The increased intrathecal expression of the monocyte-attracting chemokines CCL7 and CXCL12 in tick-borne encephalitis.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a relatively severe and clinically variable central nervous system (CNS) disease with a significant contribution of a secondary immunopathology. Monocytes/macrophages play an important role in the CNS inflammation, but their pathogenetic role and migration mechanisms in flavivirus encephalitis in humans are not well known. We have retrospectively analyzed blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) monocyte counts in 240 patients with TBE presenting as meningitis (n = 110), meningoencephalitis (n = 114), or meningoencephalomyelitis (n = 16), searching for associations with other laboratory parameters, clinical presentation, and severity.

The chemotactic cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neuroborreliosis.

Background: The outcome of neuroborreliosis (NB) is variable and may partially depend on host-related immune factors. In NB, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contains a large population of T lymphocytes, but the mechanisms and consequences of their recruitment have not been fully elucidated. We have studied expression of T lymphocyte chemoattractant cytokines in association with CSF cytometric parameters and clinical data in NB patients.

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.

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.

The lymphocyte populations and their migration into the central nervous system in tick-borne encephalitis.

In tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytosis is dominated by T CD3+CD4+ and T CD3+CD8+ lymphocytes, but their pathogenetic roles and mechanisms of migration into central nervous system (CNS) are unclear. Currently, we have studied CSF lymphocyte subsets and chemotactic axes in TBE patients stratified according to the clinical presentation. Blood and CSF were obtained from 51 patients with TBE (presenting as meningitis in 30, meningoencephalitis in 18 and meningoencephalomyelitis in 3), 20 with non-TBE meningitis and 11 healthy controls.

Analysis of CCL-4, CCL-17, CCL-20 and IL-8 concentrations in the serum of patients with tick-borne encephalitis and anaplasmosis.

Purpose: Tick-borne co-infections are a serious epidemiological and clinical problem. Only a few studies aimed to investigate the effect of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) co-infection in the course of the inflammatory process and the participation of chemokines in the pathomechanism of these diseases. The aim of the study was to evaluate CCL-4, CCL-17, CCL-20, and IL-8 serum concentrations in patients with HGA, TBE and HGA + TBE co-infection.

Assessment of Coxiella burnetii presence after tick bite in north-eastern Poland.

Purpose: The aim of the study is to assess anti-Coxiella burnetii antibodies presence in inhabitants of north-eastern Poland, to assess the risk of Q fever after tick bite and to assess the percentage of co-infection with other pathogens.

Methods: The serological study included 164 foresters and farmers with a history of tick bite. The molecular study included 540 patients, hospitalized because of various symptoms after tick bite.

Prevalence of Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia in North-Eastern Poland.

The north-eastern Poland is an endemic region of tick-borne diseases. The aim of the study is to assess the prevalence of anti- antibodies in the inhabitants of the north-eastern Poland and to assess the risk of acute infection (rickettsiosis) after a tick bite. Other aim was to assess the risk of co-infection with other pathogens after a tick bite.

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.

Assessment of the tau protein concentration in patients with tick-borne encephalitis.

There have been suggestions that tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) may cause neurodenenerative changes in the brain. The aim of this study was the assessment of the tau protein concentration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with different clinical forms of TBE. The concentration of tau protein in CSF was determined using Fujirebio tests (Ghent, Belgium) in 35 patients with TBE: group I-patients with meningitis (n = 16); group II-patients with meningoencephalitis (n = 19).

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 intrathecal expression and pathogenetic role of Th17 cytokines and CXCR2-binding chemokines in tick-borne encephalitis.

Background: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a clinically variable but potentially severe Flavivirus infection, with the outcome strongly dependent on secondary immunopathology. Neutrophils are present in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of TBE patients, but their pathogenetic role remains unknown. In animal models, neutrophils contributed both to the Flavivirus entry into central nervous system (CNS) and to the control of the encephalitis, which we attempted to evaluate in human TBE.

Intrathecal expression of IL-5 and humoral response in patients with tick-borne encephalitis.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the role of an early specific humoral response in human infection with a tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) and the role of IL-5 as its potential mediator and marker.

Materials And Methods: The retrospective study involved a cohort of 199 patients diagnosed with TBE, in whom anti-TBEV IgM and IgG antibody titers were analyzed on admission and compared with clinical presentation and basic laboratory parameters. The prospective study included 50 TBE patients in whom IL-5 serum and CSF concentration was measured with ELISA on admission in the TBE neurologic phase and in selected patients before discharge, at follow-up or in samples obtained before the neurologic phase onset.

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.

Tick-borne infections and co-infections in patients with non-specific symptoms in Poland.

Aim: The aim of the study was the evaluation of the frequency of infections and co-infections among patients hospitalized because of non-specific symptoms after a tick bite.

Materials And Methods: Whole blood, serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples from 118 patients hospitalised for non-specific symptoms up to 8 weeks after tick bite from 2010 to 2013 were examined for tick-borne infections. ELISA, Western blot and/or molecular biology (PCR; fla gene; 16S rRNA; sequencing) and thin blood smears (MDD) were used.

Serum carnitine and acyl-carnitine in patients with meningitis due to tick-borne encephalitis virus infection.

Background: Hard ticks are the main vectors of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Free carnitine (FC) and acylcarnitines (AC) have the basic role in β-oxidation as well as the modulation of immune and nervous system. Homeostasis of carnitines in the TBE patients was not studied so far.

The increased concentration of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with tick-borne encephalitis.

Background: Host factors determining the clinical presentation of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are not fully elucidated. The peripheral inflammatory response to TBE virus is hypothesized to facilitate its entry into central nervous system by disrupting the blood-brain barrier with the involvement of a signaling route including Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) and pro-inflammatory cytokines macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β).

Methods: Concentrations of MIF, TNFα, and IL-1β were measured with commercial ELISA in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 36 hospitalized TBE patients, 7 patients with non-TBE meningitis, and 6 controls.

Evaluation of NF-κB concentration in patients with tick-borne encephalitis, neuroborreliosis, anaplasmosis and Anaplasma phagocythophilum with tick-borne encephalitis virus co-infection.

Objectives: The aim of the study was the evaluation of NF-κB concentration in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with diagnosis of tick-borne diseases: tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), neuroborreliosis (NB), anaplasmosis (ANA) and patients co-infected with tick-borne encephalitis virus and Anaplasma phagocythophilum (TBE+ANA). Additionally NF-κB concentration during acute and convalescent period was compared.

Methods: Sixty-seven patients with diagnosis of tick-borne diseases were included in the study.

Usefulness of copeptin as a potential biomarker in TBE.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of copeptin for differentiation of hyponatremia in the course of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) and for being a prognostic marker of the severity of TBE.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and fourteen patients with TBE were included in the study. The control group consisted of 62 patients diagnosed with viral meningitis.

Synthesis of Th17 cytokines in the culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato.

Introduction And Objective: Th17 lymphocytes and their cytokines, interleukin 17A (IL-17A), IL-17F and IL-22, participate in the response to extracellular bacteria and in the autoimmunity and may be engaged in the pathogenesis of Lyme borreliosis. Concentrations were measured of IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-22 in the supernatant of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) culture stimulated with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (B. burgdorferi).

Infection with Babesia microti in humans with non-specific symptoms in North East Poland.

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical course and effectiveness of diagnostics tools for Babesia spp. infection in patients bitten by ticks.

Materials And Methods: Five hundred and forty-eight patients hospitalised or seen in outpatients department because of various symptoms after a tick bite were included in the study.

Serum carnitine concentration is decreased in patients with Lyme borreliosis.

Background: Lyme borreliosis (LB) is a serious infectious disease. Carnitine plays a crucial role in metabolism and inflammatory responses. Carnitine may be important in improving neuronal dysfunction and loss of neurons.

Evaluation of Chosen Cytokine Levels among Patients with Herpes Zoster as Ability to Provide Immune Response.

Aim And Background: Herpes zoster is a viral disease caused by the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) which remained latent in the cranial nerve or dorsal root ganglia. Cell-mediated immunity is known to decline with age as part of immunosenescence and can lead to the reactivation of VZV. Whereas herpes zoster is usually mild in healthy young persons, older patients are at increased risk for complications.