4,039 research outputs found
Reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus in Sjögren's syndrome.
No full textSjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by severe dryness of the eyes and mouth, resulting from lymphocytic infiltration of the lacrimal and salivary glands. SS may exist as a primary condition (primary SS, 1.SS) or as a secondary condition (2.SS) in association with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or progressive systemic sclerosis. In some 1.SS patients, there may be involvement of the extraglandular organs, including skin, kidney, liver, lung and nervous system. Furthermore, these patients may develop a lymphoproliferative syndrome that includes lymphadenopathy and increased risk of lymphoma. In the pathogenesis of SS, a role for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been suggested because: (a) EBV is present in salivary gland epithelial cells of normal individuals and exaggerated immune responses against EBV could play a role in the destruction of salivary glands in SS; (b) SS salivary gland biopsies contain increased levels of EBV DNA in comparison to normal salivary glands, indicating viral reactivation and inability of lymphoid infiltrates to control EBV replication in SS patients; and (c) salivary gland epithelial cells in SS patients express high levels of HLA-DR antigens and may present EBV-associated antigens to immune T cells in SS patients. Therefore, SS may represent a situation in which genetically predisposed individuals (i.e., HLA-DR3-DQA4-DQB2) have a persistent but ineffectual T cell immune response against EBV at its site of latency. Among 14 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas that developed in SS patients, EBV DNA was detected in increased amounts in the tumor tissue of one patient. Characterization of this tumor DNA revealed: (a) polyclonal immunoglobulin gene rearrangements; (b) EBV DNA with an unusual restriction fragment length polymorphism pattern involving the Bam M fragment; and (c) EBV terminal repeat sequences suggestive of viral replication, similar to those reported in EBV lymphomas occurring in other immunocompromised individuals. Early recognition of this clinical problem may allow beneficial use of antiviral agents
Detection of high levels of human herpes virus-6 DNA in a lymphoma of a patient with Sjögren's syndrome.
No full textNo abstract available
Potential role of Epstein-Barr virus in Sjögren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.
No full textIn the pathogenesis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS), a role for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been suggested because; (a) EBV is present in salivary gland epithelial cells of healthy individuals, and exaggerated immune responses against EBV could play a role in the destruction of salivary glands in SS; (b) SS salivary gland biopsies contain increased levels of EBV DNA compared to normal salivary glands, indicating viral reactivation and inability of lymphoid infiltrates to control EBV replication in patients with SS; and (c) salivary gland epithelial cells in patients with SS express high levels of HLA-DR antigens and may present EBV associated antigens to immune T cells in patients with SS. Therefore, SS may represent a situation where genetically predisposed individuals (i.e., HLA-DR3-DQA4-DQB2) have a persistent but ineffectual T cell immune response against EBV at its site of latency. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), evidence for a potential role of EBV includes the following: (a) EBV encoded proteins share antigenic and sequence similarity to proteins found in the synovial tissues. These crossreactive proteins include EBV protein gp110 (BALF-4) and the beta chain of HLA-DR4. Also, the human and mycobacterial 65 kDa heat shock proteins have a sequence similar to that of EBV encoded proteins; (b) patients with RA have increased frequency and levels of antibodies against specific epitopes on EBV encoded EBNA-1 (BKRF-1) and EBNA-3 (BERF-1) antigens; and (c) lymphocytes from patients with RA have decreased ability to limit outgrowth of autologous EBV infected lymphocytes, probably due to defects in release of interferon gamma
Cerebral atrophy in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease: rates and acceleration.
No full textOBJECTIVE: To quantify the regional and global cerebral atrophy rates and assess acceleration rates in healthy controls, subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and subjects with mild Alzheimer disease (AD). METHODS: Using 0-, 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, and 36-month MRI scans of controls and subjects with MCI and AD from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database, we calculated volume change of whole brain, hippocampus, and ventricles between all pairs of scans using the boundary shift integral. RESULTS: We found no evidence of acceleration in whole-brain atrophy rates in any group. There was evidence that hippocampal atrophy rates in MCI subjects accelerate by 0.22%/year2 on average (p = 0.037). There was evidence of acceleration in rates of ventricular enlargement in subjects with MCI (p = 0.001) and AD (p < 0.001), with rates estimated to increase by 0.27 mL/year2 (95% confidence interval 0.12, 0.43) and 0.88 mL/year2 (95% confidence interval 0.47, 1.29), respectively. A post hoc analysis suggested that the acceleration of hippocampal loss in MCI subjects was mainly driven by the MCI subjects that were observed to progress to clinical AD within 3 years of baseline, with this group showing hippocampal atrophy rate acceleration of 0.50%/year2 (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The small acceleration rates suggest a long period of transition to the pathologic losses seen in clinical AD. The acceleration in hippocampal atrophy rates in MCI subjects in the ADNI seems to be driven by those MCI subjects who concurrently progressed to a clinical diagnosis of AD
Mapping the onset and progression of atrophy in familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration
No full textBACKGROUND:
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) may be inherited as an autosomal dominant disease. Studying patients "at risk" for developing FTLD can provide insights into the earliest onset and evolution of the disease.
METHOD:
We carried out approximately annual clinical, MRI, and neuropsychological assessments on an asymptomatic 51 year old "at risk" family member from a family with FTLD associated with ubiquitin-positive and tau-negative inclusion bodies. We used non-linear (fluid) registration of serial MRI to determine areas undergoing significant regional atrophy at different stages of the disease.
RESULTS:
Over the first 26 months of the study, the patient remained asymptomatic, but subsequently developed progressive speech production difficulties, and latterly severe orofacial dyspraxia, dyscalculia, frontal executive impairment, and limb dyspraxia. Regional atrophy was present prior to the onset of symptoms, and was initially centred on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the left middle frontal gyrus. Latterly, there was increasing asymmetric left frontal and parietal atrophy. Imaging revealed excess and increasing global atrophy throughout the study. Neuropsychological evaluation revealed mild intellectual impairment prior to the onset of these clinical symptoms; frontal executive and left parietal impairment subsequently emerged, culminating in widespread cognitive impairment. Fluid registered MRI allowed the emerging atrophy patterns to be delineated.
CONCLUSION:
We have demonstrated the onset and progressive pattern of in vivo atrophy in familial FTLD using fluid registered MRI and correlated this with the clinical features. Fluid registered MRI may be a useful technique in assessing patterns of focal atrophy in vivo and demonstrating the progression of degenerative diseases
A subjetividade jurídica internacional na história da doutrina brasileira: oposições entre Nação e Estado nos séculos XIX e XX
No full textTCC(graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Ciências Jurídicas. Direito.Com o objetivo de observar de que maneira a pergunta “quem é o sujeito de direitos na comunidade internacional” foi respondida, ressaltando as oposições entre Nação e Estado, o presente trabalho investigou o pensamento de Pasquale Stanislao Mancini, descrevendo como que, utilizando por fundamento do direito internacional o Princípio da Nacionalidade, o jurista italiano propõe a exclusividade da Nação como sujeito de direito internacional, em oposição ao Estado e de que maneira isto influenciou os autores da escola italiana de direito internacional, em especial Terenzio Mamiami e Pasquale Fiore. A seguir, adentra-se na doutrina brasileira da segunda metade do século XIX para verificar de que forma se deu a oposição entre os conceitos de Nação e Estado. Posteriormente, debruçando-se por sobre o pensamento de Lafayette Rodrigues Pereira e Clóvis Beviláqua, busca-se demonstrar como se tratou a problemática da subjetividade jurídica internacional no Brasil durante o início do século XX. Finalmente, verifica-se qual termo passou a ser adotado majoritariamente pela doutrina brasileira, até se encontrar um autor nacional que não mais defenda o exclusivismo de um ente político em específico, mas, consciente das diversas configurações históricas pelas quais passou a comunidade internacional, aceite uma pluralidade de sujeitos. Busca-se, ainda, ao longo de todo trabalho reforçar as continuidades e rupturas entre os diversos autores analisados, além de se proporem, quando cabíveis, críticas às concepções apresentadas.In order to observe how the question “who is the subject of rights in the international community” was answered, focusing on the contrasts between Nation and State, the present study investigated the thought of Pasquale Stanislao Mancini, describing how, using the Principle of Nationality as the basis of international law, the Italian jurist proposes the exclusivity of the Nation as a subject of international law in opposition to the State and how it influenced the authors of the Italian school of international law, especially Terenzio Mamiami and Pasquale Fiore. Hereafter, enter in the Brazilian doctrine of the second half of the nineteenth century to verify how occurred the opposition between the concepts of Nation and State. Posteriorly, looking at the thought of Lafayette Rodrigues Pereira and Clóvis Beviláqua, we seek to demonstrate how the problem of international juridical subjectivity was treated in Brazil during the early twentieth century. Finally, we verify which term was mostly adopted by Brazilian doctrine, until find a national author who no longer defends the exclusivity of a political entity in specific, but, aware of different historical settings of the international community, accepts a plurality of subjects. We also try throughout the study to highlight the continuities and changes between the various authors analyzed, and to propose, as appropriate, critical to the concepts presented
Pilot Lake Restoration Investigations in the Fox Chain of Lakes
No full textPilot lake restoration schemes were implemented in the Fox Chain of Lakes, Illinois, in an attempt to improve the water quality of the Chain. A detailed study had determined that the deep lakes in the system developed distinct summer stratification and became totally anoxic below the thermoclines, with marked increases of end products of anaerobic decomposition of bottom sediments. High densities of algae, primarily blue-greens and diatoms, were common. Three different in-lake restoration techniques were tried in three parts of the lake system: nutrient inactivation by alum precipitation in Bluff Lake; copper sulfate application in Mineola Bay, Fox Lake; and aeration-destratification combined with chemical treatment in Lake Catherine. The alum and copper sulfate applications in small portions of the lake system were found ineffective because of the interconnection of the Chain's waters. However, chemical treatment combined with aeration proved to be worthwhile in Lake Catherine. The aeration system demonstrated its capability to destratify the thermal regime and induce oxygenation of lake waters down to its location level. There is also evidence that increased water temperatures and allied dissolved oxygen partially stabilized the organic content of bottom sediments. The full potential of aeration and chemical treatment would probably be realized if a comprehensive water quality management scheme were implemented.peer reviewedSubmitted by Noor Syahira Nasarudin ([email protected]) on 2015-05-27T20:34:52Z
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Previous issue date: 1984publishedOpe
European Study Group on Classification Criteria for Sjögren's Syndrome. Classification criteria for Sjögren's syndrome: a revised version of the European criteria proposed by the American-European Consensus Group
No full textSupervision of DPD RI in The Implementation of Regional Autonomy
No full textIn a bicameral system, Regional Representative Council of Indonesia (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah Republik Indonesia/DPD RI) acts as a regional representative institution that fights for regional problems. The authority of DPD RI is to supervise implementation of the law. The supervisory functions of the DPD RI are to monitor and supervise the government and public institutions, including the implementation of laws, regulations and policies. In this study the authors used a qualitative approach. The purpose of this study is to see the extent of supervision carried out by DPD RI on the implementation of regional autonomy carried out by Committee I. The author used strategies, analysis and relevant and important sources related to the supervisory function of the DPD RI on the implementation of regional autonomy. The author found that the authority of supervision and follow-up of the results of DPD RI's supervision on the implementation of regional autonomy is still very limited, there are supervisory problems starting from the relationship between DPD RI and the central government and local governments, human resources and supporting resources are inadequate, and the level of public confidence in DPD RI decreases
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