Showing papers by "University of Ioannina published in 1988"

Prevalence of primary sjögren's syndrome in an elderly population

Abstract: Sixty-two elderly apparently healthy volunteers, inmates of a public nursing home, were examined for evidence of primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS). Evaluation included a specific questionnaire for subjective xerophthalmia and xerostomia, slit-lamp eye examination after rose Bengal staining. Schirmer's I test, stimulated parotid flow measurement, testing of sera for autoantibodies and labial minor salivary gland biopsy. A greater than or equal to 2+ lip biopsy score on Tarpley's scale was a sine qua non for the diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome. Labial salivary gland (LSG) biopsy revealed fibrosis and/or fatty infiltration in the majority of the individuals, related to ageing. However, four people had a lip biopsy score of greater than or equal to 2+, which, supplemented by other objective criteria, classified three of them as having pSS. Another four had an LSG biopsy score of 1+, and although they fulfilled other objective criteria, they could not be characterized as pSS. All these individuals were completely asymptomatic, and none of them had anti-Ro(SSA) or anti-La(SSB) autoantibodies. The present study suggests that pSS in elderly people in elderly people is subclinical, benign and relatively common.

Outcome of pregnancy in patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease before the disease onset.

Abstract: The outcomes of 419 pregnancies of 154 unselected patients with various auto-immune diseases, including 390 pregnancies before the disease onset, were studied retrospectively. The patients comprised 40 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 72 with rheumatoid arthritis, 21 with primary Sjogren's syndrome (1 degree SS), 14 with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), and seven with mixed connective tissue disease. The histories of 267 pregnancies of 98 healthy, age matched women served as controls. Our data indicate that compared with healthy controls autoimmune patients do not experience a higher incidence of fetal loss. The incidence of fetal loss before disease onset in the various groups of autoimmune patients (as well as after disease onset in patients with SLE and RA) was not significantly different from that of controls. Spontaneous abortions in patients with 1 degree SS and PSS before disease onset occurred significantly more frequently (p less than 0.05) than in controls. Nevertheless, it should be noted that this was not the case when the incidence per woman was considered. On the other hand, patients with SLE, both before and after disease onset, experienced a higher incidence of premature deliveries (p less than 0.05). Finally, the analysis of autoantibody profiles, including antibodies to nuclear antigens, to Ro(SSA) cellular antigen, to double stranded DNA, and to cardiolipin, could not demonstrate any association of autoantibodies with any particular pregnancy outcome.

Sjögren's syndrome in progressive systemic sclerosis.

Abstract: Forty-four sequential, unselected patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) were prospectively evaluated for evidence of coexistent Sjogren's syndrome (SS). This diagnosis was established when a patient with focal lymphocytic infiltration in the labial salivary gland (LSG) biopsy, scoring greater than or equal to 2+ in Tarpley's scale, had keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS) (positive rose bengal test) and/or xerostomia (subjective xerostomia and decreased parotid flow rate). Ten patients had an LSG biopsy score of greater than or equal to 2+, 3 a 1+ score, 17 had mild to moderate fibrosis only and 14 had normal tissue. Nine of the 10 patients with a greater than or equal to 2+ score had SS, according to applied criteria, suggesting a 20.5% prevalence of SS in our population with PSS. On the other hand, pure fibrosis in the biopsy was felt to be secondary to PSS. Parotid gland enlargement was present in 44.4% of the patients with SS, but was extremely uncommon in the fibrosis and normal tissue groups. Subjective xerophthalmia and xerostomia, although elicited by specific questionnaire in the majority of the patients with SS, did not constitute major complaints. Serious internal manifestations, with the exception of esophageal and pulmonary involvement, were unusual in all groups. Anti-Ro (SSA) antibodies were detected in 33.3% of the patients with SS and 11.8% of those with fibrosis. Our study suggests that SS in scleroderma is relatively common and, although lacking prominent exocrine gland symptomatology, resembles primary SS in some clinical and serologic respects.

Some meteorological aspects of air pollution in Athens, Greece

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine some meteorological aspects of air pollution in the Athens area, Greece. Over recent years much attention has been directed to the importance of spells of weather in providing conditions that give rise to inversion of temperature at or near ground level, and hence to risks of severe incidents of air pollution. So, emphasis is given to the importance of anticyclonic conditions, associated with pronounced stability during ground level radiation inversions, when the same sampling sites show high concentration of both SO2 and smoke. Fifteen years of surface and radiosonde data obtained from Hellinikon Airport Athens are used for a climatological base. The meteorology of high concentration episodes has also been examined and the synoptic characteristics for the onset and end of such episodes have been identified. Finally, trends of pollution episodes and calculation of an “air stagnation index” for Athens have been obtained, which give a predicting indication about the occurrence of high pollution concentration.

Treatment of premenstrual mastalgia with tamoxifen

Abstract: Thirty-four women with normal menstrual cycles but suffering from severe premenstrual mastalgia were randomly treated with either tamoxifen (10 mg daily) (18 women) or placebo (16 women) from cycle day 5 to 24 for six consecutive cycles. At the end of the treatment, 89% of the tamoxifen-treated patients were free from the symptoms and the remainder experienced partial alleviation. In contrast, six patients treated with placebo showed only partial alleviation (38%)(p < 0.001). Twelve months after the end of tamoxifen treatment, 53% of the medicated women were still free of symptoms as compared with none of the placebo-treated patients. These results suggest that tamoxifen is highly effective for the management of severe premenstrual mastalgia and should be useful for the treatment of this disorder.

Epithelial HLA-DR expression and lymphocyte subsets in gastric mucosa in type B chronic gastritis.

Abstract: Lymphocyte subpopulations (B, T4, T8), monocytes/macrophages (LeuM5, KiM5) and HLA-DR antigen expression were studied immunohistochemically in frozen sections from 32 antral and 37 fundal biopsies of type-B chronic gastritis. Aberrant HLA-DR antigen expression in epithelial cells of gastric mucosa was found in all cases closely related to mononuclear infiltrates. Epithelial HLA-DR expression and mononuclear infiltrates were practically absent in foci of intestinal metaplasia. These findings suggest that an immunopathologic mechanism probably plays a role in initiation or perpetuation of type-B chronic gastritis.

Cyclosporin-associated nephropathy in patients with autoimmune diseases

Abstract: Renal biopsy specimens were evaluated from patients with different autoimmune diseases treated with cyclosporin (CyA). Ten biopsies were done before CyA, 10 biopsies after low-dose ( 7.5 mg/kg/day) treatment. Definite chronic CyA nephrotoxicity (cyclosporin-associated arteriolopathy and/or interstitial fibrosis striped form with tubular atrophy) was only present in the initial high-dose group. In this group a significant serum creatinine increase was noted and 8 of the 9 patients were hypertensive. No significant correlation was found between the severity of morphologic lesions and the mean daily dose during total treatment, cumulative dose, and duration of therapy. The morphologic changes in the low-dose group did not differ from the control biopsy specimens before CyA treatment. Based on these results, it can be concluded that major nephrotoxicity can be avoided by initial low CyA doses.

Ethanol production by Zymomonas mobilis entrapped in alumina pellets

Abstract: Zymomonas mobilis cells were immobilized on pellets of alumina (Al2O3) by entrapment based on electrostatic forces. Entrapped cells produced 52 g/l-1 ethanol every 24 h for many successive fermentation batches, when inoculated in batch synthetic media containing 12% glucose. It was shown that the rate of growth, ethanol production and glucose utilization increased when Al2O3 was added in the growth medium. This increase was dependent upon the concentration of Al2O3. The optimum conditions for immobilization of Z. mobilis on Al2O3 were established. Reduction in productivity and yield was not observed for up to 15 successive fermentation batches using the same entrapped cells.

Nandrolone decanoate (deca-durabolin) in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a double blind pilot study.

Abstract: The efficacy and side-effects of Deca-Durabolin (DD) were tested, in a double blind fashion, in twenty female primary Sjogren's syndrome (1 degree SS) patients. Ten randomly assigned patients received DD (100 mg IM bi-weekly) for six months, and ten others placebo, for the same period. Analysis of the results revealed that the DD-treated patients showed a moderate improvement of subjective xerostomia, a significant decrease of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and an overall improvement of their feeling of well-being, -judged by themselves and the investigator subjectively-, when compared with the placebo group. All the sicca objective parameters (results of Schirmer's I test, slit lamp eye examination after rose bengal staining, stimulated parotid flow rate measurements and labial minor salivary gland histopathology) were not significantly altered in either group. The clinical side-effects were the expected ones, i.e. hirsutism, hoarseness and an increase in libido, more pronounced in the DD-treated group. At the end of the study, one DD-treated patient, developed a diffuse well-differentiated B-lymphocytic lymphoma, which regressed spontaneously three months later.

Rotating cosmic strings and gravitational soliton waves.

Abstract: Using the Belinsky-Zakharov inverse scattering method, a four-parameter family of cylindrically symmetric solutions of Einstein's vacuum equations is obtained. They are of Petrov type D and, for a certain range of the parameters, represent solitonlike gravitational waves interacting with a straight-line cosmic string. Their interpretation as rotating cosmic strings occupying the axis of symmetry is also investigated.

Testing for antibodies to ENA and to dsDNA is not indicated in FANA-negative sera.

Abstract: In this report, we examined whether immunofluorescent anti-nuclear antibody (FANA) test could be used as an initial screening test in identifying serum samples where subsequent testing for antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (ENA) and to double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA), would be worthwhile. For this purpose, we retrospectively analysed the results of tests for FANA (on Hep-2 cells, positive FANA titers greater than or equal to 1:80), anti-ENA (antibodies to Ro (SSA), La(SSB), U1 nRNP and Sm, by counterimmunoelectrophoresis) and anti-dsDNA (by enzyme-immunoassay) in the sera of 488 consecutive autoimmune patients. It was found that, among the 243 serum samples with negative FANA, only two each (0.8%), had anti-ENA (weak anti-Ro (SSA) and anti-dsDNA (in low levels), respectively. In contrast, anti-ENA and anti-dsDNA were present in 28.2% and 13.5%, respectively, of the 245 FANA-positive sera (p less than 0.00001). In addition, it was found that the probability of positive tests for antibodies to ENA and to dsDNA increases proportionally to the FANA titer (p less than 0.00001). We conclude that searching for anti-ENA and anti-dsDNA in FANA-negative serum samples is generally unjustifiable.

The Coordination Chemistry of N-(3-Carboxylphenyl) Pyridine-2′-Carboxamide

Abstract: New complexes of the general compositions M(LH2)2X2 (M = Co, Ni, Cu, Zn; X = Cl, NCS, NO3), M(LH2)2Cl2. EtOH (M = Ni, Cu; EtOH = ethanol), M(LH)2.nH2O (M = Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pt; n = 1, 2, 3), Pd(LH)Cl·H2O, CuL·3H2O and Zn(LH) (OH) ·2H2O, where LH2 = N-(3-carboxylphenyl)pyridine-2′-carboxamide, have been isolated. The complexes were characterised by elemental analyses, conductivity measurements, TG patterns, magnetic susceptibilities and spectral (1H-NMR, IR, electronic) studies. Distorted octahedral and square planar stereochemistries are assigned in the solid state. Coordination of the neutral carboxylic group is not observed for the complexes of LH2; the carboxylate ion exhibits monodentate coordination in the compounds of LH− and L2-. The neutral amide group of LH2 and LH− is coordinated to Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) through oxygen, while nitrogen and oxygen amide coordination is observed for CuL·3H2O. The secondary amide bond shows the rare iminol type of coordination in Pd(LH)Cl·H2O.

Aspects of the occurrence of persistent surface inversions over Athens basin, Greece

Abstract: In this study the climatology and the effects of persistent nocturnal surface temperature inversions and their relationship to the meteorological processes are discussed. Emphasis is given to the importance of the relevant synoptic situations, the sea-breeze, the stability and the temperature characteristics. The application of some inversions characteristics to local pollution potential is also examined. The results show that many aspects of Athens air quality reflect the pronounced effect of persistent inversions, e.g. the frequency of pollution episodes, the accumulation of pollutants etc.

Cryptosporidial infection in broiler chickens in Greece.

Abstract: Trachea, bursa of Fabricius, and small intestine of broilers 5 to 50 days of age from 10 flocks with varying levels of morbidity and mortality were screened for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. Cryptosporidial oocysts were found in 24.2% of the examined birds.

Specific inhibition of simian virus 40 protein synthesis by heat and arsenite treatment.

Abstract: The effects of heat treatment of CV1 cells infected with simian virus 40 (SV40) on viral and cellular protein synthesis were investigated by one-dimensional and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A 12-h heat treatment during the late phase of the viral life-cycle inhibits VP1 synthesis. No inhibition of normal cellular proteins is apparent, but heat-shock proteins are strongly induced and accumulate in the cells. Inhibition of VP1 synthesis in infected cells is demonstrated to occur also after arsenite treatment, another agent known to induce heat-shock proteins. Northern blot analysis of cytoplasmic RNA demonstrated a decrease in the abundance of late SV40 mRNAs thus showing that the inhibition occurs at the transcriptional or immediately post-transcriptional level. Cumulative labeling with [3H]thymidine of viral DNA showed that the decrease in the abundance of late mRNAs is not due to a blocking of viral DNA synthesis. Immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoprecipitation analysis show that heat and arsenite treatments also affect the synthesis of T antigen. These results suggest that heat-shock proteins may play a role in the inhibition of SV40 virus gene functions. When cells of different organisms are exposed to temperatures a few degrees above that optimal for their growth, a small set of genes, the heat-shock genes, is activated and the corresponding proteins are synthesized at increased rates [l]. The activation of these genes can also be initiated by a variety of other stresses, such as exposure to inhibitors of oxidative phosphorylation, heavy metal ions and amino acid analogs [2 - 41. During the last few years considerable progress has been achieved concerning the structure of heat-shock genes and the regulation of their expression. Much less is known about the physiological role of the response and the mechanism of action of heat-shock proteins (hsps). The phenomenon of thermotolerance, where exposure to moderate temperature, which induces synthesis of hsps, prevents lethal effects of higher temperatures [5 - 111, led to the idea that heat-shock proteins have perhaps a homeostatic role and are produced to confer protection against environmental stress on the cells. The localization of these proteins supports this proposal. It has been shown that the major hsp 70 migrates to the nucleus during stress [12, 131 and the small hsps are known to be nuclear proteins [14-161. However, despite intensive work on thermotolerance, neither the target nor the mechanism of the protection mediated by hsps is yet understood. Recently it has been shown that some DNA oncogenic viruses, such as adenovirus type 5, herpes virus, polyoma and simian virus 40 (SV40), also induce heat-shock proteins in their target cells [17-191. The 70-kDa hsp was shown to be induced in adenovirus-5-infected cells. Furthermore the gene responsable for this induction has been characterized as the E1A first adenovirus early gene [17]. In cells infected with SV40 and polyoma, hsp 72 is strongly induced [19]. The reasons for this induction are obscure. At the simplest level the activation of heat-shock genes may be related to the function(s) of the E1A gene product. It was shown that the E1A protein is involved in the immortalization of primary cells in culture [20, 211 and this protein is considered as a transactivator of viral and cellular genes, so that the induction of hsp 70 may be related to an immortalization function. The other possibility may be that the induction of hsps is a cellular response to the stress of virus infection and could have some role to play in a defence mechanism of the cell. At the level of the entire organism the elevated temperature, which usually accompanies viral infection, may also be related to the defence of the cells via the induction of hsps. In this work we present evidence that heat treatment concomitant with the infection of CV1 cells by SV40 virus induces heat-shock proteins and inhibits further virus propagation. The effect has been evaluated by measuring the level of the major late capsid protein of SV40, VP1, and its mRNA. It can be reproduced by other stress agents known to induce hsp synthesis. Finally, by combining immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoprecipitation of labeled T antigen, we show that heat and arsenite treatment also inhibits T antigen synthesis.

Mechanism of action of prothymosin alpha in the human autologous mixed lymphocyte response

Abstract: Prothymosin alpha(Prot alpha), an immunologically active polypeptide derived initially from rat thymus, and now pig thymus, was tested for its effect on autoantigen-induced human T cell proliferation in vitro. Pig ProT alpha was found to enhance the autologous mixed lymphocyte response (auto-MLR). Optimum enhancement was achieved at doses which varied among different donors. Treatment of the stimulatory monocytes with ProT alpha resulted in considerably higher auto-MLR responses as compared to those with non treated monocytes. ProT alpha was without effect on T lymphocytes. In contrast, T lymphocytes exhibited enhanced proliferative activity when treated with ProT alpha in the environment of autologous monocytes. Moreover, supernatants from cultures of monocytes incubated with ProT alpha (ProT alpha-sup) were also shown to enhance the human auto-MLR either after addition in cultures or after preincubation with responder T lymphocytes. In addition, ProT alpha-sup did not demonstrate any detectable interleukin 1 (IL 1) or interleukin 2 (IL 2) - like activity. Furthermore, ProT alpha-sup induced an increase in IL 2 production in auto-MLR cultures. The enhancement of T-cell proliferation and IL 2 production by ProT alpha-sup was maximal when this material was added at the beginning of the auto-MLR, and no effect of ProT alpha-sup was seen if the latter was added 3 days after initiation of the culture. Finally, Prot alpha-sup was also shown to increase the expression of IL 2 receptors on T lymphocytes activated in the auto-MLR. These studies suggest that ProT alpha enhances the human auto-MLR through ProT alpha-sup which is released after interaction of monocytes with ProT alpha ProT alpha-sup then increases directly T lymphocyte proliferation by elevating IL 2 production and expression of IL 2 specific receptors on autoactivated T lymphocytes.

Pulmonary function of nonsmoking patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the presence and absence of secondary Sjögren's syndrome, a controlled study.

Abstract: One hundred nonsmoking patients with rheumatoid arthritis, including 63 with rheumatoid arthritis alone (RA group) and 37 who also had secondary Sjogren’s syndrome (sSS group), underwent a detailed evaluation of their pulmonary function. The results were compared with those of 110 age-matched nonsmoking controls. Normal function was significantly less common in both patient groups than in the controls. A significant percentage of patients had small airways disease (SAD) which was observed with similar frequency in the control group. If this were excluded, then isolated impairment of carbon monoxide diffusing lung capacity (DLCO) was the most commonly detected significant abnormality in both patient groups. Restrictive disease was following in frequency in the RA group, but was absent in the sSS group. Obstructive disease was very uncommon in all of the patients.In general, there were no significant differences in the frequency of the various respiratory function abnormalities between patients with RA only and those with concomitant sSS, whereas between patients and controls, the only statistically significant differences were the higher frequencies of isolated DLCO impairment and restrictive disease in the RA group.