Thymic Atrophy and Immune Dysregulation in Infants with Complex Congenital Heart Disease.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, and up to 50% of infants with CHD require cardiovascular surgery early in life. Current clinical practice often involves thymus resection during cardiac surgery, detrimentally affecting T-cell immunity. However, epidemiological data indicate that CHD patients face an elevated risk for infections and immune-mediated diseases, independent of thymectomy.

IL-17 production by CSF lymphocytes as a biomarker for cerebral vasculitis.

Objective: To explore the possibility of using interleukin-17 (IL-17) production by CD4+ T cells in the CSF as a potential biomarker for cerebral vasculitis in stroke patients.

Methods: In this consecutive case study, we performed prospective analysis of CSF and blood in patients admitted to a university medical center with symptoms of stroke and suspected cerebral vasculitis. Flow cytometry was performed for intracellular detection of inflammatory cytokines in peripheral blood lymphocytes and expanded T cells from CSF.