Vitamin D and Exercise Are Major Determinants of Natural Killer Cell Activity, Which Is Age- and Gender-Specific

BackgroundThe coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) pandemic reminds us of the importance of immune function, even in immunologically normal individuals. Multiple lifestyle factors are known to influence the immune function.ObjectiveThe aim was to investigate the association between NK cell activity (NKA) and multiple factors including vitamin D, physical exercise, age, and gender.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional association study using health check-up and NKA data of 2,095 subjects collected from 2016 to 2018 in a health check-up center in the Republic of Korea. NKA was measured using the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) stimulation method. The association of NKA with 25-(OH)-vitamin D (25(OH)D) and other factors was investigated by multiple logistic regression analysis.ResultsThe average age of subjects was 48.8 ± 11.6 years (52.9% of subjects were female). Among 2,095 subjects, 1,427 had normal NKA (NKA ≥ 500 pg IFN-γ/mL), while 506 had low NKA (100 ≤ NKA < 500 pg/mL), and 162 subjects had very low NKA (NKA < 100 pg/mL). Compared to men with low 25(OH)D serum level (< 20 ng/mL), vitamin D replete men (30–39.9 ng/mL) had significantly lower risk of very low NKA (OR: 0.358; 95% CI: 0.138, 0.929; P = 0.035). In women, both low exercise (OR: 0.529; 95% CI: 0.299, 0.939; P = 0.030) and medium to high exercise (OR: 0.522; 95% CI: 0.277, 0.981; P = 0.043) decreased the risk compared to lack of physical exercise. Interestingly, in men and women older than 60 years, physical exercise significantly decreased the risk. Older-age was associated with increased risk of very low NKA in men, but not in women.ConclusionPhysical exercise and vitamin D were associated with NKA in a gender- and age-dependent manner. Age was a major risk factor of very low NKA in men but not in women

Lack of prognostic significance for major adverse cardiac events of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 levels in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Background: Elevation of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) is associated with cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy. Under investigation herein, was whether sST2 level is associated with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and left ventricular (LV) remodeling after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: In total, this study included 184 patients who underwent successful primary PCI. A subsequent guideline-based medical follow-up was included (61.4 ± 11.8 years old, 85% male, 21% with Killip class ≥ I). sST2 concentration correlations with echocardiographic, angiographic, laboratory parameters, and clinical outcomes in STEMI patients were evaluated. Results: The median sST2 level was 60.3 ng/mL; 6 (3.2%) deaths occurred within 1 year. The sST2 level correlated with LV ejection fraction (LVEF) changes from baseline to 6 months (r= –0.273; p = 0.006) after adjustment for echocardiographic parameters including wall motions score index (WMSI). Recovery of LVEF at 6 months was highest in the tertile 1 group (Δ6 months – baseline LVEF; tertile 1, p = 0.001; tertile 2, p = 0.319; tertile 3, p = 0.205). The decrease in WMSI at 6 months was greater in the tertiles 1 and 2 groups than in the tertile 3 group (Δ6 months – baseline WMSI; tertile 1, p = 0.001; tertile 2, p = 0.013; tertile 3, p = 0.055). There was no association between sST2 levels and short-term (log rank p = 0.598) and long-term (p = 0.596) MACE. Conclusions: sST2 concentration have predictive value for LV remodeling on echocardiography in patients with STEMI who underwent primary PCI. However, sST2 concentration was not associated with short-term and long-term MACE

Increased interleukin-17 production via a phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt and nuclear factor κB-dependent pathway in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Inflammatory mediators have been recognized as being important in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Interleukin (IL)-17 is an important regulator of immune and inflammatory responses, including the induction of proinflammatory cytokines and osteoclastic bone resorption. Evidence for the expression and proinflammatory activity of IL-17 has been demonstrated in RA synovium and in animal models of RA. Although some cytokines (IL-15 and IL-23) have been reported to regulate IL-17 production, the intracellular signaling pathways that regulate IL-17 production remain unknown. In the present study, we investigated the role of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway in the regulation of IL-17 production in RA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with RA (n = 24) were separated, then stimulated with various agents including anti-CD3, anti-CD28, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and several inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. IL-17 levels were determined by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. The production of IL-17 was significantly increased in cells treated with anti-CD3 antibody with or without anti-CD28 and PHA (P < 0.05). Among tested cytokines and chemokines, IL-15, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and IL-6 upregulated IL-17 production (P < 0.05), whereas tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β, IL-18 or transforming growth factor-β did not. IL-17 was also detected in the PBMC of patients with osteoarthritis, but their expression levels were much lower than those of RA PBMC. Anti-CD3 antibody activated the PI3K/Akt pathway; activation of this pathway resulted in a pronounced augmentation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) DNA-binding activity. IL-17 production by activated RA PBMC is completely or partly blocked in the presence of the NF-κB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and the PI3K/Akt inhibitor wortmannin and LY294002, respectively. However, inhibition of activator protein-1 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 did not affect IL-17 production. These results suggest that signal transduction pathways dependent on PI3K/Akt and NF-κB are involved in the overproduction of the key inflammatory cytokine IL-17 in RA

Assessment of the conventional radial artery with optical coherent tomography after the snuffbox approach

Background: This study aimed to evaluate acute injuries of the radial artery (RA) using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients who underwent coronary intervention via the snuffbox approach. Methods: Forty-six patients, who underwent coronary intervention and assessment of the conventional RA using OCT via the snuffbox approach, were enrolled from two university hospitals between August 2018 and August 2019. Results: The mean age of the patients was 65.1 years. In this study population, 6-French (Fr) sheaths were used. The mean diameter of the conventional RA was 2.89 ± 0.33 mm, and the mean lumen area of the conventional RA was 6.68 ± 1.56 mm2. Acute injuries of the conventional RA, after the snuffbox approach, were observed in 5 (10.9%) patients. Intimal tear was observed in the RA in 1 (2.2%) case. Intraluminal thrombi, without vessel injuries, were detected in the RA in 4 (8.7%) cases. However, medial dissection was not observed in the OCT analysis. Conclusions: This retrospective OCT-based study showed that the diameter of the conventional RA was 2.89 mm and acute vessel injury of the conventional RA was rare in patients who underwent coronary intervention via the snuffbox approach

Meteorological characteristics and assessment of the effect of local emissions during high PM10 concentration in the Seoul Metropolitan Area

In this study, we investigate the meteorological characteristics and the effect of local emissions during high PM10 concentrations in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) by utilizing data from a high-resolution urban meteorological observation system network (UMS-Seoul) and The Air Pollution Model (TAPM). For a detailed analysis, days with PM10 concentrations higher than 80 ??g m-3 for daily average PM10 concentration (classified as unhealthy by the Korean Ministry of Environment) in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) were classified into 3 Cases. Case I was defined as when the prevailing effect was from outside the SMA. Case II was defined as when the prevailing effect was a local effect with outside. Case III was defined as when the prevailing effect was local. Overall, high PM10 concentrations in the SMA mostly occurred under weak migratory anticyclone systems over the Korean Peninsula during warm temperatures. Prior to the PM10 concentration reaching the peak concentration, the pattern in each case was distinctive. After peak concentrations, however, the pattern for the 3 cases became less distinct. This study showed that nearly 50% of the high PM10 concentrations in the SMA occurred in spring and were governed by the conditions for Case II more than these for Cases I and III. In spring, the main sources of the high PM10 concentrations in the SMA were local emissions due to the predominance of weak winds and local circulation. The simulation showed that the non-SMA emissions were about 63 to 73% contribution to the spring high PM10 concentrations in the SMA. Specifically, local point sources including industrial combustion, electric utility, incineration and cement production facilities scattered around the SMA and could account for PM10 concentrations more than 10 ??g m-3 in the SMA