0000000000137960
AUTHOR
Trucco M.
Expansion of specific alphabeta+ T-cell subsets in the myocardium of patients with myocarditis and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy associated with Coxsackievirus B infection
Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) is one of the major causes of death in humans and has been linked to Coxsackievirus B (CVB) infection. The aim of this study was to analyze phenotypes of heart-infiltrating immune cells in patients suffering from myocarditis and IDC associated with CVB infections. We found that the myocardium of these patients was infiltrated by CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes as well as macrophages. Evidence of CVB3/4 infections was also found. In the majority of patients, the T-cell receptor repertoire (TCR) of the infiltrating lymphocytes was restricted, with a polyclonal expansion of the Vbeta7 gene family. We also found that human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II…
Effect of hydrolyzed infant formula vs conventional formula on risk of type 1 diabetes the TRIGR randomized clinical trial
IMPORTANCE Early exposure to complex dietary proteins may increase the risk of type 1 diabetes in children with genetic disease susceptibility. There are no intact proteins in extensively hydrolyzed formulas. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that weaning to an extensively hydrolyzed formula decreases the cumulative incidence of type 1 diabetes in young children. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS An international double-blind randomized clinical trial of 2159 infants with human leukocyte antigen-conferred disease susceptibility and a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes recruited from May 2002 to January 2007 in 78 study centers in 15 countries; 1081 were randomized to be weaned to the…
Stem cell replacement therapy in type 1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is caused by the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic insulin-producing beta cells and most frequently occurs in genetically susceptible children. Due to beta cell loss, Type 1 diabetes is an ideal candidate for cell replacement therapy. Replacement could be achieved via whole pancreas or isolated islet transplantation, but, at present, feasibility of these procedures is severely limited by the shortage of donor pancreata. Stem cells, characterized by their high potential for self-renewal and the simultaneous ability to differentiate into a desired cytotype, theoretically represent a suitable and renewable source of surrogate beta cells. However, despite many promising resul…