Efficacy of acitretin in the treatment of reactive neutrophilic dermatoses in adult-onset immunodeficiency due to interferon-gamma autoantibody

Reactive neutrophilic dermatoses in adult-onset immunodeficiency due to interferon-γ autoantibody (AOID) are usually associated with concomitant active opportunistic infections. Data focusing on the treatment of these dermatoses with non-immunosuppressive drugs are still lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of acitretin treatment of reactive neutrophilic dermatoses in AOID. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients with AOID who had reactive neutrophilic dermatoses and had been treated with acitretin from January 2008 to December 2018. In total, 23 patients had been diagnosed with AOID, with 27 episodes of reactive neutrophilic dermatoses (20 episodes of Sweet syndrome and seven episodes of generalized pustular eruption) and treated with acitretin. The median effective dose of acitretin was 10 mg/day. The mean initial response was 5.6 ± 2.3 days. The rash had almost or completely cleared within 2 weeks in 70.4% of patients. One case had developed a reversible acitretin-induced liver injury with hepatocellular pattern. The median total duration of treatment was 3 months. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential role of acitretin as one of the treatments of choice for reactive neutrophilic dermatoses in AOID, attributable to its favorable response and good tolerability.     

Circulating CCL20: A potential biomarker for active vitiligo together with the number of Th1/17 cells

Background

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease with varying pathological features. Activation of the CCL20-CCR6 axis plays an important role in chronic inflammatory diseases. However, whether CCL20-CCR6 and Th1/17 cells are indicative of active vitiligo is unclear.

Targeting the toll-like receptor 7 pathway in asthma: a potential immunomodulatory approach?

In allergic airways, as in asthma, inflammation and impaired functioning of toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) has been found. The augmentation of this receptor with agonist compounds resulted in bronchodilation and a switch of the T_H2 inflammatory pattern, specific for allergic conditions, to T_H1 inflammation, characterised by an increased production of interferon-γ. This was a preclinical study evaluating the effects of two TLR7 agonists, imiquimod and resiquimod, on the isolated guinea pig trachea. The TLR7-related downstream signalling pathways were also assessed. Both TLR7 agonists were shown to reduce serotonin-induced bronchoconstriction, which is possibly exerted via the p38MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Therapeutic targeting of TLR7 with specific agonists might represent a promising immunomodulatory approach in asthma, especially if systemic exposure is minimised with inhaled formulations.     

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, interferon-gamma-naemia and Epstein-Barr virus involvement

Summary. To clarify the correlation between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) involvement and hypercytokinaemia in haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), we analysed serum interferon-gamma levels and EBV-DNA in biological specimens obtained from 25 HLH cases (23 children and two adults). We found that HLH patients showed a wide range of serum IFN-gamma levels from 0.2 to 1300 U/ml, with a median 126U/ml for EBV-DNA-positive (n = 9) and 4.5 U/ml for EBV-DNA-negative (n = 16) groups. The latter group could be classified further into a group with hyper-IFN-gamma-naemia (> 4.5 U/ml) (n = 8) and a group without hyper-IFN-gamma-naemia (n = 8). The survival of the hyper-IFN-gamma-naemic cases was significantly poorer than non-hyper-IFN-gamma-naemic cases. We conclude that EBV is probably involved in one third of the HLH cases, all of whom show hyper-IFN-gamma-naemia, and in the half of the HLH cases with hyper-IFN-gamma-naemia who have a rapidly fatal outcome.     

SLE患者外周血单个核细胞IFN-γ及IL-10mRNA表达与疾病活动性的相关性

目的探讨系统性红斑狼疮(SLE)患者疾病活动性的相关因素.方法选择70例SLE患者(SLE组)和63例健康查体者(对照组),采用PCR法检测外周血单个核细胞IFN-γmRNA和IL-10mRNA表达情况;采用凝胶图像扫描系统对PCR产物的电泳条带进行密度扫描.结果SLE组IL-10 mRNA表达量高于对照组(P＜0.01),IFN-γ表达低于对照组,但无统计学差异.SLE组SLE疾病活动指数(SLEDAI)＞10分者IFN-γ mRNA表达显著高于≤10分者,IL-10 mRNA表达在两者间无统计学差异.结论SLE时存在Th1细胞向Th2细胞漂移现象;IFN-γ表达增高与SEE疾病活动性密切相关.     

Nitric oxide inhibits establishment of macroschizont-infected cell lines and is produced by macrophages of calves undergoing bovine tropical theileriosis or East Coast fever

Nitric oxide (NO) was produced when bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or purified, adherent PBMC (macrophages) were incubated in vitro with bovine recombinant interferon gamma (Bo rIFN-γ). NO was produced by cells from naive, uninfected calves as well as by cells from cattle either infected with or recovered from infection with Theileria annulata or Theileria parva. PBMC of cattle undergoing tropical theileriosis (T. annulata infection) or East Coast fever (T. parva infection) synthesized NO spontaneously in vitro. NO was also induced when PBMC of immune, but not of naive, cattle were cultured with T. annulata macroschizont-infected cell lines. Macrophages alone were not stimulated to produce NO by such infected cells. In vitro establishment of macroschizont-infected cell lines was suppressed either by incubating sporozoites with S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penicillamine (SNAP), a NO releasing molecule, prior to invasion of PBMC or by pulsing developing cultures of trophozoite-infected cells with SNAP. Proliferation of established macroschizont-infected cell lines was not affected by SNAP. Taken together with the well documented roles of NO in neurotransmission, vasodilatation, cell and tissue damage and immunosuppression, the results presented here indicate that NO may not only protect cattle against T. annulata and T. parva but, if produced in excess, play a prominent role in the pathogenesis of tropical theileriosis and East Coast fever.     

Genetic variants in interleukin-18 gene and risk for cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Cervical cancer is strongly associated with infection of oncogenic types of human papillomavirus (HPV). However, HPV infection alone is not sufficient for progression to cervical cancer. It is now recognized that host immunogenetic background participates in the control of HPV infection and development of cervical cancer. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a multifunctional cytokine that induces interferon-gamma secretion and plays a central role in antitumor immunity. The aim of this study is to determine if potentially functional polymorphisms in IL-18 gene are associated with risk of HPV-induced cervical cancer in Taiwanese women. Pre-Developed TaqMan Allelic Discrimination Assay was used to genotype IL-18 −1297 T/C, −607 C/A, −380 C/G, −137 G/C, and +105 A/C polymorphisms in a hospital-based study of 470 women with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) and 722 age-matched healthy control women. The presence and genotypes of HPV in CSCC was determined by PCR. None of the polymorphisms or any haplotype was found to have significant differences in distribution among all subjects with CSCC, those with HPV-16 positive CSCC, and controls. Our results suggest that the IL-18 −1297 T/C, −607 C/A, −380 C/G, −137 G/C, and +105 A/C polymorphisms are not associated with susceptibility to CSCC in Taiwanese women.     

γ-干扰素体外释放试验在结核病诊断中的价值

目的探讨γ-干扰素(γ-IFN)体外释放试验(IGRA)对诊断结核病的临床价值。方法 479例结核病患者纳入结核病组,42例体检健康者纳入对照组。两组被试均行IGRA、蛋白芯片法检测,采用抗酸染色(AFB)检测结核病患者痰液中的抗酸杆菌。比较IGRA与蛋白芯片法对结核病的诊断效能及在肺结核与肺外结核中的检测效果,并比较IGRA对AFB阳性和阴性的肺结核和肺外结核患者的检测效果。结果IGRA和结核分枝杆菌蛋白芯片法敏感度分别为89.56%(429/479)和76.20%(365/479),特异度分别为100.00%(42/42)和88.10(37/42),准确率分别为90.40%(471/521)和77.16%(402/521)。418例肺结核患者中AFB阳性127例,AFB阴性者291例,其中AFB阳性肺结核患者中IGRA阳性率为93.70%(119/127),AFB阴性肺结核患者阳性率为88.66%(258/291);肺外结核61例患者AFB均阴性,IGRA和结核分枝杆菌蛋白芯片阳性率分别为85.25%(52/61)和68.85%(42/61)。结论 IGRA与结核分枝杆菌蛋白芯片法相比,对结核病诊断有较高的敏感度与特异度,尤其是对AFB阴性的结核病有较高的检出率,值得临床推广应用。     

慢性阻塞性肺疾病稳定期基质金属蛋白酶-9和γ-干扰素与肺功能的相关性

目的:探讨慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)稳定期基质金属蛋白酶-9(MMP-9)和γ-干扰素(IFN-γ)与患者肺功能受损严重程度的相关性。方法:选取COPD稳定期患者80例,按用力肺活量(FVC)、1 s钟用力呼气容积(FEV1)、FEV1/FVC的临床严重度分级标准分为I级、II级、III级及IV级组4组,同时选取25例健康对照者(健康对照组),比较各组FEV1占预计值的百分比(FEV1%pred)与FEV1/FVC水平,并检测IFN-γ、MMP-9水平,分析IFN-γ、MMP-9与肺功能受损严重程度的相关性。结果:COPD稳定期各组患者血清IFN-γ、MMP-9浓度较健康对照组升高,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);COPD稳定期,随着肺功能的降低,患者血清中MMP-9、IFN-γ含量升高,MMP-9、IFN-γ含量呈正相关(r=0.868,P<0.05);COPD稳定期患者血清中MMP-9与肺功能受损严重程度(FEV1占预计值的百分比)呈负相关,(r=-0.849,P<0.05);COPD稳定期患者血清中IFN-γ与肺功能受损严重程度(FEV1占预计值的百分比)呈负相关,(r=-0.896,P<0.05)。结论:COPD稳定期患者血清MMP-9、IFN-γ可能参与了COPD慢性炎症反应引起肺损伤的发病机制。