Search results for "autoimmunity"

Other Types of Chaperonopathies

2013

A mechanism causing a chaperonopathy that is introduced in this chapter consists of the absence of a chaperone from the place where it is needed (i.e., chaperonopathies by misplacement). Also in this chapter are discussed the unfolded-protein response (UPR), chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), and illustrative examples of chaperonopathies by mistake, or collaborationism. In these conditions, one or more chaperones, apparently normal in structure, perform functions that favor disease rather than the contrary, hence the name of chaperonopathy by mistake or collaborationism (a molecule that ought to protect the cell and the organism promotes pathogenesis instead). Many examples of chaperonopat…

The experimental antiphospholipid syndrome: an invaluable tool to study autoimmunity-induced neurodegeneration

2014

cells and its activation inhibits their differentiation and remyelination. These suggest a possible role of CNS TLR2 in progressive autoimmune demyelination. Methods: We examined the effects of intra-cerebro-ventricular (ICV) injection of Zymozan, a TLR2 agonist, on the clinical and pathological course of EAE. The survival and clinical scores were monitored; demyelination and axonal loss were quantified by gold-black and Bielschowsky stains, and the nature of neuro-inflammatory response was characterized by TLR2, IBA-1 and CD3 stainings and PCR for immune cytokines. Immune cells were isolated from EAE brain tissue and their proliferative response to the autoantigen (PLP peptide) or Concaval…

Does autoimmunity play a part in the pathogenesis of glaucoma?

2013

Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative disease and one of the leading causes of blindness. Several risk factors have been described, e.g. an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), oxidative stress or mitochondrial dysfunction. Additionally, alterations in serum antibody profiles of glaucoma patients, upregulation (e.g. anti-HSP60, anti-MBP) and downregulation (e.g. anti-14-3-3), have been described, but it still remains elusive if the autoantibodies seen in glaucoma are an epiphenomenon or causative. However, it is known that elicited autoimmunity causes retinal ganglion cell loss resulting in glaucomatous-like damage and according to the autoaggressive nature of some autoantibodies we found…

Neuroprotection and autoimmunity in glaucoma

2012

In glaucoma, the elevated intraocular pressure cannot explain the disease in all patients. However, the pathogenesis of the disease is widely unknown. Biomarker research could be help to understand the disease process. Beside some genetic and proteomic biomarkers, immunoproteomics could play a significant role. Several studies could provide hints for an involvement of autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of the disease. The complex profiles of natural occurring autoantibodies were analyzed by Western Blotting and mass spectrometry based techniques combined with multivariate statistics and artificial neural networks. In several studies we could demonstrate consistent up- and down-regulations o…

Modeling a Complex Disease

2011

The recent decades have shown that multiple sclerosis (MS) is not a uniform disease entity with common etiology, but rather a disease or syndrome characterized by a heterogeneous pattern of manifestations and pathological principles. Apart from the older distinctions of the Devic's disease from the standard Western form of relapsing remitting MS or the more Asian form of opticospinal MS, specific pathological patterns indicating distinct etiologies have been established by analyses of biopsies and autopsies. Further, the distinct responses of patients to drugs targeting either specific cell types or immunoregulatory mechanisms such as Rituximab or IFNβ clearly demonstrate the heterogeneity …

Heat Shock Proteins in Multiple Sclerosis Pathogenesis: Friend or Foe?

2015

Multiple Sclerosis is a complex chronic inflammatory, neurodegenerative disease conditioned by genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. Main pathological features of MS include areas of focal demyelination of white matter characterized by gliosis, neuron and oligodendrocyte loss. Neurodegenerative as well as immune-mediated processes play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease. One of these immunogenic factors could be represented by the heat shock proteins. HSP exhibit cytoprotective and cytostimulatory effects due to their molecular chaperones role, in many brain model misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, whereas still no unambiguous results have bee…

Translational Value of CSF and Blood Markers of Autoimmunity and Neurodegeneration

2021

Regeneration After CNS Lesion: Help from the Immune System?

2010

Traumatic injury to the central nervous system (CNS) is followed by an inflammatory response, which is characterized by at least two very distinct phases: First, a short highly controlled burst of acute inflammatory defense and second, a long-term remodeling phase. Similarly, at least one or two phases of T-cell infiltration have been described in CNS trauma models suggesting differential functions of T cells in the acute and remodeling phase. Thus, the role of T cells in CNS trauma is still controversial. Interestingly, vaccine strategies and injections of autoimmune T cells led to both exacerbation of CNS damage after trauma in some models and improvement in others. Here, we suggest that …

Hepatitic C virus infection and autoimmunity : clinical features, diagnostic tools and therapeutical aspects

1995

Summary Since the genom of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) was detected the pathogenesis of a distinct group of chronic liver disease and some non-hepatic disorders of sofar unknown origin could be newly established. A wide variety of clinical features including vasculitis, glomerulonephritis, porphyria and rheumatoid-like symptoms may become apparant separately or in combination. HCV can be precipitated in cryoglobulins and tissue-related HCV was found in liver and kidney specimen, for instance. HCV-related cryoglobulinemia or circulating immune complexes often occur with vasculitis. Hematological changes may be present such as thrombocytopenia. A considerable amount of patients show circulati…

Response to 'TH1 and TH2 cytokine control of thyrocyte survival in thyroid autoimmunity'

2001

Mirakian et al. question our recent results, which suggest that thyrocyte survival during thyroid autoimmunity depends on differential effects of TH1 and TH2 cytokines1. Thyrocyte destruction in autoimmune thyroiditis is a slow process that lasts several years. We hypothesized that in thyroid autoimmunity the balance between life and death in thyrocytes depends on the predominance over the time of TH2 and TH1 cytokines, whose action is not restricted to immune cells but involves direct modulation of key molecules responsible for survival or death of target cells1.