scholarly journals Rapid Decline of IFN-γ Spot-Forming Cells in Pleural Lymphocytes during Treatment in a Patient with Suspected Tuberculosis Pleurisy

Reports ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Osamu Usami ◽  
Haorile Chagan Yasutan ◽  
Toshio Hattori ◽  
Yugo Ashino

A differential diagnosis of tuberculosis pleurisy is often difficult. A 48-year-old Japanese man with no previous medical history visited the outpatient department for dyspnea and fever. His chest-XP and laboratory findings, especially high C-reactive protein levels, indicated pleuritis with pleural effusion. Pleural lymphocytes showed high numbers of spot forming responses in interferon gamma release assay (IGRA). Pleural effusion contained high levels of adenosine deaminase and hyaluronic acid, but no Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) antigen was detected by culture or polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Although the infectious agent was not detected, the clinical and laboratory findings strongly suggested that he was suffering from tuberculosis pleurisy. After treatment with anti-TB drugs, a rapid decline of spot-forming cells (SFCs) of pleural lymphocyte was observed, despite persistently high levels of other biomarkers and increased pleural lymphocytes. This case demonstrates that an IGRA of pleural lymphocytes would be useful for therapeutic diagnosis for TB pleurisy suspected for TB.

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-23
Author(s):  
Subash Pant ◽  
Sanjeet Krishna Shrestha ◽  
Lucky Sharma ◽  
Bibechana Shrestha

Background: C-reactive protein in both pleural fluid and serum has been found to be higher in tubercular pleural effusion than in other causes of pleural effusion. Objectives: The main aim of this study was to find out the diagnostic value of C-reactive protein in patients withlymphocytic pleural effusion. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 90 patients with pleural effusion who underwent thoracocentesis at Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. The complete biochemical tests of pleural fluid and serum were performed. The C-reactive protein concentrations of both pleural fluid and serum were then measured from samples from patients with lymphocytic exudative pleural effusion. Results: Ninety patients with exudative lymphocytic pleural effusion were included. Male patients were 56 (62.2%) and female were 34 (37.8%) with the male to female ratio of 1.64. Mean age of the patients was 51±21.54 (Mean ± Standard Deviation). The pleural fluid C-reactive protein levels in tubercular pleural effusion were higher (48.87±24.19 mg/dl) compared to non-tubercular group (38.30±17 mg/dl; p<0.001). Similarly, the serum fluid C-reactive protein levels in tubercular pleural effusion were higher (29.60±13mg/dl) compared to non-tubercular group (18.14±9.2mg/dl; p< 0.001). The sensitivity of pleural fluid C-reactive protein level in diagnosing tubercular pleural effusion was 86%. Conclusion: Simple and inexpensive test like C-reactive protein is useful in the diagnostic workup of lymphocytic pleural effusions. High C-reactive protein levels are very suggestive of tubercular pleural effusion.


2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 516-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
SEZA ÖZEN ◽  
YELDA BILGINER ◽  
NURAY AKTAY AYAZ ◽  
MERAL CALGUNERI

Objective.Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a recessively inherited autoinflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and serositis. Although colchicine is the standard therapy for preventing attacks and suppressing inflammation, 5%–10% of compliant patients are colchicine-resistant. We report the effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy (etanercept) and anti-interleukin 1 (IL-1) treatment (anakinra) in 6 cases resistant to colchicine therapy.Methods.Five children and an adult patient (3 female, 3 male) who were experiencing at least 2 attacks per month and had consistently elevated C-reactive protein levels despite regular colchicine therapy were given either etanercept or anakinra.Results.Although etanercept lowered the number of attacks (from 3–4 attacks per month to 2 attacks per month), attacks still recurred and acute-phase reactants remained high in 2 patients; thus etanercept was considered ineffective. All 4 patients were switched to anakinra. In 2 patients anakinra completely resolved clinical and laboratory findings. The other 4 patients have been switched to anakinra recently; to date anakinra has reduced the number of attacks (to < 1 per month) and lowered the levels of acute-phase reactants.Conclusion.In this small series, anakinra was succesful in suppressing inflammation and decreasing the number of attacks in FMF. This may be explained by the role of pyrin in the regulation of IL-1ß activation.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (20) ◽  
pp. 4238-4245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Pötschke ◽  
Sixten Selleng ◽  
Barbara M. Bröker ◽  
Andreas Greinacher

AbstractCardiopulmonary bypass surgery (CPB) is associated with a high incidence of IgG Abs against platelet factor 4/heparin (PF4/H) complexes by day 6 after surgery. These Abs are associated with an immune-mediated adverse drug reaction, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Although the early onset of the anti-PF4/H IgG response is compatible with a secondary immune response, the rapid decline of Ab titers thereafter is not. To shed light on the origin of these Abs, in the present study, we prospectively compared the kinetics of these Abs with that of Abs against 2 recall Ags and to that of autoantibodies in 166 CPB patients over 4 months. Surgery induced strong inflammation, as shown by an increase in mean C-reactive protein levels. Consistent with previous studies, anti-PF4/H IgG optical density transiently increased between baseline and day 10 (P < .001; not associated with C-reactive protein levels), followed by a decrease over the next months. In contrast, concentrations of antidiphtheria toxin IgG and antitetanus toxin IgG increased constantly over the 4 months after surgery by 25%-30%. IgG autoantibodies did not change. Therefore, the transient kinetics of the anti-PF4/H IgG response resembled neither that of recall Abs nor that of IgG autoantibodies, but rather showed a unique profile.


Author(s):  
Wenjing Zhao ◽  
Jun Morinaga ◽  
Shigekazu Ukawa ◽  
Motoyoshi Endo ◽  
Hiroya Yamada ◽  
...  

Abstract Aging is important medical and social problem. Excessive angiopoietin-like protein (ANGPTL)-2 signaling causes chronic tissue inflammation, promoting development and progression of aging-related diseases. Moreover, circulating ANGPTL2 levels reportedly predict risk of some aging-related diseases and subsequent death. However, there are as yet no reports of whether circulating ANGPTL2 levels predict vital prognosis in younger-old, community-dwelling populations. This study investigated associations between plasma ANGPTL2 levels and all-cause and specific-cause mortality in this population. The case-cohort study was abstracted from an on-going, age-specific prospective cohort study: the New Integrated Suburban Seniority Investigation Project. This project enrolled 3073 participants aged 64 years at the beginning of the investigation from 1996 through 2005. A sub-cohort of 714 randomly sampled participants plus 387 cases representing deceased participants followed through 2015 underwent survival analysis. Plasma ANGPTL2 concentrations were positively associated with &gt;80% and 100% higher risk of all-cause mortality and cancer mortality, respectively, after adjustment for gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, walking time, sleep duration, caloric intake, medical status, disease history, BMI, and triglyceride, creatinine, uric acid, and high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels. More robust association between ANGPTL2 levels and all-cause and cancer mortality was seen in subjects with either frailties or with lifestyles of heavier drinking or current smoking. Elevated plasma ANGPTL2 levels are associated with high all-cause and cancer mortality in a community-dwelling sample of younger-old adults. These findings expand our knowledge of human aging and associated diseases.


VASA ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 0187-0194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoni Chang ◽  
Jun Feng ◽  
Litao Ruan ◽  
Jing Shang ◽  
Yanqiu Yang ◽  
...  

Background: Neovascularization is one of the most important risk factors for unstable plaque. This study was designed to correlate plaque thickness, artery stenosis and levels of serum C-reactive protein with the degree of intraplaque enhancement determined by contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Patients and methods: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed on 72 carotid atherosclerotic plaques in 48 patients. Contrast enhancement within the plaque was categorized as grade 1, 2 or 3. Maximum plaque thickness was measured in short-axis view. Carotid artery stenosis was categorized as mild, moderate or severe. Results: Plaque contrast enhancement was not associated with the degree of artery stenosis or with plaque thickness. Serum C-reactive protein levels were positively correlated with the number of new vessels in the plaque. C-reactive protein levels increased in the three groups(Grade 1: 3.72±1.79mg/L; Grade 2: 7.88±4.24 mg/L; Grade 3: 11.02±3.52 mg/L), with significant differences among them (F=10.14, P<0.01), and significant differences between each two groups (P<0.05). Spearman’s rank correlation analysis showed that serum C-reactive protein levels were positively correlated with the degree of carotid plaque enhancement (Rs =0.69, P<0.01). Conclusions: The combination of C-reactive protein levels and intraplaque neovascularization detected by contrast-enhanced ultrasound may allow more accurate evaluation of plaque stability.


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