Sulphasalazine inhibits human antigen-specific immune responses in vivo.

Objective: To study the effects of the antirheumatic drug sulphasalazine (SASP) on the immune system by analysing systemic and gut-associated immune responses.

Methods: A total of 23 healthy volunteers were treated with either SASP or placebo for 5 weeks in a double-blind fashion and immunised 2 weeks after the initiation of treatment. Specific immune responses were triggered by subcutaneous immunisation with tetanus toxoid and by peroral immunisation with inactivated influenza vaccine.

Antitissue transglutaminase and antithyroid autoantibodies in children with Down syndrome and celiac disease.

Objectives: We measured circulating autoantibodies and evaluated the potential of circulating antitissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies to determine the presence of celiac disease (CD) in children with Down syndrome.

Methods: An ELISA based on recombinant human tTG was used to measure the levels of immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G antibodies in serum samples from 72 children with Down syndrome, 52 children with biopsy-verified CD, 21 disease controls with a normal small intestinal mucosa and 23 healthy controls. Of the 72 Down syndrome children, 11 under-went a small intestinal biopsy.

Evidence for immunostimulatory effects of intramuscular gold in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: correlation with skin reactions.

Objective: Intramuscular gold is a well documented treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but its mechanism of action is still poorly understood. From an observation that gold sodium thiomalate (GSTM) induces monocyte-derived interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-10 production in vitro, a hypothesis has been proposed that gold exerts its action mainly as a selective immunostimulator rather than as a general immunosuppressant. In this prospective study we investigated cytokine production in peripheral blood from patients with RA during treatment with GSTM.

Recombinant human tissue transglutaminase for diagnosis and follow-up of childhood coeliac disease.

Highly discriminatory markers for celiac disease are needed to identify children with early mucosal lesions and for rapid follow-up. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of circulating anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) IgA and IgG antibodies in the diagnosis and follow-up of childhood celiac disease. An ELISA using recombinant human tTG was used to measure the levels of IgA and IgG anti-tTG antibodies in 226 serum samples from 57 children with biopsy-verified celiac disease, 29 disease control subjects, and 24 healthy control subjects.

Increased peripheral T cell reactivity to microbial antigens and collagen type II in rheumatoid arthritis after treatment with soluble TNFalpha receptors.

Objective: Peripheral T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are hyporesponsive when stimulated with antigen or mitogen in vitro, possibly owing to increased production of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha). This study sought to find out if and how RA T cell reactivity is affected during treatment with etanercept (Enbrel), a soluble TNFalpha receptor.

Methods: Heparinised blood was collected from patients with RA at baseline, after four and eight weeks of etanercept treatment, and from healthy controls.