Glucocorticoids (GCs) are the most common group of medications used in the treatment of allergic and autoimmune disorders. They produce potent anti-inflammatory effects by inducing or repressing the expression of target genes. Although most patients with allergic diseases and autoimmune disorders respond to GC therapy, a small subset of patients demonstrate persistent tissue inflammation despite treatment with high doses of GCs. This condition results from an interaction between susceptibility genes, the host's environment, and immunologic factors. The treatment of these patients requires a systematic approach to rule out underlying conditions that lead to steroid resistance or treatment failure, as well as the use of alternative strategies to inhibit tissue inflammation.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1067/mai.2003.97 | DOI Listing |
Ann Rheum Dis
March 2025
Vasculitis Research Unit, Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Hospital Clínic (member of European Reference Network [ERN]-for rare diseases RITA), University of Barcelona, Centre de Recerca biomèdica (CRB)-CELLEX, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address:
Objectives: Blocking interleukin (IL)-6-receptor with tocilizumab has been a major advance in the treatment of giant-cell arteritis (GCA), supporting a crucial role of IL-6 receptor signalling. However, nearly half of the patients are not able to maintain glucocorticoid- free remission with tocilizumab. The impact of tocilizumab on vascular lesions of GCA is largely unknown since conflicting results have been obtained by imaging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBest Pract Res Clin Haematol
December 2024
Mellen Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, United States.
Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) have been transplanted for therapeutic purposes with inconsistent results. MSC preparations are heterogeneous, and this person-to-person heterogeneity may account for the variable clinical outcomes. Additionally, the mechanisms of therapeutic action for MSC are unclear which confounds attempts to understand and identify factors that may account for variable clinical results.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZhong Nan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban
October 2024
Department of Ophthalmology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China.
Objectives: Graves' ophthalmopathy is a complex organ-specific autoimmune disease with an unclear pathogenesis. Complement component 5/5a (C5/C5a), a key element of the component system, may play a significant role in the disease's pathological process. This study aims to investigate the causal relationship between C5/C5a and Graves' ophthalmopathy using Mendelian randomization (MR) to provide new theoretical insights for its diagnosis and treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMJ Open
March 2025
Zora Biosciences Oy, Espoo, Finland
Objectives: This study aimed to explore the association between lipid-based Cardiovascular Event Risk Tests (CERT1 and CERT2), including ceramides (Cer) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) lipid species, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an inflammatory disease that can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Design: Prospective population-based cohort study.
Setting: Primary care centres across five geographical areas in Finland.
Lupus Sci Med
March 2025
Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Objective: The objective of this research is to identify metabolic markers associated with successful treatment by evaluating the effect of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation (MSCT) on the metabolic profiles of patients with SLE.
Methods: Plasma samples were collected from 20 patients with SLE before and after MSCT. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to distinguish pretreatment and post-treatment groups and pathway analysis for identifying involved metabolic pathways.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!