Is hepatitis C virus a sialotropic virus?
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Hepatitis C↗
Biomedical subjects
M Garcia-Carrasco
Publications and source records attributed to M Garcia-Carrasco.
Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome: clinical description and triggering factors in 8 patients.
In 1992, an attempt to single out a different and important group of patients was adopted by introducing the term "catastrophic" antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) to describe their potentially life threatening clinical course, characterized by acute multiorgan failure (3 or more organ systems damaged). Patients previously described in the literature showed certain differences that appear to distinguish this minority group of patients with catastrophic APS from the majority of APS patients. We describe 8 patients with catastrophic APS, focusing especially on the possible extrinsic factors (mainly infections) that might trigger this "catastrophic" situation.
Adolescent↗
Optic neuropathy in a child with primary Sjögren's syndrome.
An eight-year-old girl developed optic neuritis followed by primary Sjögren's syndrome confirmed by a lip biopsy. Glucocorticoid therapy combined during six months with monthly intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide ensured resolution of the sicca syndrome but failed to improve the visual impairment. This is the second pediatric case of optic neuritis associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome, and the first pediatric case in which optic neuritis was the only neurologic manifestation.
Adolescent↗
Osteocalcin and bone morphometric parameters in adults without bone disease.
Serum bone Gla-protein (s-BGP or osteocalcin) and other serum biochemical parameters were measured in 19 subjects (8 women and 11 men, aged 20-82 years) without any bone disease. Each subject simultaneously underwent an iliac crest biopsy; tetracycline double-labeling was performed in 11 subjects, allowing correlations between s-BGP and bone histomorphometric parameters. s-BGP was significantly correlated with static bone parameters: trabecular bone volume (r = 0.74; P less than 0.001), osteoid surfaces (r = 0.69; P less than 0.001), osteoblastic surfaces (r = 0.68; P less than 0.002); dynamic bone formation parameters: total labeled surfaces (r = 0.72; P less than 0.01); and the bone formation rate (r = 0.69; P less than 0.01). We conclude that s-BGP is a valuable marker for evaluating bone formation in healthy adult subjects.
Adult↗
Bcl-2 oncogene (B cell lymphoma/leukemia-2) levels correlate with systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity.
OBJECTIVE: Bcl-2 translocation or overexpression is found in many types of malignancy, possibly through alteration of the apoptosis mechanism. It has also been suggested that similar apoptotic alterations may be important in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is believed that a process of apoptosis at the stage of maturation or differentiation of lymphocytes may be related to the beginning of an autoimmune event, due to the non-elimination of autoreactive lymphocytes. The aim of this study is to test bcl-2 antigen expression in human SLE peripheral blood and to analyze its relationship with disease activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum levels of bcl-2 were studied by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay in whole blood samples in 68 patients with SLE and its correlation with disease activity according to SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI). RESULTS: No significant differences were found in bcl-2 levels between all SLE patients and controls. We observed increased levels of bcl-2 in active SLE patients in relation to inactive (p = 0.0003) and controls (p = 0.02). Our results show a significant correlation between bcl-2 levels and SLEDAI values (R = 0.46, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that bcl-2 levels are related to disease activity and that this protein may play a role in the pathogenesis of SLE.
Adolescent↗
Relationship of oncogenes (sFas, Bcl-2) and cytokines (IL-10, alfa-TNF) with the activity of systemic lupus erythematosus.
BACKGROUND: Different oncogenes (Fas and bcl-2) and diverse cytokines (IL-10 and alfa-TNF) may have an effect on the regulation of apoptosis. The majority of studies to date have evaluated only one or two of these elements independently and it is difficult to obtain a global view of apoptosis disregulation in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their role in disease activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum levels of sFas, bcl-2, IL-10 and alfa-TNF in human SLE patients and to analyze their relationship with disease activity and with regulation of the apoptotic process. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Serum levels of sFas and cytokines IL-10 and alfa-TNF were studied by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay. Bcl-2 antigen expression was analyzed in lysated lymphocytes from 51 SLE patients. The disease activity was analyzed according to the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI). RESULTS: SLE patients had higher levels of sFas (p=0.0006) and alfa-TNF (p<0.0001) than the control group. No relationship was found between the levels of bcl-2 and IL-10 from SLE patients and the control group. However, there was a significant correlation between SLEDAI and bcl-2 (p<0.001) and IL-10 levels (p=0.004). In contrast, we found that sFas and alfa-TNF were not related with disease activity. A significant correlation of sFas with alfa-TNF serum levels (p=0.003, R= +0.41) and bcl-2 antigen expression (p=0.02, R=+0.32) was observed. CONCLUSION: sFas and alfa-TNF serum levels are increased in SLE patients. sFas levels seems to be secondary to alfa-TNF action, which is enhanced in inflammatory conditions such as SLE. Bcl-2 antigen expression and IL-10 serum levels are related to the maintenance of SLE activity. These alterations may interfere with the apoptotic process, promoting lymphocyte hyperactivity secondary to increased cytokine levels, and causing the characteristic features of SLE.
Adolescent↗