Publications by authors named "A K Lefvert"
Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) initiate immune responses through their direct interaction with effector cells. However, the mechanism by which DC activity is regulated is not well defined. Previous studies have shown that CTLA4 on T cells regulates DCs function by "cross-talk".
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Measurement of inflammatory mediators is an important tool to assess inflammation. We have, therefore, conducted a survey within the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study to evaluate the inter-relationship between soluble CTLA-4 (sCTLA-4) and other inflammatory markers.
Materials And Methods: This is a population-based study, designed to quantify the circulating serum levels of sCTLA-4 and other inflammatory markers such as CRP and pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines by in-house ELISA, Immuno-turbidimetry and multiplex ELISA, respectively.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the genetic link between the PDCD1 gene and Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), a type of autoimmune disorder.
- The researchers analyzed three specific SNPs in the PDCD1 gene among patients with WG and healthy controls, using methods like genotyping and ELISA.
- Ultimately, they found no significant association of the PDCD1 SNPs with WG, indicating that these genetic factors may not play a role in the disease.
Article Synopsis
- Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder that causes muscle weakness due to autoantibodies targeting acetylcholine receptors, and CTLA-4 is implicated in its immune response.
- Researchers identified two new isoforms of CTLA-4 mRNA through alternative splicing in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from MG patients.
- The study found reduced levels of soluble CTLA-4 mRNA in MG patients compared to healthy individuals, suggesting a unique mRNA expression pattern that warrants further investigation into how alternative splicing affects the disease.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted to explore the role of the PTPN22 R620W gene variant in myasthenia gravis (MG), involving 409 MG patients and 1557 controls from Sweden.
- The W620 variant was found to be significantly more common in MG patients, with an odds ratio of 1.52, indicating a potential link to the disease.
- Further tests on patient-derived cells showed that W620 carriers had increased production of anti-AChR antibodies and IL-2 when exposed to acetylcholine receptors, suggesting that this variant may impair immune function in the context of MG.