Viral macrophage inflammatory protein-II improves acute rejection in allogeneic rat kidney transplants

During rejection, leukocytes are recruited from the peripheral circulation into the graft leading to the damage of endothelial cells, capillary perfusion failure and graft loss. Chemokines play a pivotal role in the recruitment of leukocytes to the endothelium. Viral macrophage inflammatory protein-II (vMIP-II), a human herpes virus-8 DNA-encoded protein, is a broad-spectrum chemokine antagonist. The aim of the study was to prove the beneficial activity of vMIP-II treatment on acute rat kidney allograft damage. Heterotopic rat kidney transplantation was performed in the Fischer 344 to Lewis transplantation model and animals were treated with vMIP-II (2 x 15 A mu g or 100 A mu g/day) for 7 days. Rejection-induced damage was analyzed by histology, and microcirculatory changes within the graft were analyzed by in vivo microscopy. Viral macrophage inflammatory protein-II significantly improved acute glomerular damage and tubulointerstitial inflammation and lowered the extent of vascular and tubulointerstitial damage of the treated allografts. Functional microcirculation of peritubular capillaries was significantly improved in vivo, and the firm adherence of leukocytes was significantly reduced by vMIP-II treatment. The administration of the broad-spectrum antagonist vMIP-II improved acute renal allograft damage, mainly by a reduction in leukocyte recruitment with a subsequently improved renal cortical microcirculation in vivo.[SFB 405]; [B10

Sex Bias in Pathogenesis of Autoimmune Neuroinflammation: Relevance for Dimethyl Fumarate Immunomodulatory/Anti-oxidant Action

In the present study, upon showing sexual dimorphism in dimethyl fumarate (DMF) efficacy to moderate the clinical severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in Dark Agouti rats, cellular and molecular substrate of this dimorphism was explored. In rats of both sexes, DMF administration from the day of immunization attenuated EAE severity, but this effect was more prominent in males leading to loss of the sexual dimorphism observed in vehicle-administered controls. Consistently, in male rats, DMF was more efficient in diminishing the number of CD4+ T lymphocytes infiltrating spinal cord (SC) and their reactivation, the number of IL-17+ T lymphocytes and particularly cellularity of their highly pathogenic IFN-gamma+GM-CSF+IL-17+ subset. This was linked with changes in SC CD11b+CD45+TCR alpha beta- microglia/proinflammatory monocyte progeny, substantiated in a more prominent increase in the frequency of anti-inflammatory phygocyting CD163+ cells and the cells expressing high surface levels of immunoregulatory CD83 molecule (associated with apoptotic cells phagocytosis and implicated in downregulation of CD4+ T lymphocyte reactivation) among CD11b+CD45+TCR alpha beta- cells in male rat SC. These changes were associated with greater increase in the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 expression in male rats administered with DMF. In accordance with the previous findings, DMF diminished reactive nitrogen and oxygen species generation and consistently, SC level of advanced oxidation protein products, to the greater extent in male rats. Overall, our study indicates sex-specificity in the sensitivity of DMF cellular and molecular targets and encourages sex-based clinical research to define significance of sex for action of therapeutic agents moderating autoimmune neuroinflammation-/oxidative stress-related nervous tissue damage

Productive Infection of Human Primary Cells and Cell Lines with Porcine Endogenous Retroviruses

AbstractPorcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) infect human cells in vitro and therefore represent a risk for xenotransplantation. However, first clinical transplantations of pig cells into humans or ex vivo perfusions did not result in transmission of PERVs. On the other hand, recent experiments with SCID mice demonstrated infections with PERV in vivo. In order to define and characterize human target cells, we studied numerous primary human cells and cell lines. Infection with PERVs was shown for human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, primary endothelial cells, and primary aortic smooth muscle cells as well as lymphocytic, monocytic, and epithelial cell lines

Sustained long-term efficacy and safety of adalimumab in paediatric patients with severe chronic plaque psoriasis from a randomized, double-blind, phase III study

BACKGROUND Adalimumab (ADA) (Humira$^{®}$ , AbbVie Inc., U.S.A.) is approved by the European Medicines Agency for children aged ≥ 4 years with severe plaque psoriasis. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of ADA in children with severe plaque psoriasis. METHODS Results are presented from the 52-week long-term extension (LTE) of the randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, phase III trial, in children with severe plaque psoriasis (results from prior periods have been published). Patients aged ≥ 4 and < 18 years were randomized 1 : 1 : 1 to ADA 0·8 mg kg$^{-1}$ (40 mg maximum) or 0·4 mg kg$^{-1}$ (20 mg maximum) every other week or to methotrexate (MTX) 0·1-0·4 mg kg$^{-1}$ (25 mg maximum) weekly. The 16-week initial treatment (IT) period was followed by a 36-week withdrawal period and a 16-week retreatment period. Patients could enter the LTE at prespecified time points to receive ADA 0·8 mg kg$^{-1}$ (blinded or open label) or ADA 0·4 mg kg$^{-1}$ (blinded), or to remain off treatment. Efficacy is reported for patient groups according to doses received in the IT and LTE periods. RESULTS Of the 114 patients randomized in the IT period, 108 entered the LTE (n = 36 in each group); 93 received ADA 0·8 mg kg$^{-1}$ . Efficacy (≥ 75% improvement from baseline in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) was maintained or improved from entry to the end of the LTE: MTX(IT)/ADA 0·8(LTE) 31-86% of patients; ADA 0·4(IT)/0·4 or 0·8(LTE) 28-47%; ADA 0·8(IT)/0·8(LTE) 50-72%. No serious infections occurred in the LTE. CONCLUSIONS After 52 weeks of long-term ADA treatment in children aged 4-18 years with severe plaque psoriasis, disease severity was reduced and maintained or further improved, as demonstrated by efficacy outcomes. No new safety risks were identified. What's already known about this topic? The results from the first three periods of this phase III trial in children aged 4-18 years with severe plaque psoriasis suggest that adalimumab is a safe and efficacious treatment option in this population. What does this study add? This is the first study to evaluate long-term treatment of adalimumab in children with severe psoriasis, and the first to evaluate switching from methotrexate to adalimumab in this population

Direct comparison of risankizumab and fumaric acid esters in systemic therapy–naïve patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: a randomized controlled trial

Summary Background Fumaric acid esters (FAEs; Fumaderm®) are the most frequently prescribed first-line systemic treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in Germany. Risankizumab (Skyrizi®) is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to the p19 subunit of interleukin 23. Objectives To compare risankizumab treatment to FAEs in patients with psoriasis. Methods This phase III randomized, active-controlled, open-label study with blinded assessment of efficacy was conducted in Germany. Patients were randomized (1 : 1) to subcutaneous risankizumab 150 mg (weeks 0, 4 and 16) or oral FAEs at increasing doses from 30 mg daily (week 0) up to 720 mg daily (weeks 8–24). Enrolled patients were adults naïve to and candidates for systemic therapy, with chronic moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Phototherapy was not allowed within 14 days before or during the study. Results Key efficacy endpoints were met at week 24 for risankizumab (n = 60) vs. FAEs (n = 60) (P &amp;lt; 0·001): achievement of a ≥ 90% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI; primary endpoint 83·3% vs. 10·0%), ≥ 100% improvement in PASI (50·0% vs. 5·0%), ≥ 75% improvement in PASI (98·3% vs. 33·3%), ≥ 50% improvement in PASI (100% vs. 53·3%) and a Static Physician’s Global Assessment of clear/almost clear (93·3% vs. 38·3%). The rates of gastrointestinal disorders, flushing, lymphopenia and headache were higher in the FAE group. One patient receiving risankizumab reported a serious infection (influenza, which required hospitalization). There were no malignancies, tuberculosis or opportunistic infections in either treatment arm. Conclusions Risankizumab was found to be superior to FAEs, providing earlier and greater improvement in psoriasis outcomes that persisted with continued treatment, and more favourable safety results, which is consistent with the known safety profile. No new safety signals for risankizumab or FAEs were observed.</jats:p

Sustained long-term efficacy and safety of adalimumab in paediatric patients with severe chronic plaque psoriasis from a randomized, double-blind, phase III study

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