Leukocytospermia and sperm preparation - a flow cytometric study

Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2009 Nov 19;7:12

Mycosis fungoides: is it a Borrelia burgdorferi-associated disease?

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most frequently found cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with an unknown aetiology. Several aetiopathogenetic mechanisms have been postulated, including persistent viral or bacterial infections. We looked for evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the aetiologic agent of Lyme disease (LD), in a case study of MF patients from Northeastern Italy, an area with endemic LD. Polymerase chain reaction for the flagellin gene of Bb was used to study formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lesional skin biopsies from 83 patients with MF and 83 sex- and age-matched healthy controls with homolocalised cutaneous nevi. Borrelia burgdorferi-specific sequence was detected in 15 out of 83 skin samples of patients with MF (18.1%), but in none out of 83 matched healthy controls (P<0.0001). The Bb positivity rates detected in this study support a possible role for Bb in the aetiopathogenesis of MF in a population endemic for LD

CD69 expression on a-gliadin-specific T cells in coeliac disease

Coeliac disease (CD) is a T-cell mediated immunological disease of the small intestine which is triggered in susceptible individuals by ingestion of gluten. The pathogenic mechanism of coeliac disease, and the role that a-gliadin specific T cells play in mucosal lesions and their involvement in peripheral blood is not yet explained at all. Previous studies have reported proliferative response to a-gliadin measured with the classic assay of 3HTdR incorporation. We analysed the activation antigen CD69 on T cells from CD patients and normal individuals following stimulation with a-gliadin and different antigens (tetanus toxoid, peptides unrelated to gliadin and PHA). CD69 coexpression with T cell CD3+ and proliferation marker Ki67 was evaluated with time. CD69 coexpression with T cell CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ was also evaluated. It was found that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of coeliac patients increased their percentage of CD69 positive T cells when stimulated with a-gliadin, in comparison with cells from controls. Significant T cell activation was found only in subjects not treated with the gluten free diet; a positive response was found also in two coeliac patients with selective IgA deficiency, anti-endomisium negative, without circulat- ing IgA anti a-gliadin or anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies. The CD69 expression after stimulation was compared with the standard method of 3HTdR incorporation. Our data show that CD69 expression is useful to asses a specific T cell response to a-gliadin in coeliac disease. in a very short time. Moreover, the method allows to investigate T cell response at the lymphocyte subsets level, which represents a useful tool in the diagnosis of coeliac disease