MF IAK Imunologijos laboratorija (04.21.01)

Visuomenėje įgyta pneumonija išlieka viena dažniausių infekcijų, lemiančių pacientų hospitalizaciją ir padidėjusį mirtingumą. Imunosupresija, nepriklausomai nuo priežasties (hematologinės ligos, organų transplantacija, žmogaus imunodeficito viruso infekcija, ilgalaikis gliukokortikoidų arba biologinių vaistų vartojimas, įgimti imunodeficitai arba senėjimas), reikšmingai didina sergamumą, komplikuoja ligos eigą ir gali nulemti nepalankias baigtis. Straipsnyje aptariamos pagrindinės imuninės sistemos sutrikimų turinčios pacientų grupės, imuninės sistemos tyrimų svarba, gydymo bei imunokorekcijos priemonės (gliukokortikoidai, į veną leidžiamas imunoglobulinas (IVIG), vitaminas C ir kt.), taip pat galimos ilgalaikės pasekmės.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease increasingly prevalent in adults. Vitamin D plays an important role in regulating immune responses, cellular differentiation, and inflammation. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene have been suggested as biomarkers of AD susceptibility and severity. The aim of this study was to investigate six SNPs in the VDR gene (rs3847987, rs731236, rs7975232, rs1544410, rs2228570, and rs11168293) and their association with AD and blood biomarkers. Genotyping was performed in 91 adult patients with AD and 102 controls using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The genotype and allele distributions did not differ significantly between AD patients and controls. However, the G and T alleles of VDR rs731236 and rs1544410 were more frequently detected in individuals with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels above 30 ng/mL. In contrast, the VDR rs7975232 C allele appears to be associated with lower odds of having a serum 25(OH)D level above 30 ng/mL. In genotype-stratified analysis, the T allele of VDR rs11168293 was more prevalent among individuals with eosinophil counts of 300 cells/μL. These findings suggest that VDR polymorphisms may contribute to variability in vitamin D status and inflammatory responses in adults with AD.

Background and Objectives: One of the strongest early factors influencing later psychoactive substance use is adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Studies investigate a variety of adverse experiences in relation to substance use, yet not all adverse childhood experiences are equal in intensity and harm. Our study aimed to address this gap by examining in detail the associations between individual ACEs, broader ACE categories, and different forms of psychoactive substance use. Materials and Methods: The study included 709 participants who completed self-report questionnaires. ACEs were measured using the MACE questionnaire. Marijuana use was measured using the CUDIT-R, alcohol use using the AUDIT, and heavy psychoactive substance use using the ASSIST. Linear regression analyses were used to predict associations. As expected, only a small part of the sample reported hard drug use; some analyses are limited to substantially fewer observations. Results: All regression models were statistically significant and predicted all three categories of psychoactive substances, but if we count the individual adverse experiences, the results become different. Although the results showed that ACE is a significant predictor of hard drug use and explains 25% of the variance, it is separately only emotional neglect that is associated with hard drug use. The regression analysis also explains 14% of the variance in marijuana use, but when considered separately, we found associations only with emotional neglect. The severity of alcohol use explains 13% of the variance, but only a few ACEs reach statistical significance: peer physical bullying, physical violence, and sexual abuse. Conclusions: The findings of our study suggest that adverse childhood experiences may not be qualitatively equivalent and therefore may not be evaluated only as a cumulative risk score. Separate ACE evaluations, instead of aggregate calculation of ACEs, may be useful to understand better which specific negative experiences have the greatest impact on subsequent use of psychoactive substances. The regression models explain only a small portion of the variance, which suggests that other factors may contribute to a larger share.

Įvadas. Rinito simptomai yra vieni dažniausių klinikinėje praktikoje. Neretai klinikiniai simptomai užsitęsia, todėl rinitas tampa lėtiniu. [...]

Įvadas. Alerginės kvėpavimo takų ligos yra lėtinės, dažnai kartu egzistuojančios uždegiminės būklės - astma, alerginis rinitas ir lėtinis rinosinusitas. [...]

Įvadas. Atopinis dermatitas (AD) yra viena dažniausių lėtinių odos ligų, pasireiškiančių kūdikystėje, vaikystėje ar suaugus. Liga neigiamai veikia gyvenimo kokybę, miegą ir psichologinę būklę [1]. [...].

Asthma are associated with the vitamin D axis. Genetic variations of VDBP, notably rs7041 and rs4588, influence circulating vitamin D levels. However, data on their link to asthma are inconsistent, and ethnic differences remain unclear.

Background and Objectives: The average prevalence of sensitization to house dust mite in developed countries is more than 20%. The three major allergens of D. pteronyssinus—Der p 1, Der p 2, and Der p 23—have been associated with asthma severity. Allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) is the only personalized and effective treatment that can change the natural course of allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis or allergic asthma. Despite ASIT being an established treatment method, its effectiveness is still assessed using patient-reported outcome measures that determine quality of life, and there are no objective biomarkers that can accurately and reliably indicate the therapeutic efficacy of ASIT. This study aimed to monitor sensitization profiles to allergens, assess the effectiveness of ASIT, and evaluate total nasal symptom score (TNSS) and quality of life after six months of ASIT treatment. Materials and Methods: The molecular allergy diagnostic system was used to assess changes in patients’ sensitization profiles to allergens, and the validated questionnaires RQLQ and TNSS were used for quality-of-life assessment. Results: After 6 months of ASIT treatment against house dust mite allergens, a statistically significant increase in sIgE against the Der p 23 component was noted. In addition, a significant decrease in practical problems and an improvement in patients‘ emotional state were observed, while the TNSS score remained unchanged. Conclusions: Continuous monitoring of the Der p 23 component during further stages of ASIT is, therefore, essential to determine whether the observed changes reflect de novo sensitization or represent an immunological response to therapy.

Background Increasing evidence suggests that the reproductive system is closely linked to the immune system. Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes that play a crucial role in the innate immune system as a first line of defence and are believed to influence reproductive immunology significantly (Zhang & Wei, 2021). Finding more than 12% of NK cells in women experiencing infertility or recurrent miscarriages has been defined as elevated and is considered when planning treatment strategies (Luu et al., 2022). The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of clinical and immunological tests of women with suspected infertility of autoimmune origin.

Method A retrospective study was conducted, analysing data from females with suspected infertility of autoimmune origin between 2023 and 2024. Data collection included age, type of infertility, duration of infertility, and immunological indicators such as the concentration of antibodies to thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), antinuclear antibodies (ANA), and the number of NK cells in the lymphocyte population. The subjects were divided into two groups based on NK cell percentage: Group 1 - NK cells <12%, Group 2 - NK cells >12%.

Results A total of 43 women were examined, with an average age of 34 years (range: 26-44). The average duration of infertility was 5.49 (standard deviation (SD) - 4.07) years. Among the subjects, 40 (93.02%) presented with primary infertility, while 3 (6.98%) had secondary infertility. The average absolute NK cell count was 0.272 (SD 0.135) x10⁹/L, and the mean percentage of NK cells within the lymphocyte population was 14.37% (SD 6.488).

A positive ANA marker was found in 31 (72.09%) subjects. However, when comparing the two groups based on NK cell levels, no significant differences or associations were found between immune markers (ANA, anti-TPO) and other variables (age, type of infertility). The period of infertility was statistically significantly longer in Group 2 (5 years, range: 2-20) than in Group 1 (3.5 years, range: 1-12), p=0.024.

Conclusion Female with NK cell counts above 12% had a longer duration of infertility period compared to those with lower NK cell counts. Still, the role of NK cell counts in female infertility risk needs further investigation in larger samples.

Background Benralizumab is a monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-5 receptor (IL5R) which is beneficial int the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma. There is evidence that benralizumab can affect not only eosinophils but may have influence on number and activity of lymphocytes subsets. The aim of this study was to investigate lymphocyte profile and asthma control during the treatment with benralizumab in real life.

Method Ten patients (2 males and 8 females) who were diagnosed with severe eosinophilic asthma (according to GINA) and were treated with benralizumab for 6 months and 10 healthy individuals as a control group (5 males and 5 females) were involved into the study. Lymphocyte profile was measured before and after 6 months of treatment with benralizumab by flow cytometry. Asthma control test (ACT) was measured at the same time.

Results In patients with severe asthma Th2 level and eosinophil count was statistically significantly higher than in control group (median 0.05 (0.01-0.07) vs. 0.02 (0.01-0.04), p<0.05 and 0.35x109/l (0.17-2.10) vs. 0.05x109/l (0.00-0.20), p<0.01, respectively). Eosinophils count significantly decreased after treatment with benralizumab after 6 months (median 0.35x109/l (0.17-2.10) vs. 0.00x109/l (0.00-0.00), p<0.01), whereas there were no statistically significant changes in T lymphocyte subsets and NK cells after 6 months of treatment with benralizumab. ACT was significantly higher in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma after 6 months treatment with benralizumab compared with the baseline results (median (17.5 (8-22), p<0.01 vs. median 12 (6-15), p<0.01). There were found negative correlation between ACT and eosinophils count (rs=-0,71; p<0.05).

Conclusion Patients with severe eosinophilic asthma had increased Th2 and eosinophil level, which decreased together with improvement of ACT after 6 months treatment with benralizumab. However, no significant changes in lymphocyte profile were observed suggesting the need for long-term studies.