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D Roccatello

Publications and source records attributed to D Roccatello.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Soluble interleukin-2 receptors and beta 2-microglobulin in patients with primary glomerulonephritis.

Serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors (IL2R) and of beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) were studied with the immunoenzymatic technique in 38 patients with primary glomerulonephritis (GN), in 10 patients with essential hypertension (EH) and in 30 healthy subjects. IL2R correlated with beta 2M (p < 0.05). IL2R and beta 2M were higher in patients with GN (p < 0.003, p < 0.001, respectively) and in patients with EH (p < 0.003, p < 0.01, respectively) than in healthy subjects. IL2R and beta 2M correlated with serum creatinine, but not with proteinuria. Our data would suggest the existence of lymphocyte activation in patients with GN. Only speculations can be advanced with regard to the observed increase in these parameters in EH patients.

Adult↗

Removal systems of immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin A containing complexes in IgA nephropathy and cirrhosis patients. The role of asialoglycoprotein receptors.

BACKGROUND: Whereas the complex removal routes hypothesized for IgA containing immune complexes (IC) and macromolecules can be adequately analyzed by a recently proposed IgA1-IgG aggregate probe (Lab Invest, 66: 86-95), the relative significance of the asialoglycoprotein receptors in IgAIC clearance is still uncertain. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The removal kinetics of 99mTc diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid-conjugated asialo alpha 1 acid glycoprotein (AAGP) and 123I-labeled IgA1-IgG aggregate were analyzed in 11 cirrhosis patients and 13 IgAN patients of comparable age. RESULTS: IgA1-IgG aggregate mean plasma clearance rate was delayed in IgA neuropathy (IgAN) patients (slope 0.038 minutes-1, range 0.027 to 0.053) compared with normals (0.047 minutes-1, range 0.038 to 0.053, p = 0.05). The liver was the main organ involved in the IgA1-IgG removal. When compared with normals, (34.3 minutes, range 29.8 to 42.2), the liver mean transit time (MTT) was significantly (p < 0.02) prolonged in IgAN patients (41.3 minutes, 33.6 to 52.3). Participation of spleen in clearance was observed in some patients and was almost invariably concurrent with normal clearance parameters. Conversely, 9 out of 11 cirrhosis patients had a remarkable splenic uptake, but the blood clearance rate was invariably delayed (0.022 minutes-1, 0.014 to 0.028, p < 0.003) and liver MTT extremely prolonged (122.4 minutes, 52.4 to 400, p < 0.003). In IgAN patients with delayed clearance of the IgA1-IgG aggregate, a distinct trend of progression towards renal failure was noted. AAGP clearance was also delayed in cirrhosis patients: slope = 0.166 minutes-1, 0.108 to 0.247, p = 0.05 as compared with both normals (0.230, 0.173 to 0.289) and IgAN patients (0.250, 0.184 to 0.254). Liver MTT in cirrhosis patients was extremely prolonged: 240.6 minutes, 132.5 to 400 minutes, p < 0.007 compared with both normals (90.0 minutes, 82.7 to 96.6) and IgA patients (92.2 minutes, 70.3 to 107.1). AAGP clearance parameters in normals and IgAN patients were not statistically different. MTT values of AAGP and IgA1-IgG aggregate were strictly related (p = 0.008), suggesting that asialoglycoprotein receptors are partially involved in the clearance of the IgA1-IgG aggregate probe. CONCLUSIONS: Some patients with IgAN have a prolonged circulation of an IgAIC miming probe, probably due to an impaired macrophage function. Other possibilities of prolonged circulation of IgAIC in these patients should imply an abnormal IgA glycosylation pattern that allows IC to escape from an effective asialoglycoprotein receptor system. In cirrhosis patients, all of the removal routes of IgA and IgA containing IC are greatly altered suggesting a causative role in the development of an associated, often clinically inapparent, glomerular disease.

Adult↗

Serum and intracellular detection of cytokines in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was detected, before and after dialysis, in sera from 69 patients and, at various times during dialysis, in 28 patients carefully selected for the absence of intercurrent illness. Blood samples were also sequentially collected for separation of monocytes, and cells were sonicated to detect intracellular TNF. Compared with serum levels obtained from 41 healthy subjects, basal TNF values of the unselected group of 69 patients were significantly higher (p < 0.01), independent of the dialyzer membrane. A significant increase in TNF levels by the end of dialysis was found only with Cuprophan (p < 0.01). In the selected group of 28 patients, no significant changes in TNF values were observed in sequential samples. However, a significant increase of intramonocyte TNF levels was found in Cuprophan patients (p < 0.025). Soluble interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) levels, measured in parallel in sera from unselected and selected patients, were found to be very much higher than healthy controls without significant changes during the dialysis procedure. While the diverse profiles of TNF obtained from differently selected patients suggest that mechanisms other than membrane biocompatibility play a role in the appearance of these low cytokine levels, the possible nature of uremic toxin for soluble IL-2R can be envisaged by detection in dialysis patients.

Adult↗

Do IgA antigliadin and IgA antiendomysium antibodies show there is latent coeliac disease in primary IgA nephropathy?

The finding in primary IgA nephropathy of increased levels of IgA to food antigens and particularly to gliadin prompted the hypothesis that a subgroup of these patients may have latent coeliac disease. The observation that gliadin may experimentally induce IgA mesangial deposits supported this hypothesis. We evaluated specific immunological markers of coeliac disease (antiendomysium antibodies) which parallel histological changes of gluten sensitive enteropathy, and an IgA immunofluorescent test for antigliadin antibodies in 18 patients with IgA nephropathy, in 56 untreated coeliac disease patients, in 254 controls (58 healthy and 196 disease controls). Antiendomysium antibodies were positive in 89.28% of coeliac patients, but negative in all IgA nephropathies and controls. IgA immunofluorescent test for antigliadin antibodies, negative in all IgA nephropathy patients, was positive in 76.78% of coeliac patients and in 4.91% of controls. ELISA IgA antigliadin antibodies were negative in controls, but positive in 22.22% of IgA nephropathy patients and in 60.71% of coeliac patients. Our data would suggest that in most patients with IgA nephropathy there is no evidence of latent coeliac disease.

Adult↗

Prospective study on captopril renography in hypertensive patients.

Six hundred and sixty-seven hypertensive patients were analyzed by captopril-enhanced scintigraphy. If time to reach maximal activity (Tmax) was > or = 5 min using 99mTc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) or > or = 3 min with 123I-o-iodohippurate (OIH) and 99mTc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG3) and washout time > or = 15 min, a control study with nifedipine was performed. If the difference between Tmax under captopril and nifedipine premedication was > or = 5 min with 99mTc-DTPA or > or = 3 min with 123I-OIH and 99mTc-MAG3, the renogram was defined highly suggestive of renovascular hypertension. In the evaluation of bilateral abnormalities an additional parameter was considered, i.e. the presence of functional asymmetry of the emuntories susceptible of partial reversal in the control study under nifedipine. Based on these criteria, 58 out of 667 (8.7%) scintigrams were found to be abnormal. Thirty-five of these 58 patients and 32 of the remaining 609 scintigraphically negative cases underwent additional arteriographic examination. A renal vascular stenosis > or = 50% was found in 33 out of 35 (94.2%) patients with positive scintigraphy and in 3 out of 32 patients with negative scintigraphy. By examining results of the 67 patients undergoing arteriography, the sensitivity of captopril-enhanced scintigraphy was estimated to be 91.6%, with a specificity of 93.5%, an accuracy of 92.5%, and predictive values of a positive or negative result of 94.2 and 90.6%, respectively. By restricting analysis to bilateral stenosis, sensitivity was found to be 76.9%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Immunologic characteristics of fibrillary glomerulonephritis.

IgG and IgA immune complexes, mononuclear phagocytic system function, interleukin-2 (IL-2) production by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), serum-soluble IL-2 receptors, tumor necrosis factor, beta 2-microglobulin and IL-1 beta, HLA-DNA polymorphisms, immuno-isoelectrofocusing, phenotype of PBL, lymphocyte cytotoxicity, activation of lymphokine-activated killer cells and natural killer cell activity were evaluated in 8 patients with tubular/fibrillary glomerulonephritis (GN). No common serologic, immunologic or immunogenetic features suggestive of plasma cell dyscrasias were found. No elements to state whether these GNs represent a new entity or just atypical forms of known GN were found.

Adolescent↗

Dietary antigens and primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

To investigate the role of dietary components in immunoglobulin A mesangial nephropathy (IgAGN), this study focused on gliadin, based on the reported association between coeliac disease and IgAGN as well as the pilot observation that a gluten-free diet was able to reduce the levels of circulating IgA immune complexes (IgAIC). IgA mesangial deposits in mice were induced by oral immunization with gliadin and in rats by inducing alcoholic liver cirrhosis, which increased the levels of IgA against dietary antigens (Ag). Gliadin was able to bind to cultured mesangial cells by a lectinic bond, which was reversed by competitive sugars. Binding increased mesangial cell tumor necrosis factor synthesis and decreased prostaglandin E2 production. Several gluten lectinic fractions modulate leukocyte oxidative metabolism, cytotoxicity, and chemotaxis. In IgAGN patients, serum IgA to dietary Ag were sporadically positive and IgAIC containing IgA to dietary components were significantly increased. The affinity of serum IgA to various lectins was increased in some patients. Conversely, no substantial deposition in renal tissue of dietary Ags was observed by immunofluorescence. A gluten-free diet, given to IgAGN patients with high levels of circulating IgAIC and positive antigliadin IgA, was followed by a decrease in the mean levels of both IgAIC and IgA to various dietary Ag, parallel to a reduction in proteinuria. These data suggest that dietary components, such as Ag or lectins, may play a role in IgAGN by promoting IgAIC formation and perhaps favoring mesangial localization via lectinic interactions.

Animals↗

Kinetics and fate of IgA-IgG aggregates as a model of naturally occurring immune complexes in IgA nephropathy.

The characteristic granular IgA immunofluorescent pattern in the kidneys of IgA nephropathy patients is consistent with immune complex pathogenesis. The possibility of a delayed clearance of IgA-containing immune complexes from circulation in IgA nephropathy patients is still under discussion. Since pure IgA immune complexes are probably nonphlogistic, (in contrast to IgG-containing IgA immune complexes), the in vivo clearance of a mixture of heat-aggregated IgA/G purified from pooled human sera was analyzed. The test probe was efficiently labeled with 123I and the time course of radioactivity was measured by a gamma-camera. Both the liver and the spleen were found to be involved in the disappearance of IgA/G complexes. Liver accumulation, which was markedly predominant, closely approximates a gamma-variate function which allowed determination of a mean transit time of 34.37 minutes, range 29.8 to 42.2, in 8 normal and 37.54 minutes, range 30.9 to 50.7 in 17 patients (p less than 0.04). At 2 hours, segmental gut accumulation was found, which demonstrated removal by hepatobiliary system as well. Compartmental analysis in patients indicated 3 major compartments represented by vascular bed, hepatobiliary and reticuloendothelial systems (including both liver and spleen phagocytes). Blood clearance rate, representing the final result of multiorgan removal of the test probe from the blood stream, was found to be significantly delayed in IgA nephropathy patients with a slope (0.035 min-1, range 0.019 to 0.052) significantly less negative compared with controls (0.047 min-1, range 0.038 to 0.053, p less than 0.01). This test probe was able to reproduce both removal routes (macrophages cells and hepatobiliary system) hypothesized for IgA-containing immune complexes in humans.

Adult↗

The association of IgA glomerulonephritis and thin glomerular basement membrane disease in a hematuric patient: light and electron microscopic and immunofluorescence investigation.

A double glomerulopathy (IgA glomerulonephritis [IgAGN] associated with thin glomerular basement membrane disease [TGBMD]) is reported in a 39-year-old woman presenting with macroscopic-microscopic hematuria. Her 3-year-old daughter was also affected by microhematuria of probable glomerular origin. The diagnosis of IgAGN was made by means of immunofluorescence investigation, which showed generalized diffuse mesangial deposits. TGBMD was identified by electron microscopic investigations, which disclosed thinning (up to 160 nm) of basement membrane of several capillary loops and prominence of the lamina densa. Bearing in mind the known frequencies of the two glomerulopathies, their association may not be coincidental, and, therefore, is worthwhile researching in hematuric patients.

Basement Membrane↗

The fate of aggregated immunoglobulin A injected in IgA nephropathy patients and healthy controls.

Organ uptake of IgA-containing immunologically active material was studied in humans by intravenous (IV) injection of 131I-labeled heat-aggregated human secretory IgA (HAS-IgA) in nine patients affected by primary IgA nephropathy and 10 normal volunteers. Aggregated secretory IgA was found to be removed almost exclusively by the liver. The peak activity in liver was reached at 21.1 minutes (range, 18 to 26 minutes) in patients and 19 minutes (range, 14 to 22 minutes) in controls. The rate of increase of liver radioactivity was found to be significantly slower in patients (with a mean slope of 5.0; range, 3.4 to 7.1 v 7.6, 5.6 to 11.4; P less than 0.02). The mean liver to precordium ratio at the peak time was significantly lower in patients (mean value, 2.3; range, 1.9 to 3.1) compared with controls (mean value, 3.3; range, 2.4 to 4.0) (P less than 0.02). These data confirm the pivotal role of the liver in the removal of aggregated IgA in humans and the defective clearance capacity of this test probe in IgA nephropathy patients.

Adult↗

IgA antibodies to dietary antigens and lectin-binding IgA in sera from Italian, Australian, and Japanese IgA nephropathy patients.

We studied serum IgA as antibodies to dietary antigens (Ag), as lectin-binding molecules, and as conglutinin-binding immune complexes (IgAIC) in people from geographical areas in which IgA nephropathy (IgAGN) is particularly frequent. Sera from 63 Italian, 21 Australian, and 25 Japanese patients affected by IgAGN and 24 Italian, 20 Australian, and 40 Japanese healthy controls were studied. Increased values of IgAIC were detected in 42.8% of Italian patients, while only in 23.8% and 8% of Australian and Japanese patients, respectively. Mean values were significantly increased only in Italian patients (P less than 0.0001). Positive values of IgA antibodies against dietary Ag had variable prevalences, but again Italian patients showed the highest frequency, from 19% to 28.5% versus 0 to 38% in Australians and 0 to 16% in Japanese. Mean values of these antibodies were not significantly increased in any patient groups in comparison to the corresponding healthy populations. However, patients with elevated values of IgAIC had significantly higher serum concentrations of antibodies to alimentary components and a linear correlation was found between IgAIC and some IgA antibodies to food components. The relationship between these two series of data was particularly evident for Italian and Australian IgAGN patients. Moreover, the patients with positive data tended to have a cluster of increased levels of IgA antibodies against several alimentary Ag at the same time. A linear correlation was evident between values of IgA antibodies to gluten fractions and to heterologous albumins. None of these correlations was evident among healthy controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗