5,888 research outputs found
Continuous fermentation of glycerol: a comparative study of two strains of clostridium acetobutylicum
Propagação assexuada da cana-do-reino (Arunda donax L.)
bitstream/item/31272/1/comunicado-158.pd
Pregnancy with autoimmune hepatitis
AIM:
The aim of this study was to review our experience with gestations in autoimmune hepatitis patients.
BACKGROUND:
There are only limited data describing pregnancy in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
Retrospective analysis of pregnancies with autoimmune hepatitis followed in Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Portugal in the last ten years.
RESULTS:
We reported nine pregnancies in seven patients with autoimmune hepatitis. Two patients had documented liver cirrhosis prior to the pregnancy. In this study, 66.7% of patients were treated with azathioprine and 88.9% with prednisolone. Clinical improvements were observed in 11.1% of pregnancies and 22.2% exacerbations were diagnosed. There were six live births and two preterm deliveries (preterm delivery rate of 33%). We also report three first trimester miscarriages (early gestation miscarriage rate of 33%). There were no neonatal or maternal deaths.
CONCLUSION:
The favorable obstetric outcome is a realistic expectation in patients with autoimmune hepatitis. Tight monitoring and control of asymptomatic and unpredictable exacerbations, which are unrelated to the severity of the underlying disease, are essential to the prognosis of the current pregnancyinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Are Anti-Ro52 Antibodies Associated with Pulmonary Involvement in Scleroderma?
Abstract
Introduction: The presence of anti-Ro52 antibodies has been reported in a wide variety of autoimmune diseases,
particularly in myositis, scleroderma and autoimmune liver diseases. Clinical significance of anti-Ro52 antibodies
remains controversial. Studies are lacking in clarifying the association of anti-Ro52 with pulmonary involvement in
scleroderma.
Objectives: To determine if anti-Ro52 antibodies are associated with pulmonary involvement (interstitial, indirect
pulmonary hypertension, or both) in scleroderma.
Methods: Single center, retrospective study based on immunoblotting panel analysis and patients clinical records.
Pulmonary manifestations were sub-grouped in: 1) interstitial (alveolitis and/or fibrosis), 2) pulmonary artery systolic
pressure (PASP) â„40 mmHg plus interstitial pulmonary disease, and 3) isolated PASPâ„40 mmHg (purely vascular).
Results: Our scleroderma cohort included 200 patients, of which 137 had immunoblotting panels with anti-Ro52
reactivity analysis. The search was conducted between January 2010 and July 2011.
The frequency of pulmonary manifestations in patients with positive anti-Ro52 antibodies was 67.7% (n=31), and
60% (n=24) in the negative anti-Ro52 group, showing no significant differences between groups (p=0.621).
Still no significant differences were found when pulmonary manifestations were evaluated according to the
subgroups (p=0.525).
Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of anti-Ro52 reactivity for determining pulmonary
involvement in scleroderma were low.
Conclusion: No association was found between positive anti-Ro52 antibodies and pulmonary involvement in
scleroderma
Our golden rule in Behçet's disease: treating the clinical manifestation
A Doença de Behçet (DB) Ă© uma vasculite sistĂ©mica que pode ser definida na fronteira entre a doença autoimune e autoinflamatĂłria. A sua etiopatogenia ainda nĂŁo Ă© completamente conhecida, embora saibamos que contribuem factores genĂ©ticos (AntigĂ©nios de Histocompatibilidade/ HLA, por exemplo) e ambienciais (maior prevalĂȘncia em zonas especĂficas do globo). HĂĄ cĂ©lulas implicadas no processo patolĂłgico (neutrĂłfilos, macrĂłfagos, linfĂłcitos T reguladores) e outros componentes (factor de necrose tumoral/ TNF, interleucinas) do sistema imune. As formas clĂnicas da DB sĂŁo muito variadas, quer na gravidade, quer nos ĂłrgĂŁos atingidos: Behçet MucocutĂąneo, Behçet Ocular, Vasculobehçet, Neurobehçet, Behçet Intestinal, Behçet CardĂaco. Independentemente dos mecanismos imuno-inflamatĂłrios subjacentes Ă s diversas apresentaçÔes clĂnicas, a terapĂȘutica tem de ser adaptada a cada uma delas. A nossa sĂ©rie de DB, coligida ao longo de 20 anos, Ă© representativa de todo o espectro clĂnico de DB e consideramos Ăștil fazer uma resenha atual da terapĂȘutica indicada, caldeando os dados da literatura, com a nossa experiĂȘncia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Propagules morphology of virolasurinamensis (rol. ex rottb.) warb. (Myristicaceae) of forest in the river Amazonas estuary, AmapĂĄ, Brazil.
LINFOPENIA T CD4 NO LUPUS ERITEMATOSO SISTĂMICO
Abstract: Background: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory chronic disease characterized by the presence of autoantibodies, immunocomplex production and organ injury. Several alterations of the immune system have been described, namely of CD4 T cells, with particular focus on regulatory subgroup. Objective: Quantify peripheral CD4 T cells in a population of patients with SLE and correlate it with lupus activity, affected organs, therapeutics and infections. Methods: Retrospective study involving all SLE patients seen in the clinical immunology outpatient clinic of the Hospital Geral Santo AntĂłnio, Porto that has done some peripheral blood flow cytometry study. Results: Twenty-nine patients have been evaluated, 16 were taking glucocorticoids and six immunossupressors. The mean SLEDAI at the study time was nine and the ECLAM was three. Thirty-one percent of the patients had leukopenia, 76% lymphocytopenia and the same number CD4 depletion. Fifty-five percent of the patients had CD4 levels lower than 500/mm3, 31% lower than 200/mm3. All patients with SLEDAI ?20 and ECLAM ?4 had CD4 counts inferior to 500/mm3 and all patients with inactive disease had CD4 superior to 500/mm3. There have been three opportunistic infections: cryptococcal meningitis, pulmonary aspergilosis, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, all in patients with CD4 counts lower than 500/mm3. Conclusion: Decreased CD4 T cells counts have been very common in this study population. There is an inverse relation between CD4 cells counts and disease activity. Opportunistic infections occurred in patients with severe CD4 depletion. Keywords: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus; CD4 T Lymphocytes; Lymphocytopenia; SLE Activity; Opportunistic infection
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