Search results for "Eliti"
showing 10 items of 470 documents
Dimethyl fumarate treatment restrains the antioxidative capacity of T cells to control autoimmunity
2021
Abstract Dimethyl fumarate, an approved treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, exerts pleiotropic effects on immune cells as well as CNS resident cells. Here, we show that dimethyl fumarate exerts a profound alteration of the metabolic profile of human CD4+ as well as CD8+ T cells and restricts their antioxidative capacities by decreasing intracellular levels of the reactive oxygen species scavenger glutathione. This causes an increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species levels accompanied by an enhanced mitochondrial stress response, ultimately leading to impaired mitochondrial function. Enhanced mitochondrial reactive oxygen species levels not only result in enhanced T…
Blood coagulation factor XII drives adaptive immunity during neuroinflammation via CD87-mediated modulation of dendritic cells
2016
Aberrant immune responses represent the underlying cause of central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Recent evidence implicated the crosstalk between coagulation and immunity in CNS autoimmunity. Here we identify coagulation factor XII (FXII), the initiator of the intrinsic coagulation cascade and the kallikrein–kinin system, as a specific immune cell modulator. High levels of FXII activity are present in the plasma of MS patients during relapse. Deficiency or pharmacologic blockade of FXII renders mice less susceptible to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (a model of MS) and is accompanied by reduced numbers of interleukin-17A-producing T cells.…
Autoimmune associations and autoantibody screening show focused recognition in patient subgroups with generalized myasthenia gravis
2013
Autoimmune associations in myasthenia gravis (MG)-patients and their relatives have not been re-assessed since their separation into early- or late-onset MG (EOMG, LOMG), or thymoma-associated MG. Here, we analysed 226 EOMG-, 97 LOMG-, and 150 thymoma-patients for autoimmune disorders in themselves and their relatives. From 283 of them sera were tested for different organ- and non-organ-specific autoantibodies (autoAbs) by immunofluorescence test (IFT) and ELISA; genotyping was performed in 213 patients. Relatives with autoimmune disorders were reported by more patients with EOMG (40% of 210) than LOMG (20% of 89; p0.01) than thymomas (8% of 150; p0.001). In 150 genotyped EOMG-females, the …
Reorganization of cortical motor area in prior polio patients
1999
Focal transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to study the motor maps of upper limb muscles in 7 adult patients with a history of paralytic poliomyelitis. The aim of the study was to verify the potential for long-term cortical reorganization of a selective peripheral motor neuron lesion suffered early in life.Patient selection was based on the prevalent involvement of proximal muscles in only one of the upper limbs. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from deltoid and abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscles. Each muscle map was characterized by area (no. of excitable positions), volume (the sum of MEP amplitudes at all scalp positions), maximal amplitude (the highest MEP re…
Translational value of choroid plexus imaging for tracking neuroinflammation in mice and humans.
2021
Neuroinflammation is a pathophysiological hallmark of multiple sclerosis and has a close mechanistic link to neurodegeneration. Although this link is potentially targetable, robust translatable models to reliably quantify and track neuroinflammation in both mice and humans are lacking. The choroid plexus (ChP) plays a pivotal role in regulating the trafficking of immune cells from the brain parenchyma into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and has recently attracted attention as a key structure in the initiation of inflammatory brain responses. In a translational framework, we here address the integrity and multidimensional characteristics of the ChP under inflammatory conditions and question w…
Versatility of the Free Anterolateral Thigh Flap in the Reconstruction of Large Defects of the Weight-Bearing Foot: A Single-Center Experience with 2…
2016
Background Reconstruction of the weight-bearing surface of the foot represents a challenging task. With very little scope to borrow glabrous tissue from adjacent areas means that achieving a “like for like” reconstruction is rarely possible. In this setting, alternative approaches need to be considered. In this article we present our experience with various differing designs of the anterolateral thigh flap (ALT) in the reconstruction of 20 large defects of the weight-bearing sole. Methods Twenty patients with complex soft tissue defects of the weight-bearing sole underwent reconstruction over a 5-year period. Five cases were complicated by osteomyelitis resulting in significant calcaneal …
Revised Definition of Neuropathic Pain and Its Grading System: An Open Case Series Illustrating Its Use in Clinical Practice
2009
The definition of neuropathic pain has recently been revised by an expert committee of the Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group of the International Association for the Study of Pain (NeuPSIG) as "pain arising as direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system," and a grading system of "definite," "probable," and "possible" neuropathic pain has been introduced. This open case series of 5 outpatients (3 men, 2 women; mean age 48 +/- 12 years) demonstrates how the grading system can be applied, in combination with appropriate confirmatory testing, to diagnosis neuropathic conditions in clinical practice. The proposed grading system includes a dynamic algorithm …
Efficacy of different rituximab therapeutic strategies in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders
2019
Abstract Objective To evaluate disease activity according to rituximab (RTX) induction and maintenance regimens in a multicenter real-life dataset of NMOSD patients. Methods This is an observational-retrospective multicentre study including patients with NMOSD treated with RTX in 21 Italian and 1 Swiss centers. Demographics, relapse rate and adverse events over the follow-up were summarized taking into account induction strategy (two-1 g infusions at a 15-day interval (IND-A) vs. 375 mg/m2/week infusions for one month (IND-B)) and maintenance therapy (regimen A (M-A) with fixed time-points infusions vs. regimen B (M-B) based on cytofluorimetric driven reinfusion regimens, the least further …
The impact of Syme amputation in surgical treatment of patients with diabetic foot syndrome and Charcot-neuro-osteoarthropathy
2002
Charcot-neuro-osteoarthropathy with its severe destruction of bones remains a challenge for physicians and surgeons. The aim of the study was to characterise a patient population treated in a specialised foot care centre who underwent surgical treatment for their diabetic foot syndrome. Special attention was paid to patients who suffered from Charcot-neuro-osteoarthropathy and the impact of Syme amputation if amputation of the foot was inevitable. A total of 121 patients with diabetic foot syndrome and ulcerations underwent an interdisciplinary strategy for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures including MRI and surgical interventions. If peripheral arterial vessel disease was present, reva…
Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis with AQP4 antibodies revealing ovarian teratoma.
2013
Paraneoplastic myelitis is a rare inflammatory disorder most frequently associated with solid tumors or lymphoproliferative disorders. Patients often harbor onconeuronal antibodies and their prognosis is usually poor. Here we report a 42-year old woman with longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis and aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibodies that led to the diagnosis of ovarian teratoma. After tumor removal and immune therapy (including corticosteroids, plasma exchange, intravenous immunoglobulins and rituximab) the patient progressively improved achieving complete recovery. Histological study of the teratoma demonstrated neural tissue containing AQP4 expressing cells and intense inflammatory infi…