1,721,059 research outputs found
Glutathione: A key player in autoimmunity
No full textIncreasing attention in the physiopathology of inflammatory/immunomediated diseases has been focused on the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxygen-based molecules possessing high chemical reactivity and produced by activated neutrophils during the inflammatory response. During chronic inflammation, when sustained production of ROS occurs, antioxidant defences can weaken, resulting in a situation termed oxidative stress. Moreover, antioxidant defence systems have been demonstrated to be constitutively lacking in patients affected with chronic degenerative diseases, especially inflammatory/immunomediated. Glutathione, a tripeptide, is the principal component of the antioxidant defence system in the living cells. Glutathione has been demonstrated to have diverse effects on the immune system, either stimulating or inhibiting the immunological response in order to control inflammation. The study of interactions between glutathione and the immune system has attracted many investigators. Altered glutathione concentrations may play an important role in many autoimmune pathological conditions prevalently elicited, detrimed and maintained by inflammatory/immune response mediated by oxidative stress reactions. The role of glutathione in autoimmunity will be reviewed herein. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Pregnancy and autoimmunity: a common problem
No full textSuccessful pregnancy is considered a Th1-Th2 cooperation phenomenon (Th, T-helper), with a predominantly Th2-type lymphocytes response, together with the emerging role of interleukin (IL)-12, IL-15 and IL-18 and of other unidentified soluble factors dependent on natural killer (NK) cells. In the pathogenesis of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), immunological factors have been involved such as decidual cells, complement system, cytokines and genes of the hystocompatibility complex that can determine the success or the failure of a pregnancy. A deeper insight into apparently unexplained RSA shows increasing evidences supporting both alloimmune and autoimmune mechanisms, with autoantibodies playing a major role. The best-characterised pathogenic autoantibodies are anti-phospholipid antibodies, and also other autoantibodies, such as anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB, have been found to be associated with an increased rate of abortion, poor pregnancy outcome and several other obstetric manifestations. This intriguing mixture has been unveiled only in the last few years with the discovery of novel pathogenic mechanisms that can be targeted in the prevention and treatment of obstetrical complications occurring in the course of an autoimmune disease
NK cells, autoantibodies, and immunologic infertility: a complex interplay
No full textInfertility and recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) are heterogeneous conditions that have been frequently explained with an immunological pathomechanism. A deeper insight into apparently unexplained infertility and RSA shows increasing evidences supporting both alloimmune and autoimmune mechanisms, in which natural killer (NK) cells and autoantibodies seem to play a relevant role. Successful pregnancy is considered as Th1-Th2 cooperation phenomenon, with a predominantly Th2-type lymphocytes response, together with the emerging role of interleukin (IL)-12, IL-15, and IL-18 and of other unidentified soluble factors dependent on NK cells. Uterine NK cells comprise the largest population at implantation site, and their activity, characteristics, and abundance suggest that they participate at the "decidualization" process that, vice versa, induces NK activation and recruitment in each menstrual cycle. However, NK cell alteration may be associated with impaired pregnancy, and the modulation in the number of circulating NK cells is most likely to be a primary event rather than an active inflammation/drug administration consequence during an inflammatory/autoimmune process, thus playing an important role in the pathogenesis of immunological infertility. Relationships within immunological infertility, recurrent spontaneous abortion, autoantibodies, and NK cells will be reviewed herein
Aspetti tecnici ed economici della estrazione meccanica dell'olio di girasole a scopi energetici
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Prolactin and natural killer cells: Evaluating the neuroendocrine-immune axis in women with primary infertility and recurrent spontaneous abortion
No full textProblem An association between serum prolactin (PRL) and peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells has been described in healthy women. We explored for the first time the PRL response to the thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) test and the association between PRL and NK cells in women with reproductive failure. Methods A total of 130 women [31 primary infertility, 69 recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), and 30 fertile women] were evaluated by a TRH test to analyze the following: basal PRL (bPRL), peak-time PRL, PRL absolute and relative increase, decline-time PRL. Hyperprolactinaemia (HPRL) was defined as bPRL ≥ 15 ng/mL. NK cells were characterized by immunophenotyping. Results Significantly higher bPRL levels were found in the infertile women than in controls. Both the infertile and the RSA women showed significantly elevated NK levels. bPRL levels correlated with NK cells in HPRL-infertile women. Conclusions In patients with HPRL, an association between NK cell and bPRL results. The dynamic test in the infertile women would help in the management of the pregnancy impairment
Overview of direct and indirect effects of antibiotics on terrestrial organisms
Full text linkAntibiotics (ABs) have made it possible to treat bacterial infections, which were in the past untreatable and consequently fatal. Regrettably, their use and abuse among humans and livestock led to antibiotic resistance, which has made them ineffective in many cases. The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and bacteria is not limited to nosocomial environments, but also involves water and soil ecosystems. The environmental presence of ABs and ARGs is a hot topic, and their direct and indirect effects, are still not well known or clarified. A particular concern is the presence of antibiotics in agroecosystems due to the application of agro-zootechnical waste (e.g., manure and biosolids), which can introduce antibiotic residues and ARGs to soils. This review provides an insight of recent findings of AB direct and indirect effects on terrestrial organisms, focusing on plant and invertebrates. Possible changing in viability and organism growth, AB bioaccumulation, and shifts in associated microbiome composition are reported. Oxidative stress responses of plants (such as reactive oxygen species production) to antibiotics are also described
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