Search results for " hormones"

New Melanocortin 1 Receptor Binding Motif Based on the C-Terminal Sequence of ?-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone

2006

The C-terminal tripeptide of the alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH11-13) possesses strong antiinflammatory activity without known cellular target. In order to better understand the structural requirements for function of such motif, we designed, synthesized and tested out Trp- and Tyr-containing analogues of the alpha-MSH11-13. Seven alpha-MSH11-13 analogues were synthesized and characterized for their binding to the melanocortin receptors recombinantly expressed in insect (Sf9) cells, infected with baculovirus carrying corresponding MC receptor DNA. We also tested these analogues on B16-F1 mouse melanoma cells endogenously expressing the MC1 receptor for binding and for abili…

Use of corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs in inflammatory bowel disease: Clinical practice guidelines of the Italian Group for the Study of …

2017

Abstract The two main forms of intestinal bowel disease, namely ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, are not curable but can be controlled by various medical therapies. The Italian Group for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IG-IBD) has prepared clinical practice guidelines to help physicians prescribe corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs for these patients. The guidelines consider therapies that induce remission in patients with active disease as well as treatment regimens that maintain remission. These guidelines complement already existing guidelines from IG-IBD on the use of biological drugs in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Phosphodiesterase-4 inhibition improves corticosteroid insensitivity in pulmonary endothelial cells under oxidative stress.

2012

Several clinical studies have shown that smoking in asthmatics and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients is closely associated with corticosteroid refractoriness. In this work, we have analyzed glucocorticoid insensitivity in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAECs) under cigarette smoke extract (CSE) exposure as well as the possible additive effects of the combination therapy with a phosphodiesterase (PDE)-4 inhibitor. Interleukin (IL)-8 was measured in cell supernatants by ELISA. Histone deacetylase (HDAC), histone acetylase (HAT), and intracellular cAMP levels were measured by colorimetric assays and enzyme immunoassay, respectively. PDE4 isotypes and glucocorticoid rec…

Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials in Mild-Moderate Ulcerative Colitis

2012

The Authors review and critically discuss the most recent published evidence on treatment of mild-moderate ulcerative colitis both in the induction and maintenance of remission. Evidence on each drug is introduced by the related statement of ECCO guidelines. A brief introduction on disease classification and the need of standardizing indexes of clinical and endoscopic activity is also provided. Concluding remarks stress the heterogeneity of available studies both in the selection of patients and the outcomes evaluated and suggest the development of an international consensus in setting standards which will allow studies' results to be compared and combined to produce high quality clinical r…

The use of topical corticoids in oral pathology

2009

This review examines the most important aspects of the use of topical corticosteroids in oral pathology. We provide a detailed analysis of the most common types of corticosteroids used, their methods of application and the clinical data that must be managed in order to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment. We also analyze the correctable causes of treatment failure and the possible adverse effects that may occur after applying these drugs. All of this is achieved by conducting a critical review of these concepts.

Comparing medical treatments for Crohn’s disease

2013

The drugs available for inflammatory bowel disease are aminosalicylates, antibiotics, steroids, immunosuppressors and biologics. The effectiveness of these drugs has been evaluated in many randomized clinical trials, mainly versus placebo. Few studies have been conducted comparing the different drugs among themselves, owing to the methodological problems raised by comparative trials, such as sample size and blindness. This review focuses mainly on the randomized clinical trials that have compared different treatments. Of course comparisons are mainly between drugs used in a particular setting (mild, moderate and severe disease). However, on many occasions there is no homogeneity in these cl…

How to manage aspergillosis in non-neutropenic intensive care unit patients.

2014

Invasive aspergillosis has been mainly reported among immunocompromised patients during prolonged periods of neutropenia. Recently, however, non-neutropenic patients in the ICU population have shown an increasing risk profile for aspergillosis. Associations with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and corticosteroid therapy have been frequently documented in this cohort. Difficulties in achieving a timely diagnosis of aspergillosis in non-neutropenic patients is related to the non-specificity of symptoms and to lower yields with microbiological tests compared to neutropenic patients. Since high mortality rates are typical of invasive aspergillosis in critically ill patients, a high level …

Pityriasis rosea Gibert triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection: A case report.

2021

RATIONALE: Pityriasis rosea Gibert is an erythematous-papulosquamous dermatosis that frequently occurs in young adults. The etiopathogenesis of PR is still unknown, but is frequently associated with episodes of upper respiratory tract infections. It is likely that a new viral trigger of pityriasis rosea is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). PATIENT CONCERNS: We present the case of a female patient in whom the diagnosis of pityriasis rosea led to the investigation and diagnosis of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The patient presented to the Department of Dermatology for a 3 week duration of an extremely pruritic erythematous-squamous lesion, initially on the trunk …

Determinants of arterial stiffness in pre- and postmenopausal women

2013

Accuracy of SCORTEN and ABCD‐10 to predict mortality and the influence of renal function in Stevens–Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis

2020

Epidermal necrolysis (EN) compromises a spectrum of life-threatening dermatoses (Stevens-Johnson Syndrome [SJS], overlap syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis [TEN]). Currently, no active therapeutic regimen with unequivocal benefit exists for SJS/TEN. SCORTEN is the widely-used prognostic scale specific for SJS/TEN. Nevertheless, a new prognostic scale, the ABCD-10, has been recently proposed. In this context, acute renal failure (ARF) seems to be an important comorbidity that could influence prognosis in SJS/TEN patients more than it is assumed by these two scales. Our objectives were to compare the accuracy of the SCORTEN and ABCD-10 scales in predicting the mortality in SJS/TEN, and t…