APOL1 polymorphisms are not influencing acute coronary syndrome risk in Czech males.

Background: The highest mortality and morbidity worldwide is associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which has in background both environmental and genetic risk factors. Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) variability influences the risk of ASCVD in Africans, but little is known about the APOL1 and ASCVD in other ethnic groups.

Methods: To investigate the role of APOL1 and ASCVD, we have genotyped four (rs13056427, rs136147, rs10854688 and rs9610473) APOL1 polymorphisms in a group of 1541 male patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and 1338 male controls.

Coupling of a Major Allergen to the Surface of Immune Cells for Use in Prophylactic Cell Therapy for the Prevention of IgE-Mediated Allergy.

Up to a third of the world's population suffers from allergies, yet the effectiveness of available preventative measures remains, at large, poor. Consequently, the development of successful prophylactic strategies for the induction of tolerance against allergens is crucial. In proof-of-concept studies, our laboratory has previously shown that the transfer of autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) or autologous B cells expressing a major grass pollen allergen, Phl p 5, induces robust tolerance in mice.

Deep immune profiling of chronic rhinosinusitis in allergic and non-allergic cohorts using mass cytometry.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a persistent nasal and paranasal sinus mucosa inflammation comprising two phenotypes, namely CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and without (CRSsNP). CRSwNP can be associated with asthma and hypersensitivity to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in a syndrome known as NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD). Furthermore, CRS frequently intertwines with respiratory allergies.

Cholesterol associated genetic risk score and acute coronary syndrome in Czech males.

Background: Despite a general decline in mean levels across populations, LDL-cholesterol levels remain a major risk factor for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The APOB, LDL-R, CILP, and SORT-1 genes have been shown to contain variants that have significant effects on plasma cholesterol levels.

Methods And Results: We examined polymorphisms within these genes in 1191 controls and 929 patients with ACS.

Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio might predict the response to dupilumab treatment for patients with nasal polyposis.

Background: Dupilumab is a monoclonal antibody against interleukin 4 receptor alpha and has proven to be clinically effective in treating patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). However, a certain number of patients are non- or partial responders. This study aims to investigate the relevance of inflammatory markers with regard to therapy response to dupilumab in CRSwNP patients.

Altered liver function test after Covid-19 vaccines: A retrospective control group study.

Background And Purpose: Liver injury after Covid-19 vaccine has been described, although the incidence was not well established. We aimed to compare cumulative incidence of new onset liver test alteration after Covid-19 vaccination, and to compare with an historical control of influenza vaccination.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study which included adults who received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine from January 1 to May 30, 2021 and a control group who received a single dose of influenza vaccine during 2019, in a tertiary medical center from Argentina.

The "real life" efficacy of dupilumab is independent of initial polyp size and concomitant steroids in CRSwNP.

Background: Dupilumab significantly improves symptom control in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Patients with large polyps at the initiation of treatment (total polyp score (TPS) ≥ 5) have been the focus in published studies. Patients with significant burden of disease but small polyps (TPS ≤ 4) have not yet been evaluated for clinical response.

Nasal IL-13 production identifies patients with late-phase allergic responses.

Background: There is limited knowledge on how local cytokine secretion patterns after nasal allergen challenge correlate with clinical symptoms especially with regard to the "late allergic response," which occurs in approximately 40% to 50% of patients with allergy.

Objective: We sought to characterize the immunologic and clinical nasal responses to birch pollen allergen challenge with a special focus on the late allergic response.

Methods: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, birch pollen-allergic participants were challenged with birch pollen extract (n = 20) or placebo (n = 10) on 3 consecutive days.

Efficacy and safety of switching between biologics in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps or N-ERD.

Background And Objective: The effectiveness of biologics in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is well-established. However, real-world experience on the effectiveness of transitioning between two monoclonal antibodies is scarce. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the safety and efficacy of antibody switching in treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis.

The nasal microbiome in patients suffering from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs-exacerbated respiratory disease in absence of corticosteroids.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a chronic inflammatory disease phenotypically classified by the absence (CRSsNP) or presence of nasal polyps (CRSwNP). The latter may also be associated with asthma and hypersensitivity towards non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) as a triad termed NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD). The role of the microbiome in these different disease entities with regard to the underlying inflammatory process and disease burden is yet not fully understood.

Using mass cytometry for the analysis of samples of the human airways.

Mass cytometry (MC) is a powerful method for mapping complex cellular systems at single-cell levels, based on the detection of cellular proteins. Numerous studies have been performed using human blood, but there is a lack of protocols describing the processing and labeling of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and nasal polyps (NP) for acquisition by MC. These specimens are essential in the investigation of immune cell characteristics in airway diseases such as asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with NP (CRSwNP).

Dupilumab increases aspirin tolerance in NSAID-exacerbated respiratory disease.

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-exacerbated respiratory disease (N-ERD) comprises the triad of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, asthma and intolerance to NSAIDs. Dupilumab treatment, targeting the interleukin-4 (IL-4) receptor α, significantly reduces polyp burden as well as asthma symptoms. Here we aimed to investigate the effect of dupilumab on aspirin intolerance, burden of disease and nasal cytokine profiles in patients with N-ERD.

Comprehensive Analysis of Nasal Polyps Reveals a More Pronounced Type 2 Transcriptomic Profile of Epithelial Cells and Mast Cells in Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps is affecting up to 3% of Western populations. About 10% of patients with nasal polyps also suffer from asthma and intolerance to aspirin, a syndrome called aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease. Although eosinophilic inflammation is predominant in polyps of both diseases, phenotypic differences in the tissue-derived microenvironment, elucidating disease-specific characteristics, have not yet been identified.

Heart failure-related quality-of-life impairment after myocardial infarction.

Aims: Recent advances in therapy led to a significant decrease in mortality and morbidity after myocardial infarction (MI). However, little is known about quality of life (QoL) after MI. We examined heart failure (HF)-related quality-of-life (QoL) impairment, its trajectories, and determinants after MI.

Tracing Human IgE B Cell Antigen Receptor-Bearing Cells With a Monoclonal Anti-Human IgE Antibody That Specifically Recognizes Non-Receptor-Bound IgE.

Up to 30% of the population suffers from immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergies. Despite current stepwise gating approaches, the unambiguous identification of human IgE-producing cells by flow cytometry and immunohistology remains challenging. This is mainly due to the scarcity of these cells and the fact that IgE is not only expressed in a membrane-bound form on the surface of IgE-producing cells in form of the B cell antigen receptor (BCR), but is more frequently found on various cell types bound to the low and high affinity receptors, CD23 and FcϵRI, respectively.

Zerumbone acts as a radiosensitizer in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Zerumbone is a phytochemical compound of the ginger plant Zingiber zerumbet with cytotoxic effects in various cancer cell lines. To date, zerumbone has shown an antiproliferative effect in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells lines. However, the effect of combination with radiation or cisplatin in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is unclear.

Very low lipoprotein(a) and increased mortality risk after myocardial infarction.

Background: Inconclusive data exist on risk associated with Lp(a) in patients after myocardial infarction (MI). Aims of the present study were to evaluate the association of Lp(a) level with total mortality and recurrent cardiovascular events.

Design And Methods: Single center prospective registry of consecutive patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction between June 2017 and June 2020 at a large tertiary cardiac center with available blood samples drawn <24h of admission.

RBD-specific polyclonal F(ab´) fragments of equine antibodies in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease: A randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, adaptive phase 2/3 clinical trial.

Background: passive immunotherapy is a therapeutic alternative for patients with COVID-19. Equine polyclonal antibodies (EpAbs) could represent a source of scalable neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: we conducted a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to assess efficacy and safety of EpAbs (INM005) in hospitalized adult patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 pneumonia in 19 hospitals of Argentina.

Heart failure after myocardial infarction: incidence and predictors.

Aims: The aim of the present paper was to provide an up-to-date view on epidemiology and risk factors of heart failure (HF) development after myocardial infarction.

Methods And Results: Based on literature review, several clinical risk factors and biochemical, genetic, and imaging biomarkers were identified to predict the risk of HF development after myocardial infarction.

Conclusions: Heart failure is still a frequent complication of myocardial infarction.

Associations between the Quality of Life and Nasal Polyp Size in Patients Suffering from Chronic Rhinosinusitis without Nasal Polyps, with Nasal Polyps or Aspirin-Exacerbated Respiratory Disease.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disease that substantially impairs the quality of life (QoL). Here, we aimed to assess patients' QoL in different subtypes of CRS and correlated this with nasal polyp size to improve the clinical understanding of the burden of disease. In this retrospective single-center study, 107 patients with the following diagnoses were analyzed: CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP), CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), or aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD).

Primary Nasal Epithelial Cells From Allergic and Non-allergic Individuals Show Comparable Barrier Function.

Previous reports suggested that ex vivo cultured primary nasal epithelial cells from allergic patients differ from those from non-allergic individuals by genuinely reduced barrier function. By contrast, we found that primary nasal epithelial cells from allergic and non-allergic individuals showed comparable barrier function and secretion of cytokines.

Quantitative proteome analysis of Merkel cell carcinoma cell lines using SILAC.

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive neuroendocrine tumour of the skin with growing incidence. To better understand the biology of this malignant disease, immortalized cell lines are used in research for in vitro experiments. However, a comprehensive quantitative proteome analysis of these cell lines has not been performed so far.