Mouse Anti-Human CD68 monoclonal antibody, clone JID179

The pattern of porcine alveolar macrophage (AM) activation upon classical stimuli of two strains of African swine fever (ASF) viruses, an attenuated ASFV-BA71V and virulent ASFV-Georgia2007 were investigated. In an in vitro experiment ASFV-Georgia2007-infected AM showed Ml polarization pattern different from the one induced by classical stimuli. Altered morphology, appearance of binuclear cells, decreased synthesis of IFN-alpha as well as IFN-epsilon was observed compared with attenuated ASFV-BA71V, and decreased synthesis of IFN-omega compared with intact cells. However, CD68 level did not significantly differ between alveolar macrophage populations infected by ASFV-Georgia2007 and control group, while both LPS/IFN-gamma stimulation and non-pathogenic ASFV-BA71V virus increased the level of CD68 soluble receptor. AM infection with ASFV-Georgia2007 resulted in remarkable DNA proliferation whereas LPS/IFN-gamma and ASFV-BA71V induced less expressed DNA proliferation in activated cells. The higher value of nitric oxide was obvious in the cells infected with ASFV-BA71V, compared to ASFV-Georgia2007 and LPS/IFN-gamma activated cells. In conclusion, pattern of activation of alveolar macrophages induced by ASFV-Georgia2007 virus differs from the one expressed in LPS/IFN-gamma- and ASFV-BA71V-activated cells. ASFV-BA71V and LPS/IFN-gamma share similar antiviral response of porcine AM. Therefore we assume that wild type virulent ASFV can partially down regulate antiviral response of AM and conclude that evolutionary decrease of virulence in ASFV is related to alterations of control of the host cell antiviral response.

The aim of this pilot study was to assess the role of immune markers in fast relapse (<2 years) of high-grade muscle invasive urothelial carcinomas of the bladder (HGUC) treated by cystectomy. A series of 40 such cases was investigated for immune protein (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, CD68, CD163, FOXP3 and PD-1) status by immunohistochemistry. Decreased expression of all immune cell markers was observed in tumors of patients who relapsed quickly. In Kaplan-Meier (log-rank test) analysis, low CD3, CD4 and CD8 expression was associated with fast relapse (P = 0.005, 0.028, 0.036 respectively). Additional evaluation of the immune transcriptome by NanoString Human PanCancer Immune Panel v.1.1 has identified 5 differentially expressed genes significantly associated with fast relapse. Among these, KLRB1 and HLA-DQA1 were also significant on Kaplan-Meier analysis (log-rank test P = 0.007 and 0.006, respectively). These findings strengthen the potential clinical utility and, hence, the need for further evaluation of immune markers in HGUC prognostication.