Therapeutic effect of bovine albumin in the experimental fat embolism syndrome

The toxic effects of the free fatty acids (FFA) are responsible for the initiation and the clinical manifestations of the fat embolism syndrome (FES). Serum albumin binds to the FFA and by producing atoxic compounds it has a therapeutic effect on the syndrome. In this study we applied bovine albumin to 48 Sprague-Dawley rats which were previously submitted to intravenous infusions of FFA solutions (oleic, palmitic, stearic). The histopathologic lesions observed in their lungs were compared to those of 50 control animals suffering from the FES. The administration of 0.5% bovine albumin solution intravenously and 0.2% intraperitoneally, especially when it was synchronous to the FFA infusion and not metachronous, resulted in substantial and statistically significant therapeutic effects.     

Exploring professional identity in rehabilitation professions: a scoping review

Advances in Health Sciences Education - Professional identity is believed to foster self-confidence and resilience in health care professionals. While literature exists describing professional...     

Pleural effusion in psoriatic arthritis patients: a case series and review of the literature

Clinical Rheumatology - Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with psoriasis. Pulmonary involvement is a rare extra-articular manifestation of the disease...     

Distribution of MICA alleles and haplotypes associated with HLA-B in Greek population

IntroductionThe Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I-related chain A gene (MICA) is a highly polymorphic functional gene located close to the HLA-B locus. Certain MICA alleles have been related to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases while MICA antibodies have been implicated in organ allograft rejection or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).AimThe aim of this study was to identify the frequencies of MICA alleles and MICA ~ HLA-B haplotypes in the Greek population since, as far as we know, these data are still limited.MethodsDNA was obtained from 277 unrelated healthy Greek individuals of Caucasian origin, volunteer donors of blood stem cells. HLA-B* and MICA* genotyping was performed by reverse PCR-SSOP.ResultsA total of 18 MICA alleles were defined in the present study. The five most frequent alleles in the Greek population were MICA*008 (24.6%), MICA*009 (22.36%), MICA*018 (16.03%), MICA*002 (8.02%) and MICA*004 (7.17%) which altogether account for 77.8% of all alleles. The most common MICA ~ HLA-B haplotypes were MICA*018 ~ B*18 (12.5%) and MICA*009 ~ B*51(11.5%).ConclusionsThe five most frequent MICA alleles in the Greek population were *008, *009, *018, *002, *004. In other Caucasian populations, two of these alleles (*008, and *004) were observed in similar frequencies. MICA*002 was observed less frequently (8.02%) in the Greek population compared to other Caucasian groups (frequencies > 15%). Also, MICA*009 and MICA*018 had elevated frequencies (above 15%) whereas in other Caucasian populations they were found around 10% or less. These data may be important for the elucidation of the role that MICA polymorphisms play in organ and stem cell transplantation and to identify the relation of certain MICA with susceptibility to specific diseases.     

Cd28 expression on t cell subsets in vivo and cd28-mediated t cell response in vitro in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective. In view of the critical importance of the CD28–CD80 (B7/BB1) costimulatory pathway in antigen-specific T cell activation and clonal expansion, we examined CD28 surface molecule expression in vivo, and T cell receptor/CD3-mediated and B7/BB1-costimulated T cell proliferation in vitro, in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Two-color immunofluorescence analyses of peripheral blood and synovial fluid–derived T cells, as well as ³H-thymidine incorporation assays, were performed. Results. In the peripheral blood of 31 patients with active, untreated RA, a mean of 91% (range 48–100%) of CD4+ and 46% (range 13–82%) of CD8+ T cell subsets were CD28+, which was not significantly lower than normal. Although an overall decrease in the number of T cells was not observed, the numbers of CD28+CD8+ T cells were significantly lower in RA patients (mean 233/μl, versus 292/μl in controls), and this decrease was more pronounced in patients with severe disease (mean 172/μl). CD28 expression on peripheral CD8+ T cells in RA patients, but not in healthy individuals, correlated inversely with T cell activation as assessed by HLA–DR antigen expression. In contrast to the peripheral blood, RA synovial fluid T cells were almost exclusively CD28+, suggesting that migration of CD28+CD8+ T cells to active sites of inflammation may occur. In vitro proliferative responses of peripheral blood T cells to B7/BB1 costimulation in the presence of mitogenic doses of anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody were identical in patients with RA and healthy individuals. Conclusion. Functionally intact CD28+ T cells may contribute to the abnormal immunoregulation and joint inflammation in RA.