Biomedical subjects

P Meroni

Publications and source records attributed to P Meroni.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Circulating serum levels of IL-1ra in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis are normal during remission phases but significantly increased either during exacerbations or in response to IFN-beta treatment.

Interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) is a naturally occurring inhibitor of IL-1 which binds to IL-1 receptors without generating immunologic responses. Evidence has recently been provided that the balance between the production of IL-1 and IL-1ra might influence the course of immunoinflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Lyme arthritis. To assess whether endogenous IL-1ra may also have a role on the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) we presently studied the fluctuation of the serum levels of IL-1ra in patients with relapsing remitting (RR) MS either during remission or exacerbation. Moreover, to evaluate whether the beneficial effect of IFN-beta on the course of MS might also be mediated by an increased production of IL-1ra, we measured the levels of circulating IL-1ra in MS patients prior to and after 6 months of continuous treatment with natural human IFN-beta (6,000,000 IU three times a week for 6 months). Our results demonstrated that, relative to control subjects, IL-1ra serum levels are "normal' during remitting phases of RR MS but significantly elevated either during exacerbations or in response to IFN-beta treatment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

The effects of a nonimmunogenic form of murine soluble interferon-gamma receptor on the development of autoimmune diabetes in the NOD mouse.

Previous studies have shown that in vivo treatment with antiinterferon-gamma (anti-IFNgamma) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) prevents the development of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice. Although these findings anticipate that specific anti-IFNgamma therapies may be useful for the prevention/treatment of human insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, there are several reasons why the use of anti-IFNgamma mAb may be difficult in the clinical setting. With the aim to develop alternative forms of specific anti-IFNgamma therapies, we recently produced a nonimmunogenic form of the soluble IFNgamma receptor (sIFNgammaR) that binds and neutralizes murine IFNgamma with an affinity higher than that of anti-IFNgamma mAb. In this study we compared the efficacy of sIFNgammaR to that of two anti-IFNgamma mAbs (XMG 1.2 and AN-18) in the prevention of spontaneous and accelerated (cyclophosphamide-induced) forms of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice. The results show that in the spontaneous model, sIFNgammaR could prevent histological and clinical signs of autoimmune diabetes as efficiently as the two mAbs. Under ex vivo conditions, sIFNgammaR exhibited a more powerful modulatory effect than XMG 1.2 mAb on cytokine secretion from splenic lymphoid cells, which resulted in a significant reduction of Concanavalin A-induced IL-2 secretion and an augmented release of both unstimulated and lipopolysaccharide-induced IL-6. Moreover, although both mAbs were immunogenic and elicited formation of high titers of anti-rat IgG, sIFNgammaR did not induce antibody formation. Unexpectedly, in the cyclophosphamide-induced model, sIFNgammaR turned out to be less effective than either of the two anti-IFNgamma mAbs. Taken together, these data support the role of IFNgamma in the pathogenesis of NOD mice, but, more importantly, suggest that a nonimmunogenic approach is possible to the diminution of the effects of IFNgamma in this model.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Anti-beta 2-glycoprotein I antibodies: a marker of antiphospholipid syndrome?

Anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-beta 2-glycoprotein I(anti beta 2GPI) antibodies have been shown in animal models as not cross-reacting antibody populations. This observation prompted us to prove if anti-beta 2GPI exist in human sera by using a reliable method and then to investigate if these are independent from aCl antibodies. We have developed a new ELISA for the detection of anti-beta 2GPI antibodies employing the coating of the protein in carbonate buffer to irradiated microtitre plates and the filtration of serum samples, that makes irrelevant the binding to the uncoated wells. IgG F(ab)2 fragments from IgG positive sera were shown bind beta 2GPI, providing that the binding was a specific antibody binding, mediated by the antigen binding site of the antibody molecule: moreover the antibodies were not able to differentiate native and delipidated beta 2GPI coated plates, making a possible role of a phospholipid contaminant unlikely. On the other hand, the phosphorus content of native as well as delipitated beta 2GPI was undetectable. IgG, but not IgM, anti-beta 2GPI antibodies were classically inhibited by the addition of soluble beta 2GPI, while cardiolipin liposomes appear to modify the reaction in a completely different way, possibly by the described interaction between cardiolipin and beta 2GPI.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Protection from experimental autoimmune diabetes in the non-obese diabetic mouse with soluble interleukin-1 receptor.

We have evaluated the effects of a treatment with soluble interleukin-1 receptor (sIL-1R) in the accelerated model of autoimmune diabetes induced by cyclophosphamide (CY) in the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse. Prior to the CY challenge (350 mgkg body weight), female euglycemic NOD mice were randomly divided into three groups (A-C). Groups B and C were treated daily from 1 day before to 13 days after the CY challenge with sIL-1R at doses of 0.2 and 2 mg/kg body weight. Group A was treated with PBS. By 2 weeks after CY administration, an acute form of autoimmune diabetes with glycosuria, hyperglycemia and severe insulitis occurred in the majority (13/20, 65%) of the control mice (group A). In contrast, repeated injections with sIL-1R protected NOD mice from insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) development in a dose-dependent fashion; the incidence of IDDM was 53.3% (8/15) in the mice treated with 0.2 mg/kg and only 6.7% (1/15) in those treated with 2 mg/kg. However, none of the doses of the sIL-1R reduced the extent of insulitis in NOD mice. Importantly, the anti-diabetogenic property of sIL-1R may not involve major T cell function impairment; accordingly, in parallel experiments, splenic lymphoid cells from NOD mice not challenged with CY, but treated with 2 mg/kg sIL-1R for 5 consecutive days showed a normal distribution of mononuclear cell subsets and maintained their capacity to secrete interferon-gamma and IL-2 and to proliferate in response to polyclonal mitogenic stimulation with concanavalin A.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Antiphospholipid antibodies and risk of intrauterine late fetal death.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Goal of the study was to analyze the relationship between anticardiolipin antibodies, lupus anticoagulant and the risk of intrauterine late fetal death. DESIGN: A case-control study was conducted in a network of general and teaching hospitals in northern Italy. Cases studied were 99 women (median age 27 years), without clinical evidence of systemic lupus erythematosus or other immunological disorders who had an 'unexplained' intrauterine fetal death at or after the 20 weeks of gestation. The control subjects were 85 women (median age 28 years) who gave birth at term (> 37 weeks gestation) to healthy infants on randomly selected days at the same hospitals where cases had been identified. RESULTS: The presence of lupus anticoagulant was detected in four of the 99 cases (4%, 95% confidence interval 2%-15%) and none of the 85 controls. A total of 10 out of the 89 cases (11%, 95 confidence interval 6%-23%), but none of the 79 controls for whom anticardiolipin antibodies value was available had elevated anticardiolipin antibodies; this difference was statistically significant (chi 2(1) = 9.38, p < 0.01).

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

A new case of IgE myeloma.

A new case of IgE myeloma is described. A 77-year-old woman presented with bone pain and fatigue. Serum protein analysis revealed a paraprotein of the IgE kappa type; bone marrow aspirate and immunofluorescence confirmed the diagnosis; ultrastructural examination showed immature plasma cells. Treatment with prednisone, melphalan, cyclophosphamide and interferon alfa did not produce any improvement and the patient died 5 months after diagnosis. The patient's clinical and laboratory data are compared with those of IgE myeloma cases reported in the literature.

Aged↗

PubMed1990

Gastric histology and function tests in Italian patients with dermatitis herpetiformis.

Gastric mucosal histology and function were evaluated in 57 Italian subjects with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), by means of multiple endoscopic biopsies, gastrin and pepsinogen I (Pg I) serum levels, and parietal cell antibodies (PCA). One hundred and forty-nine patients with nonulcer dyspepsia served as reference population for the prevalence of atrophic gastritis of the body. Seventeen DH patients (30%) and 23 controls (15.4%) showed atrophic gastritis of the body mucosa (p less than 0.05). Nine of the DH patients with atrophic gastritis of the body also had atrophic changes in the antrum. Six patients, all with severe atrophic gastritis, had high gastrin levels and PCA; five of these six also had low Pg I levels. We found an increased prevalence of abnormal indirect function tests among patients with atrophic gastritis is due to the younger age of the patients in our series. Thus, atrophic gastritis can be detected early on a histologic basis, but functional impairment occurs later, as the mucosal damage increases in severity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1983

Neutrophil function during cyclic chemotherapy for cancer disease.

A study of some aspects of granulocyte function was carried out before, during, and after cyclic chemotherapy in 9 patients surgically treated for carcinoma and in 6 patients with very advanced and inoperable cancer. In most patients, total leukocyte mobilization, Candida-stimulated nitroblue tetrazolium dye reduction, and phagocytosis increased after chemotherapy. Furthermore, delayed hypersensitivity skin reactions to PPD and above all to Varidase increased in the same cases. A significant correlation between accumulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes into skin chambers and skin tests was found in both groups of patients (p less than 0.001). In some instances, fluctuations in the levels of circulating immune complexes without a distinct correlation between these complexes and granulocyte function were found. The data support the hypothesis that depressed granulocyte function may contribute to an increased susceptibility to infections and may be considered an additional factor that favors tumor dissemination. Chemotherapy seems to restore polymorphonuclear function and delayed hypersensitivity skin reactions.

Adult↗

PubMed1983