Immunology and Immunotherapy of Endometriosis

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological and systemic diseases, with a remarkable immune background. Patients suffer from pain and fertility reduction. Due to the distinct immune component, an immunotherapeutic approach may gain importance in the future. In endometriosis, shifts in the cell fractions of the immune system are well known. Moreover, hypoxia concomitant with inflammation causes a disturbed immune response. The removal of endometriosis has a therapeutic effect, normalizes the immune disorders, and remains the most effective causative treatment in terms of pain and infertility. A key issue is whether a similar effect can be achieved for fertility with non-invasive immunotherapy where surgery is inadvisable or cannot be performed for various reasons. Numerous immunotherapy trials, including vaccines, were conducted on animals only, although the research is encouraging. Among the promising methods of non-specific immunotherapy is the administration of an ethiodized oil contrast. Moreover, due to the significant successes of immunotherapy in oncology, the possibility of immunotherapy affecting NK cells has been postulated. NK cells are responsible for the surveillance and apoptosis of ectopic cells. Expanding the arsenal of endometriosis treatment by immunotherapy is promising due to the significant contribution of immunological factors and the limitations of current treatment methods.

AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY TO ASSESS THE PARENTAL DOSHA PRAKRITI OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN

Prakriti refers to the genetically determined physical and mental constitution of an individual. Autism is a lifelong disability identified by impaired communication, social interaction and repetitive behaviours. The genetic, envi- ronmental and immunological factors play an important role in generating autism. Genetic factors are more pre- dominant in autism pathogenesis than the environmental factors that would modulate the phenotype. Until now, no interventions have proven widely effective in providing complete relief to autism. Therefore, the prevention of autism needs supreme attention. To a greater extent, prakriti of an individual can determine proneness to particu- lar diseases. To assess the prakriti of both parents of 30 diagnosed cases of autistic children attending the OPD and IPD of Govt. Ayurveda College, Kannur were randomly selected. They are subjected to detailed history taking based on specially prepared proforma and assessments were recorded. Their prakriti assessment was done using a validated computer-assisted questionnaire software Ayusoft developed by C-DAC Pune. The data was statistically analysed. In this study, Vata pitta prakriti was significantly seen in mothers of autistic children. Keywords: Prakriti, Autism

Potentiating Lung Mucosal Immunity Through Intranasal Vaccination

Yearly administration of influenza vaccines is our best available tool for controlling influenza virus spread. However, both practical and immunological factors sometimes result in sub-optimal vaccine efficacy. The call for improved, or even universal, influenza vaccines within the field has led to development of pre-clinical and clinical vaccine candidates that aim to address limitations of current influenza vaccine approaches. Here, we consider the route of immunization as a critical factor in eliciting tissue resident memory (Trm) populations that are not a target of current licensed intramuscular vaccines. Intranasal vaccination has the potential to boost tissue resident B and T cell populations that reside within specific niches of the upper and lower respiratory tract. Within these niches, Trm cells are poised to respond rapidly to pathogen re-encounter by nature of their anatomic localization and their ability to rapidly deliver anti-pathogen effector functions. Unique features of mucosal immunity in the upper and lower respiratory tracts suggest that antigen localized to these regions is required for the elicitation of protective B and T cell immunity at these sites and will need to be considered as an important attribute of a rationally designed intranasal vaccine. Finally, we discuss outstanding questions and areas of future inquiry in the field of lung mucosal immunity.

Diarreia em bezerros: etiologia, tratamento e fatores imunológicos / Diarrhea in calves: etiology, treatment and immunological factors

O Brasil possui um dos maiores rebanhos bovinos do mundo, e essa posição é mantida pela reposição do rebanho através do nascimento de bezerros. A etapa de cria é um dos momentos mais críticos da reprodução bovina, pois, em decorrência da característica reprodutiva da fêmea bovina, não há a transferência de imunidade transplacentária para o neonato, momento esse em que há maiores chances de mortalidade. O objetivo dessa revisão de literatura é apontar os principais fatores infecciosos e não infecciosos responsáveis pela diarreia de bezerros e sua fisiopatogenia, além de realizar uma explanação sobre transferência de imunidade passiva, diagnóstico e tratamento. A diarreia é um sintoma secundário a um processo infeccioso, ou não, previamente instaurado. A diarreia infecciosa pode ser de origem bacteriana (Escherichia coli e Salmonella spp); viral (Rotavírus e Coronavírus) ou protozoária (Cryptosporidium sp. e Eimeria spp). Já a diarreia não infecciosa pode ser causada por erro no manejo alimentar, alta densidade populacional ou avidez do bezerro no momento de mamar. Algumas causas infecciosas só possuirão capacidade patológica quando estiver em um organismo imunossuprimido, se tornando um local adequado. Por não haver transferência imunológica transplacentária, o fornecimento de um colostro de boa qualidade e no momento adequado é primordial para uma transferência de imunidade passiva de maneira eficaz. A fluidoterapia é a forma de tratamento mais utilizada para a reposição de líquido e eletrólitos perdidos decorrente do quadro diarreico. A vacinação geralmente é feita na matriz no período pré-parto para que haja a produção de imunoglobulinas que serão transferidas através do colostro. Com isso, o objetivo é abordar os principais agentes etiológicos envolvidos na diarreia de bezerros e sua relação imunológica.

Pathogenesis of Behçet's Syndrome: Genetic, Environmental and Immunological Factors

Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a rare systemic vasculitis, characterized by a wide range of different clinical involvements and unpredictable phases of recurrence and remission. BS can be described as a multifactorial disease with an incompletely known etiopathogenesis; in fact, though presenting some peculiar features, such as its typical geographic distribution and the strong association with the well-known genetic predisposing factor HLA-B*51, the cause behind the onset and progression of the disease remains currently not fully understood. Besides genetic HLA and non-HLA predisposing associations and epigenetic influence, environmental factors also play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease, and among these, infectious agents (both bacterial and viral) and specific microbiome alterations are considered of particular relevance in BS pathogenesis. BS has been included for decades among autoimmune diseases, in light of evidence showing T- and B-cell aberrant responses. However, because of recurrent mucocutaneous lesions and episodes of inflammation without antigen-specific T-cell or autoantibody responses, BS has also been classified among autoinflammatory disorders. Nevertheless, differently from autoinflammatory diseases, BS mildly responds to therapies targeting IL-1, its onset is not usually in childhood, and has high neutrophilic vasculitic involvement. Finally, given the association with HLA class I alleles, similar to spondyloarthropathies, the concept of BS as a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I -opathy has been introduced. Understanding the complex etiopathogenesis of BS is essential to identify modifiable risk factors of BS occurrence or exacerbation and to develop targeted therapies. This review summarizes current evidence on the main genetic, environmental and immunological factors contributing to BS development.

Profiling of mature stage human breastmilk cells identifies host-defense lactocyte sub-populations

Breastmilk is chock-full of nutrients, immunological factors, and cells that aid infant development. Maternal cells are the least studied breastmilk component, and their unique properties are difficult to identify using traditional techniques. Here, we characterized the cells in mature stage breastmilk from healthy donors at the protein, gene, and transcriptome levels. Holistic analysis of flow cytometry, qPCR, and single cell RNA sequencing data identified the predominant cell population as epithelial with smaller populations of macrophages and T cells. Two percent of epithelial cells expressed four stem cell markers: SOX2, TRA-1-60, NANOG, and SSEA4. Furthermore, milk contained six distinct epithelial lactocyte sub-populations, including three previously unidentified sub-populations programmed towards host-defense and intestinal development. Pseudotime analysis delineated the differentiation pathways of epithelial progenitors. Together, these data define healthy human maternal breastmilk cells and provide a basis for their application in maternal and infant medicine.