The Impact of MicroRNAs in Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis and other Inflammatory Conditions of Intestine: A Review.

The understanding of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) etiopathogenesis is incomplete, contributing to the lack of early biomarkers and therapeutic options. Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are a class of RNAs that can alter gene expression and modulate various physiological and pathological processes. Several studies have been performed to evaluate the role of miRNA in the pathogenesis of NEC.

Precision Mapping of COVID-19 Vulnerable Locales by Epidemiological and Socioeconomic Risk Factors, Developed Using South Korean Data.

COVID-19 has severely impacted socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. To support pandemic control strategies, geographically weighted negative binomial regression (GWNBR) mapped COVID-19 risk related to epidemiological and socioeconomic risk factors using South Korean incidence data (January 20, 2020 to July 1, 2020). We constructed COVID-19-specific socioeconomic and epidemiological themes using established social theoretical frameworks and created composite indexes through principal component analysis.

Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Relation to MRZ Reaction Status in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

The MRZ reaction (MRZR) comprises the three antibody indices (AIs) against measles, rubella, and varicella zoster virus, reflecting an intrathecal polyspecific B cell response highly specific for multiple sclerosis (MS). Thus, MRZR can be used to confirm a diagnosis of primary progressive MS (PPMS) but its pathophysiological and wider clinical relevance is unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether PPMS patients with a positive MRZR (MRZR+) differ from those with a negative MRZR (MRZR-) according to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of B cell activity, neuroaxonal damage or glial activity, and clinical features.

Cluster Analysis of Dry Eye Disease Models Based on Immune Cell Parameters - New Insight Into Therapeutic Perspective.

Dry eye disease (DED) can be represented as a display of disease in the mucosal part of the eye. It is quite distinct from the retinal side of the eye which connects with the neurons and thus represents the neuroimmunological disease. DED can occur either by the internal damage of the T cells inside the body or by microbial infections.

The Innate Immune Cell Profile of the Cornea Predicts the Onset of Ocular Surface Inflammatory Disorders.

Ocular surface inflammatory disorder (OSID) is a spectrum of disorders that have features of several etiologies whilst displaying similar phenotypic signs of ocular inflammation. They are complicated disorders with underlying mechanisms related to several autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjögren's syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Current literature shows the involvement of both innate and adaptive arms of the immune system in ocular surface inflammation.

Role of immune cells in the ocular manifestations of pemphigoid diseases.

Pemphigoid disease is classified according to the phenotypical location of the disease and the presence of different types of antibodies. The ocular distribution of pemphigoid mainly occurs in patients with bullous pemphigoid and mucous membrane pemphigoid. Several immune cells, including the cells of the innate immune system (neutrophils and γδ T cells) and the adaptive immune system (T and B cells), are involved in pemphigoid disease.

Memantine potentiates cytarabine-induced cell death of acute leukemia correlating with inhibition of K1.3 potassium channels, AKT and ERK1/2 signaling.

Background: Treatment of acute leukemia is challenging and long-lasting remissions are difficult to induce. Innovative therapy approaches aim to complement standard chemotherapy to improve drug efficacy and decrease toxicity. Promising new therapeutic targets in cancer therapy include voltage-gated K1.

Topical Delivery of Senicapoc Nanoliposomal Formulation for Ocular Surface Treatments.

Topical ophthalmologic treatments have been facing great challenges with main limitations of low drug bioavailability, due to highly integrative defense mechanisms of the eye. This study rationally devised strategies to increase drug bioavailability by increasing ocular surface residence time of drug-loaded nanoliposomes dispersed within thermo-sensitive hydrogels (Pluronic F-127). Alternatively, we utilized sub-conjunctival injections as a depot technique to localize nanoliposomes.

Nature versus nurture in the spectrum of rheumatic diseases: Classification of spondyloarthritis as autoimmune or autoinflammatory.

Spondyloarthritides (SpA) include inflammatory joint diseases with various clinical phenotypes that may also include the axial skeleton and/or entheses. SpA include psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, enteropathic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis; the latter is frequently associated with extra-articular manifestations, such as uveitis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease. SpA are associated with the HLA-B27 allele and recognize T cells as key pathogenetic players.

Role of Immunological Memory Cells as a Therapeutic Target in Multiple Sclerosis.

Pharmacological targeting of memory cells is an attractive treatment strategy in various autoimmune diseases, such as psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Multiple sclerosis is the most common inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system, characterized by focal immune cell infiltration, activation of microglia and astrocytes, along with progressive damage to myelin sheaths, axons, and neurons. The current review begins with the identification of memory cell types in the previous literature and a recent description of the modulation of these cell types in T, B, and resident memory cells in the presence of different clinically approved multiple sclerosis drugs.

A Non-invasive Way to Isolate and Phenotype Cells from the Conjunctiva.

Traditionally, ocular surface cytology is studied with techniques such as spatula technology and brush technology. The problem with these techniques is that they may induce traumatic lesions on the surface of the eye, which can progress to scarring, eyelid deformity, limbal stem cell deficiency and in some cases, cause great discomfort to the subject. To avoid these clinical problems, impression cytology (IC) was developed to diagnose dry eye disease and later neoplasia, atopic disease, vernal keratoconjunctivitis and keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

A Chronic Autoimmune Dry Eye Rat Model with Increase in Effector Memory T Cells in Eyeball Tissue.

Dry eye disease is a very common condition that causes morbidity and healthcare burden and decreases the quality of life. There is a need for a suitable dry eye animal model to test novel therapeutics to treat autoimmune dry eye conditions. This protocol describes a chronic autoimmune dry eye rat model.

Tissue resident memory T cells in the human conjunctiva and immune signatures in human dry eye disease.

Non-recirculating resident memory (T) and recirculating T cells mount vigorous immune responses to both self and foreign antigens in barrier tissues like the skin, lung and gastrointestinal tract. Using impression cytology followed by flow cytometry we identified two T subsets and four recirculating T-subsets in the healthy human ocular surface. In dry eye disease, principal component analysis (PCA) revealed two clusters of patients with distinct T-cell signatures.

Dry eye disease and uveitis: A closer look at immune mechanisms in animal models of two ocular autoimmune diseases.

Understanding the immunopathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases is a prerequisite for specific and effective therapeutical intervention. This review focuses on animal models of two common ocular inflammatory diseases, dry eye disease (DED), affecting the ocular surface, and uveitis with inflammation of the inner eye. In both diseases autoimmunity plays an important role, in idiopathic uveitis immune reactivity to intraocular autoantigens is pivotal, while in dry eye disease autoimmunity seems to play a role in one subtype of disease, Sjögren' syndrome (SjS).

Immunomodulation by memantine in therapy of Alzheimer's disease is mediated through inhibition of Kv1.3 channels and T cell responsiveness.

Memantine is approved for the treatment of advanced Alzheimer´s disease (AD) and reduces glutamate-mediated neuronal excitotoxicity by antagonism of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. In the pathophysiology of AD immune responses deviate and infectious side effects are observed during memantine therapy. However, the particular effects of memantine on human T lymphocytes are unresolved.

Bitter correlationship between autoimmune hepatitis and smoking.

Cigarette smoke contains numerous toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic chemicals, stable and unstable free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) which cause biological oxidative damage. Continuous exposure to those chemicals leads to immense amount of damage to the human health either directly or indirectly. A hypothesis is advanced here that a possible explanation for developing autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is due to regular smoking for long years of time.

NMDA-receptor antagonists block B-cell function but foster IL-10 production in BCR/CD40-activated B cells.

Background: B cells are important effectors and regulators of adaptive and innate immune responses, inflammation and autoimmunity, for instance in anti-NMDA-receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis. Thus, pharmacological modulation of B-cell function could be an effective regimen in therapeutic strategies. Since the non-competitive NMDAR antagonist memantine is clinically applied to treat advanced Alzheimer`s disease and ketamine is supposed to improve the course of resistant depression, it is important to know how these drugs affect B-cell function.

Immunosuppression by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists is mediated through inhibition of Kv1.3 and KCa3.1 channels in T cells.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are ligand-gated ion channels that play an important role in neuronal development, plasticity, and excitotoxicity. NMDAR antagonists are neuroprotective in animal models of neuronal diseases, and the NMDAR open-channel blocker memantine is used to treat Alzheimer's disease. In view of the clinical application of these pharmaceuticals and the reported expression of NMDARs in immune cells, we analyzed the drug's effects on T-cell function.