Exosomes in the nose induce immune cell trafficking and harbour an altered protein cargo in chronic airway inflammation

BACKGROUND: Exosomes are nano-sized extracellular vesicles participating in cell-to-cell communication both in health and disease. However, the knowledge about the functions and molecular composition of exosomes in the upper airways is limited. The aim of the current study was therefore to determine whether nasal exosomes can influence inflammatory cells and to establish the proteome of nasal lavage fluid-derived exosomes in healthy subjects, as well as its alterations in individuals with chronic airway inflammatory diseases [asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS)]. METHODS: Nasal lavage fluid was collected from 14 healthy subjects, 15 subjects with asthma and 13 subjects with asthma/CRS. Exosomes were isolated with differential centrifugation and the proteome was analysed by LC–MS/MS with the application of two exclusion lists as well as using quantitative proteomics. Ingenuity Pathways Analysis and GO Term finder was used to predict the functions associated with the exosomal proteome and a migration assay was used to analyse the effect on immune cells by nasal exosomes. RESULTS: Firstly, we demonstrate that nasal exosomes can induce migration of several immune cells, such as monocytes, neutrophils and NK cells in vitro. Secondly, a mass spectrometry approach, with the application of exclusion lists, was utilised to generate a comprehensive protein inventory of the exosomes from healthy subjects. The use of exclusion lists resulted in the identification of ~15 % additional proteins, and increased the confidence in ~20 % of identified proteins. In total, 604 proteins were identified in nasal exosomes and the nasal exosomal proteome showed strong associations with immune-related functions, such as immune cell trafficking. Thirdly, a quantitative proteomics approach was used to determine alterations in the exosome proteome as a result of airway inflammatory disease. Serum-associated proteins and mucins were more abundant in the exosomes from subjects with respiratory diseases compared to healthy controls while proteins with antimicrobial functions and barrier-related proteins had decreased expression. CONCLUSIONS: Nasal exosomes were shown to induce the migration of innate immune cells, which may be important as the airway epithelium is the first line of defence against pathogens and allergens. The decreased expression in barrier and antimicrobial exosomal proteins in subjects with airway diseases, could possibly contribute to an increased susceptibility to infections, which have important clinical implications in disease progression. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12967-016-0927-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Alignment Signal Aided CP-Free SEFDM

This paper proposes a cyclic prefix (CP) free spectral efficiency frequency division multiplexing (SEFDM) wireless signal transmission and reception method based on alignment signal (AS). The method needs the cooperation of both the transmission and reception sides. At the transmitter, time-domain AS is designed to prevent inter-symbol interference (ISI) caused by multipath propagation in the received signal. At the receiver, the channel circularity convolution providing processing is used to enable high accurate frequency domain one-tap equaliser. The extensive computer simulation results under the 5G new radio (5G-NR) channel model, TDL-D, show the that the AS aided SEFDM has similar bit error rate performance as CP-SEFDM without energy and latency cost on CP. The AS-SEFDM capability to mitigate the ISI and to enable the one-tap equaliser in SEFDM systems makes it a promising technique for future wireless communication systems.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Increased MUC1 plus a larger quantity and complex size for MUC5AC in the peripheral airway lumen of long-term tobacco smokers

There is little information on mucins versus potential regulatory factors in the peripheral airway lumen of long-term smokers with (LTS+) and without (LTS-) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We explored these matters in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from two study materials, both including LTS+ and LTS- with a very similar historic exposure to tobacco smoke, and healthy non-smokers (HNSs; n=4-20/group). Utilizing slot blot and immunodetection of processed (filtered and centrifuged), as well as unprocessed BAL samples from one of the materials, we compared the quantity and fraction of large complexes of mucins. All LTS displayed an enhanced (median) level of MUC5AC compared with HNS. LTS- displayed a higher level of large MUC5AC complexes than HNS while LTS+ displayed a similar trend. In all LTS, total MUC5AC correlated with blood leukocytes, BAL neutrophil elastase and net gelatinase activity. Large mucin complexes accounted for most MUC5B, without clear group differences. In all LTS, total MUC5B correlated with total MUC5AC and local bacteria. In the same groups, large MUC5B complexes correlated with serum cotinine. MUC1 was increased and correlated with BAL leukocytes in all LTS whereas MUC2 was very low and without clear group differences. Thus, the main part of MUC5AC and MUC5B is present as large complexes in the peripheral airway lumen and historic as well as current exposure to tobacco smoke emerge as potential regulatory factors, regardless of COPD per se. Bacteria, leukocytes and proteinases also constitute potential regulatory factors, of interest for future therapeutic strategies