A Th1 but not a Th17 response is present in the gastrointestinal involvement of Behçet's disease

OBJECTIVES: Behçet's disease has been historically classified as a Th1 disease. The recently described IL-17/IL-23 pathway seems to play an important role in many inflammatory diseases and in the intestinal abnormalities of AS and CD. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the IL-17/IL-23 axis in parallel with Th1 and IL-27 response in the intestine of patients with BD and gastrointestinal abnormalities. METHODS: Quantitative TaqMan reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was utilised for all determinations on ileal biopsy specimens obtained from BD, AS and CD patients. The serum levels of Th1 and Th17 cytokines were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RES…

Rapida induzione di remissione di un caso di malattia di Vogt-Koyonagi-Harada recidivante dopo terapia con infliximab

Overexpression of interleukin-23, but not interleukin-17, as an immunologic signature of subclinical intestinal inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis

Objective Subclinical gut inflammation is common in spondylarthritis, but the immunologic abnormalities underlying this process are undefined. Perturbation of the interleukin-23 (IL-23)/Th17 axis has emerged as a fundamental trigger of chronic inflammation. This study was undertaken to investigate the expression and tissue distribution of IL-23/Th17–related molecules in Crohn's disease (CD) and in subclinical gut inflammation in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods Quantitative gene expression analysis of Th1/Th2 and IL-23/Th17 responses was performed in intestinal biopsy samples obtained from 12 patients with CD, 15 patients with AS, and 13 controls. IL-23 tissue distribution and identific…

Predictive role of capillaroscopic skin ulcer risk index in systemic sclerosis: A multicentre validation study

IntroductionThe early detection of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients at high risk of developing digital ulcers could allow preventive treatment, with a reduction of morbidity and social costs. In 2009, a quantitative score, the capillaroscopic skin ulcer risk index (CSURI), calculated according to the formula ‘D×M/N2’, was proposed, which was highly predictive of the appearance of scleroderma digital ulcers within 3 months of capillaroscopic evaluation.ObjectivesThis multicentre study aims to validate the predictive value and reproducibility of CSURI in a large population of SSc patients.MethodsCSURI was analysed in 229 unselected SSc patients by nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC). All pati…

Blocking TNF in vitro with infliximab determines the inhibition of expansion and interferon gamma production of Vγ9/Vδ2 T lymphocytes from patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. A role in the susceptibility to tuberculosis?

Side effects of TNF neutralisation - mostly infectious complications - were recognized, the most important being pulmonary tuberculosis infections. gamma/ d T cells contribute to protective immune response against mycobacterium tuberculosis.The aim of the present study was to assess the expansion capacity of Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cells from (tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) positive and PPD negative) patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to examine the in vitro effect of infliximab on this lymphocyte subset.28 PPD negative RA patients were studied and compared with 14 PPD positive RA patients, 45 PPD-negative and 110 PPD-positive healthy volunteers. Cell separation, ex…