Extracellular vimentin as a modulator of the immune response and an important player during infectious diseases.

Vimentin, an intermediate filament protein primarily recognized for its intracellular role in maintaining cellular structure, has recently garnered increased attention and emerged as a pivotal extracellular player in immune regulation and host-pathogen interactions. While the functions of extracellular vimentin were initially overshadowed by its cytoskeletal role, accumulating evidence now highlights its significance in diverse physiological and pathological events. This review explores the multifaceted role of extracellular vimentin in modulating immune responses and orchestrating interactions between host cells and pathogens. It delves into the mechanisms underlying vimentin's release into the extracellular milieu, elucidating its unconventional secretion pathways and identifying critical molecular triggers. In addition, the future perspectives of using extracellular vimentin in diagnostics and as a target protein in the treatment of diseases are discussed.

Plasma Gelsolin Enhances Phagocytosis of Candida auris by Human Neutrophils through Scavenger Receptor Class B.

In addition to its role as an actin-depolymerizing factor in the blood, plasma gelsolin (pGSN) binds bacterial molecules and stimulates the phagocytosis of bacteria by macrophages. Here, using an in vitro system, we assessed whether pGSN could also stimulate phagocytosis of the fungal pathogen Candida auris by human neutrophils. The extraordinary ability of C. auris to evade immune responses makes it particularly challenging to eradicate in immunocompromised patients. We demonstrate that pGSN significantly enhances C. auris uptake and intracellular killing. Stimulation of phagocytosis was accompanied by decreased neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation and reduced secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Gene expression studies revealed pGSN-dependent upregulation of scavenger receptor class B (SR-B). Inhibition of SR-B using sulfosuccinimidyl oleate (SSO) and block lipid transport-1 (BLT-1) decreased the ability of pGSN to enhance phagocytosis, indicating that pGSN potentiates the immune response through an SR-B-dependent pathway. These results suggest that the response of the host's immune system during C. auris infection may be enhanced by the administration of recombinant pGSN. IMPORTANCE The incidence of life-threatening multidrug-resistant Candida auris infections is rapidly growing, causing substantial economic costs due to outbreaks in hospital wards. Primary and secondary immunodeficiencies in susceptible individuals, such as those with leukemia, solid organ transplants, diabetes, and ongoing chemotherapy, often correlate with decreased plasma gelsolin concentration (hypogelsolinemia) and impairment of innate immune responses due to severe leukopenia. Immunocompromised patients are predisposed to superficial and invasive fungal infections. Morbidity caused by C. auris among immunocompromised patients can be as great as 60%. In the era of ever-growing fungal resistance in an aging society, it is critical to seek novel immunotherapies that may help combat these infections. The results reported here suggest the possibility of using pGSN as an immunomodulator of the immune response by neutrophils during C. auris infection.

Moyamoya disease: Diagnostic imaging.

Moyamoya disease is a progressive vasculopathy leading to stenosis of the main intracranial arteries. The incidence of moyamoya disease is high in Asian countries; in Europe and North America, the prevalence of the disease is considerably lower. Clinically, the disease may be of ischaemic, haemorrhagic and epileptic type. Cognitive dysfunction and behavioral disturbance are atypical symptoms of moyamoya disease.Characteristic angiographic features of the disease include stenosis or occlusion of the arteries of the circle of Willis, as well as the development of collateral vasculature. Currently, magnetic resonance angiography and CT angiography with multi-row systems are the main imaging methods of diagnostics of the entire range of vascular changes in moyamoya disease.The most common surgical treatment combines the direct arterial anastomosis between the superficial temporal artery and middle cerebral, and the indirect synangiosis involving placement of vascularised tissue in the brain cortex, in order to promote neoangiogenesis. Due to progressive changes, correct and early diagnosis is of basic significance in selecting patients for surgery, which is the only effective treatment of the disease. An appropriate qualification to surgery should be based on a comprehensive angiographic and imaging evaluation of brain structures.Despite the rare occurrence of moyamoya disease in European population, it should be considered as one of causes of ischaemic or haemorrhagic strokes, especially in young patients.

[Rehabilitation in patients with Parkinson's disease living in the region of Bialystok]. / Postepowanie rehabilitacyjne u pacjentów z choroba Parkinsona zamieszkujacych w rejonie Bialegostoku.

UNLABELLED: Parkinson's disease is one of the most common progressive neurodegenerative diseases of the brain, usually leading to significant disability. Rehabilitation, in addition to symptomatic pharmacotherapy, should be the mainstay of treatment for each patient. The aim of this study was to collect data on the use of different methods of rehabilitation treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease living in the area of Bialystok (before 1998 the province of Bialystok) and evaluation of environmental, social and health factors, which affect the use of this form of treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated patients with Parkinson's disease treated in neurological departments in Bialystok and Choroszcz near Bialystok over the next 12 months. It was conducted using a specially constructed for this purpose questionnaire. The course of Parkinson's disease was also assessed in the Hoehn and Yahr and the Schwab and England scale. RESULTS: We have studied 88 patients with clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (48 women and 40 men), mean age 68.7 years. It was found that only 73% of those surveyed had ever been rehabilitated. In 27% of patients had never been used any rehabilitation treatment. It was shown that the level of education positively influences the use of rehabilitation, while the coexistence of additional diseases, living in the country and the older age impede the use of physiotherapy. The stage of disease and sex of patients did not affect the use of rehabilitation. Patients were primarily rehabilitated in a hospital. Among the most commonly used treatments were kinesis therapy, massage and hydrotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates too low access of patients with Parkinson's disease to rehabilitation and confirms purposefulness of initiating information and education action about the need for physiotherapy treatment in these group of patients.