Search results for "Chain reaction"
showing 10 items of 1862 documents
Dynamics of cytomegalovirus (CMV) plasma DNAemia in initial and recurrent episodes of active CMV infection in the allogeneic stem cell transplantatio…
2011
Preemptive antiviral therapy strategies for active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection occurring in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients should be optimized to avoid overtreatment. The current study was aimed at determining whether the analysis of the kinetics of CMV DNA load in plasma may provide useful information for the therapeutic management of active CMV infection in this setting. A total of 59 consecutive patients were included in the study, of which 40 (67.8%) developed 1 (n = 21) or more (n = 19) episodes of CMV DNAemia. The need for antiviral therapy for initial or secondary episodes of CMV DNAemia could not be predicted on the basis of the CMV DNA load value in the first plasma…
Unusual clinical variants of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sicily
2009
Background The term “leishmaniasis” defines a group of vector-borne diseases caused by species of the genus Leishmania and characterized by a spectrum of clinical manifestations. Parasite properties (infectivity, pathogenicity, virulence), host factors, and host responses regulate heterogeneous disease expression. Sicily is one of the major islands of the Mediterranean Basin and is considered to be a hypo-endemic area for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Leishmania infantum is the most common species on the island. Methods Fifty patients (both sexes and different ages) with lesions clinically suggestive of cutaneous leishmaniasis were recorded over a 1-year period. The diagnosis was based on posi…
Analysis of persistence of human papillomavirus infection in men evaluated by sampling multiple genital sites.
2015
Although human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been studied extensively in women, data on male infection are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate persistence of HPV infection at multiple genital sites in men and to define potential associations with socio-behavioural characteristics.Penile, urethral and seminal specimens were tested by the INNO-LiPA HPV system (Innogenetics) and a PCR assay. Persistence was defined as the detection of same HPV type at ≥ 2 consecutive visits. The Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test were applied to estimate the likelihood of persistence.A total of 50 men (median age: 33 years) were followed for a median of 14.7 months. Altogether, 49…
Gluten Stimulation Induces an in vitro Expansion of Peripheral Blood Tγδ Cells from HLA-DQ2-Positive Subjects of Families of Patients with Celiac Dis…
1998
The intestinal gluten sensitivity formally known as celiac disease (CD) is characterized by an evident involvement of local immune response and it is associated with the expression of HLA-DQ2 allele. The major role in the disease seems to be played by the T lymphocyte population bearing gamma delta T cell receptor (T gamma delta cells) which are increased both in peripheral blood and intestinal mucosae of celiac patients. In this paper data on the effects of in vitro gluten stimulation on lymphocytes expressing the T gamma delta phenotype are reported. Gluten seems to be able to induce the expansion of the T gamma delta cell population both in CD patients and their HLA-DQ2-positive asymptom…
Quantitative and functional analysis of core-specific T-helper cell and CTL activities in acute and chronic hepatitis B
2008
Aims/background CD4+ T-helper cell (Th) responses to hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antigen (HBc) are increased during exacerbations in acute and chronic hepatitis B (AHB, CHB) and might influence the induction of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) that are important for viral clearance. Methods HBc-specific proliferative responses and cytokine release of blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were studied in patients with AHB or CHB, as well as responders and non-responders to interferon-alpha treatment (IFN-R, IFN-NR), by [3H]-thymidine-uptake, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Elispot assay and were compared to peptide HBc18 27-specific CTL precursor frequencies among CD8+ T cells deri…
Mutation analyses in 17 patients with deficiency in acid β-galactosidase: three novel point mutations and high correlation of mutation W273L with Mor…
2001
An inherited deficiency in beta-galactosidase can result in GM1 gangliosidosis, with several phenotypes of generalized or chronic psychomotor deterioration, as well as in Morquio disease type B, a characteristic mucopolysaccharidosis free of neurological symptoms. We performed mutation analyses in 17 juvenile and adult patients from various European regions with a deficiency in beta-galactosidase and skeletal abnormalities. Fifteen of these had the Morquio B phenotype and have remained neurologically healthy until now while the two others exhibited psychomotor retardation of juvenile onset. A two-base substitution (851-852TG--CT; W273L) was present in 14 of the 15 Morquio B cases. Even if o…
Mutation analysis in myophosphorylase deficiency (McArdle's disease).
1998
Inherited deficiency of myophosphorylase leads to glycogen storage disease type V (McArdle's disease). We performed mutation analysis in 9 patients of eight unrelated families from Germany with typical cliniclal presentation of myophos-phorylase deficiency. Beside previously described mutations we identified four novel mutations in the myophorsphorylase gene. Four patients were homozygous for a nonsense mutation Arg49Stop that has been reported to be the most common mutation in white patients. Two affected siblings were compound heterozygotes for a novel missense mutation Gly685Arg and the nonsense mutation Arg49Stop. One patient carried a novel nonsense mutation Arg575Stop and a previously…
Pre-emptive antiviral therapy for active CMV infection in adult allo-SCT patients guided by plasma CMV DNAemia quantitation using a real-time PCR ass…
2013
Pre-emptive antiviral therapy for active CMV infection in adult allo-SCT patients guided by plasma CMV DNAemia quantitation using a real-time PCR assay: clinical experience at a single center
Heavy resistance exercise training and skeletal muscle androgen receptor expression in younger and older men
2010
Effects of heavy resistance exercise on serum testosterone and skeletal muscle androgen receptor (AR) concentrations were examined before and after a 21-week resistance training period. Seven healthy untrained young adult men (YT) and ten controls (YC) as well as ten older men (OT) and eight controls (OC) volunteered as subjects. Heavy resistance exercise bouts (5 × 10 RM leg presses) were performed before and after the training period. Muscle biopsies were obtained before and 1h and 48 h after the resistance exercise bouts from m.vastus lateralis (VL) to determine cross-sectional area of muscle fibers (fCSA) and AR mRNA expression and protein concentrations. No changes were observed in YC …
Genetically engineered hybrid proteins from Parietaria judaica pollen for allergen-specific immunotherapy
2006
Background Despite the use of conventional allergen-specific immunotherapy in clinical practice, more defined, efficient, and safer allergy vaccines are required. Objective The aim of the study was to obtain hypoallergenic molecules by deleting B-cell epitopes, which could potentially be applied to Parietaria judaica pollen allergy treatment. Methods Three hybrid molecules (Q1, Q2, and Q3) derived from fragments of the 2 major P judaica pollen allergens, Par j 1 and Par j 2, were engineered by means of PCR. Hybrid structures were compared with their natural components by means of circular dichroism, and their biologic activities were compared by using T-cell proliferation assays. Their IgE-…