Analysis of Side Effects Following Vaccination Against COVID-19 Among Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis Treated With DMTs in Poland.

Background And Objectives: Since vaccination against COVID-19 is available for over a year and the population of immunized individuals with autoimmune disorders is higher than several months before, an evaluation of safety and registered adverse events can be made. We conducted a large study of side effects following the COVID-19 vaccine among patients with multiple (MS) sclerosis treated with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and analyzed factors predisposing for particular adverse events.

Methods: We gathered data of individuals with MS treated with DMTs from 19 Polish MS Centers, who reported at least one adverse event following COVID-19 vaccination.

Safety of Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 among Polish Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Disease-Modifying Therapies.

(1) Background: The present study aims to report the side effects of vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who were being treated with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in Poland. (2) Methods: The study included 2261 patients with MS who were being treated with DMTs, and who were vaccinated against COVID-19 in 16 Polish MS centers. The data collected were demographic information, specific MS characteristics, current DMTs, type of vaccine, side effects after vaccination, time of side-effect symptom onset and resolution, applied treatment, relapse occurrence, and incidence of COVID-19 after vaccination.

Symptoms after COVID-19 Infection in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis in Poland.

(1) Background: To report and analyze the presence of residual symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection among Polish patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with different disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). (2) Methods: The study included 426 individuals with MS treated with DMTs and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from 12 Polish MS centers. The data were collected through to 31 May 2021.

Variants of Novel Immunomodulatory Fc Receptor Like 5 Gene Are Associated With Multiple Sclerosis Susceptibility in the Polish Population.

Fc receptors have been shown to play a role in several autoimmune diseases. We aimed to test, for the first time, whether some of the single nucleotide variants in the gene were associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility and clinical manifestations in the Polish population. The case-control study included 94 individuals with MS and 160 healthy subjects.

Clinical course and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in multiple sclerosis patients treated with disease-modifying therapies - the Polish experience.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to report the course and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in Poland. A major concern for neurologists worldwide is the course and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with MS treated with different DMTs. Although initial studies do not suggest an unfavourable course of infection in this group of patients, the data is limited.

Assessment of the potential effect of the implementation of serological testing tick-borne encephalitis on the detection of this disease on areas considered as non-endemic in Poland - preliminary report.

Introduction: In Poland, the number of reported cases of tick-borne encephalitis, and thus the designation of the regions of TBE occurrence, seems to be underestimated.

Aim Of The Study: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the implementation of TBE virus infection tests in the routine diagnostics of patients with neuroinfections of undetermined viral etiology on the identification of TBE virus infections in areas considered non-endemic and finding new areas of TBE occurrence.

Material And Methods: Twenty-nine departments in which patients with suspected neuroinfections are hospitalized participated in the study.

Some Common SNPs of the T-Cell Homeostasis-Related Genes Are Associated with Multiple Sclerosis, but Not with the Clinical Manifestations of the Disease, in the Polish Population.

Purpose: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease, and genetic factors play an important role in its pathogenesis and progression. The aim of our study was to evaluate the frequencies of alleles and genetic variants of the T-cell homeostasis-related genes, in subjects with MS, as well as to investigate the association with MS clinical manifestations and disability.

Methods: 94 subjects with MS and 160 healthy individuals have been genotyped for seven common single-nucleotide variants in IL-2RA, CTLA4, CD40, and PADI4 genes.

Assessment of anti-HSV antibodies in patients with facial palsy in the course of neuroborreliosis.

Aim: There are many causes of facial nerve palsy. The most common causes are neuroborreliosis (NB), idiopathic paralysis or Herpes simplex virus (HSV) reactivation. The aim of this study was to characterize patients with facial palsy in the course of NB and to determine whether HSV-1 reactivation takes place during the acute phase of NB.

Assessment of TLR-2 concentration in tick-borne encephalitis and neuroborreliosis.

The aim of the study was to check whether measurement of TLR-2 in serum or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can help differentiate between neuroborreliosis (NB) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Eighty patients with meningitis and meningoencephalitis were divided into two groups: Group I - patients with NB ( = 40) and Group II - patients with TBE ( = 40). Diagnosis was based on the clinical picture, CSF examination and presence of specific antibodies in serum and CSF.

Neuronal loss or dysfunction in patients with early Lyme neuroborreliosis: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of the brain.

Background: We hypothesized that since Borrelia burgdorferi causes systemic inflammation and infects the brain, it may lead to alterations in cerebral metabolism, as measured by H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS). The purpose of our study was to determine whether H-MRS could detect brain metabolite alterations in patients with early Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) in normal-appearing brain tissue on the conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: Twenty-six patients diagnosed with early LNB and twenty-six healthy volunteers as a control group have been involved in the study.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) of the brain in patients with tick-borne encephalitis.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a disease caused by a tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) belonging to the Flaviviridae family. The aforementioned virus is transmitted by the bite of infected ticks. In the recent years, TBEV has become a serious public health problem with a steady increase in its incidence, mainly due to the climate changes and spreading the infected ticks into new territories.

Herpesviridae Seropositivity in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: First Polish Study.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that leads to inflammation, demyelination and neurodegeneration. Viral aetiology has been suspected to be an MS trigger for a long time, and herpesviruses (HSs) are among the potential pathogens involved.

Objectives: The present investigation aims to detect the presence of antibodies against the herpes simplex virus (HSV), varicella-zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6) in the serum of MS patients and control individuals in north-eastern Poland.

The FOXP3 rs3761547 Gene Polymorphism in Multiple Sclerosis as a Male-Specific Risk Factor.

The FOXP3 gene encodes a transcription factor and is predominantly expressed in the CD4CD25 regulatory T cells which plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of immune homeostasis. The defect of FOXP3 gene may provide a critical link between autoimmunity and immune deficiency. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the association of chosen polymorphisms of FOXP3 gene (rs3761549, rs3761548, rs3761547) with different clinical multiple sclerosis (MS) data of our relapsing-remitting groups of patients and in control group.

Assessment of HMGB-1 concentration in tick-borne encephalitis and neuroborreliosis.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of HMGB-1 (high mobility group box 1) in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients suffering from tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and neuroborreliosis (NB). Focus was placed on HMGB-1 measurement in the CSF or serum in order to establish whether this could help to differentiate between NB and TBE.

Methods: Eighty patients with meningitis and meningoencephalitis were enrolled in the study.

Cerebrovascular Manifestations of Lyme Neuroborreliosis-A Systematic Review of Published Cases.

Background: Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a disease caused by spirochete , involving the nervous system. It usually manifests as lymphocytic meningoradiculitis, but in rare cases, it can also lead to cerebrovascular complications. We aimed to perform a systematic review of all reported cases of LNB complicated by central nervous system vasculitis and stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Influence of climatic, demographic and socioeconomic factors on tick-borne encephalitis incidence in 6 counties of Podlaskie region in 1994-2014.

Objectives: The aim of the study was the analysis of possible influence of meteorologic, socioeconomic factors and land cover changes on tick borne encephalitis (TBE) incidence in Podlaskie region. We analyzed data from 6 counties in Podlaskie region (białostocki, suwalski, hajnowski, grajewski, kolneński, siemiatycki) from years 1994-2014.

Materials And Methods: The analyzed data included: mean, minimal, maximal air temperatures (measured at 2 m above ground level), temperature amplitudes, rainfall, number of days with snowfall and duration of snow cover presence, population of each county, number of people employed as foresters, hunters, farmers and unemployed, area of each county, forests and agricultural area.

MRI and planimetric CT follow-up study of patients with severe tick-borne encephalitis.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and planimetric computed tomography (CT) of brain lesions in patients with a history of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE); to assess the influence of steroid treatment on the brain and whether lesions were age-dependent.

Methods: A total of 19 patients with abnormal initial imaging in the acute stage of the disease had a follow-up MRI after 1 year; 34 patients hospitalized for TBE encephalitis/encephalomyelitis had planimetric CT after 10 years.

Results: On MRI cortico-subcortical atrophy with widening of anterior horns of the lateral ventricles and vascular changes was more marked on follow-up examination.

Evaluation of CXCL8, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXCL12 and CXCL13 in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neuroborreliosis.

Purpose: Knowledge of the role of chemokines in the inflammation during neuroborreliosis (NB) is limited. We evaluated the pre- and post-treatment concentration of CXCL8, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXCL12, and CXCL13 in serum (s) and cerebrospinal fluid (csf) in patients with NB.

Results: There was a statistically significant increase in pre-treatment s CXCL8, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXCL12, CXCL13 and csf CXCL8, CXCL11, CXCL12, CXCL13 in patients with early form of NB.

[Statistical analysis of influence of meteorological data on the incidence rate of tick-borne encephalitis in Bialystok].

The paper describes estimating the tick-born encephalitis incidence rate by meteorological data using linear regression method. The study shows 2 models of TBE incidence. First one describes general dependency between temperatures and TBE incidence (1972-2004).