The clinical spectrum of primary Sjögren's syndrome: beyond exocrine glands

Although primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a mild indolent chronic disease mainly characterized by mucosal dryness in the majority of cases, a consistent subgroup of patients display extra-glandular manifestations. Virtually any organs and systems can be affected, leading to a more serious disease prognosis. Therefore, the prompt identification of patients at higher risk of extra-glandular manifestations is necessary to start a thorough follow up and an aggressive treatment. The aim of this review article is to provide an overview of epidemiological, clinical and serological features of extra-glandular manifestations in pSS as well as current knowledge about putative biomarkers useful in clinical practice

Global Analysis with SNO: Toward the Solution of the Solar Neutrino Problem

We perform a global analysis of the latest solar neutrino data including the SNO result on the CC-event rate. This result further favors the LMA solution of the solar neutrino problem. The best fit values of parameters we find are: \Delta m^2 = (4.8 - 5.0)10^{-5} eV^2, tan^2 \theta = 0.35 - 0.38, f_B = 1.08 - 1.12, and f_{hep} = 1 - 4. With respect to this best fit the LOW solution is accepted at 90% C.L.. The Vacuum oscillation solution with \Delta m^2 = 1.4 10^{-10} eV^2, gives good fit of the data provided that the boron neutrino flux is substantially smaller than the SSM flux (f_B \sim 0.5). The SMA solution is accepted only at 3\sigma level. We find that vacuum oscillations to sterile neutrino, VAC(sterile), with f_B \sim 0.5 also give rather good global fit of the data. All other sterile solutions are strongly disfavored. We check the quality of the fit by constructing the pull-off diagrams of observables. Predictions for the day-night asymmetry, spectrum distortion and NC/CC ratio at SNO are calculated. In the best fit points of the global solutions we find: A_{DN}^{CC} \approx (7 - 8)% for LMA, \sim 3% for LOW, and (2 - 3)% for SMA. It will be difficult to see the distortion of the spectrum expected for LMA as well as LOW solutions. However, future SNO spectral data can significantly affect the VAC and SMA solutions. We also calculate expectations for the BOREXINO rate.Comment: 35 pages, latex, 9 figures; results of analysis slightly changed due to different treatment of the hep neutrino flux; predictions for NC/CC ratio and Borexino rate adde

Extra-articular rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that mainly affects the joints, though a consistent proportion of patients may also display extra articular manifestations (EAMs). From rheumatoid nodules to interstitial lung disease, from cardiovascular events to vasculitis, the spectrum of EAMs encompasses various conditions with different prognoses. EAMs may also occur as first RA manifestation, therefore the coordination with other health professionals, including general practitioners, is needed. The aim of this article is to provide an overview on EAMs in RA with particular focus on the recognised risk factors and the available recommendations for managing them, as well as comorbidities in RA patients

Possible international directive for quality control of bee pollen

Comunicação oral da qual só está disponível a apresentação.Possible international directive for quality control of bee pollen.Fundação Ciência e Tecnologia de Portugal POCTI (FEDER) & COMPETE, Ciência Viv

Propolis: Chemical Composition, Biological Properties And Therapeutic Activity

The plant sources and chemical composition of propolis are reviewed. The chemical constituents that may be relevant to its biological and therapeutic activity are discussed. The cytotoxic activity and antimicrobial and pharmacological properties of propolis are presented. Propolis components, which cause allergy and are responsible for anticancer activity, eg, caffeic acid derivatives, are reported. The therapeutic efficacy of propolis in treating diseases caused by microorganisms is described. Some recent concepts about propolis and its use in medicine are presented. © 1995.262839

Different Lethal Effects By Enzyme-generated Triplet Indole-3-aldehyde In Different Escherichia Coli Strains

Strains of Escherichia coli which lack 4-thiouridine (S4U) exhibit a higher survival rate than their wild-type parents which contain S4U after treatment with enzyme-generated triplet indole-3-aldehyde. In a similar manner to results obtained with monochromatic 334 nm UV light, the survival is related to single-strand breakage of DNA in E. coli containing the pBR 322 plasmid. The effects of the excited states generated by an enzymatic system suggest that S4U is an important chromophore in the lethal effects observed. The results also suggest that the energy transferred from triplet indole-3-aldehyde to S4U may also be passed from S4U of T-RNA to DNA, possibly through a singlet oxygen intermediate generated by excited S4U, resulting in a decrease in the survival rate of E. coli containing S4U. These results emphasize the importance of excited states in biological systems. © 1990.44371378Peak, Peak, Nerad, The role of 4-thiouridine in lethal effects and in DNA backbone breakage caused by 334 nm ultraviolet light in Escherichia coli (1983) Photochem. Photobiol., 37, pp. 169-172De Mello, De Toledo, Durán, Photo- and biophotoenergized cycloaddition of indole-3-aldehyde to uridine (1981) Acta Sud Am. Quim., 1, pp. 135-141Durán, Brunet, Gallardo, An experiment in photochemistry α-Oxidation of indole-3-acetic acid catalyzed by peroxidase (1984) Biochemical Education, 12, pp. 173-178Durán, Cadenas, The role of singlet oxygen and triplet carbonyls in biological systems (1987) Reviews of Chemical Intermediates, 8, pp. 147-187De Mello, De Toledo, Haun, Cilento, Durán, Excited indole-3-aldehyde from peroxidase catalyzed aerobic oxidation of indole-3-acetic acid. Reaction with and energy transfer to transfer-ribonucleic acid (1980) Biochemistry, 19, pp. 5270-5275De Mello, de Toledo, Aoyama, Sarkar, Cilento, Durán, Peroxidase-generated triplet indole-3-aldehyde adds to uridine bases and excites the 4-thiouridine group in t-RNA(Phe) (1982) Photochem. Photobiol., 36, pp. 21-24Durán, Marcucci, De Mello, Faljoni-Alario, Enzymatically generated electronically excited molecules induce transformation of 4-thiouridine to uridine (1983) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 117, pp. 923-929Durán, De Mello, Photobiochemistry of 4-thiouridine in E coli t-RNA (1983) Photochemistry and Photobiology, 37, p. S11De Toledo, Zaha, Durán, DNA strand scission in E. coli by electronically excites state molecules generated by enzymatic systems (1982) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 104, pp. 990-995Menck, Cabral Neto, Faljoni-Alario, Alcantara-Gomes, Damage induced in λ-phase DNA by enzyme-generated triplet acetone (1985) Mutat. Res., 165, pp. 9-14Guillo, De Toledo, Durán, Attemptet detection by fluorescence probes of DNA modifications produced by bioenergized triplet acetone (1983) Photobiochem. Photobiophys., 6, pp. 177-186Nassi, Schiffmann, Fabre, Adam, Fuchs, Induction of the SOS function sfiA in E. coli by systems which generate triplet ketones (1988) Mutat. Res., 198, pp. 53-60Durán, Marcucci, De Mello, Leite, Faljoni-Alario, DNA modification through biophotoenergized processes on t-RNA (1984) Photochem. Photobiol., 39, p. 80SDurán, Marcucci, Gatti, Leite, Lethal effect and DNA breakage caused by biophotoenergized indole-3-aldehyde in E. coli (1986) Int. Symp. on Free Radicals and Excited State in Biological Systems, Buenos Aires, , Abstract 16Birnboim, Doty, A rapid alkaline extraction procedure for screening recombinant plasmid DNA (1979) Nucleic Acids Research, Z, pp. 1513-1520Durán, Faria-Furtado, Faljoni-Alario, Campa, Brunet, Freer, Singlet oxygen generation from the peroxidase-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of an activated —CH substrate (1984) Journal of Photochemistry, 25, pp. 285-295Hardwick, Von Sprecken, Yielding, Yielding, Ethidium binding sites in plasmid DNA determined by photoaffinity labeling (1984) J. Biol. Chem., 159, pp. 11090-11097Hass, Webb, Photodynamic effects of dyes on bacteria. I. V. Lethal effects of acridine orange and 460 or 500 nm monochromatic light in strains of Escherichiacoli that differ in repair capability (1981) Mutat. Res., 81, pp. 277-285Salet, Bazin, Moreno, Favre, 4-Thiouridine as photodynamic agent (1985) Photochemistry and Photobiology, 41, pp. 617-619Thomas, Favre, 4-Thiouridine triggers both growth delay induced by near-ultraviolet light photoprotection (1980) Eur. J. Biochem., 113, pp. 825-834Tsai, Jagger, The roles of the Rel(+) gene and of 4-thiouridine in killing photoprotection of Escherichia coli by near ultraviolet radiation (1981) Photochem. Photobiol., 33, pp. 825-834Caldeira de Araujo, Favre, Near ultraviolet DNA damage induces the SOS response in Escherichia coli (1986) EMBO J., 5, pp. 175-179Peak, Peak, MacCoss, DNA breakage caused by 334 nm ultraviolet light enhanced by naturally occurring nucleic acid components nucleotide coenzymes (1984) Photochem. Photobiol., 39, pp. 713-716Peak, Peak, Foote, Observation on the photosensitized breakage of DNA by 2-thiouracil and 334 nm ultraviolet radiation (1986) Photochem. Photobiol., 44, pp. 111-116Town, Smith, Kaplan, DNA polymerase required for rapid repair of X-rays-induced DNA strand breaks in vivo (1971) Science, 171, pp. 851-854Smith, Sargentini, Metabolically produced UV-like DNA damage and its role in spontaneous mutagenesis (1985) Photochem. Photobiol., 42, pp. 801-803Durán, Campa, Leite, Cilento, Cadenas, Microsomal lipid peroxidation concomitant to peroxidase-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of indole-3-acetate (1986) Photobiochem. Photobiophys., 11, pp. 281-29