ISLAND - Inflammation and Secondary Lymph Tissue in Health and Disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
ISLAND - Inflammation and Secondary Lymphoid Tissue in Health and Disease
IRAS ID
319215
Contact name
Damian James Mole
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
The importance of secondary lymphoid tissue in regulation of immune responses is widespread and important in a variety of diseases and medical conditions, from diabetes to malaria, and including obesity, vaccine responses, and autoimmune diseases like colitis and arthritis. This is an observational experimental medicine study that aims to increase our understanding of immune responses in humans. Participants will be recruited from the pool of patients undergoing elective and emergency laparoscopic or open surgery for pancreas diseases requiring partial or total pancreatectomy, surgery for gallstones (with or without active inflammation), suspected acute appendicitis, and other general surgery abdominal operations for example ventral hernia repair and asked to donate tissue samples while they are undergoing surgery as part of their standard care. This population will provide a diverse group of participants with varying degrees of inflammation burden, age, and body mass index, encompassing a wide range of individuals. Recruitment will be as described in detail elsewhere. In some participants we will obtain the spleen after it has been removed as part of a standard pancreas operation, and in others a sample of appendix tissue after it has been removed for suspected appendicitis. In most participants, we will obtain peritoneal fluid/washings (a routine part of every operation and usually discarded) for analysis of inflammatory mediators and inflammatory cells, a sample of specialised abdominal fat for cell analysis, and where available, some lymph node tissue. Tissues will then be used in laboratory experiments, and the results will increase our knowledge in this important area and allow us to develop strategies to regulate inflammation in these and other contexts. No change in treatment, intervention or randomisation is proposed in the present study. There is no proposed direct benefit to participants although we hope that the findings will eventually help others suffering from inflammatory disease
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/1312
Date of REC Opinion
28 Oct 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion