Arteriosclerosi ed artrite reumatoide: ruolo della terapia biologica

Glucose-induced loss of glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane regulators of complement activation (CD59, CD55) by in vitro cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Aims/hypothesis. This study examines whether increased glucose concentrations are responsible for a decreased expression of membrane regulators of complement activation molecules. The effect of high glucose in determining an increase in membrane attack complex deposition on endothelial cells was also investigated. Methods. Endothelial cells were isolated from umbilical cord tissue, cultured in the presence of increased concentrations of glucose, and the expression of CD46, CD55, and CD59 was detected by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and by flow cytometry. Glucose-treated endothelial cells were also incubated with antiendothelial cell antibodies and fresh complement to assess the…

No detection of occult HBV-DNA in patients with various rheumatic diseases treated with anti-TNF agents: a two-year prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: The widespread use of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-targeted therapies in patients with rheumatic, digestive and dermatologic diseases has been associated with reports of reactivation of HBV replication and ensuing hepatitis flares both in asymptomatic HBsAg carriers and in subjects with occult HBV infection. The aim of our work was to investigate in a two-year prospective study the potential for HBV reactivation in patients with inflammatory joint diseases undergoing anti-TNF treatment from a southern Mediterranean area. METHODS: Fifty-seven consecutive outpatients attending the Academic Unit of Rheumatology at the University of Palermo (12 with rheumatoid arthritis, 17 with pso…

Aterosclerosi e Biologici

La determinazione degli anticorpi anti-peptide ciclico citrullinato è utile nel discriminare pazienti con artrite reumatoide da quelli con poliartrite associata a tiroidite cronica autoimmune

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…

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Performance of the upgraded PreProcessor of the ATLAS Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger

The PreProcessor of the ATLAS Level-1 Calorimeter Trigger prepares the analogue trigger signals sent from the ATLAS calorimeters by digitising, synchronising, and calibrating them to reconstruct transverse energy deposits, which are then used in further processing to identify event features. During the first long shutdown of the LHC from 2013 to 2014, the central components of the PreProcessor, the Multichip Modules, were replaced by upgraded versions that feature modern ADC and FPGA technology to ensure optimal performance in the high pile-up environment of LHC Run 2. This paper describes the features of the newMultichip Modules along with the improvements to the signal processing achieved.

Clinical and experimental effectiveness of infliximab in Behçet's disease. A pilot study

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

Clinical manifestations of Behçet's disease in 137 Italian patients: Results of a multicenter study

Objective. To determine the type and frequency of clinical features of Behcets disease in a population of Italian patients. Methods. We retrospectively v studied 137 Italian patients (76 males and 61 females, age at onset 29.6 +/- 12.2 [mean +/-SD] Years) seen consecutively in nine different referral centers. The duration of follow-up (it study entry was 10.9 +/- 8.2 years. Virtually all patients fulfilled the classification criteria developed by the International Study Group for Behcets disease. The clinical manifestations of the patients were recorded by the attending physicians using specifically designed forms. \ Results. The most frequent manifestations at disease onset were oral (78.3…

Performance Enhancement of Vapour-Compression Refrigeration Systems Using Nanoparticles: An Experimental Study

In recent years, the development and characterization of new refrigerants with higher energetic efficiency have gained considerable interest [1], with a particular emphasis on the energetic performance of suitable replacements. Nanofluids have been proposed as possible alternative due to their role in enhancing the thermophysical proprieties of traditional refrigerants [2]. The comprehensive review in [2] suggests that thermal conductivity of nanofluid increases with temperature and volume concentration, but it is dependent on nanoparticle size distribution; specific heat is also increased if nanoparticles are added to the refrigerant.

Cell Immunity in Inflammatory Vasculitis

The vasculitides are a highly heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by the presence of inflammatory leukocytes in the vessel walls and reactive inflammation. Giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu’s arteritis (TA) are the two primary large-vessel vasculitides. Two distinct cellular pathways have been identified in GCA: Th17 polarization and IL-17 secretion and generation of Th1 cells which secrete IFN-γ. These two pathways may play different roles in the pathogenesis of vasculitides. The antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAVs) are small vessel vasculitis associated with antibodies directly to myeloperoxidase (MPO-ANCA) such as eosinophilic granulo…

Successful intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for steroid-resistant eosinophilic enteritis in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare condition of unknown etiology characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the bowel. Corticosteroids are the mainstay of EG therapy. Although rare, steroid-resistant EG could be a life-threatening condition with tissue destructive evolution. Associations of eosinophilic gastroenteritis with systemic lupus erythematosus have rarely been reported. In this report we describe a case of successful IVIG treatment in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and steroid-refractory eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a rare condition of unknown etiology characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the bowel. Corticosteroids are t…