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Biomedical subjects

C Sbreglia

Publications and source records attributed to C Sbreglia.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Acute rejection after liver transplantation: Is there a specific immunological pattern?

The aim of the study was to assess various T-cell subsets and cytokine secretion patterns both in liver tissue and in the peripheral blood of 24 liver transplant patients to assess possible specific immunological involvement in early acute rejection episodes after liver transplantation. Particularly, we studied CD4+ CD7+, CD8+ CD38+, and CD4+ CD25+ T cells by flow cytometry, as well as contemporaneously, interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-10 secretion by ELISpot to determine possible Th1-like immune responses and the immunomodulation expressed by Treg cells in acute liver rejection, respectively. As a control group we included patients transplanted without acute rejection. Early acute rejection within the first 4 weeks was proven histologically in 42% of patients. It was associated with a greater expression of CD4+ CD7+ and CD8+ CD38+ T cells in the liver than in the blood (P < .001). A contemporaneous reduced expansion of liver Treg cells was evident in patients with acute rejection (P < .001). Our data suggested that a preferential Th1-like immune mechanism operated in local fashion as characterized by a decreased presence in the liver and blood of Treg cells.

ADP-ribosyl Cyclase 1↗

Transforming growth factor beta-1 and interferon-alpha in the AIDS dementia complex (ADC): possible relationship with cerebral viral load?

Mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of the AIDS-dementia complex are still unclear. The dichotomy between a small number of HIV-infected cells in the brain and their marked dysfunction could be related to a cellular amplification and/or activation of cerebral viral load by several cytokines. This link between cytokines and viral load could play a role in the generation of the clinical dementia syndrome. We have studied cerebral levels of transforming growth factor-beta1 and interferon-alpha, both in the mild and severe AIDS-dementia complex and also compared these cytokines with HIV RNA load in patients with different degrees of dementia. Our data indicate that production of different cytokines characterized the expression of clinical dementia. In the mild AIDS-dementia complex, there was a significant inverse correlation between interferon-alpha and transforming growth factor-beta1 (r = - 0.743; p < 0.001), and HIV-RNA was present in inverse proportion to transforming growth factor beta1 (r = - 0.751; p < 0.001). In patients with severe AIDS-dementia, transforming growth factor-beta1 was undetectable, while interferon-alpha level were higher than in mild AIDS dementia and correlated positively to cerebral HIV-RNA. No significant difference was evident between these cytokines in the serum of ADC patients and in the control samples. Our study suggests that a relationship is possible between productive HIV infection in the cerebral nervous system and a heterogenous and different expression of the immune response via a complex interaction of cytokines with a differential modulation of the dementia phenotype.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗

[Acute and chronic viral hepatitis in HIV positive patients].

In this study we evaluated the spreading of HBV, HCV, HDV and HIV among drug user patients. Spreading of hepatotropic viruses resulted high (HBV 84%, HCV 87%, HDV 7%), while spreading of HIV resulted relatively low (18%). During the period considered we did not observe any favourable effect of hepatotropic viruses on the progression of HIV infection, while the chronic evolution of acute viral hepatitis HBV related was high (90%) in HIV+ patients. HIV infection did not determine different histological findings in respect to HIV- patients with chronic hepatitis, HBV or HCV related

English Abstract↗

Vaccination against hepatitis B in preschool children with Down's syndrome.

Twenty-nine healthy HBsAg- and HBsAb-negative children with Down's syndrome who were living at home (mean age 42 months; 19 M, 10 F) were vaccinated against hepatitis B virus either with recombinant DNA or plasma-derived vaccine. Both groups of children responded well to the vaccination schedules, with HBsAb seroconversion rates close to 100%. Vaccination against hepatitis B in preschool children with Down's syndrome is effective in spite of the existing abnormalities of the immune function.

Child, Preschool↗

[Anti-hepatitis B vaccination in Campania. Final observations of a 3-year vaccination campaign, with special reference to infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers].

The results obtained at the end of the first three years of a hepatitis B vaccination campaign in Campania, are reported. HEVAC-B and H-B-VAX proved innocuous and efficacious in producing anti-HBs. Newborn babies and children produced anti-HBs more often and with higher titres than adults. Titre 10 mUI/ml of anti-HBs persisted, in the responders for at least 36 months on average. AVH by HBV was observed in two adult non responders. Transplacental or delivery infection was observed in 9.3% of the babies born of HBsAg positive mothers and more often among babies born of HBeAg positive mothers. Infection by HBV was observed in 6.0% of the babies, in 4.0% of the children and in 12.0% of the adults, in spite of the production of anti-HBs. HB-antigenemia, was as a rule transitory, but sometimes fluctuating or persistent. Careful observation during a prolonged follow up is necessary for these subjects.

Adult↗

Hepatic and peripheral T-lymphocyte patterns in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection: what correlation with histological activity?

The immunopathological processes involved in hepatic damage during chronic hepatitis C infection are not fully understood. Several works suggest the role of T helper 1 (Th1) immune response in both injury and fibrinogenesis. in this study, we have analyzed peripheral and intrahepatic T-lymphocyte subsets in liver biopsy specimens of 13 patients with definite chronic hepatitis C (CHC) to explore the possible direct role of these patterns in the evolution of necrotic inflammation and fibrogenesis scored according to the Knodell histological activity index. in particular, we have studied CD4+/CD7+ T-lymphocytes, as phenotypic marker of Th1 immune response, CD4+/CD7- as Th2 marker, and CD8+/CD38 as activated CD8+ lymphocytes. on statistical analyses we found a significant negative correlation in liver CD8+/CD38+ T-cells grading (r= -0.607; p&#x003C;0.05) and staging index (r= -0.650; p&#x003C;0.05) and between CD4+/CD7+ and grading (r= -0.626; p&#x003C;0.05) index. in addition, we found a positive strong correlation between CD38+/CD8+ and CD4+/CD7+ T cells (r= 0.783; p&#x003C;0.05) in liver tissue and between peripheral and liver resident CD8+/CD38+ (r= 683; p&#x003C;0.05). moreover, the hepatic CD4+/CD7+ T-cells showed a positive correlation with peripheral CD 8+/CD38+ T-cells (r= 0.676; p&#x003C;0.05). A strong positive correlation was also observed between grading and staging index (r= 0.921; p&#x003C;0.01). we found no statistical correlation between the above variables and CD4+/CD7- T cells. our data could suggest that a preferential hepatic CD4+/CD7+ OR CD8+/CD38+ T cell subset was not directly associated with hepatic damage but, on the contrary, it could have been able to block liver injury. Concerning the peripheral subsets, the only CD8+/CD 38+ T-cells result reflect the CTL activity in the liver tissue. further studies are required to better understand the possible correlation between peripheral and liver resident T-helper, subset and other hepatic resident immunocompetent cells.

Journal Article↗