Interleukin-31: a new cytokine involved in inflammation of the skin.

Cytokines affect immune functions involved inmotility, chemotaxis, phagocytosis, cytotoxicityand antigen presentation (1). Interleukins (IL) arepleiotropic cytokines with diverse receptorsignaling pathways whose expression is controlledat multiple levels (2). Interleukin receptors (ILR)have intrinsic roles in regulating and amplifyingthe inflammatory response (3-12).Skin is the largest organ of the body with thespecific immune defense and its inflammatoryconditions include atopic dermatitis, allergies,psoriasis etc. (13-19). Infiltrated lymphocytesproliferate in an activated state in the skin lesion inan autocrine and/or paracrine manner and produceTH2-type cytokines that might evoke immunologicabnormalities (20-23)...

Effect of the compound L-mimosine in an in vivo model of chronic granuloma formation induced by potassium permanganate (KMNO4).

The plant amino acid L-mimosine has recently been suggested to inhibit cells at a regulatory step in late G phase before establishment of active DNA replication forks. In addition, L-mimosine is an extremely effective inhibitor of DNA replication in chromosomes of mammalian nuclei. In this work, the effect of L-mimosine on chronic inflammation induced by dorsal injections of 0.2 ml of a 1:40 saturated crystal solution of potassium permanganate in mice, was studied. Seven days afterwards, all mice developed a subcutaneous granulomatous tissue indicative of chronic inflammatory response at the site of infection. The intraperitoneal administration of L-mimosine (200 μg/dose) to the potassium permanganate treated mice for 5 consecutive days (the first at the same time of inoculation of the KMnO4), produced a significant decrease in size and weight of the granuloma when compared to mice not treated with L-mimosine (controls). In addition, in all mice treated with L-mimosine, there was a strong inhibition of tumor necrosis factor alpha that was revealed in the serum (P<0.05) and in the minced granulomas. Interleukin-6 was not detected in the serum of treated and untreated mice. These findings show for the first time, that L-mimosine may have an anti-inflammatory effect on chronic inflammation and an inhibitory effect on tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6 generation in supernatant fluids of minced granulomas

Autoimmunity and parasites.

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ΔΙΑΓΝΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΣΠΛΑΧΝΙΚΗΣ ΚΥΣΤΙΚΕΡΚΩΣΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΡΟΒΑΤΩΝ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΑΝΟΣΟΕΝΖΥΜΙΚΗ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΑ ELISA

THE ENZYME-LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAPS ELISA, CELISA AND SANDWITCH-ELISA, WERE APPLIED FOR THE DETECTION OF SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES AND CIRCULATING ANTIGEN OF THEPARASITE IN THE SERUM OF 4 EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED SHEEP WITH T.HYDATIGENA, YIELDED FROM ONE DOG EXPERIMENTALLY ALSO INFECTED WITH CYSTICERCUS TENUICOLLIS OFOVINE ORIGINE. THE ANTIGEN USED IN ALL TESTS WAS C .TENUICOLLIS CYST FLUID. THE CONDITIONS AND FACTORS THAT LEAD TO THE PARASITIC PHASE DIAGNOSIS OF THE EXPERIMENTALLY INFECTED SHEEP ARE THEN DESCRIBED. THE EPIZOOTIOLOGICAL STUDY WAS CONCERNED WITH THE EXAMINATION OF 500 SHEEP WITH ELISA, CELISA, SANDWITCH-ELISA, AND C-F TESTS, FOR THE DETECTION OF ANTIBODIES AGAINST VISCERAL CYSTICERCOSIS AS WELL FOR THE DETECTION OF THE CIRCULATING PARASITIC ANTIGEN. OUT OF THE 500 SHEEP SERA EXAMINED, 76,8% WERE POSITIVE. ACCORDING TO THE PREMENTIONED COMBINATIONS 102 OF THE 500 SERA WERE CLASSIFIED IN THE INITIAL INFECTION PHASE, 238 INTHE ADVANCED MIGRATION PHASE, 16 IN THE ELEVATION OF ANTIGEN LIBERATION DURINGTHIS PHASE, WHILE 116 SERA WERE FOUND NEGATIVE. FINALLY, 28 SERA WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO BE CLASSIFIED INTO ANYONE OF THE ABOVE GROUPS. FROM OUR EXPERIENCE ON WHAT ELISA CONCERNS IT IS CONCLUDED THAT IT DOES GIVE SATISFACTORY RESULTS FOR THEDIAGNOSIS OF THE VISCERAL CYSTICERCOSIS.ΣΕ ΟΡΟΥΣ 4 ΠΡΟΒΑΤΩΝ ΠΟΥ ΜΟΛΥΝΘΗΚΑΝ ΠΕΙΡΑΜΑΤΙΚΑ ΜΕ ΑΥΓΑ ΤΗΣ TAENIA HYDATIGENA, ΤΑ ΟΠΟΙΑ ΣΥΛΛΕΧΘΗΚΑΝ ΑΠΟ ΚΟΠΡΑΝΑ ΕΝΟΣ ΣΚΥΛΟΥ ΠΟΥ ΕΙΧΕ ΜΟΛΥΝΘΕΙ ΜΕ ΚΥΣΤΕΙΣ CYSTICERCUS TENUICOLLIS, ΑΝΙΧΝΕΥΤΗΚΑΝ ΕΙΔΙΚΑ ΑΝΤΙΣΩΜΑΤΑ ΚΑΙ ΚΥΚΛΟΦΟΡΟΥΝ ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΟ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ΕΦΑΡΜΟΓΗ ΤΩΝ ΑΝΟΣΟΕΝΖΥΜΙΚΩΝ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΩΝ ELISA IGG, ELISA-IGM, SANDWITCH-ELISA, CELISA ΚΑΙ ΜΕ ΤΗ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΑ ΣΥΝΔΕΣΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΣΥΜΠΛΗΡΩΜΑΤΟΣ. ΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΟ ΓΙΑ ΟΛΕΣ ΤΙΣ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΕΣ ΧΡΗΣΙΜΟΠΟΙΗΘΗΚΕ ΥΓΡΟ ΑΠΟ ΚΥΣΤΗ C.TENUICOLLIS. ΣΤΗ ΣΥΝΕΧΕΙΑ ΑΝΑΦΕΡΘΗΚΑΝ ΟΙ ΣΥΝΘΗΚΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙ ΠΑΡΑΓΟΝΤΕΣ ΠΟΥ ΣΥΝΤΕΛΟΥΝ ΣΤΗ ΔΙΑΓΝΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΦΑΣΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΡΑΣΙΤΩΣΗΣ ΣΤΟΥΣ ΠΕΙΡΑΜΑΤΙΚΑ ΜΟΛΥΣΜΕΝΟΥΣ ΑΜΝΟΥΣ. ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΕΠΙΖΩΟΤΙΟΛΟΓΙΚΗ ΕΡΕΥΝΑΑΠΟ ΤΟΥΣ 500 ΟΡΟΥΣ ΠΡΟΒΑΤΩΝ ΠΟΥ ΕΞΕΤΑΣΘΗΚΑΝ ΜΕ ΤΙΣ ΠΑΡΑΠΑΝΩ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΕΣ ΘΕΤΙΚΟ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑ ΕΔΩΣΕ ΕΝΑ ΠΟΣΟΣΤΟ 76,8%. ΠΙΟ ΑΝΑΛΥΤΙΚΑ ΑΠΟ ΤΟΥΣ 500 ΟΡΟΥΣ ΟΙ 102 ΚΑΤΑΤΑΧΘΗΚΑΝ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΡΧΙΚΗ ΦΑΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΜΟΛΥΝΣΗΣ ΟΙ 238 ΣΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΧΩΡΗΜΕΝΗ ΦΑΣΗ, ΟΙ 16 ΣΤΗΝ ΕΞΑΡΣΗ ΑΠΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΩΣΗΣ ΑΝΤΙΓΟΝΟΥ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΧΩΡΗΜΕΝΗ ΦΑΣΗ ΕΝΩ 116 ΟΡΟΙ ΗΤΑΝ ΑΡΝΗΤΙΚΟΙ. ΤΕΛΟΣ 28 ΟΡΟΙ ΔΕΝ ΚΑΤΕΣΤΗ ΔΥΝΑΤΟ ΝΑ ΤΑΞΙΝΟΜΗΘΟΥΝ ΣΕ ΚΑΜΜΙΑ ΚΑΤΗΓΟΡΙΑ. Η ΑΝΟΣΟΕΝΖΥΜΙΚΗ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΑ ELISA ΤΕΛΙΚΑ ΔΙΝΕΙ ΙΚΑΝΟΠΟΙΗΤΙΚΑ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑΤΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΗ ΔΙΑΓΝΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΡΧΙΚΗΣ ΦΑΣΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΜΟΛΥΝΣΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΣΠΛΑΧΝΙΚΗΣ ΚΥΣΤΙΚΕΡΚΩΣΗΣ ΤΩΝ ΠΡΟΒΑΤΩΝ

Autoimmunity and Parasites

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Role of flavonoids and vitamins in cancer

Flavonoids are naturally occurring polyphenolic plant compounds that are capable of inhibiting histamine and cytokine release from several cells. Many studies suggest that flavonoids are anticancer agents with an apoptotic effect on tumor cells. Studies with animal tumour models have found vitamin deficiency to enhance susceptibility to chemical carcinogenesis and large doses of anti-oxidant vitamins and flavonoids to inhibit carcinogenesis. In some studies flavonoids and/or vitamins were found to reduce the predisposition to develop tumours in animals and humans. In conclusion, in this review we describe the role of flavonoids and vitamins in cancer