The test for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) was introduced into the author's laboratory in 1987. An improved indirect immunofluorescent method was developed, using a system which allows 16 instead of one serum sample to be screened on each microscope slide. The known disease associations of ANCA that have been explored include systemic vasculitis, renal limited vasculitis, chronic inflammatory bowel disease and HIV disease. In general the findings are similar to those which are emerging from other centres and confirm the value not only of the positivity but also the relevance of the intracellular disposition of the neutrophil cytoplasmic fluorescence in diagnosis. In this study 85% of patients with Wegener's granulomatosis were found to have C-ANCA. C, P and X-ANCA staining patterns were found in 57% of patients with ulcerative colitis. Forty one per cent of patients with symptomatic HIV have ANCA. Certain histological features such as neutrophil and vascular damage in invasive amoebiasis, and the established lytic effect of amoebae on neutrophils prompted the investigation of the possibility that ANCA may be generated in this disease. Seventy eight amoebiasis sera were screened and 98,70/0 gave a positive ANCA test with a pattern of fluorescence resembling that found in Wegener's granulomatosis. An ELISA test for specificity confirmed that, as in Wegener's granulomatosis, this amoebiasis-associated ANCA had proteinase 3 specificity. Of practical clinical importance is the fact that both HIV and amoebiasis are associated with a high level of ANCA positivity. These findings will need to be considered when ANCA tests are used in clinical decision making in an area where HIV disease and amoebiasis are endemic. A large number of normal volunteer blood donors have been tested and the false positivity rate of 0,5% confirms the specificity of the test. / Thesis (M.Med.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1993.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a multisystem vasculitis that results in localized coronary artery elastin breakdown and aneurysm formation. It is the leading cause of acquired heart disease of children in North America. Despite conventional treatment, a significant proportion of patients continue to develop coronary sequelae. The mechanisms of arterial aneurysm formation in KD are not known. Using a murine model of KD, Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract-induced coronary arteritis, the processes leading to coronary aneurysm formation were examined. Vessel damage occurred as a result of the increased enzymatic activity of the elastase, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. MMP-9 protein and activity levels were elevated in the heart post-disease induction. Expression and activity were specific for and localized to inflamed coronary arteries. The pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, was required for increasing local MMP-9 expression. Importantly, MMP-9-deficient animals had a significantly reduced incidence of elastin breakdown. Furthermore, in a cohort of KD patients, serum MMP-9 did not correlate with coronary outcome, highlighting the importance of local expression of this elastase. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and aspirin/salicylate are therapeutic agents in current use for the treatment of KD, though their exact mechanisms of action in KD are not known. The biologic effects of IVIG and salicylate on critical stages of disease development were examined. IVIG and salicylate had differential effects on TNF-α expression, with therapeutic concentrations of IVIG inhibiting, and salicylate inducing, TNF-α expression leading to an indirect modulation of MMP-9 expression. Interestingly, TNF-α expression and MMP-9 activity were both directly inhibited by the metal-chelating drug doxycycline. Treatment of affected mice with doxycycline significantly improved coronary outcome. Inhibiting both the inflammatory response as well as the downstream effects of inflammation were of therapeutic value in this model of KD. These results taken together demonstrate the importance of MMP-9 in the pathogenesis of coronary artery aneurysms in KD. Targeting MMP activity holds the promise of transforming KD from the leading cause of acquired heart disease to a self-limited febrile illness.

INTRODUÇÃO: O significado clínico das vasculites, lesões isquêmicas, efeito Quilty e da presença de eosinófilos em biópsias endomiocardicas de receptores de transplante cardíaco com rejeições leves não foi ainda estabelecido. OBJETIVOS: Verificar se estes achados histológicos encontrados nas biópsias endomiocardicas (eosinófilos, vasculites, efeito Quilty e lesões isquêmicas) são capazes de predizer rejeição aguda do enxerto acompanhada ou não de grave comprometimento hemodinâmico e morte por rejeição aguda. MÉTODOS: Foram reavaliadas 939 biópsias endomiocardicas consecutivas classificadas como OR ou 1R pela de 2005 da Nomenclatura da Sociedade Internacional de Transplante de Coração e Pulmão e dividimos estas em dois grupos (1) Biópsias preditoras: aquelas que precederam rejeição aguda, rejeição aguda associada à grave comprometimento hemodinâmico ou morte e (2) Biópsias não preditoras aquelas que não precederam eventos clínicos. Comparamos a ocorrência dos seguintes achados histológicos: vasculites, lesões isquêmicas, efeito Quilty e eosinófilos por análise uni e multivariada entre os grupos. RESULTADOS: Após análise estatística verificou-se que a presença de vasculite intensa e de eosinófilos como maiores preditores tanto para rejeição aguda futura, apresentando respectivamente as seguintes razões de chance: 10,60 (IC95%: 3,62 31,06. p<0,001) e 6,26 (IC95%:3,16 12,43. p< 0,001) , quanto para rejeição aguda associada á grave comprometimento hemodinâmico, que para este desfecho clínico apresentaram respectivamente as seguintes razões de chance 7,52 (IC95%: 1,45-38,93. p=0,016) e 6,61 (IC95%: 2,38 18,31. p< 0,001), e também para morte em decorrência a rejeição aguda com as respectivas razões de chance: 11,20 (IC95%: 3,53 36,17. p < 0, 001) e 14,50 (IC95%: 2,19 36,17. p = 0,006). CONCLUSÕES: Vasculites intensas e eosinófilos em biópsias do miocárdio são os principais fatores preditores de rejeição aguda, rejeição aguda associada à grave comprometimento hemodinâmico e morte pós - transplante cardíaco / INTRODUCTION: The clinical meaning of vasculitis, ischemic lesions, Quilty effect and the presence of eosinophils in endomyocardial biopsies of transplant recipients with mild rejections have not been established yet. OBJECTIVES: Verify if these histological findings (eosinophils, vasculitis, Quilty effect and ischemic lesions), whose clinical meaning remains unknown so far, are able to predict acute rejection of the transplanted organ, accompanied or not by severe hemodynamic compromise and death due to acute rejection. METHODS: We reevaluated 939 consecutive endomyocardial biopsies classified as 0R or 1R, according to the nomenclature that the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation established in 2005. We divided these biopsies in 2 groups, as they follow: (1) Predictor biopsies, which are preceded by acute rejection, acute rejection associated to severe hemodynamic compromise or death and (2) Non-predictor biopsies that did not precede any clinical events. We compared the occurrence of the histological findings studied (eosinophils, vasculitis, Quilty effect and ischemic lesions) through univariate and multivariate analysis among the groups. RESULTS: After an appropriate statistical analysis, the result obtained was the presence of intense vasculitis and eosinophils as the greatest predictors of future acute rejection, presenting the respective odds ratio: 10,60 (IC95%: 3,62 31,06. p<0,001) and 6,26 (IC95%:3,16 12,43. p< 0,001), as well as acute rejection associated to severe hemodynamic compromise, which presented the respective odds ratio for this clinical outcome: 7,52 (IC95%: 1,45-38,93. p=0,016) and 6,61 (IC95%: 2,38 18,31. p< 0,001) and death due to acute rejection, presenting the respective odds ratio: 11,20 (IC95%: 3,53 36,17. p < 0, 001) and 14,50 (IC95%: 2,19 36,17. p = 0,006). CONCLUSIONS: Intense vasculitis and eosinophils in myocardial biopsies post-cardiac transplantation are the chief factors that can predict acute rejection, acute rejection associated to severe hemodynamic compromise or death

Orientadores: Manoel Barros Bértolo, Lilian Tereza Lavras Costallat / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T20:20:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sachetto_Zoraida_D.pdf: 1287056 bytes, checksum: 4d011e5c6f0abde49d8ded578bf64042 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Objetivo: Descrever os dados demográficos e as manifestações clinicas de pacientes com diagnostico de Doença de Behcet acompanhados no ambulatório de vasculites do Hospital das Clinicas da cidade de Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil. Métodos: O estudo foi realizado através da revisão dos prontuários de todos os pacientes com diagnostico de Doença de Behcet atendidos e/ou acompanhados no ambulatório de vasculites da Disciplina de Reumatologia do Hospital das Clinicas da Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil, no período de 1988 a 2010. Resultados: Foram incluídos no estudo oitenta e sete pacientes. A proporção entre os sexos foi de M/F = 0,84 e a media de idade do inicio da doença foi de 28,03 + ou - 7,57 anos. Lesão aftosa oral foi a manifestação clinica mais comum (100%). Ulceras genitais também foram comuns (77%), seguidas pela pseudofoliculite (47,67%). Envolvimento ocular esteve presente em 80% e envolvimento neurológico em 31,03% dos pacientes. Artralgia foi relatada em 31,03% e artrite em 13,79% dos casos. O envolvimento vascular foi encontrado em 13,95% dos pacientes. Somente 1,14% apresentaram envolvimento gastrointestinal. Conclusão: Nesta serie de casos, realizada em um pais da America do Sul, foram encontrados resultados semelhantes aos previamente descritos em diferentes áreas endêmicas da doença, com uma maior frequência das manifestações oculares e neurológicas / Abstract: Objective: To analyze demographic and clinical features in patients diagnosed with Behcet's disease (BD) in Brazil. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all the patients' records with BD diagnosed from 1988 to 2010 in the Rheumatology Department at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP). All patients had to fulfill the International Study Group for Behcet's disease diagnostic criteria. Results: Eighty-seven patients were included in the study. The male/female rate was 0,84 and the mean age at the onset of the disease was 28.03 + or - 7.57 years. Oral aphtosis was the most frequent manifestation (100%). Genital aphtosis was also frequent (77%), followed by pseudofolliculitis (47.67%). Ocular symptoms were present in 80% and neurologic manifestations in 31.03% of the patients. Arthralgia was reported in 31.03% and arthritis in 13.79% of the cases. Vascular involvement was seen in 13.95% of the patients. Only 1.14% had gastrointestinal involvement. Conclusion: This series, from a South American country, showed a similar general pattern of the BD to those found in different endemic areas in the world, with a high frequency of ocular and neurological manifestations / Doutorado / Clinica Medica / Doutor em Clínica Médica

Central Nervous System (CNS) vasculitis is the most common life-threatening complication of coccidioidal meningitis. It is manifested by cerebral ischemia, hemorrhage, and infarction. We report a case of CNS vasculitis in a patient receiving chemotherapy and review of the literature on coccidioidal meningitis. The patient was treated with combination antifungal therapy and a short course of high dose corticosteroids with a modest improvement in her neurological examination after initiation of steroids.

Urticaria can be a chronic and debilitating affliction and is a relatively common disorder affecting between 10- 20% of the population. Common causes include reactions to medication, food allergen, physical stimuli and venoms. Urticaria can be acute or chronic. Chronic urticaria lasts for more than 6 weeks and is commonly difficult to treat. The use of immunosuppressive agents for this disorder when antihistamines fail can result in significant morbidity. Recent advances in the pathogenesis, etiology, diagnosis and management of chronic urticaria have led to new paradigms in treatment of this disorder. Cyclosporine is often the most effective but has some unique adverse effects that may prevent it from being used in some patients. The use of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has proven effective in a variety of reports and we will review the mechanisms likely involved in the successful control of urticarial symptoms by immunomodulating therapy using IVIG. In this review, we will discuss mechanisms and pathogenesis of urticaria and the specific role of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in this disorder, especially in refractory or steroid-dependent cases.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第20808号 / 医博第4308号 / 新制||医||1025(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 椛島 健治, 教授 玉木 敬二, 教授 生田 宏一 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Based on the results aforementioned, I went on in the second part of the study to examine the impact of aging on EDCF-mediated contractions - the alterations of COX-2-mediated endothelium-dependent contractions and the associated release of prostaglandin(s) in the aortae from aged (>18 month-old) hamsters. Endothelium-dependent contractions in the presence of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) were significantly greater in the aortae from aged hamsters and contractions could also be observed without L-NAME, which were sensitive to COX-2 inhibitors and TP receptor antagonists. The levels of COX-2 expression, the release of PGF2alpha and vascular sensitivity to PGF 2alpha were augmented in aortae of aged hamsters. The present results indicate a positive impact of aging on COX-2-derived PGF2alpha-mediated endothelium-dependent contractions. / In the first part of the study, I investigated whether COX-2 participated in the occurrence of endothelium-dependent contractions in the aortae from young (-3 month-old) hamsters and identified the most possible EDCF. Endothelium-dependent contractions were elicited by acetylcholine and abolished by COX-2 inhibitors (NS-398, DuP-697 and celecoxib) and thromboxane-prostanoid (TP) receptor antagonists (S 18886, L-655,240 and GR 32191), but not by COX-1 inhibitors (valeryl salicylate and sc 560). RT-PCR and Western blot analysis using aortae with and without endothelium revealed that the COX-2 expression was localized mainly in the endothelium. Levels of prostangladin F2alpha (PGF2alpha ) and prostacyclin (PGI2) increased in response to acetylcholine and the release of both prostaglandins was inhibited by COX-2 but not COX-1 inhibitors. Exogenous PGF2alpha but not PGI2 caused contractions at a concentration that corresponded to the amount released endogenously. The release of PGF2alpha was not affected by the presence of nitric oxide (NO). The results of the present study suggest that a novel constitutive role of COX-2 in endothelium-dependent contractions, with its metabolites PGF2alpha acting as a physiological EDCF in the young hamster aortae. / In the third part of the study, I investigated the relationship and the intracellular signaling cascades linking two pro-inflammatory factors Ang II and COX-2, and tested whether COX-2 mediated the Ang II-induced vascular pathogenesis. Eight hour-incubation with 100 nmol/L Ang II resulted in maximal COX-2 expression in primary rat endothelial cells and it was inhibited by losartan and RNA synthesis inhibitor (actinomycin-D). Inhibitors of either p38 MAPK or ERK1/2 (respectively SB 202190 and PD 98059) decreased the COX-2 expression, and co-treatment with both inhibitors caused an additive effect, suggesting a joint mediation through both kinases. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor (GF109203X), and particularly, the specific PKCdelta inhibitor (rottlerin), prevented Ang II-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and COX-2 expression, indicating an upstream regulation of ERK1/2 by PKC delta. A pivotal role of PKCdelta in Ang II-induced COX-2 expression was further supported by a similar stimulatory effect of PKC activator, signified by the Ang II-stimulated translocation of PKCdelta to the membrane and confirmed by its phosphorylation (Tyr311). Small interfering RNA targeting PKCdelta (siPKCdelta) diminished COX-2 expression, which was abrogated in siPKCdelta-treated cells treated with SB 202190, confirming the parallel pathways of PKC delta-ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK. Aortae and renal arteries from Ang II-infused rats exhibited an increased endothelial COX-2 expression and impaired acetylcholine-induced relaxation that was normalized by celecoxib. Human mesenteric arteries incubated with Ang II demonstrated elevated endothelial COX-2 and MCP-1 expressions, of which the former was inhibited by SB 202190 plus rottlerin and the latter prevented by COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib. Renal arteries from hypertensive or diabetic patients revealed an exaggerated expression of COX-2 and MCP-1 in the endothelium. The present novel findings indicate that the activation of PKCdelta-ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK is critical in Ang II-induced COX-2 up-regulation in endothelial cells, and identify a COX-2-dependent pro-atherosclerotic cytokine MCP-1. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) / Wong, Siu Ling. / Adviser: Huang Yu. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-02, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-228). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2010.

Orientador: Manoel Barros Bértolo / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-16T11:59:40Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nishimura_WesterEidi_M.pdf: 1381412 bytes, checksum: a01c05ab2c7b9409c11bde6b5d507e4f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a freqüência e a associação clínica do HLA classe I e II em pacientes brasileiros com vasculite reumatóide (VR). Nós avaliamos 57 pacientes com artrite reumatóide (AR) estabelecida pelos critérios do Colégio Americano de Reumatologia (ACR) - 1987. Dezessete apresentavam VR de acordo com os critérios de Scott e Bacon - 1984. Foram avaliados nestes pacientes dados demográficos, fator reumatóide (FR), anticorpo anti-peptídio citrulinado cíclico (anti-CCP), tempo de diagnóstico da AR e a atividade da doença pelo escore de atividade da doença (DAS 28). Os alelos HLA foram tipados usando a reação em cadeia da polimerase hibridizado com seqüências específicas de "primers" de baixa resolução. Quanto à atividade da doença nos pacientes sem VR observou-se freqüência aumentada do HLA-B*15 (p=0.033) e HLA-DRB1*01 (p=0.014) com média de DAS 28 >3.2 _ 5.1 e o HLA-Cw*16 (p=0.027) e HLA-B*07 (p=0.027) com média de DAS 28>5.1. Não houve significância estatística de qualquer classe do HLA com o DAS 28 nos pacientes com VR. A comparação entre os 2 grupos mostrou diferença estatística (p=0.001) para o DAS 28 com rank médio = 39.94 para os pacientes com VR. O HLADQB1* 05 (p=0.035) esteve presente em 5 pacientes com VR com média de tempo de diagnóstico de AR de 17 anos e ausente em 12 pacientes com VR com média de tempo de diagnóstico AR de 11.45 anos. Os pacientes com VR tiveram freqüência aumentada do HLA-B*14 (p=0.006) e HLA-Cw*08 (p=0.006). Uma freqüência aumentada do HLA-DRB5*01 (p=0.048) foi encontrada em pacientes sem VR. Nossos resultados mostram na amostra estudada que a VR está associada ao sexo feminino, raça branca, FR e anti-CCP positivos. O HLA-B*15 e HLA-DRB1*01 podem estar envolvidos na atividade moderada da AR sem VR e o HLA-Cw*16 e HLA-B*07 podem estar envolvidos na atividade intensa da AR sem VR. Não houve diferença estatística das classes do HLA com o DAS 28 para VR, porém a doença foi mais ativa em pacientes com VR quando comparados com pacientes sem VR. O HLA-DQB1*05 pode estar envolvido nos casos tardios de AR para a manifestação da VR. O HLA-B*14 e HLACw* 08 podem estar envolvidos na suscetibilidade para VR. O HLA-DRB5*01 pode conferir proteção contra esta manifestação extra-articular da AR / Abstract: Our purpose was to evaluate the frequency and clinical association of HLA class I and class II in Brazilian patients with rheumatoid vasculitis (RV). We evaluated 57 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (American College of Rheumatology -ACR, 1987 criteria). Seventeen had RV according to Scott and Bacon's criteria - 1984. Demographic data, time of RA diagnosis, disease activity by the Disease Activity Score (DAS 28), rheumatoid factor (RF) and cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) were analyzed. HLA alleles were typed using polymerase chain reaction-amplified DNA hybridized with low-resolution sequence-specific primers. HLA-B*15 (p=0.033) and HLA-DRB1*01 (p=0.014) were associated with moderate activity of RA without RV, and HLA-B*07 (p=0.027) and HLA-Cw*16 (p=0.027) with intense activity of RA without RV; no statistical significance of HLA class and DAS 28 was observed in RV. HLA-DQB1*05 (p=0.035) was related to RV in patients with late RA. The comparison between the groups showed an increased frequency of HLA-B*14 (p = 0.006) and HLA-Cw*08 (p = 0.006) in patients with RV, and an increased frequency of HLADRB5* 01 (p = 0.048) in patients without RV. In conclusion, the HLA-B*14 and HLACw* 08 may be involved in susceptibility to RV and HLA-DRB5*01 may confer protection against this extra articular manifestation of RA / Mestrado / Clinica Medica / Mestre em Clinica Medica