Work productivity and activity impairment in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Objectives: In this observational, analytical, cross-sectional study we aimed to describe the impact of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) on work productivity and activities of daily living (ADL) to assess the association between ADL impairment and clinical manifestations and to compare ADL impairment according to patients' socioeconomic condition.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with pSS attending 11 centres from Argentina were included. To evaluate work productivity and ADL impairment, a work productivity and activity impairment questionnaire (WPAI) was used.

Is lupus nephritis a prognosis factor for pregnancy? Maternal and foetal outcomes.

Background: Pregnancy in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and nephritis (LN) is at risk of foetal and maternal complications.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of LN on pregnancy with respect to foetal and maternal outcome.

Methods: We retrospectively studied all pregnant SLE patients with and without diagnosis of LN, who attended the Materno Neonatal Hospital in Cordoba city, Argentina, from January 2015 to April 2017.

Is Lupus Nephritis a Prognosis Factor for Pregnancy? Maternal and Foetal Outcomes.

Background: Pregnancy in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and nephritis (LN) is at risk of foetal and maternal complications.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of LN on pregnancy with respect to foetal and maternal outcome.

Methods: We retrospectively studied all pregnant SLE patients with and without diagnosis of LN, who attended the Materno Neonatal Hospital in Cordoba city, Argentina, from January 2015 to April 2017.

[Subclinical markers of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factors in early arthritis].

Background: Mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increased in rheumatoid arthritis, not explained by traditional cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), suggesting a role of inflammation. This process would occur early. The common sonographic markers of subclinical atherosclerosis (SA), are increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) or the presence of carotid atherosclerotic plaque and they are closely related to CVD.

[Lipid profile in early arthritis and its relation with inflammatory activity].

Unlabelled: Cardiovascular risk is increased in Rheumatoid Arthritis and it is associated with higher morbility and mortality. Few studies have evaluated the lipid profile in early arthritis (EA).

Aims: To study the lipid profile in patients with EA and its association with disease activity (DA).

Heterogeneity of Specific CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells Stimulated by CMV pp65 and IE1 Antigens.

Characterization of human cytomegalovirus-specific T cells (CMV-T) is of critical importance for their potential use in adoptive immunotherapy after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Background frequencies of CMV-T in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of CMV-seropositive healthy subjects are usually very low, hence the requirement for prolonged culture time and multiple stimulations to expand them. The evaluation of the end-culture specificity and composition has sometimes been neglected or difficult to assess in these settings.

[Electrocardiographic changes and QT interval modifications in patients with Early Arthritis].

Background: The QT interval modification has been described in patients witrthritis (RA) and it could be a useful marker of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Aims: To evaluate the QT interval modifications in patients with early arthritis (EA) and its association with disease activity (DA).

Methods: We studied patients with diagnosis of EA attended to Rheumatology Unit at Córdoba Hospital from January 2010 to December 2013.

[The repeated biopsy in patients with lupus nephritis].

We retrospectively studied patients with SLE according to ACR criteria, with NL who underwent a repeat renal biopsy from 2005 to 2012. We analyzed the main indications of renal biopsies, the histopathological Class and activity and chronicity changes. RESULTS The total number of patients with NL was 120, of which 18 (15%) patients underwent repeat renal biopsy, 18 had 2 renal biopsies and 6 had 3 biopsies.

Absence of micronucleus formation in CHO-K1 cells cultivated in platelet lysate enriched medium.

Human platelet lysate (PL) represents an effective substitute of fetal bovine serum (FBS) for mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) cultivation. Compared to FBS, PL favors MSC proliferation significantly shortening the population doubling time and avoiding the risks related to the use of animal derivatives. Growth factors contained in the platelets are released upon platelet disruption following freezing/thawing cycles or as we have recently described by using ultrasound.

Multivariate statistical data analysis as a tool to analyze ex vivo expansion dynamics of cytokine-induced killer cells.

Background: Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells, obtained after mononucleated cell stimulation with interferon-γ, interleukin-2, and anti-CD3 antibody, are constituted by CD3(+) CD56(+) (CIK) cells and a minority of natural killer (NK; CD3(-) CD56(+) ) cells and T-lymphocytes (CD3(+) CD56(-) ) with antitumor effect against hematological malignancies, thus representing a promising immunotherapy strategy. To ensure in vivo antitumor activity it is mandatory to maximize the percentage of CD3(+) 56(+) effector cells, which is highly variable depending on the starting sample and the harvesting day. Based on cytofluorimetric data, we have retrospectively applied multivariate statistical data analysis (MVDA) to 30 expansions building mathematical models able to predict the expansion fate and the optimal CIK harvesting day.

Production of human platelet lysate by use of ultrasound for ex vivo expansion of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells.

Background Aims: A medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS) is of common use for the expansion of human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). However, its use is discouraged by regulatory authorities because of the risk of zoonoses and immune reactions. Human platelet lysate (PL) obtained by freezing/thawing disruption of platelets has been proposed as a possible substitute of FBS.

A study on mutual interaction between cytokine induced killer cells and umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal cells: Implication for their in-vivo use.

Recently a number of cellular therapy based-clinical trials have been carried out using mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) or cytokine-induced-killer (CIK) cells aiming to improve outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We have isolated MSC from umbilical cord (UC) exploring the interaction between CIK cells and UC-MSC. We found that UC-MSC could suppress CIK cells activity, when co-cultured in a cell-to-cell system.

Cytosine arabinoside potentiates the apoptotic effect of bendamustine on several B- and T-cell leukemia/lymphoma cells and cell lines.

Bendamustine and cytosine arabinoside (ara-c) are commonly used cytotoxic agents with unique mechanisms of action. We have previously reported a striking additive cytotoxic effect of the consecutive combination of bendamustine and ara-c in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) cell lines. In the present study, cell lines of follicular lymphoma (DOHH-2), chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma (EHEB), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (SU-DHL-4), T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (JURKAT and KARPAS-299) and MCL (JEKO-1 and GRANTA-519) were exposed to the two single drugs or the drugs combined, given simultaneously and consecutively.

An evaluation of nonclinical dissociation utilizing a virtual environment shows enhanced working memory and attention.

Dissociation is a mental process resulting in the disruption of memory, perception, and sometimes identity. At a nonclinical level, only mild dissociative experiences occur. The nature of nonclinical dissociation is disputed in the literature, with some asserting that it is a beneficial information processing style and others positing that it is a psychopathological phenomenon.

The cytotoxic effects of bendamustine in combination with cytarabine in mantle cell lymphoma cell lines.

Bendamustine is clinically useful in mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL). Its favorable toxicity profile in-vivo favors its combination with other cytotoxic drugs. Cytarabine is a key drug in the treatment of younger patients with MCL.

[Bacterial endocarditis caused by salmonella in systemic lupus erythematosus].

Introduction: Patients with SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) are prompt to develop infections with significant morbidity and mortality. The intravascular infection due to salmonella is a rare complication of difficult diagnosis and poor prognostic.

Objective: We report two cases of bacterial endocarditis due to salmonella in SLE patients.

Isolated erythrocytosis: study of 67 patients and identification of three novel germ-line mutations in the prolyl hydroxylase domain protein 2 (PHD2) gene.

The oxygen sensing pathway modulates erythropoietin expression. In normal cells, intracellular oxygen tensions are directly sensed by prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD)-containing proteins. PHD2 isozyme has a key role in tagging hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-α subunits for polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation.

Effect of platelet lysate on the functional and molecular characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from adipose tissue.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are non-hematopoietic, adult, fibroblast-like, multipotent cells that are plastic adherent in standard culture conditions. They can be isolated from several tissues, but it is always necessary to expand them for clinical practice.

Aim: We investigated the effect of human platelet lysate (hPL) on the expansion of human MSCs isolated from adipose tissue (AT), comparing it with fetal bovine serum (FBS) and human platelet-poor plasma (hPPP).

Assessing the determination of salivary electrolytes and anti-Ro and anti-La antibodies for the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS).

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to assess changes in salivary electrolyte flow and composition and the presence of anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB serum and saliva antibodies and their implications for the non-invasive diagnosis of SS.

Study Design: 73 patients were studied, divided into the following experimental groups: primary Sjögren syndrome (SSp) (n=15), secondary SS (SSs) (n=17), dry mouth, dry eye without Sjögren's syndrome (BO) (n=20) and healthy controls (C) (n=21). We conducted a baseline assessment of salivary flow and saliva sampling for the measurement of sodium, chlorine, potassium, calcium and phosphate electrolytes, and the determination of anti-Ro/SSA and La/SSB antibodies; a serum sampling was made to assess antibody positivity.

[Ventricular diastolic dysfunction in rheumatoid arthritis].

Unlabelled: Rheumatoid arthritis ( RA) is a chronic and systemic articular inflammatory disease, often associated with cardiac manifestations. However, cardiac involvement in RA is not always symptomatic. Previous studies reported high mortality rates for RA and that it was dependent on concurrent heart dis-ease.