PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Carducci

Publications and source records attributed to M Carducci.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Interleukin-11 production is increased in organ cultures of lesional skin of patients with active plaque-type psoriasis as compared with nonlesional and normal skin. Similarity to interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6 and interleukin-8.

Increased levels of several cytokines, mainly proinflammatory mediators, have been reported in psoriatic lesions. Little information, if any, is available concerning other cytokines, especially those initially studied as marrow differentiation agents. Using the experimental approach of measuring cytokines released by skin organ cultures. IL-11 and three other proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-6 and IL-8) were determined using commercially available ELISA kits in supernatants of ten biopsies from lesional and nonlesional psoriatic skin areas and in supernatants of biopsies from ten normal volunteers. The results obtained showed that the amounts of IL-11 and the other three modulators were significantly increased in the material from the lesional areas (P < 0.01). The amounts of IL-11, which is known to have functional activity similar to the proinflammatory cytokines and to share a receptor component with IL-6, were also correlated with the disease severity index (R = 0.69, P = 0.04). In addition, a nearly significant correlation was noted between the amounts of IL-11 released by the lesional and the nonlesional skin biopsies (R = 0.66, P = 0.05). More detailed studies are needed to clarify whether IL-11 plays a specific functional role in psoriasis, but this study emphasizes the complexity of the pathogenesis of psoriasis and the cytokine network, including activation of proinflammatory and haemopoietic biological response modifiers, in this disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Effect of data normalization for age on the correlations between corneometric values and serum molecule levels in plaque-type psoriatic patients.

Corneometry has been considered useful both to evaluate disease severity and to monitor psoriatic patients during treatment. However, a limitation of this technique is that the patient's age influences the corneometric determinations, thus reducing their clinical usefulness. The aim of this study was, therefore, to establish whether age normalization of the corneometric results may provide more reliable data for clinical use. Corneometric levels were determined in 10 plaque-type psoriatic patients, under standard conditions. Eight serum variables, including transforming growth factor-beta 1 and seven soluble membrane molecules, were assayed with commercially available immune-enzyme methods in the same patients, whose age and PASI scores were also recorded. The age normalization procedure improved all the correlation coefficients calculated on the lesional or non-lesional corneometric values versus the PASI scores as well as versus the other serum variables. This approach may render corneometric determinations more useful to evaluate disease status or treatment effect in patient groups with plaque-type psoriasis.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

CD4 Lymphocyte enumeration: comparison between flow cytometry and enzyme immunoassay.

Assessment of the CD4 lymphocyte number, currently performed by flow cytometry, is one of the main laboratory tests for establishing progression to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). An enzyme immunoassay has recently been commercialized which can be very useful for counting CD4 cells in laboratories where flow cytometers are not available. In the present study, a comparative evaluation of CD4 positive lymphocytes with flow cytometry and the enzyme assay was made in healthy subjects (N = 30, R = 0.88, P < 0.0001), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals (N = 80, R = 0.91, P < 0.0001), and patients with autoimmune diseases (N = 28, R = 0.82, P < 0.001) or psoriasis (N = 18, R = 0.76, P = 0.01). A correlation between the two methodologies was not found in psoriatic patients under treatment with cyclosporin A (N = 7, R = 0.05, not significant). Some differences could be found at low CD4 lymphocyte levels since the influence of CD4 antigen eluted from monocytes or soluble CD4 in the whole blood sample could cause overestimation of CD4 cell numbers by the enzyme assay.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

Correlation of lesional skin corneometry values with serum E-selectin levels and disease severity in patients affected by plaque-type psoriasis: recovery after effective therapy.

Ten subjects with plaque-type psoriasis (5 females, 5 males, median age 47, range 20-71 years, median psoriasis area and severity index [PASI] score = 15.5, range 8.1-23.0) were observed before (week 0) and at the second and sixth week after starting treatment (PASI = 10.5, range 7.8-14.6; PASI = 8.5, range 1.6-11.6, respectively). At each of these times, the patients were evaluated for both lesional and unlesional skin corneometry and serum E-selectin values, previously shown to be increased in psoriatic subjects. At time 0, both the corneometry and the E-selectin values were significantly correlated with the PASI, infiltration and desquamation scores. As expected, the corneometry was statistically higher in the unlesional than in the lesional areas (p < 0.001). After therapy, the lesion improvement was related both to the PASI scores and E-selectin level decreases (from median levels of 15.5 to 8.5 and from 18 to 13.2 ng/ml, respectively, p < 0.05) as well as to the corneometric level increases (from a median value of 34.5 to 42, p < 0.05). Considering the data obtained at all of these times, significant correlations were found between the PASI scores, lesional skin corneometry and serum E-selectin levels. In conclusion, lesional corneometry seems to represent an objective alternative method for reliably monitoring psoriatic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Age and site prevalence of histologic subtypes of basal cell carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinomas (BCC) are the most frequently diagnosed skin cancers. The relationships between some clinical parameters, such as sex, age, and location of the tumor, and the histologic patterns play an important role as factors predictive of recurrence and treatment implications. METHODS: A total of 693 patients with BCC, divided according to sex, age, and location of the tumor were studied. The histologic patterns considered were nodular, superficial, and morpheiform BCC and fibroepithelioma. The correlation between clinical and histologic parameters was analyzed. RESULTS: All histologic patterns considered were most commonly represented in the 7th and 8th decades. There were no sex differences. A prevalence of a superficial pattern for sun-unexposed areas and of a nodular pattern for sun-exposed areas was observed. The morpheiform pattern showed no correlation with any body site. The fibroepithelioma showed an absolute prevalence for the lumbosacral region. CONCLUSIONS: Age does not seem to be a discriminant or permissive factor for a particular histologic pattern of BCC. The prevalence of some subtypes for a particular body area may be explained on the basis of local predisposing conditions affecting the histologic development of the tumor.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Soluble E-selectin and soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor (60 kD) serum levels in patients with psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Increased tumour necrosis factor alpha has been found in psoriatic skin. This cytokine activates endothelial cells and induces the membrane E-selectin molecule (E-selectin or endothelial leucocyte adhesion molecule 1); the same cytokine is able to induce its own receptors. Since the soluble forms of E-selectin and tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNF-R, 60 kD) may be reliably measured in body fluids, these determinations have been performed in the sera of psoriatic patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate endothelial activation in psoriatic patients, sE-selectin has been determined in patient sera and compared with those of a control group. sTNF-R (60 kD) was also measured in the same samples. METHODS: Two commercially available enzyme immunoassay methods have been used to determine sE-selectin and sTNF-R (60 kD) in the sera of 19 patients with plaque-type psoriasis; 22 healthy subjects were used as controls. CONCLUSIONS: Significantly increased amounts of sE-selectin serum levels were found in psoriatic patients as compared to healthy controls. Moreover, a direct correlation between sE-selectin and PASI scores was observed. On the contrary, sTNF-R (60 kD) serum levels presented no increases. These data suggest that sE-selectin serum levels are a reliable marker of disease activity in psoriatic patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Correlated increases of tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 and granulocyte monocyte-colony stimulating factor levels in suction blister fluids and sera of psoriatic patients--relationships with disease severity.

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and granulocyte monocyte-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were measured in serum and involved and uninvolved skin blister fluids of 20 psoriatic patients and 10 healthy subjects, by enzyme immunoassay. TNF-alpha and IL-6 were always detectable in involved skin blister fluids, while GM-CSF was detected only in 45% of these samples. TNF-alpha, IL-6 and GM-CSF were detected in 95, 100 and 10% of uninvolved skin blister fluid samples, respectively. TNF-alpha and IL-6 were found in 50 and 30% of control blister fluids, while GM-CSF was never detected. In serum, TNF-alpha was detected in 75% of patients and in 70% of controls; IL-6 in 45% of patients and in no controls; and GM-CSF in 35% of patients and in 20% of the controls. The median TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in involved skin were statistically higher than those of both uninvolved and control skin blister fluids. TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in blister fluids obtained from both involved and uninvolved skin were higher than those of the patients' sera. GM-CSF, when present in involved skin blister fluids, showed correlated levels with the other cytokines (TNF-alpha: R = 0.85, P = 0.004; IL-6: R = 0.72, P = 0.03). TNF-alpha was highly correlated with IL-6 (R = 0.78, P < 0.00001) in involved skin blister fluids. TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels of involved skin blister fluids showed significant correlations with the psoriasis area and severity index scores in the patients, suggesting a direct relationship between these cytokines and the clinical manifestations of the disease. Moreover, the TNF-alpha levels were particularly related to the erythema scores in the patients, further supporting evidence of their role in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and procollagen III peptide are reliable markers of disease severity in psoriasis.

Levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and procollagen III peptide (PIIIP) were measured respectively by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) methods in sera from 14 patients affected with psoriasis. The same determinations were also performed on suction blister fluids (BFs) obtained from lesional and non-lesional skin. Fourteen normal subjects were used as controls. Significant correlations were found between the serum levels and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), (R = 0.62 for sICAM-1 and R = 0.73 for PIIIp, respectively). Of the PASI components, infiltration and erythema represented the variables most closely related to PIIIP (R = 0.85; R = 0.72 respectively). Differently from PIIIP, whose levels were significantly lower in the sera than in skin BFs (serum: median value 1.05, range 0.7-2.3 vs. lesional skin fluid: 11.8, 4.8-30 U/ml), sICAM-1 molecules were found predominantly in the sera (serum: median 316, range 117-579 vs lesional skin fluid: median 70, range 31-252 ng/ml). These data cannot exclude that sICAM-1 molecules detected in suction BFs may derive from serum contamination.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Interleukin-1-beta, interleukin-6, and interferon-gamma in suction blister fluids of involved and uninolved skin and in sera of psoriatic patients.

Interleukin-1-beta (IL-1-beta), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methods in blister fluids (BFs) obtained from both involved (ISBF) and non-involved skin (USBF) and in sera from 14 psoriatic patients. The same determinations were carried out in 14 sera and in 5 suction blister fluids from 14 normal subjects. IL-6 was always detectable in all skin fluids and in 3 psoriasis sera. IL-1-beta was measured only in 5 ISBFs and in 5 sera from the same patients. IFN-gamma was present in 11 ISBFs, in 5 USBFs and in 5 sera. The analysis of the levels found in the samples shows: 1) a local production of these cytokines, 2) the presence of detectable amounts of IL-6 and IFN-gamma in USBFs, and 3) a significant correlation between the IL-6 levels in the ISBFs and erythema score.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Familial pityriasis rotunda.

Pityriasis rotunda is a rare dermatosis characterized by circular, dusty scaling, dyschromic patches, quite asymptomatic and mostly described in Japanese and blacks. The authors have seen three cases of pityriasis rotunda in a Sardinian family that are to be added to two other similar reports. The patients were all in good health. An interesting feature was the association with favism. On inquiry it was discovered that many more members of the family were affected by either or both pathologies. The authors believe this condition to be a form of minor acquired ichthyosis of which Sardinia could be an ethnic center.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Cyclosporin A and psoriasis: a thermographic study.

The thermographic method permits the making of a rigorous evaluation of the cutaneous blood flow by means of thermal recovery times after thermostimulation at 5 degrees C for 20 sec. The aim of the present study was to examine the blood flow of the psoriatic skin of 7 patients before and after a course of cyclosporin therapy, by means of this method. The results show a constant, initial hyperthermia with precocious thermal recovery times, in comparison with the healthy perilesional skin. Following therapy, a prolongation of the thermal recovery time was observed in all of the patients, together with a significant improvement of the dermatosis.

Cyclosporins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spontaneous release of leukemia inhibitory factor and oncostatin-M is increased in supernatants of short-term organ cultures from lesional psoriatic skin.

Several cytokines are increased in psoriatic skin, mainly at the lesional level. Some of these mediators seem to be very important in the pathogenesis of psoriasis since they are thought to stimulate keratinocyte proliferation and/or to drive the inflammatory changes associated with psoriasis. Among the proinflammatory modulators, hematopoietins, which are a family of cytokines sharing a receptor component (the gp130 subunit), have been under intensive investigation in recent years. The hematopoietin family includes interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-11 (IL-11,) leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), oncostatin-M (OSM), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and cardiotrophin. Amounts of two of these molecules, IL-6 and IL-11, have been found to be increased in psoriatic lesions. The present study adds new information concerning the spontaneous release of two hematopoietins, namely LIF and OSM, in 48-h culture supernatants of lesional and nonlesional skin punch biopsies from psoriatic patients and normal subjects. The cytokine determinations were performed using commercially available ELISA kits. The results are expressed as picograms per milligram of tissue, after weight normalization. The levels of LIF released by lesional skin (median 2.4 pg/mg, range 0.05-13.4 pg/mg) were significantly higher than from nonlesional (median 0.4 pg/mg, range under detection limit (UDL)-4.4 pg/mg; P = 0.001) and normal skin (median 0.4 pg/mg, range UDL-0.9 pg/mg; P = 0.005). The OSM levels were also significantly higher in supernatants of lesional skin (median 0.9 pg/mg, range 0.4-5.2 pg/mg) than in supernatants of nonlesional (median 0.2 pg/mg, range UDL-0.8 pg/mg; P = 0.001) and normal skin (median 0.1 pg/mg, range UDL-0.4 pg/mg; P = 0.0001). In addition, interleukin-8 (IL-8), a cytokine involved in the pathomechanisms of psoriasis, showed a similar behaviour when measured in the same samples. Lesional skin showed a median value of 752.5 pg/mg, range 98.8-2063.8 pg/mg, nonlesional skin a median value of 58.3 pg/mg, range UDL-1252.5 pg/mg (P = 0.007) and normal skin a median value of 44.6 pg/mg, range UDL-176.7 pg/mg (P = 0.004). No significant differences were found between nonlesional and normal skin for the three molecules analyzed. Taken together with the fact that at least two other hematopoietins (namely IL-6 and IL-11) are also increased in supernatants of lesional psoriatic skin, these data point to a possible involvement of the hematopoietins in inflammatory processes associated with psoriasis.

Adult↗