Search results for "Allergy"
showing 10 items of 3181 documents
Systems Biology and immune aging
2014
Many alterations of innate and adaptive immunity are common in the aging population, which reflect a deterioration of the immune system, and have lead to the terms "immune aging" or "immunosenescence". Systems Biology aims to the comprehensive knowledge of the structure, dynamics, control and design that define a given biological system. Systems Biology benefits from the continuous advances in the omics sciences, based on high-throughput and high-content technologies, as well as on bioinformatic tools for data mining and integration. The Systems Biology approach is becoming gradually used to propose and to test comprehensive models of aging, both at the level of the immune system and the wh…
Proteomic analysis of Parietaria judaica pollen and allergen profiling by an immunoproteomic approach
2010
Parietaria judaica pollen is a common cause of airway allergic disease in the Mediterranean area. Proteome analysis of mature Parietaria judaica pollen by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry has established the first reference proteome map of this weed. Proteins involved in a variety of cellular functions as well as the occurrence of allergens were detected. By using 2-DE and immunoblotting with sera from Parietaria judaica allergic patients we obtained a more detailed characterization of Parietaria judaica allergen profile so to improve our comprehension of the pathogenesis of pollen-induced allergic reaction.
MALDI MS imaging as a powerful tool for investigating synovial tissue
2012
To identify and image protein biomarker candidates in the synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and patients with osteoarthritis (OA).A novel matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) technique was applied to the analysis of synovial tissue. Patients were classified according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for RA. Frozen sections were stained to obtain morphological data. Serial sections were desiccated, and spotted with matrix for MALDI analysis. Ions generated by laser irradiation of the tissue were separated in time, based on their m/z ratio, and were subsequently detected. IMS was used in a 'profiling…
The impact of whole blood processing and freezing conditions on the quality of therapeutic plasma prepared from whole blood
2014
Background The quality of whole blood (WB)-derived plasma preparations has been the subject of several studies, but there has been a lack of robust, comparative data for the different methods of processing and freezing. Study Design and Methods Six WB-derived plasma units were pooled and split (n = 16) and frozen within either 8 or 24 hours after WB collection, stored at 4°C or at room temperature (RT), and then frozen either slowly at −20°C or rapidly to below −30°C. Plasma units were tested for fibrinogen, Factor (F)V, FVII, FVIII, FXI, and von Willebrand factor (VWF), protein C (PC), protein S (PS) activity and free PS, prothrombin time, and partial thromboplastin time. Results FVIII was…
Null alleles of human complement C4. Evidence for pseudogenes at the C4A locus and for gene conversion at the C4B locus
1990
The two genes for the C4A and C4B isotypes of the fourth component of human complement are located in the MHC class III region. Previous studies have demonstrated the unusual expression of C4 genes in the form of aberrant or duplicated haplotypes. Null alleles of C4A or C4B (AQ0 or BQ0) have been defined by the absence of gene products and occur at frequencies of 0.1-0.3. However, only some C4 null alleles are due to gene deletions, the remainder were thought to be nonexpressed genes. We have analyzed the C4 gene structure of 26 individuals lacking either C4A or C4B protein. The DNA of individuals with apparently nonexpressed C4 genes was tested for the presence of C4A- and C4B-specific seq…
Humoral autoreactivity directed against surfactant protein-A (SP-A) in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluids.
2000
SUMMARY SP-A is found principally in the lung, and has been associated with lamellar bodies also found in the synovial joint. Both SP-A and C1q contain collagen-like regions, and SP-A and C1q have some structural similarities, both having a globular head region and a collagen-like tail. Here we are able to show that (i) autoreactivity to SP-A, as expressed by IgG and IgM autoantibodies, is present in synovial fluid (SF) isolated from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); (ii) in absorption experiments only a limited degree of cross-reactivity between autoantibodies reactive with C1q and SP-A is observed; (iii) there is no cross-reactivity between autoantibodies reactive with type II coll…
The disease-specific clinical trial network for primary ciliary dyskinesia: PCD-CTN
2022
Primary ciliary dyskinesia; Rare genetic disorder; Lung diseases Discinesia ciliar primaria; Trastorno genético raro; Enfermedades pulmonares Discinesia ciliar primària; Trastorn genètic rar; Malalties pulmonars Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disorder characterised by impaired mucociliary clearance leading to irreversible lung damage. In contrast to other rare lung diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF), there are only few clinical trials and limited evidence-based treatments. Management is mainly based on expert opinions and treatment is challenging due to a wide range of clinical manifestations and disease severity. To improve clinical and translational research and facili…
Maximal degree of airway narrowing induced by methacholine and adenosine monophosphate: relationship with the decrease in forced vital capacity.
2010
Background Changes in forced vital capacity (FVC) may represent an indirect method for the detection of plateau in response to inhaled bronchoconstrictor agents. Objective To determine the relationship between the level of plateau obtained with either methacholine or adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and the decrease in FVC induced by each bronchoconstrictor agent. Methods Airway responsiveness to high concentrations of methacholine and AMP was determined in patients with intermittent asthma (n = 41) or allergic rhinitis (n = 26). Furthermore, allergen-induced changes in the response to each bronchoconstrictor agent were investigated in 18 pollen-sensitive patients. Concentration-response curve…
Effect of cigarette smoking on airway responsiveness to adenosine 5'-monophosphate in subjects with allergic rhinitis.
2003
Study objectives: The objective of this study was to determine differences in airway responsiveness to adenosine 5-monophosphate (AMP) between smokers and nonsmokers with allergic rhinitis. Methods: A total of 41 adults with allergic rhinitis (16 smokers and 25 nonsmokers) were challenged with increasing concentrations of methacholine and AMP. Airflow was assessed after each concentration, and the response to each bronchoconstrictor agent was measured by the provocative concentration required to produce a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20). Results: The geometric mean PC20 AMP values were significantly lower in smokers than in nonsmokers: 72.4 mg/mL (95% confidence interval [CI], 33.9 to 154.9) vs 204…
Relationship between airway sensitivity to adenosine 5' monophosphate and the shape of the concentration-response curve to methacholine in subjects w…
2001
Abstract The objective of this study was to determine differences in airway sensitivity to adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP) between allergic rhinitis subjects with plateau and those without evidence of plateau on the concentration–response curves to methacholine. A total of 51 adults (38 subjects with allergic rhinitis and 13 healthy controls) were challenged with increasing concentrations of methacholine and AMP. The methacholine challenge was terminated when there was a 40% or more decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV 1 ), whereas the AMP challenge was stopped when FEV 1 had fallen by more than 20%. A plateau for methacholine was detected in all 13 healthy controls and in 27…