Search results for "Blood"
showing 10 items of 5199 documents
Interleukin-9 over-expression and T helper 9 polarization in systemic sclerosis patients.
2017
Summary T helper 9 (Th9) cells and interleukin (IL)-9 are involved in the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases. The exact role of IL-9 and Th9 cells in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) have not yet been studied adequately. IL-9, IL-9R, transcription factor PU.1 (PU.1), IL-4, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β expression were assessed in skin and kidney biopsies of SSc patients and healthy controls (HC) by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The cellular source of IL-9 was also analysed by confocal microscopy analysis. Peripheral IL-9-producing cells were also studied by flow cytometry. The functional relevance of IL-9 increased expression in SSc …
GARP inhibits allergic airway inflammation in a humanized mouse model
2016
Background Regulatory T cells (Treg) represent a promising target for novel treatment strategies in patients with inflammatory/allergic diseases. A soluble derivate of the Treg surface molecule glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (sGARP) has strong anti-inflammatory and regulatory effects on human cells in vitro as well as in vivo through de novo induction of peripheral Treg. The aim of this study was to investigate the immunomodulatory function of sGARP and its possible role as a new therapeutic option in allergic diseases using a humanized mouse model. Methods To analyze the therapeutic effects of sGARP, adult NOD/Scidγc−/− (NSG) mice received peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) …
Reconstitution of CMV pp65 and IE-1-specific IFN-γ CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell responses affording protection from CMV DNAemia following allogeneic hematopo…
2011
Threshold levels of CMV-specific T-cell populations presumably affording protection from active CMV infection in allo-SCT recipients have been proposed, but lack extensive validation. We quantified CMV pp65 and immediate-early 1-specific IFN-γ CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cell responses at days +30, +60 and +90 after transplantation in 133 patients, and established cutoff cell levels protecting from CMV DNAemia within the first 120 days after transplantation. No patients showing IFN-γ CD8(+) or IFN-γ CD4(+) T-cell counts1.0 and1.2 cells/μL, respectively, developed a subsequent episode of CMV DNAemia. Initial or recurrent episodes of CMV DNAemia occurred in the face of IFN-γ T-cell levels below defin…
Identification of CD4 T-Cell Epitopes in Soluble Liver Antigen/Liver Pancreas Autoantigen in Autoimmune Hepatitis
2008
Background & Aims Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammatory liver disease associated with autoantibodies and liver-infiltrating lymphocytes. Although autoantibodies are tested routinely to diagnose and classify AIH, liver-infiltrating lymphocytes are regarded as the primary factor for disease pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize autoantigenic peptides within human AIH-specific soluble liver antigen/liver pancreas antigen (SLA/LP) that are targeted by CD4 + T cells and restricted by the disease susceptibility gene HLA-DRB1*0301. Methods HLA-DRB1*0301 transgenic mice were immunized with SLA/LP. Antibody and T-cell responses were analyzed with SLA…
Phenotypic Alteration of Neutrophils in the Blood of HIV Seropositive Patients
2013
We have recently identified a novel population of activated low-density granulocytes (LDGs) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV seropositive patients. LDGs have a similar morphology to normal density granulocytes (NDGs), but are phenotypically different. Here we measured the expression levels of different phenotypic markers of granulocytes in the blood of HIV seropositive patients at different stages of HIV infection to determine whether the phenotype of NDGs and LDGs are affected by disease severity. Our results reveal that the phenotype of NDGs, but not that of LDGs, varies according to the severity of the disease.
Active immunization of homosexual men using a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine
1989
Twenty homosexual men [13 anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive, seven anti-HIV negative] without HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc were vaccinated with three 20 micrograms doses of a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine. All anti-HIV-positive homosexuals were nonresponders independent of the initial number of CD4-positive cells. Among seven anti-HIV-negative individuals, five responded. After three doses of the vaccine, CD4-positive cells fell in anti-HIV positive individuals by 22.4%. A similar fall in CD4-positive cells of an average 24.9% was noted in 17 matching, but nonvaccinated, anti-HIV-positive homosexuals. The study indicates that the efficacy of vaccination in anti-HIV-positiv…
CD4+ CCR5+ and CD4+ CCR3+ lymphocyte subset and monocyte apoptosis in patients with acute visceral leishmaniasis
2004
The potential involvement of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was examined by studying spontaneous and Leishmania antigen (LAg)-induced apoptosis using cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of Sicilian patients with VL. Results indicate that monocytes and T lymphocytes from acute VL patients show a significantly higher level of apoptosis compared with that observed in healed subjects. The percentage of apoptotic cells was higher in monocytes than in T lymphocytes. T cells involved in programmed cell death (PCD) were mainly of the CD4(+) phenotype. In particular, the T helper 1-type (Th1) subset, as evaluated by chemokine receptor-5 (CCR5) expres…
Distribution of betalain pigments in red blood cells after consumption of cactus pear fruits and increased resistance of the cells to ex vivo induced…
2005
Betalain pigments are bioavailable phytochemicals recently acknowledged as natural radical scavengers. This work, which extends previous research on the postabsorbitive fate of dietary betalains, investigated the distribution of betanin and indicaxanthin in red blood cells (RBCs) isolated from healthy volunteers (n = 8), before and during the 1-8 h interval after a cactus pear fruit meal, and the potential antioxidative activity of the pigments in these cells. A peak concentration of indicaxanthin (1.03 +/- 0.2 microM) was observed in RBCs isolated at 3 h after fruit feeding, whereas the concentration at 5 h was about half, and even smaller amounts were measured at 8 h. Indicaxanthin was no…
Blood supply, oxygenation status and metabolic micromilieu of breast cancers: characterization and therapeutic relevance.
2000
The metabolic microenvironment of a tumor is predominantly determined by the efficacy of blood flow, flux parameters (such as diffusion and convective currents in the interstitial space) and metabolic rates. The most important factors in this context include oxygen and nutrient supply, tissue pH and the bioenergetic status. It is now widely accepted that the metabolic microenvironment of a tumor can dramatically influence a range of factors such as proliferation rate, cell cycle position, growth rate and the development of apoptosis and necrosis. At the same time, these parameters can have an impact on tumor detection, therapeutic response to conventional irradiation, some chemotherapy agen…
Epoetin alfa improves anemia and anemia-related, patient-reported outcomes in patients with breast cancer receiving myelotoxic chemotherapy: results …
2010
This study evaluated the effects of epoetin alfa on patient-reported outcomes in patients with breast cancer receiving myelotoxic chemotherapy. Early intervention with epoetin alfa was well tolerated and improved anemia-related patient-reported outcomes.