A study comparing the cost-effectiveness of conventional and drug-eluting transarterial chemoembolisation (cTACE and DEB-TACE) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma in an Australian public hospital.

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality and transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) is an established technique to treat patients with intermediate-stage HCC. The aim of this study was to generate accurate costing data on cTACE and DEB-TACE in an Australian setting and assess whether one of the procedures offers favourable cost-effectiveness.

Methods: Costing study using data from all TACE procedures performed at a single centre between January 2018 and December 2022.

Low-density granulocytes and monocytes as biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the most relevant cell populations involved in vascular homeostasis as potential biomarkers of SLE-related cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods: Low-density granulocytes (LDGs), monocyte subsets, endothelial progenitor cells, angiogenic T (Tang) cells, CD4+CD28null and Th1/Th17 lymphocytes and serum cytokine levels were quantified in 109 SLE patients and 33 controls in relationship to the presence of subclinical carotid atheromatosis or cardiovascular disease. A second cohort including 31 recent-onset SLE patients was also included.

Anti-High-Density Lipoprotein Antibodies and Antioxidant Dysfunction in Immune-Driven Diseases.

Introduction: Impaired high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and antioxidant functionality of HDL, mainly attributed to a decreased paraoxonase-1 (PON1) functionality, have been described in autoimmune conditions. In this setting, a role for humoral response in cardiovascular disease is emerging. This study evaluates the role of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against HDL and disease-related autoantibodies on HDL dysfunction in immune-driven diseases.

Serum Levels of Anti-PON1 and Anti-HDL Antibodies as Potential Biomarkers of Premature Atherosclerosis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

The present study aimed to evaluate the possible role of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) as possible biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To this end, levels of these autoantibodies, PON1 activity and total antioxidant capacity were quantified in serum samples from 198 SLE patients, 100 healthy controls (HC) and 42 non-autoimmune individuals with traditional cardiovascular risk factors. PON1 rs662 polymorphism was analysed in a subgroup of patients and controls.

Anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis mimicking psoriatic arthritis.

Dermatomyositis causes inflammation and damage of muscle and skin, and sometimes involves internal organs, especially lung parenchyma. Patients with dermatomyositis still represent a diagnostic challenge because of the rarity of this disease and the lack of specificity of some of its cutaneous manifestations. Herein, we describe the case of a patient with dermatomyositis, initially diagnosed as psoriatic arthritis, in which the performance of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibodies was decisive to establish a definitive diagnosis.

A pathogenic IFNα, BLyS and IL-17 axis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients.

This study aims to analyze in depth the role of IFNα in the upregulation of BLyS in different leukocyte populations and the possible relationship of these molecules with IL-17 and other pathogenic cytokines in SLE. Thus, IFNAR1 and membrane BLyS (mBLyS) expression was upregulated on various blood cell types from patients and closely correlated in all individuals. Moreover, BLyS serum levels associated positively with IFNα and IL-17A amounts, as well as with mBLyS on B cells and neutrophils.

Anti-ribosomal P antibodies are associated with elevated circulating IFNα and IL-10 levels in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to analyze the relationship of anti-protein ribosomal P (RibP) antibodies with circulating levels of IFNα, TNFα, IFNγ, IL-17 and IL-10 in SLE. Disease activity and other systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) features were also analyzed.

Methods: Anti-RibP and other SLE-related antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were determined by fluoro-enzyme immunoassay in the sera of 107 SLE patients.

Autoantibodies against MHC class I polypeptide-related sequence A are associated with increased risk of concomitant autoimmune diseases in celiac patients.

Background: Overexpression of autologous proteins can lead to the formation of autoantibodies and autoimmune diseases. MHC class I polypeptide-related sequence A (MICA) is highly expressed in the enterocytes of patients with celiac disease, which arises in response to gluten. The aim of this study was to investigate anti-MICA antibody formation in patients with celiac disease and its association with other autoimmune processes.

Common and specific associations of anti-SSA/Ro60 and anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Little information exists about the association of anti-SSA/Ro60 and anti-Ro52/TRIM21 with systemic lupus erytematosus (SLE) features. In this work, we analysed the associations of both anti-Ro reactivities with clinical and immunological manifestations in 141 SLE patients. Photosensitivity and xerophtalmia/xerostomia were found to be positively associated with both anti-SSA/Ro60 (P = 0.

Clinical associations of anti-SSA/Ro60 and anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies: Diagnostic utility of their separate detection.

Clinical associations of anti-SSA/Ro60 and anti-Ro52/TRIM21 antibodies are not yet fully established. In order to analyse the diagnostic utility of their separate detection, we retrospectively revised the clinical data of 200 anti-SSA/Ro60 and/or anti-Ro52/TRIM21 positive patients identified by line immunoassay during ANA routine detection. Anti-SSA/Ro60 positive patients showed a significantly higher prevalence of autoimmune diseases (AIDs) independently on the presence of anti-Ro52/TRIM21 (OR 3.

Diagnostic value of anti-deamidated gliadin peptide IgG antibodies for celiac disease in children and IgA-deficient patients.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze the diagnostic performance of anti-deamidated gliadin peptide (dGp) immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgA regarding the age at celiac disease (CD) diagnosis and the anti-dGp IgG usefulness for diagnosing CD IgA-deficient patients.

Methods: Anti-dGp IgG and IgA and anti-native gliadin (nGlia) IgA were determined by enzyme fluoroimmunoassay in 100 newly diagnosed anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) IgA-positive pediatric and adult patients with CD and in 100 age-matched patients with other digestive pathologies. Anti-dGp IgG was evaluated in 6 CD IgA-deficient patients.

Interleukin 10 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha genotypes in rheumatoid arthritis--association with clinical response to glucocorticoids.

Objective: There are dysregulated levels of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and their role in the disease is controversial. We analyzed the association of functional polymorphisms of IL-10 and TNF-alpha with susceptibility and disease characteristics at the time of diagnosis, and we also evaluated their possible use as predictors of clinical response to treatments.

Methods: Patients with recent-onset RA (n = 162) and healthy controls (n = 373) were genotyped for -1082 IL-10 and -308 TNF-alpha polymorphisms and data were related to clinical and immunological measurements of patients at the time of diagnosis.

Antibodies to mitotic spindle apparatus: clinical significance of NuMA and HsEg5 autoantibodies.

Introduction: The clinical associations of NuMA and HsEg5 antibodies, the main anti-mitotic spindle apparatus autoantibodies, remain unclear due to their extremely low prevalence.

Patients And Methods: We have analysed the clinical data of 40 anti-NuMA- (0.87 per thousand) and 7 anti-HsEg5- (0.

Association of IL-10 and TNFalpha genotypes with ANCA appearance in ulcerative colitis.

The appearance of autoantibodies is a common characteristic of ulcerative colitis (UC). Specifically, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) are the most prevalent in this disease and their synthesis may be genetically conditioned. The aim of the present study was to test the influence on appearance of autoantibodies of IL-10 and TNFalpha genes promoter polymorphisms, which control cytokine levels.

TNFalpha genotype influences development of IgA-ASCA antibodies in Crohn's disease patients with CARD15 wild type.

A typical feature of Crohn's disease (CD) patients is the development of antibodies against self- (PAB) or exogenous (ASCA) antigens, a process in which mucosal cytokine expression pattern might be involved. On the other hand, mutations in CARD15, a genetic risk factor for CD, alter cytokine production in response to bacterial infection. In the present study, we evaluated the role of functionally relevant IL-10 and TNFalpha gene polymorphisms in the synthesis of these antibodies and their relationship with CARD15 mutations.

Systemic lupus erythematosus in Asturias, Spain: clinical and serologic features.

Asturias is an autonomous region in the north of Spain with historical and anthropologic peculiarities. In the current report, we examine the main clinical and immunologic features of 363 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), virtually the entire population of SLE patients in Asturias. We constructed a database with the clinical and immunologic features of all patients fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology criteria, based on the review of hospital records corresponding to blood samples received for antinuclear antibodies testing since 1992.

TNFalpha and IL-10 gene polymorphisms in inflammatory bowel disease. Association of -1082 AA low producer IL-10 genotype with steroid dependency.

Objectives: An altered production of cytokines underlies inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) susceptibility. Various polymorphisms at the IL-10 and TNFalpha gene promoters control cytokine production levels. The influence of these polymorphisms on susceptibility to ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) and their association with clinical features were analyzed.

Cytokine polymorphisms influence treatment outcomes in SLE patients treated with antimalarial drugs.

Antimalarial agents have been widely used as disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other rheumatological diseases, although their mechanism of action has not yet been fully defined. It is known, however, that effective response to treatment is variable among patients. Thus, the identification of genetic predictors of treatment response would provide valuable information for therapeutic intervention.

Differential effect of IL10 and TNF{alpha} genotypes on determining susceptibility to discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To ascertain the possible involvement of functional interleukin 10 (IL10) and tumour necrosis alpha (TNFalpha) cytokine promoter polymorphisms on the susceptibility to discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus (DLE, SLE), and their associations with immunological features.

Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms of the IL10 (-1082, -819, and -592) and TNFalpha (-308) genes were determined using allele specific probes in 248 lupus patients and 343 matched controls. To assess functional significance of genotypes, basal mRNA cytokine levels were quantified in 106 genotyped healthy controls by real time RT-PCR.

Glucocorticoids up-regulate constitutive interleukin-10 production by human monocytes.

Background: IL-10 plays an immunosuppressive role in inflammatory responses. Increased plasma levels of IL-10 have been detected in patients under glucocorticoid (GC) therapy, indicating that steroids may exert their suppressive effect, in part, by increasing IL-10 production.

Objectives: The aim was to define possible mechanisms by which steroids up-regulate IL-10 production.

Epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus in a northern Spanish population: gender and age influence on immunological features.

The present work was planned to research epidemiological and immunological features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a Caucasian population from the north of Spain (Asturias). There is only one specialized immunology laboratory in this region where samples from all patients with a plausible or a firm diagnosis of SLE are referred for immunological analysis. Since 1992 we have reviewed registered data from samples submitted to the immunology laboratory with a firm, definitive diagnosis of SLE, based on the fulfillment of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria.

Interindividual variations in constitutive interleukin-10 messenger RNA and protein levels and their association with genetic polymorphisms.

Background: Genetic variations in the interleukin (IL)-10 gene promoter have been associated with levels of induced production of IL-10, disease susceptibility, and allograft rejection. Small amounts of this cytokine are constitutively produced and are important in maintaining the physiologic function of the cytokine network. In this study, we evaluated the distribution of IL-10 basal levels and its genetic regulation in a healthy Spanish population.

Autoantibodies to Golgi proteins in hepatocellular carcinoma: case report and literature review.

Anti-Golgi antibodies are a type of anticytoplasmic autoantibody rarely found during routine examination of pathological samples. Although they have been mostly associated with connective autoimmune diseases, they are also present in other clinical conditions, including few cases of liver dysfunction. In this report, we describe for the first time the presence of high titres of anti-Golgi antibodies in a patient with virus-C-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).