Search results for " allergy"

Analysis of a database to predict the result of allergy testing in vivo in patients with chronic nasal symptoms.

2014

Background This article uses the logistic regression model for diagnostic decision making in patients with chronic nasal symptoms. We studied the ability of the logistic regression model, obtained by the evaluation of a database, to detect patients with positive allergy skin-prick test (SPT) and patients with negative SPT. The model developed was validated using the data set obtained from another medical institution. Methods The analysis was performed using a database obtained from a questionnaire administered to the patients with nasal symptoms containing personal data, clinical data, and results of allergy testing (SPT). All variables found to be significantly different between patients w…

The value of synthetic linear epitope analogues of La/SSB for the detection of autoantibodies to La/SSB; specificity, sensitivity and comparison of m…

1998

SUMMARY In a previous study it was shown that La/SSB contains four linear epitopes, p147–154, p291–302, p301–318 and p349–364. The aim of the present study was to investigate the value of the synthetic epitope analogues of the La/SSB autoantigen for the detection of antibodies to La/SSB, in comparison with recombinant La and fragments of this protein. A total of 122 sera with anti-La/SSB activity, from patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), were tested in various peptide-based assays. In addition, 62 sera from pSS or SLE patients with other autoantibody specificities and 95 sera from healthy individuals were used as controls. The autoantibody s…

Dexamethasone premedication suppresses vaccine-induced immune responses against cancer

2020

ABSTRACT Glucocorticosteroids (GCS) have an established role in oncology and are administered to cancer patients in routine clinical care and in drug development trials as co-medication. Given their strong immune-suppressive activity, GCS may interfere with immune-oncology drugs. We are developing a therapeutic cancer vaccine, which is based on a liposomal formulation of tumor-antigen encoding RNA (RNA-LPX) and induces a strong T-cell response both in mice as well as in humans. In this study, we investigated in vivo in mice and in human PBMCs the effect of the commonly used long-acting GCS Dexamethasone (Dexa) on the efficacy of this vaccine format, with a particular focus on antigen-specif…

Editorial: Thymic Epithelial Cells: New Insights Into the Essential Driving Force of T-Cell Differentiation.

2021

Interferon α interferes with immunological tolerance.

2013

The ability of regulatory T cells (Tregs) to promote immunological tolerance represents an important obstacle in cancer immunotherapy. We have recently discovered that the clinically established immunotherapeutic agent interferon α (IFNα) inactivates the suppressive functions of human Tregs. Here, we outline the mechanisms whereby IFNα mediates this important function and discuss its therapeutic implications for cancer immunotherapy.

Mast cells as protectors of health.

2019

Mast cells (MCs), which are well known for their effector functions in T(H)2-skewed allergic and also autoimmune inflammation, have become increasingly acknowledged for their role in protection of health. It is now clear that they are also key modulators of immune responses at interface organs, such as the skin or gut. MCs can prime tissues for adequate inflammatory responses and cooperate with dendritic cells in T-cell activation. They also regulate harmful immune responses in trauma and help to successfully orchestrate pregnancy. This review focuses on the beneficial effects of MCs on tissue homeostasis and elimination of toxins or venoms. MCs can enhance pathogen clearance in many bacter…

Real-world experience with obeticholic acid in patients with primary biliary cholangitis

2021

Background & aims Obeticholic acid (OCA) is the second-line treatment approved for patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and an inadequate response or intolerance to ursodeoxycholic acid. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of OCA under real-world conditions. Methods Patients were recruited into the Italian PBC Registry, a multicentre, observational cohort study that monitors patients with PBC at national level. The primary endpoint was the biochemical response according to Poise criteria; the secondary endpoint was the biochemical response according to normal range criteria, defined as normal levels of bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and alanine aminotransfer…

Could PD-1/PDL1 immune checkpoints be linked to HLA signature?

2019

The outstanding clinical expansion of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) (nivolumab and pembrolizumab) and PD-1 ligand-1 (PDL-1) (atezolizumab, avelumab and durvalumab) has received an increasing level of interest regarding immunotherapy and multidrug combinations, for the treatment of a number of common human malignancies. Some patients treated with these agents receive remarkable benefits in term of quality of life, progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). However, a significant percentage of these patients experience immune-related adverse events (irAEs), while others present with an ultra-rapid disease progression, defined as hyperprogressio…

CVB3 VP1 interacts with MAT1 to inhibit cell proliferation by interfering with Cdk-activating kinase complex activity in CVB3-induced acute pancreati…

2021

Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) belongs to the genus Enterovirus of the family Picornaviridae and can cause acute acinar pancreatitis in adults. However, the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis underlying CVB3-induced acute pancreatitis have remained unclear. In this study, we discovered that CVB3 capsid protein VP1 inhibited pancreatic cell proliferation and exerted strong cytopathic effects on HPAC cells. Through yeast two-hybrid, co-immunoprecipitation, and confocal microscopy, we show that Menage a trois 1 (MAT1), a subunit of the Cdk-Activating Kinase (CAK) complex involved in cell proliferation and transcription, is a novel interaction protein with CVB3 VP1. Moreover, CVB3 VP1 inhibited MAT…

Infection-induced chromatin modifications facilitate translocation of herpes simplex virus capsids to the inner nuclear membrane

2021

Herpes simplex virus capsids are assembled and packaged in the nucleus and move by diffusion through the nucleoplasm to the nuclear envelope for egress. Analyzing their motion provides conclusions not only on capsid transport but also on the properties of the nuclear environment during infection. We utilized live-cell imaging and single-particle tracking to characterize capsid motion relative to the host chromatin. The data indicate that as the chromatin was marginalized toward the nuclear envelope it presented a restrictive barrier to the capsids. However, later in infection this barrier became more permissive and the probability of capsids to enter the chromatin increased. Thus, although …