Antisynthetase Syndrome-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease: Monitoring of Immunosuppressive Treatment Effects by Chest Computed Tomography.

Antisynthetase syndrome (ASyS) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory myopathy, arthritis, fever, and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Pulmonary involvement in ASyS significantly increases morbidity and mortality and, therefore, requires prompt and effective immunosuppressive treatment. Owing to the rarity of ASyS, limited data exists on progression and prognosis of ILD under immunosuppression.

Severely destructive unilateral wrist arthritis as a rare variant of rheumatoid arthritis: analysis of clinical and imaging features.

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease typically affecting joints symmetrically. A small number of patients develop unilateral and severely destructive wrist arthritis (DWA). The objective of our study was to characterise patients with this type of affection.

The "rapid atrial swirl sign" for assessing central venous catheters: Performance by medical residents after limited training.

Rationale: Central venous catheter (CVC) placement is a standard procedure in critical care. Ultrasound guidance during placement is recommended by current guidelines, but there is no consensus on the best method for evaluating the correct CVC tip position. Recently, the "rapid atrial swirl sign" (RASS) has been investigated in a limited number of studies.

Dental and periodontal health, and microbiological and salivary conditions in patients with or without diabetes undergoing haemodialysis.

Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the dental and periodontal health, as well as the microbiological and salivary conditions, of patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM) who are receiving haemodialysis.

Methods: One-hundred and fifty-nine haemodialysis patients were included and divided into groups according to the pre-existing diabetes status: DM or no DM. The oral examination included dental findings and assessment of the periodontal situation.

Oral behavior, dental, periodontal and microbiological findings in patients undergoing hemodialysis and after kidney transplantation.

Background: Aim of this single center cross-sectional study was to investigate oral behavior, dental, periodontal and microbiological findings in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and after kidney transplantation (KT).

Methods: Patients undergoing HD for end-stage renal failure and after KT were investigated. Oral health behavior was recorded using a standardized questionnaire, e.

Vimentin fragments are potential markers of rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts.

Objectives: To study the protein expression differences between primary fibroblasts explanted from synovial membranes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Fibroblast cultures were obtained from 10 patients with RA and 5 patients with OA. After two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, proteins were excised and identified using peptide mass fingerprint.

Peroxisomes and Kidney Injury.

Significance: Peroxisomes are organelles present in most eukaryotic cells. The organs with the highest density of peroxisomes are the liver and kidneys. Peroxisomes possess more than fifty enzymes and fulfill a multitude of biological tasks.

The Role of CHI3L1 (Chitinase-3-Like-1) in the Pathogenesis of Infections in Burns in a Mouse Model.

In severe burn injury the unique setting of a depleted, dysfunctional immune system along with a loss of barrier function commonly results in opportunistic infections that eventually proof fatal. Unfortunately, the dynamic sequence of bacterial contamination, colonization and eventually septic invasion with bacteria such as Pseudomonas species is still poorly understood although a limiting factor in clinical decision making. Increasing evidence supports the notion that inhibition of bacterial translocation into the wound site may be an effective alternative to prevent infection.

The Secretome of Hydrogel-Coembedded Endothelial Progenitor Cells and Mesenchymal Stem Cells Instructs Macrophage Polarization in Endotoxemia.

Unlabelled: : We previously reported the delivery of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) embedded in hyaluronic acid-based (HA)-hydrogels protects renal function during acute kidney injury (AKI) and promotes angiogenesis. We attempted to further ameliorate renal dysfunction by coembedding EPCs with renal mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), while examining their paracrine influence on cytokine/chemokine release and proinflammatory macrophages. A live/dead assay determined whether EPC-MSC coculturing improved viability during lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment, and HA-hydrogel-embedded delivery of cells to LPS-induced AKI mice was assessed for effects on mean arterial pressure (MAP), renal blood flow (RBF), circulating cytokines/chemokines, serum creatinine, proteinuria, and angiogenesis (femoral ligation).

Curtailing endothelial TGF-β signaling is sufficient to reduce endothelial-mesenchymal transition and fibrosis in CKD.

Excessive TGF-β signaling in epithelial cells, pericytes, or fibroblasts has been implicated in CKD. This list has recently been joined by endothelial cells (ECs) undergoing mesenchymal transition. Although several studies focused on the effects of ablating epithelial or fibroblast TGF-β signaling on development of fibrosis, there is a lack of information on ablating TGF-β signaling in the endothelium because this ablation causes embryonic lethality.

Modulation of cellular stress response via the erythropoietin/CD131 heteroreceptor complex in mouse mesenchymal-derived cells.

Tissue-protective properties of erythropoietin (EPO) have let to the discovery of an alternative EPO signaling via an EPO-R/CD131 receptor complex which can now be specifically targeted through pharmaceutically designed short sequence peptides such as ARA290. However, little is still known about specific functions of alternative EPO signaling in defined cell populations. In this study, we investigated effects of signaling through EPO-R/CD131 complex on cellular stress responses and pro-inflammatory activation in different mesenchymal-derived phenotypes.

Sirtuin 1 ablation in endothelial cells is associated with impaired angiogenesis and diastolic dysfunction.

Discordant myocardial growth and angiogenesis can explain left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy progressing toward heart failure with aging. Sirtuin 1 expression declines with age; therefore we explored the role played by angiogenesis and Sirtuin 1 in the development of cardiomyopathy. We compared the cardiac function of 10- to 15-wk-old (wo), 30-40 wo, and 61-70 wo endothelial Sirtuin 1-deleted (Sirt1(endo-/-)) mice and their corresponding knockout controls (Sirt1(Flox/Flox)).

High-mobility group box 1 is a novel deacetylation target of Sirtuin1.

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) undergoes acetylation, nuclear-to-cytoplasmic translocation, and release from stressed kidneys, unleashing a signaling cascade of events leading to systemic inflammation. Here, we tested whether the deacetylase activity of Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) participates in regulating nuclear retention of HMGB1 to ultimately modulate damage signaling initiated by HMGB1 secretion during stress. When immunoprecipitated acetylated HMGB1 was incubated with SIRT1, HMGB1 acetylation decreased by 57%.

Endothelial sirtuin 1 deficiency perpetrates nephrosclerosis through downregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-14: relevance to fibrosis of vascular senescence.

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) depletion in vascular endothelial cells mediates endothelial dysfunction and premature senescence in diverse cardiovascular and renal diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these pathologic effects remain unclear. Here, we examined the phenotype of a mouse model of vascular senescence created by genetically ablating exon 4 of Sirt1 in endothelial cells (Sirt1(endo-/-)).

Secretion of ERP57 is important for extracellular matrix accumulation and progression of renal fibrosis, and is an early sign of disease onset.

Renal fibrosis is characterized by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM), which compromises organ function by replacing normal organ tissue. The molecular mechanisms leading to renal fibrosis are not fully understood. Here we demonstrated that TGFβ1, AGT or PDGF stimulation of renal cells resulted in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress followed by activation of the protective unfolded protein response pathway and a high secretory level of protein disulfide isomerase ERP57 (also known as PDIA3).

Highly upregulated Lhx2 in the Foxn1-/- nude mouse phenotype reflects a dysregulated and expanded epidermal stem cell niche.

Hair cycling is a prime example of stem cell dependent tissue regeneration and replenishment, and its regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of a blockage in terminal keratinocytic lineage differentiation in the Foxn1(-/-) nude phenotype on the epithelial progeny. Most notably we found a constitutive upregulation of LIM homeobox protein 2 (Lhx2), a marker gene of epithelial stem cellness indispensible for hair cycle progression.

Messengers without borders: mediators of systemic inflammatory response in AKI.

The list of signals sent by an injured organ to systemic circulation, so-called danger signals, is growing to include multiple metabolites and secreted moieties, thus revealing a highly complex and integrated network of interlinked systemic proinflammatory and proregenerative messages. Emerging new data indicate that, apart from the well established local inflammatory response to AKI, danger signaling unleashes a cascade of precisely timed, interdependent, and intensity-gradated mediators responsible for development of the systemic inflammatory response. This fledgling realization of the importance of the systemic inflammatory response to the localized injury and inflammation is at the core of this brief overview.