Systemic lupus erythemathosus between clinical practice and the laboratory: state of the art and new findings on anti-DNA autoantibodies

Identification of autoantibodies directed against nuclear antigens is a very important finding in the assessment of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. In particular, the anti-DNA autoantibodies have assumed a fundamental importance, both speculative and clinical, in the study of the systemic lupus erythemathous. The aim of the present review is to focalize on anti-DNA the mechanisms of both induction and production of anti-DNA autoantibodies, pathophysiologic and diagnostic and clinical aspects. For this purpose, forty years of studies on this topic have been reviewed. Aspects on different conformational shapes of double-stranded DNA have been discussed such as related pathogenetic and diagnost…

A comparison between two different in vitro basophil activation tests for gluten and cow 's milk protein sensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome-like patients.

Usefulness of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels in predicting residual myocardial ischemia in patients with ST elevation acute myocardial infarction.

N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT pro-BNP) is a neurohormone synthesized predominantly in ventricular myocardium. In patients with symptoms of heart failure, elevation in NT pro-BNP accurately identifies ventricular dysfunction. However, NT pro-BNP levels are not specific for ventricular dysfunction in patients who do not have overt symptoms of heart failure, suggesting that other cardiac processes such as myocardial ischemia may also cause elevation in NT pro-BNP. The study was aimed to determine whether NT pro-BNP elevations are associated with myocardial ischemia.One hundred and thirty patients (104 males, 26 females, mean age 61+12 years), with ST elevation acute myocardial …