Common Alteration (common + alteration)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Allergic asthma in patients with common variable immunodeficiency

ALLERGY, Issue 4 2010
R. C. Agondi
To cite this article: Agondi RC, Barros MT, Rizzo LV, Kalil J, Giavina-Bianchi P. Allergic asthma in patients with common variable immunodeficiency. Allergy 2010; 65: 510,515. Abstract Background:, Many patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) have a clinical history suggestive of allergic respiratory disease. However, in such individuals, the prevalence of asthma and the role of atopy have not been well established. The objective of this study was to evaluate pulmonary function and identify asthma in patients with CVID. We also investigated the role of IgE as a trigger of asthma in these patients. Methods:, Sixty-two patients diagnosed with CVID underwent spirometry, as well as skin prick testing and in vitro determination of serum-specific IgE levels for aeroallergens, together with bronchial provocation with histamine and allergen. Results:, The most common alteration identified through spirometry was obstructive lung disease, which was observed in 29 (47.5%) of the 62 patients evaluated. Eighteen (29.0%) of the 62 patients had a clinical history suggestive of allergic asthma. By the end of the study, asthma had been diagnosed in nine (14.5%) patients and atopy had been identified in six (9.7%). In addition, allergic asthma had been diagnosed in four patients (6.5% of the sample as a whole; 22.2% of the 18 patients with a clinical history suggestive of the diagnosis). Conclusion:, In this study, CVID patients testing negative for specific IgE antibodies and suspected of having allergic asthma presented a positive response to bronchial provocation tests with allergens. To our knowledge, this is the first such study. When CVID patients with a history suggestive of allergic asthma test negative on traditional tests, additional tests designed to identify allergic asthma might be conducted. [source]


Modulation of DNA hypomethylation as a surrogate endpoint biomarker for chemoprevention of colon cancer

MOLECULAR CARCINOGENESIS, Issue 2 2004
Lianhui Tao
Abstract Surrogate end-point biomarkers are being developed as indicators of the efficacy of chemopreventive agents. These biomarkers are molecular and biological end-points that can be modulated by chemopreventive agents in accordance with their efficacy to prevent cancer. DNA hypomethylation is a common alteration found in colon tumors that has the potential of being modulated by chemopreventive agents and thus being useful as a surrogate end-point biomarker. Agents that were either effective or ineffective in preventing colon cancer were evaluated for the ability to modulate DNA hypomethylation in azoxymethane-induced colon tumors in male F344 rats. DNA methylation was determined by Dot Blot Analysis using a mouse monoclonal anti-5-methylcytosine antibody. Colon tumors had a 70% reduction in DNA methylation relative to normal colonic mucosa. DNA methylation in the tumors was increased by 7 days of treatment with agents that have been shown to prevent colon cancer (calcium chloride, ,-diflouromethylornithine [DFMO], piroxicam, and sulindac), whereas agents shown not to prevent colon cancer in rats (low dose aspirin, 2-carboxyphenyl retinamide [2-CPR], quercetin, 9- cis retinoic acid, and rutin) did not increase DNA methylation. The results suggest that the ability to reverse the DNA hypomethylation in colon tumors could be useful as a surrogate end-point biomarker for chemoprevention of colon cancer. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Parotid gland involvement in advanced AIDS

ORAL DISEASES, Issue 2 2003
PA Vargas
OBJECTIVE: ,This study describes the involvement and the histological alterations found in the parotid glands of 100 patients who died with AIDS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ,Sex, age, CD4 cell count and clinical history were obtained from the files of 100 patients who died with AIDS. Histological analysis of the parotid glands was performed using H&E, Gomori,Grocott, Ziehl,Neelsen and Mucicarmine. Histological findings were grouped in reactive, infectious, cystic, neoplastic and concomitant lesions. RESULTS: ,None of the patients presented complaints or symptoms related to salivary gland alterations prior to death. The mean age of the patients and CD4 cell count were 36.4 years and 76.07 cells ,l ,1 , respectively. Histological alterations of the parotid glands were found in 51% of the patients. The most common alteration was non-specific chronic sialadenitis (29 cases), followed by infectious conditions (22 cases). Mycobacteriosis was the most common infectious disease (10 cases), followed by cytomegalovirus (nine cases), cryptococcosis (three cases) and histoplasmosis (two cases). Lymphoepithelial cysts occurred in six cases, Warthin's tumor and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in one case each. CONCLUSIONS: ,These results indicate that infection and other lesions in the parotid glands are more frequent than hitherto described in the specialized literature in AIDS patients. Clinicians should consider parotid gland involvement, when evaluating disease extension in advanced AIDS patients. [source]


Mucosal Vascular Alterations in Isolated Small-Bowel Allografts: Relationship to Humoral Sensitization

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 1 2003
Phillip Ruiz
Acute vascular rejection (AVR) in human small-bowel transplantation is an inadequately characterized entity whose frequency and severity is not well understood. As compared to severe AVR, changes identifying early, mild or evolving AVR are not known. We created a scoring system to evaluate subtle mucosal vascular changes and examined 188 biopsies from 21 patients obtained in the first 3 months post transplant. A majority of patients had a transient rise in vascular injury, often within 30 days of transplant. Small-vessel congestion and erythrocyte extravasation were the most common alterations. The vascular injury score was not related to acute cellular rejection, HLA type or HLA antigen disparities. However, the patients with the vascular changes had significantly higher peak panel reactive antibodies (PRA) and a higher incidence of positive T-cell and B-cell crossmatch. Finally, graft survival was significantly lower in the patients demonstrating the early vascular lesions. These data suggest that the vascular injury is partially associated with humoral presensitization of the recipient and may be a form of acute vascular rejection. Since these vascular changes are frequent, we advocate early post-transplant monitoring to identify and manage potentially high-risk patients. [source]


A comprehensive volumetric analysis of the cerebellum in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

AUTISM RESEARCH, Issue 5 2009
Julia A. Scott
Abstract Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and postmortem neuropathological studies have implicated the cerebellum in the pathophysiology of autism. Controversy remains, however, concerning the nature and the consistency of cerebellar alterations. MRI studies of the cross-sectional area of the vermis have found both decreases and no difference in autism groups. Volumetric analysis of the vermis, which is less prone to "plane of section artifacts" may provide a more reliable assessment of size differences but few such studies exist in the literature. Here we present the results of a volumetric analysis of the structure of the whole cerebellum and its components in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Structural MRI's were acquired from 62 male participants (7.5 to 18.5 years-old) who met criteria for the following age-matched diagnostic groups: low functioning autism, high functioning autism (HFA), Asperger syndrome, and typically developing children. When compared to controls, the midsagittal area of the vermis, or of subgroups of lobules, was not reduced in any of the autism groups. However, we did find that total vermis volume was decreased in the combined autism group. When examined separately, the vermis of only the HFA group was significantly reduced compared to typically developing controls. Neither IQ nor age predicted the size of the vermis within the autism groups. There were no differences in the volume of individual vermal lobules or cerebellar hemispheres. These findings are discussed in relation to the pathology of autism and to the fairly common alterations of vermal morphology in various neurodevelopmental disorders. [source]