CD38 is a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed by T-cells. It has been reported that patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) showed increased CD38⁺CD25⁺ T-cells correlating with immune activation and clinical signs. Contrariwise, CD38 deficiency in murine models has shown enhanced autoimmunity development. Recent studies have suggested that CD38⁺ regulatory T-cells are more suppressive than CD38⁻ regulatory T-cells. Thus, we have suggested that CD38 overexpression in SLE patients could play a role in regulating immune activation cells instead of enhancing it. This study found a correlation between CD38 with FoxP3 expression and immunosuppressive molecules (CD69, IL-10, CTLA-4, and PD-1) in T-cells from lupus-prone mice (B6.MRL-Fas^lpr/J). Additionally, B6.MRL-Fas^lpr/J mice showed a decreased proportion of CD38⁺ Treg cells regarding wild-type mice (WT). Furthermore, Regulatory T-Cells (Treg cells) from CD38-/- mice showed impairment in expressing immunosuppressive molecules and proliferation after stimulation through the T-cell receptor (TCR). Finally, we demonstrated an increased ratio of IFN-γ/IL-10 secretion in CD38-/- splenocytes stimulated with anti-CD3 compared with the WT. Altogether, our data suggest that CD38 represents an element in maintaining activated and proliferative Treg cells. Consequently, CD38 could have a crucial role in immune tolerance, preventing SLE development through Treg cells.

The genusHelicobacteris classified into two main groups according to its habitat: gastric and enterohepatic. Patients with X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) appear to be associated with invasive infection with enterohepatic non-Helicobacter pylori species (NHPH), mainlyH. cinaediandH. bilis. Such infections are difficult to control and have a high potential for recurrence. The spectrum of illnesses caused by these species includes recurrent fever, bacteremia, arthritis, osteomyelitis, cellulitis, abdominal abscesses, and pyoderma gangrenosum-like ulcer. The presence of theseHelicobactersis particularly difficult to diagnose and eradicate, as they are very fastidious bacteria and present resistance to several types of antibiotics. We report two clinical cases of XLA patients infected with H.bilis.These infections were chronic in these patients and could not be eradicated in one of them. We also review the cases of enterohepatic non-Helicobacter pylorispecies (NHPH) in patients with this inborn error of immunity.

Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) is a ubiquitous enzymatic complex that is involved in a broad spectrum of intracellular receptor signaling. The activity of PKA depends on A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) that attach to PKAs close to their substrates to control signaling. Although the relevance of PKA-AKAP signaling in the immune system is evident in T cells, its relevance in B and other immune cells remains relatively unclear. In the last decade, lipopolysaccharide-responsive and beige-like anchor protein (LRBA) has emerged as an AKAP that is ubiquitously expressed in B and T cells, specifically after activation. A deficiency of LRBA leads to immune dysregulation and immunodeficiency. The cellular mechanisms regulated by LRBA have not yet been investigated. Therefore, this review summarizes the functions of PKA in immunity and provides the most recent information regarding LRBA deficiency to deepen our understanding of immune regulation and immunological diseases.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a challenging childhood cancer to treat, with limited therapeutic options and high relapse rates. This study explores deamidated triosephosphate isomerase (dTPI) as a novel therapeutic target. We hypothesized that selectively inhibiting dTPI could reduce T-ALL cell viability without affecting normal T lymphocytes. Computational modeling and recombinant enzyme assays revealed that disulfiram (DS) and curcumin (CU) selectively bind and inhibit dTPI activity without affecting the non-deamidated enzyme. At the cellular level, treatment with DS and CU significantly reduced Jurkat T-ALL cell viability and endogenous TPI enzymatic activity, with no effect on normal T lymphocytes, whereas the combination of sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) with DS or CU showed synergistic effects. Furthermore, we demonstrated that dTPI was present and accumulated only in Jurkat cells, confirming our hypothesis. Finally, flow cytometry confirmed apoptosis in Jurkat cells after treatment with DS and CU or their combination with DCA. These findings strongly suggest that targeting dTPI represents a promising and selective target for T-ALL therapy.