Background Since July 13, 2021, a third SARS-CoV-2 vaccine BNT162b2 was approved in Israel to immunocompromised and seniors 60 years of age or older. We aimed to evaluate vaccine's reactogenicity. Methods A retrospective cohort, using electronic surveys sent to booster vaccine recipients, during July 20–August 10, 2021. Results 17,820 participated in the survey, with a response rate of 30.2%. 3195

Receptor-interacting protein 2 (RIP2) is a key mediator implicated in multiple cellular processes, and its dysregulation has been recently reported in colitis, asthma and other inflammatory diseases. However, the effects of RIP2 on osteoarthritis (OA) and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we found that RIP2 expression was upregulated in human articular cartilage tissues with

Aims Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of physical disability in middle-aged and elderly people globally. Previous studies have revealed that circular RNA (circRNA) is involved in the pathogenesis of OA. In this study, we studied the role of circ_0001846 in interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-induced OA progression. Methods Twenty-one patients with OA and 17 volunteers were recruited for the collection of

Numerous reviews have summarized the epidemiology, pathophysiology and the various therapeutic aspects of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but a practical guide on “how to treat whom with what and when” based on an understanding of the immunological background of the disease stages remains missing. This review attempts to combine the current knowledge about the immunopathology of COVID-19 with

Aging can alter immunity affecting host defense. COVID-19 has the most devastating clinical outcomes in older adults, raising the implication of immune aging in determining its severity and mortality. We investigated biological predictors for clinical outcomes in a dataset of 13,642 ambulatory and hospitalized adult COVID-19 patients, including younger (age < 65, n = 566) and older (age ≥ 65, n = 717)

Changes on immune response of children with congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) regarding infection evolution and therapeutic intervention was addressed. Infants with CT presented increased counts of monocytes, CD3−CD16−CD56High, CD3+CD56+ and CD4+ T-cells 1-year after treatment onset (TOXO1-yearAT). Smaller numbers of CD3−CD16−CD56+ and TCRγδ+ T-cells were specifically observed in infants with retinochoroidal

The role of progesterone-induced blocking factor (PIBF)-mediated Th1/Th2 balance in delivery outcomes of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) has not been fully elucidated. In this study, 73 infertile women with successful IVF-ET were enrolled (16 fetal arrests and 57 live births). PIBF and IL-4 levels were significantly lower in the fetal arrest group than in the live birth group (p < 0

The innate immune response has a predominant role in Behçet's disease (BD) pathogenesis, but few studies have assessed monocytes in BD. This study aims to evaluate the profile of monocytes subsets in the peripheral blood of BD patients and healthy controls (HC). Monocytes subsets were identified as classical (CD14+CD16−), intermediate (CD14+CD16dim), and non-classical (CD14dimCD16high) subsets. Patients

Background Majority of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) non-survivors meet the criteria for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Although timely monitoring of clotting hemorrhagic development during the natural course of COVID-19 is critical for understanding pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease, however, limited data are available on the dynamic processes of inflammat

RAS-associated autoimmune leukoproliferative disease (RALD) is a rare immune dysregulation syndrome caused by somatic gain-of-function mutations of either NRAS or KRAS gene in hematopoietic cells. We describe a 27-year-old patient presenting at 5 months of age with recurrent infections and generalized lymphadenopathy who developed a complex multi-organ autoimmune syndrome with hypogammaglobulinemia

Almost all patients with autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1) have neutralizing antibodies against type 1 interferons (IFN), important mediators of antiviral defense. Recently, neutralizing anti-IFN antibodies were shown to be a risk factor of severe COVID-19. Here we show in a cohort of 44 patients with APS-1 that higher titers of neutralizing anti-IFNα4 antibodies are associated with

Antibodies to DNA (anti-DNA) are the serological hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus. Previous studies have indicated that the phosphodiester backbone is the main antigenic target, with electrostatic interactions important for high avidity. To define further these interactions, the effects of ionic strength on anti-DNA binding of SLE plasmas were assessed in association and dissociation assays

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, has resulted in considerable morbidity and mortality in humans. Little is known regarding the development of immunological memory following SARS-CoV-2 infection or whether immunological memory can provide long-lasting protection against reinfection. Urgent

Background Cancer development is among other factors driven by tumor immune escape and tumor-mediated changes in the immune response. Investigating systemic immune changes may provide important knowledge for the improvement of patient prognosis and treatment opportunities. Methods The systemic immune profile of patients with ER-positive breast cancer (n = 22) and healthy controls (n = 30) was investigated

COVID-19 is characterized by a dysregulation of inflammatory cytokines ultimately resulting a cytokine storm that can result in significant morbidity and mortality. We developed an in-vitro assay using activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or CD3 + CD28 to examine secretion of cytokines from antigen presenting cells (APCs) and T cells, respectively

Massive cellular necrosis in acute liver failure (ALF) is dominantly immune mediated and innate immune cells are major pathophysiological determinants in liver damage. In fifty ALF and fifteen healthy, immune cells phenotyping by flow-cytometry, DAMPs using ELISA were analysed and correlated with clinical and biochemical parameters. ALF patients (aged 27 ± 9 yr, 56% males, 78% viral aetiology) showed

Objectives To measure the serum level of IL-33 in patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH) and Behçet's uveitis (BU) in the Chinese Han population and investigate its associations with disease activity and clinical parameters. Methods Serum was collected from 41 VKH patients (16 active and 25 inactive patients), 60 BU patients (24 active and 36 inactive patients), and 36 healthy controls. The

Eculizumab (ECU), a C5 complement inhibitor, is approved to treat acetylcholine receptor autoantibody positive generalized myasthenia gravis (AChR MG). The clinical effect of ECU relies on inhibition of the terminal complement complex; however, the effect of ECU on lymphocytes is largely unknown. We evaluated innate and adaptive immunity among AChR MG patients (N = 3) before ECU and ≥3 months later

Little is known about the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to the care of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the long-term. By crossing population data with the results of a web-based survey focused on the timeframes January–April and May–December 2020, we found that among 334/518 responders, 28 had COVID-19 in 2020. Seventeen cases occurred in May–December, in

Lung surfactant protein A (SP-A) is critical for immunomodulation. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP)-activated dendritic cells (DCs) drive T follicular helper (Tfh) cells differentiation in allergic asthma. We employed wild-type (WT) and SP-A−/− mice injected with TSLP and ovalbumin (OVA)-activated DCs and challenged with OVA. Compared with WT mice, we showed that allergic inflammation was dramatically

Background Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) are the major treatment in inborn errors of immunity (IEI) disorders; However, IVIg infusions show some adverse effects. We aimed to assess the adverse reactions of IVIg infusions. Methods Data of IVIg infusions in IEI patients were collected from 2011 to 2021. Totally, 363 IEI patients received IVIg regularly in Iran entered the study. The adverse reactions

BAL cellularity and lymphocyte immunophenotyping offer insights into lung inflammatory status. Natural killer (NK) cells are efficient effector cells, producing pro-inflammatory cytokines. A better understanding of the biology of NK cells in BAL in the lungs is necessary to improve the pathogenesis of fibrotic ILD and develop prospective targeted treatments. Our aim was to analyse NK and NKT-like cell

Background Information regarding inborn error of immunity (IEI) as a risk factor for severe COVID-19 is scarce. We aimed to determine if paediatric patients with moderate/severe IEI got COVID-19 at the same level as the general population, and to describe COVID-19 expression. Material and methods We included patients with moderate/severe IEI aged 0–21 years old: cross-sectional study (June2020) to

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is an immune-mediated disorder characterized by chronic inflammation and fibrosis. Rho-associated coiled-coil–containing protein kinases (ROCKs) are key coordinators of tissue response to injury, regulating multiple functions, such as gene expression and cell migration, proliferation and survival. Relevant to cGVHD and autoimmunity, only the ROCK2 isoform drives

Background Peanut oral immunotherapy (POIT) has provided desensitization to peanut allergic individuals. Limited immunological evaluation exists during the first 24-weeks of POIT. Objective Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) are antigen induced immunosuppressive T-cells important in establishing tolerance. Delineation of early immunologic changes contributing to the development of peanut desensitization would

We have recently introduced multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry as a novel tool for glycan biomarker research and discovery. Herein, we employ this technique to characterize the site-specific glycan alterations associated with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Glycopeptides associated with disease severity were also identified. Multinomial regression

Vaccines are the most effective strategy to mitigate the global impact of COVID-19. However, vaccine hesitancy is common, particularly among minorities. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is the most common autoimmune illness of the peripheral nervous system, occurring at an incidence of 1.1/100,000 worldwide. A causal link between mRNA vaccines and GBS has not been previously evaluated. We analyzed a cohort

Many studies have analyzed myelin-reactivity of T cells in multiple sclerosis (MS); however, with conflicting results. In this study we compare methods to determine myelin reactivity of T cells and aim to delineate the cause of inconsistency in the literature. Challenging T cells with myelin antigens we found a significant increase in antigen-reactivity of T cells from patients with MS using an ELISpot-assay

Acquired angioedema due to C1 inhibitor deficiency (C1-INH-AAE) is a rare disease characterized by adult-onset recurrent non-urticarial angioedema with low levels of C1-INH. It is associated with lymphoproliferative disorders, and treatments are off-label with variable success. We conducted a systematic literature review to include patients with C1-INH-AAE identified in PubMed and Embase databases

Introduction The Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) regulates B cell and macrophage signaling, development, survival, and activation. Inhibiting BTK has been hypothesized to ameliorate lung injury in patients with severe COVID-19, however clinical outcome data is inconclusive. Objective To evaluate the clinical outcomes of BTK inhibitors (BTKinibs) in patients with COVID-19. Evidence review We searched PubMed

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the most prevalent of all head injuries. Microglia play an essential role in homeostasis and diseases of the central nervous system. We hypothesize that microglia may play a beneficial or detrimental role in TBI depending on their state of activation and duration. In this study, we evaluated whether TBI results in a spatiotemporal change in microglia phenotype and whether

Cigarette smoking has been implicated in the pathogenesis of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as well as RA-associated lung disease. Fibrotic interstitial lung disease as well as emphysema occur in RA and cause substantial morbidity. We used arthritis-susceptible HLA-DQ8 transgenic mice to generate RA-associated lung disease. Mice were exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) prior to induction of arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by systemic synovitis leading to joint destruction in which imbalances in pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines promote the induction of autoimmunity. Some pro-inflammatory cytokines can trigger the signaling pathways which responsible for immune-mediated inflammation in RA, and the activated signaling pathways produce pro-inflammatory cytokines

To better understand COVID-19 infection in patients receiving biologic and immunomodulatory therapies, we evaluated prevalence and outcomes for symptomatic cases of COVID-19 at a large therapeutic infusion center in New York City during the height of the pandemic. 2074 patients received treatment with biologic infusions at our center between March and May 2020, and 34 patients developed symptomatic

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a multisystem disorder caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the gene encoding A-T mutated (ATM) kinase, a master regulator of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. Most A-T patients show cellular and/or humoral immunodeficiency that has been associated with cancer risk and reduced survival, but NK cells have not been thoroughly studied. Here we investigated NK

The study aimed to investigate the soluble programmed death-1 (sPD-1) and its ligand (sPD-L1) levels in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) patients and elucidate its underlying immunomodulatory mechanisms. Plasma levels of sPD-1, sPD-L1 and related cytokines and proteins were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Luminex. The effects of PD-1/PD-L1 signal on mDC

Major histocompatibility class I deficiency, due to genetic lesions in TAP1, TAP2, TAPBP, or B2M, manifests with recurrent sinopulmonary infections and granulomatous skin ulceration, and is predominately treated with antimicrobial prophylaxis and chest physiotherapy. One previous report of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has been described in the literature, demonstrating cure of the immune

Homozygous mutations in cytochrome b-245 chaperone 1 (CYBC1) have been recently described as causing recurrent infections and inflammatory disease in an Icelandic cohort and a patient from Saudi Arabia, by destabilising the dimerisation of gp91phox with p22phox, manifesting as phenotypic chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the treatment of choice in CGD

Inflammatory response in patients with COPD secondary to organic dust exposure (OD-COPD) is poorly understood. We therefore aimed to characterize inflammatory and immune profile from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in a group of patients with mild-to-moderate COPD secondary to organic dust exposure (OD-COPD), tobacco smoking (T-COPD), or both. We compared T, B and NK cells distribution and

The global obesity epidemic is contributing to increased prevalence of diseases fuelled by chronic inflammation, including cancer. Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is an obesity-associated malignancy with increasing prevalence, dismal prognosis, and severely dysregulated immune processes. We previously reported that αβ T cells migrate to omentum and liver in OAC and contribute to inflammation in these

Introduction Inherited phagocyte defects are one of the subgroups of primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) with various clinical manifestations. As oral manifestations are common at the early ages, oral practitioners can have a special role in the early diagnosis. Materials and methods A comprehensive search was conducted in this systematic review study and data of included studies were categorized

C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) is a rare renal disease characterized by predominant glomerular C3 staining. Complement alternative pathway dysregulation due to inherited complement defects is associated with C3G. To identify novel C3G-related genes, we screened 86 genes in the complement, coagulation and endothelial systems in 35 C3G patients by targeted genomic enrichment and massively parallel sequencing

Acute and chronic kidney failure is common in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, yet the mechanism of injury and predisposing factors remain poorly understood. We investigated the role of complement activation by determining the levels of deposited complement components (C1q, C3, FH, C5b-9) and immunoglobulin along with the expression levels of the injury-associated molecules spleen tyrosine kinase

Neonatal sepsis is common, lethal, and hard to diagnose. In combination with clinical findings and blood culture, biomarkers are crucial to make the correct diagnose. A Swedish national inquiry indicated that neonatologists were not quite satisfied with the available biomarkers. We assessed the kinetics of 15 biomarkers simultaneously: ferritin, fibrinogen, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)

This study evaluate the potential of plasmatic CXCL-10 (pCXCL-10) as a pre&post transplantation prognostic and diagnostic biomarker of T-cell-mediated rejection (TCMR), antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) and subclinical rejection (SCR) risk in adult kidney recipients considering BKV and CMV infections as possible clinical confounder factors. Twenty-eight of 100 patients included experienced rejection

Because of their rarity, limited awareness among non-specialists, and significant overlaps in their clinical presentation, childhood autoimmune/inflammatory conditions represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), with its 7 sub-forms, is the most common paediatric “rheumatic” disease. Juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE) is a severe autoimmune/inflammatory

X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is an inborn error of immunity caused by pathogenic variants in the BTK gene, resulting in impaired B cell differentiation and maturation. Over 900 variants have already been described in this gene, however, new pathogenic variants continue to be identified. In this report, we describe 22 novel variants in BTK, associated with B cell deficiency with hypo- or agammaglobulinemia

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged as a global pandemic resulting in significant mortality and morbidity. COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be highly effective in preventing COVID-19 infections and significantly reducing disease severity and mortality. We report on a novel COVID-19 antibody test using a unique platform to rapidly detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies with a drop of fingerstick blood

Early-onset ataxia with ocular motor apraxia and hypoalbuminemia (EAOH) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutation in the aprataxin (APTX)-coding gene APTX, which is involved in DNA single-strand break repair (SSBR). The neurological abnormalities associated with EAOH are similar to those observed in patients with ataxia-telangiectasia. However, the immunological abnormalities in patients with

Sepsis is characterized by high mortality and poor prognosis and is one of the leading causes of death among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). In the past, drugs that block early inflammatory responses have done little to reverse the progression of sepsis. Programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) and its two ligands, programmed cell death receptor ligand 1(PD-L1) and programmed cell death receptor

Objective Osteoarthritis (OA), the leading cause of joint failure, is characterized by breakdown of articular cartilage and remodeling of subchondral bone in synovial joints. Despite the high prevalence and debilitating effects of OA, no disease-modifying drugs exist. Increasing evidence, including genetic variants of the interleukin 4 (IL-4) and IL-4 receptor genes, implicates a role for IL-4 in OA