Assessment of the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines (IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, TNF, IFN-gamma) in giardiosis

The current study aims to determine the involvement of cellular responses in combating Giardiaintestinalis invasion. The study group consisted of 44 women and 18 men, aged 18–72 years, infected withG. intestinalis. The diagnosis was established based on laboratory investigations (examination of stool, choloscopy,GSA-65). Blood for analysis was collected before antiparasitic treatment and two weeks after treatment termination.The control group consisted of 22 women and 18 men aged 20–45 years. The serum concentrations ofIL-5, IL-6, IL-13, TNF, IFN-g were assayed using a set of Quantikine human. The concentrations of NO in theserum were determined using a set of Total Nitric Oxide Assay. Patients infected with G. intestinalis showeda statistically significant increase in the levels of NO, IFN-g and IL-13. Even the antiparasitic treatment applieddid not reduce the levels of these parameters and only caused a rise in IL-6. Our study showed a lack of acuteinflammatory state in the course of G. intestinalis infection

Assessment of the influence of the inflammatory process on the activation of blood platelets and morphological parameters in patients with ulcerative colitis (colitis ulcerosa)

Ulcerative colitis (colitis ulcerosa) is a non-specific inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology. The symptoms which are observed in the course of ulcerative colitis are: an increase in the number of leukocytes and blood platelets, an increase in the concentration of IL-6 and anemia. Blood platelets are the key element, linking the processes of hemostasis, inflammation and the repair of damaged tissues. Activation of blood platelets is connected with changes in their shape and the occurrence of the reaction of release. P-selectin appears on the surfaces of activated blood platelets and the concentration level of soluble P-selectin increases in the blood plasma. The aim of this study was to define whether the increased number of blood platelets in patients with ulcerative colitis accompanies changes in their activation and morphology. A total of 16 subjects with ulcerative colitis and 32 healthy subjects were studied. Mean platelet count, morphological parameters of platelets and MPC were measured using an ADVIA 120 hematology analyzer. Concentrations of sP-selectin and IL-6 in serum were marked by immunoassay (ELISA). MPC, concentration of sP-selectin and IL-6 were significantly higher in subjects with ulcerative colitis compared to those in the healthy group. There was a decrease of MPV in patients with ulcerative colitis, which is statistically significant. Chronic inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis causes an increase in the number of blood platelets, a change in their morphology and activation. Decreased MPV value reflects activation and the role blood platelets play in the inflammatory process of the mucous membrane of the colon. A high concentration of sP-selectin, which is a marker of blood platelet activation, demonstrates their part in the inflammatory process. The increase in the concentration of sP-selectin correlated positively with the increase in concentration of IL-6. This is why it may be a useful marker of the activity of colitis ulcerosa. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 119–124

IFN-gamma, IL-5, IL-6 and IgE in patients infected with Giardia intestinalis.

The immune system, its cellular and humoral response, is engaged by the host organism to fight against parasitic infections. The study group consisted of 90 patients (58 women and 32 men), aged 18-72 years, infected with G. intestinalis. The diagnosis was established based on laboratory investigations (stool examination, choloscopy, GSA-65). Blood for analysis was collected before (G1), and 2 weeks (G2) and 2 months (G3) after antiparasitic treatment. Control group consisted of 40 healthy subjects (22 women and 18 men), aged 20-45 years. The concentrations of IgE were assayed using a set of VIDAS (bioMerieux) and the concentrations of IL-5, IL-6, IFN-gamma were determined using a set of Quantikine human (R&D Systems). It was revealed that in giardiosis the concentrations of IgE and IL-5 in blood serum were twice as high, the concentration of IL-6 was two and a half times higher and the concentration of IFN-gamma was almost four times higher as compared to healthy controls

Does Toxoplasma gondii Infection Affect the Levels of IgE and Cytokines (IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and TNF-alpha)?

In the study performed in a group of patients infected with T. gondii, we evaluated Th2 humoral response (IL-5, IL-6, IL-10) and Th1 cell response (IL-12, TNF-α). The study objective was to assess the effect of T. gondii on chosen indices of the immune response. The study involved 52 women infected with T. gondii (aged 18–42 years) prior to antiparasitic treatment. In all the patients, we found IgM (index >0.7) and IgG which exceeded 300 IU/ml. The control group (C) consisted of 40 healthy women aged 18–46 years. In the study group (T) and in the control group (C), the levels of IgE, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and TNF-α were determined. In our study, T. gondii patients had twofold higher levels of IL-5 and IL-6 as compared to healthy subjects, which seems to confirm the presence of an inflammatory state. We found the level of IL-10 to be fivefold higher in the course of toxoplasmosis than in healthy controls. The levels of IL-12 and TNF-α were comparable to those observed in healthy controls. The study has revealed that patients infected with T. gondii show increased production of the humoral response cytokines, whereas the generation of the cell response cytokines remains unchanged

Assessment of the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines (IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, TNF, IFN-gamma) in <i>giardiosis</i>

The current study aims to determine the involvement of cellular responses in combating <i>Giardia intestinalis</i> invasion. The study group consisted of 44 women and 18 men, aged 18–72 years, infected with G. intestinalis. The diagnosis was established based on laboratory investigations (examination of stool, choloscopy, GSA-65). Blood for analysis was collected before antiparasitic treatment and two weeks after treatment termination. The control group consisted of 22 women and 18 men aged 20–45 years. The serum concentrations of IL-5, IL-6, IL-13, TNF, IFN-γ were assayed using a set of Quantikine human. The concentrations of NO in the serum were determined using a set of Total Nitric Oxide Assay. Patients infected with <i>G. intestinalis</i> showed a statistically significant increase in the levels of NO, IFN-g and IL-13. Even the antiparasitic treatment applied did not reduce the levels of these parameters and only caused a rise in IL-6. Our study showed a lack of acute inflammatory state in the course of <i>G. intestinalis</i> infection. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 2, pp. 280–284

Platelets and Inflammatory Markers in Patients with Gastric Cancer

The aim of the study was to assess the contribution of platelets and inflammatory markers in gastric cancer. We studied 50 patients. Taking into consideration the advancement of gastric cancer, patients were divided into 3 groups. Group (E)—13 patients with early gastric cancer, group (A)—18 patients with regionally advanced cancer, and group (M)—19 patients with metastatic cancer. The determinations were performed twice prior to surgery and after surgery. In patients with gastric cancer, there is an increase in IL-6 and IL-23 compared with the healthy group. The highest values of IL-6 were obtained in early cancer (more than 8-fold increase), which seems to confirm the presence of acute inflammation. The lowest value of both of these cytokines was obtained in patients with metastatic cancer. In all patients, regardless of tumor stage, there was an increase in the concentration of CRP. An increase of PLT, higher proportion of the percentage of large platelets (LPLT), and increased mean platelet volume (MPV) were observed in the process of disease development. A positive correlation between MPV and LPLT and the accompanying decrease in the concentration of proinflammatory cytokines indicates the presence of an existing relationship between the platelet morphological parameters and the inflammation process in the development of gastric cancer