Parvovirus B19 infection modulates the levels of cytokines in the plasma of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Viral Infection in Endometritis: Is There an Important Role or Not?

Chronic endometritis (CE) is a frequent pathological condition that is defined as localized inflammation in the endometrium. Some adverse fertility consequences such as recurrent miscarriage and failure of implantation are associated with chronic endometritis. On the one hand, inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of endometritis, and on the other hand, the role of viral infections in inducing inflammation can make this review strongly attractive and practical. We set out to provide an overview of viral infections as a potential etiology of CE pathophysiology through the alteration of an endometrial microenvironment and its association with infertility. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review to demonstrate the role of viral infection in chronic endometritis, and whether or not infection ultimately plays a role..

Multiple Factors Involved in Bone Damage Caused by Chikungunya Virus Infection

Chronic cases of chikungunya fever represent a public health problem in countries where the virus circulates. The disease is prolonged, in some cases, for years, resulting in disabling pain and bone erosion among other bone and joint problems. As time progresses, tissue damage is persistent, although the virus has not been found in blood or joints. The pathogenesis of these conditions has not been fully explained. Additionally, it has been considered that there are multiple factors that might intervene in the viral pathogenesis of the different conditions that develop. Other mechanisms involved in osteoarthritic diseases of non-viral origin could help explain how damage is produced in chronic conditions. The aim of this review is to analyze the molecular and cellular factors that could be involved in the tissue damage generated by different infectious conditions of the chikungunya virus.

Parvovirus B19 associated autoantibodies upregulation in women and children in Southern China

Objectives

Human parvovirus B19, the cause of fifth disease in children and transient arthropathy in adults, could induce autoimmunity and the production of autoantibodies. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between B19 infection and autoantibodies upregulation in women and children.

Methods

Of 512 women and children in our hospital between 2016 and 2018, all cases simultaneously test anti-B19 IgM and autoantibodies like anti-nuclear antibody, anti-Sm and anti-double stranded DNA antibody were included in this study.

Results

Parvovirus B19 infection could significantly upregulate anti-nuclear antibody and anti-Sm, but not anti-double stranded DNA, the titer of autoantibodies is associated with the content of anti-B19 IgM, and the infection in children is accompanied with more obvious autoantibodies upregulation.

Conclusions

Our data shows that parvovirus B19 infection is related to autoantibodies production in both women and children, and the status of infection may associate with the titer of autoantibodies in parvovirus B19 infected patients.

Interferon gamma/interleukin-4 modulation, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of hesperidin in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis model of rats

BACKGROUND

This study sought to assess the effect of hesperidin on serum inflammatory cytokines and oxidative damage in liver of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritic rats.

METHOD

Fifty-six adult female Wistar rats (220-250 g) were acclimatized for two weeks. Intraplantar injection of CFA was done for the induction of arthritis and confirmed on the 14th day prior to oral administration of 40 and 80 mg/kg of hesperidin or dexamethasone for 45 days.

RESULT

The result showed that treatment with both doses of hesperidin and dexamethasone in the joint of arthritic rats significantly (p < .05) diminished paw swelling/edema and arthritis score as well as enhanced latency in thermal hyperalgesia test. In addition, hesperidin treatment in arthritis rats showed significant (p < .01) improvement in red blood cells and platelets counts as well as hemoglobin and hematocrit compared to the arthritis control rat group. Furthermore, hesperidin treatment significantly (p < .05) reduced serum interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels in arthritic rat. In addition, treatment with hesperidin significantly (p < .05) decreased the liver of thiobarbituric acid reactive species and reactive oxygen species levels but raised the levels of total and non-protein thiols of rat induced with CFA. The reduced activities of liver δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase, catalase, glutathione-S transferase in arthritic rats were significantly (p < .05) increased with hesperidin treatment in arthritic rats. This study suggests that hesperidin demonstrated an anti-arthritic effect via modulation of serum IFN-γ and IL-4 levels as well as protection against oxidative damage.

CONCLUSION

Hence, hesperidin could be a potential immune-modulatory, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant agent.

Effect of quercetin on E-NTPDase/E-ADA activities and cytokine secretion of complete Freund adjuvant-induced arthritic rats

The effect of quercetin was assessed in rats induced with complete Freund adjuvant (CFA). Arthritis scores, paw oedema, latency, activities of myeloperoxidase (MPO), ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (E-NTPDase), and ectoadenosine deaminase (E-ADA) in lymphocytes were determined. Furthermore, nucleotide and nucleoside levels as well as the secretion of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated. Animals were treated with saline and quercetin in doses of 5, 25, and 50 mg/kg for 45 days. The result revealed that quercetin (50 mg/kg) reduced arthritis score and paw oedema, and increased the latency in the thermal hyperalgesia test. Histopathological analysis showed that all the doses of quercetin reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells. MPO activity was increased in the arthritis group; however, quercetin reduced this activity. E-NTPDase activity was increased in lymphocytes of arthritis rats, and treatment with quercetin reversed this increase. However, E-ADA activity was reduced in the arthritis group, and treatment with quercetin modulated the activity of this enzyme in arthritis rat groups. Serum adenosine levels were increased in arthritis, and the levels were lowered with quercetin treatment. Quercetin treatment in arthritis groups decreased the elevated levels of cytokines in the arthritis control group. Thus, quercetin demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect, and this flavonoid may be a promising natural compound for the treatment of arthritis. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: Quercetin may represent a potential therapeutic compound in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Findings from this study indicate that quercetin suppresses swelling and attenuates the underlying inflammatory responses. This is the first report where quercetin was shown to modulate the immune response to arthritis via attenuation of the purinergic system (E-NTPDase and E-ADA activities) and the levels of IFN-gamma and IL-4. Thus, this work is relevant to basic research and may be translated into clinical practice.

Chronic viral infections in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)

Background and main text

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex and controversial clinical condition without having established causative factors. Increasing numbers of cases during past decade have created awareness among patients as well as healthcare professionals. Chronic viral infection as a cause of ME/CFS has long been debated. However, lack of large studies involving well-designed patient groups and validated experimental set ups have hindered our knowledge about this disease. Moreover, recent developments regarding molecular mechanism of pathogenesis of various infectious agents cast doubts over validity of several of the past studies.

Conclusions

This review aims to compile all the studies done so far to investigate various viral agents that could be associated with ME/CFS. Furthermore, we suggest strategies to better design future studies on the role of viral infections in ME/CFS.

Telbivudine in chronic lymphocytic myocarditis and human parvovirus B19 transcriptional activity

Aims

Myocarditis is often associated with parvovirus B19 (B19V) persistence, which can induce vascular damage. Based on the antiviral and anti‐inflammatory properties of telbivudine, we aimed to evaluate its efficacy to protect B19V‐infected endothelial cells in vitro and to treat chronic lymphocytic myocarditis patients with B19V transcriptional activity.

Methods and results

We evaluated the endothelial‐protective potential of telbivudine in human microvascular endothelial cells‐1, which were infected with B19V. Treatment with 10 ng/mL of telbivudine decreased the B19V‐induced endothelial cell apoptosis and endothelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition. Along with this finding, telbivudine reduced the expression of transforming growth factor‐β1 and of tenascin‐C. The endothelial‐protective properties of telbivudine were also found in tumour necrosis factor‐α‐stressed human microvascular endothelial cells‐1. In addition, oxidative stress in angiotensin II‐stressed and transforming growth factor‐β1‐stressed HL‐1 cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts, respectively, was reduced upon telbivudine treatment, illustrating that telbivudine exerts multimodal protective effects. Based on these in vitro findings, four patients severely suffering from an endomyocardial biopsy‐proven myocarditis associated with B19V transcriptional activity (VP1/VP2‐mRNA positive) were treated with telbivudine (600 mg/dL) for 6 months in a single‐patient‐use approach. Follow‐up biopsies 6 months after treatment showed that VP1/VP2‐mRNA levels and CD3 cells decreased in all patients and were associated with an improvement in ejection fraction and New York Heart Association class. These findings were paralleled by a drop in tenascin‐C expression as shown via matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization–imaging mass spectrometry.

Conclusions

Telbivudine exerts endothelial‐protective effects in B19V‐infected endothelial cells and improves chronic myocarditis associated with B19V transcriptional activity. These findings will be further evaluated in the clinical exploratory trial: the PreTopic study.