Unraveling the Complexities of Mast Cells in Health and Disease

As we draw the curtain on this Special Issue dedicated to the intricate roles of mast cells (MCs) in health and disease, we reflect on the insights garnered from the array of research articles featured within the published papers of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) [...]

Current Understanding of the Immune Response after COVID-19 Vaccination

The global vaccination campaign against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, has been a monumental endeavor, marked by unprecedented collaboration between scientific researchers and pharmaceutical companies [...]

COVID-19: Considerations about immune suppression and biologicals at the time of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

The extent of the profound immunological and nonimmunological responses linked to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is currently being investigated worldwide due to the large burden associated with death due to SARS-CoV-2 and the short-term consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It has been hypothesized that patients on immunosuppressive treatments, including biologics, may have an augmented risk of being infected by SARS-CoV-2; however, there are currently no definitive data about biological drugs and COVID-19 in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Current epidemiological models developed to understand how long the COVID-19 epidemic may last are not conclusive and range from sustained epidemics to complete elimination. Nevertheless, even in the best-case scenario of apparent elimination, there is concordance about a possible contagion resurgence as late as 2024. Therefore, knowledge of the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on immune-mediated diseases and among patients treated with biologicals, together with the results of novel and promising COVID-19 treatment strategies targeting the virus and the host immune response (or both), will help us to best manage our patients during this pandemic over the next few years

Multimodal, open-source big data analysis in asthma: A novel approach to inform public health programming

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease affecting over 358 million people worldwide; for this reason analysing big data on asthma from different countries could give a more detailed picture of current disease burden. We aim to investigate the correlations between asthma and key socio-demographic parameters from different world databases. We found a direct correlation with the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and its nominal counterpart, with wealthiest countries seen to have the highest prevalence of asthma, as also confirmed by a similar correlation with the human development index (HDI). A positive correlation was also seen between asthma prevalence and a number of socio-cultural data being representative of a good life quality index and prevalent in more developed and wealthier countries. Concerning medical data, an inverse relationship was seen between asthma prevalence and helminthiasis. Those data indicate a higher prevalence for asthma in more developed countries, where socio-economic status is higher and also the access to medical care is more ubiquitous. The approach used in our study highlighted the role of medical literacy and access to healthcare facilities in the correct diagnosis of asthma and vice versa. Our data appear to be suitable in terms of a health programming approach because of the high burden of disease worldwide

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis relapse after covid-19 vaccination: A case report

Background: We here describe the case of a 71-year-old Caucasian woman previously diagnosed with Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA) that had been treated with Mepolizumab, an anti-IL5 monoclonal antibody, since 2019 with a good clinical response. Methods: She had a mild COVID-19 in December 2020 and she tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 infection in only late January 2021. In April 2021 she received the first dose of mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine. Ten days later she developed myalgia, dyspnea and numbness of the limbs due to a relapse of EGPA that occurred during Mepolizumab treatment

Genetic susceptibility to Candida infection: A new look at an old entity

In recent years, several studies have shed light on the pathogenesis of many novel immune defects associated with narrow susceptibility to bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Genetically determined forms of susceptibility to Candida species infection, which had been elusive for a long time, have been recognized. Refractory or recurrent infections of skin, nails and the mucous membranes are clinical signs of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, frequently associated with immunological defects in the Th17 subset, which is crucial for host response against infections at mucosal and epithelial sites. Here we review the main clinical features and the mechanisms of diseases which share CMC as main phenotype

Metabolomics, microbiota, and in vivo and in vitro biomarkers in type 2 severe asthma: A perspective review

Precision medicine refers to the tailoring of therapeutic strategies to the individual characteristics of each patient; thus, it could be a new approach for the management of severe asthma that considers individual variability in genes, environmental exposure, and lifestyle. Precision medicine would also assist physicians in choosing the right treatment, the best timing of administration, consequently trying to maximize drug efficacy, and, possibly, reducing adverse events. Metabolomics is the systematic study of low molecular weight (bio)chemicals in a given biological system and offers a powerful approach to biomarker discovery and elucidating disease mechanisms. In this point of view, metabolomics could play a key role in targeting precision medicine

Chronic spontaneous urticaria: a low-grade disseminated intravascular coagulation only partially reversed by Omalizumab

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a disorder characterized by wheals and/or angioedema. The coagulation cascade and inflammation pathways are closely linked together. The aim of our study was first to investigate the dynamics of clot formation in plasma (Clot Waveform Analysis, CWA) in a group of 47 patients with CSU along with other coagulative parameters dedicated to the study of hypercoagulability, such as D-Dimer, F 1 + 2 peptide, Fibrinogen, Platelet count and Mean Platelet Volume (MPV). Secondly, 23 out of 47 patients were treated with Omalizumab at four administration intervals from T0 to T4. A statistically significant increase in Activated Partial Thromboplastin (aPTT) ratio, D-Dimer, F1 + 2, Platelet count and MPV was found when compared with 53 healthy controls (HC). In contrast, the 2nd Derivative of aPTT showed lower values than those of the HC. No differences were found between 1st derivative of aPTT and Fibrinogen. D-Dimer only showed a significant difference between T0 and T3. An activation of both coagulation and fibrinolysis along with a weaker clot acceleration may be in agreement with a low-grade DIC. The accelerated turnover of platelets expressed by both an increase in platelet count and MPV further supports this pathway in CSU. Omalizumab does not affect the relationship between the immune and the hemostatic systems

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Italian Healthcare Workers: Latent Profiles and Their Relationships to Predictors and Outcome

Vaccine hesitancy and conspiracy beliefs among healthcare workers (HCWs) represent operational priorities that require urgent attention. Identifying and classifying specific subpopulation of hesitancy is crucial to customize educational and intervention strategies to enhance the acceptance and uptake rate of vaccination. Thus, the main purpose of our study was to empirically identify latent profiles of vaccine hesitancy among Italian HCWs adopting a person-centered approach and investigating their relationships with antecedents and intention to get a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine. We conducted latent profile analyses (LPA) to identify different configurations of vaccine hesitancy based on five antecedents of vaccination: confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation, and collective responsibility among a sample of Italian HCWs (n = 573). LPA revealed four distinct profiles: believer (61.5%), middler (24.7%), hesitant (9.00%), and rejecter (4.7%). Having conspiracy beliefs was associated with a greater likelihood of membership in all but believer. Finally, the likelihood of intention to get a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine was lowest in the rejector and hesitant profiles. Theoretical contributions and implications for practice are discussed