Search results for "Immunosuppressive Agents"

Methotrexate as a treatment in ocular cicatricial moderate pemphigoid.

2013

Abstract Clinical case A 73 year-old woman presented with a history of non-specific symptoms and photophobia in both eyes of 1 year progression. The examination revealed a bilateral symblepharon and fornix shortening. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed the presence of linear deposits of IgG, IgM and C3 along the conjunctival basement membrane. With the diagnosis of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, systemic treatment with subcutaneous methotrexate was prescribed. Discussion We consider such treatment a very effective initial immunosuppressive alternative in patients with moderate conjunctival inflammation and in cases of rapid progression.

The immunosuppressive activity of artemisinin‐type drugs towards inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

2021

The sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin from Artemisia annua L. is well established for malaria therapy, but its bioactivity spectrum is much broader. In this review, we give a comprehensive and timely overview of the literature regarding the immunosuppressive activity of artemisinin-type compounds toward inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Numerous receptor-coupled signaling pathways are inhibited by artemisinins, including the receptors for interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), β3-integrin, or RANKL, toll-like receptors and growth factor receptors. Among the receptor-coupled signal transducers are extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinas…

Leflunomide, a reversible inhibitor of pyrimidine biosynthesis?

1995

Apoptosis of T cells and the control of inflammatory bowel disease: therapeutic implications.

2007

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the result of an imbalanced mucosal T cell response. Despite the identification of a genetic susceptibility region in the NOD2/CARD15 (nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain 2/caspase recruitment domain 15) gene, the aetiology is still unclear. Thus, the hunt for disease-initiating factors such as defects in the mucosal barrier or pathogenic microorganisms is ongoing. By contrast, the immunopathogenesis in IBDs is better understood. The identification of cytokines that are involved in T cell and monocyte signalling led to specific therapeutic concepts. Recent data have clearly shown that the most powerf…

Direct evidence that FK506 inhibition of FcεRI-mediated exocytosis from RBL mast cells involves calcineurin

1998

eRI-mediated exocytosis of preformed mediators from mast cells and basophils (e.g. histamine, serotonin, beta-hexosaminidase) is sensitive to the immunosuppressants cyclosporin A and FK506 (IC 50 200 and 4 n M , respectively) but not rapamycin. The mechanism of inhibition does not appear to involve tyrosine phosphorylation, hydrolysis of inositol phosphates or calcium flux. Here we report experiments using a molecular approach to assess the role of calcineurin, a serine/threonine phosphatase thought to be the primary pharmacological target of these drugs. Calcineurin’s activity requires association of its catalytic (A) subunit with an intrinsic regulatory (B) subunit. We hypothesized that c…

T Cell Receptor Mimic Peptidesand Their Potential Application in T-Cell-Mediated Diseas e

2001

<i>Background:</i> A T cell receptor (TCR) peptide was designed that mimics the intramembranous amino acid sequence of the TCR chain. Prior studies had shown that this mimic peptide would inhibit TCR signaling. This study was designed to investigate the use of this mimic peptide for the treatment of T-cell-mediated skin diseases. <i>Methods:</i> Synthesized mimic peptides were first tested for their T-cell-inhibitory effect in proliferation assays. Afterwards, mimic peptides were applied to murine ear skin prior to application of a contact allergen and tested for their inhibitory effect in the model of murine allergic contact sensitivity. The effect of epicutaneous t…

Demographic and clinical data in acquired hemophilia A

2012

Summary.  Background:  Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare autoimmune disease caused by autoantibodies against coagulation factor VIII and characterized by spontaneous hemorrhage in patients with no previous family or personal history of bleeding. Although data on several AHA cohorts have been collected, limited information is available on the optimal management of AHA. Objectives:  The European Acquired Hemophilia Registry (EACH2) was established to generate a prospective, large-scale, pan-European database on demographics, diagnosis, underlying disorders, bleeding characteristics, treatment and outcome of AHA patients. Results:  Five hundred and one (266 male, 235 female) patients from …

AISF position paper on liver transplantation and pregnancy: Women in Hepatology Group, Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF)

2016

After the first successful pregnancy in a liver transplant recipient in 1978, much evidence has accumulated on the course, outcomes and management strategies of pregnancy following liver transplantation. Generally, liver transplantation restores sexual function and fertility as early as a few months after transplant. Considering that one third of all liver transplant recipients are women, that approximately one-third of them are of reproductive age (18-49 years), and that 15% of female liver transplant recipients are paediatric patients who have a >70% probability of reaching reproductive age, the issue of pregnancy after liver transplantation is rather relevant, and obstetricians, paedi…

Novel Signal Transduction Pathways: Analysis of STAT-3 and Rac-1 Signaling in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

2006

Although the precise etiology of inflammatory bowel disease still remains unclear, considerable progress has been made in the identification of novel signal transduction pathways that elucidate the immunopathogenesis involved in the perpetuation of the inflammatory process. Augmented T cell resistance against apoptosis is regarded as a pivotal factor in the pathogenesis, as it impairs mucosal homeostasis and leads to unrestrained accumulation of activated T cells, which subsequently lead to the amplification of the inflammatory response. Therefore novel therapeutic strategies aim at restoring mucosal T cell susceptibility to apoptosis through targeting of signal transduction pathways that a…

Systematic review: macrophage activation syndrome in inflammatory bowel disease.

2013

Summary Background Recently, there have been increasingly frequent reports on the occurrence of macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Clinically, MAS is characterized mainly by fever, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenia, and elevated circulating ferritin and CD25. Mortality, even if diagnosed rapidly, is high. Aim To identify all reports on MAS in IBD and to establish data on triggering agents, immunosuppression leading to MAS, and mortality. Methods A language unrestricted search on Pubmed and Scopus relating to the past 30 years was carried out by matching the following search-terms: h(a)emophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis OR h(a)emophagocytic lym…