From Biomechanical Properties to Morphological Variations: Exploring the Interplay between Aortic Valve Cuspidity and Ascending Aortic Aneurysm.

Background: This research explores the biomechanical and structural characteristics of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (ATAAs), focusing on the differences between bicuspid aortic valve aneurysms (BAV-As) and tricuspid aortic valve aneurysms (TAV-As) with non-dilated aortas to identify specific traits of ATAAs. Methods: Clinical characteristics, laboratory indices, and imaging data from 26 adult patients operated on for aneurysms (BAV-A: n = 12; TAV-A: n = 14) and 13 controls were analyzed. Biomechanical parameters (maximal aortic diameter, strain, and stress) and structural analyses (collagen fiber organization, density, fragmentation, adipocyte deposits, and immune cell infiltration) were assessed. Results: Significant differences in biomechanical parameters were observed. Median maximal strain was 40.0% (control), 63.4% (BAV-A), and 45.3% (TAV-A); median maximal stress was 0.59 MPa (control), 0.78 MPa (BAV-A), and 0.48 MPa (TAV-A). BAV-A showed higher tangential modulus and smaller diameter, with substantial collagen fragmentation (p < 0.001 vs. TAV and controls). TAV-A exhibited increased collagen density (p = 0.025), thickening between media and adventitia layers, and disorganized fibers (p = 0.036). BAV-A patients had elevated adipocyte deposits and immune cell infiltration. Conclusions: This study highlights distinct pathological profiles associated with different valve anatomies. BAV-A is characterized by smaller diameters, higher biomechanical stress, and significant collagen deterioration, underscoring the necessity for tailored clinical strategies for effective management of thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Proposal for a New Differential High-Sensitivity Refractometer for the Simultaneous Measurement of Two Refractive Indices and Their Differences.

The refractive index of a liquid serves as a fundamental parameter reflecting its composition, thereby enabling the determination of component concentrations in various fields such as chemical research, the food industry, and environmental monitoring. Traditional methods for refractive index (RI) measurement rely on light deflection angles at interfaces between the liquid and a material with a known refractive index. In this paper, the authors present a new differential refractometer for the highly sensitive measurement of RI differences between two liquid samples. Using a configuration with two cells equipped with flat parallel plates as measuring elements, the instrument facilitates accurate analysis. Namely, the sensor signals from both the solution and the solvent cuvette are generated simultaneously with one laser pulse, reducing the possible fluctuations in the laser radiation intensity. Our evaluation shows the high sensitivity of RI measurements <7×10-6), so this differential refractometer can be proposed not only as a high-sensitivity sensing tool that can be used for mobile detection of nanoparticles in solution samples but also to determine the level of environmental nano-pollution using water (including rain, snow) samples from various natural as well as industrial sources, thus helping to solve some important environmental problems.

Evaluation of Clinical Manifestations of Hemorrhoidal Disease, Carried Out Surgeries and Prolapsed Anorectal Tissues: Associations with ABO Blood Groups of Patients.

Hemorrhoidal disease (HD) is a chronic multifactorial disease. Increased abdominal pressure, along with hyperperfusion, neovascularization, overexpression of inflammatory mediators, and dysbiosis, contributes to the development of HD. The deterioration of the anchoring connective tissue with reduced collagen content and altered collagen ratios, dilatation of blood vessels and thrombosis, muscle injury, and inflammation gradually lead to clinically manifesting prolapse and bleeding from hemorrhoids. The associations of the ABO blood types with a disease have been investigated for the upper gastrointestinal tract only. This study aimed to evaluate HD clinical manifestations, surgeries carried out, and the status of prolapsed anorectal tissues by exploring the associations with the patients' ABO blood groups. Clinical and various morphological methods, combined with extensive bioinformatics, were used. The blood type 0, grade III and IV HD individuals constituted the largest group in a moderately-sized cohort of equally represented males and females studied and submitted to surgical treatment of hemorrhoids. There were significantly more complaints reported by HD females compared to males (p = 0.0094). The Longo technique appeared mostly used, and there were proportionally more surgeries performed below the dentate line for HD individuals with blood type 0 compared to other blood type patients (24% vs. 11%). HD males were found to present with significantly more often inflamed rectal mucosa (p < 0.05). Loosening and weakening of collagenous components of the rectal wall combined with vascular dilation and hemorrhage was found to differ in 0 blood type HD individuals compared to other types. HD males were demonstrated to develop the ruptures of vascular beds significantly more often when compared to HD females (p = 0.0165). Furthermore, 0 blood type HD males were significantly more often affected by a disease manifested with tissue hemorrhage compared to the 0 blood type HD females (p = 0.0081). Collectively, the local status of chronically injured anorectal tissue should be considered when applying surgical techniques. Future studies could include patients with HD grades I and II to gain a comprehensive understanding of the disease progression, allowing for a comparison of tissue changes at different disease stages.

Exploring the joint potential of inflammation, immunity, and receptor-based biomarkers for evaluating ME/CFS progression.

Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating chronic condition with no identified diagnostic biomarkers to date. Its prevalence is as high as 0.89% according to metastudies, with a quarter of patients bed- or home-bound, which presents a serious public health challenge. Investigations into the inflammation-immunity axis is encouraged by links to outbreaks and disease waves. Recently, the research of our group revealed that antibodies to beta2-adrenergic (anti-ß2AdR) and muscarinic acetylcholine (anti-M4) receptors demonstrate sensitivity to the progression of ME/CFS. The purpose of this study is to investigate the joint potential of inflammatome-characterized by interferon (IFN)-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-21, Il-23, IL-6, IL-17A, Activin-B, immunome (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, IgG4, IgM, and IgA), and receptor-based biomarkers (anti-M3, anti-M4, and anti-ß2AdR)-for evaluating ME/CFS progression, and to identify an optimal selection for future validation in prospective clinical studies. Methods: A dataset was used originating from 188 individuals, namely, 54 healthy controls, 30 patients with a "mild" condition, 73 patients with a "moderate" condition, and 31 patients with a "severe" condition, clinically assessed by Fukuda/CDC 1994 and international consensus criteria. Inflammatome, immunome, and receptor-based biomarkers were determined in blood plasma via ELISA and multiplex methods. Statistical analysis was done via correlation analysis, principal component analysis, linear discriminant analysis, and random forest classification; inter-group differences were tested via nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis H test followed by the two-stage linear step-up procedure of Benjamini, Krieger, and Yekutieli, and via Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The association between inflammatome and immunome markers is broader and stronger (coupling) in the severe group. Principal component factoring separates components associated with inflammatome, immunome, and receptor biomarkers. Random forest modeling demonstrates an excellent accuracy of over 90% for splitting healthy/with condition groups, and 45% for splitting healthy/severity groups. Classifiers with the highest potential are anti-ß2AdR, anti-M4, IgG4, IL-2, and IL-6. Discussion: The association between inflammatome and immunome markers is a candidate for controlled clinical study of ME/CFS progression markers that could be used for treatment individualization. Thus, the coupling effects between inflammation and immunity are potentially beneficial for the identification of prognostic factors in the context of ME/CFS progression mechanism studies.

Understanding Bartonella-Associated Infective Endocarditis: Examining Heart Valve and Vegetation Appearance and the Role of Neutrophilic Leukocytes.

BACKGROUND: The endocardium and cardiac valves undergo severe impact during infective endocarditis (IE), and the formation of vegetation places IE patients at a heightened risk of embolic complications and mortality. The relevant literature indicates that 50% of IE cases exhibit structurally normal cardiac valves, with no preceding history of heart valve disease. Gram-positive cocci emerge as the predominant causative microorganisms in IE, while Gram-negative Bartonella spp., persisting in the endothelium, follow pathogenic pathways distinct from those of typical IE-causing agents. Employing clinical as well as advanced microbiological and molecular assays facilitated the identification of causative pathogens, and various morphological methods were applied to evaluate heart valve damage, shedding light on the role of neutrophilic leukocytes in host defense. In this research, the immunohistochemical analysis of neutrophilic leukocyte activation markers such as myeloperoxidase, neutrophil elastase, calprotectin, and histone H3, was performed. A distinct difference in the expression patterns of these markers was observed when comparing Bartonella spp.-caused and non-Bartonella spp.-caused IE. The markers exhibited significantly higher expression in non-Bartonella spp.-caused IE compared to Bartonella spp.-caused IE, and they were more prevalent in vegetation than in the valvular leaflets. Notably, the expression of these markers in all IE cases significantly differed from that in control samples. Furthermore, we advocated the use of 16S rRNA Next-Generation Sequencing on excised heart valves as an effective diagnostic tool for IE, particularly in cases where blood cultures yielded negative results. The compelling results achieved in this study regarding the enigmatic nature of Bartonella spp. IE's pathophysiology contribute significantly to our understanding of the peculiarities of inflammation and immune responses.

Biomarkers in the diagnostic algorithm of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex disease that is mainly diagnosed based on its clinical symptoms. Biomarkers that could facilitate the diagnosis of ME/CFS are not yet available; therefore, reliable and clinically useful disease indicators are of high importance. The aim of this work was to analyze the association between ME/CFS clinical course severity, presence of HHV-6A/B infection markers, and plasma levels of autoantibodies against adrenergic and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. A total of 134 patients with ME/CFS and 33 healthy controls were analyzed for the presence of HHV-6A/B using PCRs, and antibodies against beta2-adrenergic receptors (ß2AdR) and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (M3 AChR and M4 AChR) using ELISAs. HHV-6A/B U3 genomic sequence in whole-blood DNA was detected in 19/31 patients with severe ME/CFS, in 18/73 moderate ME/CFS cases, and in 7/30 mild ME/CFS cases. Severity-related differences were found among those with a virus load of more than 1,000 copies/106 PBMCs. Although no disease severity-related differences in anti-ß2AdR levels were observed in ME/CFS patients, the median concentration of these antibodies in plasma samples of ME/CFS patients was 1.4 ng/ml, while in healthy controls, it was 0.81 ng/ml, with a statistically significant increased level in those with ME/CFS (p = 0.0103). A significant difference of antibodies against M4 AChR median concentration was found between ME/CFS patients (8.15 ng/ml) and healthy controls (6.45 ng/ml) (p = 0.0250). The levels of anti-M4 plotted against disease severity did not show any difference; however, increased viral load correlates with the increase in anti-M4 level. ME/CFS patients with high HHV-6 load have a more severe course of the disease, thus confirming that the severity of the disease depends on the viral load-the course of the disease is more severe with a higher viral load. An increase in anti-M4 AchR and anti-ß2AdR levels is detected in all ME/CFS patient groups in comparison to the control group not depending on ME/CFS clinical course severity. However, the increase in HHV-6 load correlates with the increase in anti-M4 level, and the increase in anti-M4 level, in turn, is associated with the increase in anti-ß2AdR level. Elevated levels of antibodies against ß2AdR and M4 receptors in ME/CFS patients support their usage as clinical biomarkers in the diagnostic algorithm of ME/CFS.

Association of Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure, and Interictal Serum Levels of Cytokines in Migraine with and without Aura.

The aim of the study was to clarify correlations between body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), and serum levels of cytokines in female migraine patients. A total of 14 migraineurs with aura, and 12 without aura during their interictal period were compared with 25 controls. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-α), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) were measured. Migraineurs have elevated levels of IL-8, but decreased serum levels of PAI-1 and sICAM-1 during the interictal period, regardless of aura. BMI correlates with BP, and also with IFN-γ and MMP-9 only in patients with aura. There are three correlations in migraine patients with aura that are absent in patients without aura: between IL-8 and PAI-1; MMP-9 and IL-8; and IL-8 and sICAM-1. Migraineurs without aura, on the other hand, have correlations that patients with aura do not have (between PAI-1 and MCP-1, sICAM-1; between MMP-9 and sICAM-1, MCP-1; between TGF-α and PAI-1, MMP-9, sICAM-1; between sICAM-1 and MMP-9, PAI-1, MCP-1; as well as between sVCAM-1 and MCP-1). PAI-1, TGF, and MMP-9 could be used as biomarkers to distinguish migraineurs from healthy individuals.

Serum Vitamin D Levels Explored in the Latvian Cohort of Patients with Basal Cell Carcinoma Linked to the Sonic Hedgehog and Vitamin D Binding Protein Cutaneous Tissue Indices.

Ultraviolet radiation is known as one of the major contributors to skin malignancies, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), which is the most common type of skin cancer. It is a heterogeneous tumor, which presents with various types that are stratified into low- and high-risk tumors. Sunlight is important for overall health and vitamin D synthesis in the skin, whereas deviations from the optimal level of vitamin D are shown to be associated with the risk of the development of BCC. The accumulating evidence suggests the ability of vitamin D to antagonize the Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling, the key tumor pathway, and play a protective role in the development of BCC. Additionally, a vitamin D binding protein (DBP) is shown to be implicated in the complex regulation of vitamin D. Here, we aimed to explore serum vitamin D in patients with different primary and recurrent BCC of the head and neck and investigate cutaneous DBP and SHH indices, confirmed immunohistochemically in these subjects. According to the results, 94.9% of the Latvian cohort of BCC patients were found to be deficient in vitamin D. No significant differences in serum vitamin D levels were found between genders, primary and recurrent tumors, and different types of BCC. Serum vitamin D was inversely associated with tumor size. Susceptible male individuals with low blood vitamin D levels were recognized at risk of developing aggressive and recurrent BCC confirmed by the use of hierarchical clustering analysis. In smaller tumors with a favorable course, such as superficial and nodular BCC, the association between high DBP and low SHH tissue expression was found, providing supportive evidence of the existence of a link between vitamin D, proteins involved in its metabolism, as exemplified by the DBP and SHH signaling pathway. The assumption of a deficiency in the protective effect of vitamin D in patients with high-risk BCCs was proposed in low DBP and high SHH tissue indices. New extensions to existing knowledge and characterization of the BCC signaling pathways and their cross-talk with vitamin D are warranted when searching for a preferential effect of vitamin D on skin cancer.

Correlation of Soluble CD44 Expression in Saliva and CD44 Protein in Oral Leukoplakia Tissues.

The aim of this study was to determine whether and how pan-CD44 protein expression in leukoplakia tissues correlates with positive SolCD44 test presence and their role in oral leukoplakia. SolCD44 and total protein expression in saliva were determined using an OncAlert® Oral Cancer Rapid test. Comparison of paired associations of total protein, SolCD44, mean number of CD44 expressed epithelial layers in leukoplakia tissue, and macrophages below the basement membrane between control group and patients with leukoplakia showed statistically significant results (p < 0.0001). It is shown that the total protein indicates low or elevated risk of possible malignant transformation processes in leukoplakia. Statistically significant differences between higher total protein level and clinical forms of oral leukoplakia (p < 0.0001), as well as CD44-labeled epithelial cell layer decrease (p < 0.0001), were found. This possibly points to the onset of the stemness loss in leukoplakia tissue. CD9 antigen expression in the exosomes of the oral epithelium explained the intercellular flow of SolCD44 and other fluids in the leukoplakia area. We conclude that the OncAlert® Oral Cancer Rapid test is a valuable screening method in daily clinical practice, in terms of complementing clinical diagnostics methods and to assess the potential for early malignancy.

Clinical Profile and Aspects of Differential Diagnosis in Patients with ME/CFS from Latvia.

Background and objectives: There is still an uncertainty regarding the clinical symptomatology and the diagnostic criteria in terms of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), as different diagnostic criteria exist. Our aim is to identify the core symptoms of ME/CFS in the outpatient setting in Riga; to distinguish symptoms in patients with ME/CFS and those with symptoms of fatigue; and to investigate patient thoughts on the onset, symptoms, treatment and effect of ME/CFS. Materials and methods: Total of 65 Caucasian patients from an ambulatory care setting were included in the study. Questionnaires, specialist evaluation of the patients and visual analogue scale (VAS) measurements were used to objectify the findings. Results: The study showed that ME/CFS with comorbidities is associated with a more severe disease. A negative correlation was found regarding an increase in age and number of current symptoms, as well as an increase in VAS score and the duration of fatigue and age in the ME/CFS without comorbidities group. Conclusions: Comorbidities tend to present with a more severe course of ME/CFS. Fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia and sleep disturbances tend to be more prevalent in the ME/CFS patients compared to the non-ME/CFS patients. VAS score has a tendency to decrease with age and duration of fatigue. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the most commonly used pharmacological drug class that reduces ME/CFS symptoms.

Thioredoxin-1 and Correlations of the Plasma Cytokines Regarding Aortic Valve Stenosis Severity.

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) develops not only with a pronounced local inflammatory response, but also oxidative stress is involved. The aim of this study was to evaluate the plasma levels of thioredoxin-1 (TRX1), myeloperoxidase (MPO), chemerin, growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21), and metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, -3, and -9 in acquired AS patients as well as to clarify the correlations of TXR1 and the plasma inflammatory biomarkers regarding AS severity. AS patients were classified into three groups: 16 patients with mild AS stenosis, 19 with moderate and 11 with severe AS, and 30 subjects without AS were selected as a control group. AS patients had significantly higher plasma levels of TRX1 compared to controls, but the highest difference was found in mild AS patients compared to the controls. We conclude that AS is associated with significantly increased plasma TRX1 levels, and TRX1 might serve as a specific and sensitive biomarker of AS. TRX1 and also chemerin, GDF-15, VEGF-A, FGF-2 and FGF-21 significantly correlate with AS severity degrees. TRX1 also showed positive association with FGF-2, VEGF-A, and MMP-3 in all AS patients.

Potential of Activin B as a Clinical Biomarker in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Reliable serum biomarkers are of immense need for diagnostic purposes of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)-a disabling and complex disease for which diagnosis is mainly based on clinical symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible diagnostic potential of activin B by directly comparing 134 cases of ME/CFS with 54 healthy controls. Analyses of human activin B level in plasma samples were performed using a validated human activin B ELISA assay. The results of the study show that activin B levels did not differ statistically significantly between ME/CFS patients and healthy controls (p = 0.6511). No gender or age-related differences in activin B levels were observed in the ME/CFS group and healthy controls. The level of activin B tended to decrease with increasing visual analogue scale score (r = -0.2004; p = 0.5085) nevertheless the results obtained so far does not support the clinical utility of activin B as a biomarker for ME/CFS.

Plasma levels of Th17-associated cytokines and selenium status in autoimmune thyroid diseases.

INTRODUCTION: The contribution of Th17 cytokines to autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is generally accepted. However, the roles of Th17 cells in the initiation and progression of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and Graves' disease (GD) remain unclear. Selenium deficiency, along with genetic predisposition and environmental factors, may have a role in thyroid autoimmunity. AIM: We aimed to assess (1) the Th17 immune response by measuring plasma levels of Th17- and Treg-associated cytokines and (2) the selenium status in treatment-naïve Latvian patients with newly diagnosed GD or HT. METHODS: Eleven GD patients, 41 HT patients, and 26 healthy subjects were recruited for this study. Plasma levels of IL-17a, IL-22, IL-23, IL-6, and IL-10 were detected by xMAP technology, while selenium was detected fluorometrically. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences in IL-17a, IL-22, IL-23, IL-6, or IL-10 levels were found among the HT patients, GD patients, and controls. In the HT patients, IL-17a levels were positively correlated with IL-22, IL-23, IL-6, and IL-10, while IL-22 was correlated with IL-6, IL-23, and IL-10. In the GD patients, IL-17a levels were positively correlated with IL-22, IL-23, and IL-10; IL-22 was positively correlated with IL-23, IL-6, and IL-10; FT3 was positively correlated with IL-17a, IL-23, and IL-10; and FT4 was positively correlated with IL-17a and IL-10 levels. Plasma selenium levels were negatively correlated with antithyroid peroxidase antibody titers in the HT patients. Although no difference in selenium levels was observed between the AITD patients and controls, the selenium status of the Latvian patients with GD or HT was at a suboptimal level.

Human Herpesvirus-6 and -7 in the Brain Microenvironment of Persons with Neurological Pathology and Healthy People.

During persistent human beta-herpesvirus (HHV) infection, clinical manifestations may not appear. However, the lifelong influence of HHV is often associated with pathological changes in the central nervous system. Herein, we evaluated possible associations between immunoexpression of HHV-6, -7, and cellular immune response across different brain regions. The study aimed to explore HHV-6, -7 infection within the cortical lobes in cases of unspecified encephalopathy (UEP) and nonpathological conditions. We confirmed the presence of viral DNA by nPCR and viral antigens by immunohistochemistry. Overall, we have shown a significant increase (p < 0.001) of HHV antigen expression, especially HHV-7 in the temporal gray matter. Although HHV-infected neurons were found notably in the case of HHV-7, our observations suggest that higher (p < 0.001) cell tropism is associated with glial and endothelial cells in both UEP group and controls. HHV-6, predominantly detected in oligodendrocytes (p < 0.001), and HHV-7, predominantly detected in both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes (p < 0.001), exhibit varying effects on neural homeostasis. This indicates a high number (p < 0.001) of activated microglia observed in the temporal lobe in the UEP group. The question remains of whether human HHV contributes to neurological diseases or are markers for some aspect of the disease process.

Correction: DNA immunization site determines the level of gene expression and the magnitude, but not the type of the induced immune response.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197902.].

Prognostic Utility of Circulating Growth Factors in Aortic Valve Stenosis: A Pilot Study.

Background and Objectives: Aortic valve stenosis (AS) develops with a pronounced local inflammatory response, where a variety of growth factors are involved in the process, and may have a pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of our study was to elucidate whether circulating growth factors: growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2), and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) could be proposed as clinically relevant biomarkers to improve risk stratification in AS patients. Materials and Methods: AS patients were classified into three groups: 16 patients with mild AS stenosis; 19 with moderate and 11 with severe AS, and 30 subjects without AS (echocardiographically approved) were selected as a control group. GDF-15, Ang-2, VEGF-A, FGF-2, and FGF-21 were measured in plasma by the ELISA method. Results: GDF-15 levels differed significantly not only when comparing AS patients with control groups (p < 0.0001), but also a statistically significant difference was achieved when comparing AS patients at a mild degree stage with control individuals. We found a strong relationship of GDF-15 levels regarding AS severity degree (p < 0.0001). VEGF-A, FGF-2 and FGF-21 levels were significantly higher in AS patients than in controls, but relationships regarding the AS severity degree were weaker (p < 0.02). ROC analysis of the study growth factors showed that GDF-15 might serve as a specific and sensitive biomarker of AS stenosis (AUC = 0.75, p = 0.0002). FGF-21 correlated with GDF-15, Ang-2, and FGF-2, but it did not reach the level to serve as a clinically relevant biomarker of AS stenosis. Conclusions: AS is associated with significantly increased GDF-15, VEGF-A, FGF-2, and FGF-21 levels in plasma, but only GDF-15 shows a pronounced relationship regarding AS severity degree, and GDF-15 might serve as a specific and sensitive biomarker of AS stenosis.

Inflammatory Cytokine-Producing Cells and Inflammation Markers in the Synovium of Osteoarthritis Patients Evidenced in Human Herpesvirus 7 Infection.

A direct association between joint inflammation and the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) has been proposed, and synovitis is considered a powerful driver of the disease. Among infections implicated in the development of joint disease, human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) infection remains poorly characterized. Therefore, we assessed synovitis in OA patients; determined the occurrence and distribution of the HHV-7 antigen within the synovial membrane of OA-affected subjects; and correlated plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and TNF expressed locally within lesioned synovial tissues with HHV-7 observations, suggesting differences in persistent latent and active infection. Synovial HHV-7, CD4, CD68, and TNF antigens were detected immunohistochemically. The plasma levels of TNF and IL-6 were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our findings confirm the presence of persistent HHV-7 infection in 81.5% and reactivation in 20.5% of patients. In 35.2% of patients, virus-specific DNA was extracted from synovial membrane tissue samples. We evidenced the absence of histopathologically detectable synovitis and low-grade changes in the majority of OA patients enrolled in the study, in both HHV-7 PCR+ and HHV-7 PCR‒ groups. The number of synovial CD4-positive cells in the HHV-7 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)+ group was significantly higher than that in the HHV-7 PCR‒ group. CD4- and CD68-positive cells were differently distributed in both HHV-7 PCR+ and HHV-7 PCR‒ groups, as well as in latent and active HHV-7 infection. The number of TNF+ and HHV-7+ lymphocytes, as well as HHV-7+ vascular endothelial cells, was strongly correlated. Vascular endothelial cells, especially in the case of infection reactivation, appeared vulnerable. The balance between virus latency and reactivation is a long-term relationship between the host and infectious agent, and the immune system appears to be involved in displaying overreaction when a shift in the established equilibrium develops.

Chemokine Receptors CCR1 and CCR2 on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Newly Diagnosed Patients with the CD38-Positive Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Chemokines and their receptors direct migration and infiltration of immune cells. CCR1 and CCR2 maintain sequence similarity and respond to a number of the same chemokines secreted in lymphoid organs. Expression of CD38 on leukemic cells has been associated with poor clinical outcomes in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and is considered as the negative predictor of progression. In our study of newly diagnosed CLL patients, which included 39 CD38-positive and 22 CD38-negative patients, CCR1 and/or CCR2 were always detected, using flow cytometry, on the peripheral blood (PB) CD19+CD5+ lymphocytes in patients with >30% of the CD38+ CD19+CD5+ lymphocytes (n = 16). Spearman's rank correlation analysis determined correlations between the frequency of the CCR1- and CCR2-expressing PB CD19+CD5+ lymphocytes and the frequency of the CD38-positive CD19+CD5+ lymphocytes (rs = 0.50 and rs = 0.38, respectively). No significant correlations were observed between ZAP70 mRNA expression levels in PB mononuclear cells and the frequency of the circulating CCR1+ or CCR2+ CD19+CD5+ lymphocytes. Further association studies are needed to verify prognostic relevance of the CCR1/CCR2 expression on leukemic cells in CLL patients at diagnosis. We suggest that CCR1/CCR2 signaling pathways could represent attractive targets for development of CLL anti-progression therapeutics.

Persistent Roseoloviruses Infection in Adult Patients with Epilepsy.

BACKGROUND: Human herpesviruses (HHV)-6A, HHV-6B and HHV-7 are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, a common neurological disorder. The objective of this study was to determine the association of roseoloviruses infection with epilepsy. METHODS: 53 epilepsy patients and 104 ordinary blood donors were analyzed to determine presence of virus-specific antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence assay (IFA), genomic sequences, viral load and gene expression by polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) and restriction analysis, HHV-6 protein expression by IFA and level of cytokines by ELISA. RESULTS: Roseoloviruses genomic sequences in DNA samples from whole blood were found in 86.8% of patients versus 54.8% of controls and active infection was revealed only in patients with epilepsy (19.6% of roseolovirus-positive patients). Significantly higher viral load and more frequent gene expression was detected in patients compared to the controls. HHV-6-encoded protein expression was demonstrated in 53.3% of patients with previously detected HHV-6 DNA. Changes in level of cytokines were determined in patients with elevated viral load compared to the patients without elevated viral loads and to the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Results on frequent active HHV-6 and HHV-7 infection in epilepsy patient' peripheral blood indicate on possible involvement of these viruses in the disease development.

Presence of B19V in Patients with Thyroid Gland Disorders.

Background and Objectives: Viral infections are frequently cited as a major environmental factor implicated in thyroid gland diseases. This work aimed to estimate the presence of B19V infection in patients with thyroid gland disorders. Materials and Methods: Thyroid gland tissue and blood samples of 50 patients with autoimmune thyroid gland diseases (AITDs), 76 patients with non-autoimmune thyroid gland diseases (non-AITDs), and 35 deceased subjects whose histories did not show any autoimmune or thyroid diseases (control group) were enrolled in the study. Virus-specific IgM and IgG were detected using ELISA, and the presence and viral load of B19V in the tissue and blood were detected using PCRs. Results: B19V IgG antibodies were detected in 35/50 AITDs patients and in 51/76 non-AITDs patients, and B19V IgM antibodies were detected in 1/50 patients with AITDs and in none of the 76 patients with non-AITDs. The B19V NS sequence was found in the tissue DNA of 10/50 patients with AITDs, in 30/76 with non-AITDs, and in 1/35 control group individuals. The median B19V load in the tissue of patients with AITDs and non-AITDs was 423.00 copies/µg DNA (IQR: 22.50-756.8) and 43.00 copies/µg DNA (IQR: 11.50-826.5), respectively. The viral load in one of the 35 nPCR B19V-positive thyroid tissue samples from the deceased subjects was 13.82 copies/µg DNA. The viral load in the tissue of patients with AITDs was higher than in whole blood, which possibly indicates B19V persistency in thyrocytes (p = 0.0076). Conclusion: The fact that the genoprevalence of B19V NS was significantly higher in patients with non-AITDs compared to the control group and in the thyroid gland tissue of patients with AITDs, and that the non-AITDs viral load was higher than in tissue derived from the control group individuals, suggest the possibility that B19V infection could be involved in the development of thyroid gland diseases.