Atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS) may clinically present as acute renal graft failure resulting from excessive activation of the complement cascade. While mutations of complement-encoding genes predispose for aHUS, it is generally thought to require an additional insult (e.g. drugs) to trigger and manifest the full-blown clinical syndrome. Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) used for immuno...

Highly aggressive cancers "entrain" innate and adaptive immune cells to suppress antitumor lymphocyte responses. Circulating myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) constitute the bulk of monocytic immunosuppressive activity in late-stage melanoma patients. Previous studies revealed that monocyte-derived macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is necessary for the immunosuppressive functio...

An 82-year-old woman presented with severe bleeding due to antibodies inactivating both human and porcine factor VIII. Treatment with porcine factor VIII was successful in correcting the hemorrhagic manifestations, despite the fact that subsequent studies showed that the baseline porcine inhibitor titer was greater than the human inhibitor titer. Anamnestic response to porcine factor VIII did n...

Introduction Non-adherence to immunosuppressive medication is regarded as an important factor for graft rejection and loss after successful renal transplantation. Yet, results on prevalence and relationship with psychosocial parameters are heterogeneous. The main aim of this study was to investigate the association of immunosuppressive medication non-adherence and psychosocial factors. Method...

Ocular inflammation is a significant cause of ocular morbidity and visual impairment. Topical, periocular, intraocular, and systemic corticosteroids are highly effective for treating appropriate forms of ocular inflammation. However, their use may be constrained by local and/or systemic side effects, especially if long-term therapy is required. As a result, immunosuppressive agents increasingly...

With advancements in immunosuppressive strategies and availability of better immunosuppressive agents, survival rate following liver transplantation has improved significantly in the recent times. Besides improvements in surgical techniques, the most important factor that has contributed to this better outcome is the progress made in the field of immunosuppression. Over the last several years, ...

Life-threatening lingual haemorrhage was successfully treated in a 3-year-old haemophiliac who had a high level of inhibitor in his plasma. Repeated plasma exchange with high-dose factor VIII concentrate led to a cessation of bleeding. Immunosuppressive treatment introduced at the time of plasmapheresis and carried out for 6 weeks seems to have prevented the return of the inhibitor.

An increasing array of treatments such as immunosuppressive drugs and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors can offer patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease improved relief from symptoms with fewer adverse effects. Several additional drugs have shown promise, including nicotine, antimicrobials, and heparin.

The pp70/85-kDa S6 kinases, collectively referred to as pp70S6k, are thought to participate in transit through the G1 phase of the cell cycle. pp70S6k regulates the phosphorylation of the 40S ribosomal protein S6 and the transcription factor CREM tau. pp70S6k is regulated by serine/threonine phosphorylation, and although 1-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and phospholipase C have been implicated a...

1 Although the precise pathogenic mechanisms of uveitis remain unknown, cytokines, chemokines and soluble adhesion molecules appear to play a major role in uveitis. They influence the communications between various cell types and alter vascular endothelial properties. Several recent studies have disclosed the beneficial role of aqueous humor samples for investigating involved molecular targets ...