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This prospective interventional study investigated the impact of individualized nutritional interventions on immune function and infection rates in burn patients. This study enrolled 120 burn patients between December 2022 and January 2024. The nutritional interventions focused on protein supplementation, micronutrient replenishment, and inclusion of anti-inflammatory nutrients, specifically omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C. The nutrients were administered through oral, enteral, and parenteral routes based on dietary preferences and the medical condition of individuals. Protein was prioritized because of its role in leukocyte production; zinc and vitamin C were supplemented to optimize immune function; and omega-3 fatty acids were included to mitigate inflammation and enhance wound healing. The study assessed outcomes through changes in leukocyte and lymphocyte counts, cytokine levels, infection rates, wound healing rates, and the length of hospital stays. Results indicated significant improvements in immune markers and reduced infection rates post-intervention (P < 0.05). Leukocyte count increased significantly, cytokine levels decreased, and the infection rate reduced from 30% to 14.2% (P < 0.05). These outcomes highlighted the efficacy of targeted nutritional interventions in supporting immune health and reducing infections in burn patients. The findings advocated for integrating comprehensive nutritional strategies in managing burn injuries to improve clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the impact of tetrandrine tablets on cytokines, immune function, blood gas and respiratory function in patients with stage II pneumoconiosis. Methods: 136 subjects with stage II pneumoconiosis diagnosed and treated in People's Hospital of Linyi City, Linyi City, China were divided into control and study cohorts, each with 68 individuals. Patients in control cohort received conventional symptomatic treatment, while study cohort additionally received tetrandrine tablets orally 3 times per day, for 4 weeks. Lung function, serum indicators and blood gas indicators were determined before and after treatment. Results: After treatment, the levels of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and FEV1/FVC in both groups were significantly increased in both cohorts, with significantly higher values in study cohort. In both cohorts, there were higher post-treatment numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio than before treatment, but with significantly higher values in study cohort (p < 0.05). After treatment, there were significantly raised levels of peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2), minute ventilation (VE) and tidal volume (VT) in the two cohorts, with higher values in the study group cohort (p < 0.05). Moreover, treatment resulted in a significant reduction in partial pressure of end-tidal carbon dioxide (PETCO2), with significantly lower levels in study cohort (p < 0.05). After treatment, concentrations of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), and tumor necrosis factor beta-1 (TNF-β1) in study cohort were significantly reduced, relative to pre-treatment. Conclusion: Tetrandrine tablets are efficacious in stage II pneumoconiosis patients. The drug is beneficial in improving immune function, reducing levels of inflammatory mediators, and improving lung function and blood gas indicators in patients. Future studies incorporating additional parameters and a larger number of patients will be required to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the efficacy and safety of this treatment protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Clinical Nursing in Practice is the property of Journal of Clinical Nursing in Practice (Editorial Board, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Simple Summary: In the winter in northern China, the type of housing or outdoor management may affect the growth and health of sheep, especially if they are young. We compared growth performance, immune function and antioxidant status of female lambs housed there in an enclosed building, a polytunnel or kept outdoors for 28 days. Compared to lambs kept outdoors at −14 °C, those in the enclosed house and polytunnel had improved growth rates, immune function and antioxidant status. We conclude that the polytunnel is best for the sheep's welfare, followed by the enclosed house, with the outdoor treatment being the worst. Cold conditions in northern China during winter may reduce sheep growth and affect their health, especially if they are young, unless housing is provided. We allocated 45 two-month-old female lambs to be housed in an enclosed building, a polytunnel, or kept outdoors, for 28 days. The daily weight gain and scalp and ear skin temperature of outdoor lambs were less than those of lambs that were housed in either a house or polytunnel; however, rectal temperature was unaffected by treatment. There was a progressive change in blood composition over time, and by the end of the experiment, outdoor lambs had reduced total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and increased malondialdehyde compared to those in the house or polytunnel. In relation to immune responses in the lambs' serum, in the polytunnel, immunoglobulin A (IgA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) were higher and immunoglobulin G (IgG) lower compared with the concentrations in lambs that were outdoors. Over the course of the experiment, genes expressing heat shock proteins and antioxidant enzymes increased in lambs in the outdoor treatment, whereas they decreased in lambs in the indoor treatments. It is concluded that although there were no treatment effects on core body temperature, the trends for progressive changes in blood composition and gene expression indicate that the outdoor lambs were not physiologically stable; hence, they should not be kept outdoors in these environmental conditions for long periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of ultra-high-voltage (UHV) direct-current (DC) transmission, the health risk from the static electric field (SEF) generated by UHV DC transmission lines has drawn public attention. To investigate the effect of SEF exposure on white blood cell (WBC) count, mice were exposed to 56.3 kV/m SEF. Results revealed that total WBC count and lymphocyte count significantly decreased and serum levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone (CORT) significantly increased after the exposure of 7d and 14d. All indices above recovered after the exposure of 21d. Analysis showed that the exposure of 7d and 14d could activate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The increased CORT could bind to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in lymphocytes, and then promote the migration and apoptosis of lymphocytes. After the exposure of 21d, the magnitude of HPA axis activation declined through CORT-mediated negative feedback and the regulation of stress-related neural circuitry, so WBC count recovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have examined the influence of early postoperative nutritional nursing on the prognosis of patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. A total of 82 patients with gastrointestinal surgery were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between January 2020 and December 2022 for this study. The patients were divided into two equalsized control and treatment groups. The control group received routine care, whereas the treatment group received added nutritional care. Compared to the control group, the first exhaust time, first defecation time, and hospitalization time in the treatment group were shorter (P < 0.01). On the 7th day after surgery, no difference was found in the levels of albumin and total protein between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, on the 4th and 7th days after surgery, the diamine oxidase and malondialdehyde values in the treatment group were lower relative to the control group. Body weight in the treatment group was higher, the incidence of complications was lower, and the quality-of-life score and immune function were better compared to the control group (P < 0.05). To sum up, early nutritional care is beneficial to improving the immune function indexes, nutritional indexes, and quality of life of patients after gastrointestinal surgery, as well as reducing the occurrence of postoperative adverse reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 120 patients admitted to affiliated hospitals of the North Sichuan Medical College between September 2020 and June 2022 were recruited for this study and received percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage. Patients in the control group received parenteral nutrition support, whereas patients in the treatment group received parenteral and combined enteral nutrition support. Compared to the control group, the time of first exhaustion and defecation in the treatment group was faster, and the postoperative activity time and hospital stay were shorter. Serum albumin and prealbumin levels in both groups decreased on the 1st day after surgery and recovered on the 7th day, with the treatment group reaching higher levels. After surgery, the decline in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin levels was higher in the treatment group. CD4+, CD8+ levels, and CD4+/CD8+ ratios in both groups were elevated, with the treatment group showing higher levels. The occurrence of complications in the treatment group was lessened relative to the control group. In summary, enteral combined parenteral nutrition support for patients with malignant obstructive jaundice after surgery can promote faster recovery of gastrointestinal function, improve nutritional status, facilitate the recovery of liver function, and promote immune function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arginine is a functional essential amino acid in broilers with a variety of physiological functions. The research progress of arginine in growth, carcass quality, meat quality, intestinal health, immunity and antioxidation in broilers was reviewed, and the appropriate requirement of arginine and its interaction with lysine were analyzed. At the same time, the application of arginine substitutes guanidinoacetic acid and N-carbamoylglutamic acid in broiler production were summarized. Appropriate level of arginine in diet is beneficial to improve growth performance, carcass quality and meat quality, repair intestinal injury, maintain normal intestinal barrier function, regulate intestinal microflora, regulate the expression of intestinal digestive enzymes and amino acid transporters, and improve immunity and antioxidation capacity. Insufficient or excessive arginine in the diet is not conducive to the normal growth and development of broilers. The arginine requirement of broilers is affected by breed type, sex, feeding stage, ratio of arginine to lysine and so on. At present, most of the studies mainly focus on fast-growth white-feathered broilers, but there are few reports on the arginine requirement of yellow-feathered broilers in China, and the research results are quite different. As substitutes for arginine, guanidinoacetic acid and N-carbamoylglutamic acid have different effects on broilers. Guanidinoacetic acid does not completely replace arginine, but dietary supplementation with guanidinoacetic acid can reduce the use of arginine in energy metabolism and make it more useful for muscle growth and other physiological functions. N-carbamoylglutamic acid can increase the synthesis of endogenous arginine, increase the content of arginine in vivo and promote the growth of broilers. With the deepening of the studies on the effect and mechanism of arginine and its substitutes on broilers, the requirements of arginine will be more accurate, and be widely used in broiler production. It will help to further improve the production performance of broilers and improve feed utilization efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In China, cage systems with a high space utilization have gradually replaced ground litter systems, but the disease incidence of chickens in cages is higher. Broilers in the ground litter pens may be stimulated by more environmental microbes during the growth process and show strong immune function and status, but knowledge of which microbes and their metabolites play an immunomodulatory role is still limited. This study aimed to explore the differences and correlations in the immune function, gut microbiota and metabolites and the importance of gut microbiota of broilers raised in cages and ground litter pens. Methods: The experiment involved a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with rearing systems (cages or ground litter pens) and antibiotic treatment (with or without broad-spectrum antibiotics in drinking water) as factors. Results: The results showed that, compared with the cage group, the ground litter broilers had stronger nonspecific immune function (Macrophages% and NO in blood), humoral immune function (IgG in blood, LPS stimulation index in ileum) and cellular immune function (T%, Tc%, ConA stimulation index and cytokines in blood). Antibiotic (ABX) treatment significantly reduced nonspecific immune function (Macrophages% and NO in blood, iNOS and Mucin2 mRNA expression in ileum), humoral immune function (IgG in blood and sIgA in ileum) and cellular immune function (T% and cytokines in blood, Th and Tc ratio, TLRs and cytokines mRNA expression in ileum). Furthermore, the ground litter broilers had higher α diversity of microbiota in ileum. The relative abundance of Staphylococcus, Jeotgalicoccus, Jeotgalibaca and Pediococcus in the ileum of ground litter broilers were higher. ABX treatment significantly reduced the α diversity of ileal microbiota, with less Chloroplast and Mitochondria. In addition, the levels of acetic acid, isobutyric acid, kynurenic acid and allolithocholic acid in the ileum of ground litter broilers were higher. Spearman correlation analysis showed that Jeotgalibaca, Pediococcus, acetic acid, kynurenic acid and allolithocholic acid were related to the immune function. Conclusions: There were more potential pathogens, litter breeding bacteria, short-chain fatty acids, kynurenine, allolithocholic acid and tryptophan metabolites in the ileum of broilers in ground litter pens, which may be the reason for its stronger immune function and status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessment of immune function is of key importance in recognition of disease or healthy status, which still faces challenge in clinical practice. We conducted a 10-center study to investigate lymphocyte parameters including the number, phenotype and IFN-γ-producing ability, and routine laboratory indicators by using the standard method. Results: Although the heterogeneity of lymphocyte parameters was widely found, we have established the normal ranges of these parameters by using pooled data which showed no significant difference among centers. Cluster analysis of 35 parameters found 3 interesting clusters which represented different immunological status. Cluster 1 (parameters: IFN-γ+CD4+ T cell percentage and IFN-γ+CD8+ T cell percentage) represented current lymphocyte function, which was associated with indicators such as body mass index and red blood cell; Cluster 2 (parameters: NK cell number and CD45RA+CD4+ T cell percentage) represented potential of lymphocytes, which was associated with indicators such as albumin and high-density lipoprotein. Cluster 3 (parameters: HLA-DR+CD8+ T cell percentage) represented inflammatory status, which was associated with indicators such as low-density lipoprotein, globulin and age. Correlation analysis found that nutritional indicator albumin is significantly positively correlated with lymphocyte potential. Triglyceride and body mass index were positively correlated with current lymphocyte function rather than lymphocyte potential. The loss of CD8+ T cells was extremely pronounced with increasing age and was one of the most important factors to cause immunosenescence, which may be associated with increased glucose. Conclusions: We have established the normal ranges of lymphocyte parameters in different areas. This study elucidates the key indicators used to reflect the current function or potential of lymphocytes, which may provide a valuable clue for how to keep immunity healthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Numerous clinical studies in and outside China have shown that unrelated cord blood transplantation has a lower incidence of graft-versus-host disease compared with peripheral blood stem cell or bone marrow transplantation, and the recurrence rate of the disease is also markedly reduced. It has a strong graft versus leukemia effect and is one of the models for clinically separating graft-versus-host disease and graft versus leukemia effect. How the immune cells differentiate after unrelated cord blood transplantation and why the transplant has a strong graft versus leukemia effect; the mechanism is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze the long-term clinical follow-up data of unrelated cord blood transplantation patients, investigate dominant cell subsets and differentiation, related activation and expression of inhibitory molecules after unrelated cord blood transplantation, and further explore the mechanism of graft-versus-host disease and graft versus leukemia separation of unrelated cord blood transplantation. METHODS: From July 1, 2012 to June 31, 2017, 154 adult patients with hematologic malignancies received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, including 93 cases of unrelated cord blood transplantation and 61 cases of sibling peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. The immune characteristics of T cells in patients with unrelated cord blood transplantation were studied by collecting bone marrow samples from patients with unrelated cord blood transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, and the separation of clinical graft-versus-host disease and graft versus leukemia effect in unrelated cord blood transplantation was investigated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) After a median follow-up of 61 months (42-99 months), the 5-year prevalence of chronic graft-versus-host disease and five year-relapse in unrelated cord blood transplantation group were significantly lower than those in peripheral blood stem cell transplantation group (P=0.003). Integration of III-IV graft-versus-host disease, extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease and disease recurrence, 5-year graft-versus-host disease-free and disease-free survival were significantly higher in the unrelated cord blood transplantation group than those in the peripheral blood stem cell transplantation group (P=0.038). (2) The percentage of CD3+ T cells was significantly higher in unrelated cord blood transplantation group than that in the peripheral blood stem cell transplantation group (P=0.04). The percentage of CD3+CD4+ T cell subsets in unrelated cord blood transplantation group was lower than that in the peripheral blood stem cell transplantation group. The percentage of CD3+CD8+ cell subsets in unrelated cord blood transplantation group was higher than that in the peripheral blood stem cell transplantation group. The percentage of CD4+CD80+ T cells in unrelated cord blood transplantation group was lower than that in the peripheral blood stem cell transplantation group (P=0.089). The percentage of CD4+PD-1+ T cells in the unrelated cord blood transplantation group was higher than that in the peripheral blood stem cell transplantation group. The percentage of CD8+CD80+ T cells in the unrelated cord blood transplantation group was higher than that in the peripheral blood stem cell transplantation group. (3) The results suggest that unrelated cord blood transplantation patients not only have lower chronic graft-versus-host disease, but also have lower disease recurrence rate, showing the separation of graft-versus-host disease and graft versus leukemia. Immune function test showed that the proportion of T cells in unrelated cord blood transplantation group was relatively high, and CD8+ T cells were the dominant subset, which may be one of the mechanisms of strong graft versus leukemia effect of unrelated cord blood transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Clinical Nursing in Practice is the property of Journal of Clinical Nursing in Practice (Editorial Board, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Clinical Nursing in Practice is the property of Journal of Clinical Nursing in Practice (Editorial Board, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is one of the most widely cultivated fishes in China. High stocking density can reportedly affect fish growth and immunity. Herein we performed PacBio long-read single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing and Illumina RNA sequencing to evaluate the effects of high stocking density on grass carp transcriptome. Results: SMRT sequencing led to the identification of 33,773 genes (14,946 known and 18,827 new genes). From the structure analysis, 8,009 genes were detected with alternative splicing events, 10,219 genes showed alternative polyadenylation sites and 15,521 long noncoding RNAs. Further, 1,235, 962, and 213 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the intestine, muscle, and brain tissues, respectively. We performed functional enrichment analyses of DEGs, and they were identified to be significantly enriched in nutrient metabolism and immune function. The expression levels of several genes encoding apolipoproteins and activities of enzymes involved in carbohydrate enzymolysis were found to be upregulated in the high stocking density group, indicating that lipid metabolism and carbohydrate decomposition were accelerated. Besides, four isoforms of grass carp major histocompatibility complex class II antigen alpha and beta chains in the aforementioned three tissue was showed at least a 4-fold decrease. Conclusions: The results suggesting that fish farmed at high stocking densities face issues associated with the metabolism and immune system. To conclude, our results emphasize the importance of maintaining reasonable density in grass carp aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of sintilimab combined with chemotherapy on tumor markers and immune function in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Methods: The study was conducted at Xi'an Medical University, China. The 120 patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated in our hospital from January 2016 to January 2020 were randomly divided into two groups, with 60 cases in each group. Patients in the control group received conventional GP chemotherapy, while those in the experimental group received intravenous injection of sindilimab on the basis of conventional GP chemotherapy. The changes of serum tumor markers CYFRA211, CEA, CA125 and T lymphocyte subsets CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ in the two groups prior to and after treatment were compared and analyzed. At the same time, the clinical efficacy at six months was compared between the two groups. Results: The serum tumor markers CYFRA211, CEA and CA125 in the two groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.00). Specifically, the above-mentioned markers in the experimental group decreased more significantly than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (CYFRA211, CA125, p=0.00; CEA, p=0.01; the levels of CD3+ and CD4+ in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group after treatment, with statistical significance (CD3+, p=0.00; CD4+, p=0.01)). No significant change can be seen in CD8+ (p=0.14), and the level of CD4+/CD8+ in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group, with a significant difference (p=0.02). The complete remission rate (CR) was 22% in the experimental group and 8% in the control group (P=0.04), which was statistically significant. The progress rate (PD) of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group, with statistical significance (p=0.02). The overall response rate (RR) of the experimental group was more advantageous than that of the control group, with a statistically significant difference (p=0.01). Conclusion: Compared with chemotherapy alone, significant therapeutic effects can be obtained in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer with sintilimab combined with chemotherapy. With this combination regimen, the level of serum tumor markers can be significantly reduced, the cellular immune function of patients can be improved, with the overall response rate of treatment increased, and the risk of progressive disease of patients reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jinlong capsule (JLC) is an animal-derived traditional Chinese medical preparation for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its clinical efficacy is still not well investigated. This study summarizes the efficacy and safety of JLC combined with trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for patients with HCC. The databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, Medline, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database and Chinese Biological Medicine Database were systematically searched from the date of their inception until February 2020. Jinlong capsule, trans-arterial chemoembolization, and hepatocellular carcinoma were the key terms searched. Randomized controlled trials and high-quality prospective cohort trials comparing the combined use of JLC and TACE versus TACE for HCC were included. Data were pooled using random or fixed effect models depending on heterogeneity. Data from 19 articles with 1,725 HCC patients were analysed. Compared with TACE treatment alone, the combination of TACE and JLC significantly prolonged patients' 6–36 month overall survival (p < 0.05), and markedly improved the overall response rate (RR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.24–1.52, p < 0.00001) and disease control rate (RR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.06–1.17, p < 0.0001) of patients. The liver function, quality of life, and immune function of patients were significantly improved; the partial adverse events related to TACE were also effectively relieved after the combination treatment. This meta-analysis suggests that the combination of TACE and JLC is more effective in the treatment of HCC than treatment with TACE alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Juvenile recurrent parotitis (JRP) is defined as recurrent parotid inflammation, generally associated with nonobstructive sialectasis of the parotid gland. In addition, the etiology remains unclear, probably immunologically mediated. Aim: The purposes of the present study were to report the relationship between JRP and immune function from the measurement of the JRP patients' immunoglobulins and T-lymphocyte subset. Methods: Immunologic assay from 2014 to 2017 of 100 children diagnosed with JRP at Shanghai Ninth Hospital compared with the 100 normal children by age. Results: The CD4 level of JRP children aged >6 years was significant lower than the one of JRP preschool children (p < .05), while the IgG level was significant higher than the one of the JRP preschool children (p < .05). In comparison with the normal children, the value of CD8 T cells, immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin E (IgE), immunoglobulin A (IgA) and C3 (p < .01) of JRP children was significant higher, while the value of CD4 T cells was lower (p < .01) in spite of age. What is more, the value of CD8 T cells of JRP preschool children was much significant higher than the one of the normal preschool children (p < .01). Conclusion: The immune function of JRP patients may become disorder: the suppression cellular immune function and inadequate humoral immune expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Our research is based on a larger healthy population in China and the findings have great clinical implications. • We comprehensively assessed the effects of high concentrations of ANA on the body, and found that high levels of ANA were correlated with metabolic abnormalities, inflammation, immune dysregulation. • Our results indicated that it's necessary to conduct an ANA testing in healthy people. Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are a spectrum of autoantibodies that react with cell nucleus structures. ANA assay is a screening test for the diagnosis of autoimmune disease. Although many patients with positive ANA did not develop autoimmune diseases, it is unclear whether high concentrations of ANA have potential damage to the body. In this study, we conducted an epidemiological survey of ANAs in healthy population, and further examined the associations of ANA with clinical laboratory indicators, inflammation indicators and immune function indicators in a large health checkup population-based cohort. We found the positive rate of ANA was 7.09%, of which the positive rate of female (10.2%) was higher than that of male (4.6%). Moreover, our data showed that ANA positive population present a higher rate of metabolic abnormalities than control group. We further detected the inflammatory and immune-related indicators of ANA positive population, and found that high ANA was correlated with inflammatory and immune dysfunction. In conclusion, our results indicated that the positive rate of ANA was high in healthy population. Moreover, high levels of ANA might be involved in the metabolic abnormalities, inflammation and immune dysfunction. Thus, ANA testing should be routine for healthy people, and to avoid misdiagnosis, those who had clinical symptoms should be further examined for the subtype of ANA present in the serum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Schizothorax prenanti is an important existemic commercial fish in River Yangtze. OKGM (Oxidized Konjac glucomannan) is a kind of polysaccharide oxidative degraded from KGM. Added 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 mg/kg OKGM into the diets of S. prenanti. After 60 days feeding trial, WGR (weight gain rate), SGR (specific growth rate), PER (protein efficiency ratio) of groups fed the diet with 8000 mg/kg OKGM was all significantly (P < 0.05) higher; FCR (feed conversion ratio) was significantly lower than the control group whose diet have no OKGM. Hepatopancreas index, spleen index of group 6 whose feed added 8000 mg/kg OKGM were significantly higher and gallbladder index was significantly lower than the control group. Erythrocyte number, leukocyte number of group 5, 6 whose feed added 4000, 8000 mg/kg OKGM were excellent significantly (P < 0.01) more than the control group. At the same time, Erythrocyte phagocytic rate, erythrocyte phagocytic index, neutrophilic granulocyte phagocytic rate, neutrophilic granulocyte phagocytic index of all the groups whose diet added OKGM were significantly higher than the control group. Content of IgM, C3 of group 4 whose feed added 2000 mg/kg OKGM were significantly more than the control group. As for activity of CAT, group 6 was significantly higher than the control group. When compared activity of SOD, group 6 was significantly higher than group 1, 2, 3. Accordingly, activity of GSH-Px of group 3, 4, 5, 6 were significantly higher than the control group. On the contrary, content of MDA, group 3, 4, 5, 6 whose feed added 1000–8000 mg/kg OKGM was excellent significantly lower than the control group. After injected Aeromonas hydrophila 21 days, only group 6 whose feed added 8000 mg/kg OKGM survived excellent significantly more than the control group. So we can draw a conclusion of that added OKGM in the diets of S. prenanti, not only promoted growth, but also improved immune function, and the best dose was 8000 mg/kg in this experiment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the radioprotective effect of flavonoids extracted from the seeds of Astragalus complanatus R.Br. (FAC) and their protective mechanism against radiation damage. FAC increased the survival rate of mice and made the damaged organ injured by 60Co γ-irradiation recovered to normal appearance with the mechanism of enhancing immune function and blood-producing function in vivo. The molecule mechanism of FAC against radiation is involved in the reduction of DNA injury and mutation in vitro. Eleven monomers of the FAC were analyzed by HPLC. These results seem to support the use of FAC in relieving radiation damage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The large inter-individual variability in immune-cell composition and function determines immune responses in general and susceptibility o immune-mediated diseases in particular. While much has been learned about the genetic variants relevant for type 1 diabetes (T1D), the pathophysiological mechanisms through which these variations exert their effects remain unknown., Methods: Blood samples were collected from 243 patients with T1D of Dutch descent. We applied genetic association analysis on >200 immune-cell traits and >100 cytokine production profiles in response to stimuli measured to identify genetic determinants of immune function, and compared the results obtained in T1D to healthy controls., Results: Genetic variants that determine susceptibility to T1D significantly affect T cell composition. Specifically, the CCR5+ regulatory T cells associate with T1D through the CCR region, suggesting a shared genetic regulation. Genome-wide quantitative trait loci (QTLs) mapping analysis of immune traits revealed 15 genetic loci that influence immune responses in T1D, including 12 that have never been reported in healthy population studies, implying a disease-specific genetic regulation., Conclusions: This study provides new insights into the genetic factors that affect immunological responses in T1D., Funding: This work was supported by an ERC starting grant (no. 948207) and a Radboud University Medical Centre Hypatia grant (2018) to YL and an ERC advanced grant (no. 833247) and a Spinoza grant of the Netherlands Association for Scientific Research to MGN CT received funding from the Perspectief Biomarker Development Center Research Programme, which is (partly) financed by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). AJ was funded by a grant from the European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD/AZ Macrovascular Programme 2015). XC was supported by the China Scholarship Council (201706040081)., Competing Interests: XC, AJ, HK, LC, XH, IJ, RS, YK, CW, CX, MN, CT, YL No competing interests declared, (© 2022, Chu, Janssen, Koenen et al.)

Objective: To investigate the clinical manifestations and imaging characteristics of pulmonary cryptococcosis, and discuss its guidance in diagnosing., Methods: The clinical data of patients diagnosed with cryptococcosis in our hospital from January 2014 to May 2020 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the immunocompromised group and the immunocompetent group. The symptomatic features, laboratory examination, imaging manifestations, and curative effect were analyzed., Results: The most common symptoms of patients were cough and sputum production, followed by fever. The immunocompetent group has a significantly higher accident rate of cough and fever than the immunocompromised group, while the immunocompromised group has a significantly higher accident rate of headache and dizziness (P < 0.05). The positive rate of serum cryptococcal capsular antigen (CrAg) test of the two groups were 83.33% and 86.96%, respectively. While the positive rate of CrAg test in cerebrospinal fluid of the immunocompromised group was significantly higher than that of the immunocompetent group (P < 0.05). The lesions of pulmonary cryptococcosis were predominantly present in the lower part of the lung periphery and significantly distributed in the right lung (P < 0.05). The most common imaging finding of pulmonary cryptococcosis was halo sign (64.58%), followed by multiple nodules, and trachea sign was significantly more common in the immunocompetent group., Conclusions: Cryptococcosis has an insidious onset, which can infect healthy people as well. Conducting a CrAg test is good for screening and diagnosing cryptococcosis. We should be alert for the high risk of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis in patients with compromised immune function., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Exposure to air pollutants may be associated with preterm birth (PB) through oxidative stress, metabolic detoxification, and immune system processes. However, no study has investigated the interactive effects of maternal air pollution and genetic polymorphisms in these pathways on risk of PB. The study included 126 PB and 310 term births. A total of 177 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in oxidative stress, immune function, and metabolic detoxification-related genes were examined and analyzed. The China air quality index (AQI) was used as an overall estimation of ambient air pollutants. Among 177 SNPs, four SNPs (GPX4 -rs376102 , GLRX -rs889224 , VEGFA -rs3025039 , and IL1A -rs3783550) were found to have significant interactions with AQI on the risk of PB (P interaction were 0.001, 0.003, 0.03, and 0.04, respectively). After being stratified by the maternal genotypes in these four SNPs, 1.38 to 1.76 times of the risk of PB were observed as per interquartile range increase in maternal AQI among women who carried the GPX4 -rs376102 AC/CC genotypes, the GLRX -rs889224 TT genotype, the VEGFA -rs3025039 CC genotype, or the IL1A -rs3783550 GT/TT genotypes. After adjustment for multiple comparisons, only GPX4 -rs376102 and AQI interaction remained statistically significant (false discovery rate (FDR)=0.17). After additional stratification by preeclampsia (PE) status, a strongest association was observed in women who carried the GPX4 -rs376102 AC/CC genotypes (OR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.41–3.65, P interaction =0.0002, FDR=0.035) in the PE group. Our study provided the first evidence that association between maternal air pollution and PB risk may be modified by the genetic polymorphisms in oxidative stress and immune function genes. Future large studies are necessary to replicate and confirm the observed associations. • An increase in air quality index (AQI) was slightly associated with an increased risk of PB. • Genetic variants in genes involved in oxidative stress and immune function modified the association between AQI and PB risk. • Statistically significant associations between AQI and PB were observed among women who carried GPX4 -rs376102 , GLRX -rs889224 , VEGFA -rs3025039 , and IL1A -rs3783550 polymorphisms. • GPX4 -rs376102 and AQI interaction remained statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia is one of major pollutants in aquatic environment that induces severe stress and toxicity to organisms in aquatic system. The intestine acts a major defense line that protects living organisms from biotic and abiotic stresses. In the current study, we examined the effects of ammonia on intestinal histomorphology, transcriptional levels of intestinal barrier functioning genes and intestinal microbiota of Chinese striped-neck turtle (Mauremys sinensis). Thus, the turtles were placed in water with addition of ammonia at 0 (control), 100, 200 mg L -1 for 30 days. Our findings showed that ammonia reduced the villus length and induced the inflammatory cells appearance. In addition, the epithelial tight junction genes, claudin and zonola occludin significantly downregulated in ammonia exposed groups as compared to control group (P < 0.05). Similarly, the mRNA expression levels of MUC-2 gene also significantly decreased in ammonia treated groups (P < 0.05). However, the expression levels of intestinal immune related genes such as IL-10, IL-12, TGF-β1, TNF-α and IFN-γ significantly increased (P < 0.05). Furthermore, ammonia changed gut microbial diversity variedly. At the phylum levels, Firmicutes increased, whereas Bacteroidota, Desulfobacterota and Synergistota decreased significantly. Likewise, Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroides, Eubacteriaceae, Desulfovibrio, Muribaculaceae, Bilophila, Cloacibacillus, Christensenellaceae, Ruminococcus and Parabacteroides decreased while, Romboutsia and Turicibacter increased in ammonia exposed groups. In conclusion, ammonia at 100 and 200 mg L -1 could alter the intestinal barrier function and change the composition of intestinal microbiota, leading to bad health status in M. sinensis., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Primary liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in China. Currently, immunotherapy for liver cancer is a research hotspot. Experimental studies and epidemiological investigations have confirmed the antineoplastic activity of low ionizing radiation. The aim of this study was to explore the optimal dose of low ionizing radiation to enhance immune function. Twenty-five New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into five groups (n = 5 each): experimental group 1 (25 mGy), experimental group 2 (50 mGy), experimental group 3 (75 mGy), experimental group 4 (100 mGy), and the control group (0 mGy). VX-2 tumor tissue was injected into rabbits using a high-frequency B-ultrasound probe (3.5 MHz). Rabbits were irradiated, and on day 4 after irradiation, blood was collected from each rabbit. Blood chemistry, interleukin (IL)-4, interferon (IFN)-γ, immunoglobulin (Ig)G, and IgM levels were assessed. On day 15 after irradiation, macrophage phagocytic function was assessed. The rabbits were sacrificed, and the spleen was removed and weighed to calculate its spleen index. Each parameter was highest in the experimental group 3 (75 mGy). Thus, we suspect the optimal low ionizing radiation dose to improve immune function may be 75 mGy.

The Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep is vital to the production system in Southwest China. To study the effects of nano-selenium (Nano-Se) poisoning in the Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep, poisoning model was established. A total of 20 animals with an average initial body weight (BW) of 35.57 ± 3.31 kg were used in this study. After 1-week-long acclimatization period, all animals were randomly divided into two groups: (1) control, with no any treatment; (2) Nano-Se group, orally administered 5 mg Nano-Se (BW/kg/day). There were 10 replications/group and one sheep/replication. The experiment lasted for 30 days. Compared with the control, hemoglobin, erythrocyte count, and packed cell volume in Nano-Se group markedly decreased (P < 0.01), and the activities of serum lactate dehydrogenase, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, cereal third transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase in Nano-Se group significantly increased (P < 0.01). T 3 and FT 3 in serum in Nano-Se group were greatly lower than those in the control (P < 0.01). Contents of T 4 , FT 4 , and TSH in serum in Nano-Se group were extremely higher than those in the control (P < 0.01). Levels of IgG, IgM, IgA, interleukin 2 (IL-2), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in Nano-Se group were much lower than those of the control (P < 0.01), but levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were greatly higher than those in the control (P < 0.01). Compared with the control, serum superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxide, total antioxidant capacity, and catalase from Nano-Se group extremely decreased (P < 0.01), and content of serum malondialdehyde in Nano-Se group markedly increased (P < 0.01). The current results indicated that the blood parameters in the Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep were affected by Nano-Se poisoning, and the immune function and antioxidant capacity were greatly reduced too.

Objective: To observe the clinical effect of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine on brucellosis and its influence on humoral immune indexes. Methods: In October 2019, 169 cases of brucellosis hospitalized in Tianjin Second People's Hospital were selected as the research objects, and divided into two groups according to the random number method, 84 cases in the integrated treatment group and 85 cases in the western medicine treatment group. The western medicine treatment group was given antibiotics and other routine western medicine support treatment. The integrated treatment group was given traditional Chinese medicine for treatment based on syndrome differentiation, on the basis of western medicine treatment group, and 6 weeks was a course of treatment. The clinical efficacy and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome scores were compared between the two groups of patients after treatment, and the changes in humoral immune indexes, biochemical, and liver and kidney functions of the patients before and after treatment were analyzed. Results: The total effective rate was 100.00% (84/84) in the integrated treatment group and 97.65% (83/85) in the western medicine treatment group. The difference was not statistically significant ( P >0.05) . The difference was not statistically significant ( P >0.05) . There was no statistically significant difference in TCM syndrome scores between the two groups before treatment ( P >0.05) , and the TCM syndrome scores after treatment were lower than before treatment ( P <0.05) . Among them, the TCM syndrome scores of the integrated treatment group were lower than those of the western medicine treatment group ( P <0.05) . There was no significant difference in IgG, IgA, IgM, C3, C4, miRNA-155, C-reactive protein (CRP) , erythrocyte sedimention rate (ESR) , alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) between the two groups before treatment ( P >0.05) . After treatment, IgG, IgA, IgM, miRNA-155, CRP, ESR, ALT and AST were all lower than before treatment, and C3 and C4 complement levels were higher than before treatment ( P <0.05) . Among them, IgG, IgA, IgM, miRNA-155, CRP, ESR, ALT and AST in the integrative treatment group were all lower than the western medicine treatment group, while the C3 and C4 complement levels were higher than the western medicine treatment group ( P <0.05) . Conclusion: The treatment of brucellosis with integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine can significantly improve the TCM syndrome score and reduce the levels of CRP and ESR. The mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of the patient's humoral immunological indicators.

Background: Hypoxic preconditioning refers to a certain intensity and time of hypoxic exposure before hypoxic stress, which makes the body produce endogenous protection to enhance the body's tolerance to subsequent more severe hypoxia. However, there are few studies on the effects of hypoxic preconditioning combined with altitude training on the immune system of athletes., Methods: Nine swimmers from Shanghai underwent 3-week hypoxic preconditioning [living high-training low (HiLo)] combined with 3-week altitude training. CD55 and CD59 expression in red blood cells (RBCs), CD55 and CD59 expression in white blood cells (WBCs), RBC count, WBC count, T lymphocyte CD3, CD4, CD8 expression, and immunoglobulins IgG, IgM, and IgA were measured 4 times: before the start of hypoxic preconditioning, in the first week of hypoxic preconditioning, at the end of hypoxic preconditioning (i.e., before the start of altitude training), and at the end of altitude training., Results: CD55 and CD59 expression in RBCs significantly increased in the first week of hypoxic preconditioning (P<0.05), returned to baseline levels at the end of preconditioning, and significantly increased again during altitude training (P&lt0.05). CD55 and CD59 expression in WBCs decreased significantly during hypoxic preconditioning (P&lt0.05) and increased significantly during altitude training (P&lt0.05). CD3 expression first decreased and then increased in the hypoxic preconditioning phase, then decreased again in the altitude training phase. However, there was no significant difference in each phase. CD4/CD8 expression after altitude training was significantly lower than that before altitude training (P&lt0.05), but was not significantly different from that before the start of hypoxic preconditioning. IgG, IgM, and IgA did not fluctuate significantly throughout the experimental phase., Conclusions: After hypoxic preconditioning combined with altitude training, the expression of CD55 and CD59 on the surface of RBCs and WBCs increased significantly, and T lymphocyte CD4/CD8 expression also increased. These results suggest an improvement in the complement regulation system and RBC immune function. Hypoxic preconditioning can therefore improve immunity and enhance the physical function of athletes during altitude training.

The Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep is vital to the production system of the Wumeng mountainous area in Southwest China. To study the effect of nano-copper poisoning in the Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep, nano-copper poisoning model was established in sheep. We determined blood physiological and biochemical parameters, immune indexes, and antioxidant indicators. The results showed that Hb, RBC, and PCV levels in blood from the nano-copper group were markedly lower (P < 0.01) than those in the control group. Serum LDH, AST, ALT, CPK, and Cp from the nano-copper group were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than those in control animals. Serum SOD, GSH-Px, CAT, and T-AOC from the nano-copper group were significantly lower (P < 0.01) than those in control sheep, and MDA content in serum from the nano-copper group were markedly higher (P < 0.01) than those in control sheep. The levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-1β, IgA, IgM, and IgG from the nano-copper group were significantly lower (P < 0.01) than those in the control group. It was concluded that nano-copper poisoning could not only affect the immune function of Wumeng semi-fine wool sheep but also reduce the antioxidant capacity.

Purpose: Long-term exposure to low dose radiation may trigger immune response and stimulate hormesis. Interleukin-2 ( IL-2 ) and interleukin-2 receptor ( IL-2R ) play a crucial role in immune function. We aimed to explore the possible association of IL-2 and IL-2R gene polymorphisms with low dose radiation exposure, as well as the relationship with IL-2 gene expression in people residing in areas with a high background radiation in Yangjiang, China., Materials and Methods: We recruited and assigned 54 native men residing in Yangxi County, Yangjiang city to the high natural background radiation (HNBR) group, and 53 native men residing in Hengpi County, Enping city to the control area (CA) group. All the participants wore a thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) for 90 days, and answered questionnaires. The serum levels of IL2, IL4, IL5, sIL2R, and tumor growth factor (TGF), and expression levels of IL2RA , IL2RB , IL2RG , and IL2 were also analyzed. Additionally, we tested 10 polymorphic loci associated with the IL-2 gene., Results: The annual effective radiation doses in the HNBR and CA groups were 6.24 mSv y -1 and 1.95 mSv y -1 , respectively. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, the serum levels of IL-2 and IL-5 were higher in the HNBR group than the CA group ( p < .05), while the serum level of TGFβ was lower in the HNBR group ( p < .05). The IL-2 gene mRNA expression level was higher in the HNBR group than the CA group ( p  < .05). The IL-2RB rs76206423 AA allele showed significant variations in the HNBR group ( p  = .0381)., Conclusions: Long-term exposure to low dose radiation may enhance immune function, and IL-2RB rs76206423 may be related to the expression of IL-2 by other coding variants. Moreover, our data provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of the immune response to low dose radiation.

Objectives: To explore the significance of coagulation and immune function indicators in clinical diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)., Methods: All patients with COVID-19 diagnosed and treated in First People's Hospital of Yueyang from January to March 2020 were enrolled. The general data of patients were collected. The patients were assigned into a light group ( n =20), an ordinary group ( n =33), a severe group ( n =23), and a critically severe group ( n =7) according to the severity of the disease. Coagulation and immune function indicators of each group were compared, and the relevance of coagulation and immune function indicators was analyzed., Results: The age of COVID-19 patients in Yueyang City was mainly between 45 and 65 years old. There was a significant difference in the coagulation function and immune-related indicators in each group of patients (all P <0.05)., Conclusions: There are some abnormalities in coagulation and immune function in patients with COVID-19, which possess significance for clinical diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Background: Obesity is associated with impaired immunity and chronic, low-grade inflammation, but little is known about the immune system's response to bariatric surgery-induced weight loss., Objectives: To determine whether circulating immunoglobulins and acute-phase reactant levels are altered after bariatric surgery., Setting: University Hospital, China., Methods: Fifty-eight patients with obesity were recruited from the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University; 48 underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and 10 underwent traditional medical therapy., Results: During the 12-month follow-up, bariatric surgery showed pronounced effects on weight loss and glucose and lipid metabolism. Circulating concentrations of hypersensitive C-reactive protein, and complement components 3 and 4 decreased significantly. Compared with the presurgery level, the immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin M, and immunoglobulin G levels increased significantly at 2 and 6 months postsurgery. Compared with the whole group, the same results were observed after surgery in the circulating concentrations of complement components 3 and 4 and hypersensitive C-reactive protein in patients with class I obesity. However, the immunoglobulin G concentration increased at 6 and 12 months postsurgery, immunoglobulin A increased at 12 months postsurgery, and no postsurgery changes in immunoglobulin M were found in patients with class I obesity. No significant changes were noted in patients who underwent traditional medical therapy. We also found a correlation between decreased complement factor levels and improved insulin sensitivity., Conclusions: In addition to reducing weight and controlling diabetes and dyslipidemia, bariatric surgery is also effective for improving the immune function of patients with obesity., (Copyright © 2019 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Immunologic derangement may be the critical pathophysiologic mechanism in sepsis, and immunotherapy might be a potential new treatment. Si-ni-tang (SNT), an ancient Chinese herbal formula documented in Shanghan Lun, has been used for treating severe sepsis for thousands of years. Research shows that it may have a therapeutic benefit for sepsis. This study will evaluate the feasibility of testing the effects of SNT on immune function in sepsis patients., Methods/design: This is a pilot randomized controlled study. Eligible sepsis patients admitted to our medical intensive care unit will be randomly allocated to the control group or the SNT group. Both groups will receive standard therapy according to the recommendations of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign. In addition, the SNT group will receive SNT (150 mL per day for 3 days) orally or by gastric tube, while the control group will receive 150 mL of normal saline. The primary outcome is to assess the feasibility of this treatment. The secondary outcomes include: (1) immune function measured by monocyte human leukocyte antigen-DR (mHLA-DR) expression, procalcitonin, and the ratio of CD4+ to CD8+ T lymphocytes and (2) other clinical data, such as the 28-day all-cause mortality, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores, both of the latter on days 0 and 3., Discussion: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of testing the efficacy of SNT for treating sepsis when used as an adjunctive treatment with the standard therapy recommended by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02777606 . Registered on 22 June 2016. Retrospectively registered. https://clinicaltrials.gov/.

Objectives: The occupational exposure limit for trichloroethylene (TCE) in different countries varies from 1 to 100 ppm as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). Many countries currently use 10 ppm as the regulatory standard for occupational exposures, but the biological effects in humans at this level of exposure remain unclear. The objective of our study was to evaluate alterations in immune and renal biomarkers among workers occupationally exposed to low levels of TCE below current regulatory standards., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional molecular epidemiology study of 80 healthy workers exposed to a wide range of TCE (ie, 0.4-229 ppm) and 96 comparable unexposed controls in China, and previously reported that TCE exposure was associated with multiple candidate biological markers related to immune function and kidney toxicity. Here, we conducted further analyses of all of the 31 biomarkers that we have measured to determine the magnitude and statistical significance of changes in the subgroup of workers (n=35) exposed to <10 ppm TCE compared with controls., Results: Six immune biomarkers (ie, CD4+ effector memory T cells, sCD27, sCD30, interleukin-10, IgG and IgM) were significantly decreased (% difference ranged from -16.0% to -72.1%) and one kidney toxicity marker (kidney injury molecule-1, KIM-1) was significantly increased (% difference: +52.5%) among workers exposed to <10 ppm compared with the control group. These associations remained noteworthy after taking into account multiple comparisons using the false discovery rate (ie, <0.20)., Conclusion: Our results suggest that occupational exposure to TCE below 10 ppm as an 8-hour TWA may alter levels of key markers of immune function and kidney toxicity., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)