Publications by authors named "P Rufas"

Introduction: The role of complement, especially through the C5a fragment, is well-known for the initiation of inflammation. Its involvement in regeneration has been shown more recently by the recruitment of mesenchymal stem cells. C5a can be produced locally by the pulp fibroblasts in response to injury or infection.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Complement activation is considered a major mechanism in innate immunity. Although it is mainly involved in initiating inflammation, recent data reported its involvement in other processes such as tissue regeneration. In the dental pulp, complement C5a fragment has been shown to be involved in the recruitment of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

T-cell polyspecificity, predicting that individual T cells recognize a continuum of related ligands, implies that multiple antigens can tolerize T cells specific for a given self-antigen. We previously showed in C57BL/6 mice that part of the CD4(+) T-cell repertoire specific for myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) 35-55 also recognizes the neuronal antigen neurofilament medium (NF-M) 15-35. Such bi-specific CD4(+) T cells are frequent and produce inflammatory cytokines after stimulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Complement system activation in human pulp fibroblasts is involved in inflammation and regeneration after dental caries, leading to the synthesis of complement components and the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC), known for killing bacteria.
  • Histological analysis revealed a correlation between the presence of S. mutans and intense MAC staining in carious tooth sections, while in vitro experiments showed that LTA stimulation significantly enhanced MAC formation and bacterial lytic activity.
  • Functional assays confirmed that both S. mutans and S. sanguinis are sensitive to LTA-conditioned medium, and a coculture model demonstrated direct MAC formation on these bacteria, indicating that this immune response can effectively kill cariogenic bacteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF