@article {10849, title = {The Complex Interplay between Lipids, Immune System and Interleukins in Cardio-Metabolic Diseases.}, journal = {Int J Mol Sci}, volume = {19}, year = {2018}, month = {2018 Dec 14}, abstract = {

Lipids and inflammation regulate each other. Early studies on this topic focused on the systemic effects that the acute inflammatory response-and interleukins-had on lipid metabolism. Today, in the era of the obesity epidemic, whose primary complications are cardio-metabolic diseases, attention has moved to the effects that the nutritional environment and lipid derangements have on peripheral tissues, where lipotoxicity leads to organ damage through an imbalance of chronic inflammatory responses. After an overview of the effects that acute inflammation has on the systemic lipid metabolism, this review will describe the lipid-induced immune responses that take place in peripheral tissues and lead to chronic cardio-metabolic diseases. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory effects of lipid lowering drugs, as well as the possibility of using anti-inflammatory agents against cardio-metabolic diseases, will be discussed.

}, keywords = {Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Cardiovascular Diseases, Humans, Hypolipidemic Agents, Immune System, Inflammation, Interleukins, Lipid Metabolism, Lipids, Metabolic Diseases}, issn = {1422-0067}, doi = {10.3390/ijms19124058}, author = {Bernardi, Stella and Marcuzzi, Annalisa and Piscianz, Elisa and Tommasini, Alberto and Fabris, Bruno} } @article {10518, title = {Curcumin Anti-Apoptotic Action in a Model of Intestinal Epithelial Inflammatory Damage.}, journal = {Nutrients}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Jun 06}, abstract = {

The purpose of this study is to determine if a preventive treatment with curcumin can protect intestinal epithelial cells from inflammatory damage induced by IFNγ. To achieve this goal we have used a human intestinal epithelial cell line (HT29) treated with IFNγ to undergo apoptotic changes that can reproduce the damage of intestinal epithelia exposed to inflammatory cytokines. In this model, we measured the effect of curcumin (curcuminoid from ) added as a pre-treatment at different time intervals before stimulation with IFNγ. Curcumin administration to HT29 culture before the inflammatory stimulus IFNγ reduced the cell apoptosis rate. This effect gradually declined with the reduction of the curcumin pre-incubation time. This anti-apoptotic action by curcumin pre-treatment was paralleled by a reduction of secreted IL7 in the HT29 culture media, while there was no relevant change in the other cytokine levels. Even though curcumin pre-administration did not impact the activation of the NF-κB pathway, a slight effect on the phosphorylation of proteins in this inflammatory signaling pathway was observed. In conclusion, curcumin pre-treatment can protect intestinal cells from inflammatory damage. These results can be the basis for studying the preventive role of curcumin in inflammatory bowel diseases.

}, keywords = {Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal, Apoptosis, Cell Survival, Curcuma, Curcumin, Cytokines, Epithelial Cells, HT29 Cells, Humans, Inflammation, Interferon-gamma, Interleukin-7, Intestinal Mucosa, NF-kappa B, Phosphorylation, Signal Transduction}, issn = {2072-6643}, doi = {10.3390/nu9060578}, author = {Loganes, Claudia and Lega, Sara and Bramuzzo, Matteo and Vecchi Brumatti, Liza and Piscianz, Elisa and Valencic, Erica and Tommasini, Alberto and Marcuzzi, Annalisa} } @article {8512, title = {Carbamazepine-induced thrombocytopenic purpura in a child: Insights from a genomic analysis.}, journal = {Blood Cells Mol Dis}, volume = {59}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Jul}, pages = {97-9}, issn = {1096-0961}, doi = {10.1016/j.bcmd.2016.05.001}, author = {Abate, Maria Valentina and Stocco, Gabriele and Devescovi, Raffaella and Carrozzi, Marco and Pierobon, Chiara and Valencic, Erica and Lucaf{\`o}, Marianna and Di Silvestre, Alessia and d{\textquoteright}Adamo, Pio and Tommasini, Alberto and Decorti, Giuliana and Ventura, Alessandro} } @article {8331, title = {Clinical Characteristics of Patients Carrying the Q703K Variant of the NLRP3 Gene: A 10-year Multicentric National Study.}, journal = {J Rheumatol}, volume = {43}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Jun}, pages = {1093-100}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to analyze the clinical and functional effect of the p.Q703K (p. Q705K, c. 2107C>A) variant of the NLRP3 gene in a population of patients screened for suspected cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS).

METHODS: Since 2002, 580 patients underwent molecular analysis for NLRP3. Data on clinical presentation, response to treatment, and longterm followup were collected using a uniform questionnaire. The pattern of cytokine secretion after lipopolysaccharide stimulation from isolated monocytes was analyzed in 3 patients carrying the p.Q703K variant and 1 patient with a chronic infantile neurologic, cutaneous, articular syndrome phenotype carrying both the p.M406I and p.Q703K, and compared with 7 patients with CAPS with sure pathogenic variants and 6 healthy controls.

RESULTS: The p.Q703K variant was found in 57 screened patients with an overall allelic frequency of 5\%. The frequency in normal controls was 5.5\%. Clinical data at the moment of molecular analysis and at followup were available in 36 patients. Two patients displayed additional mutations of NLRP3. The mean followup was 2.5 years. Thirteen patients (39\%) had a final diagnosis different from the original suspicion of CAPS. The remaining 21 patients displayed a mild phenotype mainly characterized by recurrent episodes of urticarial rash and arthralgia. Only 8 patients were treated with anti-interleukin (IL)-1 treatment, with a complete response in 5 patients. The pattern of secretion of IL-1β and other cytokines (IL-6 and IL-1 receptor antagonist) in patients did not display the aberrancies observed in patients with CAPS and was similar to that observed in healthy controls.

CONCLUSION: The present study confirms the weak clinical and functional effect of the p.Q703K variant.

}, issn = {0315-162X}, doi = {10.3899/jrheum.150962}, author = {Naselli, Aldo and Penco, Federica and Cantarini, Luca and Insalaco, Antonella and Alessio, Mariolina and Tommasini, Alberto and Maggio, Cristina and Obici, Laura and Gallizi, Romina and Cimmino, Marco and Signa, Sara and Lucherini, Orso Maria and Carta, Sonia and Caroli, Francesco and Martini, Alberto and Rubartelli, Anna and Ceccherini, Isabella and Gattorno, Marco} } @article {3571, title = {Clinical significance of hyper-IgA in a paediatric laboratory series.}, journal = {Arch Dis Child}, volume = {99}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Dec}, pages = {1114-6}, abstract = {

The causes of extremely elevated IgA, whether isolated or associated with an increase in other classes of immunoglobulin, are poorly defined in paediatrics. We reviewed the diagnostic significance of very high IgA levels (greater than 3 SD above the mean for age) in a cohort of patients referred to a tertiary care children{\textquoteright}s hospital. Hyper-IgA was found in 91 of 6364 subjects (1.4\%) and in 68 cases was not associated with an increased IgG and/or IgM level. Most subjects with hyper-IgA (73.5\%) had a severe immune defect, a chronic rheumatic disease or inflammatory bowel disease, while these conditions were very rare in a control group with normal IgA values (8\%). Although our results may in part reflect the experience of a tertiary care centre, we suggest that hyper-IgA in children should always arouse suspicion of a serious disease.

}, keywords = {Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Hospitals, Pediatric, Humans, Hypergammaglobulinemia, Immunoglobulin A, Infant, Italy, Male, Tertiary Care Centers}, issn = {1468-2044}, doi = {10.1136/archdischild-2014-306607}, author = {Copetti, Valentina and Pastore, Serena and De Pieri, Carlo and Radillo, Oriano and Taddio, Andrea and Ventura, Alessandro and Tommasini, Alberto} } @article {1864, title = {A common genetic background could explain early-onset Crohn{\textquoteright}s disease.}, journal = {Med Hypotheses}, volume = {78}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Apr}, pages = {520-2}, abstract = {

Crohn{\textquoteright}s disease (CD) is a multifactorial disease, in which environmental, microbial and genetic factors play important roles. CD is characterized by a chronic granulomatous inflammation by necrotic scarring with aspects of full-thickness wall. In spite of affecting mainly young adults, sometimes, CD can be present in the first year of life (early onset Crohn disease, EOCD) showing an unpredictable course and being often more severe than at older ages. In this paper we propose the hypothesis that EOCD patients should be analyzed using a Mendelian approach with family studies aimed to identify new loci directly involved in the early onset Crohn{\textquoteright}s disease. So we will leave the classic association study approach used until now for the identification of genes responsible for susceptibility to CD and propose linkage family analysis as alternative and powerful tool for the identification of new genetic variants associated with familiar cases of EOCD.

}, keywords = {Crohn Disease, Genetic Linkage, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Models, Biological}, issn = {1532-2777}, doi = {10.1016/j.mehy.2012.01.023}, author = {Bianco, Anna Monica and Zanin, Valentina and Girardelli, Martina and Magnolato, Andrea and Martelossi, Stefano and Martellossi, Stefano and Tommasini, Alberto and Marcuzzi, Annalisa and Crovella, Sergio} }