Search results for "Autoimmunity"

2014

The family of synuclein proteins (α, β and γ) are related to neurodegenerative disease e.g. Parkinson disease and Morbus Alzheimer. Additionally, a connection between γ-synuclein and glaucoma, a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells, which finally leads to blindness, exists. The reason for the development of glaucoma is still unknown. Recent studies evaluating the participation of immunological components, demonstrate complex changed antibody reactivities in glaucoma patients in comparison to healthy people, showing not only up-regulations (e.g. alpha-fodrin antibody) but also down-regulations (e.g. γ-synuclein antibody) of antibodies in gla…

Role of apoptosis in autoimmunity.

2004

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the activity of autoreactive lymphocytes that produce antibodies targeting self tissue or organ for destruction. Although the pathogenesis of these diseases is poorly understood, during the past two decades basic research has indicated apoptosis as the pivotal molecular mechanism leading to autoimmunity. Recently cytokines have been invoked in the regulation of the apoptosis-related factors and death receptors in autoimmune target destruction. These research advances have contributed to the identification of mechanisms controlling autoimmunity for defining novel therapeutic strategies.

ID: 186

2015

In the past years, and clear pathogenic role was shown for Th17 cells in the development of autoimmune diseases. In particular, these cells were shown to play a critical roIn the past years, and clear pathogenic role was shown for Th17 cells in the development of autoimmune diseases. In particular, these cells were shown to play a critical role in the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for multiple sclerosis. One of the major cytokines Th17 cells produce is IL-17A, a cytokine of the IL-17 family. IL-17A, as well as it homologue IL-17F bind and trigger cells via the IL-17 receptor A/C complex. We have used a series of mice with deficiencies in the…

NFAT1 deficit and NFAT2 deficit attenuate EAE via different mechanisms

2015

EAE serves as an animal model for multiple sclerosis and is initiated by autoreactive T cells that infiltrate the CNS. Recognition of myelin-associated Ags within the CNS leads to activation of the transcription factor family NFAT. Here, we demonstrate an essential role for NFAT in disease induction, as the combined lack of NFAT1 (NFATc2) and NFAT2 (NFATc1) completely protected mice. Single deficiency of either NFAT1 or NFAT2 ameliorated the course of EAE, and NFAT2 ablation resulted in an obstructed proinflammatory reaction. However, NFAT1 deficit led to an anti-inflammatory response with nonpathogenic Th17 and Th2 cells concurrently secreting IL-17, IL-4, and IL-10. Both IL-4 and IL-10 co…

Excessive CpG 1668 stimulation triggers IL-10 production by cDC that inhibits IFN-alpha responses by pDC.

2008

Upon stimulation with a wide range of concentrations of CpG oligodeoxynucleotide 2216 (CpG 2216), plasmacytoid DC are induced to produce type I IFN (IFN-alpha/beta). In contrast, CpG 1668 shows a bell-shaped dose-response correlation, i.e. only intermediate but not high doses of CpG 1668 induce IFN-alpha/beta. Interestingly, high-dose CpG 1668 completely inhibited IFN-alpha responses induced by CpG 2216. Experiments using supernatant of high-dose CpG-1668-treated cells indicated that secreted inhibitor(s) mediated the IFN-alpha shut-off. Among modulating cytokines, IL-10 turned out to be one important negative regulator. In line with this, supernatants of IL-10-deficient DC cultures stimula…

Defective stromal remodeling and neutrophil extracellular traps in lymphoid tissues favor the transition from autoimmunity to lymphoma

2013

Abstract Altered expression of matricellular proteins can become pathogenic in the presence of persistent perturbations in tissue homeostasis. Here, we show that autoimmunity associated with Fas mutation was exacerbated and transitioned to lymphomagenesis in the absence of SPARC (secreted protein acidic rich in cysteine). The absence of SPARC resulted in defective collagen assembly, with uneven compartmentalization of lymphoid and myeloid populations within secondary lymphoid organs (SLO), and faulty delivery of inhibitory signals from the extracellular matrix. These conditions promoted aberrant interactions between neutrophil extracellular traps and CD5+ B cells, which underwent malignant …

Neutrophil extracellular traps mediate transfer of cytoplasmic neutrophil antigens to myeloid dendritic cells toward ANCA induction and associated au…

2012

AbstractAntineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) target proteins normally retained within neutrophils, indicating that cell death is involved in the autoimmunity process. Still, ANCA pathogenesis remains obscure. ANCAs activate neutrophils inducing their respiratory burst and a peculiar form of cell death, named NETosis, characterized by formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), decondensed chromatin threads decorated with cytoplasmic proteins endorsed with antimicrobial activity. NETs have been consistently detected in ANCA-associated small-vessel vasculitis, and this association prompted us to test whether the peculiar structure of NET favors neutrophil proteins uploading i…

Autoantibodies in complex regional pain syndrome bind to a differentiation-dependent neuronal surface autoantigen.

2009

Complex regional pain syndrome, which is characterised by pain and trophic disturbances, develops frequently after peripheral limb trauma. There is an increasing evidence of an involvement of the immune system in CRPS, and recently we showed that CRPS patients have autoantibodies against nervous system structures. Therefore we tested the sera of CRPS patients, neuropathy patients and healthy volunteers for surface-binding autoantibodies to primary cultures of autonomic neurons and differentiated neuroblastoma cell lines using flow cytometry. Thirteen of 30 CRPS patients, but none of 30 healthy controls and only one of the 20 neuropathy sera had specific surface binding to autonomic neurons …

What Could Be a Primary Cause of Multiple Sclerosis: Is It an Autoimmunity Triggered by Chronic Protozoan Infection?

2013

The generally accepted paradigm of multiple sclerosis is the autoimmune one; still, a body of evidence suggests that this disease may actually be triggered by an infectious factor. In this paper, it is hypothesized that multiple sclerosis may actually be a rare complication of a protozoan infection, which is usually asymptomatic but in some susceptible individuals is accompanied by autoimmune attack against the nervous tissue. If multiple sclerosis were actually caused by such an infection, then a microorganism responsible should exhibit several properties: it (i) is transmitted by an arthropod vector; (ii) is characterized by specific metabolism of the lipids; (iii) should be dependent on …

Autoimmunity predicts prolonged survival in colon cancer patients undergoing GOLFIG biochemotherapy

2007

14542 Background: A multi-center phase II trial has been designed to evaluate toxicity, anti-tumour and immune-biological activity of the bio-chemotherapy GOLFIG regimen in advanced colorectal cancer (A-CRC). Methods: The trial involved 46 patients (34/46 2nd line or more). The biweekly GOLFIG regimen consisted of gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2, day 1), oxaliplatin (85 mg/m2, day 2), levofolinic acid (100 mg /m2, day 1,2) and 5-FU (400 mg/m2 as a bolus, and 800 mg/m2 as 24 hour infusion, days 1,2) followed by sc GM-CSF (100 μg, days 3 to 8) and sc IL-2 (0.5 X 106 IUs twice a day, days 9 to 14). Results: GOLFIG regimen was well tolerated and resulted very active (ORR = 56.5%; disease control = 91…