B-cell activation factor of the TNF family (BAFF), and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), two members of the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily, beyond playing a significant role in normal B-cell development, promote survival and proliferation of malignant B cells. Both ligands interact with 3 receptors: BAFF-R, specific to BAFF, and TACI and BCMA which are shared by both BAFF and APRIL. Here we wished to investigate the potential role of these proteins in resistance of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) blasts to apoptosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUntil now, altered balance of Th1 and Th2 immune cells has been postulated to play an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). However, recent studies on thyroid diseases have suggested a new role for Th17 cells that have been classified as a new lineage, distinct from Th1, Th2 and Treg cells. Despite wide interest, the role of Th17 cells in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases is still debated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStem Cells Int
January 2016
Muscular dystrophies (MD) are heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by progressive muscle dysfunction. There is a large body of evidence indicating that angiogenesis is impaired in muscles of MD patients. Therefore, induction of dystrophic muscle revascularization should become a novel approach aimed at diminishing the extent of myocyte damage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Recent studies in a mouse model of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) demonstrated that inhibition of the programmed death receptor 1 (PD‑1)-PD‑L1 axis resulted in correction of leukemia‑induced CD8+ T cell‑related immune dysfunction and protected mice against CLL development. However, it remains unclear whether CLL development and progression can be also associated with CD4+ T cells expressing PD‑1.
Objectives: We aimed to analyze whether a quantitative assessment of CD4+PD‑1+ T cells performed at the time of diagnosis can have prognostic significance in patients with CLL.
Three main monocyte subsets: classical CD14++CD16-, intermediate CD14++CD16+ and non-classical CD14+CD16++, differentially regulate tumor growth and survival. Thereby, in the present study we aimed to determine the role of distinct monocyte subsets in the prognostication of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Moreover, we set out to analyze the effects of standard immune chemotherapy on different monocyte subsets and levels of membrane-associated and soluble forms of CD163, a monocyte/macrophage-related immunomodulatory protein.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Previously, we demonstrated that glucocorticoid (GC) treatment of asthmatic patients resulted in decreasing frequencies of monocyte subsets expressing CD16 and capable of releasing TNF-α. Here, we wished to analyze whether the active form of vitamin D, i.e.
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