Frequencies of PD-1- and PD-L1- positive T CD3+CD4+, T CD3+CD8+ and B CD19+ lymphocytes and its correlations with other immune cells in patients with recurrent furunculosis.

Programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) is one of the major immune checkpoints. Due to the lack of reports on PD-1- and PD-L1-positive lymphocyte proportions in patients with recurrent furunculosis, we aimed to evaluate percentages of those cells in the peripheral blood and to assess their correlations with other lymphocyte subsets, and the level of cell activation measured by the expression of CD25 and CD69 molecules on T lymphocytes. We recruited 30 patients with recurrent furunculosis and 15 controls. The amount of 5 mL of peripheral blood was collected for laboratory tests. Patients with chronic furunculosis presented with the similar number of lymphocytes, CD4+ T lymphocytes, CD8+CD3+ T suppressor lymphocytes, and CD19 + B lymphocytes to controls, but significant differences were found between subpopulation of those cells. Furunculosis patients had the significantly elevated percentage of lymphocytes with PD-1 and PD-L1 on their surface. Early onset of furunculosis was correlated with a higher percentage of CD19 + PD1 B lymphocytes. Greater number of skin lesions correlated with a decrease in the CD4PDL1+ cells, which subsequently was associated with an increase in the percentage of Treg cells, NKT cells, CD8+CD3+ lymphocytes and B lymphocytes. Changes in the proportion of immune cells may lead to reduced inflammatory reactions in patients with recurrent furunculosis. In the light of mechanisms of S. aureus invasion, the degree of immune impairments in the scope of adaptive immunity seems to play a significant role in the course of furunculosis. PD-1 and PD-L1 molecules change the host response and affect the ongoing inflammatory process.

Influence of fingolimod on basic lymphocyte subsets frequencies in the peripheral blood of multiple sclerosis patients - preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Fingolimod is a drug administered orally to adult patients treated for relapsing remitting course of multiple sclerosis (MS). Mode of action of fingolimod is based on intense S1P1 receptor stimulation and "arresting" lymphocytes in lymphatic organs. Objective of the research was to assess changes in the frequencies of basic lymphocyte subsets in patients treated for multiple sclerosis with the use of fingolimod. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Study group comprised of 25 previously untreated adult patients with MS. Venous blood samples were collected from each patient before and one month, three months and six months after treatment initiation. Peripheral blood lymphocyte immunophenotype was assessed with a set of monoclonal antibodies bounded to appropriate fluorochromes and flow cytometer FACSC alibur. Statistical analysis of the results was conducted using Statistica 9.0 software. RESULTS: Before fingolimod administration median of lymphocyte subsets percentage in each patient was in reference range. After 1 month of treatment we noticed significant changes in frequencies of following lymphocyte subsets: NK cells - 51.22% (p = 0.016), T CD4+ cells - 11.58% (p = 0.01), T CD4+:T CD8+ cells ratio - 0.61 (p = 0.005). After 3 and 6 months of treatment there was further increase of deviation from normal state. CONCLUSIONS: The use of fingolimod is associated with profound changes in lymphocyte subsets distribution, which might bear a risk of the development of cellular immune deficiency symptoms.

Effects of selected factors on the osseointegration of dental implants.

INTRODUCTION: Osseointegration of dental implants with the maxillary and/or mandibular bone is the basis for implant prosthetic treatment. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of the patients' gender, age, and in the case of women, their menopausal status (before menopause/after menopause/during hormone replacement therapy) on the osseointegration of dental implants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study evaluated the bone loss after implant loading and the success rate of the procedure in 71 women and 30 men. In the postmenopausal group, 20 (28.1%) women were receiving hormone replacement therapy. The implants used in the treatment of the studied patients were the two-phase dental implants. The extent of bone loss was estimated by comparing the post-implantation radiographs and the post-loading ones. RESULTS: The implantation procedure was entirely successful in 81 patients (80.2%). The patients' age, gender and menopausal status did not significantly affect the implantation procedure success rate or bone loss (p > 0.05). A correlation between bone loss and hormone replacement therapy (p = 0.002) was found. CONCLUSIONS: The hormone replacement therapy contributes to a greater peri-implant bone loss. The patients receiving hormone replacement therapy who consider replacement of missing teeth with implants should be informed about a greater risk of osseointegration failure, which may affect the success of implant therapy.

High Viral Loads of Epstein-Barr Virus DNA in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Associated with Unfavorable Prognosis.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous γ-herpesvirus that infects more than 90% of the world population. The potential involvement of EBV in the clinical course of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) remains unexplained. The aim of this study was to determine whether EBV-DNA load in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of CLL patients may influence heterogeneity in the course of the disease. The study included peripheral blood samples from 115 previously untreated patients with CLL (54 women and 61 men) and 40 healthy controls (16 women and 24 men). We analyzed the association between the EBV-DNA load in PBMCs and the stage of the disease, adverse prognostic factors, and clinical outcome. Detectable numbers of EBV-DNA copies in PBMCs were found in 62 out of 115 CLL patients (53.91%). The EBV-DNA copy number/µg DNA was significantly higher in patients who required early implementation of treatment, presented with lymphocyte count doubling time <12 months, displayed CD38-positive or ZAP-70-positive phenotype, and with the del(11q22.3) cytogenetic abnormality. Furthermore, the EBV-DNA copy number/µg DNA showed significant positive correlation with the concentrations of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and beta-2-microglobulin. We have shown that in CLL patients, higher EBV-DNA copy number predicted shorter survival and shorter time to disease progression, and it was associated with other established unfavorable prognostic factors. This suggests that EBV may negatively affect the outcome of CLL.

[Gestational diabetes in the light of current literature]. / Cukrzyca ciezarnych w swietle aktualnego pismiennictwa.

This paper presents current data on the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes mellitus, classification and new diagnostic methods. Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is defined as carbohydrate intolerance first detected during pregnancy. It is the most common metabolic disorder of pregnant women. The frequency of its occurrence depends on inter alia body weight, belonging to a particular ethnic group and diagnostic methods. GDM reveals usually between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. The development of diabetes in pregnancy poses a threat to both the mother and the fetus. It is associated with an increased incidence of birth defects in newborns, impaired intrauterine fetal growth, higher incidence of premature births and greater percentage of the intrauterine fetus death. Amongst women complicated by gestational diabetes arterial hypertension more often unfolds. In the development of gestational diabetes mellitus important role apart from maternal and fetal hyperinsulinemia play: antagonistic to insulin placental hormones, TNFα, placental pro-inflammatory cytokines, resistin, leptin ghrelin.