Search results for "IMMUNOLOGY"

Periodontitis, coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction: treat one, benefit all

2020

: Periodontal disease is conventionally defined as an inflammatory condition affecting the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth (i.e. gum and periodontium). Recent statistics show that the prevalence of this condition is continuously growing worldwide, thus raising severe healthcare concerns, not only for local problems emerging from poor oral health, but also for the potential risk of developing systemic complications. Therefore, this article aims to provide an update on the intriguing association between periodontitis, coronary heart disease (CHD) and/or myocardial infarction (MI). Taken together, the available published information seems to support the existence of a significant …

Adipose Tissue: ILC2 Crank Up the Heat

2015

White-to-beige conversion of adipocytes is one of the most promising approaches to therapeutically target obesity; however, the signals driving this process had largely remained unclear. Recently, two publications, Brestoff et al. (2014) in Nature and Lee et al. (2015) in Cell, showed that group 2 innate lymphoid cells directly regulate adipocyte differentiation and drive the growth of beige fat.

Repeated courses of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Clinical and biological results from a prospective multic…

2011

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) induces a transient mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells from bone marrow to peripheral blood. Our aim was to evaluate safety of repeated courses of G-CSF in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), assessing disease progression and changes in chemokine and cytokine levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Twenty-four ALS patients entered an open-label, multicenter trial in which four courses of G-CSF and mannitol were administered at 3-month intervals. Levels of G-CSF were increased after treatment in the serum and CSF. Few and transitory adverse events were observed. No significant reduction of the mean monthly decrea…

Multiple sclerosis: Haemorheological pattern

2016

Results of a Phase II Study of Pixantrone in Combination with Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, and Prednisone in Patients with Relapsed Aggressive Non-…

2006

Abstract Background: Pixantrone is a novel aza-anthracenedione with less cardiotoxicity and superior activity compared to doxorubicin and mitoxantrone in murine leukemia and lymphoma tumor models. Pixantrone as single agent therapy led to major responses in patients (pts) with multiply relapsed aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCL). In a phase I dose-ranging study of pixantrone (80 to 180 mg/m2) replacing doxorubicin (CPOP) in a CHOP-like regimen, the optimal dose (RD) from that study was found to be 150 mg/m2. Methods: In this international, multi-center, phase II study the primary objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of the CPOP…

Therapeutic plasma exchange: Review of current indications

2019

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is the extracorporeal technique performed in an apheresis device were patient's plasma is separated from whole blood and removed, while the cellular blood components are returned to the patient together with a replacement fluid. By the extracorporeal removal of pathological substances and the replacement of deficient plasma components, it constitutes an important tool for the management of several disorders and it is a well-known and established treatment for numerous diseases. Additionally, overall available data confirm the safety and efficacy of TPE. Nevertheless, the quality of the evidence supporting the utility and efficacy of the procedure is diverse…

Platelet Phenotyping and Function Testing in Thrombocytopenia.

2021

Patients who suffer from inherited or acquired thrombocytopenia can be also affected by platelet function defects, which potentially increase the risk of severe and life-threatening bleeding complications. A plethora of tests and assays for platelet phenotyping and function analysis are available, which are, in part, feasible in clinical practice due to adequate point-of-care qualities. However, most of them are time-consuming, require experienced and skilled personnel for platelet handling and processing, and are therefore well-established only in specialized laboratories. This review summarizes major indications, methods/assays for platelet phenotyping, and in vitro function testing in bl…

Anti-Tumour Necrosis Factor-?? Therapy for Rheumatoid and Other Inflammatory Arthropathies

2006

Anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha represents a major advance in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. It is usually well tolerated, but a potential increase in the incidence of some infections in patients taking anti-TNFalpha agents has been reported. Compared with younger people, elderly patients have more co-morbidities and are likely to be taking more medications. Moreover, the aging process induces an increase in the rate of infections. Nevertheless, in recent studies analysing the databases of etanercept trials, the normalised incidence of adverse events, serious adverse events, medically important infections and deaths was no…

Apoptotic role of Fas/Fas ligand system in the regulation of erythropoiesis

1999

Abstract The possible involvement of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) in the regulation of erythropoiesis was evaluated. Immunohistochemistry of normal bone marrow specimens revealed that several immature erythroblasts undergo apoptosis in vivo. Analysis of bone marrow erythroblasts and purified progenitors undergoing unilineage erythroid differentiation showed that Fas is rapidly upregulated in early erythroblasts and expressed at high levels through terminal maturation. However, Fas crosslinking was effective only in less mature erythroblasts, particularly at basophilic level, where it induced apoptosis antagonized by high levels of erythropoietin (Epo). In contrast, FasL was selectively induced…

Efficacy of adalimumab as second-line therapy in a pediatric cohort of Crohn’s disease patients who failed infliximab therapy: the Italian Society of…

2019

Patrizia Alvisi,1 Serena Arrigo,2 Salvatore Cucchiara,3 Paolo Lionetti,4 Erasmo Miele,5 Claudio Romano,6 Alberto Ravelli,7 Daniela Knafelz,8 Stefano Martelossi,9 Graziella Guariso,10 Salvatore Accomando,11 Giovanna Zuin,12 Costantino De Giacomo,13 Lucio Balzani,14 Monia Gennari,15 Marina Aloi3 On behalf of the SIGENP IBD Working Group 1Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit, Pediatric Department, Maggiore Hospital, Bologna, Italy; 2Pediatric Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, G Gaslini Children’s Hospital, Genoa, Italy; 3Pediatric Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; 4Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit, Meyer Children’s Hospital, Florenc…