transforming growth factor beta (tgf-b) is a mediator released by nearly all cell types. it has suppression activity on the immune system, but exactly how this effect is carried out is not clear. previous experiments showed that igg interacts with or carriers active tgf-b, that could suppresses cytotoxic t-cell responses to an immunogenic tumor in mice. since t cell receptor (tcr) has structura...

background: recurrent spontaneous abortion (rsa) and in vitro fertilization (ivf) failure with unknown causes are the controversial issues that are probably related to the immune system. objective: to compare circulating nk cells expressing activation and inhibition surface markers between patients with rsa and ivf failure with those of healthy multiparous and successful ivf control women, resp...

Objective(s): Naringin, an essential flavonoid, inhibits inflammatory response and oxidative stress in diabetes. However, whether naringin has beneficial effects on diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains unknown. Materials and Methods: Streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected into male rats (8 weeks old weighting 200-250 g) to establish diabetic model, then naringin (20, 40 or 8...

background: microrna-155 (mir-155) is upregulated during t cell activation, but the exact mechanisms by which it influences cd4+ t cell activation remain unclear. objective: to examine whether the b and t lymphocyte attenuator (btla) is a target of mir-155 during naïve cd4+ t cell activation. methods: firefly luciferase reporter plasmids pezx-mt01-wild-type-btla and pezx-mt01-mutant-btla were c...

background : propylene glycol (1,2-propanediol, pg) is a commonly used solvent for oral, intravenous, as well as topical pharmaceutical preparations. while pg is generally considered to be safe, it has been known that large intravenous doses given over a short period of time can be toxic. objective: to evaluate the effect of pg in sepsis induced by the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (lp...

The cellular source of B cell activation factor (BAFF) required for peripheral B cell survival/maturation is unknown. To determine the nature of BAFF-producing cells we established and analyzed reciprocal bone marrow (BM) chimeras with wild-type (WT) and BAFF-deficient mice. The results revealed that BAFF production by radiation-resistant stromal cells is completely sufficient to provide a nece...