Search results for "Chains"
showing 10 items of 257 documents
Kappa free light chains in cerebrospinal fluid as markers of intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis.
2004
Abstract Background: Intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis is observed in several inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system, but its detection by current laboratory tests is either tedious or relatively insensitive. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of an assay for κ free light chains (κFLC) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum, and compared it with traditional tests for intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis. Methods: κFLCs were measured by nephelometry in CSF/serum pairs from 112 patients. Samples were excluded if blood contamination of CSF as a result of traumatic lumbar puncture (n = 12) or monoclonal bands in both CSF and serum (n = 5) were present. The remaining sample pai…
Mutations in myosin heavy chain 11 cause a syndrome associating thoracic aortic aneurysm/aortic dissection and patent ductus arteriosus
2006
We have recently described two kindreds presenting thoracic aortic aneurysm and/or aortic dissection ( TAAD) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)(1,2) and mapped the disease locus to 16p12.2-p13.13 (ref. 3). We now demonstrate that the disease is caused by mutations in the MYH11 gene affecting the C-terminal coiled-coil region of the smooth muscle myosin heavy chain, a specific contractile protein of smooth muscle cells (SMC). All individuals bearing the heterozygous mutations, even if asymptomatic, showed marked aortic stiffness. Examination of pathological aortas showed large areas of medial degeneration with very low SMC content. Abnormal immunological recognition of SM-MHC and the colocal…
HLA Class I and Class II Polymorphism in Three Sicilian Populations
2007
Two human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I loci (HLA-A and HLA-B) and one class II locus (HLA-DR) were typed at the DNA level in the Sicilian population. Study participants were of Sicilian origin (183 for class I loci and 260 for class II loci) and live in three towns, chosen on the basis of geographic position and different historical events. These towns are Sciacca (southwest Sicily, located at sea level, conquered by Arabs in a.d. 814), Piana degli Albanesi (northwest Sicily, 720 m above sea level, has maintained religious, cultural, and linguistic peculiarities traced to Albanian settlement in 1488), and Troina (northeast Sicily, 1,120 m above sea level, known as the first settlement of…
Relationship Between Human Leucocyte Antigen Class I and Class II and Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria Associated With Aspirin and/or NSAIDs Hypersensiti…
2006
Background. HLA genes play a role in the predisposition of several diseases. The aim was to analyze the prevalence of HLA class I phenotypes and HLA-DRB1*genotype in patients with CIU associated with ASA and NSAIDs hypersensitivity (AICU).Methods. 69 patients with AICU, and 200 healthy subjects.Results. Subjects with HLA-B44 and HLA-Cw5 antigens were more represented in patients with AICU than in control group. Subjects with HLA-A11, HLA-B13, HLACw4, and HLA-Cw7 antigen were more represented in control group than in patients with AICU. Multiple logistic regression demonstrated an association of HLA-Cw4 and HLA-Cw7 with a lower risk of AICU, whereas carriers of HLA-B44 phenotype had a higher…
On the incidence of blood group O and Gm(-1) phenotypes in patients with malignant melanoma.
1979
Fifteen polymorphic systems of the blood (ABO, MNSs, Rhesus, P, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, Hp, Gc, Gm, Inv, aP, PGM1, EsD, and 6-PGD) were examined in 191 unrelated male and female patients suffering from malignant melanoma. These polymorphic systems were compared with the corresponding phenotype and gene frequencies of controls from the same geographical area (Rhineland-Palatinate). The only associations discovered were the ABO and Gm polymorphisms: The incidence of O and Gm(-1) phenotypes in patients is obviously higher than in controls. These observations agree with the findings in other population samples from Germany and Bulgaria.
Adaptation to life after surgical removal of the bladder—an application of graphical Markov models for analysing longitudinal data
2004
Graphical Markov models have been developed particularly for the analysis of observational data. They allow the control of various background variables when analysing theoretically relevant associations. This paper demonstrates the application and some advantages of graphical Markov models in comparison to conventional statistical analyses. The aim of the study was to identify patients at risk for developing decreased health-related quality of life (QoL) after cystectomy and to explore the influence of coping on QoL in this situation. Therefore, the method was applied to analyse the data of a prospective study, in which 81 patients with bladder cancer were interviewed pre-operatively and in…
Early onset of polyglandular failure is associated with HLA-DRB1*03.
2008
ObjectivesPolyglandular failure or autoimmunity (PGA) involves at least two endocrine diseases. Several genes may play a role in its etiology. This study analyzed 1) whether HLA-DRB1, HLA-DQB1, and MHC class I chain-related gene A (MICA) polymorphisms are associated in PGA and 2) whether PGA patients display stronger associations with these immune genes than patients with monoglandular autoimmunity (MGA).DesignAssociation study.MethodsHLA-DRB1, HLA-DQB1, and MICA alleles were analyzed in 73 patients with PGA, 283 with MGA, and 206 healthy controls. The HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 polymorphisms were determined with PCR-amplified DNA being hybridized with PCR-sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe…
Asymptomatic immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (AL) at the time of diagnostic bone marrow biopsy in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myelo…
2011
The rate of asymptomatic amyloidosis (AL) among patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) or smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) is unknown. We evaluated number and clinical significance of asymptomatic AL in consecutive MM and SMM patients, not having recognition of symptomatic AL at the time of their diagnostic bone marrow biopsy. Bone marrow biopsies were stained with Congo red and considered diagnostic for AL in case of positive Congo red staining with apple-green birefringence. Biopsies from 144 patients were evaluated: 77 had a diagnosis of MM and 67 of SMM. The median age was 59 (range 26–84) years; the median follow-up was 76 months (range 0–216). Immunoglobulin isotypes wer…
A decision tree to help determine the best timing and antiretroviral strategy in HIV-infected patients.
2011
SUMMARYOptimal antiretroviral strategies for HIV-infected patients still need to be established. To this end a decision tree including different antiretroviral strategies that could be adopted for HIV-infected patients was built. A 10-year follow-up was simulated by using transitional probabilities estimated from a large cohort using a time-homogeneous Markov model. The desired outcome was for patients to maintain a CD4 cell count of >500 cells/mm3without experiencing AIDS or death. For patients with a baseline HIV viral load ⩾5 log10copies/ml, boosted protease inhibitor-based immediate highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) allowed them to spend 12% more time with CD4 ⩾500/mm3than…
Immunohistochemical characterization of endometriosis-associated smooth muscle cells in human peritoneal endometriotic lesions
2011
Background Smooth muscle cells (SMC) are common components of endometriotic lesions. SMC have been characterized previously in peritoneal, ovarian and deep infiltrating endometriotic lesions and adenomyosis. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the extent of differentiation in endometriosis-associated SMC (EMaSMC) in peritoneal endometriotic lesions. Methods We obtained biopsies from peritoneal endometriotic lesions (n = 60) and peritoneal sites distant from the endometriotic lesion (n = 60), as well as healthy peritoneum from patients without endometriosis (control tissue, n = 10). These controls were hysterectomy specimens from patients without endometriosis or adenomyos…