Plasma lactoferrin levels in newborn preterm infants with sepsis.

INTRODUCTION: Lactoferrin (Lf) is one of the major proteins of all exocrine secretions with a role in the antinfective process. Our aim was to evaluate how plasma Fl levels may change in response to infection in newborn preterm infants. METHODS: A total of 15 (8 females, 7 males) newborn preterm infants with a postnatal age >72 h of life, underwent to blood culture and others markers of infection, for suspected sepsis, were enrolled in the study. RESULTS: We found that Lf serum concentration was significantly lowest in four neonates (26.7%) with confirmed sepsis than in 11 (73.3%) with clinical sepsis. The AUC was 0.90 (95%CI: 0.63-0.99). The optimal cutoff for Lf was <1.2 µg/ml with a sensibility of 100% and a specificity of 81.8%. Lf serum concentration was positively correlated with WBC or neutrophil (Spearman rho = 0.69 and 0.49, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Serum Lf could prove a promising, sensitive and specific marker in the diagnostic approach to infants with suspected sepsis, thanks to its role in defense mechanisms and physiological functions of the immune system. Low levels of Lf in sepsis may suggest an immature response due to suboptimal leukocites activity in newborn preterm infants.

Soluble HLA-G serum levels depend on allergy type and IgE levels.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterized by Th2 polarized immune response. Soluble HLA (sHLA) molecules play an immunomodulatory activity. Two different studies evidenced that both patients with seasonal AR (SAR) and patients with perennial AR (PAR) had higher sHLA-G levels than normal controls. The aim of this study was to compare sHLA-G serum levels in SAR and PAR patients, also considering allergen-specific IgE. One hundred sixty-eight AR patients were enrolled, 94 with SAR and 74 with PAR. A group of 116 healthy subjects was considered as control. sHLA-G and allergen-specific IgE serum levels were determined by immunoenzymatic method. SAR patients had significantly higher levels of sHLA-G than PAR patients (p = 0.0194). sHLA-G was moderately related to allergen-specific IgE both in SAR (r = 0.497) and in PAR patients (r = 0.584). The present study provides evidence that sHLA-G serum levels depend on the type of allergy and are related to allergen-specific IgE serum levels. These findings may suggest that sHLA-G could be a biomarker of allergic reaction.

Soluble serum HLA-G and HLA-A, -B, -C molecules in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis exposed to pollens.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterized by a Th2 polarized immune response and soluble HLA (sHLA) molecules play an immunomodulatory role in this response. Previously, it has been reported that these molecules are increased in sera of patients with pollen-induced allergic rhinitis studied outside the pollen season. To date, however, no study has investigated there in AR patients during the pollen season. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate serum sHLA-G and sHLA-A, -B, -C levels in both AR patients and healthy controls. METHODS: 60 symptomatic allergic patients were enrolled. A group of 50 healthy subjects was included as a control. Serum sHLA-G and sHLA-A, -B, -C levels were determined by an immunoenzymatic method. Allergy severity was assessed by VAS for symptoms and drug use. RESULTS: Allergic patients had significantly higher levels of both sHLA-G (p<0.001) and sHLA-A, -B, -C (p=0.001) than normal controls. In addition, there was a very strong correlation between sHLA-G levels and clinical severity. CONCLUSION: The present study confirms evidence that serum sHLA-G and sHLA-A, -B, -C molecules are significantly increased in patients with pollen-induced AR also during the pollen season. Moreover, sHLA-G might be considered as a biomarker for assessing clinical severity.