scholarly journals On sexual dimorphism in immune function

2008 ◽  
Vol 364 (1513) ◽  
pp. 61-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles L Nunn ◽  
Patrik Lindenfors ◽  
E. Rhiannon Pursall ◽  
Jens Rolff
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Immune Function ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Insect Immunity ◽  
Sexual Competition ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Handicap Hypothesis ◽  
White Blood Cell Counts

Sexual dimorphism in immune function is a common pattern in vertebrates and also in a number of invertebrates. Most often, females are more ‘immunocompetent’ than males. The underlying causes are explained by either the role of immunosuppressive substances, such as testosterone, or by fundamental differences in male and female life histories. Here, we investigate some of the main predictions of the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) in a comparative framework using mammals. We focus specifically on the prediction that measures of sexual competition across species explain the observed patterns of variation in sex-specific immunocompetence within species. Our results are not consistent with the ICHH, but we do find that female mammals tend to have higher white blood cell counts (WBC), with some further associations between cell counts and longevity in females. We also document positive covariance between sexual dimorphism in immunity, as measured by a subset of WBC, and dimorphism in the duration of effective breeding. This is consistent with the application of ‘Bateman's principle’ to immunity, with females maximizing fitness by lengthening lifespan through greater investment in immune defences. Moreover, we present a meta-analysis of insect immunity, as the lack of testosterone in insects provides a means to investigate Bateman's principle for immunity independently of the ICHH. Here, we also find a systematic female bias in the expression of one of the two components of insect immune function that we investigated (phenoloxidase). From these analyses, we conclude that the mechanistic explanations of the ICHH lack empirical support. Instead, fitness-related differences between the sexes are potentially sufficient to explain many natural patterns in immunocompetence.

scholarly journals A meta-analysis of controlled studies comparing the association between clozapine and other antipsychotic medications and the development of neutropenia

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 403-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Myles ◽  
Hannah Myles ◽  
Shelley Xia ◽  
Matthew Large ◽  
Robert Bird ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Risk Ratio ◽  
Antipsychotic Drugs ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Severe Neutropenia ◽  
Antipsychotic Medications ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Electronic Search ◽  
White Blood Cell Counts

Background: In most countries, clozapine can only be prescribed with regular monitoring of white blood cell counts because of concerns that clozapine has a stronger association with neutropenia than other antipsychotics. However, this has not been previously demonstrated conclusively with meta-analysis of controlled studies. Methods: The aim of this study was to assess the strength of the association between clozapine and neutropenia when compared to other antipsychotic medications by a meta-analysis of controlled studies. An electronic search of Medline (1948–2018), PsycINFO (1967–2018) and Embase (1947–2018) using search terms (clozapine OR clopine OR clozaril OR zaponex) AND (neutropenia OR agranulocytosis) was undertaken. Random-effects meta-analysis using Mantel–Haenszel risk ratio was used to assess the strength of the effect size. Results: We located 20 studies that reported rates of neutropenia associated with clozapine and other antipsychotic medications. The risk ratio was not significantly increased in clozapine-exposed groups compared to exposure to other antipsychotic medications (Mantel–Haenszel risk ratio = 1.45, 95% confidence interval = [0.87, 2.42]). This also applied to severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count < 500 per µL) when compared to other antipsychotics (Mantel–Haenszel risk ratio = 1.65, 95% confidence interval = [0.58, 4.71]). The relative risk of neutropenia associated with clozapine exposure was not significantly associated with any individual antipsychotic medication. Conclusion: Data from controlled trials do not support the belief that clozapine has a stronger association with neutropenia than other antipsychotic medications. This implies that either all antipsychotic drugs should be subjected to haematological monitoring or monitoring isolated to clozapine is not justified.

scholarly journals Comparison of the effects between MPL and JAK2V617F on thrombosis and peripheral blood cell counts in patients with essential thrombocythemia: a meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erpeng Yang ◽  
Mingjing Wang ◽  
Ziqing Wang ◽  
Yujin Li ◽  
Xueying Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Cell ◽  
Essential Thrombocythemia ◽  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Peripheral Blood Cell ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Blood Cell Counts ◽  
High Risk Factor ◽  
White Blood Cell Counts

AbstractTo assess the effects between MPL and JAK2V617F on the thrombosis risk and peripheral blood cell counts in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET), we identified eligible studies from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Seven studies were ultimately included in this meta-analysis. All studies reported the peripheral blood cell counts of ET patients, and three of them reported the eligible thrombotic events. In comparing the effect of MPL versus JAK2V617F on thrombosis, 1257 ET patients (73 MPL + and 1184 JAK2V617F +) were included. MPL-positive (MPL +) ET patients had a higher risk of thrombosis than JAK2V617F-positive (JAK2V617F +) ET patients [RR = 1.80 (1.08–3.01), P = 0.025]. And 3453 ET patients (138 MPL + and 3315 JAK2V617F +) were included in the comparison of peripheral blood cell counts. Platelet counts of MPL + ET patients were higher than that of JAK2V617F + ET patients [WMD = 81.18 (31.77–130.60), P = 0.001]. MPL + ET patients had lower hemoglobin [WMD =  − 11.66 (− 14.32 to − 9.00), P = 0.000] and white blood cell counts [WMD =  − 1.01 (− 1.47 to − 0.56), P = 0.000] than JAK2V617F + ET patients. These findings indicate that the MPL mutation is a high-risk factor for thrombosis in ET patients, and it may be rational to include MPL mutation in the revised IPSET as a criterion for thrombosis prediction scores. And given the differences in peripheral blood, it is necessary to further study whether MPL + ET patients differ from JAK2V617F + ET patients in bleeding and survival.

Secondary sexual coloration is related to white blood cell counts and testosterone in male southeastern five-lined skinks (Plestiodon inexpectatus)

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 585-589
Author(s):  
Ryan Seddon ◽  
Matthew Klukowski
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Testosterone ◽  
Male Quality ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
The Status ◽  
Leukocyte Counts ◽  
Sexual Coloration ◽  
Immunocompetence Handicap Hypothesis ◽  
Handicap Hypothesis ◽  
White Blood Cell Counts ◽  
Secondary Sexual

The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis posits that secondary sexual coloration can honestly signal male quality because elevated testosterone, which is necessary for the expression of the coloration, also handicaps males through immunosuppression. Thus only high quality males can express the showiest coloration in spite of immunosuppression. Here we report a test of the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis in southeastern five-lined skinks, Plestiodon inexpectatus, which exhibit a reddish-orange head coloration during the breeding season. We tested whether head coloration is related to circulating testosterone concentrations and reflects the status of a male’s immune system, as measured by total leukocyte counts. As predicted, hue, saturation, and extent of head coloration were correlated with plasma testosterone, and the brightness of the head was negatively correlated with total circulating leukocytes. While results are consistent with the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis, additional studies that include experimental manipulations of testosterone levels and measure other aspects of immunity are warranted.

scholarly journals Immune activation suppresses plasma testosterone level: a meta-analysis

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 741-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelle J Boonekamp ◽  
Albert H.F Ros ◽  
Simon Verhulst
Keyword(s):  
Immune Function ◽  
Immune Activation ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Mechanistic Explanation ◽  
Suppressive Effect ◽  
Plasma Testosterone ◽  
Sexual Signals ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Handicap Hypothesis

Females often select mates on the basis of sexual signals, which can be reliable indicators of male quality when the costliness of these signals prevents cheating. The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) provides a mechanistic explanation of these costs, by proposing a trade-off between immune function and sexual displays. This trade-off arises because testosterone enhances sexual signals, but suppresses immune function. Many studies have investigated the ICHH by administrating testosterone, and a recent meta-analysis found little evidence that testosterone suppressed immune function. However, another component of the ICHH, which has received less empirical interest, suggests that there may also be an interaction in the other direction, with immune activation suppressing testosterone levels. We present a meta-analysis to test for this effect. Overall, there was a strong suppressive effect of experimental immune activation on testosterone levels ( r =−0.52), regardless of whether live pathogens or non-pathogenic antigens were used to challenge the immune system. The latter is important because it shows that immune activation per se suppresses testosterone levels. Thus, a trade-off between immunocompetence and sexual displays may primarily be generated by the effect of immune activation on testosterone, rather than the opposite effect that has received most attention.

scholarly journals Procalcitonin Has Good Accuracy for Prognosis of Critical Condition and Mortality in COVID-19: A Diagnostic Test Accuracy Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Erfan Zare ◽  
Yanzhong Wang ◽  
Atefeh Nasir Kansestani ◽  
Afshin Almasi ◽  
Jun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Critical Condition ◽  
Good Accuracy ◽  
Prognostic Biomarker ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Inflammatory Biomarkers ◽  
Test Accuracy ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Blood Cell Counts ◽  
White Blood Cell Counts

Several reports have determined that changes in white blood cell counts and inflammatory biomarkers are related to disease outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and they can be utilized as prognostic biomarkers. For introducing a factor as a diagnostic/prognostic biomarker, diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) systematic review and meta-analysis are recommended. For the first time, we aimed to determine the accuracies of white blood cell counts and inflammatory biomarkers for prognosis of COVID-19 patient’s outcome by a DTA meta-analysis. Until August 24, 2020, we searched Web of Sciences, Scopus, and MEDLINE/PubMed databases to achieve related papers. Summary points and lines of included studies were calculated from 2×2 tables by bivariate/hierarchical models. Critical condition and mortality were considered as outcomes. A total of 13387 patients from 28 studies were included in this study. Six biomarkers containing leukocytosis, neutrophilia, lymphopenia, increased level of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin (PCT), and ferritin met the inclusion criteria. Analysis of the area under the curve (AUCHSROC) indicated that the PCT was the only applicable prognostic biomarker for critical condition and mortality (AUCHSROC=0.80 for both conditions). Pooled-diagnostic odds ratios were 6.78 (95% CI, 3.65-12.61) for prognosis of critical condition and 13.21 (95% CI, 3.95-44.19) for mortality. Other biomarkers had insufficient accuracies for both conditions (AUCHSROC< 0.80). Among evaluated biomarkers, only PCT has good accuracy for the prognosis of both critical condition and mortality in COVID-19 and it can be considered as a single prognostic biomarker for poor outcomes. Also, PCT has more accuracy for the prognosis of mortality in comparison to critical conditions.

scholarly journals Elevated white blood cell counts and risk of metabolic syndrome: a dose-response meta-analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Roholla Hemmati ◽  
Sedighe Rastaghi ◽  
Mohammad Sarmadi ◽  
Zeinab Bidel ◽  
Wahideh Menati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Blood Cell ◽  
White Blood Cell ◽  
Dose Response ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Blood Cell Counts ◽  
White Blood Cell Counts

An Alternative Elastase-mediated Degradation of Fibrinogen and Fibrin Observed in a Patient with Herpes Simplex Encephalitis and Pneumonia

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (02) ◽  
pp. 184-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji lijima ◽  
Fumiyo Murakami ◽  
Yasushi Horie ◽  
Katsumi Nakamura ◽  
Shiro Ikawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Herpes Simplex ◽  
Blood Cell ◽  
White Blood Cell ◽  
Herpes Simplex Encephalitis ◽  
Pmn Elastase ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Blood Cell Counts ◽  
Sds Page ◽  
White Blood Cell Counts ◽  
Pmn Élastase

SummaryA 74-year-old female developed pneumonia following herpes simplex encephalitis. Her white blood cell counts reached 28,400/μl, about 90% of which consisted of granulocytes. The polymorphonuclear (PMN) elastase/α1-arantitrypsin complex levels increased and reached the maximum of 5,019 ng/ml, indicating the release of a large amount of elastase derived from the granulocytes. The mechanism of PMN elastase release was most likely to be granulocyte destruction associated with phagocytosis. The cleavage of fibrinogen and fibrin by PMN elastase, independent of plasmin, was indicated by the presence of the fragments in immunoprecipitated plasma from the patient corresponding to elastase-induced FDP D and DD fragments and the absence of fragments corresponding to plasmin-induced FDP D and DD fragments on SDS-PAGE. These findings suggested that the large amount of PMN elastase released from the excessive numbers of granulocytes in this patient with herpes simplex encephalitis and pneumonia, induced the cleavage of fibrinogen and fibrin without the participation of plasmin.

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