0000000000749229
AUTHOR
Costantino Pitzalis
showing 5 related works from this author
SAT0025 THE EFFECT OF DIMETHYL FUMARATE ON PLASMABLAST DIFFERENTIATION TRANSCRIPTIONAL PROGRAMMES IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
2019
Background: Dimethyl fumarate (DMF), is an immunomodulatory drug approved for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Psoriasis. The exact mechanism of action of DMF is not entirely known. Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects have been observed, including the upregulation of NRF-2, the inhibition of TIGAR and the block of the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBEL3. Further evidence from MS patients suggests a modulation on B cell activation. Although beneficial effects of DMF have been observed in animal models of lupus nephritis and limited cases human cutaneous lupus, the effect of DMF on B cell maturation transcriptional programmes in systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) has …
Targeting CD34+ cells of the inflamed synovial endothelium by guided nanoparticles for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
2019
Abstract Despite the advances in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) achieved in the last few years, several patients are diagnosed late, do not respond to or have to stop therapy because of inefficacy and/or toxicity, leaving still a huge unmet need. Tissue-specific strategies have the potential to address some of these issues. The aim of the study is the development of a safe nanotechnology approach for tissue-specific delivery of drugs and diagnostic probes. CD34 + endothelial precursors were addressed in inflamed synovium using targeted biodegradable nanoparticles (tBNPs). These nanostructures were made of poly-lactic acid, poly-caprolactone, and PEG and then coated with a synovi…
Over-expression of paneth cell-derived anti-microbial peptides in the gut of patients with ankylosing spondylitis and subclinical intestinal inflamma…
2010
OBJECTIVES: Subclinical gut inflammation has been demonstrated in patients with AS. Altered expression of paneth cell (PC) anti-microbial peptides have been reported in the inflamed ileum of patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Here, we investigated the expression of PC-derived peptides in subclinical gut inflammation in AS. METHODS: Multiple adjacent mucosal biopsies from terminal ileum were obtained from 25 patients with AS, 30 CD and 15 healthy controls (HCs). Expression of human α-defensin 5 (HD-5), phospholipase A2 (PLA2), lysozyme and SOX-9 molecules was assessed by quantitative Taqman RT-PCR on mucosal samples. Immunohistochemistry with anti-human HD-5 antibody and genotyping of relev…
Inflammatory cytokines shape a changing DNA methylome in monocytes mirroring disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis
2019
Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease that mainly targets joints. Monocytes and macrophages are critical in RA pathogenesis and contribute to inflammatory lesions. These extremely plastic cells respond to extracellular signals which cause epigenomic changes that define their pathogenic phenotype. Here, we interrogated how DNA methylation alterations in RA monocytes are determined by extracellular signals. Methods: High-throughput DNA methylation analyses of patients with RA and controls and in vitro cytokine stimulation were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms behind DNA methylation alterations in RA as well as their relationship with clinic…
The growing role of precision medicine for the treatment of autoimmune diseases; results of a systematic review of literature and Experts’ Consensus
2021
International audience; Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) share similar serological, clinical, and radiological findings, but, behind these common features, there are different pathogenic mechanisms, immune cells dysfunctions, and targeted organs. In this context, multiple lines of evidence suggest the application of precision medicine principles to AIDs to reduce the treatment failure. Precision medicine refers to the tailoring of therapeutic strategies to the individual characteristics of each patient, thus it could be a new approach for management of AIDS which considers individual variability in genes, environmental exposure, and lifestyle. Precision medicine would also assist physicians in ch…