In vivo pre-activation of monocytes in patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

Introduction: Innate immune responses, including monocyte functions, seem to play an important role in the pathogenesis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Therefore, we characterized the phenotype and functional state of monocytes of patients with axSpA.

Methods: Fifty-seven patients with axSpA, 11 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 29 healthy controls were included in the study.

Serum adipokine levels in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and their relationship to clinical parameters and radiographic spinal progression.

Objective: Adipokines have metabolic and inflammatory functions but can also affect bone metabolism. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between serum levels of adiponectin, resistin, and visfatin and markers of inflammation, disease activity, and radiographic spinal progression in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: Levels of adiponectin, resistin, and visfatin in the serum of 86 AS patients and 25 healthy controls were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at baseline.

Role of dendritic cells in the pathogenesis of Whipple's disease.

Accumulation of Tropheryma whipplei-stuffed macrophages in the duodenum, impaired T. whipplei-specific Th1 responses, and weak secretion of interleukin-12 (IL-12) are hallmarks of classical Whipple's disease (CWD). This study addresses dendritic cell (DC) functionality during CWD.

Macrophages accumulate in the gut mucosa of untreated HIV-infected patients.

Background: Mucosal macrophages are involved in the maintenance of epithelial barrier integrity and the elimination of invading pathogens. Although an intestinal barrier defect and microbial translocation are hallmarks of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, recent data on gut mucosal macrophages in HIV infection are sparse.

Methods: Treatment-naive and treated HIV-infected patients and healthy controls were studied for frequencies and functional parameters of blood monocytes and macrophages in duodenal mucosa.

Elevated serum level of the vascular endothelial growth factor predicts radiographic spinal progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

Objective: To investigate the role of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a predictor of radiographic spinal progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Methods: Altogether, 172 patients with definite axSpA (95 with ankylosing spondylitis and 77 with non-radiographic axSpA) were included in this study. Spinal radiographs obtained at baseline and after 2 years of follow-up were scored independently by two trained readers in a concealed and randomly selected order according to the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS) scoring system and for the presence of syndesmophytes.

Evaluation of arginine metabolism for the analysis of M1/M2 macrophage activation in human clinical specimens.

Background: Macrophage heterogeneity reflects their plasticity in response to environmental stimuli. Usually human macrophages are characterized by analysis of surface molecules or cytokine expression while functional assays are established in the mouse system but lacking for various human specimens.

Methods: To evaluate the value of analysis of arginine metabolism for characterization of human macrophage differentiation, we analyzed nitrite production and arginase activity in plasma, duodenal biopsies, and in vitro differentiated macrophages of patients with classical Whipple's disease.

Regulatory T cells in patients with Whipple's disease.

Classical Whipple's disease (CWD) is caused by chronic infection with Tropheryma whipplei that seems to be associated with an underlying immune defect. The pathognomonic hallmark of CWD is a massive infiltration of the duodenal mucosa with T. whipplei-infected macrophages that disperse systemically to many other organ systems.