Search results for "unity"
showing 10 items of 3852 documents
Antibody Response to Meningococcal Polysaccharides A and C in Patients with Complement Defects
1993
Patients with defects of terminal complement components are particularly exposed to the risk of developing neisserial infections and seem to respond poorly to meningococcal capsular polysaccharide (PS) C via natural immunization. The sole meningococcal PSC is. on the other hand, an excellent immunogen in normal people. Considering the great importance of vaccine prophylaxis for the prevention of meningococcal infections in patients with complement defects, it is crucial to study the antibody response to the sole meningococcal PS in these patients. We therefore analysed the levels of anti-PSA and PSC antibodies in the members of four families including patients with homozygous and heterozygo…
Early neutralizing and glycoprotein B (gB)-specific antibody responses to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in immunocompetent individuals with distinct c…
2000
Abstract Background: Antibodies with functional anti-Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) activity are likely to be involved in preventing virus dissemination and thus may contribute to minimize the clinical manifestations of infection. Objectives: To investigate the role of humoral immunity in modulating the clinical expression of primary Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in immunocompetent persons. Study design: Neutralizing (NA) and glycoprotein B (gB)-specific antibodies were quantitated in acute-phase and late-convalescence phase sera from 19 individuals who developed either HCMV mononucleosis (12) or oligosymptomatic hepatitis (seven). Results: The levels of NA in sera drawn early after …
In vitro treatment with interleukin-2 normalizes type-1 cytokine production by lymphocytes from elderly
2000
The term immunosenescence is taken to mean the deterioration of immune function seen in elderly, which is manifested in increased susceptibility to infectious diseases, neoplasias, and autoimmune diseases. It is only recently that we have begun to understand the cellular and molecular changes involved. Of special interest in this regard are observations of a decline in synthesis of Type-1 cytokines which predisposes to diminished cell mediated immunity. We have evaluated the production of type 1 cytokines in old and young donors either in presence or in absence of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2). Lymphocytes were stimulated with plastic bound anti-CD3 and after 48 h the supernatants were …
Impaired cellular immune responses in chronic renal failure: Evidence for a T cell defect
1986
Impaired cellular immune responses in chronic renal failure: Evidence for a T cell defect. Cellular immune responses in vitro were studied in 24 patients on chronic hemodialysis and 16 healthy volunteers with normal kidney function. Patients on maintenance hemodialysis had lymphopenia with diminished numbers of both T4 + and T8 + T-lymphocytes. The T4/T8 ratios were within the normal range. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) showed a diminished proliferative response upon stimulation with concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin and poke weed mitogen. When cell surface antigens were used for stimulation (mixed lymphocyte culture) uremic lymphocytes also showed a lower proliferation rate. Although…
Glut-1 Expression and In Situ CD1a/CD57 Immunologic Deficit in Keratoacanthoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Immunocompetent Patients
2011
It is not easy to reach a differential diagnosis between keratoacanthoma (KA) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and furthermore there is still considerable discussion about the relationship of these 2 tumors with immunity. To facilitate such a diagnosis, we assessed the Glut-1 antibody, reported to be strongly and diffusely expressed in SCC but never assessed in KA. We studied 43 lesions of immunocompetent patients: 17 SCCs, 13 typical KAs (tKAs), and 13 atypical KAs (aKAs), with histologic features of SCC in less than 30% of the lesions. In tKA, Glut-1 stained only the basal layers of the squamous nests (basal pattern) whereas in SCC the squamous nests were randomly and diffusely stained (…
Transformational Leadership in the Local Police in Spain: a Leader-Follower Distance Approach
2014
AbstractBased on the transformational leadership theory (Bass, 1985), the aim of the present study was to analyze the differences in leadership styles according to the various leading ranks and the organizational follower-leader distance reported by a representative sample of 975 local police members (828 male and 147 female) from Valencian Community (Spain). Results showed differences by rank (p< .01), and by rank distance (p< .05). The general intendents showed the most optimal profile of leadership in all the variables examined (transformational-leadership behaviors, transactional-leadership behaviors,laissez-fairebehaviors, satisfaction with the leader, extra effort by follower, a…
Cellular Immunity in Adolescents and Adults following Acellular Pertussis Vaccine Administration
2007
ABSTRACT Cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses to an acellular pertussis vaccine administered to 49 subjects, a subset of participants in the National Institutes of Health-funded adult acellular pertussis vaccine efficacy trial, were evaluated and compared with antibody responses to vaccine antigens. Levels of proliferation of and cytokine secretion from lymphocytes cultured in the presence of pertussis toxin, filamentous hemagglutinin, or pertactin were measured before vaccination and 1 month and 1 year after vaccination. Statistically significant increases in lymphocyte stimulation indices and cytokine secretion were noted at both 1 month and 1 year after vaccination. Brisk pertussis antig…
Assessment of Analysis of Urinary Pneumococcal Antigen by Immunochromatography for Etiologic Diagnosis of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Adults
2006
ABSTRACT The limitations of conventional microbiologic methods (CMM) for etiologic diagnosis of community pneumococcal pneumonia have made faster diagnostic techniques necessary. Our aim was to evaluate the usefulness of the immunochromatography (ICT) technique for detecting urinary Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen in the etiologic diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonias (CAP). This was a prospective study on in-patients with CAP in a tertiary hospital conducted from October 2000 to March 2004. Apart from using CMM to reach an etiologic diagnosis, we determined pneumococcal antigen in concentrated urine by ICT. We also determined the urinary pneumococcal antigen (UPA) content in patients…
Risk Factors and Outcome among a Large Patient Cohort with Community-Acquired Acute Hepatitis C in Italy
2006
Background The epidemiology of acute hepatitis C has changed during the past decade in Western countries. Acute HCV infection has a high rate of chronicity, but it is unclear when patients with acute infection should be treated. Methods To evaluate current sources of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission in Italy and to assess the rate of and factors associated with chronic infection, we enrolled 214 consecutive patients with newly acquired hepatitis C during 1999-2004. The patients were from 12 health care centers throughout the country, and they were followed up for a mean (+/- SD) period of 14+/-15.8 months. Biochemical liver tests were performed, and HCV RNA levels were monitored. Result…
Evaluation of ethical reflections in community healthcare: a mixed-methods study.
2014
Background: Ethical reflections over care practices are important. In order to be able to perform such reflections, healthcare professionals must learn to think critically about their care practice. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether an introduction to and practice in ethical reflections in community healthcare have consequences for the healthcare personnel’s practice. Research design: A mixed-methods design was adopted with five focus group interviews and an electronic questionnaire based on results from the interviews. Participants and research context: A total of 29 community healthcare personnel with experience in ethical reflections participated in the interviews. The e…