Statins activate the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis in human lymphoblasts and myeloma cells

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Bone-Resorbing Cells in Multiple Myeloma: Osteoclasts, Myeloma Cell Polykaryons, or Both?

Abstract Myeloma bone disease (MBD) leads to progressive destruction of the skeleton and is the most severe cause of morbidity in multiple myeloma. Its pathogenetic mechanisms are not fully understood, though the current evidence points to osteoclast (OC) hyperactivity coupled with defective osteoblast function unable to counteract bone resorption. OCs are generated in bone marrow by myeloid progenitors through increased levels of receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand and M-CSF, whose intracellular pathways propagate signals that activate sequential transcription factors, resulting in the production of major OC enzymes that drive specific functions such as acidification and degradation of the bone matrix. Osteolytic lesions, however, are not characterized by massive OC content, whereas malignant plasma cells, which are usually present in a high number, may occur as large multinucleated cells. The possibility that myeloma cells fuse and generate polykaryons in vivo is suggested by the in vitro formation of multinuclear cells that express tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and produce pits and erosive lacunae on experimental osteologic substrates. Further, the detection in vivo of polykaryons with chromosome translocations typical of myeloma cells lends support to the view that myeloma polykaryons may act as functional OCs and participate in the skeletal destruction by resorbing bone

Ocular sarcoidosis : clinical experience and recent pathogenetic and therapeutic advancements

Purpose To describe the ocular manifestations in a cohort of patients with systemic sarcoidosis (SS). Recent advances in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapy of SS are also discussed. Methods Data from 115 Italian patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. All but the first 17 patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmologic examination. The diagnosis was based on clinical features, the demonstration of non-caseating granulomas in biopsies from involved organs, and multiple imaging techniques. Data on broncho-alveolar lavage fluid analysis, calcemia, calciuria, serum angiotensin-converting enzyme levels and soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels were retrieved when available. Results Ocular involvement, detected in 33 patients (28.7%), was bilateral in 29 (87.9%) and the presenting feature in 13 (39.4%). Anterior uveitis was diagnosed in 12 patients (36.4%), Lofgren syndrome and uveoparotid fever in one patient each (3%), intermediate uveitis in 3 patients (9.1%), posterior uveitis in 7 (21.2%), and panuveitis in 9 (27.3%). First-line therapy consisted of corticosteroids, administered as eyedrops (10 patients), sub-Tenon's injections (1 patient), intravitreal implants (9 patients), or systemically (23 patients). Second-line therapy consisted of steroid-sparing immunosuppressants, including methotrexate (10 patients) and azathioprine (10 patients). Based on pathogenetic indications that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is a central mediator of granuloma formation, adalimumab, targeting TNF-alpha, was employed in 6 patients as a third-line agent for severe/refractory chronic sarcoidosis. Conclusion Uveitis of protean type, onset, duration, and course remains the most frequent ocular manifestation of SS. Diagnostic and therapeutic advancements have remarkably improved the overall visual prognosis. An ophthalmologist should be a constant component in the multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of this often challenging but intriguing disease.Peer reviewe

Takayasu arteritis: a cohort of Italian patients and recent pathogenetic and therapeutic advances

Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a rare granulomatous vasculitis of unknown etiology that mainly affects the aorta and its major branches. The aim is to describe the clinical features, diagnostic procedures, pathogenesis, and management of TAK in a longitudinal cohort of patients recruited within a single region of southern Italy. The cohort included 43 patients who were diagnosed with TAK and followed up according to a standard protocol, in a collaboration between four university tertiary referral centers and a regional hospital. Clinical and imaging classification criteria were those established by the American College of Rheumatology. Thirty-five patients (81.4%) were female, and the mean age at disease onset was 32.6 (range 16-54) years. Angiographic assessment of the vascular involvement allowed disease classification in five different types. Clinical features ranged from constitutional symptoms in the early inflammatory stage of the disease to cardiovascular ischemic symptoms in the late, chronic stage. Noninvasive imaging techniques were employed to assess the extent and severity of the arterial wall damage and to monitor the clinical course and response to therapy. Medical treatment, based on pathogenetic insights into the roles of humoral and cell-mediated immune mechanisms, included glucocorticoids mostly combined with steroid-sparing immunosuppressive agents and, in patients with relapsing/refractory disease, biologic drugs. Significant clinical and angiographic differences have been detected in TAK patients from different geographic areas. Patients with life-threatening cardiovascular and neurologic manifestations as well as sight-threatening ophthalmologic signs and symptoms should be promptly diagnosed, properly treated, and closely followed up to avoid potentially severe consequences

Proteolytic Activity of Human Lymphoid Tumor Cells. Correlation with Tumor Progression

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and production are associated with advanced-stage tumor and contribute to tumor progression, invasion and metastases. The current study was designed to determine the expression and production of MMP-2 (gelatinase A) and MMP-9 (gelatinase B) by human lymphoid tumor cells. Changes in expression and production were also investigated during tumor progression of multiple myeloma and mycosis fungoides. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that lymphoblastic leukemia B cells (SB cell line), multiple myeloma (MM) cells (U266 cell line) and lymphoblastic leukemia T cells (CEM and Jurkat cell lines) express constitutively the mRNA for MMP-2 and/or MMP-9. We demonstrated by gelatin-zymography of cell culture medium that both enzymes were secreted in their cleaved (activated) form. In situ hybridization of bone marrow plasma cells and gelatin- zymography of the medium showed that patients with active MM (diagnosis, relapse, leukemic progression) express higher levels of MMP-2 mRNA and protein than patients with non-active MM (complete/objective response, plateau) and with monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined significance (MGUS). MMP-9 expression and secretion was similar in all patient groups. In patients with mycosis fungoides (MF), the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNAs was significantly upregulated with advancing stage, in terms of lesions both positive for one of two mRNAs and with the greatest intensity of expression. Besides MF cells, the MMP-2 and/or MMP-9 mRNAs were expressed by some stromal cell populations (microvascular endothelial cells, fibroblasts, macrophages), suggesting that these cells cooperate in the process of tumor invasion. Our studies identify MMPs as an important class of proteinases involved in the extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation by human lymphoid tumors, and suggest that MMPs inhibitors may lead to important new treatment for their control

Assessment of total hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein in HCV-related mixed cryoglobulinemia

INTRODUCTION: In hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related mixed cryoglobulinemia (MCG), the nonenveloped HCV core protein (HCV-Cp) is a constituent of the characteristic cold-precipitating immune complexes (ICs). A possible correlation between HCV-Cp, virologic, laboratory, and clinical parameters in both untreated MCG patients and those undergoing specific treatment was explored. METHODS: HCV-Cp was quantified by a fully automated immune assay. Correlations between HCV-Cp and HCV RNA, cryocrit, and virus genotype (gt) were investigated in 102 chronically HCV-infected MCG patients. RESULTS: HCV-Cp concentrations strongly correlated with HCV RNA levels in baseline samples. An average ratio of 1,425 IU and 12,850 IU HCV RNA per picogram HCV-Cp was estimated in HCV gt-1 and gt-2 patients, respectively. This equation allowed us to estimate that, on average, HCV-Cp was associated with the viral genome in only 3.4% of the former and in 35% of the latter group of patients. The direct relation between HCV-Cp and the cryocrit level suggests that the protein directly influences the amount of cryoprecipitate. Although the therapy with rituximab (RTX) as a single agent resulted in the enhancement of HCV-Cp levels, in patients treated with RTX in combination with a specific antiviral therapy (pegylated interferon-α plus ribavirin), the prompt and effective clearance of HCV-Cp was documented. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provide evidence that HCV-Cp has a direct effect on the cold-precipitation process in a virus genotype-dependence in HCV-related MCG patients

Clinical correlates of a subset of anti-CENP-A antibodies cross-reacting with FOXE3p53-62 in systemic sclerosis

INTRODUCTION: In a subset of patients with limited cutaneous (lc) systemic sclerosis (SSc), anti-CENP-A antibodies (Ab) cross-react with a peptide (FOXE3p53-62) that presents striking homology with one of the two immunodominant epitopes of CENP-A (Ap17-30). We searched for clinical correlates of anti-FOXE3p53-62 Ab by measuring their levels along with those of Ab to Ap17-30 and to the second immunodominant epitope of CENP-A, namely Ap1-17. METHODS: Serum samples were obtained from 121 patients with SSc, 46 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 25 healthy blood donors (HBD). The reactivity of serum IgG to Ap1-17, Ap17-30 and FOXE3p53-62 was measured by ELISA. The corresponding anti-peptide Ab were affinity-purified from pooled SSc sera and used to establish standard curves for quantifying these Ab in patients and HBD. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, comparing SSc patients who were positive for anti-CENP Ab (ACA+) to those who were negative, was used to find cut-off points for dichotomizing the anti-peptide Ab levels into positive and negative. Clinical records were reviewed to extract demographic data and information about organ involvement and disease activity. RESULTS: Of 121 SSc sera, 75 were ACA+; 88.0% of these samples reacted with Ap1-17, 82.6% with Ap17-30 and 53.3% with FOXE3p53-62. Among the 46 ACA- SSc sera, 2.2% reacted with Ap1-17, 4.3% with Ap17-30 and 11% with FOXE3p53-62. The levels of these Ab were low in ACA-, SLE and HBD groups and not significantly different among them. When ACA+ SSc patients were divided into subgroups positive or negative for anti-FOXE3p53-62 Ab, the only variables that were significantly different between groups were the levels of anti-Ap17-30 Ab and disease activity index (DAI). There was a significant association between negativity for anti-FOXE3p53-62 Ab and active disease defined as either DAI ≥3 (Fisher exact test, P = 0.045) or less restrictive DAI≥2.5 (P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: ACA+-Anti-FOXE3p53-62+Ab identifies a subgroup of patients with lcSSc who are less likely to develop active disease. In lc SSc patients at presentation, anti-FOXE3p53-62+ can be a marker with prognostic significance