Soluble CD163 serum levels are elevated and correlated with IL-12 and CXCL10 in patients with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis.

CD163, a membrane glycoprotein restricted to monocyte-macrophage cell lineage, is released in the terminal phase of acute inflammation and during chronic inflammation, with anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic role. The proteolytically detached ectodomain of CD163 is the soluble component sCD163. A few studies were performed regarding circulating sCD163 in human diseases.

Romanian experience in child celiac disease diagnosis.

Last consensus in celiac disease in 2008 conducted under the aegis of the European Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition jointly with North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition reveals the following: "celiac disease is a chronic immune-mediated enteropathy characterized by sensitization to gluten. That can affect any organ or system, with a wide range of clinical manifestations of variable severity". Thus, in recent years, clinical picture of celiac disease has changed the old paradigm--bowel disease with villous atrophy and malnutrition, being replaced with the new paradigm--multi-organ autoimmune disease, affecting many organs and systems throughout but with more less specific symptoms, which undiagnosed leads to delayed diagnosis, at a late-onset disease and long-term major complications as the risk of cancer.

IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies, first line in the diagnosis of celiac disease.

Background: According to the 2008 celiac disease working group run by Dr. A. Fassano under the auspices of the Federation of International Societies of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, celiac disease is a chronic immune-mediated enteropathy characterized by gluten sensitivity, which can affect any organ or system, having a wide range of clinical manifestations of variable severity.

Difficulties in Celiac Disease Diagnosis in Children - A case report.

Diagnosis of celiac disease in a patient with lactose intolerance has special importance having implications for the treatment of both diseases. The authors present the case of a 2 years old girl, first diagnosed with enterocolitis, but her clinical evolution revealed a complex situation: both celiac disease and secondary lactose intolerance. We present the case as a special situation in clinical pediatric practice that must be taken into account more often.

IgG-F-actin antibodies in celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis.

Anti-actin antibodies are found in 52-85% of patients with autoimmune hepatitis or chronic active hepatitis and in 22% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. In patients with celiac disease, anti-actin antibodies correlate with the degree of villous atrophy. Studies on their involvement in celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis in Romania have not been done.

Controversies in the laboratory diagnosis of celiac disease in children; new haplotypes discovered.

The latest consensus on celiac disease in 2008, under the auspices of the International Societies of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, shows that HLA DQ2/DQ8 typing indicates the highest negative predictive value for celiac disease, which would exclude the diagnosis of celiac disease. In Romania, there are no studies on the implication of HLA-DQ2/DQ8 in celiac disease in children. The aim of our study was to analyze the significance of genetic tests, with a focus on negative HLA-DQ2/DQ8 cases, as well as to determine the main haplotypes involved in celiac disease in children.

Increased expression of CD154 and FAS in SLE patients' lymphocytes.

An increased level of apoptotic material and B cell activation leading to autoantibody production are hallmarks of systemic lupus erythematoses (SLE). Increased FAS expression, apoptosis, and CD154-mediated signaling, enabling T–B cell interaction are involved in the pathogenesis of SLE. This study addresses the expression profile of CD154 and FAS in the peripheral blood of patients with SLE, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and normal healthy control donors.

Costimulatory molecule CD154 in systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Therapeutic perspectives.

SLE is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by B cell hyperactivity. Evidence from the last years has shown that B cells play a key role in the development of the immune response. The interaction of CD40 on B cells with its ligand CD154 on activated T cells provides a costimulatory signal that induces T dependent B cell proliferation and differentiation with subsequent antibody production.

Correlation of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 level with biochemical, histological and viral findings in chronic hepatitis C after interferon-alpha + ribavirin therapy.

Unlabelled: Intercellular cell adhesion molecules-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecules-1 (VCAM-1) are expressed in a high quantity on hepatocytes and at the level of endothelium cells from sinusoidal vessels in the liver tissue of patients with chronic hepatitis C. The soluble forms of these molecules sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 can be determined in the serum of patients through the immunoenzymatic technique (ELISA).

The Aim: of the study was to analyse the base level of these molecules and the changes induced through the combined treatment of interferon-alpha (IFN- alpha) and ribavirin (Rib).

Serum levels of soluble intercellular-1 and vascular cell-1 adhesion molecules in chronic hepatitis C and the influence of interferon-alpha + ribavirin therapy.

In chronic hepatitis C (CHC) intercellular and vascular cell adhesion molecules-1 (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) are expressed de novo on hepatocytes infected by hepatitis C virus and on endothelial cells from sinusoidal vessels, respectively. The soluble forms of these (sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1) reflect their level of expression in tissue. Serum levels of sICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were measured using ELISA assays in 20 patients with CHC, at baseline and after 6 months of treatment with interferon-a + ribavirin.

Serum soluble IL-2 receptor as a marker of lymphocyte activation in some autoimmune diseases. Effect of immunosuppressive therapy.

Our experience regarding serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) measurement as a marker of lymphocyte activation consists of patients with autoimmune disease: 37 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 23 with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), 74 with inflammatory bowel disease and six with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG). The influence of immunosuppressive therapy has also been assessed. Serum sIL-2R in SLE is significantly higher than in healthy controls and good correlation is found between sIL-2R and disease activity.

[Autoimmune pancreatitis].

Over the last years several case reports and articles have been published suggesting that a new form of chronic pancreatitis has been diagnosed and named autoimmune pancreatitis. The present overview scrutinizes the proposed evidence in the light of the current literature and aims to prove whether autoimmune pancreatitis is a special entity of chronic pancreatitis.

Anti asialoglycoprotein receptor antibodies and soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels as marker for inflammation in autoimmune hepatitis.

Circulating anti asialoglycoprotein receptor antibodies (anti-ASCPR) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels (sIL-2R) were blindly determined in sera of 23 patients with autoimmune hepatitis and compared to 18 healthy individuals. All patients underwent liver biopsy which was blindly staged and graded. 14 of 23 (61%) patients but none of normal controls showed anti-ASCPR positivity.

A soluble form of the human transferrin receptor is released by activated lymphocytes in vitro.

Soluble transferrin receptors (sTfR) were detected in culture supernatants of activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using a sandwich ELISA technique with two non-cross-reacting TfR MoAbs. Mitogenic stimulation of lymphoid cells induced both up-regulation of TfR surface density and release of sTfR to the medium. Peak levels of sTfR in culture supernatants occurred at day 4 after activation, 1 day later than maximum expression of TfR in the plasma membrane.

Effect of cyclophosphamide in active nonviral cirrhosis.

The immunologic effects of cyclophosphamide were studied in 16 patients with active nonviral liver cirrhosis with a view to improving the pathogenetic treatment of these diseases. After months of cyclophosphamide administration first in doses of 100 mg/day (for 14 days) then in doses of 200 mg per week, the hypergammaglobulinemia present at entry was reduced significantly from 2.55 +/- 0.

Enhancement of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) expression in colorectal tumors by neuraminidase.

Twelve colorectal carcinomas with transitional mucosa and 10 colorectal adenomas which previously displayed weak or no carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) expression were selected to verify whether neuraminidase unmasks CEA carbohydrate epitopes and, consequently, enhances the CEA expression. Peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method was performed on routinely processed tissues, without and with neuraminidase pretreatment of the sections. Lysine, without and with neuraminidase pretreatment of the sections.

The role of transvaginal sonography as compared with endorectal sonography in the evaluation of rectal cancer: preliminary study.

We carried out a preliminary study on the efficacy of endovaginal sonography (EVS) in the evaluation of rectal cancer. The study included 12 women with endoscopically documented rectal cancer, 10 of which were treated surgically. We found that EVS evidenced metastasized lymph nodes (7/9) and infiltration of the rectovaginal space more clearly; moreover, this technique can also be performed in cases of stenosing cancer.

Immunostimulating effect of an oxygen-free radical scavenger on E-rosette forming cells.

The influence of an oxygen-free radical scavenger, Epurox (containing superoxide dismutase, catalase and mannitol) on E-rosette forming cells (E-RFC) obtained from 40 healthy subjects, was studied using a standard method. The preincubation of lymphocytes with Epurox increased the E-rosette forming in 80% of the subjects. The mean E-rosette count after preincubation with Epurox (64.

[The etiopathogenesis of chronic hepatitis in children].

The authors study the etiology of chronic hepatitis, with emphasis on the high frequency of the infection with virus B, with a chronization rate of 15-20%. Taking into account the mother fetus, transmission and the increased number of AgHBs chronic carriers, with serious consequences on hepatic affection, the authors insist on the necessity of antiviral vaccination and of the therapy for virus elimination. At the same time, pathogenetic investigations are made for the presence of nonspecific antibodies and antibodies against hepatocytic membrane, elements which prove the permanent character of the hepatic lesions by immune mechanism, induced by the virus B persistence.

[The value and limits of endorectal sonography in the preoperative stage classification of rectal cancer].

The article deals with the valuation of endorectal and abdominal sonography in preoperative staging of rectal carcinoma. Data processing of 40 patients suffering from tumours of the rectum examined rectoscopically, by biopsy and via sonography showed that endorectal sonography can achieve preoperative staging (T) with a sensitivity of 89%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 89% and a negative predictive value of 100%, the overall accuracy being 81%. Identification of pararectal adenopathies can be performed with a sensitivity of 16% and a specificity of 100%.

Oxygen free radicals and duodenal ulcer pain. Preliminary data.

Starting from the hypothesis that duodenal ulcer pain is induced by oxygen free radicals, a process demonstrated in other types of bacterial or nonbacterial inflammations, we used a powerful scavenger of human origin in local periulcerous injections performed through endoscope in 12 patients with duodenal ulcer and active lasting pain. Pain subsided in all patients for a variable period of time. The results obtained plead for the involvement of oxygen free radicals in the mechanism of ulcer pain.