Treatment of onchocerciasis with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) or ivermectin is associated with a posttreatment reaction characterized by fever, tachycardia, hypotension, lymphadenopathy, and pruritus. To investigate the role of the Wolbachia bacterial endosymbiont of Onchocerca volvulus in these reactions, serum samples collected before and after treatment with either anthelmintic were assessed for...

AIMS To determine whether the chemotaxins C5a and formyl peptide (fMLP) can stimulate the release of calprotectin, the major leucocyte protein of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). METHODS A dose response curve for the uptake of 125I labelled rC5a and fMLP in PMN was determined by radioimmunoassay. The unlabelled chemotaxins were then incubated with PMN and the concentration of calprotectin...

PURPOSE Calprotectin is a cytosolic protein with immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, and antiproliferative actions. The concentration of calprotectin increases in infection, inflammation, and malignancy. We determined if calprotectin can be used as a marker for the diagnosis and follow-up of bowel inflammation in cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA). METHODS In total, 32 patients newly diagnosed wi...

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that giving other foods while breastfeeding increases the risk of mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1. The mechanism is speculated to be increased inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. METHODS In a prospective longitudinal study, we compared fecal calprotectin, a marker of intestinal inflammatory disease, in he...

Background/Aims Both fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and fecal calprotectin (Fcal) results are useful biomarkers for ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the situations in which each marker should be used are largely unknown. Methods A total of 110 colonoscopy intervals of UC patients were assessed, and correlations between changes in colonoscopic findings and changes in the two aforementioned f...

The present study aimed to provide evidence on whether children at risk of gastrointestinal inflammation have increased measurements of faecal calprotectin (FC). FC was measured in 232 children; 55 children (n = 11 treatment naïve) with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), 63 with coeliac disease (CD); 17 with new diagnosis before and after treatment on gluten-free diet and 114 controls. None o...

AIM The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the long-term use of the composite probiotics in patients after restorative proctocolectomy. METHOD Forty-three patients (20 females and 23 males, aged 21 to 68 years) after restorative proctocolectomy were included in the study. After randomization patients were divided into placebo group and treatment group with oral intake of probiotic c...

BACKGROUND We investigated symptoms and tests performed prior to a formal diagnosis of Crohn's disease and the reasons for diagnostic delay. METHODS Consecutive patients recently diagnosed with Crohn's disease were enrolled between October 2012 and November 2013. Clinical data, symptoms including Rome III criteria at onset and at diagnosis, location and disease phenotype were recorded. Faecal...

BACKGROUND The mechanisms underlying psoriatic pathogenesis are not fully understood and might be elucidated by identifying novel disease-related molecular markers, including autoantigens. METHODS We used 2 proteomic methods to analyze plasma samples from 20 psoriasis patients and 20 matched healthy donors. The first method focused on evaluating changes in glycoprotein concentrations and the ...

We investigated physiological responses and changes in circulating immune cells following exercise in cold and thermoneutral conditions. Participants were short track skaters (n=9) who were acclimatized to cold conditions, and inline skaters (n=10) who were not acclimatized. All skaters were young, and skating at a recreational level three days per week for at least one year. Using a cross-over...