Publications by authors named "Marica Chiara"
Background: Among the possible variables associated with cytokine activation in hemodialysis, filter membrane has been reported to be a major factor and monocytes adherent to the membrane have been suggested as a possible source for cytokine synthesis.
Methods: In order to exclude variables other than the direct cell-to-membrane interaction, suspensions of peripheral blood monocytes isolated from donors' blood were incubated for 180 min at 37 degrees C in Petri dishes coated with cuprophan (Cu) or polyacrylonitrile (AN69S) or polysulfone (PS). Total RNA was purified, reverse transcribed in cDNA and amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primed with specific oligomers for determining IL-1beta and TNF-alpha gene expression.
Article Synopsis
- Uteroglobin (UG) is a multifunctional protein associated with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, linked to immune disorders through its gene located on chromosome 11.
- A guanine-adenine substitution (A38G) in the UG gene's noncoding region is correlated with a higher risk of immune-mediated diseases, with UG deficiency in mice leading to severe kidney disease characterized by IgA-fibronectin complex deposition.
- Analysis of DNA from patients with IgA nephropathy and systemic lupus erythematosus revealed a higher frequency of the 38A allele in SLE patients compared to controls, suggesting a potential genetic link between UG polymorphisms and these conditions.