206 research outputs found
Capillaroscopy in 2016 : new perspectives in systemic sclerosis
Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disorder of unknown etiology characterized by early impairment of the microvascular system. Nailfold microangiopathy and decreased peripheral blood perfusion are typical clinical aspects of SSc. The best method to evaluate vascular injury is nailfold videocapillaroscopy, which detects peripheral capillary morphology, and classifies and scores the abnormalities into different patterns of microangiopathy. Microangiopathy appears to be the best evaluable predictor of the disease development and has been observed to precede the other symptoms by many years. Peripheral blood perfusion is also impaired in SSc, and there are different methods to assess it: laser Doppler and laser speckle techniques, thermography and other emerging techniques
Quantificação de Pectobacterium em água de irrigação com o uso do meio Cristal Violeta Pectato.
Coexistence of osteopoikilosis with seronegative spondyloarthritis and Raynaud's phenomenon: first case report with evaluation of the nailfold capillary bed and literature review.
Osteopoikilosis (OPK) is a rare autosomal dominant bone disorder characterized by numerous hyperostotic areas that tend to localize in periarticular osseous regions. It is usually asymptomatic and is often diagnosed incidentally during X-rays. OPK may be an isolated finding or associated with other pathologies, e.g. skin manifestations, rheumatic and/or skeletal disorders. We report a literature review and, for the first time, the coexistence of OPK with seronegative spondyloarthritis and Raynaud's phenomenon in a 48-year old female. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of OPK studied by videocapillaroscopy, demonstrating the absence of specific microvascular abnormalities of nailfold capillaries
Assessment of treatment effects on digital ulcer and blood perfusion by laser speckle contrast analysis in a patient affected by systemic sclerosis
Laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) is a good tool to evaluate the variation in peripheral blood perfu-sion during long-term follow-up andis able to safely monitor digital ulcer evolution inscleroderma patients. It evaluates blood perfusion in different areas within the skin lesions and surrounding them during standard treatment
Podridão vermelha da raiz da soja em cultivos com diferentes sistemas de manejo e coberturas do solo.
O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito dos sistemas de manejo do solo e de coberturas de inverno sobre o número de propágulos de Fusarium spp. no solo, a incidência da podridão?vermelha?da?raiz (PVR) e a produtividade das cultivares de soja CD 206 e FT Fênix. Foram realizados dois experimentos nos anos agrícolas de 2006/2007 e 2007/2008. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, em parcelas subsubdivididas, com três repetições. Foram avaliados dois sistemas de preparo do solo: plantio direto e revolvimento do solo na profundidade de 25 cm. As coberturas de inverno utilizadas foram: aveia?preta, com duas densidades de plantio; aveia?preta + ervilhaca; azevém; e pousio. A incidência da doença, na safra de 2006/2007, na cultivar FT Fênix, foi menor que na CD 206. Na safra 2007/2008, não houve diferença significativa. Houve incremento na produtividade, de 125 kg ha?1, com o solo revolvido, em comparação ao plantio direto. A cobertura com aveia?preta + ervilhaca apresentou maior número de propágulos de Fusarium spp. no solo, na safra de 2006/2007. No entanto, no segundo ano, essa diferença não foi observada. Os sistemas de preparo do solo e as coberturas de inverno utilizadas não influenciam a incidência da PVR em cultivares de soja ou o número de propágulos de Fusarium spp. no solo. O sistema com solo revolvido proporciona aumento de produtividade da soja, no segundo ano de manejo
Subclinical dermal involvement is detectable by high frequency ultrasound even in patients with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis.
Background: The aim of the study was to detect by skin high-frequency ultrasound (US) possible subclinical skin involvement in patients affected by limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc), in those skin areas apparently not affected by the disease on the basis of a normal modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS). Differences in dermal thickness (DT) in comparison with healthy subjects were investigated. Methods: Fifty patients with lcSSc (age 62 \ub1 13 years (mean \ub1 SD), disease duration 5 \ub1 5 years) and 50 sex-matched and age-matched healthy subjects (age 62 \ub1 11 years) were enrolled. DT was evaluated by both mRSS and US at the usual 17 skin areas (zygoma, fingers, dorsum of the hands, forearms, upper arms, chest, abdomen, thighs, lower legs and feet). Non-parametric tests were used for the statistical analysis. Results: Subclinical dermal involvement was detected by US even in the skin areas in patients with lcSSc, who had a normal local mRSS. In addition, statistically significantly higher mean DT was found in almost all skin areas, when compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.0001 for all areas). In particular, DT was significantly greater in patients with lcSSc than in healthy subjects in four out of six skin areas with a normal mRSS (score = 0) (upper arm, chest and abdomen), despite the clinical classification of lcSSc. Conclusions: This study strongly suggests that subclinical dermal involvement may be detectable by US even in skin areas with a normal mRSS in patients classified as having lcSSc. This should be taken into account during SSc subset classification in clinical studies/trial
Microvascular damage evaluation in systemic sclerosis : the role of nailfold videocapillaroscopy and laser techniques
Microvascular damage and a decrease in peripheral blood perfusion are typical features of systemic sclerosis (SSc) with serious clinical implications, not only for a very early diagnosis, but also for disease progression. Nailfold videocapillaroscopy is a validated and safe imaging technique able to detect peripheral capillary morphology, as well as to classify and to score any nailfold abnormalities into different microangiopathy patterns.
Capillaroscopic analysis is now included in the ACR/EULAR classification criteria for SSc.
The decrease in peripheral blood perfusion is usually associated with microvascular damage in SSc, which may be studied by different methods. Several of these make use of safe laser technologies.
This paper focuses on these new clinical aspects to assess SSc microvascular impairment
SAT0484 TRABECULAR BONE SCORE IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS PATIENTS
Background:Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients shown an increased risk of low bone mass as a result of multifactorial events: physical inactivity, persistent inflammation, low vitamin D levels (photosensitivity) and glucocorticoid treatment. Trabecular Bone Score (TBS), is an index extracted from the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) that provides an indirect measurement of bone axial microarchitecture and allows to get information about bone quality in several rheumatic diseases (1-4).Objectives:The aims of this study were to examine the prevalence and risk factors for low bone mineral density (BMD) (osteoporosis or osteopenia) in female patients affected by SLE and to compare with matched healthy subjects (CNT).Methods:70 female patients (mean age 41±20 years) affected by SLE and 65 age- matched CNT (mean age 46±7 years) were enrolled. Bone Mineral Density (BMD, g/cm2) of the lumbar spine (L1-L4) was analyzed using a DXA scan (GE, Lunar Prodigy). Lumbar spine TBS was derived for each spine DXA examination using the TBS index (TBS iNsight Medimaps).Results:The mean BMD±SD was 0.47±0.57 g/cm2 at the lumbar spine and 0.78 ± 0.22 g/cm2 at the hip in SLE patients. The prevalence of osteopenia was 40.0% and was 19.4% of osteoporosis in SLE patients. Most of SLE patients (75%) presented a bone loss that was significantly higher when compared with control group (p<0.001). Lumbar spine TBS score was found significantly lower in SLE patients compared with CNT (0.687±0.675 vs, 1.294±0.809 p<0.001, respectively) and of 0,47±0,94 times lower than expected from the concomitant reference BMD value.Conclusion:The study shows that the further TBS analysis, independently from the concomitant BMD value, is significatively lower then expected in SLE patients. The detection of the TBS, together with the BMD, may offer a more reliable indication of the real whole bone condition in chronic and systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases, such as SLE.References:[1]Cutolo M et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2009;68 446-7; 2 Dey M et al. Lupus. 018;271547-1551; 3 Ruaro B, Casabella A, et al. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2018;57:1548-1554. 4 Ruaro B, Casabella A, et al. Clin Rheumatol. 2018 Nov;37(11):3057-3062.Disclosure of Interests:Andrea Casabella: None declared, Sabrina Paolino: None declared, Elisa Alessandri: None declared, Vanessa Smith Grant/research support from: The affiliated company received grants from Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO), Belgian Fund for Scientific Research in Rheumatic diseases (FWRO), Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co and Janssen-Cilag NV, Consultant of: Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co, Speakers bureau: Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co and UCB Biopharma Sprl, Barbara Ruaro: None declared, Carmen Pizzorni: None declared, Alberto Sulli Grant/research support from: Laboratori Baldacci, Maurizio Cutolo Grant/research support from: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Actelion, Celgene, Consultant of: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Speakers bureau: Sigma-Alph
Alternatively Activated (M2) Macrophage Phenotype Is Inducible by Endothelin-1 in Cultured Human Macrophages.
Background
Alternatively activated (M2) macrophages are phenotypically characterized by the expression of specific markers, mainly macrophage scavenger receptors (CD204 and CD163) and
mannose receptor-1 (CD206), and participate in the fibrotic process by over-producing profibrotic molecules, such as transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFbeta1) and metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is implicated in the fibrotic process, exerting its profibrotic effects through the interaction with its receptors (ETA and ETB). The study investigated the possible role of ET-1 in inducing the transition from cultured human macrophages
into M2 cells.
Methods
Cultured human monocytes (THP-1 cell line) were activated into macrophages (M0 macrophages) with phorbol myristate acetate and subsequently maintained in growth medium
(M0-controls) or treated with either ET-1 (100nM) or interleukin-4 (IL-4, 10ng/mL, M2
inducer) for 72 hours. Similarly, primary cultures of human peripheral blood monocyte
(PBM)-derived macrophages obtained from healthy subjects, were maintained in growth
medium (untreated cells) or treated with ET-1 or IL-4 for 6 days. Both M0 and PBM-derived
macrophages were pre-treated with ET receptor antagonist (ETA/BRA, bosentan 10-5M) for
1 hour before ET-1 stimulation. Protein and gene expression of CD204, CD206, CD163,
TGFbeta1 were analysed by immunocytochemistry, Western blotting and quantitative real
time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Gene expression of interleukin(IL)-10 and macrophage derived chemokine (CCL-22) was evaluated by qRT-PCR. MMP-9 production was
investigated by gel zymography.
Results
ET-1 significantly increased the expression of M2 phenotype markers CD204, CD206,
CD163, IL-10 and CCL-22, and the production of MMP-9 in both cultures of M0 and PBMderived macrophages compared to M0-controls and untreated cells. In cultured PBMderived macrophages, ET-1 increased TGFbeta1 protein and gene expression compared to
untreated cells. The ET-1-mediated effects were contrasted by ETA/BRA treatment in both
cultured cell types.
Conclusion
ET-1 seems to induce the M2 phenotype in cultured human macrophages, a process apparently contrasted by the action of the ETA/BRA, suggesting possible clinical implications in
those fibrotic diseases characterized by increased ET-1 concentrations, such as systemic
sclerosis but also type 2 diabetes
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