Remarkably, these

findings reveal a previously unknown level of gene expression diversity among vaccine-specific and virus-specific T cells with the simultaneous coexpression of multiple memory/homing-related and effector-related genes by the same cell. Such broad functional gene expression signatures within antigen-specific T cells may be critical for mounting efficient responses to pathogens or tumors. In summary, direct ex vivo high-resolution molecular characterization of individual T cells provides key insights into the processes shaping the functional properties of tumor-specific and virus-specific T cells.”
“Context: Extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling is essential for adipose tissue growth and expansion in high fat-fed mice, and there is evidence of fibrosis in adipose tissue in human obesity.\n\nObjective: The aim of the study was to explore the role of ECM remodeling R406 in adipose tissue in healthy, growing children.\n\nResearch Design, Setting, and Participants: Abdominal sc adipose biopsies were obtained from 65 otherwise healthy children [57 boys; age, 5.3 +/- 3.8 yr (mean +/- SD)] having elective JNK-IN-8 ic50 surgery (cross-sectional study). Twenty percent of the participants were classified as overweight/obese based on body mass index (BMI) z score.\n\nMain Outcome Measures: We examined collagen (total and pericellular),

HAM56+ macrophages, CD206+ M2 phenotype macrophages, Selleck Galardin and CD3+ T cells measured by immunohistochemistry and ECM gene expression markers.\n\nResults: Overweight children had significantly less total collagen compared to normal weight children (median, 3.4 vs. 9.1%; P = 0.001). However, collagen areas were not positive for COL6 and showed little evidence of collagen surrounding adipocytes. Fat cell size was negatively correlated with the percentage of total (r = -0.398; P = 0.003) and pericellular collagen (r = -0.462; P < 0.001) but positively

correlated with HAM56+ macrophages (r = 0.541; P < 0.001). The percentage of total collagen was inversely associated with BMI z score (r = -0.345; P = 0.01) and age (r = -0.348; P = 0.005), with older (> 11 yr old) children in the top BMI z tertile having less collagen (3.8%) than younger (2-5 yr old) children in the bottom BMI z tertile (12.6%). Adipose tissue in overweight children showed little evidence of crown-like structures or T cells.\n\nConclusion: In healthy, growing children, increased collagen in adipose tissue is associated with decreased fat cell size and BMI z score and increased M2+ phenotype macrophages, suggesting dynamic interaction between ECM remodeling and immune cells even at an early age. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 97: 1320-1327, 2012)”
“Background: Despite the inevitability of disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, there is a high degree of prognostic heterogeneity in all subtypes.