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L P Ryder

Publications and source records attributed to L P Ryder.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Genetic polymorphisms in the genes encoding human interleukin-7 receptor-alpha: prognostic significance in allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is essential for T-cell development in the thymus and for the maintenance of peripheral T cells. IL-7 signals through IL-7R, that consists of the gammac-chain and an alpha-chain. Sequencing of IL-7Ralpha has revealed the existence of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (+510C/T, +1237 A/G, 2087T/C and +3110A/G), which all give rise to amino-acid substitutions. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the significance of IL-7Ralpha SNPs for the outcome in allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). IL-7Ralpha polymorphisms were determined in 195 recipient and donor pairs from either matched sibling donors or matched unrelated donors (MUD). Genotyping of 173 normal controls was performed in parallel. In MUD transplants, the +1237 genotype of the donor was associated with survival after SCT, the mortality being highest and intermediate for the GG and AG genotypes, respectively (P = 0.023). This pattern was more pronounced with respect to treatment-related mortality (P = 0.003), while IL-7Ralpha genotypes were unrelated to the risk of relapse of leukaemia. The IL-7Ralpha +1237 genotype of the recipient and the genotypes of the other three polymorphisms, were not significantly associated with the outcome of SCT. These findings suggest that the IL-7Ralpha polymorphisms may be of importance for treatment-related mortality after SCT.

Case-Control Studies↗

Class switch recombination in selective IgA-deficient subjects.

Selective IgA deficiency is a common immunodeficiency in Caucasians, but the molecular basis of the disorder remains elusive. To address this issue we examined the molecular events leading to IgA production. Naive IgD positive B cells were purified from four donors with IgA deficiency and four control donors, all Caucasians. Stimulation of B cells from IgA-deficient donors with the cytokines transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, interferon (IFN)-gamma or interleukin (IL)-10 in the presence of anti-CD40 antibodies showed reduced expression of both activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and alpha germline transcripts (GLT) compared to controls. It was possible, however, to induce AID and alpha GLT when stimulating the cells with anti-CD40 antibody and TGF-beta in the combination with IL-10. Moreover, in anti-CD40 antibody-stimulated cultures, addition of IL-10 or IL-10 + TGF-beta in combination, induced IgA production, albeit lower than found in B cells from controls. The B cells from the IgA-deficient subjects were less effective in differentiating into CD138(+) X-box binding protein 1 (XBP-1)(+) plasma cells when stimulated with TGF-beta, IFN-gamma or IL-10. Interestingly, when adding IL-4 to TGF-beta alone or in combination with IL-10, the immunoglobulin production in B cells from IgA-deficient donors was comparable with those of normal controls. These data show that in healthy subjects in vitro IgA production can be up-regulated by addition of IL-10 to CD40-stimulated B cells, whereas a similar B cell differentiation does not occur in IgA-deficient subjects. Addition of IL-4, however, reverts this abnormality.

Adult↗

The role of the interleukin-10 subfamily members in immunoglobulin production by human B cells.

Interleukin (IL)-10 has been shown to have various effects on B cells, including positively affecting the production of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG. Several human IL-10-related molecules have been identified. These include IL-19, IL-20, IL-22, IL-24, IL-26, IL-28 and IL-29. To determine the effects of the IL-10 analogues on the class switch recombination in B cells, we analysed Ig production from naïve B cells stimulated with these cytokines in the presence of anti-CD40. None of the cytokines were found to induce Ig production by themselves in the presence of anti-CD40 Ab. However, all cytokines inhibited the production of IgA and IgG induced by anti-CD40 Ab alone. In combination with anti-CD40 Ab and IL-4, IgG4 were inhibited in cultures stimulated with IL-20, IL-22, IL-26, IL-28 and IL-29 compared with IL-4 and anti-CD40 Ab alone, whereas all IL-10 analogues increased the production of total IgG. All analogues reduced anti-CD40 Ab + transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta-induced IgA production compared with cultures stimulated with anti-CD40 Ab and TGF-beta alone. Together, these data show that the IL-10-related cytokines in combination with anti-CD40 Ab are not by themselves directly involved in the Ig regulation in B cells. However, some of the analogues might have regulatory effects on CSR induced by CD40-ligation in combination with IL-4 or TGF-beta.

Animals↗

Prediction of immunophenotype, treatment response, and relapse in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia using DNA microarrays.

Gene expression profiling is a promising tool for classification of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We analyzed the gene expression at the time of diagnosis for 45 Danish children with ALL. The prediction of 5-year event-free survival or relapse after treatment by NOPHO-ALL92 or 2000 protocols resulted in a classification accuracy of 78% and a Matthew's correlation coefficient of 0.59 independently of immunophenotypes. The sensitivity and specificity for prediction of relapse were 87% and 69% respectively. Prediction of high vs low levels of the minimal residual disease (MRD) on day 29 (>/=0.1% or </=0.01%) resulted in an accuracy of 100% for precursor-B samples. The classification accuracy of precursor-B- vs T-lineage immunophenotypes was 100% even in samples with as little as 10% leukemic blast cells, and the immunophenotype classifier constructed in this study was able to classify 131 of 132 samples from a previous study correctly. Our study indicates that the Affymetrix Focus Array GeneChip may be used without loss of classification performance compared to previous studies using the far more extensive U133A+B GeneChip set. Further studies should focus on prediction of MRD, as this prediction would relate strongly to long-term outcome and could thus determine the intensity of induction therapy.

Adolescent↗

Genes in the HLA class I region may contribute to the HLA class II-associated genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis.

In order to analyze whether loci in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I region may contribute to the HLA class II-associated genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS), we examined selected microsatellite markers in 177 Nordic sib-pair families, 222 British sib-pair families, 323 sporadic Norwegian MS patients and 386 Norwegian controls. All samples were, in addition, genotyped for the HLA-DR DQ haplotype, and the Norwegian case-control samples were also typed for HLA-A and -B loci. In the Norwegian sporadic MS patients association was seen with HLA-A, HLA-B, and with the D6S265 marker, located 100 kb centromeric to HLA-A. Associations with HLA-A and D6S265 loci were also suggested when restricting the analysis to HLA-DR15 haplotypes. In the sib-pair data a similar trend was seen with marker D6S265. Higher genotypic relative risk (GRR) was found for individuals who carry both HLA-DR15 and -A3 (GRR = 15), compared to those who carry only HLA-DR15 (GRR = 7), only HLA-A3 (GRR = 3) or none of these alleles (GRR = 1). The highest risk was conferred by a combination of HLA-DR15 and -A3 (odds ratio (OR) = 5.2). These results suggest that HLA-A or a gene in linkage disequilibrium with it may contribute to the HLA class II-associated genetic susceptibility to MS.

Case-Control Studies↗

A comparison of T-, B- and NK-cell reconstitution following conventional or nonmyeloablative conditioning and transplantation with bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells from human leucocyte antigen identical sibling donors.

This retrospective study compares the reconstitution of T, B and NK cells in three groups of patients transplanted for haematological malignancies with grafts from their HLA-identical sibling donors. In all, 15 patients received PBSC after a nonmyeloablative conditioning regimen consisting of fludarabine and 200 cGy TBI, 13 patients received PBSC after myeloablative conditioning and 37 patients received BM after myeloablative conditioning. In the nonmyeloablative group, the NK cells normalised after 1 month, the CD8+ T cells normalised after 3 months, the CD4+ T cells reached near normal values after 9 months and the B cell values were reduced until 12 months after transplant. In the two myeloablative groups, recipients of PBSC had a significantly higher number of CD4+ T cells after 4 months (P=0.004) and after 12 months (P=0.001), than recipients of BM. We found no differences in the T cell reconstitution between the two PBSC groups. This was of interest as the recipients of nonmyeloablative conditioning were older (P<0.001) and had a higher occurrence of chronic GVHD (P<0.05) than the recipients of myeloablative conditioning. In contrast, the recipients of nonmyeloablative conditioning had a delayed B cell recovery when compared to the patients who received myeloablative conditioning (P=0.04).

Adolescent↗

Association between an interleukin-13 promoter polymorphism and atopy.

Several studies indicate genetic involvement of Th2 cytokines in allergic diseases. Interleukin (IL)-13 has been mapped to the cytokine cluster on chromosome 5q31-33, which has been associated with atopic conditions. Recently, an association was reported between the T allele in a promoter polymorphism in the IL-13 gene (C to T exchange) at position -1055 and allergic asthma in a population study in the Netherlands. This observation was apparently confirmed in a case-control study using probands and spouses from a Dutch asthma family study, but the polymorphism in that study was reported to occur at position -1111. In the present study, we established that this polymorphism is located at position -1024 relative to the ATG translation initiation codon, and investigated whether it confers a genetic predisposition to atopic conditions and the Th1 condition multiple sclerosis (MS) in Caucasian subjects. We confirmed the association between the IL-13 -1024TT genoype and inhalation allergy (P = 2.4E-02). By combining the data from the three studies, we demonstrated a strong association (P = 1.09E-05) between the IL-13 -1024 marker and inhalation allergy. Furthermore, we showed for the first time that this association also exists in atopic dermatitis (P = 2.0E-02). No association with MS was found.

Base Sequence↗

Presence of clone-specific markers at birth in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Recent studies have suggested that development of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia may often be initiated in utero. To provide further evidence of an prenatal origin of childhood leukaemia, we conducted a molecular biological investigation of nine children with B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia carrying the chromosomal translocation t(12;21), the most common subtype of all childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Specifically, for each child we identified the non-constitutive chromosomal sequences made up by the t(12;21) fusion gene. From these, leukaemia clone-specific DNA primers were constructed and applied in nested polymerase chain reaction analyses of DNA extracted from the patients' Guthrie cards obtained at birth. Leukaemia clone-specific fusion gene regions were demonstrated in Guthrie card DNA of three patients, age 2 years 11 months, 3 years 4 months, and 5 years 8 months at leukaemia diagnosis. Our findings are consistent with previous observations, and thus provide further evidence that the development of t(12;21) B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia may be initiated in utero. Review of the current literature moreover indicates that age at leukaemia may be inversely correlated with the burden of cells with leukaemia clonal markers, i.e. leukaemia predisposed cells at birth, and that certain types of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia develop as a multiple step process involving both pre- and postnatal genetic events.

Adolescent↗

A genome-wide screen for linkage in Nordic sib-pairs with multiple sclerosis.

Genetic factors influence susceptibility to multiple sclerosis but the responsible genes remain largely undefined, association with MHC class II alleles being the only established genetic feature of the disease. The Nordic countries have a high prevalence of multiple sclerosis, and to further explore the genetic background of the disease, we have carried out a genome-wide screen for linkage in 136 sibling-pairs with multiple sclerosis from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden by typing 399 microsatellite markers. Seventeen regions where the lod score exceeds the nominal 5% significance threshold (0.7) were identified-1q11-24, 2q24-32, 3p26.3, 3q21.1, 4q12, 6p25.3, 6p21-22, 6q21, 9q34.3, 10p15, 10p12-13, 11p15.5, 12q21.3, 16p13.3, 17q25.3, 22q12-13 and Xp22.3. Although none of these regions reaches the level of genome-wide significance, the number observed exceeds the 10 that would be expected by chance alone. Our results significantly add to the growing body of linkage data relating to multiple sclerosis.

Denmark↗

Disease severity in Danish multiple sclerosis patients evaluated by MRI and three genetic markers (HLA-DRB1*1501, CCR5 deletion mutation, apolipoprotein E).

As the understanding of the autoimmune inflammatory response in multiple sclerosis (MS) expands, polymorphic genes involved in this process become possible candidates that may determine the severity of disease. Therefore, three candidate genes DRB1*1501, CCR5 and apolipoprotein E (APOE) were examined in a population-based patient sample (n = 70) to assess an association between disease progression measured by clinical disability and MRI parameters. The total lesion area (TLA) on T2-weighted images was measured with a semi-automated threshold technique. Patients with the CCR5delta32 allele showed a non-significant trend towards a smaller lesion burden (TLA/years duration), but were not associated to a milder EDSS/years duration. Our data support previous assumptions of a modulation of severity in MS by the CCR5delta32 genotype, which may convey less inflammation and tissue destruction. Carriers of the DRB1*1501 and APOE-epsilon4 allels did not reveal more severe disease progression, neither by the EDSS/years of duration nor by the TLA/years duration. This study was performed on a population-based sample in a genetically homogeneous Danish population but, due to the limited number of patients examined, weak associations between candidate genes and disease variables cannot be excluded.

Adult↗

CXCR3 expression on CD34(+) hemopoietic progenitors induced by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor: II. Signaling pathways involved.

CXCR3, known to have four ligands (IFN-gamma inducible protein 10 (gamma IP-10), monokine induced by IFN-gamma (Mig), I-TAC, and 6Ckine), is predominantly expressed on memory/activated T lymphocytes. We recently reported that GM-CSF induces CXCR3 expression on CD34(+) hemopoietic progenitors, in which gamma IP-10 and Mig induce chemotaxis and adhesion. Here we further report that stimulation with GM-CSF causes phosphorylation of Syk protein kinase, but neither Casitas B-lineage lymphoma (Cbl) nor Cbl-b in CD34(+) hemopoietic progenitors can be blocked by anti-CD116 mAb. Specific Syk blocking generated by PNA antisense completely inhibits GM-CSF-induced CXCR3 expression in CD34(+) progenitors at both mRNA and protein as well as at functional levels (chemotaxis and adhesion). Cbl and Cbl-b blocking have no such effects. Thus, GM-CSF binds to its receptor CD116, and consequently activates Syk phosphorylation, which leads to induce CXCR3 expression. gamma IP-10 and Mig can induce Syk, Cbl, and Cbl-b phosphorylation in CD34(+) progenitors by means of CXCR3. gamma IP-10 or Mig has induced neither chemotaxis nor adhesion in GM-CSF-stimulated Cbl-b-blocked CD34(+) hemopoietic progenitors, whereas SDF-1alpha induces both chemotaxis and adhesion in these cells. Interestingly, gamma IP-10 and Mig can induce chemotaxis and adhesion in GM-CSF-stimulated Syk- or Cbl-blocked CD34(+) hemopoietic progenitors. Thus, Cbl-b, but not Syk and Cbl phosphorylation, is essential for gamma IP-10- and Mig-induced chemotaxis and adhesion in CD34(+) hemopoietic progenitors. This study provides a useful insight into novel signaling transduction pathways of the functions of CXCR3/gamma IP-10 and Mig, which may be especially important in the cytokine/chemokine environment for mobilization, homing, and recruitment during proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of hemopoietic progenitor cells.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

No linkage or association of the nitric oxide synthase genes to multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) of unknown etiology. Nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical that participates in a variety of biological processes. It is an important mediator in the immune response. Several studies indicate involvement of NO in the pathogenesis of MS. We studied five markers within the three NO synthase genes with regards to susceptibility and disease course in 156 affected sib-pairs and in 96 "benign" and 96 "severe" definite MS patients and 148 controls. We found no significant association or evidence for linkage in our data sets.

Case-Control Studies↗

Impaired progenitor cell function in HIV-negative infants of HIV-positive mothers results in decreased thymic output and low CD4 counts.

Hematologic and immunologic functions were examined in 19 HIV-negative infants of HIV-positive mothers and 19 control infants of HIV-negative mothers. Control infants were selected to match for gestational age, weight, and mode of delivery. Cord blood was obtained from all infants and used for flow cytometric determination of lymphocyte subsets, including the naive CD4 count. Furthermore, to determine thymic output, cord blood mononuclear cells were used for determination of T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs). Evaluation of progenitor cell function was done by means of colony-forming cell assay and fetal thymic organ cultures (FTOCs). Lower naive CD4 counts (459.3 +/- 68.9 vs 1128.9 +/- 146.8 cells/microL, P <.001) and reduced thymic output in infants of HIV-positive mothers were found (frequency of CD4(+) cells with TRECs was 3.6% +/- 0.7% compared with 14.3% +/- 2.2% in controls, P <.001). In combination with lower red blood cell counts in infants of HIV-positive mothers, this finding suggested impairment of progenitor cell function. Indeed, progenitors from infants of HIV-positive mothers had decreased cloning efficiency (15.7% +/- 2.6% vs 55.8% +/- 15.9%, P =.009) and seemed to generate fewer T cells in FTOCs. In conclusion, lower numbers of naive CD4(+) cells and reduced thymic output in HIV-negative infants of HIV-positive mothers may be due to impaired progenitor cell function.

Anti-HIV Agents↗

The T cell regulator gene SH2D2A contributes to the genetic susceptibility of multiple sclerosis.

The T cell specific adapter protein (TSAd) encoded by the SH2D2A gene is involved in the control of T cell activation. The gene is located in the 1q21 region, which has been implicated in susceptibility to experimental allergic encephalomyelitis in the mouse. We therefore evaluated whether a polymorphic GA repeat (GA(13)-GA(33)) within the promoter region of the SH2D2A gene shows association to multiple sclerosis (MS). The frequency of the short alleles GA(13-16) was increased among 313 Norwegian MS patients compared to 277 healthy controls (0.332 vs 0.249, OR 1.5, Pc = 0.03). Transmission disequilibrium analysis in 146 Scandinavian families with at least two affected sibs showed increased transmission of GA(16) to MS patients. No linkage or association of MS to four genetic markers flanking the SH2D2A gene was observed. After activation of naive CD4(+) T cells, T cells homozygous for MS associated short alleles displayed lower level of TSAd ex vivo than T cells carrying at least one long allele, which were not associated to MS. Since the SH2D2A protein modulates T cell activation, this may be a mechanism for how short SH2D2A alleles confer susceptibility to develop MS.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Linkage analysis suggests a region of importance for multiple sclerosis in 3p14-13.

Four genomic screens for linkage in multiple sclerosis (MS) have been reported. They confirmed the established role of the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) complex genes in MS and, in addition, suggested the importance of a few other chromosomal segments. Here we report evidence for the importance of 3p14-13 region identified by suggestive linkage in genomic screens from Canada and the United Kingdom. When studying 146 Nordic MS multiplex families, mostly affected sib-pairs, with eight microsatellite markers, spanning a 36-cM region, we observed a two-point non-parametric linkage (NPL) score of 2.39 (P = 0.007) by the GENEHUNTER package for marker D3S1285 and a multipoint NPL score of 1.20 in the same region. Association studies in Swedish MS patients revealed modest allelic associations of uncertain significance not supported by transmission analysis. Analysis of the trinucleotide repeat sequence of the SCA7 gene in Swedish index cases did not reveal expansions. We conclude that support was obtained for the location of a gene or genes with importance for MS susceptibility in 3p14-13 region.

Alleles↗

Post-induction residual leukemia in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia quantified by PCR correlates with in vitro prednisolone resistance.

Most prognostic factors in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are informative for groups of patients, whereas new approaches are needed to predict the efficacy of chemotherapy for the individual patient. The residual leukemia following 4 weeks of induction therapy with prednisolone, vincristine, doxorubicin and i.t. methotrexate and the in vitro resistance to prednisolone, vincristine, and doxorubicin were measured in 30 boys and 12 girls with B (n = 34) or T lineage (n = 8) ALL. The residual leukemia was quantified after 2 (MRD-D15, n = 29) and 4 weeks (MRD-PI, n = 42) of induction therapy with a precise and reproducible clone-specific PCR technique. The median MRD-D15 and MRD-PI were 0.50% (75% range 0.0088.1%) and 0.014% (75% range 0.001-2.0%), respectively, and these levels correlated significantly (n = 29, rs = 0.75, P < 0.001). Both the MRD-D15 and the MRD-PI were related to the age of the patient (MRD-D15: rs= 0.48, P= 0.009; MRD-PI: rs = 0.45, P = 0.003). Patients with T lineage ALL had higher MRD-PI than those with B lineage ALL (median MRD-PI: 0.5% vs 0.01%, P = 0.05). The median LC50 (concentration lethal to 50% of cells) for prednisolone was 2.3 microg/ml (75% range 0.05-668). Both MRD-D15 and MRD-PI correlated significantly with the in vitro resistance to prednisolone (MRD-D15: rs = 0.41, P = 0.03; MRD-PI: rs = 0.39, P = 0.01); but not to in vitro vincristine or doxorubicin resistance. The correlations between MRD and in vitro prednisolone resistance were even more pronounced when B cell precursor and T cell leukemia were analyzed separately (B cell precursor ALL: MRD-PI vs prednisolone LC50: n = 33, rs = 0.47, P = 0.006; T cell ALL: MRD-PI vs prednisolone resistance: n = 8, rs = 0.84, P = 0.009). After a median follow-up of 5.0 years (75% range 3.2-6.9) eight patients have relapsed. All of the 21 patients with a MRD-PI < or =0.5% and a prednisolone LC50 < or =10 microg/ml have remained in remission whereas the 7 year event-free survival for the remaining 20 patients was 0.45 +/- 0.16 (P= 0.002) Prospective studies in childhood ALL are needed to clarify whether combined monitoring of in vitro drug resistance and residual leukemia early during chemotherapy could offer new ways to classify patients and stratify the intensity of therapy.

Adolescent↗

Analysis of an interferon-gamma gene dinucleotide-repeat polymorphism in Nordic multiple sclerosis patients.

The proinflammatory cytokine interferon (IFN)-gamma has been shown to influence the course of multiple sclerosis (MS). The IFN-gamma (IFNG) contains a multiallelic dinucleotide repeat in intron 1. To investigate whether alleles at this locus influence susceptibility to MS, we performed linkage and familial association analyses on 100 sibling pairs from four Nordic countries, and case-control association analysis on 220 intermediately disabled sporadic MS patients and 266 controls. To determine the effect of the polymorphism on disease outcome, we compared genotype frequencies in the most and least disabled octiles of a total cohort of 913 cases. We also measured IFN-gamma mRNA levels in unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 46 MS patients and 27 controls grouped according to IFNG intron 1 genotype. Both nonparametric linkage analysis and transmission disequilibrium testing of the 100 sibling pairs produced negative results. Genotype frequencies for intermediate-MS patients did not differ significantly from those for controls; nor did genotype frequencies in the benign-MS octile differ significantly from those in the severe-MS octle. Comparison of IFN-gamma mRNA levels in genotype-conditioned subgroups revealed no significant differences. Thus, alleles at the IFNG intron 1 dinucleotide repeat appear to affect neither MS susceptibility and severity nor IFN-gamma mRNA expression in vivo.

Case-Control Studies↗