ABSTRACT
AIM AND BACKGROUND: Herpes zoster is a viral disease caused by the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) which remained latent in the cranial nerve or dorsal root ganglia. Cell-mediated immunity is known to decline with age as part of immunosenescence and can lead to the reactivation of VZV. Whereas herpes zoster is usually mild in healthy young persons, older patients are at increased risk for complications. In the present study we investigated the serum cytokine profile (IL-17, IL-23, IL-21, IL-4, IL-12), representing cellular and humoral immunity and assessed the level of VZV IgG antibodies in patients with herpes zoster. METHODS: We investigated the serum concentrations of IL-17, IL-23, IL-21, IL-4, IL-12 and the level of VZV IgG antibodies in 23 patients with herpes zoster who did not develop superinfection. The control group was represented by 21 individuals in similar age with no inflammatory and infectious diseases. Cytokine and antibodies levels were measured by ELISA method. Statistical analysis was performed using the ROC curve (receiver operating characteristic), t-test, Welch's t-test, and nonparametric tests with STATISTICA 10 software. RESULTS: In patients with herpes zoster, the serum level of IL-17, IL-23, IL-21, IL-4 and IL-12 as well as VZV IgG antibodies titer were statistically significantly increased compared to control group. CONCLUSION: Our results confirm the broad activation of the immune system involving humoral and cell-mediated immunity.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Viral/immunology , Herpes Zoster/blood , Herpes Zoster/immunology , Herpesvirus 3, Human/immunology , Interleukins/blood , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Female , Humans , Immunity, Cellular , Immunity, Humoral , Interleukins/immunology , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
The aim of the study was the analysis of epidemiology and clinical picture of early Lyme disease-erythema migrans (EM). There was analysed the medical documentation of 307 (126 men and 181 women) patients, who came to Outpatient Clinic of Infectious Diseases with EM in Hajn6wka in years 2004-2009. Most people (54%) lived in Hajnówka district. 51,8% of patients remembered the contact with a tick. The highest incidence of EM cases was observed in July. The average size of erythema was 10,5 cm2. In 59 cases skin lesion was accompanied by such symptoms as: itching, pain and inflammatory infiltration in the skin lesion, pain in muscles and joints, headaches, fever and cold syndroms. The most common localisation of EM were lower limbs (135 people), trunk (68) and upper limbs (29). Time of patients' visit in our Outpatient Clinic from EM notice lasted about 2 months. 6 people from analysed group were reinfected. There was used the month treatment by doxycycline in prevailing cases.
