ABSTRACT
Background: Psoriasis is associated with significant morbidity and impaired quality of life. Identification of the host genes that influence disease susceptibility and can potentially guide future, targeted therapy is the need of the hour. Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate the associations of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) gene polymorphisms, that is, a 5–8-CATT tetra nucleotide repeats at -794 (-794*CATT5–8) and a single-nucleotide polymorphism at -173 (-173*G/C) with the risk of chronic plaque psoriasis and to observe the correlation, if any, of disease determinants with genetic functional variants and circulating MIF levels. Methods: Five hundred and seventeen individuals (265 psoriasis patients and 252 controls) were genotyped for MIF gene polymorphisms. Data were analyzed with respect to disease susceptibility, serum MIF levels, disease severity, age at onset, disease duration and presence of comorbidities. Results: The presence of co-morbidities was more frequently noted in patients with late onset disease (P = 0.01). No statistically significant differences were observed either in genotype (P = 0.680) or allele frequency (P = 0.69) with respect to distribution of MIF-173*G/C polymorphism between patients and controls. The frequencies of genotypes -794*CATT 5/7 and 7/7 were significantly lower in patients (P = 0.027* and 0.038*, respectively). CATT*5/MIF-173*C haplotype occurred at a higher frequency in patients (odds ratio 3.03, 95% confidence intervals 1.09–8.47, P = 0.02). The mean serum MIF levels were significantly higher in patients as compared to controls (P < 0.001). The presence of either extended MIF -794*CATT repeats or C allele did not reveal any significant association with serum MIF levels or age at onset. Analysis of effect of various disease determinants revealed no significant association with genetic variants and serum MIF levels. Limitations: The lesional expression of MIF could not be studied. Conclusion: Our results showed that CATT*5/MIF-173*C haplotype is associated with increased susceptibility to psoriasis vulgaris.
ABSTRACT
Hyperinflammation and cytokine storm has been noted as a poor prognostic factor in patients with severe pneumonia related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In COVID-19, pathogenic myeloid cell overactivation is found to be a vital mediator of damage to tissues, hypercoagulability, and the cytokine storm. These cytokines unselectively infiltrate various tissues, such as the lungs and heart, and nervous system. This cytokine storm can hence cause multi-organ dysfunction and life-threatening complications. Mavrilimumab is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that may be helpful in some cases with COVID-19. During an inflammation, Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) release is crucial to driving both innate and adaptive immune responses. The GM-CSF immune response is triggered when an antigen attaches to the host cell and induces the signaling pathway. Mavrilimumab antagonizes the action of GM-CSF and decreases the hyperinflammation associated with pneumonia in COVID-19, therefore strengthening the rationale that mavrilimumab when added to the standard protocol of treatment could improve the clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients, specifically those patients with pneumonia. With this review paper, we aim to demonstrate the inhibitory effect of mavrilimumab on cytokine storms in patients with COVID-19 by reviewing published clinical trials and emphasize the importance of extensive future trials.
ABSTRACT
Hyperinflammation and cytokine storm has been noted as a poor prognostic factor in patients with severe pneumonia related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In COVID-19, pathogenic myeloid cell overactivation is found to be a vital mediator of damage to tissues, hypercoagulability, and the cytokine storm. These cytokines unselectively infiltrate various tissues, such as the lungs and heart, and nervous system. This cytokine storm can hence cause multi-organ dysfunction and life-threatening complications. Mavrilimumab is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that may be helpful in some cases with COVID-19. During an inflammation, Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) release is crucial to driving both innate and adaptive immune responses. The GM-CSF immune response is triggered when an antigen attaches to the host cell and induces the signaling pathway. Mavrilimumab antagonizes the action of GM-CSF and decreases the hyperinflammation associated with pneumonia in COVID-19, therefore strengthening the rationale that mavrilimumab when added to the standard protocol of treatment could improve the clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients, specifically those patients with pneumonia. With this review paper, we aim to demonstrate the inhibitory effect of mavrilimumab on cytokine storms in patients with COVID-19 by reviewing published clinical trials and emphasize the importance of extensive future trials.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Spondyloarthropathies are a heterogeneousgroup of inflammatory interrelated diseases involvingperipheral joints and spine. All forms of spondyloarthropathiesare known to have a strong association with HLA-B27 gene invarious studies done. There was a paucity of literature aboutclinical and demographic characteristics of the HLA-B27positive arthritis patients in Rajasthan. So this study wasplanned to know the seropositivity of HLA-B27 amongseronegative spondyloarthritis patients and to find outassociation between socio-demographic and clinicalcharacteristics and HLA-B27 seroprevalence.Materials and Methods: A cross sectional observational studywas carried out from May 2017 to April 2018 in Department ofPathology, SMS Medical College, Jaipur (Rajasthan). A total of100 cases of spondyloarthritis disease were enrolled in thestudy to find out seroprevalence of HLA-B27 and todifferentiate the clinical and demographic characteristics inHLA-B27 positive and negative patients.Results: In the present study 29% seroprevalence of HLA-B27was observed. Seropositivity of HLA-B27 was significantlyassociated with age (P-value < 0.05) while sex, religion, caste,family history, raised ESR, Positive C-reactive protein, RAfactor etc. were showed no significant association (P-value >0.05).Conclusion: This study confirms the previously reportedassociation in ankylosing spondylitis patients between HLAB27 and earlier disease onset with male preponderance &family aggregation.