The immunomodulatory properties of low-level ionizing radiation as a potential treatment for COVID-19's life-threatening symptoms

A Review on Risk Factors, Traditional Diagnostic Techniques, and Biomarkers for Pneumonia Prognostication and Management in Diabetic Patients

People of all ages can contract pneumonia, and it can cause mild to severe disease and even death. In addition to being a major cause of death for elderly people and those with prior medical conditions such as diabetes, it isthe world's biggest infectious cause of death for children. Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic condition with a high glucose level and is a leading cause of lower limb amputation, heart attacks, strokes, blindness, and renal failure. Hyperglycemia is known to impair neutrophil activity, damage antioxidant status, and weaken the humoral immune system. Therefore, diabetic patients are more susceptible to pneumonia than people without diabetes and linked fatalities. The absence of quick, precise, simple, and affordable ways to identify the etiologic agents of community-acquired pneumonia has made diagnostic studies' usefulness contentious. Improvements in biological markers and molecular testing techniques have significantly increased the ability to diagnose pneumonia and other related respiratory infections. Identifying the risk factors for developing severe pneumonia and early testing in diabetic patients might lead to a significant decrease in the mortality of diabetic patients with pneumonia. In this regard, various risk factors, traditional testing techniques, and pathomechanisms are discussed in this review. Further, biomarkers and next-generation sequencing are briefly summarized. Finding biomarkers with the ability to distinguish between bacterial and viral pneumonia could be crucial because identifying the precise pathogen would stop the unnecessary use of antibiotics and effectively save the patient's life.

Time Reveals the Truth! What Treatments for COVID-19 Were Quickly Abandoned, and Which Methods, Contrary to Popular Belief, Are Still Flourishing?

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, low dose radiation therapy (LDRT) was proposed as a potentially effective treatment method. To minimize potential toxicity, the initial treatment approach involved a few mGy of adapting radiation followed by a single 250 mGy whole lung challenging dose. However, antiviral drugs were also introduced as a promising treatment option, which were thought to have the potential to revolutionize the management of the crisis. Despite early warnings, many physicians did not fully consider the key point that, in contrast with LDRT, antiviral drug treatments can result in strong selective pressure on the virus. This can lead to the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, a phenomenon that can have serious global consequences. After more than two years, the truth has been revealed the WHO Guideline Development Group has advised against the use of remdesivir, a widely used antiviral medication, for COVID-19. Meanwhile, a growing body of evidence suggests that LDRT can be a promising, low-risk approach for avoiding or delaying invasive respiratory support in COVID-19 patients. Although there is substantial supporting documentation, more high-quality, controlled, and randomized double-blind clinical trials are needed to further investigate the efficacy and potential therapeutic mechanisms of LDRT for COVID-19.

Interplay of immune modulation, adaptive response and hormesis: Suggestive of threshold for clinical manifestation of effects of ionizing radiation at low doses?

The health impacts of low-dose ionizing radiation exposures have been a subject of debate over the last three to four decades. While there has been enough evidence of "no adverse observable" health effects at low doses and low dose rates, the hypothesis of "Linear No Threshold" continues to rule and govern the principles of radiation protection and the formulation of regulations and public policies. In adopting this conservative approach, the role of the biological processes underway in the human body is kept at abeyance. This review consolidates the available studies that discuss all related biological pathways and repair mechanisms that inhibit the progression of deleterious effects at low doses and low dose rates of ionizing radiation. It is pertinent that, taking cognizance of these processes, there is a need to have a relook at policies of radiation protection, which as of now are too stringent, leading to undue economic losses and negative public perception about radiation.

The impact of ionizing radiation compared to drug-induced immunological changes

Ionizing radiation (IR) activates several signaling pathways. This study shows the impact of acute low-dose IR on crucial cytokines involved in cell-mediated immunity. The immunomodulatory effects of 0.25 and 0.5 Gray (Gy) gamma rays and standard immunomodulatory drugs (cyclophosphamide) on blood counts and significant pro-inflammatory cytokines implicated in various inflammatory conditions were tested in 20 rats. Examined was the effect of acute low doses on critical cytokines, which could be utilized as an alternative to current immunosuppressive drugs. One day post-irradiation, serum levels of interferon-gamma (INF-γ), tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-2/1-beta were measured. A 0.25 Gy exposure did not affect the detected cytokines or blood cell count compared to the nonirradiated group. On the other hand, 0.5 Gy raises the majority of the immunologically examined cytokines except for INF-γ. Except for INF-γ, cyclophosphamide reduces all of the cytokines examined. As a result, low-dose IR has a less negative influence on essential inflammatory cytokines, permitting its use. More research is needed to determine how low amounts could be used in different immunological disorders.

Immuno-Biochemical Impacts of Gamma Irradiation in Male Rats: A Dose-Response Study

During radiotherapy, immune-modulatory effects of radiation doses should be taken into consideration, not only the anti-tumor radiation effects. Thus, our study aimed to study how γ-radiation modulates immune response in comparison to common immune-suppressive/stimulant agents. Animals were divided into two groups. Category A received Echinacea purpura extract (EP) or irradiated at low radiation doses 0, .25 or .5 Gray (Gy), whereas Category B received cyclophosphamide (CP) or irradiated at high radiation doses 1, 2, or 5 Gy. Serum levels of immunological mediators interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), as well as redox-markers malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), hemoglobin (Hgb), white and red blood cells (WBCs, RBCs), and platelet counts were assessed following irradiation. Of the immune-stimulant category, .25 Gy dose offered EP-comparable effects in TNF-α, RBCs, Hgb, and platelet counts cases. As for the immune-suppressive category; 5 Gy irradiation dose induced inflammatory/immunosuppressive responses indicated (rise in NO, TNF-α, and IL-10), and an oxidative stress status (increase in serum MDA). However, 5 Gy γ-irradiation was not observed, herein, as a single immunosuppressive agent. To conclude, during radiotherapy, immunological impact(s) of the used radiation doses should be optimized and followed-up closely to assess the risk/benefit of their usage.