The Role of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Preparations in the Treatment of Systemic Sclerosis

Scleroderma is progressive autoimmune disease associated with severe disability. The major underlying pathological process in scleroderma is progressive development of fibrous tissue and obliteration of the microvasculature. Currently, there are no medical products for the treatment of scleroderma that provide both sufficient immunosuppression and low-risk side safety profile with negligible side effects. There are a large number of experimental data showing that intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has multiple clinical and morphological effects. On the other hand, some authors report good effect of intravenous immune globulins in patients with scleroderma. The less frequent side effects of IVIG in doses below or equal to 2 g/kg/month divided in 5 consecutive days make IVIG a promising treatment of choice in scleroderma

ANTIBODIES DIRECTED TO INDIVIDUAL HISTONES IN JUVENILE CHRONIC ARTHRITIS. ASSOCIATION WITH UVEITIS

The trials for identification of the specific target antigen for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) revealed that a significant number of patients produce antibodies directed to individual histories and histone peptides. Fifty JCA patients, 58 healthy children and 58 children with autoimmune and rheumatologic disorders were studied for a presence of IgG- and IgM-antibodies against histone 1, histone 2 and histone 3 measured by ELISA. The levels of IgGand IgM-antibodies directed to histone 1, 2 and 3 were elevated in JCA as compared to the healthy controls. IgG-antibodies to histone 2 and IgM-antibodies to histone 3 also were elevated in comparison with the disease controls. IgG- and IgM-antibodies against histone 1 were found to be positive in 30 % and 26 % of JCA patients, respectively, in significant association with ANA (p = 0,038 and p = 0,03, respectively) and uveitis (p = 0,02 and p = 0,016, respectively). The same prevalence of IgG- and IgM-antibodies to histone 2 was established but only the IgG-isotype showed significant association with uveitis (p = 0,018). Anti-histone 3 IgG- and IgM-antibodies were found in 34 % and 27 % of JCA patients, respectively. IgM-antibodies to histone 3 were proved to be significantly associated with uveitis (p - 0,009). It was concluded that antibodies to histone 1, histone 2, and histone 3 represented a common serological feature of JCA. Their presence was related to the manifestation of chronic anterior uveitis, associated with JCA

Den männlichen Balkan gibt es nicht. Überlegungen zum visuellen Balkanismus als bildgeschichtliche Kategorie

Einen männlichen Balkan – wie ihn Maria Todorova für textuelle Diskurse diagnostiziert hat – gibt es aus Sicht visueller Darstellungen nicht. Diese Feststellung ist Anlass, nach der geschlechtlichen Zuschreibung des Balkans in visuellen Bildern zu fragen und das Potenzial dieser Zuschreibung als mögliches Differenzkriterium zum visuellen Orientalismus auszuloten. Der Aufsatz ist ein Versuch, den Balkanismus als eigenständige visuelle Kategorie zu konzeptualisieren und ihn anhand gendertheoretischer Überlegungen vom visuellen Orientalismus abzugrenzen. Dabei wird argumentiert, dass der visuelle Balkanismus einen spezifischen Entwurf von Weiblichkeit im Unterschied zum Orientalismus hervorgebracht hat, der sich vom orientalistischen Typus jedoch nicht essenziell als vielmehr graduell unterscheidet

Thromboembolism in Renal Diseases

Patients with renal diseases are prone to both thrombosis and bleeding, as they have profound changes in all three classic components of coagulation, defined approximately 150 years ago by Virchow: blood flow, vessel wall (endothelial injury), and coagulation properties of the blood (e.g., coagulation and fibrinolytic systems and platelets). The prothrombotic state in chronic kidney disease (CKD), glomerular diseases (including systemic lupus and vasculitis), and some less frequent conditions (idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis, antiphospholipid syndrome, hemolytic‐uremic syndrome, etc.) is associated with vascular endothelial damage, increase in certain coagulation and antifibrinolytic factors, decrease in anticoagulation proteins, dyslipidemia, hypoalbuminemia, changes in platelet membranes, hemo‐ and peritoneal dialysis and heparin treatment, increased microRNAs and circulating microparticles, antiphospholipid antibodies, nephrotic syndrome, anemia with high platelet count, and so on. Nevertheless, the same patients have substantially increased risk of bleeding due to platelet dysfunction and intake of certain medications (antiaggregants, heparin and low‐molecular weight heparins, and anemia). The aim of this review is to present the main thrombo‐embolic risk factors in a wide variety of patients with renal diseases, including chronic glomerulonephritis (primary and secondary), chronic renal disease, and idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis. We have evaluated the risk factors for arterial and venous thromboses in a wide variety of renal patients with both glomerular and non‐glomerular diseases, including the presence of nephrotic syndrome, inborn and acquired coagulation defects (i.e., factor V Leiden, MTHFR gene mutation, 20210 prothrombin gene mutation, and antiphospholipid antibodies), corticosteroid treatment, and dyslipidemia. We are describing the results of these investigations and suggesting prophylactic anticoagulant strategies in such patients. Multiple risk factors influence the coagulation system in renal disease leading to both hypercoagulation and hemorrhagic diathesis. Therefore, renal patients should be thoroughly investigated for coagulation abnormalities, especially if pathogenic (i.e., corticosteroid and immunosuppressive) and anticoagulation treatment is to be initiated. Moreover, the doses of anticoagulant/antiaggregant and hemostatic medications should be considered carefully, having in mind the underlying diseases and risk factors, renal function, and concomitant treatment

Influence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Growth and Heavy Metal (Cd & Hg) Uptake of Pinto Peanut (Arachis pintoi)

The pollution of the ecosystem by heavy metals is a real threat to the environment because metals cannot be naturally degraded like organic pollutants and persist in the ecosystem having accumulated in different parts of the food chain. Due to the acute toxicity of heavy metal contaminants, an urgent need to develop low-cost, effective, and sustainable methods to remove or detoxify them from the environment. A study to investigate the growth and heavy metal (Cd and Hg) absorption capacity of Arachis pintoi associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was conducted. The heavy metal (Cadmium and Mercury) uptake of A. pintoi inoculated with arbuscular mycorrizal fungi was also determined and compared by quantifying the heavy metal absorbed by the plants through Atomic Spectrophotometry. Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used as the experimental design with four treatments replicated three times each for Cadmium and mercury were made. The analysis of variance suggests a highly significant difference in the main effect of treatments, the main effect in weeks and their interaction in cadmium and mercury set-up. The results have found out that Treatment 3 (Heavy metal without AMF) in heavy metal cadmium and mercury has the highest heavy metal uptake. The study further recommend that A. pintoi, a widely available and abundant plant species with mycorrhyzal fungi interaction will be a beneficial procedure in reducing heavy metal pollution in soil