Number Of Eosinophils In Blood Research Articles

Periostin as a marker of eosinophilic inflammation in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are common chronic respiratory diseases. Given their heterogeneity, the study of periostin is a relevant area for establishing the endotypes of airway inflammation and determining further therapy tactics. AIM: To evaluate periostin levels and determine its significance as a marker of eosinophilic inflammation in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 59 patients with asthma and 33 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The control group consisted of 37 apparently healthy people, comparable in age and sex, without allergic and bronchial obstructive diseases in anamnesis. The anamnesis data, the number of peripheral blood eosinophils and induced sputum, indices of external respiratory function were evaluated. Levels of specific immunoglobulin E to allergens, periostin level were determined in blood serum by immunoenzyme method. The obtained data were processed using STATISTICA 13 and SPSS Statistic 27 software systems. RESULTS: The maximum serum periostin concentration 22.5 (17–38) ng/ml was recorded in the patients with asthma, which was significantly higher than in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease group [16 (12–21) ng/ml; p = 0.006] and control group [20.1 (14.6–24.8) ng/ml; p = 0.044]. The level of periostin in induced sputum in the patients with asthma was significantly higher than in the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease group — 0.05 (0.03–0.6) ng/ml vs 0.03 (0.02–0.04) ng/ml (p = 0.008). The study revealed the correlation between serum periostin level and eosinophil level (r = 0.406; p 0.05) and with forced expiratory volume in the first second after bronchodilator test (r = 0.366; p 0.05) as well as with forced expiratory volume in the first second divided by forced vital capacity after bronchodilator test (r = 0.572; p 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Periostin is a promising marker of eosinophilic inflammation in patients with asthma, which can be considered as an indicator of fixed bronchial obstruction and a molecule linking T2-inflammation and airway remodelling. In a group of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, the use of periostin for diagnostic and prognostic purposes requires further investigation and larger studies.

Treating moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis with benralizumab: results from the HILLIER study, a plain language summary.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic (long-lasting) skin disease that leads to dry, itchy, and swollen red spots, which can also be painful and flare up at any time. Some people with AD have a high number of eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, which are associated with worse disease. Medicated creams and lotions, prescribed by health care providers, are meant to reduce the symptoms of AD. For some people, these creams and lotions do not work. Benralizumab injection is a medication that reduces and removes eosinophils. A clinical trial called HILLER tested benralizumab to see if there was a difference in symptoms of AD after reducing or removing eosinophils. This article explains how benralizumab reduced eosinophils and the effect it had on AD symptoms in the HILLIER study. Benralizumab reduced blood eosinophil numbers. However, benralizumab showed no evidence of treatment benefit on signs, symptoms, or severity of AD, as measured by three skin assessments compared with placebo. Benralizumab was well tolerated and had a safety profile that was consistent with previous studies. The five most commonly reported side effects were COVID-19 infection, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, swelling of the lymph nodes, and pink eye (conjunctivitis) in patients who received either benralizumab or placebo. Benralizumab lowered the number of blood eosinophils without improving AD symptoms and was well tolerated.

The effects of inhaled corticosteroids on healthy airways.

The effects of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on healthy airways are poorly defined. To delineate the effects of ICS on gene expression in healthy airways, without confounding caused by changes in disease-related genes and disease-related alterations in ICS responsiveness. Randomized open-label bronchoscopy study of high-dose ICS therapy in 30 healthy adult volunteers randomized 2:1 to (i) fluticasone propionate 500 mcg bd daily or (ii) no treatment, for 4 weeks. Laboratory staff were blinded to allocation. Biopsies and brushings were analysed by immunohistochemistry, bulk RNA sequencing, DNA methylation array and metagenomics. ICS induced small between-group differences in blood and lamina propria eosinophil numbers, but not in other immunopathological features, blood neutrophils, FeNO, FEV1, microbiome or DNA methylation. ICS treatment upregulated 72 genes in brushings and 53 genes in biopsies, and downregulated 82 genes in brushings and 416 genes in biopsies. The most downregulated genes in both tissues were canonical markers of type-2 inflammation (FCER1A, CPA3, IL33, CLEC10A, SERPINB10 and CCR5), T cell-mediated adaptive immunity (TARP, TRBC1, TRBC2, PTPN22, TRAC, CD2, CD8A, HLA-DQB2, CD96, PTPN7), B-cell immunity (CD20, immunoglobulin heavy and light chains) and innate immunity, including CD48, Hobit, RANTES, Langerin and GFI1. An IL-17-dependent gene signature was not upregulated by ICS. In healthy airways, 4-week ICS exposure reduces gene expression related to both innate and adaptive immunity, and reduces markers of type-2 inflammation. This implies that homeostasis in health involves tonic type-2 signalling in the airway mucosa, which is exquisitely sensitive to ICS.

Functional analysis of airway remodeling is related with fibrotic mediators in asthmatic children

Background Asthmatic children present variable degrees of airway inflammation, remodeling, and resistance, which correlate with disease control and severity. The chronic inflammatory process of the airway triggers airway remodeling, which reflects the degree of airway resistance. Pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic mediators are centrally involved in this process. Objective To investigate whether the levels of pulmonary and systemic pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic mediators present a correlation with the resistance of the respiratory system and of the proximal and distal airways. Methods 39 Asthmatic children (persistent mild and moderate) and 39 non-asthmatic children (both between 6 and 13 years old) were evaluated for anthropometric characteristics, lung function and mechanics, and pulmonary and systemic immune responses. Results Asthmatic children showed an increased number of blood eosinophils (p < 0.04), basophils (p < 0.04), monocytes (p < 0.002) and lymphocytes (p < 0.03). In addition, asthmatic children showed impaired lung function, as demonstrated by FEV1 (p < 0.0005) and FEV1/FVC (p < 0.004), decreased total resistance of the respiratory system (R5Hz; p < 0.009), increased resistance of the proximal airways (R20Hz; p < 0.02), increased elastance (Z5Hz; p < 0.02) and increased reactance (X5Hz; p < 0.002) compared to non-asthmatic children. Moreover, the following inflammatory factors were significantly higher in asthmatic than non-asthmatic children: GM-CSF in the breath condensate (BC) (p < 0.0001) and in the serum (p < 0.0001); TGF-beta in the BC (p < 0.0001) and in the serum (p < 0.004); IL-5 in the BC (p < 0.02) and in the serum (p < 0.01); IL-4 in the serum (p < 0.0002). Conclusions Impulse oscillometry is a sensitive method to detect airway resistance in persistent mild and moderate asthmatic children, an event followed by increased levels of pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic mediators.

Mechanism of intestinal microbiota disturbance promoting the occurrence and development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma——based on microbiomics and metabolomics

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a high-risk malignant tumor that has been reported in China. Some studies indicate that gut microbiota disorders can affect the occurrence and development of ESCC, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the possible underlying mechanisms using microbiomics and metabolomics. Fifty ESCC patients and fifty healthy controls were selected as the study subjects according to sex and age, and fecal samples were collected. 16S rDNA sequencing and LC‒MS were used for microbiomics and nontargeted metabolomics analyses. We found significant differences in the composition of the gut microbiota and metabolites between the ESCC patients and control individuals (P < 0.05). ESCC patients exhibited increased abundances of Fusobacteriaceae and Lactobacillus, increased levels of GibberellinA34 and decreased levels of 12-hydroxydodecanoic acid; these metabolites could be diagnostic and predictive markers of ESCC. An increase in the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacillus significantly reduced the content of L-aspartate and pantothenic acid, which may be involved in the occurrence and development of ESCC by downregulating the expression of proteins in the pantothenate and coenzyme A biosynthesis pathways. An imbalance in the intestinal flora may decrease the number of eosinophils in peripheral blood, resulting in the activation of an inflammatory response and immune dysfunction, leading to ESCC deterioration. We hypothesize that this imbalance in the gut microbiota can cause an imbalance in intestinal metabolites, which can activate carcinogenic metabolic pathways, affect inflammation and immune function, and play a role in the occurrence and development of ESCC.

Abnormal S100A8 expression associates with postoperative recurrence in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps

ObjectiveTo investigate the role of S100A8 in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and assess its value in predicting disease recurrence after surgery. MethodsThirty healthy controls (HC), 30 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyp (CRSsNP), and 60 patients with CRSwNP were enrolled. Serum S100A8 concentration was measured by ELISA. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blotting (WB), and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)were performed to examine tissue expression levels of S100A8. The potential values of S100A8 in predicting postoperative recurrence of CRSwNP were assessed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC)curve. ResultsSerum S100A8 concentrations in the CRSwNP group were higher than the HC group and the CRSsNP group， especially in the recurrent CRSwNP group (P < 0.05). Serum S100A8 levels were positively correlated with peripheral blood eosinophil numbers (r = 0.263, P = 0.043) and percentages (r = 0.336, P = 0.009), tissue eosinophil percentages (r = 0.273, P = 0.035), VAS score (r = 0.385, P = 0.002) and Lund-Kennedy score (r = 0.283, P = 0.029). IHC, WB, and RT-PCR results showed tissue S100A8 expression was significantly enhanced in the CRSwNP group, especially in the recurrence group (P < 0.05). Binary regression analysis showed that serum S100A8 concentration and tissue eosinophil percentage were correlated with postoperative recurrence of CRSwNP. ROC curve analysis showed that compared with tissue eosinophil percentage, the S100A8 level had a higher value for postoperative recurrence of CRSwNP. ConclusionSerum and tissue S100A8 levels were elevated in patients with CRSwNP， especially in the recurrent CRSwNP patients, and were correlated with the degree of peripheral blood and tissue eosinophilic inflammation. S100A8 seemed to be a potential objective biomarker to predict the postoperative recurrence of CRSwNP.

Impact of Different Qualities of Colostrum at Different Times on Karadi Calves’ Performances

Colostrum gives the newborn calf maternal antibodies that help it fight disease. A calf that does not receive colostrum has a higher risk of illness until it develops antibodies of its own at around 6 weeks of age. This study aims to evaluate the immunity background of Karadi calves, measuring physiological responses to different qualities of colostrum and testing Karadi calves for survival in the herd. Twelve females local Karadi calves (0-day olds) were divided into two treatments with two levels for each. Using low and high colostrum quality before 6 hours and after 6 hours from parturition. Regarding calf body weight, withers height, immunoglobulin G concentration, and dry matter intake, there is no significant difference between low- and high-quality colostrum feed. However, our results show that calf body weight, withers height, and respiration rate were higher (P &lt; 0.01) when colostrum was fed six hours after birth compared to those fed six hours after birth. However, there is no significant difference in the rectal temperature of the calf fed before six hours and six hours after birth. Results show that the total white blood cells, lymphocyte, neutrophil, eosinophil, and basophil numbers were unaffected by treatment, time and the interaction between treatment and time. Monocyte numbers have a tendency toward significant by treatment. Total plasma protein was not affected by treatment and time, but it tends significant treatment over time.

FIP1L1– PDGFRA positive chronic eosinophilic leukemia: A case report

Chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL) is a rare type of leukemia which is characterized by persistently increased number of eosinophils in peripheral blood and bone-marrow alongwith evidence of clonal proliferation of eosinophils with tissue infiltration by eosinophils leading to organ damage and causing systemic manifestations. An accurate diagnosis of CEL is essential as these patients show excellent response to imatinib mesylate. Use of technique like FISH (fluorescent in-situ hybridization) &amp; RTPCR (Reverse Transcriptase) helps in proving the clonality of eosinophils. We report a case of CEL with FIP1L1 (Fip1-Like-1) PDGFRA (Platelet Derived Growth Factor Receptor – Alpha Gene) mutation in 29-year old male presenting with persistent eosinophilia. Rarity of this entity definitely needs a space in literature.

Aurantio-obtusin alleviates allergic responses in ovalbumin-induced rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a growing global health concern. Despite being non-fatal, it has a detrimental effect on people's quality of life and poses a significant economic burden. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the anti-allergic effects of aurantio-obtusin against ovalbumin-induced murine model of allergic rhinitis. Aurantio-obtusin was administered to rats orally after sensitization to ovalbumin. Results of the study suggested that aurantio-obtusin causes a significant reduction in nose rubs and sneeze as compared to the vehicle-treated disease control group. The aurantio-obtusin treated group showed a dose-dependent significant reduction in serum TNF-α, IL-4, and IL-6 levels as well as histamine levels in the nasal mucosa. Additionally, it decreased neutrophil and eosinophil numbers in blood of AR rats'. In the nasal tissues of the vehicle-treated rats that were subjected to an OVA challenge, the histology of the nasal mucosa of AR rats revealed aberrant histological changes. A variety of histological abnormalities, including vascular congestion in the nasal mucosa, substantial inflammatory cell infiltration, and obvious alveolar wall oedema were present. In the rats treated with aurantio-obtusin, these characteristics were reversed. Collectively, the findings suggests that aurantio-obtusin could be used to enhance current AR treatment approaches.

DIETARY FIBER IN REDUCING OF ELEVATED BLOOD LEAD CONCENTRATION IN CHILDREN

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of dietary fiber in reducing elevated blood lead concentration (BLC) of Ukrainian children. Materials and methods. 80 random children aged 4 to 15 years were examined. The lead content in venous blood was detected by atomic absorption spectrometry with electro-thermal atomizer (ET AAS). Indicators of morphological and biochemical blood tests were determined by generally accepted methods. Results. About a quarter of the children had BLC ≥ 5μg/dL. They had a higher content of eosinophil cells, an increase of ALT activity in the blood compared to children with lower BLCs. As a nutritional supplement for the rehabilitation of these children, dietary fiber from cereals of 10 g per day was used for 30 days, as an addition to main dishes and salads during lunch. As a result, BLC significantly decreased. At the same time, the number of eosinophils in blood and the activity of ALT significantly decreased. The thiol-disulfide ratio increased. Children tolerated nutritional intervention well. Its safety was also indicated by the absence of changes in indicators of the functional state of the liver. This allows us to recommend this dietary supplement for the improvement of children undergoing environmental lead pressure.

Crosslinked chitosan microparticles as a safe and efficient DNA carrier for intranasal vaccination against cutaneous leishmaniasis

Intranasal (i.n.) vaccination with adjuvant-free plasmid DNA encoding the leishmanial antigen LACK (LACK DNA) has shown to induce protective immunity against both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis in rodents. In the present work, we sought to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of d,l-glyceraldehyde cross-linked chitosan microparticles (CCM) as a LACK DNA non-intumescent mucoadhesive delivery system. CCM with 5 μm of diameter was prepared and adsorbed with a maximum of 2.4 % (w/w) of DNA with no volume alteration. Histological analysis of mouse nostrils instilled with LACK DNA / CCM showed microparticles to be not only mucoadherent but also mucopenetrant, inducing no local inflammation. Systemic safeness was confirmed by the observation that two nasal instillations one week apart did not alter the numbers of bronchoalveolar cells or blood eosinophils; did not alter ALT, AST and creatinine serum levels; and did not induce cutaneous hypersensitivity. When challenged in the footpad with Leishmania amazonensis, mice developed significantly lower parasite loads as compared with animals given naked LACK DNA or CCM alone. That was accompanied by increased stimulation of Th1-biased responses, as seen by the higher T-bet / GATA-3 ratio and IFN-γ levels. Together, these results demonstrate that CCM is a safe and effective mucopenetrating carrier that can increase the efficacy of i.n. LACK DNA vaccination against cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Serum Vitamin D Is Inversely Associated with Blood Eosinophil Count Among Adults with Allergic Asthma.

To evaluate the role that serum vitamin D concentration plays in the number of eosinophils in peripheral blood in adults with allergic asthma. A total of 142 patients were categorized based on different cutoff points for eosinophils: ≥200, ≥300, ≥400, and ≥500 cells/mL. The vitamin D concentration was stratified into <20 and ≥20 ng/mL. The association between vitamin D (independent variable) and eosinophils (dependent variable) was explored using multivariate analysis. The average number of eosinophils in the included patients was 418 cells/mL, and 33.8% of the included patients had vita- min D concentrations ≥20 ng/mL. Asthmatic patients with vitamin D< 20 ng/mL had a higher mean concentration of eosinophils than did asthmatic patients with vitamin D ≥20 ng/mL (464 ± 377.7 eosinophils/mL vs. 327.8 ± 247.2 eosinophils/mL, P = .025). We also observed that vitamin D was inversely correlated with eosinophil count (rho = 0.244, P = .003). In the multivariate analysis, vitamin D <20 ng/mL showed a significant inverse association with each cutoff value for eosinophilia (odds ratio >1). Vitamin D concentrations <20 ng/mL are associated with a significant increase in the number of eosinophils in blood. Studies that analyze the use of vitamin D supplements as complementary therapy for the treatment of asthma are needed.

Pathological characteristics and congenital immunological responses of pigeons-infected with Neospora caninum

Pigeons are natural intermediate host of Neospora caninum (N. caninum). In comparison to ruminants, N. caninum causes milder clinical symptoms and less financial loss to pigeons. Natural infectious rates and high prevalence of N. caninum in pigeons, and death cases of N. caninum-infected pigeons under experimental conditions have been reported, but the detailed pathological characteristics and congenital immunological responses of pigeons-infected with N. caninum remain not well described. In this study, pigeons were infected intraperitoneally with 107 N. caninum tachyzoites. N. caninum in tissues was detected by qPCR. Pathological changes of tissues were examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Blood smears were prepared for counting eosinophils changes in blood. Heterophil extracellular traps (HETs) in vivo and in vitro were quantified by Pico Green. N. caninum-induced HETs structures were observed by immunofluorescence staining. The model of pigeons-infected with N. caninum was successfully established. Lung and duodenum were the main target organs of pigeons-infected with N. caninum. N. caninum caused hemorrhage, edema and inflammatory cell infiltration in liver, pulmonary congestion and hemorrhage, organizational destruction in lung, and shorter villi or even disappear in duodenum. N. caninum also increased the number of eosinophils in blood of pigeons. Moreover, N. caninum-induced HETs release in the congenital immunological system of pigeons were first demonstrated, and the HETs structures were consisted of DNA as the skeleton and modified with citH3 and elastase. N. caninum-induced HETs release was related with NADPH oxidase, TLR 2 and 4, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways, and glycolysis. In summary, it is the first report on the detailed pathological characteristics and congenital immunological responses of pigeons-infected with N. caninum, which may provide theoretical basis for the prevention and control of Neosporosis in pigeons.

Cerebral sparganosis in a child with corpus callosum invasion: a case report

BackgroundInvasion of the corpus callosum by sparganosis is rare in children. After invading the corpus callosum, sparganosis has various migration modes, which can break through the ependyma and enter the ventricles, thus causing secondary migratory brain injury.Case presentationA girl aged 4 years and 7 months presented with left lower limb paralysis for more than 50 days. Blood examination showed that the proportion and absolute number of eosinophils in the peripheral blood were increased. Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples revealed positivity for IgG and IgM antibodies for sparganosis. Initial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed ring-like enhancements in the right frontoparietal cortex, subcortical white matter, and splenium of the corpus callosum. Within 2 months, a fourth follow-up MRI showed that the lesion had spread to the left parietal cortex, subcortical white matter, and deep white matter in the right occipital lobe and right ventricular choroid plexus, with left parietal leptomeningeal enhancement.ConclusionMigratory movement is one of the characteristics of cerebral sparganosis. When sparganosis invades the corpus callosum, clinicians should be aware that it may then break through the ependyma and enter the lateral ventricles, leading to secondary migratory brain injury. Short-term follow-up MRI is necessary to evaluate the migration mode of sparganosis and dynamically guide treatment strategies.

Long-term mepolizumab treatment reduces relapse rates in super-responders with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis

BackgroundThe mainstay of treatment for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is systemic corticosteroid therapy; some patients also receive intravenous immunoglobulins, other immunosuppressive agents, and biologics. Mepolizumab, an anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody, induces remission and decreases the daily corticosteroid dose; however, the clinical efficacy of mepolizumab in EGPA and the prognosis with long-term treatment with this drug are unknown.MethodsSeventy-one EGPA patients were treated at Hiratsuka City Hospital, Japan, between April 2018 and March 2022. We administered mepolizumab for a mean of 2.8 ± 1.7 years to 43 patients in whom remission could not be induced by conventional treatment. After excluding 18 patients who had received mepolizumab for less than 3 years, we classified 15 patients into a “super-responder group” (the daily dose of corticosteroids or other immunosuppressant could be decreased, or the interval between IVIG treatments could be prolonged) and 10 patients into a “responder group” (neither of these changes was achievable). Eosinophil numbers, serum IgG levels, daily doses of corticosteroids and other immunosuppressants, Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS), and relapse frequency before and after mepolizumab initiation were determined.ResultsBlood eosinophil count at diagnosis and the lowest serum IgG level before mepolizumab treatment were significantly higher in super-responders than in responders (p < 0.05). In super-responders, the prednisolone dose at last visit on mepolizumab treatment was lower than that before treatment (p < 0.01) and lower than that at last visit in the responders (p < 0.01). In both groups, peripheral blood eosinophil numbers and BVAS were lower after starting mepolizumab than before (p < 0.01). BVAS before mepolizumab (p < 0.05) and at last visit (p < 0.01) were lower in super-responders than in responders. Relapse rates every year after the start of mepolizumab were lower in super-responders than in responder groups (p < 0.01). In super-responders, relapse rates were lower during the 3 years following mepolizumab initiation (p < 0.01) and at last visit (p < 0.01) were significantly lower than after 1 year of treatment.ConclusionMepolizumab treatment of super-responders sustainably reduced the relapse rate.

Eosinopenia as a Prognostic Biomarker for Noninvasive Ventilation Use in COPD Exacerbations.

In recent years, blood eosinophils have been evaluated as a surrogate biomarker for eosinophilic airway inflammation and as a prognostic indicator of the outcomes of hospitalized COPD subjects. During an exacerbation of COPD, eosinopenia has been proposed as a prognostic marker of adverse outcomes. The aim of the present post hoc analysis was to elucidate the effectiveness of blood eosinophils for predicting the need of NIV in subjects with COPD exacerbation. Consecutive subjects admitted to a hospital for COPD exacerbation were included in the analysis. The eosinophil count from the first complete blood count was used to designate the eosinophil groups. The relationship between the clinical characteristics and blood eosinophil counts, as dichotomized using 150 cells/μL, was evaluated. Results Subjects with blood eosinophil number < 150 k/μL had a more severe disease on admission compared to subjects with ≥150 k/μL, regarding pH 7.400 (7.36, 7.44) vs. 7.42 (7.38, 7.45), p = 0.008, PO2/FiO2 levels 238.1 (189.8, 278.6) vs. 276.2 (238.2, 305.6), p < 0.001, CRP (mg/L) levels 7.3 (3.1, 19.9) vs. 3.5 (0.7, 7.8), p < 0.001 and required a longer hospital stay (days) 10.0 (8.0, 14.0) vs. 5.0 (3.0, 7.0) p < 0.001 respectively. The number of blood eosinophils correlated with the levels of CRP upon admission (p < 0.001, r = -0.334), with arterial pH upon admission (p < 0.030, r = 0.121), with PO2/FiO2 (p < 0.001, r = -0.248), and with duration of hospital stay (p < 0.001, r = -0.589). In the multinomial logistic regression analysis, blood eosinophil count < 150 k/μL was an independent predictor of the use of NIV during hospital stay. During COPD exacerbation, low blood eosinophil levels upon admission are related to more severe disease and can be used as a predictor of the need of NIV. Further prospective studies are needed to identify the use of blood eosinophil levels as a predictor of unfavorable outcomes.

Efficacy of two-year anti-IgE therapy in patients with severe allergic bronchial asthma in Sverdlovsk region

Introduction. The study of omalizumab efficacy in patients with severe bronchial asthma (SA) in randomized clinical trials is limited to 52 weeks. In real clinical practice, patients can receive the drug for much longer.Aim. Evaluate the one-year and two-year efficacy of omalizumab in patients with SA in Sverdlovsk region.Material and methods. The study included patients (n = 54) with allergic and mixed SA from the registry of Sverdlovsk region. Omalizumab efficacy was assessed over 12 and 24 months of therapy by dynamics of asthma exacerbations frequency, the use of health care resources, the need for short-acting beta-agonists (SABA) and systemic glucocorticosteroids (SGCS), the level of asthma control according to ACT, and the quality of life according to AQLQ, FEV1 levels and peripheral blood eosinophils.Results. During 12 months of omalizumab therapy, the reduction in asthma exacerbation rate was 63.7% (from 2.01 ± 1.51 per patient per year to 0.73 ± 1.03) (p &lt; 0.001), which was accompanied by a decrease in emergency calls and hospitalizations rates by 92.4 and 84.1%, respectively (p &lt; 0.001). Improved asthma control (by ACT) from 9 (Q1-Q3: 7–13) to 20 points (Q1-Q3: 16–23); the proportion of patients with uncontrolled SA decreased from 97.4 to 48.7% (p &lt; 0.001). The need for SABA decreased to 92.9% (p &lt; 0.001). The proportion of patients on SGCS decreased from 60.5% to 15.8% (p &lt; 0.001). The quality of life (AQLQ) significantly improved, FEV1 increased (p &lt; 0.001), the number of eosinophils in peripheral blood decreased (p = 0.015). By the end of the second year of therapy, the trend of improvement in indicators of efficacy continued.Conclusions. During 1 year of therapy with omalizumab, patients with allergic SA experienced a significant decrease in the number of exacerbations and use of health care resources, improved quality of life and asthma control, reduced need for SABA and SGCS, and improved respiratory function. In patients treated with omalizumab for 2 years, there was a further improvement or stabilization of efficacy indicators.

Calprotectin in chronic rhinosinusitis eosinophil extracellular traps.

Calprotectin is an antimicrobial peptide primarily secreted by neutrophils. Furthermore, calprotectin secretion increases in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with polyps (CRSwNP) and positively correlates with neutrophil markers. However, CRSwNP is known to be associated with type 2 inflammation related to tissue eosinophilia. Therefore, the authors investigated calprotectin expression in eosinophils and eosinophil extracellular traps (EETs) and explored the associations between tissue calprotectin and the clinical findings of patients with CRS. A total of 63 patients participated, and patients diagnosed with CRS were classified based on the Japanese Epidemiological Survey of Refractory Eosinophilic Chronic Rhinosinusitis (JESREC) score. The authors performed hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence with calprotectin, myeloperoxidase (MPO), major basic protein (MBP), and citrullinated histone H3 with the participant's tissues. Finally, correlations between calprotectin and the clinical data were examined. Calprotectin-positive cells are co-localized not only in MPO-positive cells but also in MBP-positive cells in human tissues. Calprotectin was also involved in EETs and neutrophil extracellular traps. The number of calprotectin-positive cells in the tissue was positively correlated with the number of tissue and blood eosinophils. In addition, calprotectin in the tissue is associated with the olfactory function, Lund-Mackay computed tomography score, and JESREC score. Calprotectin, known to be secreted by neutrophils, in CRS was also expressed in eosinophils. In addition, calprotectin, which functions as an antimicrobial peptide, may play an important role in the innate immune response based on its EET involvement. Therefore, calprotectin expression could reflect as a disease severity biomarker for CRS.

Association of asthma genetic variants with asthma-associated traits reveals molecular pathways ofeosinophilic asthma.

Asthma is a complex, polygenic, heterogenous inflammatory disease. Recently, we generated a list of 128 independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with asthma in genome-wide association studies. However, it is unknown if asthma SNPs are associated with specific asthma-associated traits such as high eosinophil counts, atopy, and airway obstruction, revealing molecular endotypes of this disease. Here, we aim to identify the association between asthma SNPs and asthma-associated traits and assess expression quantitative trait locus (e-QTLs) to reveal their downstream functional effects and find drug targets. Association analyses between 128 asthma SNPs and associated traits (blood eosinophil numbers, atopy, airway obstruction, airway hyperresponsiveness) were conducted using regression modelling in population-based studies (Lifelines N=32,817/Vlagtwedde-Vlaardingen N=1554) and an asthma cohort (Dutch Asthma genome-wide association study N=917). Functional enrichment and pathway analysis were performed with genes linked to the significant SNPs by e-QTL analysis. Genes were investigated to generate novel drug targets. We identified 69 asthma SNPs that were associated with at least one trait, with 20 SNPs being associated with multiple traits. The SNP annotated to SMAD3 was the most pleiotropic. In total, 42 SNPs were associated with eosinophil counts, 18 SNPs with airway obstruction, and 21 SNPs with atopy. We identified genetically driven pathways regulating eosinophilia. The largest network of eosinophilia contained two genes (IL4R, TSLP) targeted by drugs currently available for eosinophilic asthma. Several novel targets were identified such as IL-18, CCR4, and calcineurin. Many asthma SNPs are associated with blood eosinophil counts and genetically driven molecular pathways of asthma-associated traits were identified.

Increased Serum Levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor-like Ligand 1A in Atopic Dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic skin disease with pruritus, affecting 5-20% of the population in developed countries. Though its cause varies from genetic polymorphisms to the environmental factors, the T-helper (Th) 2 inflammation is one of the main characteristic pathoses. TNF superfamily ligand A (TL1A) is a recently discovered cytokine, which is released by various immune cells and reported to have an ability to stimulate Th1, Th2, and Th17 responses. Its association was investigated in chronic inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis. However, its role on AD is unclear. To elucidate the association of TL1A in AD, we measured the serum TL1A levels in AD patients and healthy controls and performed the immunohistochemistry of TL1A. The result showed that the serum TL1A levels were higher in AD patients than healthy controls, and they positively correlated with the serum immunoglobulin E levels, serum Lactate dehydrogenase, and the number of eosinophils in peripheral blood. The immunohistochemistry of TL1A also showed TL1A expression in epithelium of AD samples. Because previous studies indicate TL1A has a certain role as an inflammation enhancer in Th2 and/or Th17 polarized disease, TL1A in AD may also has a role as an inflammation generator.