Showing papers by "Marco Salvetti published in 2001"

T cell response to N-formylated peptides in humans.

Abstract: We present the first evidence of a T lymphocyte response to N-formylated peptides in humans. N-formylated peptide sequences from self (mitochondrial) and foreign (microbial) antigens were usedto isolate antigen-specific T cell clones from healthy individuals, including a set of monozygotic twins. The observed response differed from that previously described in mouse (CD4+ phenotype and MHC class II restriction in humans vs. CD8+ phenotype and class I restriction in mice). These lymphocytes produce substantial amounts of IFN-γ. They were isolated in only one of the monozygotic twins, which suggests that their expansion in the healthy immune repertoire is independent of the genetic background. Our result will help in assessing the relevance of N-formylated peptide-specific T cells in protection against infections within the human immune system.

Multiple Sclerosis Perspective

Abstract: Multiple sclerosis (MS) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) are complex traits [1–3] that result from the concurrence of various factors (hence classified among the multifactorial diseases). Classical epidemiological observations have suggested the existence of environmental and genetic influences, active at the population level, for both MS and IDDM, with some similarities between the two diseases (i.e. the high prevalence of both MS and IDDM in Sardinia) [4–6]. Over the years, the relative importance attributed by the scientific community to genes and environment, in MS as well as in IDDM, has varied probably as a consequence of the impact of basic science advancements in the fields of genetics or microbiology (Fig. 1).