Bridges or walls? A metaphorical dichotomy of Pope Francis versus Donald Trump's views of transnational migration.

Within a wider research line on policy-driven institutional discourses on migration by international/national institutions, NGO and political leaders, this contribution is aimed at illustrating the bipolarized social representations of immigrants inspiring 24 speeches by Pope Francis and US President Donald Trump. Statistical analyses using IRAMUTEQ included "specificity analysis" of discursive forms (words) and "cluster analysis." Results show that the Pope's discourse on migration (articulated into four clusters) is richer than the oversimplified Trump's discourse (originating just one cluster): the words "bridges" and "walls" emerge as representational nuclei of their bipolarized views of transnational migration, as metaphorical dichotomies of inclusive/exclusive policies.

Clinical predictors of response and discontinuation of belimumab in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in real life setting. Results of a large, multicentric, nationwide study.

Objective: To investigate efficacy, safety and survival of belimumab and to identify predictors of drug response and drug discontinuation in patients with active SLE in clinical practice.

Patients And Methods: Data of SLE patients, treated with belimumab, from 11 Italian prospective cohorts were analyzed. SLEDAI-2K, anti-dsDNA, C3, C4, prednisone daily dose, DAS-28, 24-h proteinuria, CLASIa (Cutaneous LE Disease Area and Severity Index Activity) were recorded at baseline and every 6 months.

Nano-sized polystyrene affects feeding, behavior and physiology of brine shrimp Artemia franciscana larvae.

Nano-sized polymers as polystyrene (PS) constitute one of the main challenges for marine ecosystems, since they can distribute along the whole water column affecting planktonic species and consequently disrupting the energy flow of marine ecosystems. Nowadays very little knowledge is available on the impact of nano-sized plastics on marine organisms. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the effects of 40nm anionic carboxylated (PS-COOH) and 50nm cationic amino (PS-NH2) polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) on brine shrimp Artemia franciscana larvae.

Differential ABCB and ABCC gene expression and efflux activities in gills and hemocytes of Mytilus galloprovincialis and their involvement in cadmium response.

The aim of the study was to characterize ABC transport proteins gene expression and efflux activities in gills and hemocytes of the Mediterranean mussel and to evaluate their response to Cd. At basal level a higher expression of abcb-like gene was observed in gills than in hemocytes while abcc-like gene showed similar levels. Both P-gp and MRPs inhibitors (cyclosporine and MK571) blocked efflux activities in gills; hemocytes were sensitive only to MK571.

Pharmacological inhibition of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 suppresses epidermal growth factor receptor-mediated tumor growth and angiogenesis.

Background: Blockade of Prostaglandin (PG) E(2) production via deletion of microsomal Prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) gene reduces tumor cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo on xenograft tumors. So far the therapeutic potential of the pharmacological inhibition of mPGES-1 has not been elucidated. PGE(2) promotes epithelial tumor progression via multiple signaling pathways including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway.

CD4(+) CD25(low) GITR(+) cells: a novel human CD4(+) T-cell population with regulatory activity.

Treg subsets play a role in sustaining peripheral tolerance, are characterized by markers such as forkhead winged-helix transcription factor (FOXP3) and CD25, and produce suppressive cytokines, such as IL-10 and TGF-β. Glucocorticoid-induced TNF receptor family-related (GITR) protein has been suggested to regulate Treg activity in mice. The aim of our study was to investigate GITR expression in human CD4(+) T lymphocytes and its possible role in Treg function.

Rituximab treatment for persistent scleritis associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Purpose: To report a clinical case of a patient with severe scleritis associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) refractive to conventional treatment that was treated effectively with rituximab.

Methods And Results: A 55-year-old man with RA, on etanercept and oral methotrexate, was referred with diagnosis of acute stromal keratitis, anterior uveitis, and anterior nodular scleritis in his right eye. Cyclophosphamide induced complete regression of acute stromal keratitis and anterior uveitis, but scleritis was still active and persistent.

Functional impairment of the arterial wall in primary Sjögren's syndrome: combined action of immunologic and inflammatory factors.

Objective: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) shares clinical and serologic features with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, 2 diseases characterized by acceleration of atherosclerosis. Signs of precocious atherosclerosis have also been shown in SS, although the pathogenic basis of early arterial damage is unclear. The arterial wall was functionally evaluated in SS subjects with analysis of the role played by disease-related factors.

Identification of regulatory T cells in systemic lupus erythematosus.

The concept that regulatory T cells (Treg) play a key role in both development and maintenance of autoimmune response in rheumatic diseases is well accepted. In recent years, several studies analyzed Treg cell phenotype and function in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the prototypical systemic autoimmune disorder in humans. Although qualitative and/or quantitative abnormalities of Treg cells have been shown, data are often conflicting.

Anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha response in rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an increase in serum soluble CD30.

Objective: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) display high serum concentrations of soluble CD30 (sCD30), which correlate with counter-regulatory activity of CD30+ T cells in the inflamed joint. To verify the contribution of this T cell subset to disease remission, sCD30 levels were analyzed longitudinally in patients with active RA following infliximab therapy.

Methods: Infliximab plus methotrexate were started in 39 patients with active RA, while 20 patients with inactive disease, controlled by stable doses of methotrexate, acted as controls.

Heat-shock protein 65 autoantibodies are differently associated with early atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis and in healthy subjects.

The aim of this study was to examine whether heat-shock protein (HSP)-65 autoantibodies are associated with early atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Intima-media thickness (IMT) was measured in the carotid arteries of 100 RA patients and 69 control subjects. The IMT was evaluated on both carotid arteries in the common carotid, bifurcation, and internal arteries.

Precocious atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis: role of traditional and disease-related cardiovascular risk factors.

The risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease increases in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This is due to a number of different triggers including traditional and disease-related factors. Among established risk factors for CV disease, smoking may exert a more dangerous effect on arterial wall in RA than in the general population by a synergic effect with inflammatory processes of the disease.

Low levels of heat shock proteins-60 and -65 autoantibodies in Sjögren's syndrome.

Background: Heat shock proteins are highly conserved immunodominant antigens found in various species. Humoral immune responses to mycobacterial HSP65 and human HSP60 have been established in a number of human autoimmune diseases.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of antibodies to HSP60 kDa and HSP65 kDa in patients with Sjögren's syndrome as compared to normal subjects.

Precocious intima-media thickening in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis represent independent risk factors for atherosclerosis (ATS), although this may be confounded by continuous pharmacologic treatment. Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) shares several features of these diseases and may therefore represent an interesting model for verifying the presence of accelerated ATS in the absence of pharmacologic interference. The present study therefore used this model to describe the presence of accelerated ATS in a group of young women.

Prevalence of antiphospholipid and antioxidized low-density lipoprotein antibodies in rheumatoid arthritis.

Antiphospholipid antibodies characterize the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), but they can also be found in various autoimmune, infectious, and malignant conditions. This study's objectives were to detect the prevalence of antiphospholipid and antioxidized low-density lipoprotein (anti-oxLDL) antibodies among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who did not have clinical manifestations of APS. Using a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we evaluated the levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM anticardiolipin, IgG, and IgM anti-beta-2-glycoprotein-I (anti-beta(2)GPI), and anti-oxLDL autoantibodies in 82 patients with RA.

Early atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis: effects of smoking on thickness of the carotid artery intima media.

This study was designed to compare intima media thickness (IMT) of the carotid arteries among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and controls and to determine whether disease-associated characteristics, smoking, and other classic risk factors for atherosclerosis are associated with IMT values. IMT was measured in the carotid arteries of 101 RA patients and 75 control subjects. The IMT was evaluated in the common carotid (CC), carotid bifurcation (BI), and internal carotid (IC).

[Recent views on the pathogenesis of cardiovascular damage associated with rheumatoid arthritis].

Cardiovascular disease is the commonest cause of premature mortality in rheumatoid arthritis and several data have shown that rheumatoid arthritis is an independent risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic disease. In last years it has become evident that atherosclerosis is an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder sharing a number of pathogenic features with rheumatoid arthritis. It is conceivable, therefore, that chronically raised concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and pathological immune response characterizing rheumatoid arthritis may play a key role in inducing acceleration of atherosclerotic processes and, consequently, in the development of cardiovascular disease in these patients.

CD4+CD28- T lymphocytes contribute to early atherosclerotic damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Background: Peripheral blood expansion of an unusual CD4+ T-cell subset lacking surface CD28 has been suggested to predispose rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to develop more aggressive disease. However, the potential association between CD4+CD28null T cells and early atherosclerotic changes in RA has never been investigated.

Methods And Results: The number of circulating CD4+CD28null cells was evaluated in 87 RA and 33 control subjects who also underwent evaluation of carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and endothelial function via flow-mediated vasodilation (FMV).

Autoantibodies profile in the sera of patients with Sjogren's syndrome: the ANA evaluation--a homogeneous, multiplexed system.

Background: Flow-based, multiplex bead arrays (MBA) have been developed for a variety of applications including the detection of antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENA). It offers a rapid and sensitive method to assess multiple analyses in a single tube/well.

Purpose: To evaluate the Athena Multi-Lyte ANA Test System utilizes Luminex Corporation's MBA technology for the detection of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and ENA antibodies in the sera of patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS).