0000000000530900
AUTHOR
Riili M
Alterations of the beneficial effect of deep inspiration in scleroderma: relationships between lung function and imaging.
<i>Background:</i> It has been postulated that the beneficial effects of deep inspiration are dependent on the magnitude of airway distension by virtue of airway to parenchyma interdependence. <i>Objective:</i> This study was designed to examine whether the changes that occur in pulmonary fibrosis affect the beneficial effect of deep inspiration. <i>Methods:</i> Thirty-one subjects with scleroderma underwent lung volume and diffusion capacity assessment as well as high-resolution computed tomography. To assess the effect of deep inspiration, each subject underwent methacholine provocations in the absence of deep breaths. When the targeted change in lung f…
THE LEVEL OF SOLUBLE GRANZYME A IS ELEVATED IN THE PLASMA AND IN THE Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T CELL CULTURE SUPERNATANTS OF PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE BEHCET'S DISEASE
Gramzyme A (GrA) is a serine proteinase with trypsin-like activity that is released extracellularly during the degranulation of cytotoxic cells. Among the cytotoxic cells, gamma/delta T cells participate in the early phases of the immune response and are known to express perforin and granzymes constitutively in agreement with their cytolytic pontential.GrA activity was detected using the synthetic substrate N-alpha-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine thiobenzyl ester in the plasma and supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultured in the presence of Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate to obtain Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cell expansion.Significantly high levels of GrA were found in the serum and supernat…
HRCT and scleroderma: semiquantitative evaluation of lung damage and functional abnormalities.
This study sought to validate the Warrick score in the assessment of lung involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and correlate the results with functional abnormalities. In addition, we propose the use of high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) indices of alveolitis and fibrosis to discriminate between different stages of the disease.Thirty-one patients with SSc (16 with the diffuse form and 15 with the limited form) underwent functional and HRCT evaluations of the lung. The semiquantitative evaluation of radiological involvement, as proposed by Warrick, provides a score for each lesion based on the severity and the extent of the pulmonary damage. In addition to the total score, indices…