Identification and Clinical Correlation of Circulating MAIT, γδ T, ILC3, and Pre-Inflammatory Mesenchymal Cells in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis.

Inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs), such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthropathy (SpA), comprise a heterogeneous group of immune-mediated disorders, characterised by the presence of localised and/or systemic inflammation. The limited knowledge of the pathogenesis and the complex mechanisms involved in the induction and maintenance of inflammation in IRDs have impeded the development of reliable biomarkers and the discovery of new therapeutic targets. Although the involvement of heterogeneous cell populations in the pathogenesis of IRDs has been recognised, the characterisation of these cellular subsets in the peripheral blood of patients has not been studied yet.

Chronological Age and DNA Damage Accumulation in Blood Mononuclear Cells: A Linear Association in Healthy Humans after 50 Years of Age.

Aging is characterized by the progressive deregulation of homeostatic mechanisms causing the accumulation of macromolecular damage, including DNA damage, progressive decline in organ function and chronic diseases. Since several features of the aging phenotype are closely related to defects in the DNA damage response (DDR) network, we have herein investigated the relationship between chronological age and DDR signals in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy individuals. DDR-associated parameters, including endogenous DNA damage (single-strand breaks and double-strand breaks (DSBs) measured by the alkaline comet assay (Olive Tail Moment (OTM); DSBs-only by γH2AX immunofluorescence staining), DSBs repair capacity, oxidative stress, and apurinic/apyrimidinic sites were evaluated in PBMCs of 243 individuals aged 18-75 years, free of any major comorbidity.

The Effect of Corticosteroids on Temporal Artery Biopsy Positivity in Giant Cell Arteritis: Timing is Everything.

Objective: Temporal artery biopsy (TAB) remains the standard criterion for the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA). Temporal artery biopsy is suggested to be performed within 2 weeks from the initiation of corticosteroids. However, the effects of TAB timing on the sensitivity of its findings still warrant further investigation.

Development of a management tool to indicate the environmental impact of organic viticulture.

Organic viticulture is an important part of the European Union organic farming sector, and, according to the most recent surveys, 1.5% of European Union wine originates from organic farms, with an upward trend. This paper describes an environmental impact of an organic viticulture indicator (EIOVI) that can be reliably used in the management of organic vineyards.

Prevalence and longterm course of primary biliary cirrhosis in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Objective: To study the prevalence of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and its progression in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS).

Methods: We investigated 410 patients with primary SS, without history of liver disease, for the presence of PBC based on a retrospective review of clinical, biochemical, immunologic, and histologic data.

Results: Thirty-six (8.