Protective Vaccination Reshapes Hepatic Response to Blood-Stage Malaria of Genes Preferentially Expressed by NK Cells

The role of natural killer (NK) cells in the liver as first-line post infectionem (p.i.) effectors against blood-stage malaria and their responsiveness to protective vaccination is poorly understood. Here, we investigate the effect of vaccination on NK cell-associated genes induced in the liver by blood-stage malaria of Plasmodium chabaudi. Female Balb/c mice were vaccinated at weeks 3 and 1 before being infected with 106P. chabaudi-parasitized erythrocytes. Genes preferentially expressed by NK cells were investigated in livers of vaccination-protected and non-protected mice on days 0, 1, 4, 8, and 11 p.i. using microarrays, qRT-PCR, and chromosome landscape analysis. Blood-stage malaria induces expression of specific genes in the liver at different phases of infection, i.e., Itga1 in expanding liver-resident NK (lrNK) cells, Itga2 in immigrating conventional NK (cNK) cells; Eomes and Tbx21 encoding transcription factors; Ncr1, Tnfsf10, Prf1, Gzma, Gzmb, Gzmc, Gzmm, and Gzmk encoding cytolytic effectors; natural killer gene complex (NKC)-localized genes encoding the NK cell receptors KLRG1, KLRK1, KLRAs1, 2, 5, 7, KLRD1, KLRC1, KLRC3, as well as the three receptors KLRB1A, KLRB1C, KLRB1F and their potential ligands CLEC2D and CLEC2I. Vaccination enhances this malaria-induced expression of genes, but impairs Gzmm expression, accelerates decline of Tnfsf10 and Clec2d expression, whereas it accelerates increased expression of Clec2i, taking a very similar time course as that of genes encoding plasma membrane proteins of erythroblasts, whose malaria-induced extramedullary generation in the liver is known to be accelerated by vaccination. Collectively, vaccination reshapes the response of the liver NK cell compartment to blood-stage malaria. Particularly, the malaria-induced expansion of lrNK cells peaking on day 4 p.i. is highly significantly (p < 0.0001) reduced by enhanced immigration of peripheral cNK cells, and KLRB1F:CLEC2I interactions between NK cells and erythroid cells facilitate extramedullary erythroblastosis in the liver, thus critically contributing to vaccination-induced survival of otherwise lethal blood-stage malaria of P. chabaudi.

Obowiązek szczepień a obowiązkowe szczepienia ochronne – podstawy prawne oraz środki egzekucji

Starting from the fundamental constitutional freedoms and rights of persons and citizens, the article covers the issue of obligation of vaccination as a typical example of a conflict between constitutional values. Then, the author interprets and systematizes the legal concepts concerning required immunization under the Act of 5 December 2008, on preventing and combating infections and infectious diseases among people, which leads, among others to differentiation between the concept of “vaccination obligation” and the concept of “compulsory protective vaccination”. Next, legal bases and enforcement measures for the vaccination obligation are discussed. The analysis focuses on the conditions for the use of coercive measures and leads to the nonobvious conclusion that use of physical coercion in order to implement the “mandatory protective vaccination” or other type of “vaccination obligation” – is currently is not possible. The article also includes the latest amendments to the law, on preventing and combating infections and infectious diseases among people, as well as regulations issued in connection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic.

Tetanus in Poland in 2017

In the last decade, the number of tetanus cases in Poland has not exceeded 20 cases. Since 1984, neonatal tetanus has not been reported. OBJECTIVE OF THE WORK. The aim of the study is to present the data of epidemiological surveillance of tetanus in 2017 in a historical perspective, taking into account the role of protective vaccination and a reference to activities for the elimination of neonatal tetanus on a global scale. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The material of the study are individual reports on tetanus sent to the Department of Epidemiology, NIZP-PZH and the bulletin “Infectious diseases and poisoning in Poland in 2017. The historical data is based on earlier Polish and foreign studies. RESULTS. In 2017, 11 cases of tetanus were reported. Four men and seven women got sick. One man died in the age > 69. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. Tetanus is an infectious disease acquired in the environment and associated with wound pollution. Few cases of illness in Poland are associated with non-compliance with recommendations for booster vaccinations.