Introduction Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) are key players in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). During the onset of the disease, they are transformed into an aggressive phenotype that sustains the joint-destructive infl ammatory environment of RA. This transformation is most likely due to the combination of cytokines, growth factors and cellular interaction, which leads to the...

Abstract Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is defi ned as a preventable and treatable disease with signifi cant extrapulmonary effects. Many of the extrapulmonary effects of COPD are thought to be mediated by systemic infl ammation. Local infl ammation has always been appreciated as part of the COPD disease process; however, it is becoming clear that the infl ammatory response is als...

Objective Chronic systemic infl ammation plays a pivotal role in the development of atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the present study, we investigated whether anti-TNF-α antagonist-monoclonal antibody-infl iximab administration alters circulating levels of resistin, a proinfl ammatory adipokine. We further assessed associations of circulating resistin concentrations with CRP an...

journal.publications.chestnet.org Figure 1. Proposed relationship among pulmonary infl ammation, systemic infl ammation, and COPDrelated comorbidities. *Statins have been shown to attenuate both pulmonary and systemic infl ammation through their effects on the innate immune response and NF k B/STAT3-mediated infl ammatory pathways. CRP 5 C-reactive protein; ETS 5 environmental tobacco smoke; M ...

This article is available online at http://www.jlr.org crucial sites for innate immune responses. In addition to providing a physico-chemical barrier, the respiratory epithelium can respond to inhaled micro-organisms and irritants by releasing a variety of infl ammatory mediators ( 1–4 ). Inappropriate or excessive innate immune responses of respiratory epithelia could likely contribute to the ...

Since the demonstration of the potent anti-infl ammatory and immunosuppressive effects of glucocorticoids (GCs) halfway through the previous century, GCs have been the most frequently and generally used anti-infl ammatory and immunosuppressive class of drugs in a wide spectrum of immune-mediated diseases such as systemic autoimmune diseases, including the arthritides like rheumatoid arthritis (...

widely known to possess potent anti-infl ammatory properties by reducing the production of pro-infl ammatory cytokine production, or stimulating the production of anti-infl ammatory cytokines, including interleukin-10 (Otterbein et al., 2003; Paine et al., 2010). Additionally, HO-1 over-expression protects against cytotoxicity induced by NO (Son et al., 2005). HO-1 expression is induced by bind...

K. Kitamura , M.D., Ph.D. (*) • S. Ashizuka • H. Inatsu • T. Kita Department of Internal Medicine, Circulatory and Body Fluid Regulation, Faculty of Medicine , University of Miyazaki , 5200 Kihara, Kiyotake , Miyazaki City , Miyazaki 889-1692 , Japan e-mail: [email protected] Abstract Adrenomedullin (AM) was originally isolated from human pheochromocytoma as a biologically active pe...

1) Perifolliculitis capitis abscedens et suffodiens, currently called dissecting cellulitis of the scalp, is classifi ed as primary scarring alopecia since the 2000 consensus statement. Recent publications do not associate this condition with fungal colonization. 2 The 2013 paper “What’s new in cicatricial alopecia?” indicates an infl ammatory process that attacks and destroys the stem cells of...