High salt diet impairs dermal tissue remodeling in a mouse model of IMQ induced dermatitis.

Recent animal studies, as well as quantitative sodium MRI observations on humans demonstrated that remarkable amounts of sodium can be stored in the skin. It is also known that excess sodium in the tissues leads to inflammation in various organs, but its role in dermal pathophysiology has not been elucidated. Therefore, our aim was to study the effect of dietary salt loading on inflammatory process and related extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling in the skin.

Cyclooxygenase-2 Modulates Glycosaminoglycan Production in the Skin During Salt Overload.

Sodium (Na) can accumulate in the skin tissue, sequestered by negatively charged glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). During dietary salt overload, the amount and charge density of dermal GAG molecules - e.g.

Pseudouridylation defect due to and mutations causes nephrotic syndrome with cataracts, hearing impairment, and enterocolitis.

RNA modifications play a fundamental role in cellular function. Pseudouridylation, the most abundant RNA modification, is catalyzed by the H/ACA small ribonucleoprotein (snoRNP) complex that shares four core proteins, dyskerin (DKC1), NOP10, NHP2, and GAR1. Mutations in , , or cause dyskeratosis congenita (DC), a disorder characterized by telomere attrition.

Cytokine production pattern of T lymphocytes in neonatal arterial ischemic stroke during the first month of life-a case study.

Background: The perinatal period carries the highest risk for stroke in childhood; however, the pathophysiology is poorly understood and preventive, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies are not available. A new pathophysiological model describes the development of neonatal arterial ischemic stroke (NAIS) as the combined result of prenatal inflammation and hypoxic-ischemic insult. Neuroinflammation and a systemic inflammatory response are also important features of NAIS.

Distinct cytokine patterns may regulate the severity of neonatal asphyxia-an observational study.

Background: Neuroinflammation and a systemic inflammatory reaction are important features of perinatal asphyxia. Neuroinflammation may have dual aspects being a hindrance, but also a significant help in the recovery of the CNS. We aimed to assess intracellular cytokine levels of T-lymphocytes and plasma cytokine levels in moderate and severe asphyxia in order to identify players of the inflammatory response that may influence patient outcome.

Endocrine Factors Determining Immune Polarization during Perinatal Transition.

In utero the skewness of the adaptive immune system towards Th2 ('antiinflammatory') direction and low of Th1/Th2 cell ratio defend the fetus against rejection by the maternal immune system. Th2 dominance at birth is also of importance as it prevents uncontrolled inflammatory processes during parturition. This condition should change rapidly after birth.

Selective measurement of α smooth muscle actin: why β-actin can not be used as a housekeeping gene when tissue fibrosis occurs.

Background: Prevalence of fibroproliferative diseases, including chronic kidney disease is rapidly increasing and has become a major public health problem worldwide. Fibroproliferative diseases are characterized by increased expression of α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) that belongs to the family of the six conserved actin isoforms showing high degree homology. The aim of the present study was to develop real-time PCRs that clearly discriminate α-SMA and ß-actin from other actin isoforms.

Altered activation of peripheral CD8+ T cells in pediatric Crohn's disease.

Aim: Although Crohn's disease (CD) is an extensively investigated autoimmune condition, knowledge on early phase activation of lymphocytes, especially CD8+ Tc cells is scarce. Our aim was to investigate the calcium influx characteristics of CD8+ cells upon activation as well as the expression and function of Kv1.3 and IKCa1 lymphocyte potassium channels.

Immune cell subsets, cytokine and cortisol levels during the first week of life in neonates born to pre-eclamptic mothers.

Problem: To address the hypothesis that pre-eclampsia (PE) impacts the fetal immune system, we investigated the prevalence of distinct immune cell subsets along with plasma cortisol and cytokine levels in pre-term newborns of PE mothers.

Method Of Study: Cord blood and peripheral blood samples on the 1st, 3rd and 7th postnatal days of life were collected from 14 pre-term infants affected by PE and 14 non-PE pregnancies. We measured plasma cortisol and cytokine levels with immunoassays and assessed the prevalence of T, NK and DC subsets using flow cytometry.

Altered calcium influx of peripheral Th2 cells in pediatric Crohn's disease: infliximab may normalize activation patterns.

Objective: Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract with an abnormal immune phenotype. We investigated how intracellular calcium kinetics of Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes alter upon specific inhibition of Kv1.3 and IKCa1 channels in pediatric Crohn's disease.

Expression of lymphocyte activation markers of preterm neonates is associated with perinatal complications.

Background: Inappropriate activation of T lymphocytes plays an important role in perinatal complications. However, data on T lymphocyte activation markers of preterm infants is scarce. We investigated the association between gender, gestational and postnatal age, preeclampsia (PE), premature rupture of membranes (PROM) as well as prenatal steroid treatment (PS) and the frequency of activated T lymphocyte subsets (HLA-DR+, CD69+, CD25+, CD62L+) and major T lymphocyte subpopulations (CD4, CD8, Th1, Th2, naïve, memory) in peripheral blood during the first postnatal week in preterm infants.

Plasma vitamin D levels at birth and immune status of preterm infants.

Background: Vitamin D has an important immunomodulatory role. We investigated whether vitamin D levels at birth may associate with immune status in preterm infants.

Methods: Cord blood samples were collected from 28 preterm infants born ≤30 weeks of gestation.

Altered mitochondrial response to activation of T-cells in neonate.

Unlabelled: Mitochondrial functions have a major impact on T-cell functionality. In this study we characterized whether mitochondrial function in the neonatal T-cells differs from that in the adult T-cells during short T-cell activation.

Methods: We used flow cytometry methods to test mitochondrial mass and to monitor mitochondrial Ca²⁺ levels, mitochondrial potential and superoxide generation in parallel with cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ levels during phythohaemagglutinine-induced activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells of 12 term neonates and 11 healthy adults.

B7 costimulation and intracellular indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) expression in peripheral blood of healthy pregnant and non-pregnant women.

Background: B7 costimulatory molecules are expressed on antigen presenting cells (APCs) and are important regulators of T cell activation. We investigated the role of the B7 family of costimulatory molecules in the development of the systemic maternal immune tolerance during healthy pregnancy (HP). We also aimed to investigate the intracellular expression of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and plasma levels of tryptophane (TRP), kynurenine (KYN) and kynurenic acid (KYNA), important molecules with immunoregulatory properties, in order to describe their potential contribution to the pregnancy-specific maternal immune tolerance.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ and thymic stromal lymphopoietin are involved in the pathophysiology of childhood coeliac disease.

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic autoimmune enteropathy caused by exposure to dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. The transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) was shown to exert protective effects in several immune-mediated disorders. Activation of PPARγ suppressed the expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an inducer of proinflammatory cytokines.

B7 costimulation and intracellular indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase expression in umbilical cord blood and adult peripheral blood.

Alterations in the expression of B7 costimulatory molecules and their receptors, as well as differences in the tryptophan (TRP) catabolic pathway, may influence immunological reactivity of umbilical cord blood (UCB) compared with adult peripheral blood (APB) T lymphocytes. We determined the frequency of activated (CD11b(+)) monocytes expressing B7-1, B7-2, B7-H1, and B7-H2, and that of T cells and CD4(+) T helper cells expressing CD28, cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), programmed death-1 receptor, and inducible costimulator of T cells in UCB and APB samples using flow cytometry. We also examined the intracellular expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) applying flow cytometry and plasma levels of TRP, kynurenine (KYN), and kynurenic acid using high-performance liquid chromatography.

Involvement of heat shock proteins in gluten-sensitive enteropathy.

Gluten-sensitive enteropathy, also known as coeliac disease (CD), is an autoimmune disorder occurring in genetically susceptible individuals that damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of other nutrients. As it is triggered by dietary gluten and related prolamins present in wheat, rye and barley, the accepted treatment for CD is a strict gluten-free diet. However, a complete exclusion of gluten-containing cereals from the diet is often difficult, and new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed.

Different calcium influx characteristics upon Kv1.3 and IKCa1 potassium channel inhibition in T helper subsets.

Functional imbalance between T helper subsets plays important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders. Transient increase of cytoplasmic calcium level, and sustention of negative membrane potential by voltage sensitive Kv1.3 and calcium-dependent IKCa1 potassium channels are essential for short-term lymphocyte activation, thus present possible target for selective immunomodulation.

Mutation-dependent recessive inheritance of NPHS2-associated steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome.

Monogenic disorders result from defects in a single gene. According to Mendel's laws, these disorders are inherited in either a recessive or dominant fashion. Autosomal-recessive disorders require a disease-causing variant on both alleles, and according to our current understanding, their pathogenicities are not influenced by each other.

The impact of conventional DMARD and biological therapies on CD4+ cell subsets in rheumatoid arthritis: a follow-up study.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by abnormal prevalence of Th1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory (Treg) subsets. Some data suggest that these subsets are influenced by anti-RA agents. Follow-up studies monitoring T cell phenotype in response to therapy are limited.