Introduction Recurrent pericarditis (RP) has a controversial pathogenesis that crosses infectious, auto-immune and auto-inflammatory pathways. It has been suggested that in some cases it might be an unrecognized auto-inflammatory disease. Recent studies have demonstrated that anakinra, an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), represents an effective treatment for the control of corticoste...

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare pulmonary disease characterised by alveolar accumulation of surfactant. It may result from mutations in surfactant proteins or granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) receptor genes, it may be secondary to toxic inhalation or haematological disorders, or it may be auto-immune, with anti-GM-CSF antibodies blocking activation of alv...

alterations have been found to occur in every component of immune response during an anesthesia and surgery. these alterations represent the body's general physiological responses and are mainly depended on the extent of surery as well as on blood transfusion. basically, the immune response to an anesthesia and surgery is a beneficial reaction needed in local defences, wound healing, and p...

Anti-synthetase syndrome is a relatively recently described auto-immune disease characterized by auto-antibodies to enzymes that acetylate transfer RNA (tRNA). Interstitial pulmonary disease and inflammatory myopathy are regular findings. Our patient also exhibited a lupus-like glomerulonephritis. An important clue was the presence of 'mechanics' hands. Nephrologists need to be aware of this sy...

Introduction Juvenile Systemic Lupus Erythematous (JSLE) is characterised by auto-antibody production directed against nuclear auto-antigens. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors of the innate immune system responsible for initiating an immune response against invading pathogens. TLR 3, 7-9 have been studied in SLE due to their unique ability to detect nuclear antigen. T...

The aetiology of ulcerative colitis is unknown but an underlying immunological disturbance has frequently been implicated. This might be due to an autoimmune reaction (Broberger and Perlmann, 1959, 1962, 1963; Wright, 1964) or to reactions to an exogenous antigen (Andresen, 1925, 1942; Truelove, 1961; Wright, 1964). We have published our studies on the possible role of dietary allergy elsewhere...