17 research outputs found
B Lymphocyte intestinal homing in inflammatory bowel disease
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is thought to be due to an abnormal interaction between the host immune system and commensal microflora. Within the intestinal immune system, B cells produce physiologically natural antibodies but pathologically atypical anti-neutrophil antibodies (xANCAs) are frequently observed in patients with IBD. The objective is to investigate the localisation of immunoglobulin-producing cells (IPCs) in samples of inflamed intestinal tissue taken from patients with IBD, and their possible relationship with clinical features.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The IPCs in small intestinal, colonic and rectal biopsy specimens of patients with IBD were analysed by means of immunofluorescence using polyclonal rabbit anti-human Ig and goat anti-human IgM. The B cell phenotype of the IPC-positive samples was assessed using monoclonal antibodies specific for CD79, CD20, CD23, CD21, CD5, λ and κ chains. Statistical correlations were sought between the histological findings and clinical expression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The study involved 96 patients (64 with ulcerative colitis and 32 with Crohn's disease). Two different patterns of B lymphocyte infiltrates were found in the intestinal tissue: one was characterised by a strong to moderate stromal localisation of small IgM<sup>+</sup>/CD79<sup>+</sup>/CD20<sup>-</sup>/CD21<sup>-</sup>/CD23<sup>-</sup>/CD5<sup>± </sup>IPCs (42.7% of cases); in the other (57.3%) no such small IPCs were detected in stromal or epithelial tissues. <it>IPCs </it>were significantly less frequent in the patients with Crohn's disease than in those with ulcerative colitis (p = 0.004).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings suggest that different immunopathogenetic pathways underlie chronic intestinal inflammation with different clinical expressions. The presence of small B lymphocytes resembling B-1 cells also seemed to be negatively associated with Crohn's disease. It can therefore be inferred that the gut contains an alternative population of B cells that have a regulatory function.</p
L'attrattivitĂ territoriale per la popolazione anziana
Negli ultimi decenni tutti i Paesi più sviluppati sono stati interessati da un forte processo di invecchiamento dovuto essenzialmente all’aumento della speranza di vita e al rallentamento delle nascite, con conseguente aumento della popolazione con età superiore ai 65 anni e una diminuzione della forza lavoro che potrebbe avere gravi effetti per l’economia.
Infatti, se nella metà del ventesimo secolo gli anziani costituivano poco più del 4% della popolazione mondiale, nel 2020 tale cifra ha superato il 9% (World Bank, 2021a), e secondo le stime del Dipartimento degli Affari Economici e Sociali dell’ONU nel 2050, il numero degli over 65 rappresenterà il 17% della popolazione del pianeta. Tuttavia, come afferma l’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità , una gran parte degli ultrasessantacinquenni sono persone in buona salute fisica e mentale, con un potere di acquisto elevato e una notevole propensione di spesa. Inoltre, il cambiamento della situazione personale, familiare, sociale e la maggiore disponibilità di tempo libero comporta anche una maggiore attitudine alla mobilità spaziale tanto che al giorno d’oggi costituiscono il 12% dei flussi migratori mondiali. In tale conteso, una significativa percentuale del movimento complessivo di pensionati (14%) si svolge tra i Paesi europei (United Nations, 2021).
In base a queste indicazioni si è affermata progressivamente una visione diversa dell’età avanzata. Gli anziani non sono più considerati soltanto un effetto frenante sul potenziale di crescita dell’economia, un problema per la sostenibilità dei sistemi pensionistici e assistenziali e per la maggiore pressione fiscale sulla popolazione attiva. Lo stile di vita e le esigenze dei nuovi “giovani anziani”, attivi e in buona salute, già costituiscono una grande opportunità per lo sviluppo economico grazie alla crescente domanda di beni e servizi sia di quelli compresi nei settori produttivi tradizionali sia di quelli più innovativi. Secondo uno studio della Commissione europea, già nel 2015 la cosiddetta silver economy rappresentava il 18% del PIL mondiale, e tale valore continua ad aumentare.
Molti governi, perciò, hanno elaborato strategie per intercettare i flussi migratori di pensionati, valorizzando dotazioni naturali, culturali e, in particolare, offrendo favorevoli condizioni fiscali per i redditi prodotti all’estero. In questo capitolo si esamineranno i fattori di attrattività del territorio per la popolazione anziana e gli impatti positivi che gli immigrati pensionati possono apportare alla nuova residenza
Le aziende del food e gli stakeholder "social": una misurazione della reputazione aziendale emergente dai food blogger
Short-term efficacy of chimeric monoclonal antibody cA2 to tumor necrosis factor a for refractory, fistulizing Crohn's disease
Accuracy of bowel ultrasound in the early detection of intestinal complications in Crohn's disease
Azathioprine is more effective than oral 5-ASA in the treatment of steroid-dependent ulcerative colitis
Local esperience on frequency and significance of immunological overlap in the field of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)
The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and quality of immunological overlap in serum AMA M2 positives. During the period January 2004 - December 2006, out of 3000 sera evaluated, 40 were AMA M2 positive. Six of these (15%) were without immunological overlap; they had clinical, histological and biochemical features of classical PBC with a normal length of life and ursodeoxycholic acid responding. In other 16 patients (40%), there was an association with antibody against antigens as SLA/LP, gp210 and Sp100, that causes the overlap syndrome AIH/PBC with various level of seriousness.The association with anti SLA/LP or with high level of autoantibody anti-Sp100 (index ELISA>10) waspresent in the patients investigated, as AIH type I°. Patients positive for anti gp210 with low anti-Sp100 index had instead a weak overlap AIH/PBC with slow evolving aspects. Nobody was positive for anti-LKM1, anti-LC, PML, or LBR.The remaining 45% of sera were positive for ANA, ENA,ANCA, with different clinical features. The antibody anti-SSARo52 and anti-centromere were frequent (17%) and modified the liver disease evolution.The most serious clinical case was a double overlap anti-centromere/SSARo52 with biochemical and histological AIH symptoms. Other ENA patterns did worsen the prognosis of PBC but showed or were associated with systemic diseases, often after a long asymptomatic period.The ANA IFI positive with a speckled pattern ENA negative, in other 7 patients (17%) worsened the long term prognosis because they expressed an overlap AIH/PBC with slowly evolving aspects.The most serious and intense clinical picture, with transplant perspective, was the association of the AMA M2 with anti Sp100 (index > 10) and pANNA. Four case were male (10%) but females were prevalent