ACADEMIC RESEARCH IN MODERN SCIENCE
International scientific-online conference
126
DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF CIRCULATING IMMUNE COMPLEXES AS
INDICATORS OF SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION IN CHILDREN WITH
EPIDERMOLYSIS BULLOSA
Iroda Khamraeva
Tamara Aripova
Adolat Ismailova
Institute of Immunology and Human Genomics, Academy of Sciences of the
Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15574954
Background:
Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of rare, genetically
determined skin disorders characterized by extreme fragility of the skin and
mucous membranes. Although primarily considered a structural disease,
increasing evidence supports the involvement of systemic inflammation in its
pathogenesis. Circulating immune complexes (CICs), as immune mediators and
markers of chronic inflammation, have not been extensively studied in EB,
especially in pediatric patients.
Keywords:
epidermolysis bullosa, circulating immune complexes, pediatric
inflammation, humoral immunity, immunopathogenesis
Objective:
To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of CICs of
different molecular sizes in children with EB during exacerbation.
Methods:
The study included 42 children aged 2 to 12 years with clinically
and genetically confirmed EB, hospitalized in the Republican Center of
Dermatology, Uzbekistan. Serum CICs were quantified using a
spectrophotometric method based on precipitation with 3% and 4%
polyethylene glycol (PEG) solutions to distinguish large and small molecular
complexes, respectively. Measurements were conducted within the first two
days of hospitalization before initiating anti-inflammatory therapy. Statistical
significance was evaluated using Student’s t-test.
Results:
The average level of large CICs (3% PEG) in EB patients was 47 ±
1.9 optical density (OD) units compared to 6.5 ± 1.12 in healthy controls,
representing a 7.2-fold increase. Small CICs (4% PEG) were elevated to 39 ± 1.2
OD units vs 4.6 ± 0.88 in controls, indicating an 8.5-fold rise. The CIC3%/CIC4%
ratio increased from 1.1 in healthy children to 1.7 in EB patients, suggesting an
imbalance in immune complex composition and a marker of systemic
inflammation.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrates that both large and small circulating
immune complexes are markedly elevated in pediatric EB during active disease.
The altered ratio of CIC3% to CIC4% reflects an immune imbalance and may
ACADEMIC RESEARCH IN MODERN SCIENCE
International scientific-online conference
127
serve as a valuable biomarker of systemic inflammation in EB. These findings
highlight the potential utility of CIC profiling in disease monitoring and future
personalized interventions.
