Publications by authors named "Elena Fernandez-Ruiz"

Introduction: In this retrospective study, with prolonged follow-up, we analyze the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the impact of pre-transplantation measurable residual disease (pre-HSCT MRD).

Methods: Detection of MRD was performed by multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC) for Philadelphia chromosome-negative ALL (Ph-neg ALL) and by classic genetic tests for Ph-pos ALL.

Results: Among 46 patients in first complete remission (CR1) who had available MRD data, 1- and 3-year cumulative incidences of relapse (CIR) for patients with positive and negative MRD were 47.

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  • * Key findings indicated that certain genetic variations in the TYK2 and VIP genes were linked to a reduced severity of the disease, while variations in TLR7 and OAS1 were associated with increased severity.
  • * The research suggests that these genetic markers could help identify individuals at greater risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes.
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Tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) is involved in type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling through IFN receptor 1 (IFNAR1). This signaling pathway is crucial in the early antiviral response and remains incompletely understood on B cells. Therefore, to understand the role of TYK2 in B cells, we studied these cells under homeostatic conditions and following in vitro activation using Tyk2-deficient (Tyk2) mice.

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Monocyte-derived macrophages, the major source of pathogenic macrophages in COVID-19, are oppositely instructed by macrophage CSF (M-CSF) or granulocyte macrophage CSF (GM-CSF), which promote the generation of antiinflammatory/immunosuppressive MAFB+ (M-MØ) or proinflammatory macrophages (GM-MØ), respectively. The transcriptional profile of prevailing macrophage subsets in severe COVID-19 led us to hypothesize that MAFB shapes the transcriptome of pulmonary macrophages driving severe COVID-19 pathogenesis. We have now assessed the role of MAFB in the response of monocyte-derived macrophages to SARS-CoV-2 through genetic and pharmacological approaches, and we demonstrate that MAFB regulated the expression of the genes that define pulmonary pathogenic macrophages in severe COVID-19.

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  • Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disorder influenced by type I and II interferons, with an inadequate focus on the role of innate immune cells like NK and dendritic cells.
  • Researchers found a specific NK cell subset in pSS patients that is more effective at killing cells and detected higher levels of a certain type of dendritic cell (cDC2) involved in inflammation.
  • The study suggests that the interaction between these NK cells and cDC2s, along with specific signaling pathways, plays a key role in pSS development, highlighting potential new targets for therapy.
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  • The study investigates the connection between SARS-CoV-2 viral load (viremia) and genetic variations (SNPs) linked to the severity of COVID-19 in a group of hospitalized patients at University Hospital La Princesa.
  • Out of 340 patients analyzed, only 37.1% had positive viremia, with specific SNPs (like rs2071746 and rs78958998) associated with a higher risk of viremia, while others (like rs11052877 and rs33980500) were linked to a lower risk.
  • The findings suggest that certain genetic variants contribute to differences in SARS-CoV-2 viremia among individuals, highlighting the
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Background: Interleukin 6 (IL6) levels and SARS-CoV-2 viremia have been correlated with COVID-19 severity. The association over time between them has not been assessed in a prospective cohort. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 viremia and time evolution of IL6 levels in a COVID-19 prospective cohort.

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By the end of December 2021, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) produced more than 271 million cases and 5.3 million deaths. Although vaccination is an effective strategy for pandemic control, it is not yet equally available in all countries.

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The genomic landscape of AITL is characterized by mutation of epigenetic modifiers. This gene expression pattern resembles myeloid diseases and shows a potential role for hypomethylating agents as possible therapy for AITL.

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B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL) is a malignancy of lymphoid progenitor cells with altered genes including the Janus kinase (JAK) gene family. Among them, tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) is involved in signal transduction of cytokines such as interferon (IFN) α/β through IFN-α/β receptor alpha chain (IFNAR1). To search for disease-associated TYK2 variants, bone marrow samples from 62 B-ALL patients at diagnosis were analysed by next-generation sequencing.

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Background: In B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL), the identification of additional genetic alterations associated with poor prognosis is still of importance. We determined the frequency and prognostic impact of somatic mutations in children and adult cases with B-ALL treated with Spanish PETHEMA and SEHOP protocols.

Methods: Mutational status of hotspot regions of TP53, JAK2, PAX5, LEF1, CRLF2 and IL7R genes was determined by next-generation deep sequencing in 340 B-ALL patients (211 children and 129 adults).

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Patients with ESRD undergoing peritoneal dialysis develop progressive peritoneal fibrosis, which may lead to technique failure. Recent data point to Th17-mediated inflammation as a key contributor in peritoneal damage. The leukocyte antigen CD69 modulates the setting and progression of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases by controlling the balance between Th17 and regulatory T cells (Tregs).

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  • BCR-JAK2 is a rare gene fusion linked to various types of leukemia that do not involve the Philadelphia chromosome; this study shows that its expression in mice causes severe cancer development.
  • Transplanting bone marrow with BCR-JAK2 leads to enlarged spleens, excessive white blood cells, and the presence of immature myeloid cells in the blood, indicating serious blood-related issues.
  • The findings suggest that BCR-JAK2 promotes leukemia by disrupting normal cell death processes, which may help in creating new targeted treatments for Philadelphia chromosome-negative leukemia.
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Dendritic cells (DCs) phagocytose, process, and present bacterial antigens to T lymphocytes to trigger adaptive immunity. In vivo, bacteria can also be found inside T lymphocytes. However, T cells are refractory to direct bacterial infection, leaving the mechanisms by which bacteria invade T cells unclear.

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Background: The chemokine receptor CCR7 mediates lymphoid dissemination of many cancers, including lymphomas and epithelial carcinomas, thus representing an attractive therapeutic target. Previous results have highlighted the potential of the anti-CCR7 monoclonal antibodies to inhibit migration in transwell assays. The present study aimed to evaluate the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of an anti-CCR7 antibody in a xenografted human mantle cell lymphoma model.

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The aim of this work was to study the expression and function of the innate immune receptor dectin-1 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We studied twenty-six patients with SLE not receiving immunosuppressive therapy, twenty-six patients with RA, and fifteen controls. We found that monocytes from SLE patients showed a diminished expression of dectin-1 compared to healthy controls, and an inverse correlation between percent of dectin-1(+) cells and the disease activity score was detected.

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Chromosomal translocations in tumors frequently produce fusion genes coding for chimeric proteins with a key role in oncogenesis. Recent reports described a BCR-JAK2 fusion gene in fatal chronic and acute myeloid leukemia, but the functional behavior of the chimeric protein remains uncharacterized. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays to describe a BCR-JAK2 fusion gene from a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

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Innate immunity to Candida albicans depends upon the recognition of molecular patterns on the fungal cell wall. However, the masking of major components such as beta-glucan seems to be a mechanism that fungi have evolved to avoid immune cell recognition through the dectin-1 receptor. Although the role of C.

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DC-SIGN (dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3-grabbing non-integrin) is a myeloid pathogen-attachment factor C-type lectin which recognizes mannose- and fucose-containing oligosaccharide ligands on clinically relevant pathogens. Intracellular signaling initiated upon ligand engagement of DC-SIGN interferes with TLR-initiated signals, and modulates the T cell activating and polarizing ability of antigen-presenting cells. The C-terminal carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) of DC-SIGN is preceded by a neck domain composed of eight 23-residue repeats which mediate molecule multimerization, and whose polymorphism correlates with altered susceptibility to SARS and HIV infection.

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Candida albicans is a major cause of oropharyngeal, vulvovaginal and haematogenously disseminated candidiasis. Endocytosis of C. albicans hyphae by host cells is a prerequisite for tissue invasion.

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CD36 is a member of the scavenger receptor type B family implicated in the binding of lipoproteins, phosphatidylserine, thrombospondin-1, and the uptake of long-chain fatty acids. On mononuclear phagocytes, recognition of apoptotic cells by CD36 contributes to peripheral tolerance and prevention of autoimmunity by impairing dendritic cell (DC) maturation. Besides, CD36 acts as a coreceptor with TLR2/6 for sensing microbial diacylglycerides, and its deficiency leads to increased susceptibility to Staphylococcus aureus infections.

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We have characterized the lymphocyte subset and the receptor molecules involved in inducing the secretion of TNF by monocytic cells in vitro. The TNF secreted by monocytic cells was measured when they were co-cultured with either resting or IL-15-stimulated lymphocytes, T cells, B cells or natural killer (NK) cells isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy subjects and from the synovial fluid from patients with inflammatory arthropathies. Co-culture with IL-15-activated peripheral blood or synovial fluid lymphocytes induced TNF production by monocytic cells within 24 hours, an effect that was mainly mediated by NK cells.

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Zymosan is a beta-glucan, mannan-rich yeast particle widely used to activate the inflammatory response of immune cells. We studied the zymosan-binding potential of human dendritic cells (hDCs) by using specific carbohydrate inhibitors and blocking monoclonal antibodies. We show that DC-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN) is a major nonopsonic recognition receptor for zymosan on hDCs.

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