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Biomedical subjects

G Balestrieri

Publications and source records attributed to G Balestrieri.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
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Circulating immune complexes in patients with lung neoplasms.

A search was made for circulating immune complexes in 42 patients with biopsy-proven lung cancer; sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers were used as normal controls. Two different mthods were employed: Clq--binding assay and the conglutinin-binding test. Patients and controls were also examined for delayed hypersensitivity by a skin testing using a set of recall antigens. A significant difference was found in the incidence of immune complexes and the response to skin tests between neoplastic subjects and normal controls. However, the incidence of immune complexes was not related to delayed hypersensitivity or the other clinical features investigated.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Role of anti-prothrombin in antiphospholipid syndrome].

We studied 99 patients with systemic autoimmune disease (5 males, 94 women; mean age 37 year, range 16-72): 28 Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome, 67 Systemic lupus Erythematosus, 1 Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, 2 Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease and 1 Discoid Lupus. Based on the observation that native PT shows conformational changes in presence of Ca++ ions and discloses new epitopes available for binding with phospholipids, we performed 3 different methods for the detection of aPT in presence and absence of Ca++, finding a different incidence of specific autoantibodies, associated with clinical features of APS (aPT in presence of Ca++) or non associated (aPT in absence of Ca++). The presence of aPT was significantly associated also with the presence of Lupus Anticoagulant (LAC). The detection of aPT (in presence of Ca++) significantly enhances diagnostic sensibility of APS allowing the identification of a subset of patients (6/99) with clinical features of APS, but with negative LAC, aCL and a beta2-GPI; in fact (limited to thrombotic episodes) the sensibility rises from 56.2% with one test (LAC) to 81.1% with the application of LAC, aCL, a(beta)2GPI and aPT.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Antiphospholipid antibodies cross-reacting with erythrocyte membranes. A case report.

We describe a patient with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS) and haemolytic anemia with cryoagglutinins, in whom antibodies eluted from red blood cells (RBC) displayed anti-cardiolipin (CL) binding activity. This activity was confined to the IgG isotype and was directed to the negatively-charged phospholipids only. In addition, the patient's IgG fraction displayed a higher binding to RBC in comparison to normal control IgG and this reactivity was inhibited after absorption of the anti-CL activity with CL-micelles. These findings further sustain the association between antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) and Coombs' positivity with or without haemolytic anemia and suggest that APA could be at least in part responsible for anti-RBC activity.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Systemic lupus erythematosus and pregnancy: a prospective study.

We have prospectively followed 25 pregnancies in 21 patients: 20 were affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 1 by subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE). A flexible treatment schedule was applied to the follow-up of all the pregnancies, and included low dose aspirin, steroids at medium-low dosage and, if needed, azathioprine (AZA) after 20 weeks of gestation. There were 4 spontaneous first trimester abortions and 21 live-born neonates without major problems related to the treatment or to the maternal disease. The relapse rate of the disease recorded during the observation period was 0.07 patient/month, not different from that already reported in SLE patients (pregnant or nonpregnant). Obstetrical complications were relatively frequent, but careful monitoring allowed us to avoid late fetal wastage. We conclude that in SLE patients a successful pregnancy outcome, without worsening of the disease, can be obtained with a careful multidisciplinary follow-up.

Adult↗
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Relationship between anti-phospholipid and anti-endothelial cell antibodies: further characterization of the reactivity on resting and cytokine-activated endothelial cells.

Sera positive for autoimmune anti-phospholipid antibodies were studied by a cell surface radioimmunoassay for their cross-reactivity with resting or activated human endothelial cells. The endothelial cell activation by interleukin 1 beta, gamma-interferon, lipopolysaccharide or phorbol-12 myristate-13 acetate did not affect the cross-reactivity. Comparable findings were also found by testing anti-cardiolipin affinity purified preparations. Taken together these data indicate that endothelial cell activation is not sufficient per se to modulate the expression of antigenic determinants recognizable by the anti-phospholipid antibodies. However, anti-cardiolipin affinity purified preparations displayed enhanced cell binding after cell membrane perturbation by paraformaldehyde fixation, suggesting that an alteration in endothelial cell integrity might further trigger the reaction of circulating anti-phospholipid antibodies with vessel walls in vivo.

Antibodies↗
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The pathophysiology of anti-phospholipid antibodies.

Anti-phospholipids represent a heterogeneous family of antibodies able to react with the negatively charged phosphodiester groups of phospholipids. It includes the antibodies directed against the cardiolipin moiety of the VDRL antigen, the antibodies reacting with the phospholipids of the prothrombin activator complex and the antibodies able to react with solid phase cardiolipin. Data are reported indicating that reagins share distinct characteristics in comparison to the autoimmune anti-cardiolipin antibodies (ACA). On the contrary anti-phospholipid antibodies responsible for lupus-like anticoagulant activity display a quite similar reactivity with ACA, even if a complete overlapping cannot be demonstrated. The relationships between ACA and anti-DNA antibodies are also reported. The biological and clinical significance of these crossreactivities are discussed.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Anticardiolipin antibodies possess anticoagulant activity which is blocked by a monoclonal antibody against a cross reacting idiotype of antiphospholipid antibodies.

Anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies were isolated from systemic lupus erythematosus serum using cardiolipin liposomes. In a sensitized activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) system, low concentrations of aCL were found to significantly prolong aPTT in a dose-dependent fashion. This effect was abolished by adding phosphatidylserine/phosphatidylcholine liposomes to the aPTT system, and could be significantly reduced by a monoclonal antibody against a cross-reacting idiotype of antiphospholipid antibodies (MoAb 5.2) previously incubated with aCL. These results suggest that the anticoagulant properties of aCL are mediated by an interaction with phospholipid components of the coagulation system. The functional block of this activity using monoclonal MoAb 5.2 antibody could be useful for investigating the mechanisms by which aCL is associated with clinical thrombosis.

Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Anti-phospholipid and anti-mitochondrial type M5 antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Fifty-one sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were studied in order to evaluate the prevalence of anticardiolipin (ACA) and anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) type M5, and also to explore their relationship with the main serological and clinical features of the disease. A group of 25 (49.0%) patients was found to be ACA positive (IgG or IgG and IgM); in this group we found a significantly higher prevalence of false positive VDRL (p less than 0.01), lupus-like anticoagulant (p less than 0.05), and AMA type M5 (p less than 0.01), but not of anti-ds or ss-DNA antibodies. Three sera positive for ACA, AMA-M5 and anti ss-DNA were absorbed with cardiolipin liposomes. Anti-DNA and AMA-M5 showed only a minimal decrease. Central nervous system involvement and especially seizure syndrome was demonstrated with a higher prevalence in ACA-positive groups (p less than 0.05). Despite the results of absorption experiments, the close relationship between AMA-M5 and ACA, false positive VDRL or lupus-like anticoagulant (LLAC) might justify a speculation on the antiphospholipid nature of this antimitochondrial activity.

Adolescent↗