Search results for "Allergy"
showing 10 items of 3181 documents
Osteoprotegerin: multiple partners for multiple functions.
2013
Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is an essential secreted protein in bone turnover due to its role as a decoy receptor for the Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kB ligand (RANKL) in the osteoclasts, thus inhibiting their differentiation. However, there are additional ligands of OPG that confer various biological functions. OPG can promote cell survival, cell proliferation and facilitates migration by binding TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), glycosaminoglycans or proteoglycans. A large number of in vitro, pre-clinical and clinical studies provide evidences of OPG involvement in vascular, bone, immune and tumor biology. This review describes an overview of the different OPG ligands regu…
FRI0194 Is There an Association Between Spondyloarthritis and Antibodies Towards Borrelia, Ehrlichia and Chlamydia Species?
2015
Background Several studies suggested that certain microorganisms might contribute to initiation and perpetuation of spondyloarthritis (SpA). Objectives To investigate IgG and IgM antibodies towards Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), Borrelia garinii (Bg), Borrelia afzelii (Ba), Ehrlichia spp. (Ehr), Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct), and Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cp) in SpA patients, low back pain patients, and healthy subjects and to elucidate whether previous infections could play a role in the onset of SpA. Methods Data collection was based on persons aged 18-40 years referred with low back pain for ≥3 months. They were examined with MRI of the spine and sacroiliac joints, CRP, HLA-B27, and clinical SpA fe…
Conserved TCR β chain usage in reactive arthritis; evidence for selection by a putative HLA-B27-associated autoantigen
2002
Previous work suggested that expanded CD8+ T-cell clones in the synovial fluid (SF) of HLA-B27+ patients with reactive arthritis (ReA) preferentially use the T-cell receptor variable region (TCRBV) 1, similar CDR3 sequences, and joining region (BJ) 2S3. To determine the range of conservation and disease-specificity of CDR3-sequences, we analyzed the TCRBV1-J2S3 repertoire from 33 healthy HLA-B27+ individuals, patients with various types of spondyloarthropathies (SpA), and with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by CDR3-spectratyping. After collection and database submission of all available TCRB-CDR3 from HLA-B27-restricted or SpA-derived T cells, we systematically screened the entire human sequence…
Enterobacterial Antigens with Tropism for Joint Structures and HLA-B27=Restricted Cytotoxic T-Cells in Reactive Arthritis
1995
In reactive arthritis (ReA), sterile synovitis is an immunological sequela following gastrointestinal or urogenital infection with facultatively intracellular bacteria (Yersinia, Salmonella, Shigella, Chlamydia). It is widely accepted now that the development of arthritis is closely related to the persistance of bacteria or bacterial antigens in extraarticular mucosal or lymphoid tissues (i.e. gut mucosa, gut associated lymphoid tissue, genitourinary mucosa); however, it is still unclear which host mechanisms are responsible for the poorer elimination of arthritis-causing microorganisms in those ReA patients. Bacterial components are also camed to the joints where they can be demonstrated i…
Targeting of the transcription factor STAT4 by antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotides suppresses collagen-induced arthritis
2007
Abstract The transcription factor STAT4 mediates signals of various proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-12, IL-15, and IL-23, that initiate and stabilize Th1 cytokine production. Although Th1 cytokine production has been suggested to play a major pathogenic role in rheumatoid arthritis, the role of STAT4 in this disease is poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate a key functional role of STAT4 in murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). In initial studies we found that STAT4 expression is strongly induced in CD4+ T cells and to a lesser extent in CD11b+ APCs during CIA. To analyze the role of STAT4 for arthritis manifestation, we next investigated the outcome of interfering with S…
The role of innate and lymphoid IL-22-producing cells in the immunopathology of primary Sjögren's syndrome
2014
In primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) a complex of interconnections between epithelial barrier, innate and adaptive immunity occurs. IL-22 is a pleiotropic cytokine that in pSS may be placed at the intersection of the adaptive and innate branches of immunity. Some evidence suggests that, in pSS, IL-22 may play a prominent pro-inflammatory role driving the early phase of tissue and systemic inflammation and participating in the self-perpetuation of disease. Despite contradictory data in literature about the role of NK cells in pSS, recent data also suggest an important contribution of this subset of cells of the innate immune system in the development and perpetuation of inflammation. Here, we…
Altered (oxidized) C1q induces a rheumatoid arthritis-like destructive and chronic inflammation in joint structures in arthritis-susceptible rats.
1997
Previous studies have identified an altered C1q molecule in synovial fluids from the joints of rheumatoid arthritis patients. We therefore immunized arthritis-susceptible Lewis 1A.AVN rats with either native C1q (C1q nat), altered (oxidized) C1q (C1q ox), or type II collagen (CII, induces arthritis in these animals), in order to induce arthritis. Unlike C1q nat, both CII and C1q ox were able to induce swelling and erythema of joints consistent with an arthritis-like inflammatory reaction. Histopathological evaluation of individual joint sections revealed synovitis, bursitis and tendovaginitis, massive joint destruction, and severe pannus formation. In a time-course study, no differences in …
Assessing Single Joints in Arthritis Clinical Trials
2009
The need to develop validated outcome measures to assess response to therapies in single joints has been recognized. In 2004, a task force was established to assess established and novel outcome measures in accordance with the OMERACT filter (truth, discrimination, and feasibility) for single joint assessment. This report describes the proceedings of the single joint assessment special interest group (SIG) at OMERACT 9, including an updated literature review of imaging of the knee joints, with a focus on the extent to which these modalities fulfill the OMERACT filter. A series of studies are reported that examine patient reported, clinical examination, and imaging outcomes in therapeutic st…
Expression of 60-kD Heat Shock Protein Increases during Carcinogenesis in the Uterine Exocervix
2002
<i>Objectives:</i> The aim of the present study was to determine the presence and expression of the 60-kD heat shock protein (HSP60) in the dysplasia-carcinoma sequence in the uterine exocervix and to evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic significance. <i>Methods and Results:</i> We performed Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses on biopsies from 40 cases, consisting of 10 normal exocervical biopsies, 10 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (L-SIL), 10 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (H-SIL) and 10 cancerous exocervices (G2 grade). The immunohistochemical results were quantified by computer-assisted image analysis. Western blot analysis sho…
Modulation of type II collagen-induced arthritis in DBA/1 mice by intravenous application of a peptide from the C1q-A chain.
1992
In this report we are able to show that intravenous (i.v.) application (day 0) of a nonapeptide (residues 26-34) from the human C1q A-chain (designated peptide A-C1q) prior to intradermal (i.d.) administration of chicken type II collagen (CII) in arthritis-susceptible DBA/1 mice (H2q), leads to abrogation of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) invasion into the joints. This nonapeptide exhibits epitope characteristics and high homology to residues 137-147 of CB11 (a cyanogen bromide fragment of chicken CII, known to contain both arthritis inducing and suppressing determinants). Arthritis index was lowest in animals pretreated i.v. with CII (as internal control), though animals pretreated i.v…