Biomedical subjects

D Zauli

Publications and source records attributed to D Zauli.

82 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Close association between basal cell layer antibodies and hepatitis B virus-associated chronic delta infection.

Antibodies reacting in immunofluorescence with the basal cell layer of rat forestomach (BCLA) have been detected in 36 of 121 (30%) hepatitis B virus (HBV)-mediated chronic liver disease (CLD), in 1 of 30 (3%) HBV-negative CLD, in 3 of 36 (8%) alcoholic liver disease (with no correlation with serum HBV markers), in 1 of 25 (4%) primary biliary cirrhosis, in none of 19 HBV-related HBsAg-negative CLD and 60 healthy blood donors. Of 352 hospitalized patients with miscellaneous diseases (including immunological conditions), the antibodies were found in four (1%). In the 36 BCLA positive cases from HBV-mediated CLD, evidence of chronic delta infection was found in 34. The overall prevalence of BCLA in 68 delta cases was 50% (58% in chronic active hepatitis, 46% in cirrhosis), and in 28 delta negative cases was 4% (p less than 0.00002). BCLA of delta cases were mainly of the IgG class (38 of 41 sera), and high titers (up to 40,960) were found in the majority (66% greater than or equal to 1:640). The high titer BCLA has to be considered a marker of chronic delta infection in HBV cases.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Role of target and effector cell structures in natural killer-mediated cytotoxicity.

An analysis of target and effector cell structures involved in the in vitro natural killer (NK)-mediated cytotoxicity has been performed. The degree of surface expression of transferrin receptor (TR) was only in part correlated with that of cell lysis. Moreover, the lysis could not be blocked by treating target cells with two anti-TR monoclonal antibodies. Finally, cell lines poorly affected by NK cells express TR only at the cytoplasmic level. As to the effector cells, the integrity of cytoskeleton components (especially microtubules) was found to be essential for the occurrence of cell lysis. In fact, vinblastine, an anti-microtubule agent, was able to significantly reduce the percentage cell lysis. This effect was not due to a selective depletion in NK cells induced by the drug. It is concluded that the mechanisms underlying NK activity are complex and involve both target and effector cell structures.

Cell Line↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Antiperinuclear factor in an Italian series of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Serum samples from 90 cases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 218 control patients and 100 healthy controls were tested by indirect immunofluorescence for the presence of the antiperinuclear factor (APF), an autoantibody to the keratohyaline granules of human buccal mucosal cells. The sensitivity and specificity of the APF test for RA were 82 and 90%, respectively, slightly higher than those obtained when the same serum samples were tested for rheumatoid factor (RF) using a latex agglutination method. The diagnostic gain of APF in the RF-negative RA cases was greater than that of RF in the APF-negative cases (54% vs. 37%). In spite of a few technical disadvantages, the APF test should be therefore performed in the serological routine examination of rheumatic diseases. As APF was also found in 11% of degenerative joint disease (DJD) cases and the estimated prevalence ratio RA/DJD is, in Italy, 1/11, the predictive value of a negative APF test proved to be much higher than that of a positive test (98% vs. 40%) for the diagnosis of RA. APF was significantly associated with other autoantibodies (RF and antinuclear antibody).

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A simple method for purification of human monocytes and evaluation of IgG Fc-receptor-mediated phagocytosis.

A simple and reproducible, although not completely original method for purification of human monocytes and evaluation of IgG Fc-receptor-mediated phagocytosis has been set up and is described here. The purity of monocyte preparations obtained by the use of this method is quite elevated (over 95%), but the yield, although satisfactory for this purpose, is rather poor. As to the test of phagocytosis, a time-response curve using opsonized sheep erythrocytes showed that 10-min incubation gives the best and most reproducible results. A peroxidase reaction is suggested in order to obtain a better evaluation of erythrocytes within monocytes. The test has been proved suitable for evaluation of Fc-receptor function of monocytes in primary biliary cirrhosis, an immunological liver disease, and might be also useful in immune complexes-mediated conditions.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Relationships between smooth muscle and cytoskeleton antibodies in human serum samples.

In order to characterize the relationship between smooth muscle antibodies (SMA) and antibodies directed to the cytoskeleton components (microfilaments, intermediate filaments and microtubules), 338 serum samples from patients with various diseases and from healthy control subjects were tested for SMA and anti-cytoskeleton antibodies using a conventional immunofluorescence method employing traditional substrates and vinblastine-treated fibroblasts. The correspondence between SMA and these antibodies turned out to be incomplete and more evident for anti-microfilaments and anti-microtubules than for anti-intermediate filaments antibodies. Our data confirm that SMA are a quite heterogeneous family of antibodies, whose specificities are not entirely related to the cytoskeleton components. Studies with purified antigens will probably characterize these specificities.

Antibodies↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Thyroid autoimmunity in chronic urticaria.

A subset of patients with idiopathic chronic urticaria (CU) has been recently classified as autoimmune on the basis of two main findings: association with thyroid autoimmunity and with anti-IgE and/or anti-IgE receptor antibodies. The association of CU with thyroid autoimmunity has been known since 1983, but its frequency varies in different reports. The objective of the present study was to verify the prevalence of thyroid antibodies (anti-thyroid peroxidase, TPO; thyroglobulin, TG; TSH-receptor, TSH-R) in two distinct series of CU: of known cause (70 cases, group A) and idiopathic (52 cases, group B). Twenty-three patients (M/F:7/16) of group A (33%) and 12 (M/F:4/8) of group B (23%) tested positive for at least one type of thyroid antibody. The difference was not statistically significant. Thyroid disease or altered serum TSH levels (requiring treatment) were present in 39% of group A and 42% of group B seropositive patients. In conclusion, the present study shows that CU, either of known cause or idiopathic, is more common in females than in males and is significantly associated with thyroid autoimmunity. These results were not expected on the assumption that autoimmune phenomena are a specific pattern of idiopathic CU. Thus, screening for thyroid autoimmunity and function is advisable in all patients with CU for the early identification of patients requiring either treatment of underlying thyroid dysfunction or follow-up.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied