Journal of immunological sciences最新文献

{"title":"Apoptosis of Circulating Heterophils; Implications for the Interpretation of the Heterophil/Lymphocyte Ratio","authors":"P. Cotter","doi":"10.29245/2578-3009/2021/4.1222","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-3009/2021/4.1222","url":null,"abstract":"The aim is to demonstrate a variety of apoptotic heterophils (equivalents of mammalian neutrophils) occurring in hemograms of 50 apparently healthy pullets housed in cages. These atypical cells are found in blood with normal total white cell levels (TWBC, ~20K) and in those ranging up to 100(K) a leukocytosis/leukemoid reaction level. Conversely heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratios in all hens ranged between 0.14 – 0.50 (homeostasis). The Arneth index (a heterophil age measure) of 1.8 computed using only intact heterophils indicated a “left-shift”, suggesting inflammation even in the context of a normal hemogram.","PeriodicalId":73785,"journal":{"name":"Journal of immunological sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84106528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of Dementia Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Profile with Human Herpes Viruses 3 and 7: An in-silico Investigation","authors":"Lisa M. James, Spyros A. Charonis, A. Georgopoulos","doi":"10.29245/2578-3009/2021/3.1218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-3009/2021/3.1218","url":null,"abstract":"Human leukocyte antigen (HLA), the most highly polymorphic region of the human genome, is increasingly recognized as an important genetic contributor to dementia risk and resilience. HLA is involved in protection against foreign antigens including human herpes viruses (HHV), which have been widely implicated in dementia. Here we used an in silico approach1 to determine binding affinities of glycoproteins from 9 human herpes virus (HHV) strains to 113 HLA alleles, and to examine the association of a previously identified HLA-dementia risk profile2 to those affinities. We found a highly significant correlation between high binding affinities of HLA alleles to HHV 3 and 7 and the dementia risk scores of those alleles, such that the higher the estimated binding affinity, the lower the dementia risk score. These findings suggest that protection conferred by HLA alleles may be related to their ability to bind and eliminate HHV3 and HHV7 and point to the possibility that protection against these viruses may reduce dementia incidence.","PeriodicalId":73785,"journal":{"name":"Journal of immunological sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86367284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Immunogenetic Epidemiology of Motor Neuron Diseases in 14 Continental Western European Countries","authors":"Lisa M. James, A. Georgopoulos","doi":"10.29245/2578-3009/2021/3.1221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-3009/2021/3.1221","url":null,"abstract":"Very few studies have evaluated associations of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) with motor neuron diseases (MND). Using an immunogenetic epidemiological approach, we identified a population-level HLA profile for MND by evaluating the correlations between the population frequencies of 127 HLA Class I and II alleles and the population prevalence of MND in 14 Continental Western European countries. The results demonstrated that significantly more HLA alleles, particularly for Class I, were negatively associated with the population prevalence of MND, suggesting a preponderance of protective vs susceptibility effects. The findings add to the limited literature implicating HLA in MND and considering the role of HLA in immune system responses to pathogens, suggest a potential influence of pathogens in MND.","PeriodicalId":73785,"journal":{"name":"Journal of immunological sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81516548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Immunogenetic Epidemiology of Type 1 Diabetes in 14 Continental Western European Countries","authors":"Lisa M. James, A. Georgopoulos","doi":"10.29245/2578-3009/2021/3.1219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-3009/2021/3.1219","url":null,"abstract":"Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) is widely recognized to influence individual Type 1 diabetes (T1D) risk. Here we utilized an immunogenetic epidemiological approach to evaluate the influence of HLA on T1D at the population level. Specifically, we evaluated the correlations between the population frequencies of 127 HLA Class I and II alleles and the population prevalence of T1D in 14 Continental Western European countries to identify a population-level HLA profile for T1D. The results of these analyses generally corroborated prior findings regarding the influence of HLA on T1D risk and protection and revealed several novel HLA-T1D associations. The findings, discussed within the context of the role of HLA in pathogen elimination and autoimmunity, point to a contributory role of exposure to pathogens in the absence of protective HLA in underlying the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells in T1D.","PeriodicalId":73785,"journal":{"name":"Journal of immunological sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77504476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HPV Catch-up Vaccination is Effective but Cervical Screening Should Continue","authors":"N. Hallam","doi":"10.29245/2578-3009/2021/2.1217","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-3009/2021/2.1217","url":null,"abstract":"This short communication reports additional research that extends the previously published article - Commentary: HPV Catch-Up Vaccination Reduces the Prevalence of HPV 16 and 18 Infections and Cervical Disease: A Retrospective Study.1 One limitation of that study was uncertainty as to whether the catch-up cohort had actually received HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination. That information has now been obtained. 87 (59%) of the 147 patients in the catch-up cohort had received at least one dose of HPV bivalent vaccine. 69 of these (representing 79% of those vaccinated) had received three doses (as recommended at the time). Both the vaccinated and unvaccinated subsets of the catch-up cohort show a significant reduction in the prevalence of HPV 16 and/or 18 (with/without other high-risk types 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66 and 68) and of high grade cervical disease compared to an earlier unvaccinated cohort. These results confirm the efficacy of HPV catch-up vaccination and the existence of herd immunity following the introduction of national HPV vaccination campaigns. However, 34 patients (23%) in the catch-up cohort had high grade disease (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [CIN] 2 or worse), 16 of whom had been vaccinated (12 with three doses, one with two doses and three with one dose of HPV bivalent vaccine) and four of those vaccinated had HPV 16 and/or 18 (with/without other high-risk types), the rest had other HPV high risk types. This emphasises the importance of maintaining cervical screening alongside HPV vaccination.","PeriodicalId":73785,"journal":{"name":"Journal of immunological sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81644670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coenzyme Q10 and Vitamin D Interventions Could Ameliorate COVID-19 Related Cellular Bioenergetic Dysfunction and Cytokine Storms","authors":"D. Yagnik","doi":"10.29245/2578-3009/2021/3.1220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-3009/2021/3.1220","url":null,"abstract":"The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 varies from asymptomatic or mild symptoms of high temperature, muscle aches and coughs lasting 7 to 14 days to lower respiratory tract infections leading to pneumonia and serious respiratory distress as well as long COVID-19. Complications occur due to an abnormal immune response which involves upregulation of multiple cytokines leading to sustained inflammation which results in the spread of infection to vital organs. The double vaccine roll out has been rapid however vaccine mediated antibodies are not 100% effective against future coronavirus variants which may become increasingly more resistant and easily transmissible to overcome host immunity. Invariably supportive therapies will be needed. Research has shown that coenzyme Q10 and vitamin D deficiencies can have detrimental effects on immune cell defence, function and cytokine secretion promoting inflammation and sepsis especially against microbes. Early interventions including supplementation of these factors could mitigate cellular dysfunction especially in relation to mitochondria bioenergetics and help maintain cell immunity. This is particularly important as chronically ill COVID-19 patients seem to display abnormal immune cell phenotypes in infected organs indicating this could contribute to disease progression. The immune response and proposed roles of Vitamin D and Coenzyme Q10 in COVID-19 are discussed.","PeriodicalId":73785,"journal":{"name":"Journal of immunological sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90083461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surveillance Review System to Track Progress Towards Polio Eradication in the Horn of Africa.","authors":"Samuel Okiror,&nbsp;John Ogange,&nbsp;Hemant Shukla,&nbsp;Christine Lamoureau,&nbsp;Mwaka Monze,&nbsp;Amina Ismail,&nbsp;Anthony Kazoka,&nbsp;Ben Nkowane,&nbsp;Raoul Kamadjeu,&nbsp;Obianuju Igweonu,&nbsp;Joseph Okeibunor,&nbsp;Chidiadi Nwogu","doi":"10.29245/2578-3009/2021/S2.1111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-3009/2021/S2.1111","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The risk for importation and reintroduction wild poliovirus in areas that have been cleared of the wild poliovirus in the Horn of Africa will remain if the surveillance systems are weak and porous.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Consequently, the Horn of Africa Polio Coordinating Office in Nairobi, together with partners conducted surveillance reviews for some of the countries in the Horn of Africa, especially Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia to identify gaps in the polio surveillance and provided recommendations for improved surveillance. Structured questionnaires collected information about acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance resources, training, data monitoring, and supervision at provincial, district, and health facility levels. Other information collected included resource availability, management and monitoring of AFP surveillance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The result revealed that although AFP surveillance systems were well established in these countries, a number of gaps and constraints existed. Widespread deficiencies and inefficient resource flow systems were observed and reported at all levels. There were also deficiencies related to provider knowledge, funding, training, and supervision, and were particularly evident at the health facility level. These weaknesses were corroborated with the sustained transmission of polioviruses in the region, where the surveillance systems were not sensitive enough to pick the viruses.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The review teams made useful recommendations that led to strengthening of the surveillance systems in these countries, including the formation and use of village polio volunteers in the south and central zones of Somalia, where security was heavily compromised and surveillance officers lacked regular access to the communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":73785,"journal":{"name":"Journal of immunological sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7610761/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38990549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Polio Data Quality Improvement in the African Region.","authors":"Bernard Ntsama,&nbsp;Ado Bwaka,&nbsp;Reggis Katsande,&nbsp;Regis Maurin Obiang,&nbsp;Daniel Rasheed Oyaole,&nbsp;Pascal Mkanda,&nbsp;Joseph Okeibunor","doi":"10.29245/2578-3009/2021/S2.1105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-3009/2021/S2.1105","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is one of the most important public health interventions in Africa. Quality data is necessary to monitor activities and key performance indicators and access year by year progress made. This process has been possible with a solid polio health information system that has been consolidated over the years. This study describes the whole process to have data for decision making. The main components are the data flow, the role of the different levels, data capture and tools, standards and codes, the data cleaning process, the integration of data from various sources, the introduction of innovative technologies, feedback and information products and capacity building. The results show the improvement in the timeliness of reporting data to the next level, the availability of quality data for analysis to monitor key surveillance performance indicators, the output of the data cleaning exercise pointing out data quality gaps, the integration of data from various sources to produce meaningful outputs and feedback for information dissemination. From the review of the process, it is observed an improvement in the quality of polio data resulting from a well-defined information system with standardized tools and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and the introduction of innovative technologies. However, there is room for improvement; for example, multiple data entries from the field to the surveillance unit and the laboratory. Innovative technologies are implemented for the time being in areas hard to reach due to the high cost of the investment. A strong information system has been put in place from the community level to the global level with a link between surveillance, laboratory and immunization coverage data. To maintain standards in Polio Information system, there is need for continuous training of the staff on areas of surveillance, information systems, data analysis and information sharing. The use of innovative technologies on web-based system and mobile devices with validation rules and information check will avoid multiple entries.</p>","PeriodicalId":73785,"journal":{"name":"Journal of immunological sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7610762/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38990548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of the Horn of Africa Polio Outbreak Coordination Office in Nairobi, Kenya.","authors":"Samuel Okiror, Hemant Shukla, Bob Davis, Brigitte Toure, Rustum Hydarov, John Burton, Subroto Mukherjee, Bal Ram Bhui, Mercy Lutukai, Chidiadi Nwogu, Joseph Okeibunor","doi":"10.29245/2578-3009/2021/S2.1114","DOIUrl":"10.29245/2578-3009/2021/S2.1114","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The WPV1, first detected in Somalia in April 2013, quickly spread to Kenya and Ethiopia and triggered a multi-country coordinated effort. In February 2014, a formal HoA Polio Outbreak Coordination Office was established by WHO AFRO and WHO EMRO in Nairobi to provide technical and managerial leadership. An independent assessment was conducted to ascertain the usefulness of the HoA Coordination in response to the outbreaks.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The independent assessment team conducted desk review of the rules and guidelines forming the HoA Coordination office and committee. It also reviewed minutes of meetings and interviewed various stakeholders at the Regional levels.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This independent review of the work of the office, in September 2016, showed that the office was fully functional and had benefited from financial and technical support from regional and global GPEI partners. The office is based in the WHO Kenya Country Office which also provides administrative, logistics and until August 2016, data management support. The close working relationship with technical partners ensured alignment and close coordination of outbreak response activities. The mechanism also allowed partners to identify areas of work based on their expertise and avoided duplication of efforts at the local level. Overall, the office was effective in close monitoring of implementation of the outbreak response, strengthening of cross-border activities, monitoring implementation of the TAG recommendations, improving SIA planning and quality, and expanding independent monitoring in Somalia and South Sudan. Key constraints included limited office space for day-to-day operations, and disruption of some activities due to interruption of contracts of technical staff. However, the closure of the HoA outbreak in August 2015 led to some complacency, resulting in a lost sense of urgency, negatively impacting the coordination.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The HoA Coordination Office should continue to function into the foreseeable future. To ensure sustainability of activities, the technical staff should be given contracts for a minimum of 12 months. The Office should reintroduce and schedule the Joint Polio Outbreak Response team meetings at least once every three months.</p>","PeriodicalId":73785,"journal":{"name":"Journal of immunological sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7613054/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40519174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effect of Real Time Integrated Supportive Supervision Visits on the Performance of Health Workers in Zambia.","authors":"Abubakar Sadiq Umar,&nbsp;Isah Mohammed Bello,&nbsp;Joseph Chukwudi Okeibunor,&nbsp;Pascal Mkanda,&nbsp;Godwin Ubong Akpan,&nbsp;Daudi Manyanya,&nbsp;Shibeshi Messeret Eshetu,&nbsp;Masvikeni Brine,&nbsp;Matapo Belem,&nbsp;Masumbu Penelope,&nbsp;Daniel Fussum","doi":"10.29245/2578-3009/2021/S2.1109","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29245/2578-3009/2021/S2.1109","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The use of online Integrated Supportive Supervision (ISS) is aimed to improve the quality of services provided by front line health workers. This work is aimed to document the effects of ISS on the performance of health workers in Zambia using selected key surveillance and immunization process indicators. ISS data on WHO ODK server of all Integrated Supportive Supervisory (ISS) visits that were conducted in Zambia between 1^st January 2018 to 30^th September 2018 were analysed to determine the Percentage point difference between the first and the most recent ISS visits in order to determine whether an observed gap during first ISS visit had persisted during the most recent ISS visit. Our study demonstrated that ISS has remarkable percentage point increase between the first and the most recent ISS visits on availability of an updated monitoring chart, health workers knowledge of AFP case definition and AFP case files. However, there exist variations in the frequency of ISS visits across the provinces of the country. Future research effort should consider assessing the quality of the ISS data through periodic data validation missions.</p>","PeriodicalId":73785,"journal":{"name":"Journal of immunological sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7610715/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"38953122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}