Cell-mediated immune response associated with Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in atherosclerotic patients.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular bacterium that activates cell mediated immune responses; several investigations have demonstrated its strong implication in atherosclerosis. OBJECTIVES: The main objective of our study was to explore the cell-mediated immune response to C. pneumoniae infection in patients with atherosclerosis by evaluating CD14, CD8 and CD4 expression. METHODS: This investigation involved a total of 27 patients with atherosclerosis and 32 controls, among patients recruited to evaluate the association of C. pneumoniae with atherosclerosis. C. pneumoniae DNA was detected in PBMCs by nested PCR as described in our previous studies. CD4, CD8 and CD14 expression was measured by flow cytometry and data analysis was performed using FlowJo software. RESULTS: The results revealed an increase in MFI expression of CD4, CD8 and CD14 in Cpn DNA+ subjects among both patients and healthy subject controls (CD4 Cpn DNA+ = 829.11 vs. CD4 Cpn DNA- = 571.14; CD8 Cpn DNA+ = 1562 vs. CD8 Cpn DNA- = 699; CD14 Cpn DNA+ = 1513.83 vs. CD14 Cpn DNA- = 1170.70), with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the comparison of CD4, CD8 and CD14 expression between Cpn DNA+ patients and Cpn DNA+ healthy subject controls showed a statistically significant increase in expression in the former group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data provide incentive to further explore the role of C. pneumoniae in stimulating and changing mechanisms of the cell-mediated immune response induced by C. pneumoniae antigens. This may alter immune cell-mediated responses via increased expression of CD4, CD8 and CD14 during inflammation and the development of thrombosis, leading to fatal atherosclerosis.

Optic Disc Drusen (ODD), an Often Misdiagnosed Disease: A Case Report.

Optic disc drusen (ODD) are abnormal collections of protein and calcium that accumulate within the optic nerve. We report a case of a 17-year-old girl who presented to the Department of Ophthalmology at the Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital, Casablanca, Morocco, with a decline in visual acuity, visual field deficiency, and color vision abnormalities. The patient was misdiagnosed and mistreated for optic neuritis given the presence of bilateral Stage III papilledema solely. After many months of diagnostic wandering, a fundus examination revealed a white atrophic papilla with calcified deposits grouped in a crown around the papillary excavation, suggesting papillary drusen. When the deposits are visible on ophthalmoscopy and manifest as an elevation and a blurring of the optic disc's margins, their diagnosis remains straightforward. However, their identification might be problematic when they are firmly lodged in the optic disc or with the presence of papilledema, leading to confusion with other differential diagnoses, particularly if the condition affects both eyes. The purpose of this case report is to increase neurologists' and ophthalmologists' knowledge of the incidence of drusen in order to prevent excessive biological and imaging investigation in addition to harmful effects from needless drugs.

Extraocular Muscle Biopsy: Surgical Technique and Indications.

Extraocular muscle biopsy is a technique used for the histological diagnosis of several orbital diseases; it could bring valuable assistance to the diagnostic process. The purpose of this article is to review the indications, surgical technique, and complications of this biopsy. Extraocular muscle biopsy is frequently used in tumoral pathology, however, in inflammatory diseases, it is only used when facing a poor reaction to the treatment or in case of chronicity. The surgical procedure must be precise and least traumatic, in order to avoid intra- and post-operative complications, but also to preserve the integrity and function of the muscle. This procedure remains non-standardized and not devoid of complications, hence the need for a careful evaluation of the benefit/risk ratio before considering it.

Ocular Manifestations in Hematological Disorders.

Background Ophthalmic manifestations are a common feature in hematological malignancies and may be divided into two groups: those attributable to the disease's infiltration of the eye, and the ocular consequences due to blood abnormalities. This study aims to determine the prevalence of ocular manifestations and their association with the different hematological disease subgroups. Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective and observational study enrolling 137 consecutive patients on active treatment or follow-up for hematological malignancies from January 2016 to January 2020 at the Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital. All patients underwent a standardized and comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation. Results Ocular involvement was primarily disclosed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and multiple myeloma (MM). We herein report the different ocular changes divided into anterior segment manifestations, posterior segment manifestations, dry eye disease, and ocular adnexa findings. Patients with leukemia had a significantly higher rate of lesions in the ocular posterior segment (p < 0.001). Despite the high prevalence of anterior segment and ocular adnexa findings in lymphoma patients, no significant association emerged between these lesions and the aforementioned condition. In addition, dry eye disease was found in all instances without any association with the disease itself. Conclusions Awareness of ocular pathology in hematological malignancies is important as it may precede systemic diagnosis or be a sign of recurrence. We should also be concerned about the side effects of treatments, predominantly, dry eye disease. Therefore, periodic ophthalmic assessment throughout the disease's course, as well as interdisciplinary coordination of care, is crucial to promote early diagnosis and treatment, hence improving long-term outcomes.

Molecular characterisation of Chlamydia pneumoniae associated to atherosclerosis.

Chlamydia pneumoniae is a respiratory pathogen associated with chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma and atherosclerosis, and its detection in human carotid and coronary atheroma suggests some support for its involvement in atherogenesis. The main objective of our study was to evaluate the association between Chlamydia pneumoniae and atherosclerosis in Moroccan patients through a case-control approach and detected strain genotyping. A total of 137 cases and 124 controls were enrolled, nested PCR was performed for Chlamydia pneumoniae screening of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of both cases and controls as well as atheroma plaques from 37 cases, and positive samples were subjected to sequencing for genotyping and phylogenetic analysis. The results showed 54% and 18%, respectively, for positivity in cases and control PBMCs and 86.5% in atheroma plaques, the difference being significant between the two groups (P < 0.001, ORa = 8.580, CI, 95% [3.273-22.491]). Strain sequence analyses showed more than 98% similarity with human reference strains, and revealed various genotypes. This study supports the involvement of Chlamydia pneumoniae in atherosclerosis in the studied population and genotyping revealed that detected strains were identical to human strains circulating worldwide.