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Biomedical subjects

A Accardo-Palumbo

Publications and source records attributed to A Accardo-Palumbo.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

IVIG in APS pregnancy.

For more than two decades, the intravenous administration of high doses of IgG pooled from the plasma of healthy donors (immune globulin therapy, also known as 'IVIG') has benefited patients with a variety of autoimmune disorders. A potential therapeutic role of IVIG in the prevention of thrombosis and of miscarriages in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has been postulated. Multicenter randomized controlled trials attempted to define the role of IVIG in preventing pregnancy complications in APS indicate that simple anticoagulation could not be completely satisfactory, and certain patient subgroups might take advantage of IVIG therapy alone or in combination with heparin.

Abortion, Habitual↗
PubMed2002

Humoral and cell mediated immune response to cow's milk proteins in Behçet's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the humoral and cellular immune response against cow's milk proteins in Behçet's disease and to distinguish any behaviour during active or inactive disease. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 16 patients and from eight normal controls were cultured in the presence of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), beta-casein, beta-lactoglobulin, or chicken egg albumin. Interferon gamma (IFNgamma) and interleukin 4 (IL4) were measured in the culture supernatants by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum samples from 46 patients with Behçet's disease and from 37 healthy subjects were also studied for antibody detection. Antibodies to beta-casein, beta-lactoglobulin, and chicken egg albumin were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: High IFNgamma but not IL4 levels were found in the supernatants of lymphocytes from patients with active disease cultured in the presence of cow's milk proteins. Levels were comparable with those obtained in cultures stimulated with PHA. A significantly higher level of anti-beta-casein and anti-beta-lactoglobulin IgG and IgA antibodies was found in patients with active Behçet's disease. No relation was found between their occurrence and the age of the patients, the duration of disease, or the presence of gastrointestinal abnormalities. Antibodies to chicken albumin were detected at low levels and with a prevalence similar to that of healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that an active immune response occurs in Behçet's disease. This response involves an increased frequency of antibodies to cow's milk protein and a strong Th1 polarisation after exposure to these antigens. The occurrence of these abnormalities supports a putative role for cow's milk proteins immune response in the pathogenesis of Behçet's disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2000

Glucose-induced loss of glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane regulators of complement activation (CD59, CD55) by in vitro cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: This study examines whether increased glucose concentrations are responsible for a decreased expression of membrane regulators of complement activation molecules. The effect of high glucose in determining an increase in membrane attack complex deposition on endothelial cells was also investigated. METHODS: Endothelial cells were isolated from umbilical cord tissue, cultured in the presence of increased concentrations of glucose, and the expression of CD46, CD55, and CD59 was detected by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and by flow cytometry. Glucose-treated endothelial cells were also incubated with antiendothelial cell antibodies and fresh complement to assess the amount of membrane attack complex formation. RESULTS: High concentrations of glucose decreased the expression of CD59 and CD55 by endothelial cells in a time-dependent and glucose concentration-dependent manner without affecting CD46 expression. High concentrations of soluble CD59 were found in the supernatants of cells treated with high glucose. The decrease in CD59 expression induced by high glucose concentrations was reversed by coincubation of cells with a calcium channel blocking agent (Verapamil). All of these effects were not reproduced by osmotic control media. Cells treated with concentrations of high glucose were more susceptible to complement activation and membrane attack complex formation after exposure to antiendothelial cell antibodies. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: We speculate that hyperglycaemia could directly contribute to a loss of CD59 and CD55 molecules through a calcium-dependent phosphoinositol-specific phospholipase C activation and subsequent regulation of cell wall expression of GPI-anchored proteins. This phenomenon could facilitate the activation of a complement pathway and could play a part in the aetiology of endothelial dysfunction in diabetes.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed1999

Enhancement of endothelial cell E-selectin expression by sera from patients with active Behçet's disease: moderate correlation with anti-endothelial cell antibodies and serum myeloperoxidase levels.

We studied the in vitro E-selection expression of endothelial cells treated with sera from patients with Behçet's disease (BD) and factors (anti-endothelial cell antibodies, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, cytokines, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) that may contribute to adhesion molecule expression. A total of 21 patients with BD and 27 healthy controls were studied. In vitro E-selectin endothelial cell expression was investigated by ELISA after HUVEC incubation with sera or purified IgG from patients with BD and controls. Increased E-selectin expression was observed when endothelial cells were incubated with sera from patients with active disease or from patients with circulating anti-endothelial cell antibodies and high levels of plasma myeloperoxidase. Abnormalities of endothelial cell function have been suggested to play a role in the occurrence of vascular damage in BD. Our findings suggest that anti-endothelial cell antibodies and neutrophil hyperactivity, as inferred from the high plasma MPO levels in patients with active disease, may explain endothelial cell activation and neutrophil accumulation in vascular lesions.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

IgG anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) in type I diabetes mellitus; induction of adhesion molecule expression in cultured endothelial cells.

AECA were detected in 25 of 71 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and in two of 33 healthy subjects. Patients with diabetes of < 1 year duration and those with long-standing disease had the highest levels of these antibodies. Inhibition studies suggest that at least part of the AECA reactivity is due to cross-reactive anti-ssDNA antibodies. AECA-positive sera were able to increase intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and E-selectin on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Increased binding of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells was also found to accompany raised E-selectin expression. Soluble ICAM-1 and E-selectin were also found to be increased in the sera of AECA-positive patients. An effect of AECA on endothelial cell function is suggested in diabetes mellitus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Anti-single-stranded DNA antibody in the sera of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Relation to vascular complications.

Anti-single-stranded(ss)DNA antibodies were searched for by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the serum of 202 outpatients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and 135 healthy subjects to investigate their prevalence in the serum of patients with type 2 diabetes and their relationship with the presence of vascular complications. Of the 202 patients 128 had vascular complications. Anti-ssDNA antibodies were observed to be significantly more frequent in the serum of patients with vascular complications (33.6%) and in particular in patients with overt nephropathy (50%) than in patients without complications (6.7%) or controls (6.7%). Anti-ssDNA antibodies have been previously described in patients with type 1 diabetes before clinical evidence of vascular disease and their cross-reactivity with a variety of anionic biological molecules or cells, i.e. platelets and endothelial cells, assessed. It seems not unreasonable that these auto-antibodies detected in patients with type 2 diabetes could be of importance in the pathogenesis or progression of angiopathy.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1996

Detection of anti-myeloperoxidase antibodies in the serum of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Anti-myeloperoxidase (anti-MPO) antibodies were detected in 34 of 88 (38%) patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus but in only 3 of 55 (5.7%) healthy subjects and in 4 of 20 patients with autoimmune disease. Specificity of anti-MPO antibodies was assessed by MPO inhibition studies. No relationship was found between the occurrence of anti-MPO and anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies. Levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) were found to be higher in anti-MPO antibody-positive (n = 28, 508 +/- 126 ng/ml) than in anti-MPO antibody-negative (n = 58, 438 +/- 140 ng/ml: P < 0.05) patients. A state of chronic neutrophil activation has been described in diabetes mellitus. As anti-MPO antibodies can stimulate neutrophils to damage endothelial cells in systemic vasculitis, this suggests that a similar mechanism may be operative in the development of diabetic angiopathy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Two-site ELISA for quantification of the terminal C5b-9 complement complex in plasma. Use of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against a neoantigen of the complex.

A quantitative ELISA procedure using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against neoantigens of the terminal C5b-9 complement complex has been developed. The ELISA was demonstrated to be both sensitive and reproducible. The normal range for C5b-9 determinations, defined as 2.5-97.5% interval of the values obtained in 76 healthy blood donors, was 3.12-10.3 AU/ml. The presence of rheumatoid factor did not affect the determination of C5b-9 as demonstrated by immunoabsorption studies.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1993

Inhibition of Fc gamma receptors in the plasma of subjects with Down's syndrome.

Subjects with Down's syndrome have several immunological abnormalities. We examined the sera of 29 subjects with Down's syndrome for the presence of Fc gamma receptor blocking and for the presence of anti-ssDNA antibodies by EA rosette inhibition. Fifty-five percent of Down subjects had levels of inhibition above the upper limit of normality in comparison to 7% of normal controls. The finding that after polyethylene glycol precipitation of selected sera giving high levels of EA rosette inhibition there was a reduction or a disappearance of the EA rosette inhibition could indicate that the blocking factors detected behaved as immune complexes. Since almost all subjects with anti-ssDNA antibodies also had elevated values of EA rosette inhibition, a role for immune complexes eventually formed with autoantibodies in an Fc-mediated immunoregulatory system is suggested.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte myeloperoxidase levels in patients with Behçet's disease.

Myeloperoxidase was measured in the plasma and in the supernatants of polymorphonuclear granulocyte cultures from patients with Behçet's disease. High levels were found in both plasma and supernatants from patients with active disease. The addition of pentoxifylline to granulocyte cultures determined a significant decrease of myeloperoxidase levels in active patients only. Hyperactive neutrophils are present during the course of Behçet's disease and may be considered of importance in the pathogenesis of the vascular lesions.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Impaired expression of erythrocyte glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane CD59 in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Relation to terminal complement pathway activation.

OBJECTIVE: Complement-mediated injury is regulated by many factors; among these CD59 has been identified as a widely distributed glycoprotein that inhibits membrane C5b-9 (terminal complement component) formation. The aim of the study was to assess erythrocyte CD59 expression in patients with psoriatic arthritis in order to understand the role of CD59 in the pathogenesis. METHODS: Washed erythrocytes from 50 patients with psoriatic arthritis, 8 with cutaneous psoriasis and 24 healthy subjects were incubated with monoclonal anti-CD59 antibody followed by a second FITC conjugated antibody and fluorescence intensity analysed by FAC-Scan flow cytometer to assess their CD59 membrane expression. SC5b-9 levels were measured in the plasma by ELISA and results compared with CD59 values. Immune complexes, complement C3 and C4 and rheumatoid factor were also determined. RESULTS: Impaired expression of erythrocyte membrane-anchored CD59 was found in patients with psoriatic arthritis; the lowest levels were seen in active patients (p < 0.01). Increased SC5b-9 was seen in the plasma of patients with active disease. An inverse correlation was also found between plasma C5b-9 and the CD59 expression levels (r = -0.81, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The low CD59 expression on erythrocytes from patients with psoriatic arthritis may be an index of a low tissue CD59 expression. This impairment could facilitate the activation of complement pathway and increase the risk for arthritis. Membrane attack complex formation in deficient membrane bound CD59 may also exacerbate synovial cell injury and inflammation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The level of soluble Granzyme A is elevated in the plasma and in the Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cell culture supernatants of patients with active Behçet's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Gramzyme A (GrA) is a serine proteinase with trypsin-like activity that is released extracellularly during the degranulation of cytotoxic cells. Among the cytotoxic cells, gamma/delta T cells participate in the early phases of the immune response and are known to express perforin and granzymes constitutively in agreement with their cytolytic pontential. METHODS: GrA activity was detected using the synthetic substrate N-alpha-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine thiobenzyl ester in the plasma and supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultured in the presence of Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate to obtain Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cell expansion. RESULTS: Significantly high levels of GrA were found in the serum and supernatants of lymphocytes from patients with active Behçet's disease cultured in the presence of DMAPP. Levels were found to be significantly lower after remission. A positive correlation was observed between GrA levels in the supernatants and the Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cell expansion factor. CONCLUSION: These results strongly suggest that Vgamma9/Vdelta2 T cells are active participants in the pathogenesis of the disease through their degranulation and granzyme release.

Adolescent↗