El impacto de la pandemia de covid-19 en la condición inmune y la calidad del sueño de los estudiantes de la universidad de buenos aires / Covid-19 pandemic's impact on immune fitness and sleep quality of buenos aires university students

La pandemia debido al coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) y los períodos de confinamiento impactaron negativamente en el estado de ánimo, la salud y la calidad de vida. Este estudio evaluó el impacto de los períodos de confinamiento en Argentina sobre la capacidad inmunológica, es decir, la capacidad del cuerpo para responder a desafíos de salud (como infecciones) a través de la activación de una respuesta inmunológica apropiada, y la calidad del sueño de los estudiantes universitarios de Buenos Aires. Una encuesta retrospectiva entre estudiantes (N=482, 29.3% varones, con una edad promedio (DS) de 22.6 (3.5) años) reveló que, tanto la aptitud inmunológica como la calidad del sueño fueron significativamente peores durante la pandemia de la COVID-19 (p < 0.001). Los efectos fueron más pronunciados durante los períodos de confinamiento. No se encontraron diferencias relevantes debidas al sexo y la edad. En conclusión, los períodos de confinamiento por COVID-19 tuvieron un impacto negativo significativo en la capacidad inmunológica y en la calidad del sueño. Esta observación es preocupante, ya que investigaciones previas mostraron que una aptitud inmunológica deficiente está asociada con experimentar síntomas más graves de la enfermedad por COVID-19 cuando se está infectado con el virus SARS-CoV-2.

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and associated lockdown periods had a significant negative impact on mood, health, and quality of life. This study evaluated to what extent the lockdown periods in Argentina had an impact on immune fitness, i.e., the body's capacity to respond to health challenges (such as infections) by activating an appropriate immune response, and sleep quality of university students in Buenos Aires. A retrospective survey among students (N=482, 29.3% males, mean (SD) age of 22.6 (3.5) years old) revealed that, compared to before COVID-19, both immune fitness and sleep quality were significantly poorer during the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.001). The effects were most pronounced during the lockdown periods. No relevant sex and age differences were found. In conclusion, the COVID-19 lockdown periods had a significant negative impact on immune fitness and sleep quality. This observation is of concern, as previous research showed that a poor immune fitness is associated with experiencing more severe COVID-19 symptoms when infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Fiebre en pacientes inmunodeprimidos / Fever in immunocompromised patients

Introducción: La fiebre es un marcador de enfermedades infecciosas e inflamatorias que se da por una respuesta inmune innata y por diferentes mediaciones entre marcadores moleculares. En el paciente inmunodeprimido, uno o varios mecanismos inmunológicos pueden estar alterados, debido a que la respuesta inmune puede estar deprimida y la fiebre puede denotar un estado patológico grave subyacente. Se realizó una búsqueda exploratoria en las bases de datos PubMed/Medline, Scopus y Scielo entre septiembre y octubre de 2022. Se incluyeron los términos fiebre, pacientes inmunodeprimidos, tratamiento y sistema inmune. Se seleccionaron 41 artículos científicos con diferentes diseños epidemiológicos. Objetivo: Describir aspectos relacionados con la fisiopatología de la fiebre, el tratamiento de la presencia de fiebre en pacientes con virus de inmunodeficiencia humana y síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida, así como también en pacientes receptores de trasplantes de órgano sólido y de trasplantes hematopoyéticos, pacientes neutropénicos y pacientes tratados con corticosteroides y terapia biológica. Desarrollo: El tratamiento del paciente inmunodeprimido con fiebre incluye aspectos fundamentales como una adecuada anamnesis y examen físico, además de pruebas diagnósticas orientadas para establecer la causa de la fiebre. En estos pacientes, las infecciones juegan un papel protagónico y su intervención temprana es fundamental para impactar en la morbimortalidad. Conclusiones: El paciente inmunodeprimido con presencia de fiebre presenta un panorama desafiante para su manejo médico integral. Entre otros aspectos es relevante considerar el tipo y tiempo de inmunosupresión, así como los factores de riesgo, con el fin de orientar los diagnósticos y tratamientos(AU)

Introduction: Fever is a marker of infectious and inflammatory diseases that is caused by an innate immune response and by different mediations between molecular markers. In the immunocompromised patient, one or more immunological mechanisms may be altered because the immune response may be compromised, and fever may denote a serious underlying disease state. An exploratory search was conducted in the PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Scielo databases between September and October 2022. The terms fever immunocompromised patients, treatment, and immune system. A total of 41 scientific articles with different epidemiological designs were selected. Objective: To describe aspects related to the pathophysiology of fever, management of the presence of fever in patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, as well as in patients who have received solid organ transplants and hematopoietic transplants, neutropenic patients and patients treated with corticosteroids and biological therapy. Developing: The approach to the immunocompromised patient with fever includes fundamental aspects such as an adequate history and physical examination, as well as diagnostic tests aimed at establishing the cause of the fever. In these patients, infections play a leading role and early intervention is essential to impact morbidity and mortality. Conclusions: The immunocompromised patient with the presence of fever presents a challenging panorama for his/her comprehensive medical approach. Among other aspects, it is relevant to consider the type and duration of immunosuppression, as well as the risk factors, to guide diagnoses and treatments(AU)

Produção de anticorpos e citocinas em resposta ao SARS-CoV-2: comparação entre imunidade vacinal e híbrida / Antibody and cytokine production in response to SARS-CoV-2: vaccine versus hybrid immunity comparison

A resposta imunológica pelo SARS-CoV-2 após protocolos vacinais e infecção natural é pouco compreendida. Comparando indivíduos vacinados com esquema heterólogo que receberam um reforço vacinal (imunidade vacinal) com aqueles que apresentaram episódio leve de COVID-19 (imunidade híbrida) no mesmo período, verificamos níveis semelhantes de anticorpos contra SARS-CoV-2. Em culturas de células mononucleares, o estímulo com o antígeno viral induziu produção de citocinas pró-inflamatórias nos dois grupos, entretanto, os níveis de IL-17 foram menores em indivíduos com imunidade vacinal. Nossos resultados sugerem que o reforço vacinal teve efeitos semelhantes à infecção natural pelo SARS-CoV-2 na resposta imunológica de indivíduos previamente vacinados. (AU)

The immune response generated by SARS-CoV-2 vaccination protocols and natural infection remains incompletely understood. We compared individuals who received a heterologous vaccination scheme with a booster shot (vaccine immunity) to those who experienced a mild COVID-19 episode (hybrid immunity) during the same timeframe. Our findings revealed similar levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in both groups. Stimulation by viral antigen in mononuclear cell cultures induced pro-inflammatory cytokines in both groups, while individuals with vaccine immunity exhibited lower IL-17. These results suggest that a vaccine booster can induce an immune response in previously vaccinated individuals comparable to that elicited by natural SARS-CoV-2 infection. (AU)

Association of obesity with severe outcomes among older and younger adult patients with COVID-19 infection: Retrospective cohort study

Background@#The association of obesity with adverse COVID-19 outcomes is known, but unexplored in younger adults.@*Objective@#To determine the association of obesity [body mass index (BMI) of ≥30] with severe COVID-19 outcomes in younger and older adults.@*Design@#Retrospective cohort study.@*Participants@#391 patients with COVID-19 (226 younger adults aged 18-60 years, and 165 older adults aged >60 years).@*Setting@#Southern Philippines Medical Center, Davao City, January 2021 to September 2021.@*Main outcome measures@#Severe COVID-19 outcomes (high-flow oxygen administration, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, death); odds ratio of severe outcomes in patients with BMI of ≥30.@*Main results@#Of 391 patients (median age of 57 years), 286 had a BMI of <30, while 105 had a BMI of ≥30. Univariate regression analysis showed that a BMI of ≥30 was significantly associated with any severe COVID-19 outcomes (OR=2.68; 95% CI 1.68 to 4.27; p<0.001). This remained after adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (adjusted OR=3.19; 95% CI 1.93 to 5.27; p<0.001). A BMI of ≥30 was also significantly associated with any severe outcomes among younger adults (adjusted OR=4.04; 95% CI 2.23 to 7.32; p<0.001), but not among older adults (adjusted OR=1.80; 95% CI 0.70 to 4.64; p=0.227).@*Conclusion@#In our study, among all adults, a BMI of ≥30 significantly increased the odds of experiencing any severe COVID-19 outcomes. This association was also observed in the younger adult subgroup, but not in the older adult subgroup.

Estudo da ativação e modulação da resposta imune contra a esporotricose experimental, a partir de vesículas extracelulares purificadas de células dendríticas / Study of the activation and modulation of the immune response against experimental sporotrichosis, using extracellular vesicles purified from dendritic cells

A esporotricose é uma zoonose micótica emergente e subcutânea, que afeta a pele, o sistema linfático e outros órgãos de humanos e animais. Assim como outras doenças infecciosas fúngicas, se torna ainda mais grave quando acomete pacientes imunossuprimidos. Essa infecção possui distribuição global e é endêmica em algumas regiões do Brasil e de outros países tropicais e subtropicais, sendo um problema de saúde pública importante em nosso país. A doença é causada por um complexo de pelo menos quatro espécies patogênicas, incluindo o Sporothrix brasiliensis (S. brasiliensis). A resposta imunológica contra estas espécies ainda não é completamente elucidada, mas estruturas como as vesículas extracelulares (VEs) poderiam transportar componentes importantes que podem contribuir na modulação e no controle desta importante infecção. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho, é analisar a participação das VEs de células dendríticas (DCs) naive e VEs de DCs previamente primadas com leveduras de S. brasiliensis e primadas com VEs do fungo, na resposta imune contra a esporotricose experimental em modelos murinos. Para isso, as DCs obtidas da medula óssea de camundongos, foram cultivadas com leveduras de S. brasiliensis ou com VEs do fungo e posteriormente, VEs totais das DCs foram purificadas a partir de ultracentrifugação e analisadas quanto a sua participação na modulação da resposta imunológica. Essas VEs foram utilizadas em protocolo profilático em modelos murinos, previamente a infecção subcutânea experimental. Foi observado o diâmetro médio das lesões no decorrer de 35 dias de infecção e a carga fúngica da lesão na pele. Os resultados obtidos mostram que as VEs de DCs naive, e VEs de DCs previamente cultivadas com leveduras do fungo ou com VEs fúngicas, são capazes de modular a carga fúngica. Os grupos que receberam VEs de DCs de forma profilática, de modo geral apresentaram diminuição significativa da carga fúngica em relação ao grupo controle. Na análise comparativa apenas dos grupos que receberam a profilaxia, observa-se que o uso de VEs de DCs naive, resultam em uma carga fúngica maior que o uso de VEs de DCs previamente ativadas, e quando as DCs são ativadas com levedura, essa carga fúngica é a menor. Quando analisamos o perfil de citocinas na pele de camundongos tratados com as VEs previamente a infecção, observamos aumento de IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-17 e IL-10 principalmente nos animais previamente tratados com VEs de DCs que foram ativadas com leveduras. Em relação às citocinas produzidas, podemos sugerir até o momento, uma resposta imunológica mista, mas que de alguma maneira, ainda não esclarecida, devem contribuir para melhor controle do processo infeccioso in vivo. Em relação a linfoproliferação, observa-se principalmente um aumento de linfócitos T CD4+ quando acrescentamos VEs de DCs que não foram previamente ativadas, mostrando uma ação de uma resposta mais inespecífica. Vale ressaltar que todos os protocolos profiláticos foram capazes de modular e minimizar o crescimento fúngico, quando comparados ao controle, ou seja, as VEs contribuíram com o controle da infecção e agiram a favor do hospedeiro, demonstrando um caráter protetivo

Sporotrichosis is an emerging subcutaneous mycotic zoonosis that affects the skin, lymphatic system, and other organs of humans and animals, and like other infectious fungal diseases, it becomes even more serious when it affects immunosuppressed patients. This infection has a global distribution and is endemic in some regions of Brazil and other tropicals and subtropicals countries, being an important public health problem in our country. The disease is caused by a complex of at least four pathogenic species, including Sporothrix brasiliensis (S. brasiliensis). The immunological response against these species has not yet been completely elucidated, but structures such as extracellular vesicles (EVs) could carry important components that can contribute to the modulation and control of this important infection. Thus, the objective of this work is to analyze the participation of EVs from naïve dendritic cells (DCs) and EVs from DCs previously primed with S. brasiliensis yeast and primed with EVs from the fungus, in the immune response against experimental sporotrichosis in murine models. For this, DCs obtained from the bone marrow of mice were cultivated with S. brasiliensis yeast or EVs from the fungus, and subsequently, total EVs from the DCs were purified through ultracentrifugation and analyzed for their participation in modulating the immune response. These EVs were used in a prophylactic protocol in murine models, before experimental subcutaneous infection. The average diameter of the lesions over 35 days of infection and the fungal load of the lesion on the skin were observed. The results obtained show that EVs from naïve DCs, and EVs from DCs previously cultured with yeast or fungal EVs, are capable of modulating the fungal load. The groups that received EVs from DCs prophylactically generally showed a significant decrease in fungal load compared to the control group. In the comparative analysis of only the groups that received prophylaxis, it was observed that the use of EVs from naïve DCs results in a higher fungal load than the use of EVs from previously activated DCs, and when the DCs are activated with yeast, this load fungal is smaller. When we analyzed the cytokine profile in the skin of mice treated with EVs before infection, we observed an increase in IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-10, mainly in animals previously treated with EVs from DCs that were activated with yeast. About the cytokines produced, we can so far suggest a mixed immunological response, but in some way, not yet clear, they should contribute to better control of the infectious process in vivo. About lymphoproliferation, an increase in CD4+ T lymphocytes is mainly observed when we add EVs from DCs that were not previously activated, showing a more nonspecific response. It is worth highlighting that all prophylactic protocols were able to modulate and minimize fungal growth, when compared to the control, that is, EVs contributed to the control of the infection and acted in favor of the host, demonstrating a protective character

Corneal transplantation and concomitant SARS-CoV-2 infection: a case report / Transplante de córnea e infecção concomitante por SARS-CoV-2: relato de caso

ABSTRACT This report was aimed at presenting a case of neurotrophic keratitis and concomitant SARS-CoV-2 infection in a patient who has recently undergone a corneal DALK transplant. One month after corneal transplantation with adequate corneal epithelialization, the patient presented neurotrophic keratitis with a torpid course of the corneal transplant coinciding with a SARS-CoV-2 infection, with an excessive host immune response. In addition, the patient presented a re-positivization of nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction of SARS-CoV-2 with past disease after starting treatment with autologous serum eye drops. The implications at the ophthalmological level of SARS-CoV-2 infection may be clarified as the time the illness progresses and we learn more about how it acts. In this case, the disparity of signs and symptoms, the antecedent of corneal surgery, and the possibility of a herpetic infection as a cause of the primary leukoma suggested neurotrophic keratitis. Nonetheless, the involvement of systemic SARS-CoV-2 infection in the process, triggering an excessive host immune response at the corneal level with an increase in inflammatory cytokines must be taken into account. No relationship was found between treatment with autologous serum and re-positivization of nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction, presenting the patient a favorable response to treatment.

RESUMO O objetivo deste relato foi apresentar um caso de ceratite neurotrófica e infecção concomitante por SARS-CoV-2 em paciente submetido recentemente a transplante de córnea DALK. Um mês após o transplante de córnea com adequada epitelização da córnea, o paciente apresentou ceratite neurotrófica com curso tórpido do transplante de córnea, coincidindo com infecção por SARS-CoV-2, com resposta imune excessiva do hospedeiro. Além disso, o paciente apresentou repositivização da reação em cadeia da polimerase nasofaríngeo de SARS-CoV-2, com doença pregressa após iniciar tratamento com colírio de soro autólogo. As implicações a nível oftalmológico da infecção por SARS-CoV-2, podem ser esclarecidas à medida que a doença progride e aprendemos mais sobre sua forma de atuação. Neste caso, a disparidade de sinais e sintomas, o antecedente de cirurgia de córnea e a possibilidade de infecção herpética como causa do leucoma primário sugeriram ceratite neurotrófica. No entanto, deve-se levar em consideração o envolvimento da infecção sistêmica por SARS-CoV-2 no processo, desencadeando uma resposta imune excessiva do hospedeiro no nível da córnea, com aumento de citocinas inflamatórias. Não foi encontrada relação entre o tratamento com soro autólogo e a repositivização da reação em cadeia da polimerase nasofaríngea, apresentando ao paciente uma resposta favorável ao tratamento.

La inmunidad más allá de las ciencias médicas y biológicas / Immunity beyond the medical and biological sciences

El contexto socio-cultural actual, con su vertiginoso indi¬vidualismo y cada vez más alejado de lo colectivo, nos exige ejercitar la bioética y reflexionar sobre la lógica inmunitaria y la teoría del sistema inmunitario. La división siempre fue igual: blanco/negro, el bien/el mal, anticuerpo/antígeno, normal/patológico, occidente/oriente, civilización/barbarie, gen/proteína, y la lista es inagotable. Desde la lógica inmunitaria estas asociaciones se sintetizan en el par dicotómico vertical lo propio/lo no propio, donde el cuerpo humano biologizado (o biomedicalizado) representaría lo propio, que debe protegerse de lo considerado no propio, como podría ser un microorganismo o un cáncer. ¿De qué hablamos cuando hablamos de inmunidad? Depende. En la sinopsis del libro de divulgación científica Qué es el sistema inmune, escrito por Gabriel Rabinovich y Jorge Geffner, se anuncia (2014): "Sin que nos demos cuenta, nuestro organismo es un territorio en el que día y noche se desarrollan batallas épicas. Se producen en la intimidad de nuestros tejidos, y con armas más versátiles y efectivas que ninguna de las diseñadas por la industria bélica. Las protagoniza el sistema inmune, que distingue lo propio de lo extraño, nos protege de microorganis¬mos patógenos y descarta errores en la cadena de producción de las células (1)". En otro sentido, en la solapa del libro Immunitas. Protec¬ción y negación de la vida de Roberto Espósito se lee (2009): "La inmunidad preserva la comunidad al tiempo que la debilita". La fisiología del sistema inmunológico obedece a una lógica contradictoria: "la vida busca afirmase en aquello que la niega" (2). Es decir, para sobrevivir, conservar, proliferar y potenciar lo propio, se necesita de lo extraño. ¿Quién se puede negar a proteger lo que es de uno (tu cuerpo, tu casa, tu renta, tu país)? "Lo no propio" representa la esencia de la categoría "enfermedad" y se establece como ejemplar predilecto del discurso inmunitario, habiendo evo¬lucionado en sentido común. El sentido común, la obviedad vacía, materializa las re¬presentaciones del vulgo y produce un ethos mediado por el discurso biomédico con el objetivo de cosificar y colocar a las personas bajo la órbita comercial, donde "lo no propio" y la "enfermedad" funcionan como dispositivo espectacular de valor agregado. En este sentido, Donna Haraway sostiene: "Dirijo mi atención principalmente hacia ese polimorfo y poderosos objeto de fe, conocimiento y práctica llamado sistema inmunitario. Mi tesis es que el Sistema Inmunitario es un elaborado ícono para sistemas clave de "diferenciación" simbólica y material en el capitalismo tardío. Preeminente¬mente un objeto del siglo veinte, el Sistema Inmunitario es un mapa dibujado para guiar el reconocimiento y el desconoci¬miento del sí mismo y del otro en la dialéctica de la política occidental (Haraway en Esposito, 2009)." Este rasgo esencial del Sistema Inmune (lo no propio) se encuadra en el hábito de designar a las instituciones y a los eventos culturales como conceptos médico-biológicos y calificarlos en términos de moralidad, siempre en pares dicotómicos verticales, donde lo "mejor/peor" o "superior/inferior" es el sustrato favorito para fabricar conceptos aso¬ciados a ellos, en este caso "lo propio/lo no propio" (3, 4). La naturaleza del mecanismo inmunitario es una teoría, devenida verdad, cuya atracción para el estudiantado y su facilidad para estudiarla y comprenderla proviene de la dicotomía axiológica "lo propio y lo no propio" y desde la metáfora bélica. El problema surge cuando ­televisión de por medio­ se produce el pasaje de verdades (conceptos) médicas a la comunidad, porque la sociedad y el espectáculo encuentran en el fascinante discurso médico su argumentación teórica (5). Ahora bien, imaginemos la siguiente definición: El Sistema Inmunitario se encarga de reconocer e incluir lo no propio, para interactuar con lo propio y fortalecerse. El contenido y el mecanismo fisiológico es el mismo; sólo cambió el discurso y, por ende, el significado. Lamentablemente, para que "la cosa funcione" el discurso inmunitario debe ser el de siempre: el de una batalla, y si es épica mejor.

Controversias en el uso de la vitamina D como preventivo de la esclerosis múltiple. Revisión de la literatura / Controversies in the use of vitamin D as a preventive of multiple sclerosis. Literature review

La esclerosis múltiple (EM) es una enfermedad desmielinizante que afecta el sistema nervioso central. A pesar de los avances en materia de diagnóstico y tratamiento, se desconocen aún muchos aspectos de su etiopatogenia y fisiopatología. La EM es una de las principales causas de discapacidad neurológica y, por los elevados costos de los tratamientos inmunomoduladores e inmunosupresores, tiene un gran impacto económico en la salud pública. Por ello, se intentaron diversos tratamientos preventivos, como la utilización de la vitamina D. Debido a la acción de la vitamina D sobre el sistema inmune, ha sido prescripta en sujetos de riesgo. Sin embargo, hasta el momento actual, los estudios sobre sus efectos no resultaron concluyentes y persisten las dudas acerca de sus posibles beneficios en materia de prevención. El objetivo de la presente revisión bibliográfica es realizar una puesta al día y destacar los aspectos controversiales en relación al uso de la vitamina D como tratamiento preventivo de la esclerosis múltiple. (AU)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a demyelinating disease that affects the central nervous system. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, many aspects of its etiopathogenesis and pathophysiology remain unknown. MS is one of the main causes of neurological disability and, due to the high costs of modern immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive treatments, it has a great economic impact on public health. Therefore, numerous efforts have been made in the search for preventive treatments. For this reason, various preventive treatments were tried, such as the use of vitamin D. Due to its action on the immune system, it has been used in subjects at ME risk. However, these studies have been inconclusive to date, and its possible benefits in terms of prevention are still being questioned. The objective of this bibliographic review is to update and highlight the controversial aspects in relation to the use of vitamin D as a preventive treatment of multiple sclerosis. (AU)

Research progress on the effectiveness of smallpox vaccination against mpox virus infection / 中华流行病学杂志

With the expansion of mpox virus infection from endemic to a global epidemic in 2022, the WHO declared that the mpox event constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Due to the high degree of gene sequence similarity among orthopox viruses and cross-reactive antibodies induced by orthoviruses, smallpox vaccination may affect the immune response induced by mpox virus infection. The analysis of the protective effects of smallpox vaccination against mpox virus infection will help define the focus of prevention and control. In this review, we clarify the protection of the smallpox vaccine against mpox virus infection by analyzing the correlation between smallpox vaccination, immune response status, and clinical data and providing evidence for the prevention, control, and strategies of mpox epidemics.

Regulating the immune response to carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in mice by blocking inducible co-stimulatory molecules and interleukin-33 / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To investigate the effects of combined blockade of interleukin-33 (IL-33) and inducible co-stimulatory molecule (ICOS) on carbon tetrachloride-induced chronic liver fibrosis and imbalance of T helper lymphocyte subsets in mice. Methods: There were 40 BALB/c mice in each model and control group. Flow cytometry was used to determine the proportion of Th1/Th2/Th17 cells in the splenic lymphocyte suspension of mice, the expression levels of interferon γ, IL-4, and IL-17 in the splenic lymphocyte suspension of liver fibrosis mice after combined blockade of IL-33 and ICOS, and the pathological changes of liver histopathology in mice with liver fibrosis. Two independent sample t-test was used to compare data between groups. Results: Compared with the non-blocking group, the proportion of Th2 and Th17 cells in the IL-33/ICOS blocking group was significantly down-regulated (Th2: 65.96% ± 6.04% vs. 49.09% ± 7.03%; Th17: 19.17% ± 4.03% vs. 9.56% ± 2.03%), while the proportion of Th1 cells and Th1/Th2 ratio were up-regulated (Th1: 17.14% ± 3.02% vs. 31.93% ± 5.02%; Th1/Th2: 0.28 ± 0.06 vs. 0.62 ± 0.23), and the difference was statistically significant (t = 5.15, 6.03, 7.14, 4.28, respectively, with P < 0.05). After entering the chronic inflammation stage of liver fibrosis in mice (10 weeks), compared with the non-blocking group, the expression levels of IL-4 and IL-17 in the blockade group were significantly down-regulated [IL-4: (84.75 ± 14.35) pg/ ml vs. (77.88 ± 19.61) pg/ml; IL-17: (72.38 ± 15.13) pg/ml vs. (36.38 ± 8.65) pg/ml], while the expression of interferon γ was up-regulated [(37.25 ± 11.51) pg/ml vs. (77.88 ± 19.61) pg/ml], and the difference was statistically significant (t: IL-4: 4.71; IL-17: 5.84; interferon γ: 5.05, respectively, with P < 0.05). Liver histopathological results showed that hepatic necrosis, hepatic lobular structural disorder, and fibrous tissue hyperplasia were significantly lower in the blockade group than those in the non-blocking group at 13 weeks of liver fibrosis. Conclusion: Combined blockade of the ICOS signaling pathway and IL-33 can regulate Th2 and Th17 polarization, down-regulate the inflammatory response, and inhibit or prevent the occurrence and progression of fibrosis.

Effect of moxibustion on immune function homeostasis in rats with diarrhea irritable bowel syndrome based on SCF/c-kit signaling pathway / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of moxibustion on the stem cell factor (SCF)/tyrosine kinase receptor (c-kit) signaling pathway and immune function in rats with diarrhea irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), and to explore the mechanism of moxibustion for IBS-D.@*METHODS@#Among 52 young rats born from 6 healthy pregnant SPF rats, 12 rats were randomly selected into the normal group, and the remaining 40 rats were treated with the three-factor combination method of maternal separation, acetic acid enema and chronic restraint stress to establish the IBS-D rat model. Thirty-six rats with successful IBS-D model were randomly divided into a model group, a moxibustion group, and a medication group, 12 rats in each group. The rats in the moxibustion group were treated with suspension moxibustion at "Tianshu" (ST 25) and "Shangjuxu" (ST 37); the rats in the medication group were treated with intragastric administration of rifaximin suspension (150 mg/kg). All the treatments were given once a day for 7 consecutive days. The body mass, loose stool rate (LSR), the minimum volume threshold when abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) scored 3 were measured before acetic acid enema (35 days old), after modeling (45 days old), and after intervention (53 days old). After intervention (53 days old), HE staining was used to observe the morphology of colon tissue, and spleen and thymus coefficients were measured; ELISA method was used to detect serum inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor a [TNF-a], interleukin [IL]-10, IL-8), T-lymphocyte subsets (CD+4, CD+8, CD+45), value of CD+4/CD+8 and immune globulin (IgA, IgG, IgM); real-time PCR method and Western blot method was used to detect the expression of SCF, c-kit mRNA and protein in colon tissue; immunofluorescence staining method were used to detect positive expression of SCF and c-kit.@*RESULTS@#After intervention, compared with the normal group, in the model group, the body mass and the minimum volume threshold when AWR scored 3 were decreased (P<0.01), LSR, spleen and thymus coefficients, serum levels of TNF-α, IL-8, CD+4, CD+45, CD+4/CD+8, IgA, IgG, IgM were increased (P<0.01), serum IL-10 level and protein and mRNA expression of SCF and c-kit in colon tissue were decreased (P<0.01), and the positive expression of SCF and c-kit was decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, in the moxibustion group and the medication group, the body mass and the minimum volume threshold when AWR scored 3 were increased (P<0.01, P<0.05), LSR, spleen and thymus coefficients, serum levels of TNF-α, IL-8, CD+4, CD+8, CD+45, CD+4/CD+8, IgA, IgG, IgM were decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), serum IL-10 level and protein and mRNA expression of SCF and c-kit in colon tissue were increased (P<0.01), and the positive expression of SCF and c-kit was increased (P<0.01). Compared with the medication group, in the moxibustion group, the level of serum CD+4 was decreased (P<0.05), the value of CD+4/CD+8 was increased (P<0.01), and there was no significant difference in other indexes (P>0.05). The expression of SCF and c-kit mRNA was positively correlated with the minimum volume threshold when AWR scored 3 and IL-10 (P<0.01), and negatively correlated with remaining indexes (P<0.01, P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Moxibustion could reduce visceral hypersensitivity, improve symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhea in IBS-D rats, and its mechanism may be related to up-regulation of the expression of SCF/c-kit signaling pathway and improvement of IBS-D immune function.

Silencing GmATG10 results in activation of immune responses in soybean / 生物工程学报

Autophagy is a highly conserved mechanism for material degradation and recycling in eukaryote cells, and plays important roles in growth, development, stress tolerance and immune responses. ATG10 plays a key role in autophagosome formation. To understand the function of ATG10 in soybean, two homologous GmATG10 genes, namely GmATG10a and GmATG10b, were silenced simultaneously by bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) induced gene silencing. The carbon starvation induced by dark treatment and Western blotting analysis of GmATG8 accumulation level indicated that concurrent silencing GmATG10a/10b resulted in the impairment of autophagy in soybean; disease resistance and kinase assays demonstrated that GmATG10a/10b participated in the immune responses by negatively regulating the activation of GmMPK3/6, indicating that GmATG10a/10b plays a negative regulatory role in immune response in soybean.

Effect of breastfeeding on immune function in infants with human cytomegalovirus infection / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the effect of breastfeeding on immune function in infants with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 135 infants with HCMV infection who were admitted to Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2021 to May 2022, and all these infants received breastfeeding. According to the results of breast milk HCMV-DNA testing, the infants were divided into two groups: breast milk HCMV positive (n=78) and breast milk HCMV negative (n=57). According to the median breast milk HCMV-DNA load, the infants in the breast milk HCMV positive group were further divided into two subgroups: high viral load and low viral load (n=39 each). Related indicators were compared between the breast milk positive and negative HCMV groups and between the breast milk high viral load and low viral load subgroups, including the percentages of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets (CD3+ T cells, CD3+CD4+ T cells, CD3+CD8+ T cells, and CD19+ B cells), CD4+/CD8+ ratio, IgG, IgM, IgA, and urine HCMV-DNA load.@*RESULTS@#There were no significant differences in the percentages of CD3+ T cells, CD3+CD4+ T cells, CD3+CD8+ T cells, and CD19+ B cells, CD4+/CD8+ ratio, IgG, IgM, IgA, and urine HCMV-DNA load between the breast milk HCMV positive and HCMV negative groups, as well as between the breast milk high viral load and low viral load subgroups (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Breastfeeding with HCMV does not affect the immune function of infants with HCMV infection.

Effect of moxibustion at "Mingmen" (GV 4) and "Guanyuan" (CV 4) on immune function in healthy rats based on intestinal flora / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of moxibustion at "Mingmen" (GV 4) and "Guanyuan" (CV 4) on immune function and intestinal flora in healthy rats, thereby investigating the underlying mechanism of moxibustion on immune function.@*METHODS@#Twenty 8-week-old SD rats were randomly divided into a young blank group and a young moxibustion group, with 10 rats in each group. Similarly, twenty 8-month-old SD rats were randomly divided into a middle-aged blank group and a middle-aged moxibustion group, with 10 rats in each group. The rats in the two moxibustion groups received moxibustion at "Mingmen" (GV 4) and "Guanyuan" (CV 4), 15 min per session, once daily, five times a week, for a total of four months. The rats in the two blank groups were fed under normal conditions. After the intervention, thymus and spleen indexes were calculated; the morphology of thymus and spleen tissues was observed using HE staining; the flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD and CD T lymphocytes and the CD/CD ratio was calculated; ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interleukin-17 (IL-17); 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the intestinal flora. Additionally, the correlation between the relative abundance of intestinal flora and serum levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-17 was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the young blank group, the young moxibustion group exhibited an increase in the cortical area of thymus tissue with tighter lymphocyte arrangement; compared with the middle-aged blank group, the middle-aged moxibustion group showed an increase in thymus index (P<0.05) and an increase in the cortical area of thymus tissue. There were no significant differences in spleen index between the 2 moxibustion groups and the 2 blank groups (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the expression of CD, CD, and CD/CD ratio between the 2 moxibustion groups and the corresponding blank groups (P>0.05). Compared with the young blank group, the young moxibustion group had elevated IL-6 level (P<0.05); compared with the middle-aged blank group, the middle-aged moxibustion group had decreased IL-10 and IL-17 levels (P<0.05). Compared with the young blank group, the young moxibustion group exhibited increased Sobs index, Ace index, and Chao index (P<0.01, P<0.05), as well as increased relative abundance of Spirochaetota, Treponema, Turicibacter, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group (P<0.05), and decreased relative abundance of Dubosiella (P<0.05). Compared with the middle-aged blank group, the middle-aged moxibustion group had increased relative abundance of Spirochaetota, Treponema, norank_f_Peptococcaceae (P<0.05), and decreased relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Allobaculum, and Faecalibaculum (P<0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that relative abundance of Eubacterium_xylanophilum_group and unclassified _f_Lachnospiraceae was negatively correlated with serum TNF-α level (r=-0.39, P=0.03; r=-0.24, P=0.04), while relative abundance of norank_f_norank_o_Clostridia_UCG-014 and Lactobacillus was positively correlated with serum TNF-α level (r=0.37, P=0.04; r=0.43, P=0.02). The relative abundance of Roseburia and Monoglobus was negatively correlated with serum IFN-γ level (r=-0.40, P=0.02; r=-0.44, P=0.01), while relative abundance of Lactobacillus was positively correlated with serum IL-10 level (r=0.43, P=0.02).@*CONCLUSION@#Moxibustion could improve immune function in healthy rats, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of relative abundance of intestinal flora.

Effect of tonsillotomy on the inflammation and immune function in children with chronic tonsillitis / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the changes of inflammation and immune function in children with chronic tonsillitis after tonsillotomy. Methods:Prospectively collected 60 children with obstructive sleep apnea （OSA） diagnosed as chronic tonsillitis with adenoids and tonsillar hypertrophy from January to June 2021. Two groups were divided, the experimental group （n=30） underwent bilateral partial tonsillectomy + adenoidectomy by hypothermia plasma ablation, and the control group （n=30） underwent adenoidectomy by using the same hypothermia plasma ablation method. The number of tonsillitis attacks before surgery and within one year after surgery was recorded, and the serum immunoglobulin IgM, IgG, IgA, complement C3 and complement C4 levels before operation, one month and three months after operation were measured. Results:The number of tonsillitis attacks in the experimental group and the control group at one year after surgery was lower than that before surgery（P<0.05）; The number of inflammatory attacks in the experimental group was （0.50±0.63） times/year, which was lower than that of （1.33±0.80） times/year in the control group. There was no significant difference in the five immunization results of the two groups at one month and three months after operation compared with before operation, and there was also no significant difference between the experimental and the control groups. Conclusion:Partial tonsillectomy can be applied to children with chronic tonsillitis, which can effectively reduce the number of tonsillitis attacks and has no effect on the immune function of children.

Research progress on the role of monocytes in viral hemorrhagic fevers / 细胞与分子免疫学杂志

Monocytes are important target cells of various hemorrhagic fever viruses. In viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs), monocytes can be infected by viruses and produce different kinds of cytokines, which contribute to the antiviral immune response and participation in the immunopathogenesis of VHFs. During the pathogenesis of various VHFs (early stage), monocytes change in cell counting, subpopulation distribution and expression of surface molecules with an activated phenotype. Several hemorrhagic fever viruses can infect monocytes and induce immune response, which may play an important role in immunopathological injury. Monocytes and the cytokines they produce may interact with platelets and vascular endothelial cells, contributing to disease progression.

The mechanism of microcystin leucine-arginine (MC-LR)-induced injury of Sertoli cell immune response and biological behavior / 细胞与分子免疫学杂志

Microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR), a potentially carcinogenic toxin, is produced by Cyanobacteria such as Microcystis and Ananabacteria during water bloom. Increasing evidence demonstrated that MC-LR induces male reproductive toxicity, mainly by inducing germ cell apoptosis, destroying cell cytoskeleton, interfering with DNA damage repair pathway, and damaging blood-testicular barrier (BTB), which eventually lead to male sterility. Testicular Sertoli cells are the somatic cells that directly contact with spermatogenic cells in seminiferous tubules. They not only regulate immune response to maintain testicular immune homeostasis by secreting a variety of cytokines and immunosuppressive factors, but also provide the protective effects of spermatogenic cells by forming BTB. MC-LR induces inflammation and apoptosis of Sertoli cells, and destroys the integrity of the BTB, and then causes spermatogenesis dysfunction.

Research Progress of Immune Heterogeneity in Leukemia Microenvironment--Review / 中国实验血液学杂志

Although the body has a strong immune system which can resists the invasion of leukemia cells, leukemia cells disseminate systemically and form an immunosuppressive microenvironment through a variety of mechanisms, including regulation of antigen presentation, utilization of immunosuppressive enzyme AXL, immune cell inhibitory checkpoint NKG2A and immunoregulatory gene VISTA, resulting in immune escape. Therefore, most types of leukemia are inevitable for the affliction of drug resistance or relapse, and the immune efficacy is not as significant as that of other hematological tumors and the prognosis is suboptimal. This article reviews the immune heterogeneity of leukemia microenvironment from many aspects, including anti-leukemia immunity and immune escape. In addition, it also reviews the latest progress and future prospects of immune checkpoint inhibition, adoptive cell therapy and vaccine therapy in leukemia, providing a theoretical basis for the development of personalized combination therapy strategies with less toxic side effects.

Radix Tetrastigme Polysaccharide Promotes Antitumor Immune Response in Lewis Lung Cancer Mice / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#Lung cancer has a high incidence and mortality rate, but the treatment of lung cancer still lacks low toxicity and efficient anti-tumor drugs. Polysaccharide from radix tetrastigme has development value in anti-tumor treatment methods. This study was to observe the effect of polysaccharide from radix tetrastigme on immune response of Lewis lung cancer mice and explore its molecular mechanism.@*METHODS@#Lewis lung cancer mouse models were established and randomly grouped. The spleen polypeptide group was intragastric with 50 mg/kg spleen polypeptide, and the radix tetrastigme polysaccharide low, medium and high dose groups were intragastric with 62.5, 125 and 250 mg/kg radix tetrastigme polysaccharide, respectively, and the model group and the control group were intragastric with equivolume normal saline. Tumor formation and metastasis were compared. Haematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes of tumor cells. Macrophage phagocytosis, apoptosis, M1/M2 polarization, T cell subsets and cytokine levels in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry. The proliferation activity of macrophages was detected by methyl thiazolyldiphenyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Dendritic cell (DC) antigen presenting function was detected by chlorophenol red-β-D-galactopyranoside (CPRG) method. Tumor tissue differentiation antigen cluster 47 (CD47) mRNA and protein expression and macrophage signal regulatory protein α (SIRRP α) expression were detected by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot (WB).@*RESULTS@#The tumor inhibition rates and anti-metastasis rates in the 3-dose radix tetrastigme polysaccharide group and the spleen polypeptide group were higher than those in the model group, and the pathological injury of tumor tissue were severer, and the positive rate of phagocytosis of ink by macrophages and the efficiency of phagocytosis of tumor cells were increased; the apoptosis rate of macrophages was decreased; the proliferation activity of macrophages, polarization ratio of macrophages to M1 type, DC antigen presenting ability, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ levels were increased; the level of serum tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and the expression of tumor tissue CD47, macrophage SH2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP-1), SH2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP-2), and phosphorylation signal regulatory protein α (p-SIRPα) were decreased, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the above indexes between low-dose radix tetrastigme polysaccharide group and spleen polypeptide group (P>0.05), and the effects of radix tetrastigme polysaccharide were dose-dependent.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Radix tetrastigme polysaccharide can inhibit tumor growth, metastasis and immune response in Lewis lung cancer mice, and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting SIRP/CD47 signaling pathway.