Recent evidence indicates that regulatory T cells (T(regs)) play an important role in HIV infection. However, although the gastrointestinal mucosa is a key compartment in HIV disease, no data on mucosal T(regs) in HIV infection are available. In this study, we compared the frequency of T(regs) in duodenal mucosa and peripheral blood (PB) of 13 treatment-naive and 13 suppressively treated HIV-infected patients with that of 6 patients with norovirus infection and 12 healthy controls. T(regs) were quantified by immunohistochemistry (CD3/FOXP3) and further characterized (CD25, CTLA-4, GITR) by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Both the frequency and the absolute count of mucosal T(regs) were highly increased in untreated HIV patients but were normal in treated HIV patients. In contrast, in peripheral blood of HIV patients, the absolute number of T(regs) was not increased, and their frequency was only slightly elevated. In norovirus infection, frequency of mucosal T(regs) in the CD4+ T-cell subset was not elevated. The high increase in count and frequency of mucosal T(regs) seems to be a characteristic feature of untreated HIV infection, suggesting a significant contribution of T(regs) to the pathogenesis of HIV disease. Their role may be 2-edged: attenuating HIV-induced immune hyperactivation while suppressing the immune response to HIV and mucosal pathogens.

No abstract

No abstract

SummaryExtraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) are usually harmless colonizer of the intestinal microflora. However, they are capable to translocate and cause life-threatening disease. Translocation of ExPEC isolates was quantified in colonic monolayers. Transepithelial resistance (R t ) was monitored and local changes in conductivity analysed with conductance scanning. Confocal microscopy visualized the translocation route. Corroboratory experiments were performed on native rat colon. One translocating strain E. coli O4 was identified. This translocation process was associated with an R t decrease (36 Ϯ 1% of initial resistance) beginning only 2 h after inoculation. The sites of translocation were small defects in epithelial integrity (focal leaks) exhibiting highly increased local ion permeability. Translocation was enhanced by preincubation of monolayers with tumour necrosis factor-a or interleukin-13. Mutant strains lacking alpha-haemolysin lost the ability to induce focal leaks, while this effect could be restored by re-introducing the haemolysin determinant. Filtrate of a laboratory strain carrying the alphahaemolysin operon was sufficient for focal leak induction. In native rat colon, E. coli O4 decreased R t and immunohistology demonstrated focal leaks resembling those in cell monolayers. E. coli a-haemolysin is able to induce focal leaks in colonic cell cultures as well as in native colon. This process represents a novel route of bacterial translocation facilitated by pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Cholinergic stimulation triggers the secretion of apically stored, preformed mucin from goblet cells but the pathway of cAMP-stimulated mucin secretion is not known. In this study the effect of cholera toxin on mucin secretion in the human colonic goblet cell line HT-29/B6 was investigated and compared to the action of carbachol. PAS staining of mucin blotted onto nitrocellulose served to quantify the secretion of total mucin. Metabolic labelling was used to evaluate the secretion of newly synthesized mucin. The mucinous nature of the detected material was confirmed with an immunoblot employing a well-characterized polyclonal antibody reacting with MUC2-mucin. Cholera toxin caused a 116-fold increase of intracellular cAMP and strongly stimulated the secretion of both preformed and newly synthesized mucin for more than 20 h. Carbachol only triggered the release of preformed mucin immediately after addition. The secretory response to cholera toxin could be partly inhibited by the protein kinase A inhibitor H8 and the microtubule inhibitor colchicine. The action of carbachol was not affected by these agents. In conclusion, we demonstrate a direct cAMP-dependent effect of cholera toxin on mucin secretion by intestinal goblet cells. In contrast to carbachol, the action of cholera toxin involves de novo synthesis of mucin molecules and microtubule-mediated secretion. There seem to be distinct secretion pathways for muscarinic or cAMP-dependent stimulation of mucin secretion.

This simple version of the urea breath test combines the highest sensitivity with excellent reproducibility. It is superior to histologic detection of H. pylori in the clinical routine and an optimal tool for monitoring H. pylori eradication. Fasting conditions are required for the test.

During Aeromonas infection, pore formation by aerolysin impairs epithelial integrity by promoting TJ protein redistribution and consequently affecting wound closure. Thus, Aeromonas-induced diarrhea is mediated by 2 mechanisms, transcellular secretion and paracellular leak flux.

Aldosterone-induced sodium absorption is mediated by the epithelial Na(+) channel (ENaC). It is thought that the "early effect" is not based on genomic regulation of ENaC expression, because ENaC subunit transcription was reported to start later than Na(+) transport. We investigated electrogenic Na(+) absorption (J(Na)) and, in identical tissues, mRNA expression of ENaC subunits in early (EDC) and late (LDC) distal colon of the rat. In both segments, 8-h in vitro incubation with 3 nM aldosterone enhanced expression of beta- and gamma-ENaC mRNA and induced J(Na). J(Na) was 10 times higher in LDC than in EDC. alpha-ENaC mRNA was unchanged in EDC, whereas it decreased in LDC. In LDC, beta- and gamma-ENaC mRNA was induced 1 h after aldosterone addition, whereas J(Na) became apparent >1 h later. Downregulation of alpha-ENaC mRNA did not take part in acute regulation because it started after a lag time of 3 h. Time correlation of beta- and gamma-ENaC induction and J(Na) stimulation suggests that the early aldosterone effect on Na(+) absorption in distal colon is caused by transcriptional upregulation of beta- and gamma-ENaC expression.