Distribution of HLA allele frequencies in patients with cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in Latvia

Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Sniedze Laivacuma et al., published by Sciendo 2019.The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between HLA Class II alleles in two groups of patients in Latvia: patients with cystic and alveolar echinococcosis. The study included 37 patients from the Rīga East Clinical University Hospital with echinococcosis (29 patients with cystic echinococcosis and eight patients with alveolar echinococcosis) and 100 healthy control persons without echinococcosis. HLA Class II allele genotyping was performed using Real-time polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer (RT-PCR-SSP). The odds ratios (OR), with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), were calculated using statistical analysis performed with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0, to evaluate the risk of developing the disease in an individual having a particular HLA genotype. In the case of cystic echinococcosis a more severe course of a disease can be anticipated in the presence of HLA-DRB1 alleles ∗17:01 and ∗07:01, -DQB1 ∗03:02, and ∗03:01, -DQA1∗04:01 and haplotypes HLA-DRB1∗04:01/-DQB1∗03:01/ -DQA1∗03:01, HLADRB1∗11:01/ -DQB1∗03:01 /-DQA1∗05:01. However, in the group with alveolar echinococcosis it was associated with the HLA-DRB1 alleles ∗17:01 and ∗07:01, -DQB1 ∗05:01 and haplotypes HLA- DRB1∗17:01/-DQB1∗02:01-2/-DQA1∗01:01, HLA-DRB1∗11:01/ -DQB1∗03:01/-DQA1∗01:03 and HLA-DRB1∗11:01/-DQB1∗03:01/-DQA1∗03:01. HLADRB1∗15:01/-DQÂ1∗06:02-8/-DQA1∗05:01 and HLA-DRB1∗13:01/-DQB1∗02:01-2/-DQA1∗05:01 haplotypes were protective in all patient groups. The limitations of this exploratory study indicate that a broader study needs to be conducted for revealing specific risk and protective HLA Class II haplotypes for patients with cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in Latvia.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Association of non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis with HCV coinfection and antiretroviral therapy in patients with HIV

Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Oksana Koļesova et al., published by Sciendo 2019. Copyright: Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.The aim of this study was to assess the main effects and interaction between viral hepatitis C (HCV) coinfection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) by using a nonparametric ANOVA on direct and indirect markers of liver fibrosis in HIV-infected patients. The sample included 178 HIV patients aged from 23 to 65 (36% females). The following parameters were determined in blood of patients: hyaluronic acid, pro-matrix metalloproteinase-1, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and platelet count. The FIB-4 index was also calculated. The nonparametric ANOVA revealed no significant interaction between HCV coinfection and ART. This provides evidence for an independent contribution of each factor on promotion of the pathology. The results also demonstrated that the direct and indirect indicators of liver fibrosis are associated differently with the studied factors. Therefore, a combination of markers should be used for monitoring of liver fibrosis in HIV-infected patients.Peer reviewe

Human leukocyte antigens class II alleles affecting the response to 5-7 year antiretroviral therapy in A Latvian cohort

Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Vladislavs Jasinskis et al., published by Sciendo 2019. Copyright: Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Antiretroviral therapy (ART) aims at suppressing viral replication and strengthening immune system in patients with HIV-1. Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) are among factors responsible for effectiveness of ART. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of HLA Class II alleles on the response to long-time ART, assessed by a change in CD4 + T-cell count in relation to viral load. The sample included 69 patients (17 females and 52 males) aged 20 to 50 with HIV-1 infection, who were undergoing ART in the Latvian Centre of Infectious Diseases. The median period of observation was 5.7 years. CD4 + T-cell count and viral load were analysed at the baseline and end of the period of observation. HLA typing was performed by polymerase chain reaction with low resolution sequence specific primers. Multiple hierarchical linear regression analysis confirmed that an increase in HIV-1 viral load was associated with a decrease in the level of CD4 + T-cell count. In addition, HLA-DRB1∗04 and HLA-DQB1∗06:01 alleles contributed negatively to the level of CD4 + T-cell count.Peer reviewe

A pilot study on markers of genetic predisposition in tuberculous pneumonia patients in Latgale

Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Ksenija Kramiča et al., published by Sciendo 2019. Copyright: Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Tuberculosis (TB) is still one of the top ten leading causes of death in the world. Compared to other Baltic and Eastern European countries, TB incidence (24.8 new cases per 100 000 people in 2017) in Latvia is relatively high. One of the regions with the highest TB incidence is Latgale (31.1 cases per 100 000 people). The aim of this pilot study was to identify markers of genetic predisposition to TB in Latgale. The study included 26 patients (16 males and 10 females) aged between 18 and 85 with bilateral TB pneumonia and without HIV infection. HLA typing was performed in HLA-DRB1, -DQA1, and -DQB1 loci by a polymerase chain reaction with low resolution sequence-specific primers. HLA-DRB1∗07 and HLA-DRB1∗11 alleles were identified as risk alleles for TB. HLA-DRB1∗15 allele was a protective allele. Due to the limitations of this exploratory study, a broader study needs to be conducted to revealing specific risk and protective HLA Class II alleles for TB in the subpopulation of Latgale.Peer reviewe

Investigations on Health Conditions of Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident Recovery Workers from Latvia in Late Period after Disaster

Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Jeļena Reste et al., published by De Gruyter Open 2016.The paper summarises the main findings on Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (CNPP) accident recovery workers from Latvia and their health disturbances, which have been studied by the authors during the last two decades. Approximately 6000 persons from Latvia participated in CNPP clean-up works in 1986-1991. During their work period in Chernobyl they were exposed to external as well as to internal irradiation, but since their return to Latvia they were living in a relatively uncontaminated area. Regular careful medical examinations and clinical studies of CNPP clean-up workers have been conducted during the 25 years after disaster, gathering knowledge on radiation late effects. The aim of the present review is to summarise the most important information about Latvian CNPP clean-up worker health revealed by thorough follow-up and research conducted in the period of 25 years after the accident. This paper reviews data of the Latvian State Register of Persons Exposed to Radiation due to CNPP Accident and gives insight in main health effects found by the researchers from the Centre of Occupational and Radiological Medicine (Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital) and Riga Stradiņš University in a number of epidemiological, clinical, biochemical, immunological, and physiological studies. Latvian research data on health condition of CNPP clean-up workers in the late period after disaster indicate that ionising radiation might cause premature ageing and severe polymorbidity in humans.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Association of Non-Invasive Markers of Liver Fibrosis with HCV Coinfection and Antiretroviral Therapy in Patients with HIV

Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Oksana Koļesova et al., published by Sciendo 2019. Copyright: Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.The aim of this study was to assess the main effects and interaction between viral hepatitis C (HCV) coinfection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) by using a nonparametric ANOVA on direct and indirect markers of liver fibrosis in HIV-infected patients. The sample included 178 HIV patients aged from 23 to 65 (36% females). The following parameters were determined in blood of patients: hyaluronic acid, pro-matrix metalloproteinase-1, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and platelet count. The FIB-4 index was also calculated. The nonparametric ANOVA revealed no significant interaction between HCV coinfection and ART. This provides evidence for an independent contribution of each factor on promotion of the pathology. The results also demonstrated that the direct and indirect indicators of liver fibrosis are associated differently with the studied factors. Therefore, a combination of markers should be used for monitoring of liver fibrosis in HIV-infected patients.Peer reviewe