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Item Role of innate T cells in necrotizing enterocolitis(Frontiers Media, 2024-02-08) Liu, Jianyun; Joseph, Sharon; Manohar, Krishna; Lee, Jasmine; Brokaw, John P.; Shelley, W. Christopher; Markel, Troy A.; Surgery, School of MedicineNecrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a destructive gastrointestinal disease primarily affecting preterm babies. Despite advancements in neonatal care, NEC remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care units worldwide and the etiology of NEC is still unclear. Risk factors for NEC include prematurity, very low birth weight, feeding with formula, intestinal dysbiosis and bacterial infection. A review of the literature would suggest that supplementation of prebiotics and probiotics prevents NEC by altering the immune responses. Innate T cells, a highly conserved subpopulation of T cells that responds quickly to stimulation, develops differently from conventional T cells in neonates. This review aims to provide a succinct overview of innate T cells in neonates, encompassing their phenotypic characteristics, functional roles, likely involvement in the pathogenesis of NEC, and potential therapeutic implications.Item Sex discrepancy in the reduction of mucosal‐associated invariant T cells caused by obesity(Wiley, 2021-03-09) Liu, Jianyun; Nan, Hongmei; Brutkiewicz, Randy R.; Casasnovas, Jose; Kua, Kok Lim; Microbiology and Immunology, School of MedicineIntroduction: Gut microbiota has been reported to contribute to obesity and the pathology of obesity-related diseases but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are a unique subpopulation of T cells characterized by the expression of a semi-invariant T cell receptor (TCR) α chain (Vα19 in mice; Vα7.2 in humans). The expansion and maturation of MAIT cells require the gut microbiota and antigen-presenting molecule MR1, suggesting that MAIT cells may play a unique role in bridging gut microbiota, obesity, and obesity-associated inflammation. Methods: The levels of human MAIT cells from obese patients, as well as mouse MAIT cells from obese mouse models, were determined by flow cytometry. By comparing to controls, we analyzed the change of MAIT cells in obese subjects. Results: We found obese patients had fewer circulating MAIT cells than healthy-weight donors and the difference was more distinct in male patients. Consistently, male mice (but not female mice) have shown reduced MAIT cells in the liver and adipose tissue after a 10-week Western diet compared to mice on a control diet. We also explored the possibility of utilizing high-throughput technology (i.e., quantitative polymerase chain reaction [qPCR]), other than flow cytometry, to determine the expression levels of the invariant TCR of human MAIT cells. But a minimal correlation (R2 = 0.23, p = .11) was observed between qPCR and flow cytometry data. Conclusion: Our study suggests that there is a sex discrepancy in the impact of obesity on MAIT cells: MAIT cells in male (but not female) humans and male mice are reduced by obesity.