[Characteristics of intestinal tuft cells and their role in the pathomechanism of inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal carcinoma]. / Az intestinalis bojtos sejtek sajátosságai és szerepük a gyulladásos bélbetegség és a colorectalis carcinoma patomechanizmusában.

Given their fundamental physiological importance, their involvement in the immune system, and their close association with the development of intestinal diseases, the interest in intestinal epithelial cells has increased significantly over the past fifteen years. Their close association with intestinal worm and protozoan infections - a significant 2016 discovery - has further stimulated research into uncommon chemosensitive tuft epithelial cells. Although their numbers are relatively low, tuft cells are now recognized as an essential sentinel of the gastrointestinal tract, as their taste receptors for succinate, sweet, and bitter continuously monitor intestinal contents. When stimulated, tuft cells release a number of effector molecules, including immunomodulatory molecules like interleukin 25, prostaglandins E2 and D2, cysteinyl leukotriene C4, acetylcholine, thymic stromal lymphopoietin, and beta-endorphins. Tuft cells have been shown to be crucial for immunity against nematodes and protozoa. The majority of tuft cell research has used the doublecortin-like (microtubule-linked) kinase 1 protein marker on mice; however, the expression of the enzyme cyclooxygenase-1 may help identify human intestinal tuft cells. Few studies have examined the association between tuft cells and intestinal diseases in humans. This article provides an update on intestinal epithelial tuft cells, including their physiology, immunological nodal function, and role in human diseases. We conclude by discussing the potential clinical therapeutic value of tuft cells. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(44): 1727-1735.

[COVID-19 infections and effectiveness of the vaccination among healthcare workers]. / A COVID­19-fertozés és a védooltások hatásosságának vizsgálata egészségügyi dolgozókon.

INTRODUCTION: New variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus are constantly appearing, causing the COVID-19 pandemic. From November 2021, most infections were caused by the Omicron coronavirus variant. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this prospective observational cohort study was to estimate the incidence of COVID-19 infections in the high-risk healthcare workers after two BNT162b2 mRNA Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines and the subsequent booster vaccine, as well as the effectiveness, the safety and the humoral immune response of the vaccines. METHOD: We started the two Pfizer-BioNTech ((BNT162b29) vaccinations of healthcare workers of the Polyclinic of the Hospitaller Brothers of St. John between January 07 and March 08, 2021. The choice of the type and timing of the third booster vaccination was voluntary. The workers were followed up between January 07, 2021 and June 29, 2022. The infection rate, adverse events of the vaccination, risk factors to infection and the kinetics of anti-spike (S) antibody and anti-nucleocapsid (N) antibody serum level were evaluated. RESULTS: The data of 294 healthcare workers - 96 medical doctors, 127 nurses and 71 workers in hospital - who had at least three antibody level measurements were analyzed. The third booster vaccine was given to 280 workers, the distribution of the vaccines was the following: Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b29) vaccine (n = 210), Moderna COVID-19 (mRNA-1273) vaccine (n = 37), Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine (n = 21), Janssen COVID-19 (n = 10), AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) vaccine (n = 2). Infection occurred in 121 cases (41%) during the observation period. The course of the COVID-19 infections was mostly mild (97%) and recovered within a week. During the observational period, 2 workers died: a 56-year-old woman died after two vaccinations for reason unrelated to COVID-19 infection, and a 58-year-old man died after the booster vaccination, following COVID-19 infection. The incidence of infection did not correlate with age, sex, comorbidities, smoking, occupation and BMI. The median titre of anti-S antibody serum level increased one month after the second vaccination of the basic immunization (1173.0 U/ml) and decreased slowly until the 8th month (678.5-625.8-538.0 U/ml) after the basic vaccination. One month after the booster vaccination, the median titre of anti-S antibody serum level increased significantly (16 535 U/ml), and showed a decreasing trend in the 3rd month after the booster vaccination (9697.7 U/ml). An exceptionally high S antibody serum level increasing after the basic (>10 000 U/mL) and booster (>60 000 U/m) vaccination showed a correlation with prior COVID-19 infection. The median cut-off index (COI) of anti-N antibody was not affected by vaccination, the increasing of the titre is related to the infection. CONCLUSION: The booster vaccination had less effect on the infection caused by Omicron variant, but the course of the infection was milder. Compared to the basic immunisation, the booster vaccination caused a significant increase in the S antibody level. An exceptionally high S antibody level correlated with prior COVID-19 infection. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(5): 163-171.

Possibilities and pitfalls of virus antigen and antibody detection of SARS-CoV-2 / Lehetoségek és buktatók a SARS-CoV-2-antigén és az ellene termelt antitestek kimutatásában.

Összefoglaló. A koronavírus-betegség 2019 (COVID-19)-pandémia komoly kihívás elé állította nemcsak a mikrobiológiai laboratóriumokat, hanem az eredmények interpretálásában a klinikumban dolgozó kollégákat is. Az orvostudomány specializált világában az immunológiai és a fertozo betegségekkel kapcsolatos ismeretek az antimikrobás terápiás megoldások sikeressége, valamint a széles köru vakcináció miatt az idok folyamán számos szakterületen háttérbe szorultak, felfrissítésük sürgeto és elengedhetetlen része a pandémiával való megküzdésnek. A diagnosztikai vizsgálatok fontos eszközei a járvány megfékezésének, illetve a betegek ellátásának, azonban a vírus és az emberi szervezet interakciójának megértése elengedhetetlenül szükséges a korrekt epidemiológiai és gyógyászati véleményalkotáshoz. Jelen cikkünk az orvosi gyakorlat számára foglalja össze a súlyos akut légzoszervi szindrómát okozó koronavírus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) kimutatására, valamint az immunrendszer specifikus immunválaszának szerológiai vizsgálatára irányuló, gyakorlatban használatos módszereket, azok helyét, szerepét és értékelésük szempontjait a tudomány jelen állása szerint. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(15): 563-570. Summary. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic posed a serious challenge not only for microbiology laboratories, but also for the clinicians in interpretation of the results. In the specialized world of medicine, knowledge of immunological and infectious diseases has been relegated to the background in many disciplines over time due to the success of antimicrobial therapies and widespread vaccination, so updating them is an urgent and essential part of the fight against the pandemic. Diagnostic tests are important tools for controlling the epidemic and caring for patients, but understanding the interaction between the virus and the human body is essential to form a correct epidemiological and medical opinion. This paper summarizes the medical methods for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the serological testing of the specific immune response of the immune system, their place, role and criteria of their evaluation according to current scientific knowledge. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(15): 563-570.

The immunological background of glomerular injuries / Immunmediált glomerularis károsodások

The basic structural units of the renal filtration are the glomeruli, which, in addition to their passive hemodynamic function, also participate in complex immune-mediated mechanisms. The immune system as a double-edged sword maintains the physiological homeostasis of the glomeruli, but also plays a crucial role in the induction of glomerular damage. The immune-mediated chronic glomerular injures are the most common cause of end-stage renal diseases. The unregulated and overactive immune response can damage both the structural and the cellular components of the glomeruli, including the glomerular basal membrane, mesangial and capillary endothelial cells, podocytes, and parietal epithelium. The manuscript summarizes the role of the glomerular components and the natural and adaptive immune response in the pathomechanism of glomerular diseases. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(24): 993-1001.

[Immune response and oxidative stress in hepatitis C virus infection]. / Immunválasz és oxidatív stressz hepatitis C-vírus-infekcióban.

This review summarizes our current knowledge of the innate and adaptive immune responses induced by hepatitis C virus, and of the genetic polymorphisms that may determine the outcome of the disease. In addition, the authors discuss the role of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in hepatitis C virus-related pathogenic processess, such as hepatitis, fibrosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, steatosis and insulin resistance.