Search results for "IMM"

Polymorphisms in genes involved in T-cell co-stimulation are associated with blood pressure in women.

2019

In recent years, conclusive data have emerged on a relationship between immune system, especially the T-cell, and blood pressure (BP). The objective of the present study was to determine the association between BP and four polymorphisms in CD80, CD86, CD28 and CTLA4 genes that code for key proteins in the T-cell co-stimulation process, in a female cohort. To that end, an association study in a cohort of 934 women over 40 years old from two hospitals was done. Raw data showed a significant association between the SNP rs1129055 of CD86 gene and BP. Analyzing this association against inheritance patterns, higher SBP (p  0.000) and DBP (p = 0.005) values were observed in AA than in GG/GA genoty…

Diabetic thoracic radiculopathy: a case of a young woman with clinical improvement following immunotherapy.

2020

Thoracic radiculopathy is a rare cause of thoracic-abdominal or abdominal pain in subjects with poorly controlled diabetes. We present a case of a young woman with type I diabetes and a severe abdominal pain in both lower quadrants. An extensive diagnostic gastroenterological and gynaecological workup did not disclose abnormalities. Electromyography revealed an initial polyneuropathy and significant neurogenic abnormalities in the T10-T12 paravertebral muscles. Following the hypothesis that the radiculopathy-related abdominal pain might have an immuno-mediated pathogenesis, the patient underwent a complex trial of immunotherapy, which was accompanied by a sustained improvement over months t…

The CD68+/H-ferritin+ cells colonize the lymph nodes of the patients with adult onset Still's disease and are associated with increased extracellular…

2015

Summary In this work, we aimed to evaluate the levels of ferritin enriched in H subunits (H-ferritin) and ferritin enriched in L subunits (L-ferritin) and the cells expressing these two molecules in the lymph node (LN) biopsies obtained from adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) patients, and the possible correlation among these data and the severity of the disease. Ten patients with AOSD underwent LN biopsy. All the samples were stained by immunofluorescence. A statistical analysis was performed to estimate the possible correlation among both H-ferritin and L-ferritin tissue expression and the clinical picture of the disease. Furthermore, the same analysis was performed to evaluate the possib…

Mechanisms of action of metformin in type 2 diabetes: Effects on mitochondria and leukocyte-endothelium interactions.

2020

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a very prevalent, multisystemic, chronic metabolic disorder closely related to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. It is characterised by mitochondrial dysfunction and the presence of oxidative stress. Metformin is one of the safest and most effective anti-hyperglycaemic agents currently employed as first-line oral therapy for T2D. It has demonstrated additional beneficial effects, unrelated to its hypoglycaemic action, on weight loss and several diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders and metabolic diseases, including thyroid diseases. Despite the vast clinical experience gained over several decades of use, the mechanism of action of metformin i…

Allergic diseases in the elderly: biological characteristics and main immunological and non-immunological mechanisms

2017

Life expectancy and the number of elderly people are progressively increasing around the world. Together with other pathologies, allergic diseases also show an increasing incidence in geriatric age. This is partly due to the growing emphasis on a more accurate and careful diagnosis of the molecular mechanisms that do not allow to ignore the real pathogenesis of many symptoms until now unknown, and partly to the fact that the allergic people from 20 years ago represent the elderly population now. Moreover, environmental pollution predisposes to the onset of allergic asthma and dermatitis which are the result of internal pathologies more than the expression of allergic manifestations. At the …

Cellular Senescence and Inflammaging in Age-Related Diseases

2018

Triggering of Toll-like Receptors in Old Individuals. Relevance for Vaccination

2019

Aging is characterized by a general decline in a range of physiological functions, with a consequent increase in the risk of developing a variety of chronic diseases and geriatric syndromes. Additionally, increasing age is accompanied by a progressive decline in both innate and acquired immune system, referred to as immunosenescence. This impaired ability to mount an efficient immune response after exposure to microorganisms or vaccines represents a major challenge in acquiring protection against pathogens in aging. Therefore, there is still a great need for vaccines that are tailored to optimally stimulate the aged immune system, thus promoting more successful aging. Various strategies ca…

The Role of Chemokines in Alzheimer's Disease

2019

Objective: The most common multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder occurring in old age is Alzheimer’s disease. The neuropathological hallmarks of that disorder are amyloid plaques with the presence of β -amyloid aggregates, intraneuronal tau protein tangles, and chronic inflammation. Brain cells such as microglia and astrocytes are inflammatory cells associated with Alzheimer’s disease and involved in the production of inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines and chemokines. Chemokines consist of a large family of protein mediators with low molecular weight, which able to control the migration and residence of all immune cells. In pathological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, c…

Cellular and molecular basis of the imbalance between vascular damage and repair in ageing and age-related diseases: As biomarkers and targets for ne…

2016

Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that specific subsets of cells isolated from the peripheral blood, play an essential role in the imbalance of damage and repair during age-associated diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, osteoporosis and cancer. Endogenous regeneration of the vessel wall involves cells of the vascular wall, inflammatory cells, circulating precursors, and mature endothelial cells, which are capable to restore the endothelium in a concerted interaction. Early detection of such imbalances with specific biomarkers may reduce age-associated diseases and subsequent cardiovascular events. Likewise, new strategies have …

Cardiac Nonmyocyte Cell Functions and Crosstalks in Response to Cardiotoxic Drugs

2017

The discovery of the molecular mechanisms involved in the cardiac responses to anticancer drugs represents the current goal of cardio-oncology research. The oxidative stress has a pivotal role in cardiotoxic responses, affecting the function of all types of cardiac cells, and their functional crosstalks. Generally, cardiomyocytes are the main target of research studies on cardiotoxicity, but recently the contribution of the other nonmyocyte cardiac cells is becoming of growing interest. This review deals with the role of oxidative stress, induced by anticancer drugs, in cardiac nonmyocyte cells (fibroblasts, vascular cells, and immune cells). The alterations of functional interplays among t…