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M Felaco

Publications and source records attributed to M Felaco.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
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Trichinella spiralis infection is mediated by MCP-1 and MIP-2, while echinococcus granulosus is strongly mediated by MCP-1, but not MIP-2.

The chemokine supergene family are small proteins (8-10 KD) inducible in a number of pathophysiological processes. C-X-C family members are specific largely on neutrophils; whereas C-C chemokines act primarily on monocytes, T-cells, basophils and eosinophils. A wide variety of cell types produce chemokines in response to stimuli, including: infections, mitogens and inflammatory cytokines. Here we found that parasitic diseases, such as Trichinella spiralis and Echinococcus granulosus produce, MCP-1 (beta-chemokine) and MIP-2 (alpha-chemokine), or MCP-1, respectively. The specificity of production of these chemokines in the two parasitic diseases may help to achieve therapeutic strategies in inhibiting inflammation.

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Toxocarosis as zoonosis. A review of literature and the prevalence of Toxocara canis antibodies in 511 serum samples.

A total of 511 serum samples from children aged between 6 months to 15 years old, with different clinical signs-living in the region of Northern Greece - were tested by ELISA (enzyme links immunosorbent assay) technique, for the detection of specific IgG and IgM antibodies against T. canis antigen. The reason IgM was detected was because IgM levels are elevated in the acute phase of toxocara infection, in spite of their notorious non-specificity. In this seroepidemiologic survey of children, a remarkably high percentage (12.5%) reacted positively to this method. Sixteen (3.1%) out of 511 sera showed IgG antibodies, 43 (8.4%) showed IgM, while 5 (1%) showed both IgG and IgM antibodies against T. canis E/S (excretory - secretory) antigen. Females were significantly more infected than males. Seropositivity rate was highest in children over the age of 10.

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Effects of 50 Hz sinusoidal electromagnetic fields on MCP-1 and RANTES generated from activated human macrophages.

Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) induce cellular changes and modulate signal transduction pathways, and may be beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. In this paper we studied two inflammatory chemokines, MCP-1 and RANTES produced by human cultured isolated monocytes from peripheral blood, with or without PHA and in the absence or presence of 50 Hz magnetic field of 1.0 mT for 24 h. The production of MCP-1 and RANTES was determined by ELISA method. Here, we found that ELF-EMF strongly inhibited the production of these chemokines stimulated by PHA, while the control was not affected. Since MCP-1 and RANTES exert chemoattraction for several populations inflammatory leukocytes, the inhibitory effect of these chemokines could be one of the mechanisms by which ELF-EMF is therapeutic in inflammatory diseases.

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A seroepidemiological study of toxoplasma gondii infection in children of northern Greece.

The aims of this study were to determine the incidence of toxoplasmosis in children ofthe northern Greece region through the evaluation of serologic examination. Sera of 486 children, aged between 6 months and 15 years, suffering from different clinical entities, were tested for anti-Toxoplasma gondii specific IgG antibodies, using an ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) technique. In this survey, a high percentage (11.1 percent) of the hospitalized children reacted positively to this method. Males and females had equal prevalence, 11 percent and 11.2 percent, respectively. Seropositivity rate was higher in children aged between 6 and 10 years old. In conclusion, our results indicate toxoplasma infection is an important public health problem affecting children and adolescents in northern Greece. We believe that the study described here could be considered for inclusion in existing national screening programs for hospitalized children.

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[Protective effect of hyperbaric hypoxygenation for paraquat poisoning in the rat].

The effect to paraquat in normobaric conditions and hyperbaric conditions with either a normal or low (10%) oxygen percentage was investigated in rats. Results showed that hyperbaric conditions increased the toxic effect of paraquat on the lung. By contrast, in hypoxic-hyperbaric conditions, the toxic effect of paraquat was decreased either clinically or macro-/microscopically, and lung injury was reduced.

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[Neurohumoral, autacoid and transductional mechanisms in the cardiovascular effects of vanadate: histochemical correlations].

Rabbits given 1 ppm of vanadate in drinking water for twelve months showed (a) increased plasma levels of catecholamines (b) reduction of the arterial concentration of nitric oxide (c) lower activity of urine kallikrein and higher activities of urine kininases I and II and enkephalinase (d) reduced cardiac inotropism and augmented total peripheral resistance, with unchanged blood pressure levels (e) accumulation of the metal in the aorta and cardiac ventricles. Monoaminooxidase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities were increased by vanadate in both kidney and liver and that of NADH-diaphorase in the kidney, in which NADPH-diaphorase activity was reduced. Some of the above results were also obtained in rats given 10 and 40 ppm of vanadate in drinking water for six-seven months; these animals showed arterial hypertension and reduced activity of Na, K-ATPase in the kidney. Vanadium appears to act on the cardiovascular function through selective neurohumoral, autacoidal and transductional mechanisms only in part depending on the species.

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