| 1. |
- Adlesic, M., et al.
(författare)
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Histamine in rheumatoid arthritis
- 2007
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Ingår i: Scand J Immunol. - : Wiley. - 0300-9475 .- 1365-3083. ; 65:6, s. 530-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by a persistent inflammation of the synovium, leading to the erosion of articular cartilage and bone. Synovial mast cells and their effector molecule, histamine, receive increased attention as mediators of joint inflammation. The aim of our study was to analyse levels of free histamine in serum and joint fluid of RA patients and to evaluate the potential inflammatogenic properties of histamine in vivo and in vitro. Histamine levels were measured by an ELISA in synovial fluid and sera of RA patients and of healthy controls. Histamine levels were also assessed in plasma of RA patients undergoing anti-TNF-alpha treatment. In the murine part of the study, histamine was injected intra-articularly in the knee joint of mice and the joints were subsequently analysed with respect to induction of inflammation. RA patients displayed significantly lower levels of histamine in circulation (0.93 +/- 0.16 ng/ml) compared with the healthy controls (1.89 +/- 0.45 ng/ml, P < 0.001). Locally, in synovial fluid the levels of histamine were even lower (0.37 +/- 0.16 ng/ml, P < 0.0006). Long-term anti-TNF-alpha treatment significantly increased circulating levels of histamine in RA patients. Our experiments on animals show that histamine on its own neither induces inflammation in the joint cavity nor influences the course of HMGB1 and peptidoglycan-induced joint inflammation. Based on our experimental and clinical studies we suggest that histamine lacks harmful properties in RA.
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| 2. |
- Badn, Wiaam, et al.
(författare)
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Inhibition of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Enhances Anti-tumour Immune Responses in Rats Immunized with IFN-gamma-Secreting Glioma Cells.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Immunology. - : Wiley. - 1365-3083 .- 0300-9475. ; 65:3, s. 289-297
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) has successfully been used in immunotherapy of different experimental tumours. Mechanistically, IFN-gamma has extensive effects on the immune system including release of nitric oxide (NO) by upregulation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). NO has putative immunosuppressive effects but could also play a role in killing of tumour cells. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to clarify whether inhibition of iNOS in rats immunized with glioma cells (N32) producing IFN-gamma (N32-IFN-gamma), could enhance the anti-tumour immune response. Initially, both a selective iNOS, L-N-6-(I-Iminoethyl)-L-lysine (L-NIL), and non-selective, N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), inhibitor of NOS were tested in vitro. After polyclonal stimulation with LPS and SEA, both L-NIL and L-NAME enhanced proliferation and production of IFN-gamma from activated rat splenocytes and this effect was inversely correlated to the production of NO. However, L-NIL had a broader window of efficacy and a lower minimal effective dose. When rats were immunized with N32-IFN-gamma), and administered NOS inhibitors by intraperitoneal (i.p.) mini-osmotic pumps, only splenocytes of rats treated with L-NIL, but not L-NAME, displayed an enhanced proliferation and production of IFN-gamma when re-stimulated with N32 tumour cells. Based on these findings, L-NIL was administered concurrently with N32-IFN-gamma cells to rats with intracerebral (i.c.) tumours resulting in a prolonged survival. These results show that inhibition of iNOS can enhance an IFN-gamma-based immunotherapy of experimental i.c. tumours implying that NO released after immunization has mainly immunosuppressive net effects.
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| 3. |
- Foltyn Zadura, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Complement inhibitor C4b-binding protein in primary Sjögren's syndrome and its association with other disease markers.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Immunology. - : Wiley. - 1365-3083 .- 0300-9475. ; 69:4, s. 374-380
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A subgroup of patients suffering from primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) display unexplained low levels of complement components C3 and/or C4 which is associated with increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is a major fluid-phase complement inhibitor which can influence C4 and C3 levels. Therefore we analysed C4BP levels in the sera of patients with pSS to better understand the disturbances in complement in pSS. Associations with other disease markers were also investigated to define a possible role of C4BP as marker of high-risk disease course. Plasma levels of C4BP were analysed in pSS patients (n=86) and in controls (n=68) by ELISA. C4BP levels from 49 patients were correlated to disease activity markers and autoantibody profiles. We found that total C4BP plasma levels were significantly higher in pSS patients compared with controls. C4BP levels correlated to the acute phase response, to levels of C4 and C3 as well as to the CD4+/CD8+ T-cell ratio. C4BP levels were inversely related to IgG levels, extent of autoantibody production and global disease activity. C3dg levels, a marker of complement activation, displayed a negative correlation to C4 levels but interestingly not to C4BP levels. In conclusion, C4BP levels are increased in patients suffering from pSS proportional to their acute phase response. However, in the most active cases, with the most widespread autoantibody production, C4BP levels were decreased in parallel with levels of C3 and C4 and CD4+ T cells, suggesting that disturbed complement regulation may contribute to pathogenicity in pSS.
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| 7. |
- Lagerquist, Marie, et al.
(författare)
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17Beta-estradiol expands IgA-producing B cells in mice deficient for the mu chain.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Scandinavian journal of immunology. - : Wiley. - 1365-3083 .- 0300-9475. ; 67:1, s. 12-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Oestrogen is not only a sex hormone but also an important regulator of the immune system. Expression of the heavy chain of IgM (mu) is essential for B-cell differentiation. However, a small number of IgA-positive B cells can be found in mice lacking the mu chain (muMT-/-). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of oestrogen on this alternative B-cell pathway in muMT-/- mice. Our results clearly demonstrate that oestrogen increases the frequency of IgA-producing B cells in muMT-/- mice in both bone marrow and spleen cells. We also show that mature IgM-producing B cells are not required for oestrogen-mediated suppression of granulocyte-mediated inflammation or thymic involution. In conclusion, we demonstrate that 17beta-estradiol benzoate increases the frequency of IgA-producing B cells in muMT-/- mice, suggesting that oestrogen can influence the alternative B-cell pathway found in muMT-/- mice.
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| 8. |
- Lavasani, Shahram, et al.
(författare)
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Monoclonal Antibody against T-Cell Receptor alphabeta Induces Self-Tolerance in Chronic Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.
- 2007
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Immunology. - : Wiley. - 1365-3083 .- 0300-9475. ; 65:1, s. 39-47
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The therapeutic effect of monoclonal antibody (H57-597 MoAb) against T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta has been investigated on MOG(35-55)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), as a model system for T-cell-mediated chronic inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). Short-term administration of the anti-TCR alpha beta immediately after immunization protected the mice from EAE. Furthermore, anti-TCR alpha beta treatment on an established disease restored the self-tolerance which led to a complete remission of EAE and a dramatic reduction of inflammatory cells in the CNS, while treatment with control antibody (hamster IgG) was ineffective. The remission was durable and not associated with disappearance of autoreactive T cells as measured by persistence of MOG-reactive T-cell proliferation in vitro. However, MOG-reactive T cells from anti-TCR-treated animals produced significantly lower amounts of inflammatory TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma. In addition, while a transient deletion of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells was observed, a population of T cells expressing CD3, NK1.1 and CD69 (NKT cells) were expanding. By transfer of spleen cells from anti-TCR MoAb-treated animals, we could show that the tolerogenic capacity can be transferred to untreated recipients with EAE. The data indicate therapeutic effect of anti-TCR alpha beta MoAb (H57-597), which represents a promising approach in treatment of T-cell-mediated autoimmune diseases.
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