Role of IL-22 in persistent allergic airway diseases caused by house dust mite: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Persistent allergic airway diseases cause a great burden worldwide. Their pathogenesis is not clear enough. There is evidence that one of the recently described cytokine interleukin (IL) 22 may be involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Scientists argue if this cytokine acts as proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory agent. The aim of this study was to investigate IL-22 level in patients with persistent allergic airway diseases caused by house dust mite (HDM) in comparison with healthy individuals and to evaluate its relationship with IL-13 and IL-10 level, symptoms score and quality of life. METHODS: Patients with persistent allergic rhinitis caused by HDM and having symptoms for at least 2 years with or without allergic asthma were involved into the study. Measurements of IL-22, IL-13 and IL-10 and in serum and nasal lavage was performed by ELISA. Questionnaires assessing symptoms severity and quality of life were used. RESULTS: A tendency was observed that IL-22 in serum and nasal lavage was higher in patients with allergic airway diseases compared to control group (14.86 pg/ml vs. 7.04 pg/ml and 2.67 pg/ml vs. 1.28 pg/ml, respectively). Positive statistically significant correlation was estimated between serum IL-22 and serum IL-10 (rs = 0.57, p < 0.01) and IL-13 (rs = 0.44, p < 0.05) level. Moreover, positive significant correlation was found between IL-22 in nasal lavage and IL-10 in nasal lavage (rs = 0.37, p < 0.05). There was a negative statistically significant correlation between serum IL-22 and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) (rs = - 0.42, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study showed a possible anti-inflammatory effect of IL-22 in patients with persistent allergic airway diseases caused by HDM.

The Role of C21orf91 in Herpes Simplex Virus Keratitis.

Background and Objectives: This paper aims to describe the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of C21orf91 rs1062202 and rs10446073 in patients with herpetic keratitis by evaluating corneal sub-basal nerves, as well as the density of Langerhans cells (LC) and endothelium cells (EC) during the acute phase of the disease. Materials and Methods: A prospective clinical study included 260 subjects: 70 with herpetic eye disease, 101 with previous history of herpes labialis-but no history of herpetic eye disease-and 89 with no history of any herpes simplex virus (HSV) diseases. All subjects underwent a complete ophthalmological examination including in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) of the central cornea. C21orf91 rs1062202 and rs10446073 were genotyped using the real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method with the Rotor-Gene Q real-time PCR quantification system. SNPs were determined using TaqMan genotyping assay, according to the manufacturer's manual. Results: The C21orf91 rs10446073 genotype GT was more frequent in the HSV keratitis group, compared with healthy controls (20.0% vs. 7.9%), OR 2.929[1.11-7.716] (p <0.05). The rs10446073 genotype TT was more frequent in healthy controls (12.4% vs. 1.4%), OR 22.0[2.344-260.48] (p <0.05). The rs10446073 genotype GT increased the risk of EC density being less than 2551.5 cell/mm2, OR 2.852[1.248-6.515] (p <0.05). None of the SNPs and their genotypes influenced the LC density and corneal sub-basal nerve parameters (p >0.05). Conclusions: Our study reports a new association between herpetic keratitis and human gene C21orf91, with the rs10446073 genotype GT being more common in herpetic keratitis patients and increasing the risk for the disease by a factor of 2.9.

Corneal Sub-Basal Nerve Changes in Patients with Herpetic Keratitis During Acute Phase and after 6 Months.

Background and objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe corneal sensitivity and the morphological changes of sub-basal corneal nerves using in vivo laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) in herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis-affected eyes, and to compare with both contralateral eyes and with the eyes of patients with a previous history of herpes labialis but no history of herpetic eye disease, and with healthy patients with no history of any HSV diseases, during the acute phase of the disease and after six months. Materials and Methods: A prospective clinical study included 269 patients. All of them underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometry and LSCM within the central 5 mm of the cornea. After six months, all the patients with herpetic eye disease underwent the same examination. Serology tests of the serum to detect HSV 1/2 IgG and IgM were performed. Results: HSV-affected eyes compared with contralateral eyes, herpes labialis and healthy control group eyes demonstrated a significant decrease in corneal sensitivity, corneal nerve fibre density, corneal nerve branch density, corneal nerve fibre length and corneal nerve total branch density (p < 0.05). During follow up after six months, corneal sensitivity and sub-basal nerve parameters had increased but did not reach the parameters of contralateral eyes (p < 0.05). Previous herpes labialis did not influence corneal sensitivity and was not a risk factor for herpetic eye disease. Conclusions: Corneal sensitivity and sub-basal nerve changes in HSV-affected eyes revealed a significant decrease compared with contralateral eyes, and with the eyes of patients with a previous history of herpes labialis, and of healthy controls. Following six months, corneal sensitivity and sub-basal nerve parameters increased; however, they did not reach the parameters of contralateral eyes and the eyes of healthy controls. The best recovery of corneal sensitivity was seen in patients with epithelial keratitis. Herpes labialis was not a risk factor for herpetic eye disease.

Fatigue in patients with coronary artery disease: association with thyroid axis hormones and cortisol.

OBJECTIVE: In people with coronary artery disease, the association between endocrine measures and fatigue is not well understood. We evaluated possible associations of fatigue and exercise capacity with function of adrenal axis and thyroid axis. METHODS: Sixty-five men and 18 women (mean age 55 years) attending a rehabilitation program were examined using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, Dutch Exertion Fatigue Scale, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Exercise capacity was measured using a bicycle ergometer procedure. Serum concentrations of free triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine (T4), morning cortisol, afternoon cortisol, and change in cortisol concentrations (ΔCortisol) were measured. RESULTS: In univariate regression analysis, lower free T4 concentrations were associated with general and exertion fatigue, lower free T3 concentrations were associated with general and physical fatigue, and lower ΔCortisol was associated with mental fatigue. After adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, hypertension, previous myocardial infarction, heart failure, diabetes, New York Heart Association functional class, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms, lower free T3 concentrations remained associated with physical fatigue (ß = -.224, p = .03); lower free T4 concentrations, with exertion fatigue (ß = -.219, p = .03); and lower morning cortisol and lower ΔCortisol concentrations, with mental fatigue (ß = -.193 [p = .03] and ß = -.180 [p =.04], respectively). Exercise capacity was not associated with endocrine factors. CONCLUSIONS: In coronary artery disease patients, increased thyroid hormone concentrations are associated with decreased physical fatigue and decreased exertion fatigue, and increased cortisol concentrations with decreased mental fatigue. Exercise capacity is not associated with endocrine factors.

Depression and thyroid axis function in coronary artery disease: impact of cardiac impairment and gender.

BACKGROUND: Increased rates of depression are reported in coronary artery disease (CAD). In heart disease, depression increases disability, reduces quality of life, and increases mortality. HYPOTHESIS: The study was undertaken to examine the relationship between depression and thyroid axis function in patients with CAD. METHODS: In all, 73 patients with CAD, consecutively admitted to a cardiac rehabilitation hospital, were assessed for depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS). Blood was drawn for assessment of thyroid axis hormones and the N-amino terminal fragment of the pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP). RESULTS: The patients with CAD with depressive symptoms had a higher prevalence of cardiac failure (p = 0.04), higher NT-pro BNP concentrations (p = 0.02), and lower free triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations (p = 0.04) than patients with CAD but without depressive symptoms. They also showed a strong trend (p = 0.058) toward a higher incidence of the low T3 syndrome. Higher NT-pro BNP concentrations were related to lower total T3 concentrations (r = -0.294, p = 0.011) and to higher reverse T3 concentrations (r = 0.353, p = 0.002). In men, higher scores of depression were related to lower total T3 concentration (r = -0.289, p = 0.034) and to higher NT-pro BNP concentration (r = 0.380, p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that symptoms of depression in patients with CAD are associated with changes in thyroid axis function and with cardiac impairment, especially in men.