1,721,252 research outputs found
Performance analysis of automated interbay material handling and storage systems for large wafer fab
No full textAcute-on-chronic liver failure: A complex clinical entity in patients with autoimmune hepatitis
No full textIn their comprehensive and stimulating review, Moreau et al. report the distinctive features of “acute-on-chronic liver failure” (ACLF) based on different geographic definitions (European,North American, Chinese, Asian Pacific) and suggest that ACLF should be considered a unique clinical syndrome.1 However, in discussing hallmarks, causes and precipitating factors of ACLF, they do not consider the case of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), which can initiate as acute hepatitis in more than 40% of cases.2 It is well recognized that AIH patients may develop ACLF either as hyperacute exacerbation of undiagnosed or misdiagnosed AIH, or in response to a second exogenous insult (viral, drug-induced, toxic) on typical AIH, possibly favored by long-term immunosuppression
Diagnostic role of anti-dsDNA antibodies: do not forget autoimmune hepatitis
No full textIn their Review, Pisetsky and Lipsky highlight the clinical role of antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and properly state that anti-double-stranded
DNA (dsDNA) antibodies are highly specific for the diagnosis of SLE; however, they refer to two papers that do not take into account the widely and historically recognized presence of these autoantibodies in individuals with autoimmune hepatitis. In this regard, we would like to discuss that knowledge of anti-dsDNA antibody positivity in autoimmune hepatitis dates back to 1956 when, because of the similarities to SLE, Mackay et al. proposed that this chronic liver disease be named ‘lupoid hepatitis’
Autoantibodies to speckled protein family in primary biliary cholangitis
Full text linkThe autoantibody profile of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) includes antinuclear antibodies (ANA) which are detectable by indirect immunofluorescence in more than 50% of PBC patients. One of the two immunofluorescence patterns which are historically considered “PBC-specific” is the so-called “multiple nuclear dots” (MND) targeting nuclear body proteins such as Sp100, Sp140, Sp140L proteins, promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) and small ubiquitin-related modifier proteins (SUMO). It has been hypothesized a role of nuclear body protein alterations in immune disorders such as PBC, thus suggesting novel and more refined therapeutic approaches
Tocilizumab: From rheumatic diseases to covid-19
No full textTocilizumab is a humanised interleukin-6 receptor-inhibiting monoclonal antibody that is currently approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other immune-related conditions. Recently, tocilizumab has been investigated as a possible treatment for severe coronavirus-induced disease 2019 (COVID-19). De-spite the lack of direct antiviral effects, tocilizumab could reduce the immune-induced organ damage caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infection. Until recently, most reports on tocil-izumab for COVID-19 included a limited number of patients, preventing an overall evaluation of its efficacy and safety for this specific condition. Therefore, we reviewed the literature regarding the physiopathological rationale of tocilizumab for COVID-19 and its outcomes. We searched the MEDLINE database with the string “(SARS-CoV-2 OR coronavirus OR COVID-19 OR MERS-cov OR SARS-cov) AND (IL-6 OR interleukin 6 OR tocilizumab)”. While the scientific rationale supporting tocilizumab for COVID-19 is solid, the evidence regarding the outcomes remains controversial. Available data and results from ongoing trials will provide useful information in the event of new COVID-19 outbreaks or future pandemics from different coronaviruses
Anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (ANCA) in autoimmune diseases: A matter of laboratory technique and clinical setting
No full textPerinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibodies (pANCA) detected by IIF represent a useful tool conveying the diagnosis of type 1 AIH and/or PSC. As other serological markers of autoimmune diseases, pANCA detection can suggest, but not supersede the clinical and imaging diagnosis
Anti-ganglioside antibodies and celiac disease
Full text linkWe describe our own experience on the prevalence of a wider range of anti-ganglioside antibodies and their clinical significance in CD patients. Using a commercially available ELISA kit (IMMCO Diagnostics, Buffalo, NY, USA), we studied anti-GM1, anti-GD1b, and anti-GQ1b serum IgG and IgM antibodies in 22 adult patients (median age 35, range: 19–56 years; three males, 19 females) with CD and neurological manifestations, including eight cases of idiopathic cerebellar ataxia, seven cases with epilepsy (without cerebral calcifications), two with multiple sclerosis, three with attention/memory impairment, and two with peripheral neuropathies.
In all cases, diagnosis of CD was confirmed by endoscopic duodenal biopsy, revealing different grades of villous atrophy (from 3a to 3c, according to the modified Marsh classification). In all CD patients, intestinal villous atrophy was associated with a positivity for serological CD markers (anti-endomysial and/or anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies) further supporting the diagnosis of CD. All available data, regarding CD diagnosis, diagnostic work-up, histopathology and treatment were obtained from the hospital digital database
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