Publications by authors named "Stergios Katsiougiannis"

The effect of beta-adrenergic stimulation on human labial minor salivary gland epithelial cells (LMSGEC) on IL-6 production and its dependency on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress were investigated. Primary LMSGEC from Sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients and controls in culture were stimulated with epinephrine and IL-6 expression was evaluated by qPCR and ELISA. The expression of β-ARs in cultured LMSGEC was tested by qPCR, while adrenoceptors and cAMP levels were examined in LMSGs by immunofluorescence.

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It is well established that distinct cell metabolic alterations strongly contribute to the modulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. In the past decade the term immunometabolism has been introduced to describe the intracellular metabolic shifts of immune cells that lead to alterations of their functions. The pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS), also referred to as autoimmune epithelitis, is not completely understood, but strong evidence supports the central role of the salivary glandular epithelial cells which are the target cells in the initiation of the autoimmune responses.

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A large body of clinical evidence on the association between stressful life events and autoimmune diseases suggests that stress may play an important role in the pathogenesis of these disorders. In this article, we discuss the effects of stress, not on the immune system but on specific cell populations against which the autoimmune reactivity is directed. Using Sjögren's syndrome as a model autoimmune disease, we review the role of stress in the initiation and perpetuation of autoimmune reactivity.

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Tumor exosomes are emerging as antitumor immunity regulators; however, their effects on secondary exosome secretion by distal organs have not been explored. We have previously demonstrated that suppression of exosomes at the distal tumor site of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) ablated the development of salivary biomarker profile. Here, we explore the function of salivary exosomes from tumor-bearing mice in immune surveillance.

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One of the main characteristics of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is chronic dysfunction and destruction of the salivary and lacrimal glands; their secretory biofluids should reflect the glandular biological status. Saliva is a heterogeneous biofluid comprised of biomolecules and omics constituents that are altered in response to various diseases. Scientific effort has evaluated saliva proteome to diagnose, monitor, and prognosticate pSS.

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Extracellular vesicles, including microvesicles, exosomes and apoptotic bodies are recognized as carriers of pathogen-associated molecules with direct involvement in immune signaling and inflammation. Those observations have enforced the way these membranous vesicles are being considered as promising immunotherapeutic targets. In this review, we discuss the emerging roles of extracellular vesicles in autoimmunity and highlights their potential use as disease biomarkers as well as targets for the treatment and prevention of autoimmune diseases.

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Objective: Olive oil (OO) is a rich source of monounsaturated fat and bioactive components that exert strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Flaxseed oil (FO) is rich in α-linolenic n-3 fatty acid (ALA), which also exhibits anti-inflammatory effects. This randomized, cross-over study aimed at exploring whether diet's enrichment with FO could beneficially alter inflammatory markers and lipid profile, compared to OO, in a sample of normal weight, apparently healthy young adults.

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Objective: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltrates associated with destruction of salivary gland epithelial cells (SGECs) induced mainly by apoptosis. Adiponectin is an immunoregulatory hormone. We have previously shown that SGECs from patients with primary SS as well as from controls differentially express adiponectin.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF) treatment on body composition and serum adiponectin levels of women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Nineteen women with RA starting anti-TNF treatment were included in the study. Disease activity, body composition, lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) and serum adiponectin concentrations were measured at baseline and after 1 year of follow-up.

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Background: Dietary alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has been associated with reduced risk of development of atherosclerosis. Adiponectin is a hormone specifically secreted by adipocytes and considered to have anti-atherogenic properties.

Aim Of The Study: We examined the effect of increased dietary intake of ALA on plasma concentration of adiponectin.

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Objective: Adiponectin is an adipocytokine that displays insulin-sensitizing and immunoregulatory properties. Adipocyte development in association with fibrosis is frequently detected in primary Sjögren's syndrome lesions, connoting a healing process. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of adiponectin in minor salivary gland biopsy specimens obtained from patients with primary SS and controls.

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