Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a major inducer of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and the principal mediator of T helper 1 (Th1) differentiation. To identify IL-12-regulated genes, which might contribute to Th1 differentiation and IFNG regulation, we employed microarray analysis. Surprisingly, a ubiquitously expressed proprotein convertase (PC), furin, was one of the most consistently IL-12-induced gen...

The molecular basis for restricted cytokine expression by T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 2 (Th2) cells is unclear. Previous studies found that P1, an element of the interleukin 4 (IL-4) promoter that binds AP-1, is important for Th2-restricted IL-4 expression. Here we show that JunB, but not the other Jun family members, was selectively induced in Th2 cells and not in Th1 cells during differenti...

Salmonella typhimurium engineered to deliver cancer/testis antigen NY-ESO-1 through type III secretion (S typhimurium-NY-ESO-1) was shown to be an efficient cancer vaccine construct in mice and to stimulate NY-ESO-1-specific CD8(+)/CD4(+) T cells in vitro in patients with cancer with NY-ESO-1 spontaneous immunity. We also showed that individuals without spontaneous immunity to NY-ESO-1 had spec...

Influenza and pneumonia are leading causes of death in elderly populations. With age, there is an increased inflammatory response and slower viral clearance during influenza infection which increases the risk of extended illness and mortality. Here we employ a preclinical murine model of influenza infection to examine the protective capacity of vaccination with influenza nucleoprotein (NP). Whi...

Adefovir dipivoxil treatment has significantly improved the outcome of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, it remains largely unknown how immune system responds to the treatment. Chronic HBV patients were treated with adefovir dipivoxil and examined for serum HBV DNA loads, cytokines, and T helper (Th1) and 2 (Th2) cytokine producing T cells during 104 weeks of the treatment. Th...

Recently, innate immune lymphocytes, such as natural killer (NK) T cells and gamma/delta antigen receptor-bearing T (gamma delta T) cells, have garnered much attention, and their biological significance in the tumor immunity, allergic diseases and infectious diseases is extensively exploited. We have addressed the role of these cells in the host defense using a mouse model of pulmonary infectio...

The biological actions of cytokines in the immune system and specifically in autommunity have been carefully studied in the last few decades [1], in particular after Mosmann and Coffman observed that certain T helper cell populations could be categorised based on the cytokines they produce [2]. It was perhaps inevitable that progress in our knowledge of cytokine biology would generate simplifie...

the differential activation of th1 and th2 cells using mafosfamide (mafo) was investigated in vitro in a rat model of alloreactivity. the results of this study are compatible with the hypothesis that mafo, like its parent compound cyclophosphamide, is selectively active against th2-type t-helper cells when administered at low doses (

The reversible S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) hydrolase inhibitor methyl 4-(adenin-9-yl)-2-hydroxybutanoate (DZ2002) suppresses macrophage activation and function. The effects of DZ2002 on T cell function, however, are still unclear. Here, we examined whether DZ2002 alters type 1 helper T cell (Th1) and/or type 2 helper T cell (Th2) immune responses, and whether these effects are associated...