A Special Issue dedicated in memory of Prof. Fernando Aiuti is a special tribute to a clinician w... more A Special Issue dedicated in memory of Prof. Fernando Aiuti is a special tribute to a clinician who led the field of Clinical Immunology in Italy and introduced the entire Italian medical and academic scene to it. [...]
International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 2002
To investigate the in vivo role of caspase-3 in Terminal Transferase metabolism DMSO-treated RPMI... more To investigate the in vivo role of caspase-3 in Terminal Transferase metabolism DMSO-treated RPMI-8402, a human pre-T cell line was used. In DMSO treated samples3H-dGTP incorporation and TdT phosphorylation occurs after 4 hours of treatment. After 8 hours cells undergo TdT proteolysis in addition to its inactivation. The cleavage of TdT into 32- and 58-KDa proteolytic fragments occurred simultaneously with the activation of Caspase-3, but preceded changes associated with the apoptotic process described after 48 hours of treatment. The Caspase-3 peptide inhibitor V, used as a specific inhibitor, prevented TdT proteolysis prolonging its activity and rescued cells from apoptosis. Our experiments suggest that TdT is a nuclear substrate for Caspase-3, the main apoptotic effector protease in many cell types, and that the cleavage of TdT represents a primary step in a signal cascade leading to pre-T cell apoptosis.
International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 2003
Chemical irritants are able to produce several biological modifications of the skin, including th... more Chemical irritants are able to produce several biological modifications of the skin, including the direct or indirect production of cytokines and reactive oxygen species leading to an inflammatory reaction. This report examines the existence of a possible correlation between the skin sensitivity to the irritant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and the activity of the enzymatic antioxidants. In twenty-three healthy subjects the evaluation of the epidermal and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) activities of superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (Cat) demonstrate a significant correlation (r= 0,85 and p< 0,005 for SOD, and r= 0,87 and p< 0,0001 for Cat). Based on this result, on a further group of normal subjects (n=13) we studied the link between the threshold dose of skin reactivity to SDS and the activities of the enzymatic antioxidants in PBMCs. The degree of skin modification induced by SDS, applied at different concentrations for 24 hrs, was determined by means of T...
Allergy and asthma proceedings : the official journal of regional and state allergy societies
This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of cyclosporine (CsA) in the treatment of patie... more This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of cyclosporine (CsA) in the treatment of patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria with a positive autologous serum skin test (ASST), who fail to respond to conventional therapy, and requiring long-term oral steroid treatment. In a double-blind study, 40 adults were assigned randomly to receive CsA (5 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks and then 4 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks) or cetirizine (10 mg/day) and then they were followed up for 9 months. After 2 weeks, the study was opened because 16 patients (40%) had daily severe relapses requiring systemic steroids treatment. All of these patients had been receiving antihistamines and, therefore, all patients also were assigned to the CsA treatment regimen (5 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks and then 4 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks). The ASST and clinical severity score were evaluated before and after treatment. All of the 40 patients completed the 16-week CsA course without dropping out because of relevant si...
Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS), 2003
Nickel hypersensitivity represents a very common human disease state, mainly occurring in females... more Nickel hypersensitivity represents a very common human disease state, mainly occurring in females, defined as allergic contact dermatitis. Ni is a transition metal whose activity may be modulated by congeners. Zinc, an essential component for living organisms, has been shown to counteract Ni effects in patients with Ni hypersensitivity. We analysed immune responses to both Ni and Zn in healthy subjects and patients with allergic contact dermatitis to Ni. Our in vitro results show that Ni modulates surface receptors expression, reduces phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-driven lymphoproliferation, and upregulates some proinflammatory cytokines production, including interferon (IFN)-gamma. Zn also induced CD4+ lymphocyte proliferation, but it abolished or reduced most Ni-mediated effects. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that Zn and Ni, as part of the heavy transition metals, may exchange roles in immune-mediated phenomena leading to expression of allergic contact dermatitis.
Background: The evaluation and interpretation of the results from blood tests measuring specific ... more Background: The evaluation and interpretation of the results from blood tests measuring specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody concentration is currently made using the dichotomized result from the test despite a quantitative result is obtained. It has been shown that different levels of IgE antibodies, assessed by blood test and skin prick test, may have a relation to presence of symptoms, implying that there is more information in a quantitative result than in the dichotomous – positive or negative.Objective: To investigate the clinical utility of quantification of IgE antibodies in the diagnosis of allergic patients and whether such procedure has any advantage to the presently dichotomously used sensitivity and specificity at a fixed cut‐off.Methods: Data from a previously published study (R. Paganelli, I.J. Ansoteugi, J. Sastre, C.‐E. Lange, M.H.W.M. Roovers, H. de Groot, N.B. Lindholm, P.W. Ewan, Allergy, 1998; 53) analysing diagnosis of allergic patients in four different cl...
A Special Issue dedicated in memory of Prof. Fernando Aiuti is a special tribute to a clinician w... more A Special Issue dedicated in memory of Prof. Fernando Aiuti is a special tribute to a clinician who led the field of Clinical Immunology in Italy and introduced the entire Italian medical and academic scene to it. [...]
International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 2002
To investigate the in vivo role of caspase-3 in Terminal Transferase metabolism DMSO-treated RPMI... more To investigate the in vivo role of caspase-3 in Terminal Transferase metabolism DMSO-treated RPMI-8402, a human pre-T cell line was used. In DMSO treated samples3H-dGTP incorporation and TdT phosphorylation occurs after 4 hours of treatment. After 8 hours cells undergo TdT proteolysis in addition to its inactivation. The cleavage of TdT into 32- and 58-KDa proteolytic fragments occurred simultaneously with the activation of Caspase-3, but preceded changes associated with the apoptotic process described after 48 hours of treatment. The Caspase-3 peptide inhibitor V, used as a specific inhibitor, prevented TdT proteolysis prolonging its activity and rescued cells from apoptosis. Our experiments suggest that TdT is a nuclear substrate for Caspase-3, the main apoptotic effector protease in many cell types, and that the cleavage of TdT represents a primary step in a signal cascade leading to pre-T cell apoptosis.
International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, 2003
Chemical irritants are able to produce several biological modifications of the skin, including th... more Chemical irritants are able to produce several biological modifications of the skin, including the direct or indirect production of cytokines and reactive oxygen species leading to an inflammatory reaction. This report examines the existence of a possible correlation between the skin sensitivity to the irritant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and the activity of the enzymatic antioxidants. In twenty-three healthy subjects the evaluation of the epidermal and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) activities of superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (Cat) demonstrate a significant correlation (r= 0,85 and p< 0,005 for SOD, and r= 0,87 and p< 0,0001 for Cat). Based on this result, on a further group of normal subjects (n=13) we studied the link between the threshold dose of skin reactivity to SDS and the activities of the enzymatic antioxidants in PBMCs. The degree of skin modification induced by SDS, applied at different concentrations for 24 hrs, was determined by means of T...
Allergy and asthma proceedings : the official journal of regional and state allergy societies
This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of cyclosporine (CsA) in the treatment of patie... more This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of cyclosporine (CsA) in the treatment of patients with chronic idiopathic urticaria with a positive autologous serum skin test (ASST), who fail to respond to conventional therapy, and requiring long-term oral steroid treatment. In a double-blind study, 40 adults were assigned randomly to receive CsA (5 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks and then 4 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks) or cetirizine (10 mg/day) and then they were followed up for 9 months. After 2 weeks, the study was opened because 16 patients (40%) had daily severe relapses requiring systemic steroids treatment. All of these patients had been receiving antihistamines and, therefore, all patients also were assigned to the CsA treatment regimen (5 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks and then 4 mg/kg per day for 8 weeks). The ASST and clinical severity score were evaluated before and after treatment. All of the 40 patients completed the 16-week CsA course without dropping out because of relevant si...
Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology : organ of the Society for Minerals and Trace Elements (GMS), 2003
Nickel hypersensitivity represents a very common human disease state, mainly occurring in females... more Nickel hypersensitivity represents a very common human disease state, mainly occurring in females, defined as allergic contact dermatitis. Ni is a transition metal whose activity may be modulated by congeners. Zinc, an essential component for living organisms, has been shown to counteract Ni effects in patients with Ni hypersensitivity. We analysed immune responses to both Ni and Zn in healthy subjects and patients with allergic contact dermatitis to Ni. Our in vitro results show that Ni modulates surface receptors expression, reduces phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-driven lymphoproliferation, and upregulates some proinflammatory cytokines production, including interferon (IFN)-gamma. Zn also induced CD4+ lymphocyte proliferation, but it abolished or reduced most Ni-mediated effects. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that Zn and Ni, as part of the heavy transition metals, may exchange roles in immune-mediated phenomena leading to expression of allergic contact dermatitis.
Background: The evaluation and interpretation of the results from blood tests measuring specific ... more Background: The evaluation and interpretation of the results from blood tests measuring specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody concentration is currently made using the dichotomized result from the test despite a quantitative result is obtained. It has been shown that different levels of IgE antibodies, assessed by blood test and skin prick test, may have a relation to presence of symptoms, implying that there is more information in a quantitative result than in the dichotomous – positive or negative.Objective: To investigate the clinical utility of quantification of IgE antibodies in the diagnosis of allergic patients and whether such procedure has any advantage to the presently dichotomously used sensitivity and specificity at a fixed cut‐off.Methods: Data from a previously published study (R. Paganelli, I.J. Ansoteugi, J. Sastre, C.‐E. Lange, M.H.W.M. Roovers, H. de Groot, N.B. Lindholm, P.W. Ewan, Allergy, 1998; 53) analysing diagnosis of allergic patients in four different cl...
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