytes as key players in PD, and recently there has been growing interest into the specific role of T helper (Th) 17 lymphocytes. Th17 are a proinflammatory CD4+ T cell lineage named after interleukin (IL)-17, the main cytokine produced by these cells. Th17 are involved in immune-related disease such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, and drugs targeting Th17/IL-17 are currently approved for clinical use in such disease. In the present paper, we first summarized current knowledge about contribution of the peripheral immune system in PD, as well as about the physiopharmacology of Th17 and IL-17 together with its therapeutic relevance. Thereafter, we systematically retrieved and evaluated published evidence about Th17 and IL-17 in PD, to help assessing Th17/IL-17-targeting drugs as potentially novel antiparkinson agents. Critical appraisal of the evidence did not allow to reach definite conclusions: both animal as well as clinical studies are limited, just a few provide mechanistic evidence and none of them investigates the eventual relationship between Th17/IL-17 and clinically relevant endpoints such as disease progression, disability scores, intensity of dopaminergic substitution treatment. Careful assessment of Th17 in PD is anyway a priority, as Th17/IL-17-targeting therapeutics might represent a straightforward opportunity for the unmet needs of PD patients
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
- …
