Interleukin-10 may protect against progressing injury during the acute phase of ischemic stroke

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease, and ischemic stroke is one of its most common and devastating manifestations. Proinflammatory cytokines play a key role in the progression of the irreversible ischemic lesions. The presence of anti-inflammatory mediators may prevent secondary ischemic injury. Objectives 1) To assess the relationship between stroke severity and the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-10; and 2) To analyze the neurological outcome after 72 h of ischemic stroke onset and expression of interleukins. Method We measured the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-2, and IL-10 in 26 patients with acute stroke. Neurological impairment was scored using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale within the first 72 h after stroke onset. Thirty healthy subjects were analyzed as controls. Results Patients with IL-10 <925.0 pg/mL presented with neurological deterioration within the first 72 h. Conclusion IL-10 may protect against ischemic injury during the acute phase of stroke

Componentes C3 e C4 do sistema complemento como biomarcadores no diagnóstico de asma atópica intermitente

OBJETIVO: Analisar os componentes séricos C3 e C4 do sistema complemento como possíveis biomarcadores de asma atópica intermitente. MÉTODOS: Determinação dos níveis séricos dos componentes C3 e C4 do complemento em 70 crianças com história de "chiado no peito” entre 3 e 14 anos. Após 2 anos de acompanhamento ambulatorial, seguindo-se critérios de inclusão e exclusão, as crianças foram divididas em 2 grupos: 40 crianças com asma atópica intermitente e 30 crianças sem asma. Não houve uso de corticosteroides inalatórios ou sistêmicos ou de broncodilatadores de ação prolongada em nenhum dos grupos. Os dois grupos apresentaram faixas etárias semelhantes, comparadas pelo teste t de Student. Os resultados dos componentes C3 e C4 mostraram distribuição normal e foram então comparados utilizando-se o teste t de Student, considerando-se significante quando p < 0,05. RESULTADOS: Os valores observados no grupo de crianças portadoras de asma atópica intermitente mostraram aumentos significativos para: C3 em 85,0% das crianças; C4 em 87,5%; C3 e C4 em 72,5%; C3 ou C4 em 97,5%, quando comparados aos valores observados das crianças sem asma e da mesma faixa etária. CONCLUSÃO: Observamos um aumento dos valores séricos dos componentes C3 e/ou C4 do sistema complemento na maioria das crianças estudadas portadoras de asma atópica intermitente, em comparação aos valores de crianças sem asma, da mesma faixa etária. Concluímos que a presença de valores aumentados dos componentes C3 e/ou C4 do complemento possa representar um biomarcador no diagnóstico de asma atópica intermitente

A Novel de Novo Mutation in the CD40 Ligand Gene in a Patient With a Mild X-Linked Hyper-IgM Phenotype Initially Diagnosed as CVID: New Aspects of Old Diseases

Mutations in the CD40 ligand (CD40L) gene (CD40LG) lead to X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome (X-HIGM), which is a primary immunodeficiency (PID) characterized by decreased serum levels of IgG and IgA and normal or elevated IgM levels. Although most X-HIGM patients become symptomatic during the first or second year of life, during which they exhibit recurrent infections, some patients exhibit mild phenotypes, which are usually associated with hypomorphic mutations that do not abrogate protein expression or function. Here, we describe a 28-year-old man who initially presented with recurrent infections since the age of 7 years, when he exhibited meningitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. The patient had no family history of immunodeficiency, and based on clinical and laboratory presentation, he was initially diagnosed with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID). In subsequent years, he displayed several sporadic episodes of infection, including pneumonia, pharyngotonsillitis, acute otitis media, rhinosinusitis, fungal dermatosis, and intestinal helminthiasis. The evaluation of CD40L expression on the surface of activated CD3+CD4+ T cells from the patient showed decreased expression of CD40L. Genetic analysis revealed a novel de novo mutation consisting of a 6-nucleotide insertion in exon 1 of CD40LG, which confirmed the diagnosis of X-HIGM. In this report, we describe a novel mutation in the CD40L gene and highlight the complexities of PID diagnosis in light of atypical phenotypes and hypomorphic mutations as well as the importance of the differential diagnosis of PIDs