Glycerophospholipids represent a common class of lipids critically important for integrity of cellular membranes. Oxidation of esterified unsaturated fatty acids dramatically changes biological activities of phospholipids. Apart from impairment of their structural function, oxidation makes oxidized phospholipids (OxPLs) markers of “modified-self” type that are recognized by soluble and cell-associated receptors of innate immunity, including scavenger receptors, natural (germ line-encoded) antibodies, and C-reactive protein, thus directing removal of senescent and apoptotic cells or oxidized lipoproteins. In addition, OxPLs acquire novel biological activities not characteristic of their unoxidized precursors, including the ability to regulate innate and adaptive immune responses. Effects of OxPLs described in vitro and in vivo suggest their potential relevance in different pathologies, including atherosclerosis, acute inflammation, lung injury, and many other conditions. This review summarizes current knowledge on the mechanisms of formation, structures, and biological activities of OxPLs. Furthermore, potential applications of OxPLs as disease biomarkers, as well as experimental therapies targeting OxPLs, are described, providing a broad overview of an emerging class of lipid mediators. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 12, 1009–1059.

Cytokines are critical in regulating unresponsiveness versus immunity towards enteric antigens derived from the intestinal flora and ingested food. There is increasing evidence that butyrate, a major metabolite of intestinal bacteria and crucial energy source for gut epithelial cells, also possesses anti‐inflammatory properties. Its influence on cytokine production, however, is not established. Here, we report that butyrate strongly inhibits interleukin‐12 (IL‐12) production by suppression of both IL‐12p35 and IL‐12p40 mRNA accumulation, but massively enhances IL‐10 secretion in Staphylococcus aureus cell‐stimulated human monocytes. The effect of butyrate on IL‐12 production was irreversible upon the addition of neutralizing antibodies to IL‐10 or transforming growth factor β ₁ and of indomethacin. In anti‐CD3‐stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, butyrate enhanced IL‐10 and IL‐4 secretion but reduced the release of IL‐2 and interferon‐γ. The latter effect was in part a result of suppressed IL‐12 production but also a result of inhibition of IL‐12 receptor expression on T cells. These data demonstrate a novel anti‐inflammatory property of butyrate that may have broad implications for the regulation of immune responses in vivo and could be exploited as new therapeutic approach in inflammatory conditions.

Dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent APCs within the immune system. We show here that highly purified CD14(bright) peripheral blood monocytes supplemented with granulocyte-monocyte (GM)-CSF plus IL-4 develop with high efficacy (>95% of input cells) into DC. They neo-expressed CD1a, CD1b, CD1c, CD80, and CD5; they massively up-regulated CD40 (109-fold) and HLA-DQ and DP (125- and 87-fold); and significantly (>5-fold) up-regulated HLA-DR, CD4, CD11b, CD11c, CD43, CD45, CD45R0, CD54, CD58, and CD59. CD14, CD15s, CD64, and CDw65 molecules were down-regulated to background levels, and no major changes were observed for HLA class I, CD11a, CD32, CD33, CD48, CD50, CD86, CDw92, CD93, or CD97. Monocytes cultured in parallel with GM-CSF plus TNF-alpha were more heterogeneous in expression densities but otherwise similar in their surface molecule repertoire. They clearly differed, however, in their accessory cell capacity. Only GM-CSF plus IL-4-cultured cells were found to be potent stimulators in allogeneic and autologous MLR and they presented tetanus toxoid 100- to 1000-fold more efficiently than other cell populations tested. Furthermore, only cytokine-treated monocytes formed clusters with resting T cells. At variance from all these similarities between in vitro-generated monocyte-derived DC and in vivo-developing DC, the DC populations generated by us contained significant amounts of myeloperoxidase and also expressed lysozyme. At least in this respect they, thus, differ from "classical" DC types.

The glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane protein urokinase plasminogen activator-receptor (uPA-R; CD87) is one of the key molecules involved in migration of leukocytes and tumor cells. uPA bound to uPA-R provides the cell proteolytic potential used for degradation of extracellular matrix. uPA-R is also involved in induction of cell adhesion and chemotaxis. Here, we provide a molecular explanation for these uPA-R-related cellular events. By size fractionation of monocyte lysate and affinity isolation on its natural ligand uPA, we demonstrate uPA-R as a component of a receptor complex of relatively large size. Reprecipitation and immunoblotting techniques allowed us to detect the protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) p60fyn, p53/56lyn, p58/64hck, and p59fgr as components of this "uPA-R complex". Activation of monocytes even with enzymatically inactivated uPA resulted in induction of tyrosine phosphorylation, suggesting modulation of uPA-R-associated PTKs upon ligand binding. In spite of their presence in large complexes, we did not find the GPI-linked proteins CD14, CD58, and CD59 in the uPA-R complex, which indicates the presence of different receptor domains containing GPI-linked proteins in monocytes. However, we identified the leukocyte integrins LFA-1 and CR3 as components of the uPA-R complex as indicated by coisolation of these molecules, as well as by cocapping and comodulation of uPA-R and leukocyte integrins on the monocyte surface. The assemblage of uPA-R, PTKs and membrane spanning beta 2-integrins in one receptor complex indicates functional cooperation. In regard to the involvement of these molecules in pericellular proteolysis, signal transduction, as well as adhesion and chemotactic movement, we suggest uPA-R complex as a potential cellular device for cell migration.

In an effort to characterize molecules with immunoregulatory potential, we raised mAbs to human dendritic cells. We selected an Ab that recognizes a molecule that is induced on monocytes differentiated in vitro toward dendritic cells. Retroviral expression cloning identified this molecule as B7-H3, a member of the B7 family described recently. In contrast to an earlier report, in which B7-H3 was described as a molecule consisting of two Ig-like domains, our cDNA encoded a type I membrane protein with four Ig-like domains, and the molecule identified by us was therefore named 4Ig-B7-H3. mRNA analysis as well as Western blotting experiments performed by us did not reveal evidence for a small B7-H3. B7-H3 is not expressed on peripheral blood lymphocytes, monocytes, or granulocytes. Upon in vitro stimulation, the expression of B7-H3 is induced on T cells, B cells, and NK cells. A number of different approaches were used to investigate the function of human B7-H3. In contrast to an earlier report, our data do not support a costimulatory role of B7-H3 in anti-CD3-mediated activation of the TCR-complex resulting in T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production.