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Biomedical subjects

F Ameglio

Publications and source records attributed to F Ameglio.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Increased tryptase and myeloperoxidase levels in blister fluids of patients with bullous pemphigoid: correlations with cytokines, adhesion molecules and anti-basement membrane zone antibodies.

Tryptase and myeloperoxidase respectively represent 2 specific markers of activated mast cells or neutrophils. Therefore, establishing the levels of these enzymes may be useful to quantify the cell involvement in the tissues or fluids of different origins and in different pathologies. The aim of this study was to analyse the levels of these 2 markers in both the sera and blister fluids of patients affected with bullous pemphigoid. These levels were then correlated to the concentrations of 19 cytokines and 2 soluble adhesion molecules determined in the same samples and also with the log (anti-basement membrane zone antibody) titres, evaluated in the patients' sera. For these purposes, 15 patients with bullous pemphigoid (10 males and 5 females; median age: 84 years, range 66-87; median disease duration: 0 years, range 0-3: median number of skin lesions: 17, range 14-30; median anti-basement membrane zone antibody titre: 1:320, range 0.0-1:2560) and 15 normal subjects (11 males and 4 females, median age: 81 years, range 59-86) were analysed by means of commercially available kits. Results showed that blister fluid myeloperoxidase and tryptase levels were increased as compared with the respective sera (P<0.01) and several correlations were observed with cytokines and adhesion molecules. In fact, significant correlations of blister fluid tryptase levels were observed with IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, VEGF, RANTES and sICAM-1, while myeloperoxidase was correlated with IL-1beta, IL-13 and IL-15. The blister fluid tryptase levels were also significantly correlated with the anti-basement membrane zone antibody titres (R=0.53, P=0.05). In conclusion, these findings are in accord with an involvement of both mast cells and neutrophils in bullous pemphigoid and their recruitment may be mediated by different biological modulators. Our findings seem to indicate that the cytokine (IL-3, IFN-gamma and OSM) or adhesion molecule (sICAM-1) concentrations in blister fluid are logarithmically related to the anti-basement membrane zone antibody titers.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Aerosolized interferon-alpha treatment in patients with multi-drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis.

Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has emerged as an obstacle to the control of tuberculosis. Recent data however, suggest that interferon-(IFN)-gamma and IFN-alpha may improve disease evolution in subjects affected with pulmonary tuberculosis caused by multi-resistant (IFN-gamma) and sensitive (IFN-alpha) strains. The mechanisms involved are not known, even though it has been reported that IFN-gamma-secreting CD4+ Th cells may possess antitubercular effects. In addition, IFN-alpha can induce IFN-gamma secretion by CD4+ Th cells, and both types of IFN may stimulate macrophage activities. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility that aerosolized IFN-alpha, administered concomitantly with conventional antitubercular chemotherapy, may improve the course of pulmonary tuberculosis. After six months of directly observed therapy (DOT), seven patients who were non-responders to a second line antitubercular therapy were given an IFN-alpha aerosol (3 MU, three times a week) for two months as adjunctive therapy. All strains were resistant to at least two first-line drugs. After IFN-alpha administration, the patients were followed up for a further six months with the same DOT. Sputum samples were collected monthly during the study period, with the exception of the IFN-alpha administration period, when the observations were performed weekly. High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) chest scans were performed before and after IFN-alpha inhalations. The analysis of the results showed that the mean number of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mt) had remained statistically unchanged (p = 0.80) during the first 6 months of DOT. During the following 2 months of IFN-alpha administration, 5 patients became negative (p = 0.02). After the end of treatment a progressive increase in Mt number was observed (p = 0. 02). Sputum cultures remained positive for all patients throughout the study period, although a significant decrease (p = 0.02) in the colony number per culture was observed after adjunctive treatment with IFN-alpha. After stopping administration of IFN-alpha, a significant increase (p = 0.03) in the colony number per culture was noted as well as in Mt numbers. HRCT scans were slightly improved in all patients. These preliminary data suggest that aerosolized IFN-alpha may be a promising adjunctive therapy for patients with MDR-TB. Optimal doses and schedules however, require further studies.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Association between lesional or non lesional S. aureus strains from patients with impetigo and exfoliative toxin production. No association with SmaI PFGE patterns.

Contrasting data are reported in the literature on the percent positivity rates (13.5%-100%) of exfoliative toxin (ET) production by S. aureus strains isolated from impetigo patients in Japan and in France. In the present study, by means of a recently available latex-test, toxin-A (ETA) or toxin-B (ETB) production was found in 67.6% of the 34 S. aureus strains isolated from 19 lesional (63.2%) and 15 non-lesional (nose or pharynx, 73.3%) areas of patients with impetigo (with no significant difference between the lesional and non-lesional isolates). ETA + ETB were produced by 44.1% of the strains, while 32.4% were non-producers. In contrast, the percent positivity rate observed in 40 [20 lesional and 20 non-lesional (nose or pharynx)] strains isolated in patients with atopic dermatitis was 15.0% (p < 0.001 both for the lesional and non-lesional strains versus impetigo, with no significant difference between lesional and non lesional strains). Finally, 26 strains from other types of specimens (abscesses, hemocultures, urine, central venous catheters, bronchoalveolar lavages) showed an 11.5% production rate of ETA or ETB (p < 0.001 versus impetigo strains, no significance versus atopic dermatitis). These data point to a significant association between exfoliative toxin production and S. aureus strains isolated in impetigo, both in lesional areas and in nasal/pharyngeal reservoirs. An attempt to correlate SmaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) restriction patterns and exfoliative toxin production showed no significant association in either group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

S. aureus PFGE patterns of lesional or non lesional strains from patients with impetigo: association of individual bands with lesional or non lesional areas.

PFGE has been extensively used to obtain a reliable intra-species differentiation, although this technique has not been completely standardized. In this study, PFGE was applied to analyze in detail the patterns of 19 lesional S. aureus strains isolated from patients with impetigo, compared with 15 non-lesional strains isolated from nasal or pharyngeal swabs of the same patients. The strain DNA was extracted and processed as previously reported, using the strictest protocol to limit the variations between different analytical sets. To obtain maximum sensitivity and comparability, the electrophoresis patterns were analyzed by an automated and computerized reader (GelDoc1000). The DNA fragments (range 12-15 bands) obtained for each individual strain were then divided into 39 zones including from 1 to 4 bands for a total of at least 91 possible different gel positions. The positivity for each zone (and/or the positivity for the individual bands contained) was associated with the lesional/non-lesional origin and with the face localization of the strains.

DNA, Bacterial↗
PubMed1999

Identification of a new control region in the genome of the DDP strain of BK virus isolated from PBMC.

The various strains of human polyomavirus BK (BKV) show a marked heterogeneity in the non-coding control region (NCCR), which includes the origin of replication and the regulatory region for early and late transcription. A new BKV strain (DDP, U91605) was identified by direct detection and sequencing of PCR products of BKV-NCCR DNA obtained from PBMC samples of HIV-positive or -negative subjects. The DDP strain NCCR sequence showed an organisation not described previously in vivo with the maximum homology with the archetypal strain (WW) (M34048), as compared with those collected in GenBank. Structurally, P68, Q39, and S68 boxes were perfectly conserved, whereas the R63 box was completely deleted. This deletion involves the loss of sequences able to bind cellular factors essential for the DNA transcription, such as NF1 binding sites, normally present twice in the R box and the modification of SP1. It is possible that these rearrangements represent a cause of the loss of the VP1 region observed in 9/22 PBMC samples and never observed in urine isolates, which are similar to the WW strain.

BK Virus↗
PubMed1999

Phenotypic and genotypic alterations characterize patients bearing plasma cell dyscrasias with a high M-component.

As at present only a long-term follow-up can fully determine whether monoclonal gammapathies of undetermined significance (MGUS) will evolve into multiple myeloma (MM), this study attempted to identify other variables connected with the amount of monoclonal component (MC), generally considered as the most reliable marker of malignant evolution. Thirty-four MGUS subjects showing a high MC (> or = 15.0 g/l) but without clinical evidence of MM (MGUS group b), were characterized for their phenotypic and genotypic profile by comparing them either with 40 MM patients or with 24 subjects affected by a benign form of monoclonal gammapathy (MGUS group a) according to the standard criteria. In addition to the usual laboratory markers, the levels of expression of a panel of CD membrane subsets were measured on B and T lymphocytes. Also, the serum level of the p53 mutant protein and the structural alterations of the c-myc oncogene were evaluated. The results show that for MGUS group b patients, an increased M-protein was accompanied by significantly increased levels of peripheral blood CD3+ T cells and oncogenetic aberrations in c-myc. Since a high serum MC level seems to indicate a greater likelihood of malignant transformation for MGUS patients, these findings suggest that this relationship may be a result of the concomitant alterations observed at a phenotypic and genotypic level. Such alterations may be potentially useful as surrogate markers for the transition of benign to malignant (MM) plasma cell dyscrasia.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Cytokine levels correlate with a radiologic score in active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This microorganism is capable of inducing a delayed hypersensitivity reaction in the lung, with subsequent expression of the disease. This reaction depends on the presence of different cytokines that exert specific functions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence and the concentrations of nine different modulators in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). For this purpose, 15 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis were enrolled at the time of diagnosis, prior to institution of antituberculous therapy. All the patients demonstrated M. tuberculosis in the sputum, and their disease extention was defined by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) using a score which included the presence of six findings: miliary nodules, nodules < 10 mm, consolidation, ground glass, cavity and bronchial wall thickening. This score was more sensitive than an equivalent score calculated on the basis of chest radiology. HRCT score was calculated for each area of the two lungs in order to define the more and the less affected lung for each patient. The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed in the more affected area for each lung. The HRCT total score for each washed area ranged between 1 and 15, and showed more significant differences between the more and less affected lungs (p = 0.0004) than those obtained with the individual radiologic findings (p ranged between 0.60 and 0. 004). The BAL concentrations of the nine cytokines evaluated for the more and less affected lungs were compared: interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) showed significant differences (p ranged between 0. 016 and 0.0007). In addition, each cytokine concentration was correlated with the HRCT score. Significant correlations were found with IL-12, IL-6, IL-8, IL-2, and TNF-alpha. The correlations between cytokines and HRCT total score were better than those observed with the individual radiologic findings. A correlation matrix for the different cytokines evaluated one against each other, has also been added to show common behavior of these modulators. A similar analysis was also performed for the radiologic abnormalities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Increased serum IL-6, TNF-alpha and IL-10 levels in patients with bullous pemphigoid: relationships with disease activity.

AIM: The present report analyzes the serum levels of three cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in 15 patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) (compared with 20 healthy controls) to evaluate a possible involvement of these biological modulators in the clinical expression of this disease. BACKGROUND: BP is a rare bullous disease of autoimmune origin with evidence of inflammatory processes that cause skin lesions with local increase of various pro-inflammatory mediators. METHODS: Determination of cytokine concentrations were obtained employing commercially available ELISA kits. RESULTS: The sera of BP patients showed increased levels of these three cytokines (P < 0.01). When the number of skin lesions (blisters and/or erosion) of each patient, employed as a marker of disease activity, was correlated with the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha, significant correlations were found (IL-6: P < 0.01 and TNF-alpha: P < 0.01, respectively), suggesting a possible role of these mediators in the development of BP blisters. The serum levels of IL-6 also correlated (P = 0.01 with those of serum C reactive protein (CRP), an acute-phase protein induced by IL-6 in hepatocytes. In addition, serum TNF-alpha and sE-selectin (an adhesion molecule previously reported to be increased by this cytokine) levels were also correlated (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of these data, it may be indicated that at least IL-6 and TNF-alpha are associated with the clinical expression of BP and that the endothelial activation (possibly induced by the TNF-alpha activity), seems to be an important phase of this dermatosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Diagnostic relevance of polymerase chain reaction technology for T. pallidum in subjects with syphilis in different phases of infection.

Although serology is a valid tool for the clinician to manage syphilis infection, there are still some cases in which evidence of the presence of T. pallidum or its specific components, such as specific DNA segments, may be useful to establish or confirm the diagnosis. In the absence of T. pallidum grown in culture, a nested PCR to amplify a specific segment of the microorganism genome was performed in ulcerative secretions or sera, after DNA extraction, using a commercially available kit. A kit validation was based on the observation of no positivities in patients without ongoing or anamnestic infection (40 patients). On the contrary, patients infected with T. pallidum presented positivities both in ulcerative secretions and in sera with frequencies that depended on the disease phase and type of sample. In fact, even after treatment, ulcerative secretions that were negative in dark-field examination were found to be positive in PCR. In addition, the sera of patients with positive specific IGM (serologically diagnosed syphilis, asymptomatic state) were also positive in PCR. This test could, therefore, be useful to analyze difficult situations, especially when a seropositivity for a previous infection may complicate the serology of a reinfection or when therapies interfere with dark-field microscopic observation.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMed1999

Cytokines and bullous pemphigoid.

This report reviews the data presented in the literature concerning the presence and levels of different cytokines in sera, lesional tissue or blister fluids of patients with bullous pemphigoid. The list of cytokines analysed includes 21 molecules: interleukins (IL)-1 => 8, IL-10 => 13, IL-15, granulocyte-monocyte-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), oncostatin-M (OSM), regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and presumably secreted (RANTES), transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Basic information regarding the functions of these cytokines and their possible involvement in the pathogenetic steps of the disease, such as autoantigen expression, autoantibody induction, complement activation, local cell recruitment and stimulation, resident cell activation, release of various effector molecules and tissue damage are also reported. A specific function for each cytokine in bullous pemphigoid induction cannot be still defined, however, the literature attributes a major role to IL-1, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8 and IFN-gamma. On the basis of significant (direct or inverse) correlations found between disease intensity and the blister fluid/serum levels, the following cytokines IL-7, IL-15, RANTES, VEGF and TNF-alpha, besides those previously mentioned, may also be involved in this disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Seroprevalence of anti-human parvovirus B19 antibodies in patients attending a centre for sexually transmitted diseases.

The aim of this study was to establish the serological prevalence of anti-human Parvovirus B19 (HP-B19) antibodies in a group of 321 patients attending a Centre for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and epidemiologically examine whether this virus may also be sexually transmitted. For this purpose, the serum prevalence of anti-HP-B19 evaluated in STD patients (39%) was compared with that of 164 healthy blood donors (10%, p < 0.001), using commercially available ELISA methods detecting the anti-VP1 reactivity of the sera. The same STD patients were also analyzed for serum reactivities against 4 STD-causing microorganisms, namely T. pallidum (TPHA), HBV (HBcAb), HCV (HCV-Ab) and HIV (HIV-Ab), to observe possible associations with the serum anti-HP-B19 reactivity. These tests were also carried out with commercially available kits. The results suggest that the serum anti-HP-B19 antibody prevalence in patients with STDs is increased, also independently of their intravenous drug addition and varies with the reactivity pattern determined. In addition, as expected for a STD, the anti-HP-B19 prevalence is increased in homobisexual patients compared with heterosexuals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Determination of antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens by commercial kits: a multicenter study.

Several enzyme immunoassays for serum antibodies to extractable nuclear antigen have recently become available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results obtained with: (1) the same kit under different conditions; (2) different enzyme immunoassays; (3) Western blot and enzyme immunoassays. Twenty-five sera from patients with autoimmune disorders were tested in five different laboratories by one Western blot and four enzyme immunoassay commercial kits. The different methods produced comparable qualitative results. However, semiquantitative evaluation, based on a cut-off value (index), yielded different results due both to laboratory conditions and to the kits employed. Standardization of commercial products and methods should be improved so that the results of different laboratories can be compared and large-scale and follow-up studies conducted. Western blot analysis could also be useful to analyze complex reactivities, although greater experience is necessary to interpret these results correctly.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1998

Cytokine pattern in blister fluid and serum of patients with bullous pemphigoid: relationships with disease intensity.

Few and contrasting data are available in the literature concerning the levels of various cytokines in blister fluid (BF) and in the serum of patients affected with bullous pemphigoid (BP). Using commercially available ELISA kits, this study reports the levels of 11 cytokines detected both in BF and sera of 15 BP patients and compares them with those of 15 control subjects' sera. Generally, no significant differences were observed in BP and control sera. In contrast, interleukin (IL) 1 beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) showed increased BF levels as compared with BP sera. Two cytokines, IL-11 and IL-12 did not show significant differences between BP BF and sera, while an opposite behaviour was observed for transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), whose serum levels were higher than the concentrations in BF. Using the number of lesions of the patients as a possible disease intensity marker, significant correlations were found with the BF levels of IL-1 beta, IL-8, TNF-alpha and, most closely, IL-5. These data may have pathogenetic relevance and suggest the possibility that these biological modulators may be used as a quantitative marker of disease intensity.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Endothelin-1 levels are increased in sera and lesional skin extracts of psoriatic patients and correlate with disease severity.

Endothelins (ETs), in addition to their systematical activities, exert important functions at the skin level, such as increase of keratinocyte proliferation, neo-angiogenesis and leukocyte chemotaxis, which are among the main characteristics of psoriasis. To assess a possible ET-1 involvement in plaque-type psoriasis, ET-1 determinations were carried out in 15 sera and 8 lesional and non-lesional biopsy skin extracts from psoriatic patients and in 15 sera and 5 biopsy skin extracts from healthy volunteers, sex- and age-matched, using commercially available ELISA kits. A statistical analysis of the results showed that ET-1 levels were increased in sera of psoriatic patients, as compared to normal subjects (p = 0.04). In addition, there was a significant correlation between both serum (r = 0.60, p = 0.02) and lesional skin (r = 0.80, p = 0.03) ET-1 values versus the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores. Significant increases of the lesional versus the non-lesional (p = 0.01) and versus the normal (p = 0.04) ET-1 skin extract values were observed, together with a significant correlation between lesional and non-lesional ET-1 skin levels (r = 0.79, p = 0.03). These findings were also confirmed at the mRNA level, using RT-PCR analysis, where increased ET-1 mRNA levels, densitometrically measured, were found in the lesional samples versus non-lesional and normal skin. Since interleukin-8 is involved in psoriasis and shares some biological properties with ET-1, we further evaluated the levels of this cytokine in skin extracts. The behaviour of interleukin-8 paralleled that of ET-1, and a significant correlation between these two molecules was observed in the lesional skin (r = 0.76, p = 0.05). Taken together, these data stress that, as previously described for interleukin-8, ET-1 may be involved in inflammatory processes associated with psoriasis.

Adult↗