1,721,131 research outputs found
[An open study on the efficacy and safety of misoprostol in prevention or treatment of gastroduodenal lesions induced by NSAID: preliminary data]
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Collagenopathic cardiopathies
No full textCollagenopathic cardiopathies are a subject of extreme etiologic, pathogenetic and clinical interest. These disorders are associated with congenital or acquired anomalies of the connective tissue and because of the diffusion and nearly total distribution of this tissue, have a higher frequency than what has been previously estimated. The collagenopathic cardiopathies, can be divided into two main groups: one deriving from hereditary connective tissue diseases, and the other from acquired connective tissue diseases. The first group has a Mendelian type of transmission whereas the other appears to be secondary to various kinds of stimuli (viral, immunologic etc.) although polygenic factors are present. Of the first group we considered Marfan's syndrome, the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, osteogenesis imperfecta, pseudoxanthoma elasticum, cutis laxa and the diseases of the fundamental substance with particular reference to mucopolysaccharidosis type 1H (Hurler's syndrome). In all of these disorders a specific metabolic disturbance is responsible for the cardiovascular damage which is expressed, depending on the specific genetic component in a more or less serious form. Among the acquired diseases of the connective tissue, we examined rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, polydermatomyositis, scleroderma; of the reactive arthritis, rheumatic fever; of the seronegative forms, spondyloarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and Reiter's syndrome, mixed connective tissue disease and Lyme's disease. It must be emphasized that all of these disorders share relatively common pathogenetic characteristics which point to the importance of the presence of various types of antigens, immune complexes and the significant role of some of the histocompatibility antigens, as well as possible disturbances of cell-mediated immunity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS
[The current outlook in the therapy of autoimmune diseases]
No full textRecent advances in immunology and molecular biology have contributed to a much greater understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms of the autoimmune diseases and thus to the development of new rationally-based therapies. Most of the immunosuppressive agents that have been tried in autoimmune disease patients nonspecifically suppress the immune response, often causing various side effects. Autoimmune diseases result from the activation of self-reactive T cells that recognize autoantigens or foreign antigens cross-reactive with an autoantigen coupled with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) products on an antigen presenting cell. It appears possible to modulate T cell activation by interfering with the interaction between T cell receptor and the peptide-MHC molecule complex. A number of sites are potential targets for immunologic intervention, such as MHC molecules, T cell receptor, CD4 and CD3 molecules, adhesion molecules, cytokines and cytokine receptors. In the present review the most important new therapeutic approaches to autoimmune conditions, which appear to be more selective in overcoming the limitations of non-specific treatments, are summarized. They include monoclonal antibodies, cytokines and cytokine-inhibitors, peptides interacting with MHC molecules and T cell vaccination
Dati preliminari sulla sperimentazione "long-term" di un farmaco A.N.S. di recente sintesi (Tolmetin sodico)
No full textAntioxidant effect of Iloprost: current knowledge and therapeutic implications for systemic sclerosis
No full textMany lines of independent research have pointed out the role of oxidative stress as a fascinating pathogenic link between the three main hallmarks of systemic sclerosis (SSc), viz. humoral and cellular immunity activation, microvascular damage and widespread tissue fibrosis. Therefore counteracting oxidative stress may have a favourable impact on clinical features and progression of disease. It is becoming clearer that Iloprost, a synthetic stable analogue of prostacycline, currently employed in the treatment of SSc vascular features, also possess anti-oxidative properties beside its prostaglandin-like vasodilatory and antiaggregant effects. This brief review is aimed to discuss available clinical evidences supporting Iloprost antioxidant action and focus on putative molecular pathways underlying it
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