Autoimmunity reviews
-
Autoimmunity reviews · Dec 2012
ReviewExercise as a therapeutic tool to counteract inflammation and clinical symptoms in autoimmune rheumatic diseases.
Chronic inflammation is a common feature shared by several autoimmune rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, systemic sclerosis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Therefore, blocking or reducing inflammation is one of the major treatment strategies in these diseases. In this context, exercise training has emerged as a potential therapeutic tool in counteracting systemic inflammation, thereby leading to better clinical outcomes. The aims of this review are i) to provide a summary of the clinical effects of exercise training in selected autoimmune rheumatic diseases; and ii) to discuss the potential anti-inflammatory role of exercise training in autoimmune rheumatic diseases, stressing the gaps in literature and the clinical and scientific perspectives in the field.
-
Autoimmunity reviews · Dec 2012
Review Meta AnalysisDiagnostic accuracy of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to detect anti-skin autoantibodies in autoimmune blistering skin diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Systematic reviews and meta-analysis are essential tools to accurately and reliably summarize evidence, and can be used as a starting point for developing practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of patients. ⋯ Results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that ELISA tests for anti-BP180 and anti-Dsg3 autoantibodies have high sensitivity and specificity for BP and PV, respectively, and can be used in daily laboratory practice for the initial diagnosis of autoimmune blistering skin diseases.
-
Autoimmunity reviews · Oct 2012
ReviewAnti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. The disorder, the diagnosis and the immunobiology.
Anti-NMDAR encephalitis is a newly characterized syndrome with a progressive, predictable clinical course and the possibility of effective treatment. Accurate and timely diagnosis is critical to selection and implementation of treatments, and optimal patient outcomes. ⋯ Future efforts in this disorder should focus on elucidating the mechanisms that contribute to initiation of this antibody response, as well as exploring the role of tumors, infectious triggers and immune-reactivation. Finally, accessible tools need to be developed that allow for reliable identification of specific antibody markers against synaptic proteins.
-
Fibromyalgia (FM) is defined as chronic widespread pain (CWP) with allodynia or hyperalgesia to pressure pain, and is classified as one of the largest group of soft tissue pain syndromes. Its pathogenesis is not entirely understood, although it is currently believed to be the result of a central nervous system (CNS) malfunction that increases pain transmission and perception. There are no instrumental tests to confirm the diagnosis, but many of the differential diagnoses can be excluded by means of an extensive clinical examination and patient history. Although fibromyalgia is a recognisable clinical entity, it would seem appropriate to consider the entire range of tenderness and distress in clinic patients in order to tailor treatment on an individual basis.
-
The immune system and its orchestrated response are affected by a multitude of endogenous and exogenous factors, modulators and challenges. One of the most frequent differences described in the immune response is its vigor and activity in females compared to males, leading to the consequent increase in autoimmune conditions seen in the female population as well as differences in the immune response to pathogens and viruses. The following review summarizes our present knowledge on sex differences in the immune response, detailing the hormonal and genetic effects that have been proposed as explanatory mechanisms. ⋯ In addition to biological differences, the frequently neglected role of gender as an immunomodulator is introduced and explored. Gender affects all areas of human life and consequently affects the different steps of an immune response. Exposure to various types of antigens, access to health promotion programs and health care, as well as prioritization of health needs and household resource allocation all affect the different response of females and males to immunologic challenges.