| 1. |
- Amoudruz, Petra, et al.
(författare)
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Impaired Toll-like receptor 2 signaling in monocytes from 5-year-old allergic children
- 2009
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Ingår i: Clinical and Experimental Immunology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0009-9104 .- 1365-2249. ; 155:3, s. 387-394
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The relative composition of the two major monocytic subsets CD14+CD16− and CD14+CD16+ is altered in some allergic diseases. These two subsets display different patterns of Toll-like receptor levels, which could have implications for activation of innate immunity leading to reduced immunoglobulin E-specific adaptive immune responses. This study aimed to investigate if allergic status at the age of 5 years is linked to differences in monocytic subset composition and their Toll-like receptor levels, and further, to determine if Toll-like receptor regulation and cytokine production upon microbial stimuli is influenced by the allergic phenotype. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 5-year-old allergic and non-allergic children were stimulated in vitro with lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan. Cells were analysed with flow cytometry for expression of CD14, Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 and p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). The release of cytokines and chemokines [tumour necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70] into culture supernatants was measured with cytometric bead array. For unstimulated cells there were no differences in frequency of the monocytic subsets or their Toll-like receptor levels between allergic and non-allergic children. However, monocytes from allergic children had a significantly lower up-regulation of Toll-like receptor 2 upon peptidoglycan stimulation. Further, monocytes from allergic children had a higher spontaneous production of IL-6, but there were no differences between the two groups regarding p38-MAPK activity or cytokine and chemokine production upon stimulation. The allergic subjects in this study have a monocytic population that seems to display a hyporesponsive state as implicated by impaired regulation of Toll-like receptor 2 upon peptidoglycan stimulation.
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| 2. |
- Islander, Ulrika, 1975, et al.
(författare)
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Estren-mediated inhibition of T lymphopoiesis is estrogen receptor-independent whereas its suppression of T cell-mediated inflammation is estrogen receptor-dependent
- 2005
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Ingår i: Clin Exp Immunol. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0009-9104 .- 1365-2249. ; 139:2, s. 210-5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Estrogen has extensive effects on the immune system. The aim of the present experiments was to compare the effects of 17beta-estradiol (E2) and 4-estren-3alpha,17beta-diol (estren) on T lymphopoiesis and T cell-dependent inflammation. In order to investigate the role of estrogen receptors (ER) in the effects of E2 and estren on the immune system, ER knock-out mice lacking both ERalpha and ERbeta (DERKO) were used. T lymphopoiesis and T cell-dependent inflammation were studied by investigating thymus cellularity, the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction, CD4(+) T cells in spleen and serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6. As expected, the presence of ERs was mandatory for all the effects of E2. In contrast, treatment with estren reduced thymus cellularity in ER knock-out mice, indicating an effect through ER-independent pathways. Interestingly, estren suppressed only DTH, the frequency of CD4(+) T cells in spleen and serum levels of IL-6 in wild-type (WT) mice, but not in mice lacking ERs. Thus, our study is the first to show that estren inhibits T lymphopoiesis via ER-independent pathways, whereas its suppressive effects on inflammation are ER-dependent.
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| 3. |
- Janzi, Magdalena, et al.
(författare)
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Screening for C3 deficiency in newborns using microarrays.
- 2009
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Ingår i: PloS one. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 4:4, s. e5321-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Dried blood spot samples (DBSS) from newborns are widely used in neonatal screening for selected metabolic diseases and diagnostic possibilities for additional disorders are continuously being evaluated. Primary immunodeficiency disorders comprise a group of more than one hundred diseases, several of which are fatal early in life. Yet, a majority of the patients are not diagnosed due to lack of high-throughput screening methods.METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We have previously developed a system using reverse phase protein microarrays for analysis of IgA levels in serum samples. In this study, we extended the applicability of the method to include determination of complement component C3 levels in eluates from DBSS collected at birth. Normal levels of C3 were readily detected in 269 DBSS from healthy newborns, while no C3 was detected in sera and DBSS from C3 deficient patients.CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The findings suggest that patients with deficiencies of specific serum proteins can be identified by analysis of DBSS using reverse phase protein microarrays.
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| 4. |
- Werner, Mårten, et al.
(författare)
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Autoimmune hepatitis among fertile women : strategies during pregnancy and breastfeeding?
- 2007
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0036-5521 .- 1502-7708. ; 42:8, s. 986-991
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective. In published studies there is a lack of data about the risks, management and how women with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) decide on and are advised about pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate how women with AIH consider pregnancies, are advised and pharmacologically treated, as well as the outcome. Material and methods. A questionnaire was mailed to 128 women with AIH diagnosed during their fertile period and data from the Swedish National Birth Register was also used for matched controls. Results. There was an 83% response rate to the questionnaires. Sixty-three pregnancies were reported by 35 women. 48% did not consult their doctors before getting pregnant. More than half of the women reduced or stopped the immune suppression during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Some women were advised to abstain from pregnancy or even to have an abortion. Caesarean sections were performed more frequently in the AIH group (16% compared with 6.5% in the control group p<0.01).There were no significant differences in the number of stillborn infants or infants with malformations. However, 30% of the patients experienced flare-up after delivery. Conclusions. In general, the outcome of pregnancy in women with AIH seems to be good. Current pharmacological treatment appears to be safe, including azathioprine during pregnancy and lactation. After delivery an active preparedness to increase pharmacotherapy should be considered.
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