This study aimed to investigate the proportion of surface activation markers on natural killer (NK) cells in children with infectious mononucleosis (IM) and to explore its clinical relevance. A total of 17 children hospitalized with IM were included in this study as the experimental group. Meanwhile, healthy children matched for age and gender served as controls. First, we isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from children with IM and healthy children. Then, NK cell surface markers were stained with monoclonal antibodies and analyzed by flow cytometry. The results showed that the percentage of CD3−CD16+ NK cells was higher in peripheral blood lymphocytes from children with IM than that from healthy children (t = −4.52, P < 0.05). And the expression of the surface activation markers CD69 and CD25 on CD3−CD16+ NK cells was also higher in children with IM (t = −7.729, P < 0.05; t = −5.068, P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between the percentage of CD3−CD16+ NK cells in peripheral blood and the duration of fever in children with IM (r = 0.530, P < 0.05). Therefore, the proportion of NK cell subsets in children's peripheral blood changes in the acute phase of IM, suggesting that NK cells enhance their cytotoxicity and play a role in the control of infection in children with IM. Higher levels of CD3−CD16+ NK cells and the association with disease progression suggest that these cells might be a useful index to help evaluate the disease course.
Introduction: Most children with serious infection diseases suffer from malnutrition. Vitamin D participates in the immune response through endogenous antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) regulation. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3], AMPs [LL-37 and human β-defensin 2 (HBD-2)] in the children with pertussis.
Methodology: Serum levels of 25(OH)D3, LL-37, and HBD-2 were detected in 116 children with pertussis aged at 1–12 months (67 males and 49 females). Fifty healthy infants at similar age were employed as normal controls.
Results: The serum 25(OH)D3 levels in the children with mild (27.30 ± 5.98 ng/ml) and severe (24.40 ± 6.27 ng/ml) pertussis were significantly lower than that in the healthy group (30.16 ± 5.13 ng/ml; p <0.01). The vitamin D deficiency rates in children with mild (55.9%) and severe (78.12%) pertussis were significantly higher than that in the control group (34%; p < 0.01). The serum levels of LL-37 and HBD-2 were significantly higher in pertussis patients. Spearman rank correlation analysis did not show any correlation of 25-(OH)D3 with LL-37 or HBD-2.
Conclusions: Most children with pertussis had vitamin D deficiency accompanied by elevated serum LL-37 and HBD-2 levels. However, the average level of 25(OH)D3 at 26.50 ng/ml in the infants with pertussis may not affect the immuno-regulatory ability; thus, the infants with pertussis still maintained a higher level of AMPs (LL-37 and HBD-2) against pertussis infection.
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