Search results for "cause"
showing 10 items of 6525 documents
Hepatitis C virus infection in hemodialyzed patients.
2007
In spite of our present improved knowledge of the epidemiology and pathways of contamination of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), infection still remains a public health problem. One category of patients who have suffered greatly from the consequences of HCV infection is certainly that of hemodialysis patients. In the past, in fact, their need for transfusions exposed these patients to infection and, as a result, subjects on dialysis for over 15 years are today paying the price for those inevitable transfusions, as the virus and its pathways of contagion were unknown then. However, still today, albeit at a much lower prevalence, even subjects with a shorter dialysis age present a higher prevalen…
Oxidative stress-induced glucocorticoid resistance is prevented by dual PDE3/PDE4 inhibition in human alveolar macrophages
2011
Summary Background Oxidative stress is present in airway diseases such as severe asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and contributes to the low response to glucocorticoids through the down-regulation of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity. Objective To study the effects of the phosphodiesterase (PDE)-3 and 4 inhibitors and their combination vs. glucocorticoids in a model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokine release in alveolar macrophages under oxidative stress conditions. Methods Differentiated U937 or human alveolar macrophages were stimulated with H2O2 (10–1000 μm) or cigarette smoke extract (CSE, 0–15%) for 4 h before LPS (0.5 μg/mL, 24 h) addition. In other experime…
Mitochondrial complex I impairment in leukocytes from type 2 diabetic patients.
2011
Diabetes is associated with oxidative stress. This study evaluated the rates of oxidative stress and mitochondrial impairment in type 2 diabetes patients. The study population consisted of 182 diabetic patients and 50 body-composition- and age-matched controls. We assessed anthropometric and metabolic parameters and mitochondrial function by evaluating mitochondrial oxygen (O2) consumption, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, glutathione (GSH) levels, GSH/GSSG ratio, mitochondrial membrane potential, and mitochondrial complex I activity in polymorphonuclear cells from diabetes type 2 patients. We found an increase in waist circumference and augmented serum levels of triglycerides, pro…
Validity and repeatability of the Pediatric Allergy Questionnaire for Athletes (AQUAped) for the screening of atopy.
2020
BACKGROUND High atopy prevalence has been reported in athletes. Having an age-specific questionnaire for predicting atopy is important for an optimal management of young athletes. The study objectives were as follows: (i) developing a scoring system for the Pediatric Allergy Questionnaire for Athletes (AQUAped); (ii) identifying the optimal age target within the range 7-14 years; (iii) assessing AQUAped validity and repeatability in the identified target population. METHODS A total of 133 young athletes (age 7-14 years) were recruited. Following a screening visit, the participants filled AQUAped at baseline (T0) and after 7 days (T1), concomitantly undergoing skin prick testing. Using atopy…
Increase in viral gastroenteritis outbreaks in Europe and epidemic spread of new norovirus variant.
2004
Background Highly publicised outbreaks of norovirus gastroenteritis in hospitals in the UK and Ireland and cruise ships in the USA sparked speculation about whether this reported activity was unusual. Methods We analysed data collected through a collaborative research and surveillance network of viral gastroenteritis in ten European countries (England and Wales were analysed as one region). We compiled data on total number of outbreaks by month, and compared genetic sequences from the isolated viruses. Data were compared with historic data from a systematic retrospective review of surveillance systems and with a central database of viral sequences. Findings Three regions (England and Wales,…
Immune-Inflammatory Responses and Oxidative Stress in Alzheimers Disease: Therapeutic Implications
2010
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a heterogeneous and progressive neurodegenerative disease which in Western society mainly accounts for clinical dementia. AD has been linked to inflammation and oxidative stress. Neuro-pathological hallmarks are senile plaques, resulting from the accumulation of several proteins and an inflammatory reaction around deposits of amyloid, a fibrillar protein, Abeta, product of cleavage of a much larger protein, the beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and neurofibrillary tangles. Inflammation clearly occurs in pathologically vulnerable regions of AD and several inflammatory factors influencing AD development, i.e. environmental factors (pro-inflammatory phenotype) an…
Rapid systematic review shows that using a high-flow nasal cannula is inferior to nasal continuous positive airway pressure as first-line support in …
2017
Aim We reviewed using a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) as first-line support for preterm neonates with, or at risk of, respiratory distress. Methods This rapid systematic review covered biomedical databases up to June 2017. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published in English. The reference lists of the studies and relevant reviews we included were also screened. We performed the study selection, data extraction, study quality assessment, meta-analysis and quality of evidence assessment following the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. Results Pooled results from six RCTs covering 1227 neonates showed moderate-quality evidence that HFNC …
Interleukin 12 enhances deficient HCV-antigen-induced Th1-type immune response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells
1998
The aim of this study was to examine the possible immunomodulating effects of rhIL-12 on the immune response induced by different hepatitis C virus (HCV) antigens. Freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 33 patients with chronic HCV infection were stimulated with optimal concentrations of antigens from the NS3, NS4, NS5, and core region of HCV in the absence or presence of interleukin12 (IL-12). Stimulation by α-CD3 + α-CD28, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) were used as controls. Proliferation and cytokine production were determined by 3H-thymidine uptake and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) after 72 hr. After stimulation with antigen or a…
Irregular Cytokine Pattern of CD4+T Lymphocytes in Response toStaphylococcus aureusin Patients with Wegener's Granulomatosis
1999
The initial stage of Wegener's Granulomatosis (WG) is often marked by symptoms of infection and it has been postulated that a bacterial infection could be the aetiologic factor of this disease. The objective of our work was to investigate T-cell-mediated immunity in WG by testing proliferative responses on bacterial antigens and particularly Staphylococcus aureus. We investigated the bulk proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from patients with clinically active WG to gram-positive bacteria and purified proteinase 3 (PR-3), the major target antigen of c-ANCA. We generated S. aureus-specific PBL-derived T-cell lines and T-cell clones (TLC). In two WG patients 27 TLC we…
Interaction Between Cytokines and Oxidative Stress in Acute Pancreatitis
2006
Acute pancreatitis is an inflammation initially localized in the pancreatic gland which may lead to local and systemic complications. The development of severe acute pancreatitis is mediated by pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the systemic inflammatory response, cytokines and oxidative stress being their components of major importance. Nevertheless, it is still unknown why an episode of acute pancreatitis remains mild or progresses to a severe form. Activated leukocytes are the main source of cytokines. Interleukin 1beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) initiate and propagate almost all the consequences of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome, leading to amplifica…