Archivum immunologiae et therapiae experimentalis
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Arch. Immunol. Ther. Exp. (Warsz.) · Feb 2012
ReviewMolecular mechanisms and pathological consequences of endotoxin tolerance and priming.
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of Gram-negative bacteria, is a potent inflammatory stimulant, with high doses due to disseminated bacterial infection resulting in systemic inflammatory response syndrome and death. Lower doses can induce a state of tolerance to subsequent toxic doses of LPS, but extremely low doses have an opposite effect, priming the immune system for an even more violent response to subsequent challenge. ⋯ Comparatively little is known about the mechanisms or indeed the phenomenon of priming, particularly regarding the shift from a priming to a tolerizing response. Our aim is to review recent findings in the field of the inflammatory response to endotoxin, with a focus on highlighting the gaps in current understanding and attempting to reconcile the competing tolerance and priming phenomena.
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Arch. Immunol. Ther. Exp. (Warsz.) · Feb 2012
Lysophosphatidylcholines: bioactive lipids generated during storage of blood components.
Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is suggested to be a "two hit" event, resulting from priming and activation of pulmonary neutrophils. It is known that neutrophil activation may result from infusion of lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPCs) accumulated during storage of blood components. The aim of our study was to verify whether the LysoPCs are released into the storage medium of blood components. ⋯ During storage the LysoPCs content in PLTs increased almost two-fold as compared to the fresh isolated platelets. In RBCs and L-RBCs the LysoPC level was very low or below detection limit and did not increase throughout the storage period. According to our observations bioactive LysoPCs may be considered a neutrophil-activating factor only following PLT transfusions but not RBCs transfusions.
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Arch. Immunol. Ther. Exp. (Warsz.) · Feb 2011
ReviewDual peripheral actions of immune cells in neuropathic pain.
Ability to perceive physiological pain is essential in protecting the individual from tissue destruction. In contrast, pathological chronic pain is an expression of maladaptive alterations outlasting its biological usefulness. In such conditions even eating, speaking or wearing clothes might be painful, as in neuropathic pain. ⋯ Recent findings indicate that immune cell-derived opioid peptides can interact with opioid receptors in the injured nerves and ameliorate neuropathic pain. Targeting opioid-containing immune cells might represent a new disease-modifying approach based on the use of beneficial effects of neuro-inflammation in painful neuropathies. This review analyzes both detrimental and advantageous actions of leukocytes at peripheral nerves in neuropathic pain.
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Arch. Immunol. Ther. Exp. (Warsz.) · Feb 2011
ReviewRelapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children in the context of microarray analyses.
Over the last four decades the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has improved remarkably. However, still about 20% of children with ALL relapse despite risk-adapted polychemotherapy. The prognosis of relapsed ALL is relatively poor, even with modern aggressive chemotherapy. ⋯ Current microarray data show correlation of in vitro drug resistance with significant patterns of gene expression and explain clinical differences between early and late relapse. Genes involved in cell proliferation, self-renewal and differentiation, protein biosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, and DNA replication and repair are usually among those highly expressed in relapsed lymphoblasts. Current status and future perspectives of microarray data on gene expression and drug resistance profile in relapsed pediatric ALL are discussed in this review.
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Arch. Immunol. Ther. Exp. (Warsz.) · Dec 2010
Detection of β-herpesviruses in Polish adult cord blood stem cell recipients by real-time PCR: single centre study.
Umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) is known to be associated with increased risk of infections, compared to bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. In viral diseases for which specific treatment is available, real-time PCR assays are reliable diagnostic tools for timely initiation of appropriate therapy and for rapid assessment of the efficacy of antiviral treatment strategies. A retrospective review of samples from a group of seven adult cord blood stem cell recipients was made. ⋯ Co-infection with HHV-7 was demonstrated at onset of all episodes of microbiologically confirmed CMV or HHV-6 infection. Our observations indicate that real-time PCR is not only useful for monitoring herpesviral infections in transplant recipients, but is also a powerful method for clarifying the relationships between the viral load and clinical symptoms. Further investigation with a much larger group of patients will be needed to confirm these observations and translate them into a clinical approach.