Interleukin-6 and C-Reactive Protein: their association with vitamin D in women with recurrent infections of reproductive system.

Aerobic bacteria can colonize the female reproductive system with harmful effects, which may lead to miscarriages, premature deliveries or continue of its growing to cause adverse reproductive systems issues. Increasing in the levels of inflammatory markers may be considered a herald of danger. High vaginal swabs were obtained from 85 women. Of these, 67 patients were suffering recurrent vaginitis and symptoms such as itching, irritation, burning, and vaginal discharged, and 18 apparently healthy controls. Swabs were cultured in a suitable media and the cultivated bacteria were diagnosed in the hospital's laboratory. At the same time of collecting the vaginal swabs, 5 ml of venous blood was withdrawn from the patients and controls. An ELISA method was applied to measure the levels of inflammatory cytokines and concentration of vitamin D. The bacterial growth showed six species of isolated bacteria, which were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus spp., E. coli, S. non aureus, Proteus spp. and Klebsiella spp. The first three species were the most prevalent bacteria, and the serum levels of C reactive protein (CRP) and IL-6 were high in female patients infected with these bacteria. CRP was significantly elevated in sera of the patient's group (P= 0.016), while the increase in IL-6 was not significant. Vitamin D was correlated negatively with IL-6 and positively with CRP, but the correlations did not reach statistical significance. In conclusion, rising of CRP could be an expected result to the bacterial colonizing the reproductive system while IL-6 may develop significantly when the aerobic vaginitis continues until triggering one of the infertility issues.

Anti-bacterial antibody and T cell responses in bronchiectasis are differentially associated with lung colonization and disease.

BACKGROUND: As a way to determine markers of infection or disease informing disease management, and to reveal disease-associated immune mechanisms, this study sought to measure antibody and T cell responses against key lung pathogens and to relate these to patients' microbial colonization status, exacerbation history and lung function, in Bronchiectasis (BR) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). METHODS: One hundred nineteen patients with stable BR, 58 with COPD and 28 healthy volunteers were recruited and spirometry was performed. Bacterial lysates were used to measure specific antibody responses by ELISA and T cells by ELIspot. Cytokine secretion by lysate-stimulated T cells was measured by multiplex cytokine assay whilst activation phenotype was measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Typical colonization profiles were observed in BR and COPD, dominated by P.aeruginosa, H.influenzae, S.pneumoniae and M.catarrhalis. Colonization frequency was greater in BR, showing association with increased antibody responses against P.aeruginosa compared to COPD and HV, and with sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 95%. Interferon-gamma T cell responses against P.aeruginosa and S.pneumoniae were reduced in BR and COPD, whilst reactive T cells in BR had similar markers of homing and senescence compared to healthy volunteers. Exacerbation frequency in BR was associated with increased antibodies against P. aeruginosa, M.catarrhalis and S.maltophilia. T cell responses against H.influenzae showed positive correlation with FEV1% (r = 0.201, p = 0.033) and negative correlation with Bronchiectasis Severity Index (r = - 0.287, p = 0.0035). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a difference in antibody and T cell immunity in BR, with antibody being a marker of exposure and disease in BR for P.aeruginosa, M.catarrhalis and H.influenzae, and T cells a marker of reduced disease for H.influenzae.