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Biomedical subjects

G Valesini

Publications and source records attributed to G Valesini.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Immune complexes in patients with contact dermatitis.

By C1q binding assay, circulating immune complexes (cic) were detected in 19 out of 30 patients with contact dermatitis to nickel or chromium. Their presence was correlated with the duration of the disease, while any patients positive for cic showed any signs of type III immunopathological lesions. Atomic absorption analysis of the polyethlylene glycol precipitates (PEG ppt) from the sera of 16 patients--8 positive and 8 negative for cic--revealed an amount of nickel or chromium significantly higher in the PEG ppt from the sera of patients positive for cic.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1985

Evaluation of T cell subsets in Behçet's syndrome using anti-T cell monoclonal antibodies.

Several immunological abnormalities have been described in Behçet's syndrome, the multisystem disease characterized by the triad of relapsing iridocyclitis with recurrent oral and genital ulcerations. In the present study we have evaluated T cell subsets in the peripheral blood of patients suffering from Behçet's syndrome, using a panel of anti-T cell monoclonal antibodies. When compared with normal subjects, patients with Behçet's syndrome show a discrepancy between the number of T3+ cells and those forming rosettes with sheep erythrocytes, a significantly higher number of T4+ and T8+ double labelled cells, as well as of T6+ lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. The percentage of T8 T lymphocytes is increased, thus lowering the T4+/T8+ cell ratio. The results of this study indicate that a complex imbalance of T cell subsets is present in Behçet's syndrome and give a rationale for possible treatment of these patients with immunomodulators.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Immunoregulation of the in vitro anti-HBs antibody synthesis in chronic HBsAg carriers and in recently boosted anti-hepatitis B vaccine recipients.

We report a study on immunoregulation of in vitro antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) synthesis induced by pokeweed mitogen (PWM) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in chronic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers and in 'high responders', (anti-HBs RIA ratio greater than or equal to 20 in serum), recently boosted with anti-hepatitis B vaccine. Anti-HBs was detected in 11 days PBMC supernatants (SN) from 24 out of 36 'high responders', but in none from 31 chronic HBsAg carriers, despite detectable amounts of polyclonal IgG and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were produced. The lack of anti-HBs production by chronic HBsAg carriers did not seem to be determined by suppressor influences because T lymphocytes from the majority of chronic HBsAg carriers, co-cultured with 'high responders' PBMC did not suppress anti-HBs production. Co-cultures between HBsAg carriers T4 positive (helper/inducer) cells and allogenic 'high responder' non-T cells produced anti-HBs antibody, indicating that HBsAg carrier T cells are not deficient in this allogenic helper function under PWM stimulation. Allogenic cocultures between HBsAg carrier non-T cells and 'high responder' T4 positive cells failed in anti-HBs production: a specific B lymphocyte defect might be involved in the lacking anti-HBs synthesis in chronic HBV patients. Antigen-induced specific anti-HBs synthesis experiments indicate that B cells themselves seem to be the target for HBsAg-induced suppression of anti-HBs antibody response.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Anticardiolipin antibodies: occurrence in Behçet's syndrome.

Anticardiolipin antibodies have recently been described in association with arterial and venous thrombosis, and with neurological symptoms, in connective tissue diseases. In a study of 70 patients with Behçet's syndrome 13 patients had these antibodies. Of these 13 patients eight had a history of either retinal vascular pathology, cerebral infarction, or thrombophlebitis. The association of retinal vascular disease and the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies was statistically significant.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1983

Circulating immune complexes in sera of patients infected with Echinococcus granulosus.

Circulating immune complexes (CIC) were investigated by the C1q binding assay in sera of 23 patients infected with Echinococcus granulosus. For the 23 sera studied, nine were found to be positive in the test. When the samples were grouped according to the cyst localization, the highest rate of CIC positively was found in the group of sera from patients with pulmonary cyst; in this group, double diffusion (DD) and indirect haemagglutination (IHA) tests gave a low rate of positivity for antibodies directed against parasitic antigens. Rheumatoid factor, anti-nuclear and anti-mitochondrial autoantibodies were not detectable in patients' sera by indirect immunofluorescence technique (IIF). Anti-smooth muscle autoantibodies, detectable by IIF, were present in 56% of the sera and this positivity was higher in the hepatic (83%) than in the pulmonary form (40%).

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1982

The Trypanosoma lewisi immunofluorescence test: a new simple technique for simultaneous determination of total antinuclear antibodies and the detection of antibodies to double-stranded DNA.

An indirect immunofluorescence technique was developed for the detection of antibodies to dsDNA and the simultaneous assessment of antinuclear antibodies 'in toto' (ANA). This assay was based upon the use as substrate of smears of peripheral blood derived from rats infected with Trypanosoma lewisi. T. lewisi possesses a giant kinetoplast posteriorly to the nucleus. Enzyme digestion and absorption experiments provided strong evidence that T. lewisi kinetoplast contains dsDNA uncontaminated by other nuclear antigens. The T. lewisi immunofluorescent test was evaluated on a total of 130 sera (30 from patients with SLE) and compared with radioimmunoassays for antibodies to dsDNA ([125I]dsDNA-RIA) and antibodies to ssDNA ([125I]ssDNA-RIA). Excellent correlation was found between kinetoplast immunofluorescence and [125I]dsDNA-RIA, whereas no non-SLE sera showing significant ssDNA binding activity gave kinetoplast staining. With a single exception, only SLE sera reacted with T.lewisi kinetoplast. Sera containing autoantibodies other than ANA did not induce fluorescence of any part of the parasite, including the flagellum and its base. These results indicate that the T. lewisi immunofluorescence test is specific and reliable, and combines the advantages of Crithidia luciliae with those of Trypanosoma gambiense. It may be used routinely for evaluation of total ANA and simultaneous detection of antibodies against dsDNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Circulating immune complexes in Behçet's syndrome: purification, characterization and cross-reactivity studies.

The C1q-binding assay was performed on 30 sera from patients with Behçet's syndrome and circulating immune complexes were found in 46%. Circulating immune complexes were isolated and purified from the sera of two patients by immunoadsorption on a column of polymethylmetacrylate beads coated with C1q and then labelled with 125I. In double immunodiffusion these purified immune complexes were found to contain IgG, C1q, C1s and C3. Anti-IgG activity was not detectable in the purified immune complexes while specific cross-reactivity was found in a solid-phase radioimmunoassay with the majority of the sera of behçet's syndrome.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1980

IgA deficiency and circulating immune complexes in Neapolitan children with fatal acute respiratory infections.

Immunoglobulins, C3 and C4 levels and circulating immune complexes have been measured on admission sera from 34 children admitted to a Naples hospital during the winter of 1978/79 with severe, usually fatal, acute respiratory infections and in age-matched controls from Rome. The Naples sera were characterised by low IgA, C3, and C4 levels, increased IgM and IgG concentrations, and high titres of circulating immune complexes. These immunological abnormalities could explain the high concentration of fatal cases.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cell-mediated antisperm immunity in selected forms of male infertility.

Leukocyte migration inhibition test (LMT) with semipurified spermatozoal antigen was carried out in two groups: normal males (fertile subjects before vasectomy; normal volunteers) and selected forms of male infertility. The percent positivity to the LMT in all the pathological groups considered, compared with controls positivity in only one out of 40 cases and only at the highest concentrations of Ag, stresses the important role played by cell-mediated antisperm immunity in male infertility. No characteristic seminal pattern was observed in the patients with positive LMT, probably on account of the particular selection of the patients studied. Finally, no significant correlation between humoral and cell-mediated antisperm immunity was observed, at least not in these selected series of patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vasectomy: study of circulating immune-complexes and its correlation with antisperm immunity in man, with a twelve-month follow-up study.

Circulating immune-complexes (CIC) have been detected in sera of vasectomized subjects using the Clq Binding Assay. Results seem to indicate that CIC are a feature of the early post-operative period and a consequence of acute immunization against sperm antigens. The progressive disappearance of CIC from the third month after vasectomy with the simultaneous increase in antisperm antibody percentage and titre suggests that CIC could be a temporary feature in vasectomized men and do not lead to a chronic disease, related to a Type III immune reaction.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cardiac involvement in Behçet's disease.

To assess the prevalence and the extent of cardiac involvement in patients with Behçet's disease and to investigate the possible causes that may predispose to this involvement, 30 patients affected by Behçet's disease and 30 normal control subjects were submitted to M-mode, two-dimensional, and Doppler echocardiographic evaluation. Moreover, antinuclear and anticardiolipin autoantibodies were determined in the sera of both patients and control subjects. Finally, HLA-B51 positivity was assessed in the patients and in a historical control group. Mitral valve prolapse was observed in 50% and proximal aorta dilatation in 30% of the patients. There was a significant difference in the rate of these abnormalities in comparison with the control group. Left ventricular function parameters were similar between the two groups. The positivity rate of antinuclear and anticardiolipin autoantibodies was very low (7%), without differences between the groups. HLA-B51 was detected in 82.7% of the patients versus 21.7% in the control group (p < 0.00001). In conclusion, this study demonstrates a high rate of cardiac abnormalities in patients with Behçet's disease.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The lactoferrin tear test in the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome.

PURPOSE: To assess the sensitivity and specificity of the lactoferrin tear test (LTT) in the diagnosis of keratoconjunctivitis sicca due to Sjögren's syndrome (SS), comparing it with the other lacrimal tests and with immunological tests. METHODS: 25 patients suffering from SS (24 women and 1 man, median age 51.5 years, s.d. 16.3); control group: 20 patients with various kinds of conjunctivitis without dry eye. Tests in both groups: Schirmer I (ST), BUT, ferning test, lactoferrin immunoassay, fluorescein and Rose Bengal staining. Immunological tests: serum titers of anti-nuclear (ANA), anti-DNA, anti-ENA (SS-A, SS-B, RNP, FR) antibodies. In the patients with SS, labial salivary gland biopsy was also performed. RESULTS: LTT had a specificity of 95% and a sensitivity of 72%, compared to 85% and 64% for the Schirmer I test. The ferning test has the highest sensitivity (92%), and none of the cases positive to BUT was negative to the ferning test. The combination of LTT and ferning test gave a value of 78% compared to 70% with ST. The correlations between positive LTT and positive ANA, SS-A and labial biopsy were respectively 83%, 67% and 80%, as against 67%, 50% and 65% for the Schirmer I test. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, LTT showed very high specificity, good sensitivity particularly when combined with qualitative tear tests, and a good correlation with the immunological and bioptic tests for SS. Since it is easy to perform, in our opinion LTT can be included in the diagnostic routine for keratoconjunctivitis sicca in SS.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The role of interleukin-12 in immune-mediated rheumatic diseases].

OBJECTIVE: IL-12 is a proinflammatory cytokine produced by different antigen presenting cells. It has been shown to exert a critical role in inducing Th1 phenotype, thus initiating cell-mediated immune responses, but the significance of IL-12 in rheumatic diseases is not clear. Aim of the study was to determine IL-12 serum levels in immune rheumatic diseases and to analyse the relationship of this cytokine with main clinical and laboratory parameters. METHODS: We analysed, by ELISA, serum IL-12 levels in 114 patients with SLE, 47 with SS, 32 with SSc, 84 with RA, 138 with PA and in 17 healthy controls. We also examined main clinical and laboratory parameters, including autoantibody profile and clinical indices of disease activity. RESULTS: IL-12 serum levels were significantly higher in SLE and SS patients respect to controls. IL-12 serum levels were significantly higher in SLE patients compared to those affected by RA, PA and SSc. When we evaluated disease activity in SLE patients, we found significantly higher IL-12 serum levels in subjects with fever or in those without renal involvement, while no correlation was found in the other rheumatic immune diseases. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that IL-12, modulating cell and humoral immune responses, is involved in the pathogenesis of immune rheumatic diseases, such as SLE and SS.

Adolescent↗