Serum IL-17 and TNFα as prognostic biomarkers in systemic sclerosis patients: a prospective study.

Recent reports have demonstrated that endothelial injury is critical in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and is associated with increased levels of circulating inflammatory biomarkers. This study aims to analyze the serum concentrations of selected cytokines and evaluate their relationship with SSc clinics and the long-term course of the disease. This study included 43 SSc patients and 24 matched healthy controls.

Association between clinical features and course of systemic sclerosis and serum interleukin-8, vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, and interferon alpha.

Background: Certain mediators, such as soluble growth factors and cytokines, among others, are implicated in the immunopathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the association between serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-8 (IL-8), interferon alpha (IFN-α), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and the clinical presentation and course of SSc.

Material And Methods: This longitudinal, observational study included 43 patients with SSc and 24 healthy subjects.

Co-Expression Analysis of Airway Epithelial Transcriptome in Asthma Patients with Eosinophilic vs. Non-Eosinophilic Airway Infiltration.

Asthma heterogeneity complicates the search for targeted treatment against airway inflammation and remodeling. We sought to investigate relations between eosinophilic inflammation, a phenotypic feature frequent in severe asthma, bronchial epithelial transcriptome, and functional and structural measures of airway remodeling. We compared epithelial gene expression, spirometry, airway cross-sectional geometry (computed tomography), reticular basement membrane thickness (histology), and blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytokines of = 40 moderate to severe eosinophilic (EA) and non-eosinophilic asthma (NEA) patients distinguished by BAL eosinophilia.

Genetic Variants of Complement Factor H Y402H (rs1061170), C2 R102G (rs2230199), and C3 E318D (rs9332739) and Response to Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Treatment in Patients with Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

: To assess the association between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes encoding complement factors CFH, C2, and C3 (Y402H rs1061170, R102G rs2230199, and E318D rs9332739, respectively) and response to intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). : The study included 111 patients with exudative AMD treated with intravitreal bevacizumab or ranibizumab injections. Response to therapy was assessed on the basis of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central retinal thickness (CRT) measured every 4 weeks for 12 months.

Genetic Association between TNFA Polymorphisms (rs1799964 and rs361525) and Susceptibility to Cancer in Systemic Sclerosis.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. The aim of the study was to establish an association between TNF-α promoter variability and systemic sclerosis (SSc). The study included 43 SSc patients and 74 controls.

Interactions via αβ Cell Integrin May Protect against the Progression of Airway Structural Changes in Asthma.

Increased airway wall thickness and remodeling of bronchial mucosa are characteristic of asthma and may arise from altered integrin signaling on airway cells. Here, we analyzed the expression of β-subfamily integrins on blood and airway cells (flow cytometry), inflammatory biomarkers in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage, reticular basement membrane (RBM) thickness and collagen deposits in the mucosa (histology), and airway geometry (CT-imaging) in 92 asthma patients (persistent airflow limitation subtype: = 47) and 36 controls. Persistent airflow limitation was associated with type-2 inflammation, elevated soluble α integrin chain, and changes in the bronchial wall geometry.

Reticular Basement Membrane Thickness Is Associated with Growth- and Fibrosis-Promoting Airway Transcriptome Profile-Study in Asthma Patients.

Airway remodeling in asthma is characterized by reticular basement membrane (RBM) thickening, likely related to epithelial structural and functional changes. Gene expression profiling of the airway epithelium might identify genes involved in bronchial structural alterations. We analyzed bronchial wall geometry (computed tomography (CT)), RBM thickness (histology), and the bronchial epithelium transcriptome profile (gene expression array) in moderate to severe persistent ( = 21) vs.

[Association between Y402H, E318D and R102G polymorphisms of complement proteins genes and the response to intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration].

Aim: To analyze the correlation between the E318D rs9332739 polymorphism of the C2 complement factor; R102G rs2230199 polymorphism of the C3 complement factor as well as the Y402H rs1061170 polymorphism of the CFH complement factor and risk of AMD as well as the response to anti-VEGF therapy.

Material And Methods: 106 patients with age-related macular degeneration treated with intravitreal ranibizumab or bevacizumab were enrolled. The response to treatment was assessed at 4 weeks intervals for 6 months and was based on the results of best corrected visual acuity and central retinal thickness measurements compared to the respective baseline values.

[The genetic variability of complement system in pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration].

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of irreversible central vision impairment in people aged over 50 in developed countries. Age-related macular degeneration is a complex disease derived from environmental, immune and genetic factors. The complement pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases.

Risk factors for arterial thrombosis in antiphospholipid syndrome.

Introduction: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is associated with the risk of both arterial and venous thrombosis. However, it is not known which factors might determine the location of thrombosis.

Materials And Methods: To retrospectively characterize factors associated with the risk of arterial thrombosis in a cohort of APS patients.

The influence of simvastatin on selected inflammatory markers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Introduction: There is growing evidence that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Simvastatin is a hypolipemic drug with proven efficacy in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Observational studies showed that statins may be useful in the reduction of mortality from COPD.

The additive antiplatelet action of clopidogrel in patients with coronary artery disease treated with aspirin.

We searched for additional anti-platelet effects of clopidogrel in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients treated with aspirin. Response to clopidogrel was also stratified according to aspirin resistance. Out of 76 screened aspirin-treated CAD male patients, five were aspirin-resistant based on arachidonic acid (AA) and ADP aggregometry.

[Apoptosis of bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytes (L-BAL) in pneumoconiosis].

Background: The appearance and extension of apoptosis phenomenon in lymphocytes originated from the lower airways of patients with pneumoconioses, including silicosis and asbestosis, as well as its relation to the clinical data, remains unclear.

Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was carried out in 11 patients with silicosis, 8 with asbestosis and in 7 control subjects. L-BAL were a) studied for CD95 and CD95 Ligand expression, b) permeabilized and stained with PI (flow cytometry, ModFit software) for apoptosis/cell cycle analyses and c) stained with Annexin V FITC/PI.

[Hereditary hemochromatosis: molecular diagnosis and effect of treatment].

Hereditary hemochromatosis is a genetic disorder, inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, characterized by iron overload. A single mutation (C282Y) in the HFE gene is found in more than 90% of these patients. We report the case of a 50-year-old man, with clinical symptoms of hemochromatosis, who was found to be homozygous for the C282Y mutation.