PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Parodi

Publications and source records attributed to A Parodi.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Desmosomes and their autoimmune pathologies.

Desmosomes guarantee the integrity of the epidermis, by functioning both as an adhesive complex and as a cell-surface attachment site for the keratin intermediate filaments of the cytoskeleton. Considerable progress has been made in our knowledge of desmosomes and their components. The structure and function of many of the desmosomal molecules have been determined, and a number of the molecular interactions between desmosomal proteins have been elucidated. Desmosomal proteins are major antigens in pemphigus. Each type of pemphigus has its own antigenic targets, but in the last few years it has been shown that certain autoantibody populations are not restricted to just one form of pemphigus. The production of autoantibodies against multiple intracellular and extracellular desmosomal proteins, whose pathogenic role remains to be elucidated, suggests an overlapping distribution of antibody specificities among different forms of pemphigus.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1999

Papular mucinosis associated with generalized morphoea.

A 67-year-old white man is described who had large sclerotic plaques with a violaceous border on his back and abdomen and a scleroderma-like induration on the legs, sparing the feet. Additionally, he had multiple skin-coloured, large, sometimes centrally depressed papules and nodules on the nape of the neck, back and upper limbs. These occurred in both the normal and sclerotic areas. Histologically, large amounts of focal mucin were seen in the upper dermis consistent with the diagnosis of papular mucinosis and associated with typical underlying features of scleroderma. No paraproteinaemia was found. We excluded scleromyxoedema on clinical, histopathological and laboratory grounds and diagnosed our patient as having generalized morphoea with papular mucinosis. We are aware of only two reports of large cutaneous deposits of mucin associated with scleroderma.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

IgE antibodies in sera from patients with bullous pemphigoid are autoantibodies preferentially directed against the 230-kDa epidermal antigen (BP230)

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is unique among autoimmune skin diseases in which a high serum IgE level has been detected. We sought to determine the antigenic specificity of these IgE antibodies in 39 BP sera by immunofluorescence microscopy, immunoblot, and ELISA. The patient's sera contained IgG antibodies to 230-kDa (BP230) (n = 20), 180-kDa (BP180) (n = 9), and both BP230 and BP180 (n = 10) antigens. Serum IgE levels varied from 29 to 5000 kIU/L (mean +/- SD, 856 +/- 1426 kIU/L), among which sera containing IgG antibodies to BP230 had an IgE level on average 4.3 times higher than anti-BP180 sera. IgE antibodies in 18 sera were found to be autoantibodies reactive either with an epidermal component of basement membrane zone by immunofluorescence microscopy on 1 M NaCl-split skin or with a 230-kDa antigen by immunoblots of cultured human keratinocytes. The 230-kDa epidermal antigen recognized by IgE antibodies comigrated with the BP230 as labeled by a specific human monoclonal antibody. IgE anti-BP230 antibodies in patients' sera were always associated with IgG autoantibodies. No sera contained IgE antibodies to BP180 or to any other epidermal or dermal antigens as verified by immunoblot and ELISA. A good correlation was found between the presence of IgE circulating autoantibodies and the level of serum IgE (P < 0.004). IgE antibodies to BP230, like IgG autoantibodies, were mapped primarily to the C-terminal end of the protein, as they labeled rBP55, a BP230 recombinant protein encoded by a cDNA for the C-terminal end of BP230.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1998

Counterimmunoelectrophoresis, ELISA and immunoblotting detection of anti-Ro/SSA antibodies in subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. A comparative study.

Patients with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) have circulating antibodies to Ro/SSA directed to two antigenically distinct ribonucleoproteins of 60 kDa and 52 kDa. Three laboratory tests may be used to detect anti-Ro/SSA antibodies: counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting (IB). Their relative efficacy and clinical correlations were ascertained. We determined anti-Ro/SSA antibodies with CIE, with two different ELISA methods (ELISA 1 and 2) and with IB in 29 SCLE patients. Anti-52 kDa and -60 kDa Ro/SSA antibodies were also assayed with IB. In addition, we determined antinuclear antibodies with indirect immunofluorescence, anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-La/SSB and anti-Ro/SSA antibodies with CIE and ELISA, and anti-nDNA and cardiolipin antibodies using an ELISA method. CIE detected anti-Ro/SSA antibodies in 22 patients while ELISA 1 and 2 did so in 17 and 18 patients, respectively. In five patients, IB revealed a reactivity to 60 kDa polypeptides and in two, a reactivity to 52 kDa polypeptides. Of these seven patients, four had a myocardial infarction. Of these, two reacted to the 52 kDa antigen and two to the 60 kDa antigen. A combination of techniques was often needed to detect all specificities. ELISA proved to be very specific and sensitive. The IB technique detected a group of patients with myocardial infarction. A case-control study is needed to confirm the data of cardiac involvement.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Prevalence of bands other than 160 and 130 kDa in pemphigus sera (a multicenter immunoblotting study). Gruppo Italiano Studi Epidemiologici in Dermatologia (GISED).

Patients with pemphigus may produce antibodies against molecules other than the classical transmembranal ones. Recently, for example antibodies to 230 kDa antigens have been found in association with antibodies to intercellular substance. To better understand their prevalence, clinical correlates and prognostic significance of bands other than 130 and 160 kDa, we studied 67 pemphigus sera. About one-fourth of patients revealed multiple heterogeneous bands and 13% the 230 kDa band. When challenged with the recombinant protein rBP55, the carbossiterminal portion of bullous pemphigoid major antigen, all 230 kDa-positive-sera proved negative. Caution is to be recommended in interpreting pemphigus sera with a band migrating at the 230 kDa level.

Diagnosis, Differential↗