Significant Differences In TNF-α Research Articles

The anti-inflammatory effect of a magnoliae cortex and Zea mays L. extract mixture in a canine model of ligature-induced periodontitis

BackgroundPeriodontitis is common in dogs. It is characterized by destruction of the supporting tissues of the teeth due to the host-immune response triggered by plaque. Magnoliae cortex and Zea mays L. extract showed anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects, respectively. This study aimed to evaluate improvement in periodontitis following the administration of Magnoliae cortex and Zea mays L. extract in dogs. Periodontitis was experimentally induced in 10 beagle dogs. Five dogs were administered 40 mg of Magnoliae cortex extract and 20 mg of Zea mays L. extract orally once per day for 2 months (MZ group), whereas the other group received empty gelatin capsules (control group). Periodontal clinical parameters, complete blood count, serum chemistry parameters, and tissue inflammatory cytokines and chemokine expression were assessed before and after combined oral extracts administration.ResultsThe complete blood count and serum chemistry results of all dogs were within normal ranges. Gingival inflammation in MZ group was significantly better than that in the control group at 4 and 8 weeks post-medication (PM; p < 0.05). The periodontal pocket depth and clinical attachment loss at 8 weeks PM in the MZ group were significantly lower than the baseline values (p < 0.05). The incidence of bleeding on probing in the MZ group was significantly lower than that in the control group at 4 weeks PM (p < 0.05). Throughout the medication period, the percentages of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells were higher and lower, respectively, in the MZ group. However, these differences were only significant at 8 weeks PM. The expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α and the chemokine IL-8 in the inflamed tissues was lower in the MZ group, and the two groups showed a significant difference in TNF-α expression.ConclusionsCombined administration of Magnoliae cortex and Zea mays L. extract improved the clinical symptoms of periodontal disease in dogs. This beneficial effect may be partly due to the inhibitory effects of these extracts on the inflammatory response.

Illuminating insights: Exploring the effect of 16/8 intermittent fasting on serum cytokine levels in overweight adults.

The immune system's pivotal role extends to numerous diseases, and maintaining a balance between dietary and consumed energy is vital for preventing chronic illnesses and increasing life expectancy. Intermittent fasting (IF), a dietary approach typically implemented through time restrictions, exerts positive effects on the immune system and shows promising outcomes in managing various diseases. To evaluate the effectiveness of IF on the immune system with a wide cytokine panel. A total of 21 volunteers with body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 30 were included in the study. Fasting was applied for 16 h in a day to the volunteers, and they were free to consume food for the rest of the day. The weight, BMI, interleukin (IL)-1β, interferon (IFN)-α2, IFN-γ, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, IL-18, IL-23, and IL-33 values were measured using flow cytometry and compared before and after 21 days follow-up. The mean age of study participants was 37.76 ±8.06 years and weight loss of the volunteers was 3.35 percentile compared to the values obtained before fasting. The pro-inflammatory cytokines decreased, while anti-inflammatory cytokines increased after fasting; there was a significant difference in TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-33 values. Also, IL-1β, IL-8 and IL-12p70 had moderately positive, IL-33 had strongly negative, and IL-10 had moderately negative correlation with the BMI change over time. Intermittent fasting has positive effects on obesity-induced inflammation and promotes decrease in proinflammatory cytokines and increase in IL-33 values, which is known to have a protective effect on fat-associated inflammation.

Dexmedetomidine Attenuates Inflammation in Elderly Patients Following Major Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Dexmedetomidine (Dex) may have anti-inflammatory properties and potentially reduce the incidence of postoperative organ injury. To investigate whether Dex protects pulmonary and renal function via its anti-inflammatory effects in elderly patients undergoing prolonged major hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery. Between October 2019 and December 2020, this randomized controlled trial was carried out at a tertiary hospital in Chongqing, China. 86 patients aged 60-75 who underwent long-duration (> 4 hrs) hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery without significant comorbidities were enrolled and randomly assigned into two groups at a 1:1 ratio. Patients were given either Dex or an equivalent volume of 0.9% saline (Placebo) with a loading dose of 1 μg kg-1 for 10 min, followed by 0.5 μg kg-1 hr-1 for maintenance until the end of surgery. The changes in serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were primary outcomes. At one hour postoperatively, serum IL-6 displayed a nine-fold increase (P<0.05) in the Placebo group. Administration of Dex decreased IL-6 to 278.09 ± 45.43 pg/mL (95% CI: 187.75 to 368.43) compared to the Placebo group (P=0.019; 432.16 ± 45.43 pg/mL, 95% CI: 341.82 to 522.50). However, no significant differences in TNF-α were observed between the two groups. The incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury was twice as high in the Placebo group (9.30%) compared to the Dex group (4.65%), and the incidence of postoperative acute lung injury was 23.26% in the Dex group, lower than that in the Placebo group (30.23%), although there was no statistical significance between the two groups. Dex administration in elderly patients undergoing major hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery reduces inflammation and potentially protects kidneys and lungs. Chinese Clinical Trials Registry, identifier: ChiCTR1900024162, on 28 June 2019.

Mucosal Immunity Related to CD8+ T Lymphocytes in Children with Helicobacter pylori Gastritis.

We investigated the role of CD8+T cells as host immune factors in pediatric patients with Helicobacter pylori gastritis. Gastric mucosal tissue and blood samples were collected from 39 children, including 11 children with H. pylori infection and 28 children as controls. Anti-CD8 and anti-T-bet antibodies were used for immunohistochemistry of the gastric mucosa. For the cell surface and intracellular staining, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stained with anti-IL7Rα, anti-CX3CR1, anti-CD8, anti-T-bet, and anti-IFN-γ antibodies. Cytokines of sera such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and CX3CL1 were analyzed using enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the immunohistochemistry of gastric mucosa, the frequency of CD8+ and T-bet+ T cells cells was higher in the H. pylori-positive group than in the control group (26.9± 7.8% vs. 16.9±3.3%, p<0.001; 5.0±2.5% vs. 2.2±0.7%, p=0.001). Between the control and H. pylori-positive groups, the frequency of IL-7RαlowCX3CR1+ CD8+ and T-bet+ INF-γ+ CD8+ T cells were not significantly different between surface and intracellular staining, respectively (40.4±24.0% vs. 38.2±17.8%, p=0.914; 40.4±24.0% vs. 38.2±17.8%, p=0.914). In the ELISA, no significant differences in TNF-α and CX3CL1 concentrations were observed between the control and H. pylori-positive groups (34.3±12.1 pg/mL vs. 47.0±22.6 pg/mL, p=0.114/0.5± 0.1 pg/mL vs. 0.5±0.1 pg/mL, p=0.188). CD8+ T and Th1 cells, which secrete IFN-γ, might play important roles in the mucosal immunity of the stomach in children with H. pylori infection.

Assessment of Inflammatory Markers in COVID-19 Vaccinated Individuals in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Aim: To assess the level of some inflammatory markers in COVID-19 vaccinated individuals in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Study design: Case-controlled study. Place and Duration of Study: Obio/Akpor, Phalga and PAMEL Laboratories and Diagnostics, Port Harcourt, between August 2021- October, 2022. Methodology: A total of 148 subjects, resident in Rivers State that had received at least the first dose of any of the COVID-19 vaccines and 50 subjects that were not vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines were recruited for the study. The sampling method employed a convenient simple randomized sampling method with a questionnaire distributed to all participants. Ten milliliters of whole blood were drawn from each subject into a plain bottle and allowed to clot. The serum was obtained , and used for the analysis of inflammatory markers using ELISA methods. The parameters analyzed included: tumor necrosis factor- alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP). GraphPad Prism version 9.04 of Apple Macintosh HD Big Sur (version 11.0) was used for statistical analysis and variation among means of parameters were considered significant at p&lt;0.05. Results: There was significant decrease in IL-6 (p = 0.0006), TNF-α (p&lt; 0.0001), and increase in CRP (p &lt; 0.0001) among the vaccinated individuals when compared with the unvaccinated subjects. Comparison between the mean values at various age ranges 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 showed significant higher values in IL-6 (p = 0.01076) among 30-39 age groups, there was no significant difference in TNF-α (p = 0.4341), CRP (p = 0. 5144). The comparison of the mean values of the parameters by sex among the two groups showed significant differences in IL-6 (p=0.0036) and in CRP (P&lt;0.0001). There was significant increase in TNF-α (p = 0.0008), IL-6 (p = 0.0004), and CRP (p &lt;0.0001) among female participants. IL-6 and CRP correlated positively with age. Conclusion: The findings in this study suggest that COVID-19 vaccines may not be associated with inflammation. Also immunity built from the vaccine is not tied to the dosage (number of shots) or vaccine type.

Análise quantitativa e qualitativa da neuroinflamação pela toxina beta amilóide 1-42 após tratamento com nanopartículas de resveratrol

Background: This study evaluated the effects of zein nanoparticles with resveratrol on neuroinflammation caused by Alzheimer’s disease. Method: The sample consisted of 30 animals divided into control (C), positive control (CP), white nanoparticles (NB), resveratrol nanoparticles (NR) and resveratrol (R) groups. The animals received 10 mg/kg of resveratrol or nanoparticles according to the group, daily, for 15 days, oral administration. Afterward, they weresubmitted to immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses. Results: the IHC showed that there was no change in the morphological brain composition in the NR and C groups. Conversely, in the CP, NB, and R groups, changes in the deposition of Anti Tau were observed. The NR group showed a normal projection of taurine in the axon, which was not presented in the same way in the other groups. The CD68 marker showed no microglial activation in the R and C groups. Quantitative analyses of Anti Beta-Amyloid in the NR group showed a statistical difference comparedto the CP, NB, and R groups, whereas the Anti Tau analysis showed a significant difference between the CP and NR groups. The CD68 marker showed a significant difference between the C and NR groups. The analysis of cytokines showed a significant difference in TNF-α between the C and CP groups, C and NB groups, CP and NR groups, and NB and NR groups. IL-6 and InF-δ showed no significant difference between all groups. IL-10 showed significant differences between the C and NR groups, C and R groups, and CP and NR groups. Conclusion: NR prevented the evolution of neuroinflammation.

Protective effect of recombinant Schistosoma japonicum cystatin against acute kidney injury associated with acute liver failure in mice

To evaluate the protective effect of recombinant Schistosoma japonicum cystatin (rSj-Cys) against acute kidney injury induced by acute liver failure and unravel the underlying mechanism, so as to provide insights into the clinical therapy of acute kidney injury. Twenty-four male C57BL/6J mice at ages of 6 to 8 weeks were randomly divided into the normal control group, rSj-Cys control group, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-galactosamine (D-GaIN) model group and LPS/D-GaIN + rSj-Cys treatment group, of 6 mice each group. Mice in the LPS/D-GaIN group and LPS/D-GaIN + rSj-Cys group were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (10 μg/kg) and D-GaIN (700 mg/kg), and mice in the LPS/D-GaIN + rSj-Cys group were additionally administered with rSj-Cys (1.25 mg/kg) by intraperitoneal injection 30 min post-modeling, while mice in the rSj-Cys group were intraperitoneally injected with rSj-Cys (1.25 mg/kg), and mice in the normal control group were injected with the normal volume of PBS. All mice were sacrificed 6 h post-modeling, and mouse serum and kidney samples were collected. Serum creatinine (Cr) and urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were measured, and the pathological changes of mouse kidney specimens were examined using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6 levels were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the expression of inflammatory factors and pyroptosis-related proteins was quantified in mouse kidney specimens using immunohistochemistry. In addition, the expression of pyroptosis-related proteins and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway-associated proteins was determined in mouse kidney specimens using Western blotting assay. HE staining showed no remarkable abnormality in the mouse kidney structure in the normal control group and the rSj-Cys control group, and renal tubular injury was found in LPS/D-GaIN group, while the renal tubular injury was alleviated in LPS/D-GaIN+rSj-Cys treatment group. There were significant differences in serum levels of Cr (F = 46.33, P < 0.001), BUN (F = 128.60, P < 0.001), TNF-α (F = 102.00, P < 0.001) and IL-6 (F = 202.10, P < 0.001) among the four groups, and lower serum Cr [(85.35 ± 32.05) μmol/L], BUN [(11.90 ± 2.76) mmol/L], TNF-α [(158.27 ± 15.83) pg/mL] and IL-6 levels [(56.72 ± 4.37) pg/mL] were detected in the in LPS/D-GaIN + rSj-Cys group than in the LPS/D-GaIN group (all P values < 0.01). Immunohistochemical staining detected significant differences in TNF-α (F = 24.16, P < 0.001) and IL-10 (F = 15.07, P < 0.01) expression among the four groups, and lower TNF-α [(106.50 ± 16.57)%] and higher IL-10 expression [(91.83 ± 5.23)%] was detected in the LPS/D-GaIN + rSj-Cys group than in the LPS/D-GaIN group (both P values < 0.01). Western blotting and immunohistochemistry detected significant differences in the protein expression of pyroptosis-related proteins NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) (F = 24.57 and 30.72, both P values < 0.001), IL-1β (F = 19.24 and 22.59, both P values < 0.001) and IL-18 (F = 16.60 and 19.30, both P values < 0.001) in kidney samples among the four groups, and lower NLRP3, IL-1β and IL-18 expression was quantified in the LPS/D-GaIN + rSj-Cys treatment group than in the LPS/D-GaIN group (P values < 0.05). In addition, there were significant differences in the protein expression of NF-κB signaling pathway-associated proteins p-NF-κB p-P65/NF-κB p65 (F = 71.88, P < 0.001), Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 (F = 45.49, P < 0.001) and p-IκB/IκB (F = 60.87, P < 0.001) in mouse kidney samples among the four groups, and lower expression of three NF-κB signaling pathway-associated proteins was determined in the LPS/D-GaIN + rSj-Cys treatment group than in the LPS/D-GaIN group (all P values < 0.01). rSj-Cys may present a protective effect against acute kidney injury caused by acute liver failure through inhibiting inflammation and pyroptosis and downregulating the NF-κB signaling pathway.

1203-P: Elevated HOMA-IR and IL-6 in Pregnant Women with Metabolic-Dysfunction–Associated Fatty Liver Disease and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Background: It is uncertain whether biomarkers differ in singleton pregnant women with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted. A FibroScan® was performed between 10-24 weeks. A controlled attenuation parameter score ≥233.5dB/m indicated MAFLD. GDM was diagnosed with IADPSG criteria. Between 24-30 weeks, fasting blood was collected to determine serum levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21), high molecular weight adiponectin (HMW-APN), glucose and insulin. HOMA-IR was calculated: [insulin (mU/L) × glucose (mmol/L)]/22.5. Four groups of control (no GDM/MAFLD), MAFLD only, GDM only, MAFLD &amp; GDM were formed. Biomarkers were analyzed by general linear models after log transformation, adjusted for age, body mass index, ethnicity and nulliparity. Results: Of 120 women, 47 were control, 37 MAFLD only, 14 GDM only and 22 MAFLD &amp; GDM. Compared to controls, MAFLD &amp; GDM had 1.8-fold higher HOMA-IR and IL-6, significantly elevated over GDM only and MAFLD only (Table 1). No significant differences in TNF-α, FGF-21 or HMW-APN occurred (Table 1). Conclusions: Significantly elevated HOMA-IR and IL-6 in pregnant women with MAFLD &amp; GDM suggests a more insulin resistant and inflammatory phenotype. Disclosure T.Y.L.Chai: None. D.Pasupathy: None. J.George: None. N.Cheung: None. Funding Diabetes Australia Research Program (Y21GCHEW)

The cross‐sectional association between peripheral TNF‐∝, white matter hyperintensities, and cognitive outcomes in the HABS‐HD study

AbstractBackgroundLow‐grade inflammation appears with advance age, with the end result of an increase ratio of pro to anti‐inflammatory cytokines. Inflammatory cytokines are considered cerebrovascular disease markers, but the association of cytokine levels with poorer cognition is not conclusive. TNFα, a pro‐inflammatory cytokine, may have a role on neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. The effect of peripheral TNFα on brain structure and cognitive outcomes in cognitively normal older adults is not well understood. A few studies have described this relationship in White cohorts, but there is a lack of research in minorities like Mexican Americans.MethodWe studied 510 cognitively normal Mexican Americans from the Health and Aging Brain Study (HABS‐HD) with signed consent, fasting blood samples, 3T MRI, clinical evaluation, and cognitive testing. TNFα was assayed via a multiple‐plex biomarker assay platform using electrochemiluminescence. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) volume was measured from FLAIR using the Statistical Parametric Mapping Lesion Segmentation Tool. Pearson correlations were used to assess the association between TNFα with WMH, global cognition (MMSE), memory (SEVLT), executive function and attention (Trails B and digit symbol substitution) measures. Linear regression was used to predict the effect of TNF‐α on WMH volume and cognitive measures. APOE4 status was assessed, and age, sex, systolic blood pressure and education were entered as covariates in the models.ResultSeventy percent of the sample were female. Sample means were 62.84 years of age, 9.94 years of education, and 137.33 for systolic blood pressure (SBP). There was not significant difference in TNFα and WMH values between APOE4 carriers and non‐carriers. TNFα had a positive significant correlation with age, education, SBP, WMH volume, and digit symbol substitution scores. Linear regression showed no association between TNFα value and WMH volume nor cognitive measures, with the exception of digit symbol substitution (B = ‐2.62; t = ‐2.03; p = 0.04).ConclusionThese results suggest TNFα peripheral values are not related to WMH volume, but were related to executive‐attention measures. Prospective studies are necessary to evaluate the use of TNFα as a potential biomarker of brain health in Mexican Americans.

Profile Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and Procalcitonin in Preeclampsia and Preeclampsia with Sepsis

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia is hypertension in pregnancy which are characterized by high blood pressure, proteinuria that occur after 20 weeks of GA. Preeclampsia remains a massive cause of maternal morbidity and mortality that 50.000 death annually. The cause of preeclampsia is still unclear but there is a possibility caused by immunological processes in micro placenta environment during the early age of pregnancy. It is suggested that cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) has an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is an extreme feature of the systemic inflammatory response during pregnancy. Systemic inflammation in preeclampsia can cause organ damage and induce sepsis. The pathophysiology is initiated by a high level of pro-inflammatory cytokine that released by peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC). Beside pro-inflammatory cytokine, the marker of sepsis can be shown by procalcitonin (PCT) that produced by PBMC which is activated by TNF-α. AIM: The objective of the study is to evaluate profile maternal plasma levels of TNF-α and PCT and analyze their correlation in normotensive pregnant woman, preeclamptic and preeclampsia with sepsis. METHODS: An observational cross-sectional study. The sample were normotensive, preeclamptic, and preeclamptic with sepsis (n = 18) in Bangil Hospital, Pasuruan. The level of TNF-α and PCT was measured by ELISA. The statistical analysis with SPSS 18.0 with p &lt; 0.05. RESULTS: This study showed level of TNF-α and PCT in preeclamptic with sepsis was significantly higher than control (p &lt; 0.05) and not a significant difference in preeclampsia (p &gt; 0.05). The level of TNF-α and PCT in preeclampsia compared with control was not a significant difference (p &gt; 0.05). This study showed there was no correlation between TNF-α and PCT in patients with preeclampsia with sepsis. CONCLUSION: The plasma level of TNF-α and PCT was statistically different between the control group, preeclampsia and preeclampsia with sepsis. There was no significant difference of TNF-α and PCT plasma level in preeclampsia with sepsis than preeclampsia group. There was no significant correlation between preeclampsia in woman and preeclampsia with sepsis in maternal plasma TNF-α and PCT levels.

Perindopril Reduce SARS-COV-2 Spike-ACE2 Binding, ACE2 Overexpression and Cytokine Storm in Adipocyte Cell Infected with SARS-COV-2

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Ristekdikti Background and Aims The SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect adipocyte cells via ACE2 Receptor thus triggering ACE2 overexpression and cytokine storms which cause lethal complications. Hence, we explore the effect of Perindopril on the expression of ACE2, IL-6, IL-1B TNF-α in adipocyte cultures infected by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and identify the possible mechanism involved. Materials and Methods Adipocyte culture obtained from a healthy and obese donor was divided into 4 triplicate groups (P0: negative control without treatment; P1: positive control (SARS-CoV-2 spike protein); P2: SARS-CoV-2 spike protein + exposure to Perindopril 0.5 µM); P3: SARS-CoV-2 spike protein + anti-ACE2 antibody 100 µg/mL; and evaluated at 24 and 48 hours. ACE2 expression was evaluated using immunofluorescence. IL-6, TNFα, and IL-1B were evaluated using ELISA. SARS-COV-2 Spike-ACE2 Binding was evaluated using Competitive ELISA. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0 software. Results At first 24 hours of incubation, perindopril treatment has the highest ACE2 expression compared to negative control, positive control and anti-ACE2 antibody (113.52±0.34 ng/mL vs 13.3±0.87 ng/mL, 90.2±2.73 ng/mL, 17.3±0.11 ng/mL, p&amp;lt;0.01), lower ACE-ACE2R binding compared to anti-ACE2 antibody group (169.52±4.07 ng/mL vs 290.71±6.22 ng/mL, p&amp;lt;0.01) and higher IL-6 expression compared to positive control group (64.65±0.12 ng/mL vs 60.08±0.77 ng/mL p&amp;lt;0.01). Interestingly, after 48 hours, perindopril treatment was shown to prevent further increase of ACE2 expression compared to a positive control (47.37±0.76 ng/mL vs 80.31±5.37 ng/mL, p&amp;lt;0.01), higher SARS-COV-2 Spike-ACE2 binding compared to anti-ACE2 antibody group (143.68±3.68 ng/mL vs 103.1±9.49 ng/mL, p&amp;lt;0.01), and lower IL-6 expression compared to the positive control group (42.66±1.94 ng/mL vs 90.93±2.48 ng/mL p&amp;lt;0.01). However, no significant difference in TNFα and IL-1B expression between perindopril treatment and positive control in both 24 and 48 hours. Conclusion This study showed that perindopril reduces cytokine storm by preventing ACE-2 and IL-6 overexpression via an increasing number of SARS-COV-2 Spike-ACE2 competitive binding in adipocyte culture infected with SARS-COV-2 spike protein. A further clinical trial is needed to prove the benefit of perindopril in obese patients with COVID-19.

Dynamic analysis of tuberculosis specific mononuclear cells in peripheral blood of HIV patients with tuberculosis

Objective: To evaluate the response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) combined with active tuberculosis (TB) to TB-specific antigen stimulation. Methods: From January to December, 2018, individuals infected with both HIV and TB (HIV/TB group) were taken as the study subjects. Individuals infected with HIV alone (HIV group), individuals infected with TB alone (TB group) and healthy people (Health control group, HC group) were taken as the control groups. PBMCs were isolated and stimulated with purified protein derivative of bacillus calmette-guerin (BCG-PPD). The expression of surface molecules in T cells (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+) and monocytes (CD14+) and the percentages of Interferon (IFN)-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were detected by cell surface molecular staining, direct intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometry (CD3- lymphocytes were mainly B lymphocytes and NK cells). Analysis of non-parametric data was used to compare the data between the two groups, and paired t-test was used to compare the data before and after PPD stimulation in each group. Results: Before PPD stimulation, the percentage of IFN-γ+ CD8+ cells in the peripheral blood of HIV/TB group(mean 0.52%) was significantly lower than that in TB group(mean 0.94%, P=0.010). The TNF-α+cell percentages in CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, or CD14+ cells in the HIV/TB group(mean 19.2%) were significantly lower than those in the HIV group(mean 31.9%, P=0.002). The percentage of TNF-α secreted by monocytes in the HIV group was significantly lower than that in the HC group. The percentages of IFN-γ+ CD8+ and IFN-γ+ CD3- cells in the peripheral blood of the TB group (mean 0.94%) were significantly higher than thoset in the HC group(mean 0.51%, P=0.020), while the percentages of TNF-α+ cells in each subsets of PBMCs were significantly lower than those in the HC group. After PPD stimulation, the percentage of IFN-γ+ CD8+ cells in the HIV/TB group was significantly lower than that in the TB group(P=0.008), and the change was more marked than that before stimulation. The percentage of IFN-γ+ CD8+ cells in the HIV group(mean 0.20%) was lower than that in the HC group (mean 0.52%, P=0.044). The percentage of IFN-γ+ CD3- in the TB group was significantly higher than in the HC group. There were no significant differences in TNF-α+ cell percentages in the 3 groups compared with the control group after PPD stimulation. The percentages of IFN-γ+ CD4+ cells in the HC and the TB groups were significantly increased after PPD stimulation in each group (P=0.002, P=0.001, respectively). However, there were no significant differences of IFN-γ+ CD4+ cell percentages in the HIV/TB group and the HIV group. The percentages of TNF-α production by monocytes were significantly increased after PPD stimulation in all groups. Conclusions: Chronic Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection reduced the ability of PBMCs to produce TNF-α. For patients with TB infection, the production of TNF-α was reduced when combined with HIV infection. The capacity of CD8+ and CD3- lymphocytes to produce IFN-γ was increased in TB patients, while the capacity of CD8+ T cells to produce IFN-γ was decreased with co-infection of HIV. Infection of HIV weakened the immune response to MTB infection, which made the clinical diagnosis and treatment of TB more difficult.

Optimal timing of preoperative intravitreal anti-VEGF injection for proliferative diabetic retinopathy patients.

To analyze concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibrosis-related factors in vitreous fluid of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients pre-treated with intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (IVI) at different time periods prior to pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), and their correlation with the degree of vitreoretinal fibrosis and explore the optimal timing of preoperative IVI. The prospective case-control study from January 2019 to July 2020 included 31 eyes with PDR-related complications (PDR group) and 21 eyes with non-diabetic ocular disease (control group) requiring PPV. PDR eyes were divided into four groups based on timing of PPV: 3d after IVI (3-day group); 5d after IVI (5-day group); 7 or more days after IVI (≥7-day group); and no IVI. Vitreous fluid samples (0.5-1.0 mL) were collected prior to switching on the infusion before routine 23-G PPV. Concentrations of VEGF, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), periostin (PN), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were measured by immunoassay, and concentration differences for each cytokine were compared among the groups. The degree of vitreoretinal fibrosis was graded intraoperatively, and the correlation between the changes in cytokine levels and the severity of vitreoretinal fibrosis was analyzed by univariate ordinal logistic regression analysis. PDR eyes without IVI had significantly higher VEGF, bFGF, PN, and IL-6 concentrations than non-diabetic eyes (all P<0.05), and had a significantly higher concentration of VEGF (P<0.05) and a significantly lower concentration of IL-8 (P<0.05) than PDR eyes with IVI. Statistically significant differences were also observed for concentrations of VEGF, bFGF, PN, IL-6, and IL-8 among 3-day, 5-day, and ≥7-day groups (all P<0.05); meanwhile there was no significant difference in TNF-α among groups (P=0.226). The 5-day group had the lowest concentration of VEGF and the ≥7-day group had the highest concentration of bFGF and PN. The degree of vitreoretinal fibrosis was significantly higher in the ≥7-day group compared to the 3-day (P=0.015) and 5-day group (P=0.039), and vitreoretinal fibrosis correlated significantly with concentrations of bFGF, PN, IL-6, and IL-8 (all P<0.05). Univariate ordinal logistic regression analysis showed that bFGF was an independent risk factor for the severity of vitreoretinal fibrosis in PDR patients pre-treated with IVI. The vitreous concentrations of VEGF, bFGF, PN, IL-6, and IL-8 change after pretreatment with IVI before PPV in PDR patients. The degree of vitreoretinal fibrosis is higher in patients with a longer time between IVI treatment and PPV, which may be related to the angio-fibrosis switch. The results suggest that PPV should be performed 5d after IVI administration in PDR patients.

Effect of electroacupuncture on knee osteoarthritis and relevant inflammatory factors: A randomized clinical trial: 电针治疗膝骨关节炎以及对相关炎症因子水平的影响

ObjectiveTo explore the treatment effects of electroacupuncture (EA), acupuncture with filiform needle, and western medication for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). MethodsIt was a randomized, controlled trial with the blinding of outcome assessors and statistician. 90 outpatients were diagnosed as KOA in Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Using the random number table, they were divided into a medication group, an acupuncture group and an EA group, 30 cases in each one. In the medication group, routine medication was provided with oral administration of celebrex for 21 days. Regular acupuncture was applied in the remaining groups, at Liángqiū (梁丘ST34), Xuèhăi (血海SP10), Dúbí (犊鼻ST35), Nèixīyăn (内膝眼EX-LE4), Yánglíngquán (阳陵泉GB34), Hèdĭng (鹤顶EX-LE2) and Sānyīnjiāo (三阴交SP6) and the needles were retained for 30 min. In the EA group, electric stimulation with low-frequency pulse current and dense wave was applied for 30 min on the basis of the treatment of the acupuncture group. The treatment was applied once daily at 1-day intervals after each 6-day treatment for a total of 21 days. Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and visual analogy scale (VAS) scores and levels of serum inflammatory factors (interleukin-1β [IL-1β] and tumor necrosis factor [TNF-α]) were used to assess the clinical therapeutic effect. ResultsFollowing treatment, there were significant differences in the WOMAC score in the medication, acupuncture, and EA groups after treatment (all P < 0.01). In the comparison among groups, after treatment, the WOMAC score in the EA group was lower than that in either the acupuncture or medication group (both P < 0.01). Compared to before treatment, VAS scores were significantly different in the medication group (3.95 ± 0.55 vs 5.75 ± 1.40), the acupuncture group (2.78 ± 0.38 vs 5.78 ± 1.44) and EA group (1.72 ± 0.38 vs 5.78 ± 1.39) separately after treatment (all P < 0.01). In the comparison among groups, after treatment, the VAS score in the EA group was lower than that in either the acupuncture or medication group (both P < 0.01). Compared to before treatment, IL-1β levels were significantly different in the medication group (31.53 ± 6.84 vs 63.33 ± 10.25), acupuncture group (31.70 ± 7.54 vs 63.90 ± 9.96) and the EA groups (23.43 ± 3.94 vs 63.10 ± 10.66) separately after treatment (all P < 0.01). IL-1β levels were significantly lower in the EA group than in the acupuncture and medication groups (both P < 0.01). Compared to before treatment, TNF-α levels were significantly different in the medication group (40.20 ± 6.09 vs 68.77 ± 11.13), the acupuncture group (39.60 ± 7.55 vs 68.33 ± 11.51) and the EA groups (22.17 ± 5.72 vs 68.97 ± 10.52) separately after treatment (all P < 0.01). TNF-α levels were significantly lower in the EA group than in the acupuncture and medication groups (both P < 0.01). After treatment, there were no significant differences in TNF-α and IL-1β levels between the acupuncture and medication groups (both P > 0.05). The total effective rates were 86.67% (26/30), 73.33% (22/30) and 70.00% (21/30) in the EA, acupuncture, and medication groups, respectively. The total effective rate was higher in the EA group than in either the acupuncture or medication group (both P < 0.05). In the whole process of trial, the adverse events occurred in three groups. In consideration of the potential association between these adverse events and acupuncture treatment, the acupuncture physiotherapists and experts classified the adverse events into the treatment relevance or non-treatment relevance within 24 h of occurrence. ConclusionAll three therapeutic methods alleviated clinical symptoms of KOA and reduced levels of relevant inflammatory factors in serum. EA with dense wave is more advantageous than the traditional acupuncture technique and routine medication and is therefore worthy of clinical application.

Evaluating the Serum Levels of Inflammatory Cytokines in Women with Various Causes of Infertility during Controlled Ovarian Stimulation Cycles

Introduction: Concentration of inflammatory cytokines in serum levels and their role in the success of reproductive cycles with female infertility factors is unknown, so the aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of inflammatory cytokines in women with different causes of female infertility during controlled ovarian stimulation cycles.&#x0D; Methods: In this case-control study, 25 infertile women with female infertility or unknown causes (case group) and 24 infertile women with male infertility causes (control group) participated in controlled ovarian stimulation cycles. 5 cc of blood was taken from them on the day of ovulation and after serum isolation, serum IL6 and TNFα levels were measured by ELISA.&#x0D; Results: In this study, there was no significant difference in TNFα and IL6 levels between case and control groups (P&gt; 0.05). There was also no significant difference in TNFα levels in terms of causes of infertility (P&gt; 0.05). However, there was a significant difference in IL6 level in terms of various causes of infertility (P = 0.02). There was a significant difference between polycystic ovarian as well as unknown group and male factor group considering serum levels of interleukin-6 (P = 0.008, P = 0.02, respectively). Furthermore, the highest level of IL6 (28.3 ±20.36) belonged to the infertility group with unknown cause and a significant relationship was found between IL6 level and the number of oocytes and embryos (P &lt;0.01).&#x0D; Conclusion: Higher serum IL6 levels in the infertility group with unknown cause could be considered as a factor in the pathogenesis of infertility in the patients with unknown causes and a parameter affecting the number of oocytes and embryos in this group. However, studies with a larger target population are needed to explain this potential indicator.

Changes of th1 and th2 cytokines levels among sudanese tuberculosis patients during treatment.

The interaction of T cells with infected macrophages depends on the interplay of cytokines produced in each cell, and this mechanism is a key to protective immunity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Extensive research has been devoted to studying the changes in systemic cytokine levels in patients with tuberculosis (TB), but the results are inconclusive. Determine Th1 and Th2 cytokine immune response levels among new TB patients compared to follow-up and healthy control. Cross-sectional laboratory-based study. Immunology Laboratory, National Center for Research. Blood samples (n = 145) were collected from confirmed new TB cases, follow-up TB cases, and from healthy controls. Participants were initially diagnosed by microcopy using Ziehl-Neelsen smear method and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction using IS6110. Cytokine levels (interleukin-10 [IL-10], tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], and Interferon-gamma [IFN-γ]) were measured directly from plasma using sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Measuring Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ and TNF-α) and Th2 cytokine (IL-10). One hundred and forty-five cases (new TB cases, 85; follow-up, 25; and healthy control, 35) were included in this study. The study population were mainly males (70.3%) compared to females (29.7%) and 87.5% aged between 21 to 60 year. The plasma IFN-γ levels were found significantly higher in new TB cases (mean 35.38 pg/m; confidence interval: 29.32-41.43) than in the follow-up patients and the healthy control (P = 0.000). There were no significant differences in TNF-α and IL-10 levels among the new TB cases and the follow-up and healthy control (P = 0.852 and P = 0.340, respectively). Direct plasma IFN-γ level can be used in TB patient follow-up as a recovery marker as it correlated well with the appearance of the disease and treatment response.

Study of cytokines in peripheral blood and lung of rats exposed to hard metal dust

Objective: To study the dynamic changes of cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum of hard metal lung disease (HMLDR) rats. Methods: In March 2019, the rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, each group included 8 rats: control (C) group include 3 groups, hard metal (HM) group include 3 groups. 10 mg HM were administered in HM group by using the pulmonary endotracheal tube. After 4, 8 and 12 week, the BALF and serum were collected for the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) , tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) . Results: There was no abnormality in behavior, diet and fur of rats in C and HM group at each exposure time. There was no significant difference in body weight between the two groups of rats (P>0.05) . Compared with the C group, the expression of MMP-1 in BALF of rats in HM group were significantly higher in all stages (4, 8 and 12 weeks after exposure) (P<0.05) , the expression of TIMP-1 in BALF of rats in HM group were significantly higher in 8 and 12 weeks after exposure (P<0.05) . However, there was no significant difference in serum MMP-1 and TIMP-1 levels between the two groups in each stage (P>0.05) . There was no significant difference in TNF-α. level in BALF and serum between C and HM group in all stages (P>0.05) . Conclusion: Expression of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 in BALF have reference value in the HMLD auxiliary diagnosis.

Effect of mandibular residual ridge regularization on peri-implant wound healing when narrow diameter implants are used as overdenture retainers

Statement of problemAlveolar ridge regularization involves the smoothing and minimal reduction of rough alveolar bone ridge to achieve adequate bone thickness around the implant. The effect of this procedure on peri-implant health is unclear. PurposeThe purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate whether bone regularization affects the clinical and biological parameters of peri-implant health when narrow diameter implants are placed as mandibular implant overdenture retainers during initial healing and after occlusal loading. Material and methodsThe need for mandibular ridge regularization in the anterior mandibular region was analyzed before the placement of 2 implants (2.9×10 mm, Facility; Neodent) in 21 participants provided with mandibular overdentures. Primary stability was measured by the insertion torque and implant stability quotient (ISQ). Clinical and biological evaluations measuring the plaque index, presence of calculus, probing depth, bleeding on probing index, gingival index, secondary stability (ISQ), and interleukine-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations in peri-implant crevicular fluid were measured during osseointegration on days 7, 15, 30, 60, and 90 and after loading on day 180 after implant placement. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression analysis and the Kaplan–Meier test were used to analyze the data (α=.05). ResultsThe ISQ values showed significant differences on days 7 (P<.001) and 15 (P=.002) with higher values and on day 180 (P=.008) with a lower value compared with the baseline value in the ridge regularization group. Additionally, a significant decrease in probing depth was observed on days 60 (P=.008) and 180 (P=.027) compared with that on day 15 after implant placement. In the nonridge regularization group, significant decreases in probing depth were observed on days 30 and 180. Moreover, TNF-α levels in this group were significantly lower on days 30 (P=.001), 60, 90, and 180 (P<.001) when compared with the value on day 7 (P<.001). The ridge regularization group presented with significant differences in TNF-α and IL-1β levels on days 60 (P=.004) and 30 (P=.007), respectively, when compared with the values on day 7. The ISQ and probing depth in the ridge regularization group were associated with changes in TNF-α and IL-1β levels; furthermore, bone type, duration of edentulism, and mandibular bone atrophy were correlated with the clinical outcomes and TNF-α release. The implant survival rate was 67% in the nonridge regularization group and 100% in the ridge regularization group. ConclusionsMandibular ridge regularization appeared to be beneficial for peri-implant healing during the early stages and after 3 months of occlusal loading in patients with an atrophic ridge, prolonged time since edentulism, and poor bone quality.

The cardioprotective effect of dexmedetomidine on elderly patients with cervical cancer in the Trendelenburg position

Objectives: To investigate the cardioprotective effect of dexmedetomidine(DEX) on elderly patients with cervical cancer in the Trendelenburg position (TP). Methods: Eighty patients with cervical cancer presenting with laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (or with laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy) were randomly assigned to the control group (Group C) or the DEX group (Group D), with a total of 40 patients per group. Patients in Group D were given dexmedetomidine, whereas normal saline was administered as placebo in Group C. The data collected for this study included general information (age, body mass index [BMI], anesthesia time, operation time, extubation time and hospital stay), hemodynamic parameters (Heart rate [HR] and mean arterial pressure [MAP]), concentrations of markers of myocardial injury (cardiac troponin I [cTnI] , creatine kinase MB [CK-MB]) and inflammatory factors (Tumor necrosis factor α [TNF-α] , interleukin 6 [IL-6], and C-reactive protein [CRP]) before entering the operating room (T0), 6 h after the surgery(T9) and 24 h after the surgery (T10). Results: Compared to T0, cTnI, CK-MB, TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP were significantly higher at T9 and T10, while cTnI, CK-MB, IL-6 and CRP were significantly lower in group D than those of group C at T9 and T10. Whilst there was no significant difference in TNF-α between the two groups at T9 (P = 0.821), TNF-α concentrations were significantly lower in group D compared to group C at T10 (P = 0.022). Extubation time (P = 0.009) and hospital stay (P = 0.014) were significantly lower in group D, than in group C. There was no significant difference in the adverse reactions between the two groups (P = 0.263). Conclusions: In elderly patients with cervical cancer, TP may cause perioperative myocardial damage. DEX could mitigate the damaging effects and show good hemodynamic stability, which is conducive to rapid postoperative resuscitation, and anti-inflammatory mechanism may play an important role.

Xuebijing injection in the treatment of COVID-19: a retrospective case-control study.

Neither a vaccine nor specific therapeutic drugs against 2019 novel coronavirus have been developed. Some studies have shown that Xuebijing injection (XBJ) can exert an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and other cytokines. This study aimed to investigate the effect of XBJ on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its effects on IL-6 and tumor necrosis alpha TNF-α. A total of 42 patients, who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and treated with XBJ combined with routine treatment at Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital between January 20, 2020, and March 11, 2020, were selected as the observation group. A control group comprising 16 patients who received routine treatment was also established, and cases were matched from the observation group on a 1:1 basis according to age, comorbidities, and mild and severe disease. The clinical symptoms, laboratory test indexes, and changes in computed tomography (CT) scans of patients in the two groups were observed at the time of admission and 7 days after treatment, and the time taken for the patients to produce a negative nucleic acid test was also recorded. There were no significant differences in baseline data between the two groups. After treatment, there were significant improvements in IL-6 levels and body temperature in the observation group as compared with the control group. Particularly in severe patients, the reduction in body temperature in the observation group was greater than that in the control group (P<0.05). A higher number of patients in the observation group showed improved CT imaging results compared with the control group, and the time taken to produce a negative nucleic acid test was shorter in the observation group than in the control group; however, the differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in TNF-α and IL-10 between the two groups. The results of this study suggest that routine treatment combined with XBJ can better improve the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients.