Polskie Archiwum Medycyny Wewnętrznej
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Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · Dec 2017
Comparative StudyDifferential expression of programmed death 1 (PD-1) on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis.
INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are characterized by chronic inflammatory processes mediated by proinflammatory cytokines that affect the synovial lining. Programmed death 1 (PD‑1) is a critical regulator of T‑cell activation by downregulating immune responses. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to investigate whether the expression of PD‑1 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells differs between patients with RA and those with PsA. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included 100 patients with RA, 31 patients with PsA, and 52 healthy controls. ⋯ Because of the high frequency of PD-1‑positive T cells in RA and their low frequency in PsA, we analyzed the expression level by analyzing the MFI. The median MFI of PD‑1 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in patients with RA (median, 421 and 437, respectively) in comparison with patients with PsA (median, 222 and 198, respectively) and controls (median, 205 and 187, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The differential expression of PD‑1 in RA and PsA suggests that PD‑1 might be involved in autoimmune mechanisms in RA and autoinflammatory mechanisms in PsA in a different manner.
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Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · Dec 2017
ReviewPlasma fibrin clot structure and thromboembolism: clinical implications.
Fibrin formed as a result of fibrinogen polymerization is the main protein component of a clot in a test tube and intravascular thrombi in vivo. Fibrin clot structure characterized by fiber diameter and pore size differs between healthy persons and those with thromboembolic diseases, in part due to the quality and quantity of fibrinogen and the magnitude of thrombin generation. A key measure of plasma clot structure is its permeability, reflected by the Darcy constant (Ks). ⋯ Growing evidence indicates associations between the properties of plasma fibrin clots and morphology of intravascular thrombi in patients with MI. Recently, reduced Ks has been shown to predict recurrent thromboembolic episodes in patients with a history of stroke, PE, DVT, and their serious complications, including postthrombotic syndrome and thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. We discuss the current evidence for the significance of clot density measured in vitro as a prognostic marker in a number of clinical conditions associated with elevated thromboembolic risk.
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Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · Dec 2017
The absolute number of circulating nonclassical (CD14+CD16++) monocytes negatively correlates with DAS28 and swollen joint count in patients with peripheral spondyloarthritis.
INTRODUCTION A different clinical course and pattern of skeletal involvement in peripheral and axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) suggests a distinct pathophysiology of these 2 phenotypic manifestations of SpA. Monocytes, as part of the innate immune system, seem to play an important role in the pathogenesis of SpA, but the exact inflammatory pathways remain to be elucidated. Regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg) and Th17 lymphocytes are also known to influence proinflammatory and anti‑inflammatory reactions. ⋯ Only in the peripheral SpA group, a significant negative correlation was found between the concentration of nonclassical monocytes and DAS28 and the number of swollen joints. The 3 groups did not differ in terms of the concentrations of classical or intermediate monocytes and Treg or Th17 lymphocytes. CONCLUSIONS Nonclassical monocytes may play a role in induction and perpetuation of peripheral joint inflammation, at least in peripheral SpA, as cells infiltrating the synovium.