Immunology review

Peri-implantitis (PI) is a chronic, inflammatory, and infectious disease which affects dental implants and has certain similarities to periodontitis (PD). Evidence has shown that PD may be related to several types of systemic disorders, such as diabetes and insulin resistance, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory tract infections, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and neurological disorders. Furthermore, some types of bacteria in PD can also be found in PI, leading to certain similarities in the immunoinflammatory responses in the host...

For many years complement activation in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was viewed as a major cause of tissue injury. However, human and murine studies showed that complement plays a protective as well as a proinflammatory role in tissue damage. A hierarchy is apparent with early classical pathway components, particularly C1q, exerting the greatest influence. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the protective function(s) of complement remains an important challenge for the future and has implications for the use of complement therapy in SLE...

Allergic asthma has emerged as a prevalent allergic disease worldwide, affecting most prominently both young individuals and lower-income populations in developing and developed countries. To devise effective and curative immunotherapy, it is crucial to comprehend the intricate nature of this condition, characterized by an immune response imbalance that favors a proinflammatory profile orchestrated by diverse subsets of immune cells. Although the involvement of Natural Killer T (NKT) cells in asthma pathology is frequently implied, their specific contributions to disease onset and progression remain incompletely understood...

INTRODUCTION: Periodontitis as a comorbidity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is still not well recognized in the dental and rheumatology communities. A meta-analysis and network meta-analysis were thus performed to compare the (i) prevalence of periodontitis in SLE patients compared to those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and (ii) odds of developing periodontitis in controls, RA, and SLE. METHODS: Pooled prevalence of and odds ratio (OR) for periodontitis were compared using meta-analysis and network meta-analysis (NMA)...

Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are rare mediastinal cancers originating from the thymus, classified in two main histotypes: thymoma and thymic carcinoma (TC). TETs affect a primary lymphoid organ playing a critical role in keeping T-cell homeostasis and ensuring an adequate immunological tolerance against "self". In particular, thymomas and not TC are frequently associated with autoimmune diseases (ADs), with Myasthenia Gravis being the most common AD present in 30% of patients with thymoma. This comorbidity, in addition to negatively affecting the quality and duration of patients' life, reduces the spectrum of the available therapeutic options...

3D polymerase, also known as RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, is encoded by all known picornaviruses, and their structures are highly conserved. In the process of picornavirus replication, 3D polymerase facilitates the assembly of replication complexes and directly catalyzes the synthesis of viral RNA. The nuclear localization signal carried by picornavirus 3D polymerase, combined with its ability to interact with other viral proteins, viral RNA and cellular proteins, indicate that its noncatalytic role is equally important in viral infections...

In recent years, in addition to the well-established role of T cells in controlling or promoting tumor growth, a new wave of research has demonstrated the active involvement of B cells in tumor immunity. B-cell subsets with distinct phenotypes and functions play various roles in tumor progression. Plasma cells and activated B cells have been linked to improved clinical outcomes in several types of cancer, whereas regulatory B cells have been associated with disease progression. However, we are only beginning to understand the role of a particular innate subset of B cells, referred to as B-1 cells, in cancer...

People living with HIV (PLWH) usually suffer from co-infections and co-morbidities including respiratory tract infections. SARS-CoV-2 has been reported to cause respiratory infections. There are uncertainties in the disease severity and immunological response among PLWH who are co-infected with COVID-19. This review outlines the current knowledge on the clinical outcomes and immunological response to SARS-CoV-2 among PLWH. Literature was searched in Google scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Science Direct conforming with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines from studies published from January 2020 to June 2023...

Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized antigen-presenting cells that are crucial for maintaining self-tolerance, initiating immune responses against pathogens, and patrolling body compartments. Despite promising aspects, DC-based immunotherapy faces challenges that include limited availability, immune escape in tumors, immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment, and the need for effective combination therapies. A further limitation in DC-based immunotherapy is the low population of migratory DC (around 5%-10%) that migrate to lymph nodes (LNs) through afferent lymphatics depending on the LN draining site...

Ever since its discovery, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection has remained a significant public health concern. The number of HIV-1 seropositive individuals currently stands at 40.1 million, yet definitive treatment for the virus is still unavailable on the market. Vaccination has proven to be a potent tool in combating infectious diseases, as evidenced by its success against other pathogens. However, despite ongoing efforts and research, the unique viral characteristics have prevented the development of an effective anti-HIV-1 vaccine...

The etiopathogenesis of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a complex multifactorial process that involves an intricate network of genetic, epigenetic, immunological, and environmental factors. Despite the advances in recent years, some aspects of the mechanisms involved in triggering the disease are still unclear. Infections with certain viruses have been suggested as possible environmental triggers for the autoimmune process that leads to selective and progressive destruction of pancreatic β-cells and insufficiency of insulin production, which is its hallmark...

Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol in various plants, has gained significant attention for its potential health-promoting properties. It has been demonstrated, after reviewing various clinical and in vitro studies, that resveratrol possesses potent antioxidant potential. Resveratrol demonstrates cellular component protection by directly neutralizing free radicals (FRs) and enhancing the expression of natural antioxidant enzymes, thereby mitigating oxidative damage to proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids...

Cells of the mammalian innate immune system have evolved to protect the host from various environmental or internal insults and injuries which perturb the homeostatic state of the organism. Among the lymphocytes of the innate immune system are natural killer (NK) cells, which circulate and survey host tissues for signs of stress, including infection or transformation. NK cells rapidly eliminate damaged cells in the blood or within tissues through secretion of cytolytic machinery and production of proinflammatory cytokines...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been distributed in most countries for the prevention of onset and aggravation of COVID-19. Recently, there have been increasing numbers of reports on new-onset autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases following COVID-19 vaccination, however, only little information is available on the long-term safety of these vaccines. Here, we experienced three cases of new-onset rheumatic diseases following COVID-19 vaccination, one case each of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)...

Preeclampsia is one of the most common disorders that poses threat to both mothers and neonates and a major contributor to perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Viral infection during pregnancy is not typically considered to cause preeclampsia; however, syndromic nature of preeclampsia etiology and the immunomodulatory effects of viral infections suggest that microbes could trigger a subset of preeclampsia. Notably, SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia. Herein, we review the potential role of viral infections in this great obstetrical syndrome...

BACKGROUND: Influenza's potential impact on active tuberculosis (TB) development has been debated, with limited clinical evidence. To address this, we explored the association between influenza episodes and TB incidence in a national cohort of individuals with latent TB infection (LTBI). METHODS: We examined adults (≥20 years) diagnosed with LTBI between 2015 and 2020, using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's national database in South Korea...

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of lenvatinib in various types of solid tumors. Method By searching PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, CNKI, Wanfang and other databases, all the literatures about the comparison of clinical efficacy of lenvatinib in the treatment of various solid tumors. According to the criteria of inclusion and exclusion of literature, two participants screened the literature, collated the data and evaluated the literature. RevMan 5.4 software was used for meta-analysis of the included literatures...

INTRODUCTION: Gonorrhoea, the sexually transmissible infection caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae , has a substantial impact on sexual and reproductive health globally with an estimated 82 million new infections each year worldwide. N. gonorrhoeae antimicrobial resistance continues to escalate, and disease control is largely reliant on effective therapy as there is no proven effective gonococcal vaccine available. However, there is increasing evidence from observational cohort studies that the serogroup B meningococcal vaccine four-component meningitis B vaccine (4CMenB) (Bexsero), licensed to prevent invasive disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis , may provide cross-protection against the closely related bacterium N...

Fibrosis, a common cause and serious outcome of organ failure that can affect any organ, is responsible for up to 45% of all deaths in various clinical settings. Both preclinical models and clinical trials investigating various organ systems have shown that fibrosis is a highly dynamic process. Although many studies have sought to gain understanding of the mechanism of fibrosis progression, their findings have been mixed. In recent years, increasing evidence indicates that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are involved in many inflammatory and autoimmune disorders and participate in the regulation of fibrotic processes in various organs and systems...