Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 9, Issue 24, 2003

The spleen plays a paramount role in the host protection against invading microrganisms. In support of the above concept, in splenectomized patients there is increasing evidence of overwhelming postsplenectomy infections (OPSI). OPSI are caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in about 80% of cases, but also Gram-negative bacteria are implicated in a certain number of cases. Therapeutically, penicillin and pneumococc Read More

It is well known that inappropriate nutrient intake accounts for the maintenance of the immunological equilibrium, in humans and animals. Vitamins, elements, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids play an important role in the regulation of cellular and humoral immune responses since single or multiple deficits of these food components have been shown to cause immune abnormalities. For instance, in the course of protein-c Read More

Recently a possible cross talk about the relationship between p53 and beta-catenin has been suggested by the observation that colorectal cancers accumulating beta-catenin (as a result of APC mutations) also exhibit high frequency p53 mutations. Our aim was to evaluate the pattern of both the proteins and match these with the morphological changes in colorectal carcinogenesis. Immunohistochemical patterns of p53 and b Read More

Proinflammatory cytokines released from monocytes / macrophages, in particular tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and IL-8 seem to play an important role in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease). Endotoxins or lipopolysaccharides, derived from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria interact with CD14 on surface membrane of macrophages, thus triggering a signa Read More

Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the most common form of autoimmune thyroid disease, is characterised by lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid gland, gradual destruction of the organ and production of thyroid specific auto antibodies (antithyroid peroxidase and antithyroglobulin antibodies). There are evidences that cast doubt on the pathogenetic role of these antibodies in thyroid autoimmunity. It is very likely that cellular destructi Read More

Several lines of evidence support a mutual relationship between the nervous system and the immune system. Therefore, it is not surprising that some neuropsychiatric disorders are also characterized by immune abnormalities. In patients with phobic disorders and in patients with migraine without aura some common immune abnormalities have been detected and, in particular, natural immunity deficits, exaggerated releas Read More

Glucocorticoids (GCs) represent the most effective treatment for autoimmune and allergic diseases, even if collateral effects are not rare, especially endocrine and immunosuppressive manifestations. Moreover, these drugs can develop adverse immunological reactions of I, III or IV type. Though immediate adverse reactions caused by systemic therapy with GCs are not very frequent, the possible beginning of anaph Read More

The mucosal immune system has evolved alongside, but separate, from the general systemic immune system. As a major consequence of this dichotomy, only immune responses initiated in mucosal inductive sites can result in effective immunity in mucosal tissues themselves. Oral tolerance, as usually assessed as orally-induced systemic unresponsiveness, contributes to mucosal homoeostasis by preventing unwant Read More

Inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, results from an interaction between susceptibility genes, the host's bacterial environment, gut barrier defects, and immunological factors. New management approaches have been evolved from advances in our understanding of the pathobiology of this common gut disorder In particular, the therapeutic manipulation of the bacterial microenviron Read More

IL-12 has demonstrated remarkable antitumor activity when used directly as a recombinant protein or when different viral or non-viral vectors transfer its genes. At enhancing tumor immunity, IL-12 acts as a bridge between innate and adaptive immune responses due to its ability to induce proliferation and activation of NK, NKT, and T cells. In addition, IL-12 inhibits tumor angiogenesis mainly through IFNγ-dependent produc Read More

The application of immunotherapy for the treatment of malignant diseases has attracted growing interest in recent years. Because T-cell immunity plays a major part in the control of tumor growth, strategies have been developed to specifically target and activate T-cells towards tumor cells by circumventing major histocompatibility complex (MHC)- restricted antigen recognition. Here we review the immunoreceptor (“T-body”) s Read More

Selective interference with immune processes in the central nervous system (CNS) is a very difficult task because of the limitations associated with the delivery of immuno modulatory molecules across the blood brain barrier. Systemic administration of immune-mediators, either by conventional routes or by intramuscularly or intravenous gene therapy, is hampered by severe side effects and alters immune-system functions also i Read More