Somatostatin is a neuropeptide that is widely distributed throughout the body. It acts as a neurohormone and a neurotransmitter and may also have an immunomodulatory role. The genes for five subtypes of somatostatin receptors (sst) have been cloned, suggesting that the diverse effects of the peptide might be mediated by different receptors. We are interested in studying the role of sst ininflam...

Helsinki 2006 Yliopistopaino 3 To my family – present, dear departed, and yet to come

Autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis, result from a dysregulation of the immune response culminating in hyperactivation of effector cells leading to immune-mediated injury. To maintain an appropriate immune response and prevent the emergence of autoimmune disease, activation signals must be regulated by inhibitory pathways. Biochemical and genetic studies indicate that the type IIB lo...

Immune complex-induced inflammation can be mediated by the classical pathway of complement. However, using mice genetically deficient in factor B or C4, we have shown that the collagen Ab-induced model of arthritis requires the alternative pathway of complement and is not dependent on the classical pathway. We now demonstrate that collagen Ab-induced arthritis is not altered in mice genetically...

two basic and clinical researches accomplished during the recent years on embryonic and adult stem cells constituted a mutation in regenerative therapy. these cells can be used for treating some degenerative diseases. between them, age-related functional defects, hematopoietic and immune system disorders, heart failures, chronic liver injuries, diabetes, parkinson’s and alzheimer’s diseases, ar...

Infectious agents which are well tolerated by the majority of those infected can give rise to persistent pathology in predisposed individuals. Inflammatory arthritis complicates certain infections of the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract in a minority of those infected; this is reactive arthritis, which is in turn related to other forms of inflammatory arthritis the spondyloarthropathies...

A 35-year-old female with rheumatoid arthritis developed an ischaemic colitis and circulating immune complexes following her fourth injection of sodium aurothiomalate. The immune-complex titres fell rapidly after resolution of the colitis, and a possible association of these immune complexes and the bowel pathology is suggested.

Thirty two domestic dogs with naturally occurring polyarthritis were investigated to determine the contribution of autoimmunity in the pathological mechanisms. Comparisons were made with canine infective arthritis (12 dogs), osteoarthritis (32), and osteoarthritis secondary to rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (19). Rheumatoid factors, immune complexes, and complement fixation (C1q bindi...

• Define type III hypersensitivity reactions. • Identify the role of the immune complex in type III reactions, and indicate which cause more damage small or large immune complexes, and locate the possible deposition of each complex. • Compare type III and type I reactions. • List some of the immune complex diseases: Autoimmune diseases: ♦ Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). ♦ Rheumatoid arthrit...