CD4(+)IL-13(+) cells in peripheral blood well correlates with the severity of atopic dermatitis in children

In atopic dermatitis (AD) a Th1/Th2 imbalance has been reported, and interleukin (IL)-13 seems to play a pivotal role in the inflammatory network. We tried to assess the correlation between the immunological marker CD4(+)IL-13(+) and the clinical phase of extrinsic AD in children

Up-regulation of c-FLIPshort and Reduction of Activation-Induced Cell Death in T-cells from Patients with Type 1 Diabetes

AICD of T-cells is an efficient way of removing activated T-lymphocytes. In this study we investigated the molecular basis of AICD upon reactivation in peripheral T-lymphocytes from newly diagnosed T1DM patients and age-matched healthy controls. In an in vitro model system, PHA-stimulated T-cells, upon prolonged culture in IL-2, acquire a sensitive phenotype to Fas-mediated apoptosis. This phenomenon is less pronounced in T1DM T-cells. Moreover, the restimulation of activated T-cells via TCR/CD3 and/or via CD28 inhibits Fas-mediated apoptosis in T1DM in comparison to control T-cells. After Fas triggering, the generation of the active sub-units of caspase-8 is significantly reduced in T1DM T-cells restimulated via TCR/CD3 and/or CD28. In parallel, we found that the amount of c-FLIPshort protein is significantly increased in the DISC only in T1DM T-cells restimulated via TCR/CD3 and via CD28. These data suggest that increased levels of c-FLIPshort may prevent recruitment of pro-caspase-8 in T1DM CD3-treated T-cells and provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis resistance in stimulated T-cells from T1DM patients

Lower insulin sensitivity differentiates hirsute from non-hirsute Sicilian women with polycystic ovary syndrome

OBJECTIVE: It is well known that hyperandrogenism and insulin-resistance with or without compensatory hyperinsulinism are closely associated, but the Rotterdam Consensus has concluded that principally obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) should be evaluated for the metabolic syndrome. Our aim was to study insulin sensitivity in PCOS women with hirsutism regardless of obesity. METHODS: Clinical characteristics, sex hormones and fasting- and after OGTT-glycemia and insulinemia, homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA IR), and Matsuda index of insulin sensitivity were analyzed in 130 women with PCOS. Hirsutism has been evaluated through the Ferriman-Gallwey (FG) map scoring system. RESULTS: PCOS women with hirsutism (57.7% of participants) showed significant higher values of total testosterone levels (P = 0.016), free testosterone (P = 0.027), DHEA sulfate (P = 0.017), and Delta4androstenedione (P = 0.018). They had similar body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.073) and were significantly less insulin sensitive (P = 0.002) than those without hirsutism (42.3% of participants). In women with PCOS and hirsutism, there was a significant correlation between FG score and insulin-sensitivity indexes (HOMA IR, rho = 0.33, P = 0.005; Matsuda index, rho = -0.34, P = 0.003) but not with the androgen levels. Moreover, women with hirsutism showed a significantly greater insulin (P = 0.019), C-peptide (P = 0.002), and glucose (P = 0.024) areas under the curve (auc2h). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the increased responsiveness of the pilo-sebaceous unit to androgens seems to be influenced by insulin sensitivity and that insulin resistance should be assessed in all hirsute women with PCOS regardless of their BMI, as insulin resistance was found in hirsute women irrespective of whether they were overweight or obese