Search results for "Allergy"

Glycosaminoglycans in Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy

1992

Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) accumulation in the retrobulbar space of patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) has been documented in a number of immunohistochemical studies. In order to gain further insight into possible immunopathogenic mechanisms, the influence of humoral immunity on retrobulbar fibroblasts (RF) as GAG producing cells as well as on GAGs themselves was investigated. The effect of lymphocytes on hyaluronic acid (HA) synthesis of RF as well as in turn the influence of RF on lymphocytes were evaluated. In search of methods which would facilitate management of patients with TAO and allow assessment of disease activity, GAGs were determined in both urine and plasma. Im…

Cardiovascular comorbidity in multiple sclerosis patients treated with mitoxantrone therapy: a cohort study

2017

Abstract Background Mitoxantrone (MX) has been used as second line therapy for aggressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Potential cardiotoxic effects of MX limit its use; a cumulative dose of up to 100 mg/m2, has been long considered relatively safe. We calculated the frequency of cardiac side effects in MS patients treated with MX. Methods We performed a cohort study including all MS patients treated with MX at the Neurological Department of the University Hospital of Palermo, Italy. Two hundred-sixty-four MS patients diagnosed according to validated criteria were included and followed-up until the end of September 2010. Patients were treated with MX as a second line therapy if they had no prev…

Neurological impairment in experimental antiphospholipid syndrome is associated with increased ligand binding to hippocampal and cortical serotonergi…

2013

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease where the presence of high titers of circulating autoantibodies causes thrombosis with consecutive infarcts. In experimental APS (eAPS), a mouse model of APS, behavioral abnormalities develop in the absence of vessel occlusion or infarcts. Using brain hemispheres of control and eAPS mice with documented neurological and cognitive deficits, we checked for lymphocytic infiltration, activation of glia and macrophages, as well as alterations of ligand binding densities of various neurotransmitter receptors to unravel the molecular basis of this abnormal behavior. Lymphocytic infiltrates were immunohistochemically characterized using a…

Role of cytokines and oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis: therapeutical implications.

2002

Abstract Severe acute pancreatitis causes a high incidence of mortality due to the systemic inflammatory response syndrome leading to multiple organ failure. At present, there is no treatment against severe acute pancreatitis, other than supportive critical care. The relationship between pancreatic injury and the uncontrolled systemic response is not completely understood. Nevertheless, experimental and clinical evidences have shown that pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress are critically involved in the development of local and systemic complications associated with severe acute pancreatitis. Serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, increase du…

The Dietary Inflammatory Index and asthma burden in children: A latent class analysis

2021

Introduction: Unbalanced dietary intake has been increasingly recognized as an important modifiable risk factor for asthma. In this study, we assessed whether a pro-inflammatory diet is associated with higher asthma burden in three steps: (1) identification of asthma latent classes (LC) based on symptoms, indoor exposures, and pulmonary function; (2) identification of risk factors associated with LC membership; and (3) estimation of the probabilities of LC membership with variation in DII. Methods: A cross-sectional study on 415 children aged 5–14 years (266 with persistent asthma and 149 controls). LC analysis was performed in asthmatic children. The DII was calculated based on a semiquant…

Cardiovascular Events in Rheumatoid Arthritis-Time to See Beyond Articular Involvement in "Real World" Clinical Practice: Comment on the Article by M…

2015

Clinical evaluation and treatment of acute asthma exacerbations in children

2009

This update on treatment of asthma exacerbations in children is the result of an Italian Pediatric Society Task-force, made up of a panel of experts working in 2007–2008. The aim is to give clear indications on the use of the drugs most employed in children, grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations. Suggestions on their limits due to unlicensed and off-label use are reported. The level of evidence and the strength of recommendations for different therapeutic approaches demonstrate that frequently the use of drugs in children is extrapolated from the experience in adults and that more studies are required to endorse the correct use of different drugs in asthmatic …

The Presence of Gestational Diabetes is Associated with Increased Detection of Anti-HLA-class II Antibodies in the Maternal Circulation

2006

Problem Gestational diabetes (GD) may be associated with temporarily reduced immune tolerance toward alloantigens for the time of pregnancy. The aim of this study was to assess anti-HLA-class I and -II antibodies as markers for an aberrant immunostimulation in women with GD. Method of study The percentage of anti-HLA-class I and -II antibodies was estimated in women with GD, normal term delivery and fetal distress, which was confirmed by demonstrating low cord blood pH for this patient group. These antibodies may cross the placental barrier and cause interleukin-6 (IL-6) release from fetal monocytes by cross-linking monocytes with antibody-loaded cells. Therefore we estimated the percentage…

The skin in autoimmune diseases-Unmet needs.

2016

Treatment of skin manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), and dermatomyositis (DM) is based on the results of only few randomized controlled trials. The first-line treatment for disfiguring and widespread cutaneous involvement in SLE is antimalarials, but some patients are therapy resistant. Recently, the monoclonal antibody belimumab was approved for SLE as an adjunct therapy for patients with autoantibody-positive disease who despite standard therapy show high disease activity, intolerance of other treatments, or an unacceptably high need for corticosteroids. However, a validated skin score has not been used to confirm the efficacy of belimumab on m…

Safety and tolerability of omalizumab

2009

Summary Background Omalizumab (Xolair®) is a recombinant humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody with proven efficacy in patients with moderate-to-severe and severe persistent allergic (IgE-mediated) asthma. Objective To review clinical study data to assess the safety profile of omalizumab. Methods We analysed the safety of omalizumab using data from completed clinical studies (up to 1 year) involving more than 7500 patients with asthma, rhinitis or related conditions and up to 4 years in one study of patients with severe allergic asthma, as well as post-marketing safety data. Analysis focuses on the risk of immune-system effects, hypersensitivity reactions, malignant neoplasia, parasitic in…