1,721,159 research outputs found
The future of pharmacogenetics in the treatment of migraine
No full textMigraine is considered one of the most disabling neurological disorder with a high socioeconomic burden. Pharmacological management includes many classes of drugs which in the most cases, are administrated in polytherapy. The therapeutic scheme of migraineurs is often affected by comorbidities which need concomitant medications, thus increasing the risk of side effects related to drug-drug interactions. Pharmacogenetics is a promising tool to achieve a personalized cure based on individual genetic profile while the availability of free online knowledge bases allows to check the potential DDIs of selected medications. Combining, these approaches may offer to clinicians a useful tool to improve the appropriateness of migraine polytherapy choice, aiming to increase the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of pharmacological treatments
A rare hepatic mass in an Italian resident
No full textBackground: Amebiasis is a rare condition in developed countries but epidemiologically growing. Clinical manifestation may range from asymptomatic to invasive disease, amoebic liver abscess being the most common manifestation. We report a peculiar case of left hepatic amoebic liver abscess in a patient without a well-known source of infection and presenting with left portal vein thrombosis. Case presentation: Patient, working as longshoreman, presented with complaints of remittent-intermittent fever lasting from 2 weeks. Physical examination was normal. Blood tests showed mild anemia, neutrophilic leukocytosis and elevated inflammation markers. Chest x-rays was normal. Abdominal ultrasound showed multiple hypoechoic liver masses. CT-scan of abdomen showed enlarged left liver lobe due to the presence of large abscess cavity along with thrombosis of left portal vein. The indirect hemagglutination test for the detection of antibodies to Entamoeba histolytica (Eh) was positive. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous drainage revealed "anchovy sauce"pus. Metronidazole and a follow up imaging at 3 months showed resolution of abscess cavity. Conclusion: This case shows that amoebic liver abscess is possible even in first world country patients without travel history. Left sided abscess and portal vein thrombosis are rare and hence reported
Evaluation of membrane-bound and soluble forms of human leucocyte antigen-G in systemic sclerosis
No full textSystemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex disease characterized by immune dysregulation, extensive vascular damage and widespread fibrosis. Human leucocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) is a non-classic class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule characterized by complex immunomodulating properties. HLA-G is expressed on the membrane of different cell lineages in both physiological and pathological conditions. HLA-G is also detectable in soluble form (sHLA-G) deriving from the shedding of surface isoforms (sHLA-G1) or the secretion of soluble isoforms (HLA-G5). Several immunosuppressive functions have been attributed to both membrane-bound and soluble HLA-G molecules. The plasma levels of sHLA-G were higher in SSc patients (444·27 ± 304·84 U/ml) compared to controls (16·74 ± 20·58 U/ml) (P < 0·0001). The plasma levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were higher in SSc patients (18 937 ± 15 217 pg/ml) compared to controls (11 099 ± 6081 pg/ml; P = 0·003), and a significant correlation was found between TGF-β and the plasma levels of total sHLA-G (r = 0·65; P < 0·01), sHLA-G1 (r = 0·60; P = 0·003) and HLA-G5 (r = 0·47; P = 0·02). The percentage of HLA-G-positive monocytes (0·98 ± 1·72), CD4+ (0·37 ± 0·68), CD8+ (2·05 ± 3·74) and CD4+ CD8+ double-positive cells (14·53 ± 16·88) was higher in SSc patients than in controls (0·11 ± 0·08, 0·01 ± 0·01, 0·01 ± 0·01 and 0·39 ± 0·40, respectively) (P < 0·0001). These data indicate that in SSc the secretion and/or shedding of soluble HLA-G molecules and the membrane expression of HLA-G by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) is clearly elevated, suggesting an involvement of HLA-G molecules in the immune dysregulation of SSc
Hygiene hypothesis and autoimmune diseases: A narrative review of clinical evidences and mechanisms
No full textSince the start of the “modern era”, characterized by the increase in urbanization, a progressive attention to hygiene and autoimmune conditions has considerably grown. Although these diseases are often multifactorial, it was demonstrated that environment factors such as pollution, diet and lifestyles may play a crucial role together with genetic signature. Our research, based on the newest and most significant literature of this topic, highlights that the progressive depletion of microbes and parasites due to increased socioeconomic improvement, may lead to a derangement of immunoregulatory mechanisms. Moreover, special attention was given to the complex interplay between microbial agents, as gut microbiome, diet and vitamin D supplementation with the aim of identifying promising future therapeutic options. In conclusion, autoimmunity cannot be limited to hygiene-hypothesis, but from the point of view of precision medicine, this theory represents a fundamental element together with the study of genomics, the microbiome and proteomics, in order to understand the complex functioning of the immune system
H2-antagonist in IgE-mediated type I hypersensitivity reactions: what literature says so far?
No full textHistamine is a monoamine synthesized from the amino acid histidine that is well-known for its role in IgE-mediated anaphylaxis but has shown pleiotropic effects on the immune system, especially in order to promote inflammatory responses. H1-receptor antagonist are common drugs used in mild/moderate allergic reactions whereas H2-receptor antagonist are commonly administered in gastric ulcer but showed some properties in allergy too. The EAACI guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of anaphylactic reactions recommend their use as third-line therapy in adjunct to H1-antagonists. The purpose of this article is to produce a complete summary of findings and evidence known so far about the usefulness of H2-receptor antagonist in allergic reactons
Inter-individual variation in CYP2A6 activity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in smokers. Perspectives for an early predictive marker
No full textNo abstract availabl
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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