Steady-State Therapy with Azithromycin or Low-Dose Prednisolone in Paediatric Cystic Fibrosis Patients: Inflammatory Markers and Disease Progression.

Background: Anti-inflammatory therapy is a logical approach to slowing the inevitable lung function deterioration in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. This study's aim was to evaluate inflammatory markers and disease progression in paediatric CF patients chronically treated with azithromycin or low-dose prednisolone.

Methods: The study included 204 patients with CF and 100 healthy controls; 102 CF patients were treated with basic therapy only (without anti-inflammatory treatment; WAT), and 102 individuals received basic therapy along with azithromycin (n = 59) or low-dose prednisolone (n = 43).

TNF gene polymorphisms in cystic fibrosis patients: contribution to the disease progression.

Background: It is well known that the disease progression in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients may be diverse in subjects with identical mutation in CFTR gene. It is quite possible that such heterogeneity is associated with TNF-α and/or LT-α gene polymorphisms since their products play a key role in inflammation. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible roles of TNF gene polymorphisms in CF disease phenotype and progression.

Cognitive disorders in mice: cytokine signaling pathways as therapeutic targets.

Surplus accumulation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) is known to be at the bottom of many morbid conditions, among them being neuropsychiatric diseases. In particular, Tregs may inhibit Th1 cells, including brain autoimmune lymphocytes, controlling the local microglial response and brain tissue homeostasis. The present study was undertaken in an attempt to suggest a novel approach for the treatment of maladaptation to mental stress associated with excessive Treg accumulation.

HPA axis exhaustion and regulatory T cell accumulation in patients with a functional somatic syndrome: recent view on the problem of Gulf War veterans.

The authors proceeded from the assumption that physical and mental symptoms of functional somatic syndromes (including those observed in Gulf War veterans) are based on both underactivity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and excessive accumulation of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Permanent psychogenic stress coupled with high antigen loading leads to gradual depletion of HPA axis, which is manifested by the reduction of stress-induced cortisol response. Under stress hormone deficiency, Tregs begin to play a principal role in anti-inflammatory mechanisms and each new pro-inflammatory stimulus increases their number.

Melphalan reduces the severity of experimental colitis in mice by blocking tumor necrosis factor-alpha signaling pathway.

Melphalan is an alkylating agent, which is commonly used as an antineoplastic drug. Its cytostatic effect can be realized in humans in the dose range of 0.6-1.