The HLA system and T-cell subsets in Bell's palsy

Progress in treatment of facial neuritis by acupuncture combined with medicine from the perspective of modern medicine: A review

Facial neuritis is a common clinical disease with high incidence, also known as Bell palsy or idiopathic facial nerve paralysis, which is an acute onset of peripheral facial neuropathy. In modern medicine, there have been obstacles to the effective treatment of facial neuritis. At present, the clinical use of Western medicine treatment is also a summary of clinical experience, the reason is that the cause of facial neuritis is unknown. Facial neuritis belongs to the category of "facial paralysis" in traditional Chinese medicine. For thousands of years, Chinese medicine has accumulated a lot of relevant treatment experience in the process of diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and the combination of acupuncture and medicine play an important role in the treatment of facial neuritis. This article discusses the treatment of facial neuritis with acupuncture combined with Chinese medicine, based on the research progress of modern medicine. In this review, we provide an overview of the effectiveness of acupuncture and medication combinations and facial neuritis with current studies investigating acupuncture and medication combinations in the treatment of facial neuritis.

Treatment of idiopathic facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy) and secondary facial paralysis with extracellular vesicles: a pilot safety study

BACKGROUND

Paralysis of the facial nerve (CN VII) is one of the most debilitating issues that any patient can encounter. Bell's palsy is the most commonly seen mononeuropathy. Although usually self-limited, symptomatology can persist for decades in persistent cases. The non-surgical alternative therapies discussed in this study are successful without reconstruction and are regenerative.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN

We sought to determine a safe new treatment could be developed to restore facial nerve function using extracellular vesicles (EVs) in patients who have been unable to return to normal under a variety of conditions. We performed a pilot safety study of 7 patients with idiopathic and secondary facial paralysis to determine if any functional restoration was possible. Each patient had symptomology for varying periods of time, with diverse House-Brackmann scores. They were all treated with the same protocol of extracellular vesicles (EVs) over a 4-week period of time and were evaluated both before and after treatment.

CASE PRESENTATIONS

All patients in this study received treatment by their private physicians prior to entering the study. A record review was completed, with independent physical examinations. House-Brackmann scores and Facial Disability Indices were obtained prior to, and after completing the study. EVs were injected into the area of the main trunk of the facial nerve on the affected side, and an intravenous drip of EVs on visits during weeks 1, 2, and 4.

CONCLUSIONS

All seven patients enrolled in the study improved with this treatment protocol. After the second week of treatment, we saw a progression of independent motion of the affected eyelid, brow motion, and commissure. Although all patients began at different House-Brackman starting points, almost all ended at the same endpoint on the scale over the same period of time - four weeks. No adverse effects were encountered. Clearly, the duration of the treatment protocol needs to be longer than one month. The pathomechanism is still unknown. But it appears that the mechanism is reversible. At last, these patients can have hope.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The Institute of Regenerative and Cellular Medicine IRB approval number: IRCM-2021-304.

Role of Biomarkers as Prognostic Factors in Acute Peripheral Facial Palsy

Acute peripheral facial palsy (APFP), including Bell's palsy and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, is a disease that affects daily life through facial motor dysfunction, causing psychological problems. Various tests to evaluate prognosis have been studied; however, there are no validated predictive biomarkers to guide clinical decision making. Therefore, specific biomarkers that respond to treatment are required to understand prognostic outcomes. In this review, we discuss existing literature regarding the role of APFP biomarkers in prognosis and recovery. We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant papers. Our screening identified relevant studies and biomarkers correlating with the identification of predictive biomarkers. Only studies published between January 2000 and October 2021 were included. Our search identified 5835 abstracts, of which 35 were selected. All biomarker samples were obtained from blood and were used in the evaluation of disease severity and prognosis associated with recovery. These biomarkers have been effective prognostic or predictive factors under various conditions. Finally, we classified them into five categories. There is no consensus in the literature on the correlation between outcomes and prognostic factors for APFP. Furthermore, the correlation between hematologic laboratory values and APFP prognosis remains unclear. However, it is important to identify new methods for improving the accuracy of facial paralysis prognosis prediction. Therefore, we systematically evaluated prognostic and potentially predictive APFP biomarkers. Unfortunately, a predictive biomarker validating APFP prognosis remains unknown. More prospective studies are required to reveal and identify promising biomarkers providing accurate prognosis.

Autosomal recessive hyper-IgE syndrome caused by DOCK8 gene mutation with new clinical features: a case report

BACKGROUND

Autosomal recessive hyper-IgE syndrome (AR-HIES) caused by DOCK8 gene is a rare immunodeficiency disease, the main clinical manifestations include recurrent Eczema-like rash, skin and lung abscesses, accompanied with increased serum IgE level. Here, we report a 7-year-old Chinese girl with a new clinic features caused by DOCK8 gene mutations.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 7-year-old girl was admitted to our hospital because of abnormal walking posture. The clinical manifestations of the patient included abnormal gait, eczema-like rash, fingertip abscess, high muscle tone, and facial paralysis. Among them, high muscle tone and facial paralysis are new clinic features which have not been reported previously. The blood eosinophils and serum IgE levels were significantly increased, and the lymphocyte subsets indicated a decrease of T lymphocytes. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of her brain suggested myelin dysplasia and brain atrophy. Two novel compound heterozygous mutations (c.1868 + 2 T > C and c.5962-2A > G) of DOCK8 gene were identified by whole exome sequencing. By literature review, there are 11 mutations of DOCK8 gene in Chinese AR-HIES patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Two novel splice-site mutations(c.1868 + 2 T > C and c.5962-2A > G) of DOCK8 gene and new clinic features were found in a Chinese girl with AR-HIES, which extends our understanding of DOCK8 gene mutation spectrum and phenotype of AR-HIES in children.

The etiology of Bell's palsy: a review

Bell’s palsy is the most common condition involving a rapid and unilateral onset of peripheral paresis/paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve. It affects 11.5–53.3 per 100,000 individuals a year across different populations. Bell’s palsy is a health issue causing concern and has an extremely negative effect on both patients and their families. Therefore, diagnosis and prompt cause determination are key for early treatment. However, the etiology of Bell’s palsy is unclear, and this affects its treatment. Thus, it is critical to determine the causes of Bell’s palsy so that targeted treatment approaches can be developed and employed. This article reviews the literature on the diagnosis of Bell’s palsy and examines possible etiologies of the disorder. It also suggests that the diagnosis of idiopathic facial palsy is based on exclusion and is most often made based on five factors including anatomical structure, viral infection, ischemia, inflammation, and cold stimulation responsivity.

Establishment of a novel safety assessment method for vaccine adjuvant development

Vaccines effectively prevent infectious diseases. Many types of vaccines against various pathogens that threaten humans are currently in widespread use. Recently, adjuvant adaptation has been attempted to activate innate immunity to enhance the effectiveness of vaccines. The effectiveness of adjuvants for vaccinations has been demonstrated in many animal models and clinical trials. Although a highly potent adjuvant tends to have high effectiveness, it also has the potential to increase the risk of side effects such as pain, edema, and fever. Indeed, highly effective adjuvants, such as poly(I:C), have not been clinically applied due to their high risks of toxicity in humans. Therefore, the task in the field of adjuvant development is to clinically apply highly effective and non- or low-toxic adjuvant-containing vaccines. To resolve this issue, it is essential to ensure a low risk of side effects and the high efficacy of an adjuvant in the early developmental phases. This review summarizes the theory and history of the current safety assessment methods for adjuvants, using the inactivated influenza vaccine as a model. Our novel method was developed as a system to judge the safety of a candidate compound using biomarkers identified by genomic technology and statistical tools. A systematic safety assessment tool for adjuvants would be of great use for predicting toxicity during novel adjuvant development, screening, and quality control.

A three-generation family with idiopathic facial palsy suggesting an autosomal dominant inheritance with high penetrance

Idiopathic facial palsy (IFP), also known as Bell's palsy, is a common neurologic disorder, but recurrent and familial forms are rare. This case series presents a three-generation family with idiopathic facial palsy. The mode of inheritance of IFP has previously been suggested as autosomal dominant with low or variable penetrance, but the present family indicates an autosomal dominant trait with high or complete penetrance. Chromosome microarray studies did not reveal a pathogenic copy number variation, which could enable identification of a candidate gene.

Lymphocyte subsets in Bell's palsy: immune pathogenesis and outcome prediction

The aim of this prospective study is to define the prognostic significance of lymphocyte subset analysis in children with Bell's palsy. Lymphocyte subgroup analysis in peripheral blood was performed in 17 children with Bell's palsy by using flow cytometry. Before a standard protocol of corticosteroid treatment, patients were categorized into two groups for facial nerve impairment on the basis of the clinical findings: Group 1 (mild to moderate impairment), 7 patients; and Group 2 (severe impairment), 10 patients. Outcome of the patients was evaluated at the end of 3 months follow-up and categorized as satisfactory recovery (n = 12) or unsatisfactory recovery (n = 5). Decreased percentages of B cells (CD19) and T helper/inducer (CD4) subsets were measured in patients with Bell's palsy compared with age-matched healthy control patients. Patients with severe impairment had significantly lower percentages of CD4 and CD19 subsets, whereas patients with mild to moderate impairment had only decreased percentage of CD19 subsets. There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of lymphocyte subsets between the patients with satisfactory and unsatisfactory recovery. These results provide additional support for cell-mediated immunopathogenesis in patients with Bell's palsy, without any prognostic significance for the outcome.