Search results for "Immune System"
showing 10 items of 2885 documents
IL-10 and TNF-α polymorphisms in a sample of sicilian patients affected by tuberculosis: implication for ageing and life span expectancy
2003
Abstract Human longevity seems to be directly correlated with optimal functioning of the immune system, suggesting that some genetic determinants of longevity might reside in those polymorphisms for the immune system genes that regulate immune responses, in particular cytokine gene polymorphisms. In fact, modification of cytokine network is a constant report in studies on age related modification of immune response. Moreover cytokine polymorphisms studies are indicating their involvement in the reshaping of cytokines network as an integral part of the scenario related to a successful ageing. A particular role might be attributed to the influence of cytokine polymorphisms on the efficiency o…
Perfluoroalkyl substances and immune cell counts in adults from the Mid-Ohio Valley (USA)
2021
Highlights • The literature on PFASs and circulating levels of immune cells is scarce. • Study of the association between PFASs and white blood cells at two different time points. • Cross-sectional study on the association between PFASs and lymphocyte subsets. • Positive association between PFHxS and total lymphocytes, especially for cell count. • Positive, but less consistent, association between PFOA and PFOS and total lymphocytes.
Hereditary Angioedema Associated with Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus
1989
The increased occurrence of various autoimmune diseases has recently been reported in patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE). This is especially the case in different forms of lupus erythematosus, but also other autoimmune diseases. We report a 24-year-old female patient who 10 years ago developed the clinical symptoms of HAE which occurred at the same time as subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. The results of both immunological investigations and histocompatibility antigen genotyping gave no clear insight into the causal interrelationship of both diseases.
Limited T cell receptor Vbeta-chain repertoire of liver-infiltrating T cells in autoimmune hepatitis.
1998
Abstract Background/Aims: To characterize the cellular immune reactions in autoimmune hepatitis, the T cell receptor repertoire of livre-infiltrating and circulating T cells was studied. Methods: Nucleic acids of liver-tissue and peripheral blood-derived T cells from 12 patients with untreated autoimmune hepatitis, four patients with chronic hepatitis C and three patients with toxic liver injury were extracted and analysed using a semiquantitative RT-PCR with a panel of T cell receptor Vβ family specific primers. After agarose gel electrophoresis, the distribution of T cell receptor (TCR) Vβ molecules was assessed by densitometry. Furthermore, results were compared to the TCR Vβ distributio…
Long-Term Human CD34+ Stem Cell-Engrafted Nonobese Diabetic/SCID/IL-2Rγnull Mice Show Impaired CD8+ T Cell Maintenance and a Functional Arrest of Imm…
2010
Abstract Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation represents the most effective form of immunotherapy for chemorefractory diseases. However, animal models have been missing that allow evaluation of donor-patient–specific graft-versus-leukemia effects. Thus, we sought to establish a patient-tailored humanized mouse model that would result in long-term engraftment of various lymphocytic lineages and would serve as a donor-specific surrogate. Following transfer of donor-derived peripheral blood stem cells into NOD/SCID/IL-2Rγnull (NSG) mice with supplementation of human IL-7, we could demonstrate robust engraftment and multilineage differentiation comparable to earlier studies using …
Hepatitis B vaccination of relatives of hepatitis B virus DNA positive carriers: an experience with plasma-derived vaccine.
1989
We assessed in a western population the efficacy of a plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine in relatives of highly infectious hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers. A consecutive group of 103 HbsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc negative household relatives of 45 HBV-DNA positive chronic carriers received a 5 micrograms dose of plasma-derived vaccine at 0, 1, 2 and 12 months. Protective levels of immunity developed in 101 subjects (97.8%) 3 months after boosting. Low responders to the vaccine were mostly found among parents and spouses of carriers, whilst offspring and siblings were usually high responders. The main discriminant in predicting a good response was age below 12 years. Hyporesponsiveness did n…
Antiphospholipid syndrome in obstetrics.
2003
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS) in pregnancy is characterized by the presence of autoantibodies in association with recurrent fetal loss and severe complications such as preeclampsia, fetal growth retardation, or placental insufficiency. The most clinically important serologic markers are lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin antibodies, and recently anti-beta-2-glycoprotein 1 antibodies. At present, standardization does not exist and a definitive association between specific clinical manifestation and antibody level is not yet known. Experimental data gave evidence that passive transfer of antiphospholipid antibodies result in clinical manifestation of APLS, that is, fetal loss and thromb…
Human Obesity Reduces the Number of Hepatic Leptin Receptor (Ob-R) Expressing NK Cells
2011
In the industrialized world, obesity is an increasing socioeconomic health problem. Obese subjects have a higher risk of developing several types of cancer. NK cells are an integral component of the innate immune system, able to destruct tumor cells. The adipokine leptin plays a crucial role in the development of obesity and its related diseases. Peripheral leptin signaling is modulated by the liver.The aim of this study was to evaluate the number of hepatic NK cells (CD56+) and the number of leptin-receptor positive (Ob-R+) cells in the livers of five normal-weight and five obese humans. Livers were removed during autopsy and accurately defined sections were stained immunohistochemically a…
Diabetes mellitus: Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) filtration parameters and PMN membrane fluidity after chemotactic activation
1999
Abstract The goal of this research was to determine leukocyte rheology at baseline and after chemotactic activation in type I and type II diabetics. In 19 normal subjects, 21 type I diabetics, and 16 type II diabetics at baseline and after in vitro chemotactic activation (prolonged for 5 and 15 minutes) with two stimulating agents (4-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate [PMA] and N -formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine [fMLP]), we evaluated polymorphonuclear (PMN) filtration parameters (using a St. George filtrometer [Carri-Med, Dorking, UK] and considering the initial relative flow rate [IRFR] and the concentration of clogging particles [CP]) and PMN membrane fluidity (obtained by marking PMNs…
The role of recent thymic emigrant-regulatory T-cell (RTE-Treg) differentiation during pregnancy.
2014
During pregnancy, regulatory T cells (Tregs) have a key role in maternal immune tolerance to the semi-allogeneic fetus. Our previous results showed that the naive CD45RA(+)-Treg pool is functionally improved in pregnant women compared with non-pregnant women. Therefore, we examined the thymic output and differentiation of CD45RA(+)CD31(+) recent thymic emigrant (RTE)-Tregs during normal pregnancy and in the presence of preeclampsia. With the onset of pregnancy, the composition of the total CD4(+)CD127(low+/-)FoxP3(+)-Treg pool changed in the way that its percentage of RTE- and CD45RA(-)CD31(+)-memory Tregs decreased strongly, whereas that of the CD45RA(+)CD31(-)-mature naive (MN)-Tregs did …