Comparative analysis of three methods in anti-dsDNA antibodies detection: implications for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus diagnosis.

The evaluation of anti-dsDNA antibodies represents one of the essential diagnostic and prognostic marker features in patients affected by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). In this study, we have compared immunoblotting (IB) with Crithidia luciliae indirect immunofluorescence test (CLIFT) and chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) in 91 patients referred to our hospital for anti-dsDNA antibodies detection. The concordance and correlation measured by Cohen's kappa and Spearman's coefficient respectively was significant between CLIFT and CLIA (0.

Biomarkers of Glyco-Metabolic Control in Hemodialysis Patients: Glycated Hemoglobin vs. Glycated Albumin.

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) dosage is considered the gold standard in glycol-metabolic monitoring, but it presents limits, which can underestimate the glycemia trend. In this regard, it was introduced the glycated albumin (GA). The aim of the study is to verify the predictivity of the GA compared to HbA1c in identifying glyco-metabolic alterations in non-diabetic and diabetic hemodialysis (HD) patients.

[Marked increase in high-sensitivity troponin I without evidence of acute coronary syndrome].

Troponins measured by high-sensitivity methods (hs-cTn) are the current reference biomarkers to diagnose acute myocardial infarction. Conditions other than obstructive coronary heart disease may present an increase in hs-cTn. Heterophilic antibodies can interfere with the hs-cTn dosage.

Severe endometriosis: low value of AMH did not affect oocyte quality and pregnancy outcome in IVF patients.

Objective: The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether the low anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) serum level, due to severe endometriosis, was associated with diminished oocyte yield, poor oocyte/embryo quality and reduced in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) clinical outcomes in young patients (<37 years old).

Patients And Methods: A total of 50 IVF cycles of patients younger than 37 with severe endometriosis were retrospectively analyzed in a single center between November 2016 and July 2018. The clinical outcome was then compared to a control group of 84 patients with no story of endometriosis and normal AMH value.

EBV up-regulates PD-L1 on the surface of primary monocytes by increasing ROS and activating TLR signaling and STAT3.

Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) (also called B7-H1) is a membrane immune-modulatory protein whose overexpression on the surface of tumor cells as well as APCs impairs T-cell-mediated killing. Viruses that establish chronic infections have developed a number of strategies to escape from immune recognition including the up-regulation of PD-L1. This study shows for the first time that the human oncovirus EBV infects human primary monocytes using HLA-DR and induced a strong up-regulation of PD-L1 expression on their surface.