Karolina Pieniawska-Śmiech

Karolina Pieniawska-Śmiech


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

8Years (2019-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
KPKarolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
Karolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
GPGerard Pasternak
Gerard Pasternak
ALAleksandra Lewandowicz-Uszynska
Aleksandra Lewandowicz-Uszynska
Marek JutelMarek Jutel
Marek Jutel
Inborn errors of immunity (IEI), formerly known as primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDs), are inherited disorders caused by damaging germline variants in single genes, which result in increased susceptibility to infections and in allergic, autoimmune, autoinflammatory, nonmalignant lymphoproliferative, and neoplastic conditions. Along with well-known warning signs of PID, attention should be paid to signs of immune dysregulation, which seem to be equally important to susceptibility to infection in defining IEI. The modern diagnostics of IEI offer a variety of approaches but with some problems. The aim of this review is to discuss the diagnostic challenges in IEI patients in the context of an immune dysregulation background.

13 June 2023 in Viruses
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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BMBabicki Mateusz
Babicki Mateusz
JKJoanna Kapusta
Joanna Kapusta
KPKarolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
Karolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
Żaneta Kałuzińska-KołatŻaneta Kałuzińska-Kołat
Żaneta Kałuzińska-Kołat
Damian KołatDamian Kołat
Damian Kołat
MCMichal Chudzik
Michal Chudzik
Around the world, various vaccines have been developed to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection and consequently the COVID-19 disease. However, many patients continue to report persistent symptoms after the acute phase. Since gathering scientific information on long COVID and post-COVID syndrome has become an urgent issue, we decided to investigate them in relation to the vaccination status of patients from the STOP-COVID registry. In this retrospective study, we analyzed data from the medical visit after contraction of COVID-19 and follow-up visits in the 3rd and 12th month after the disease. In total, 801 patients were included in the analysis. The most frequent complaints after 12 months included deterioration of exercise tolerance (37.5%), fatigue (36.3%), and memory/concentration difficulties (36.3%). In total, 119 patients declared that they had been diagnosed with at least one new chronic disease since the end of isolation, and 10.6% required hospitalization. The analysis of individual symptoms revealed that headache (p = 0.001), arthralgia (p = 0.032), and dysregulation of hypertension (p = 0.030) were more common in unvaccinated patients. Considering headache and muscle pain, people vaccinated after the disease manifested these symptoms less frequently. Subsequent research is needed to consider vaccines as a preventive factor for post-COVID syndrome.

16 July 2020 in BMC Immunology
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
KPKarolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
Karolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
KBKamil Bar
Kamil Bar
BMBabicki Mateusz
Babicki Mateusz
KŚKarol Śmiech
Karol Śmiech
ALAleksandra Lewandowicz-Uszyńska
Aleksandra Lewandowicz-Uszyńska
Background: Primary immunodeficiences (PIDs) are a group of chronic, serious disorders in which the immune response is insufficient. In consequence, it leads to an increased susceptibility to infections. Up to date, there are about 350 different disorders classified in that group. There are also patients suffering from recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTI), however that group doesn’t present any abnormalities in terms of conducted immunological tests. Many factors, including medical, can have an impact on physical development of a child. Data such as birth weight and length, also weight, height, BMI during admission to the hospital were collected from 195 patients’ medical histories from their hospitalization at Clinical Immunology and Paediatrics Ward of J. Gromkowski Hospital in Wrocław. Investigated groups included patients with PIDs, RRTI and a control group of healthy children. Our purpose was to evaluate the physical growth of children with PID and children with RRTI by assessment of their height and weight. All of parameters were evaluated using centile charts, suitable best for the Polish population. Results: The lowest mean birth weight and height was found among the PIDs patients group. Children with PIDs during hospitalization had statistically relevant lower mean weight than the control group and almost 18% of them had their height situated below 3rd percentile. The statistically relevant differences have been found between them and RRTI group in terms of weight, height and nutritional status. The statistically significant difference was detected between the nutritional status of PID and control group. Conclusions: There is a higher percentage of PID patients with physical growth abnormalities in comparison to healthy children. Our findings indicate a need for further investigation of immune system irregularities and their influence on physical growth of children.

30 October 2021 in Journal of Clinical Medicine
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
KPKarolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
Karolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
AKAnna Kuraszewicz
Anna Kuraszewicz
JSJoanna Sado
Joanna Sado
KŚKarol Śmiech
Karol Śmiech
ALAleksandra Lewandowicz-Uszynska
Aleksandra Lewandowicz-Uszynska
Background: Data regarding the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with primary immunodeficiency (PID) is insufficient. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the morbidity and clinical course of COVID-19 and the ability to produce anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in children with PID. Methods: In this retrospective study, medical records of 99 patients aged 0–18 were evaluated. The patients were divided into three groups: PID group (68.69%), control group (19.19%) and patients with ongoing or previous paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (12.12%). Data such as morbidity, clinical outcome, and IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titres were assessed. Results: A confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection has been established in 26.47% of patients with PID. Among patients with PID infected with SARS-CoV-2, only three cases were hospitalised. Mortality in the PID group was 0%. Throughout an observation period of 1 year, 47.06% of patients with PID were tested positive for the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody. Conclusions: In the study group, in most cases the disease had a mild and self-limiting course. Remarkably, even though IgG deficiency was the most prevalent form of PID in the study group, the patients were able to respond satisfactorily to the infection in terms of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG.

3 June 2023 in BMC Immunology
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
KPKarolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
Karolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
ALAleksandra Lewandowicz-Uszyńska
Aleksandra Lewandowicz-Uszyńska
MZMagdalena Zemelka-Wiacek
Magdalena Zemelka-Wiacek
Marek JutelMarek Jutel
Marek Jutel
The correlation between primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) and autoimmunity shows ethnic and geographical diversity. The aim of our study was to accumulate more data in paediatric PID population. 58 children aged 1–17 and with PID (study group) and 14 age-matched immunocompetent individuals (control group) were included in the study. Serum levels of 17 different specific IgG antibodies against autoantigens were measured by means of a quantitative enzyme immunoassay. Immunoglobulin levels were analysed in relation to a detailed medical examination. Autoantibodies against one or more antigens were detected in the sera of 24.14% (n = 14) subjects in the study group. The most frequent were anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) antibodies (n = 8; 13.8%). Anti-TPO antibody levels were elevated more often in PID patients with a positive family history of autoimmune diseases (p = 0.04). The screening for anti-deamidated gliadin peptide (DGP) and anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies in our series allowed identifying two previously undiagnosed cases of coeliac disease in PID patients. There was no statistically significant difference between the study and the control group in terms of the autoantibodies prevalence. This study provides data on the prevalence of autoantibodies in paediatric population diagnosed with PID. Selected autoantibodies (i.e. anti-tTG, anti-DGP) might be useful for the screening of PID to avoid the delay of diagnosis of an autoimmune disease.

10 June 2020 in Research Square
Verified
Preprint
Open access
PDF file
KPKarolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
Karolina Pieniawska-Śmiech
KBKamil Bar
Kamil Bar
MBMateusz Babicki
Mateusz Babicki
KŚKarol Śmiech
Karol Śmiech
ALAleksandra Lewandowicz-Uszyńska
Aleksandra Lewandowicz-Uszyńska
Background: Primary immunodeficiences (PIDs) are a group of chronic, serious disorders in which the immune response is insufficient. In consequence, it leads to an increased susceptibility to infections. Up to date, there are about 350 different disorders classified in that group. There are also patients suffering from recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTI), however that group doesn't present any abnormalities in terms of conducted immunological tests. Many factors, including medical, can have an impact on physical development of a child. Data such as birth weight and length, also weight, height, BMI during admission to the hospital were collected from 195 patients' medical histories from their hospitalization at Clinical Immunology and Paediatrics Ward of J.Gromkowski Hospital in Wrocław. Investigated groups included patients with PIDs, RRTI and a control group of healthy children. Our purpose was to evaluate the physical growth of children with PID and children with RRTI by assessment of their height and weight. All of parameters were evaluated using centile charts, suitable best for the Polish population. Results: The lowest mean birth weight and height was found among the PIDs patients group. Children with PIDs during hospitalization had statistically relevant lower mean weight than the control group and almost 18% of them had their height situated below 3rd percentile. The statistically relevant differences have been found between them and RRTI group in terms of weight, height and nutritional status. The statistically significant difference was detected between the nutritional status of PID and control group. Conclusions: There is a higher percentage of PID patients with physical growth abnormalities in comparison to healthy children. Our findings indicate a need for further investigation of immune system irregularities and their influence on physical growth of children.