Clinical and Immunogenetic Aspects of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease triggered by a complex interaction of immunologic, environmental, and genetic factors. Like other diseases of autoimmune origin, SLE manifestations follow relapsing and remitting courses. Several lines of evidence have demonstrated the association of adaptive and innate immune responses with regulation in SLE pathogenesis. The immunological diagnosis primarily relies on detection of serum autoantibodies in SLE patients. A concordance rate of < 25% between monozygotic twins indicates potential involvement of environmental factors in SLE development. In addition, SLE is categorized by a wide range of clinical manifestations, partly related to the disease itself but also associated with comorbidities and adverse drug reactions. Because the common therapeutic strategies are connected with certain adverse events, immunosuppressive medications and biological agents are used on the basis of prevailing disease manifestations. Genome-wide association studies have identified 50 loci that influence SLE. However, the actual genetic polymorphism that imparts SLE risk is not fully known. Further understanding can help to expand quality of life in SLE individuals.

Current understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on gastrointestinal disease: Challenges and openings.

The novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus which belongs to the Coronaviridae family. In March 2019 the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 was a pandemic. COVID-19 patients typically have a fever, dry cough, dyspnea, fatigue, and anosmia. Some patients also report gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, as well as liver enzyme abnormalities. Surprisingly, many studies have found severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral RNA in rectal swabs and stool specimens of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. In addition, viral receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane protease serine-type 2, were also found to be highly expressed in gastrointestinal epithelial cells of the intestinal mucosa. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 can dynamically infect and replicate in both GI and liver cells. Taken together these results indicate that the GI tract is a potential target of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, the present review summarizes the vital information available to date on COVID-19 and its impact on GI aspects.

Identification of the Rare, Four Repeat Allele of IL-4 Intron-3 VNTR Polymorphism in Indian Populations.

BACKGROUND: Cytokines are cell signaling molecules which upon release by cells facilitate the recruitment of immune-modulatory cells towards the sites of inflammation. Genetic variations in cytokine genes are shown to regulate their production and affect the risk of infectious as well as autoimmune diseases. Intron-3 of interleukin-4 gene (IL-4) harbors 70-bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) that may alter the expression level of IL-4 gene. OBJECTIVE: To determine the distribution of IL-4 70-bp VNTR polymorphism in seven genetically heterogeneous populations of Chhattisgarh, India and their comparison with the finding of other Indian and world populations. METHODS: A total of 371 healthy unrelated individuals from 5 caste and 2 tribal populations were included in the present study. The IL-4 70-bp VNTR genotyping was carried out using PCR and electrophoresis. RESULTS: Overall, 3 alleles of IL-4 70-bp VNTR (a2, a3 and a4) were detected. The results demonstrated the variability of the IL-4 70-bp VNTR polymorphism in Chhattisgarh populations. Allele a3 was the most common allele at the 70-bp VNTR locus in all populations followed by a2 allele. This study reports the presence four repeat allele a4 at a low frequency in the majority of the Chhattisgarh populations studied. Further, the frequency of the minor allele (a2) in Chhattisgarh populations showed similarity with the frequencies of European populations but not with the East Asian populations where the a2 allele is a major allele. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides a baseline for future research into the role of the IL-4 locus in diseases linked to inflammation in Indian populations.