Phenotypic profile of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases

Mechanisms of recognition and effector responses of immune system upon initiation and maintenance of immune-mediated inflammation and tissue damage in inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), have been actively studied over recent time. Existing evidence suggests these diseases to be caused by abnormal immune response against intestinal flora microorganisms in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite available data on the features of immune disorders in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, there are still many questions about the involved minor lymphocyte subpopulations and contribution of various functionally active molecules, which play a key role in recognition and initiation of the immune response and can be considered biomarkers of a pathological process in inflammatory bowel diseases. The populations of T lymphocytes with γδT cell receptor, B1 cells and NK T lymphocytes are of greatest interest, as well as functionally active TLRs (Toll-like receptors), CD89, CD314, etc. Due to substantial progress in studying the nature of recognition and activation of the immune cells, the paper presents phenotypic and functional characteristics of major and minor subpopulations of peripheral blood lymphocytes observed in 25 patients treated at the Surgery Department of the State Institution “Minsk Regional Clinical Hospital” (Republic of Belarus) from 2018 to 2020. The detected changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte phenotype of inflammatory bowel diseases patients suggest distinct immunological profiles prevailing in the damage mechanisms in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. I.e., in Crohn’s disease patients, B1 lymphocytes with CD19+CD5+ and NK cells in combination with increased CD56bright population, as well as NK T cells with anti-inflammatory and regulatory activity are involved into genesis of the disease. In ulcerative colitis, T, B, NK lymphocytes with pro-inflammatory phenotype and T lymphocytes with γδ T cell receptor may play a pathogenetic role in maintenance of chronic inflammation. With respect to functional significance of activating receptors, the number of TLR4- и CD89-positive cells may be used for developing immunological criteria/ biomarkers of therapeutic efficacy of new drugs. Studying interactions between innate and adaptive immunity will open new perspectives in understanding immunological disorders associated with chronic gastrointestinal inflammation

АНАЛИЗ ДЕФЕКТОВ ПОВЕРХНОСТИ ИСХОДНЫХ ПОДЛОЖЕК АЛЮМИНИЯ И ЕГО СПЛАВОВ МЕТОДОМ СКАНИРУЮЩЕГО ЗОНДА КЕЛЬВИНА

Currently, the use of probe electrometry in non-destructive testing is constrained by the complexity of measurement results interpretation. An output signal of electrometric probe depends on a number of physical and chemical parameters of surface including chemical composition variations, stresses, dislocations, crystallographic orientation of a surface, etc. The study aims to the use of probe electrometry methods for nondestructive testing and analysis of precision metal surfaces’ defects after different treatment or processing.Control of surface defects of aluminum and its alloys was performed with a scanning Kelvin probe technique. The results of scanning were plotted in a form of contact potential difference (CPD) distribution map. Additionally, a histogram of CPD values distribution and statistical characteristics including the expectation of CPD mean value and histogram half-width were calculated either for the whole distribution or for each individual mode in a case of multimodal distribution.The spatial CPD distribution of A99 aluminum and AMG-2 alloy surfaces after electrochemical polishing and diamond finishing was studied. An additional study was held for AMG-2 surface after the formation of 30 microns thick specific nanostructured alumina oxide surface layer. Higher quality surfaces have characterized as more homogeneous distribution of the physical properties (at half-width distribution histogram). Surfaces with higher mechanical strength and overall better mechanical properties found to have lower CPD values that correspond to higher electron work function and surface energy. The presence of the second mode in the CPD distribution histogram indicates the significant proportion of defect areas on the sample surface.Analysis of visualized CPD distribution maps using defined criteria allows detecting and characterizing such defects as residual stress areas, areas with reduced microhardness, surface contamination spots, corrosion defects. This provides the possibility of rapid nondestructive testing and diagnostic of precision metal surfaces, in particular the starting substrates for sensitive elements and sensory devices manufacture. В настоящее время использование методов зондовой электрометрии в неразрушающем контроле сдерживается сложностью интерпретации результатов измерений, что связано с многофакторностью измерительного сигнала, зависящего от большого количества параметров физико-химического состояния поверхности: отклонений химического состава, механических напряжений, дислокаций, кристаллографической ориентации поверхности и др. Целью исследования являлось применение методов зондовой электрометрии для неразрушающего контроля и анализа дефектов прецизионных металлических поверхностей, полученных различными видами обработки.Методика экспериментальных исследований включала в себя построение визуализированного изображения пространственного распределения контактной разности потенциалов (КРП) по поверхности образцов методом сканирующего зонда Кельвина, построение гистограммы распределения значений КРП и определение статистических характеристик распределения, таких как математическое ожидание значений КРП и полуширина гистограммы распределения (для каждой моды при многомодальном распределении)Исследовано пространственное распределение КРП исходных подложек из алюминия А99 и сплава АМГ-2 после обработки поверхностей электрохимической полировкой и алмазным наноточением, а также после формирования на подготовленной поверхности слоя специфического наноструктурированного оксида алюминия толщиной 30 мкм. Более высоким качеством обладают поверхности, характеризующиеся меньшей полушириной гистограммы распределения. Наибольшей механической прочностью и в целом лучшими механическими свойствами при прочих равных условиях обладают поверхности с наиболее низкими значениями контактной разности потенциалов, что соответствует наибольшим значениями работы выхода электрона и поверхностной энергии. Наличие второй моды в гистограмме распределения значений контактной разности потенциалов указывает на наличие значимых по площади дефектных областей на соответствующей поверхности образца.Экспериментально показано, что анализ визуализированных изображений пространственного распределения КРП с использованием данных критериев позволяет выявлять и характеризовать такие дефекты, как места концентрации остаточных механических напряжений, участки с пониженной микротвердостью поверхности, загрязнения, коррозионные дефекты. Тем самым обеспечивается возможность оперативного неразрушающего контроля и диагностики функциональных характеристик прецизионных поверхностей металлов, в частности, исходных подложек для изготовления чувствительных элементов устройств сенсорики

ANALYSIS OF SURFACE DEFECTS OF ALUMINUM AND ITS ALLOYS WITH A SCANNING KELVIN PROBE

Currently, the use of probe electrometry in non-destructive testing is constrained by the complexity of measurement results interpretation. An output signal of electrometric probe depends on a number of physical and chemical parameters of surface including chemical composition variations, stresses, dislocations, crystallographic orientation of a surface, etc. The study aims to the use of probe electrometry methods for nondestructive testing and analysis of precision metal surfaces’ defects after different treatment or processing.Control of surface defects of aluminum and its alloys was performed with a scanning Kelvin probe technique. The results of scanning were plotted in a form of contact potential difference (CPD) distribution map. Additionally, a histogram of CPD values distribution and statistical characteristics including the expectation of CPD mean value and histogram half-width were calculated either for the whole distribution or for each individual mode in a case of multimodal distribution.The spatial CPD distribution of A99 aluminum and AMG-2 alloy surfaces after electrochemical polishing and diamond finishing was studied. An additional study was held for AMG-2 surface after the formation of 30 microns thick specific nanostructured alumina oxide surface layer. Higher quality surfaces have characterized as more homogeneous distribution of the physical properties (at half-width distribution histogram). Surfaces with higher mechanical strength and overall better mechanical properties found to have lower CPD values that correspond to higher electron work function and surface energy. The presence of the second mode in the CPD distribution histogram indicates the significant proportion of defect areas on the sample surface.Analysis of visualized CPD distribution maps using defined criteria allows detecting and characterizing such defects as residual stress areas, areas with reduced microhardness, surface contamination spots, corrosion defects. This provides the possibility of rapid nondestructive testing and diagnostic of precision metal surfaces, in particular the starting substrates for sensitive elements and sensory devices manufacture

Patients with Crohn's disease have longer post-operative in-hospital stay than patients with colon cancer but no difference in complications' rate

BACKGROUNDRight hemicolectomy or ileocecal resection are used to treat benign conditions like Crohn's disease (CD) and malignant ones like colon cancer (CC).AIMTo investigate differences in pre- and peri-operative factors and their impact on post-operative outcome in patients with CC and CD.METHODSThis is a sub-group analysis of the European Society of Coloproctology's prospective, multi-centre snapshot audit. Adult patients with CC and CD undergoing right hemicolectomy or ileocecal resection were included. Primary outcome measure was 30-d post-operative complications. Secondary outcome measures were post-operative length of stay (LOS) at and readmission.RESULTSThree hundred and seventy-five patients with CD and 2,515 patients with CC were included. Patients with CD were younger (median = 37 years for CD and 71 years for CC (P < 0.01), had lower American Society of Anesthesiology score (ASA) grade (P < 0.01) and less comorbidity (P < 0.01), but were more likely to be current smokers (P < 0.01). Patients with CD were more frequently operated on by colorectal surgeons (P < 0.01) and frequently underwent ileocecal resection (P < 0.01) with higher rate of de-functioning/primary stoma construction (P < 0.01). Thirty-day post-operative mortality occurred exclusively in the CC group (66/2515, 2.3%). In multivariate analyses, the risk of post-operative complications was similar in the two groups (OR 0.80, 95%CI: 0.54-1.17; P = 0.25). Patients with CD had a significantly longer LOS (Geometric mean 0.87, 95%CI: 0.79-0.95; P < 0.01). There was no difference in re-admission rates. The audit did not collect data on post-operative enhanced recovery protocols that are implemented in the different participating centers.CONCLUSIONPatients with CD were younger, with lower ASA grade, less comorbidity, operated on by experienced surgeons and underwent less radical resection but had a longer LOS than patients with CC although complication's rate was not different between the two groups

Screening policies, preventive measures and in-hospital infection of COVID-19 in global surgical practices

Background: In a surgical setting, COVID-19 patients may trigger in-hospital outbreaks and have worse postoperative outcomes. Despite these risks, there have been no consistent statements on surgical guidelines regarding the perioperative screening or management of COVID-19 patients, and we do not have objective global data that describe the current conditions surrounding this issue. This study aimed to clarify the current global surgical practice including COVID-19 screening, preventive measures and in-hospital infection under the COVID-19 pandemic, and to clarify the international gaps on infection control policies among countries worldwide. Methods: During April 2-8, 2020, a cross-sectional online survey on surgical practice was distributed to surgeons worldwide through international surgical societies, social media and personal contacts. Main outcome and measures included preventive measures and screening policies of COVID-19 in surgical practice and centers' experiences of in-hospital COVID-19 infection. Data were analyzed by country's cumulative deaths number by April 8, 2020 (high risk, >5000; intermediate risk, 100-5000; low risk, <100). Results: A total of 936 centers in 71 countries responded to the survey (high risk, 330 centers; intermediate risk, 242 centers; low risk, 364 centers). In the majority (71.9%) of the centers, local guidelines recommended preoperative testing based on symptoms or suspicious radiologic findings. Universal testing for every surgical patient was recommended in only 18.4% of the centers. In-hospital COVID-19 infection was reported from 31.5% of the centers, with higher rates in higher risk countries (high risk, 53.6%; intermediate risk, 26.4%; low risk, 14.8%; P < 0.001). Of the 295 centers that experienced in-hospital COVID-19 infection, 122 (41.4%) failed to trace it and 58 (19.7%) reported the infection originating from asymptomatic patients/staff members. Higher risk countries adopted more preventive measures including universal testing, routine testing of hospital staff and use of dedicated personal protective equipment in operation theatres, but there were remarkable discrepancies across the countries. Conclusions: This large international survey captured the global surgical practice under the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted the insufficient preoperative screening of COVID-19 in the current surgical practice. More intensive screening programs will be necessary particularly in severely affected countries/institutions

Screening policies, preventive measures and in-hospital infection of COVID-19 in global surgical practices

Background In a surgical setting, COVID-19 patients may trigger in-hospital outbreaks and have worse postoperative outcomes. Despite these risks, there have been no consistent statements on surgical guidelines regarding the perioperative screening or management of COVID-19 patients, and we do not have objective global data that describe the current conditions surrounding this issue. This study aimed to clarify the current global surgical practice including COVID-19 screening, preventive measures and in-hospital infection under the COVID-19 pandemic, and to clarify the international gaps on infection control policies among countries worldwide.Methods During April 2-8, 2020, a cross-sectional online survey on surgical practice was distributed to surgeons worldwide through international surgical societies, social media and personal contacts. Main outcome and measures included preventive measures and screening policies of COVID-19 in surgical practice and centers' experiences of in-hospital COVID-19 infection. Data were analyzed by country's cumulative deaths number by April 8, 2020 (high risk, >5000; intermediate risk, 100-5000; low risk, <100).Results A total of 936 centers in 71 countries responded to the survey (high risk, 330 centers; intermediate risk, 242 centers; low risk, 364 centers). In the majority (71.9%) of the centers, local guidelines recommended preoperative testing based on symptoms or suspicious radiologic findings. Universal testing for every surgical patient was recommended in only 18.4% of the centers. In-hospital COVID-19 infection was reported from 31.5% of the centers, with higher rates in higher risk countries (high risk, 53.6%; intermediate risk, 26.4%; low risk, 14.8%; P<0.001). Of the 295 centers that experienced in-hospital COVID-19 infection, 122 (41.4%) failed to trace it and 58 (19.7%) reported the infection originating from asymptomatic patients/staff members. Higher risk countries adopted more preventive measures including universal testing, routine testing of hospital staff and use of dedicated personal protective equipment in operation theatres, but there were remarkable discrepancies across the countries.Conclusions This large international survey captured the global surgical practice under the COVID-19 pandemic and highlighted the insufficient preoperative screening of COVID-19 in the current surgical practice. More intensive screening programs will be necessary particularly in severely affected countries/institutions

Impact of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients in global surgical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CorrespondenceImpact of asymptomatic COVID-19patients in global surgical practiceduring the COVID-19 pandemi

Surgeons' fear of getting infected by COVID19: A global survey.

Surgeons' fear of getting infected by COVID19: A global surve