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Tozzoli R, Bizzaro N. The clinical and the laboratory autoimmunologist: Where do we stand? AUTO- IMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS 2020; 11:10. [PMID: 32670534 PMCID: PMC7341566 DOI: 10.1186/s13317-020-00133-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Renato Tozzoli
- Laboratorio di Patologia Clinica, Ospedale San Antonio, Tolmezzo, Italy
- Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Nicola Bizzaro
- Dipartimento di Medicina di Laboratorio, Presidio Ospedaliero S. Maria degli Angeli, Pordenone, Italy
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Watad A, Bragazzi NL, Adawi M, Amital H, Kivity S, Mahroum N, Blank M, Shoenfeld Y. Is autoimmunology a discipline of its own? A big data-based bibliometric and scientometric analyses. Autoimmunity 2017; 50:269-274. [PMID: 28332868 DOI: 10.1080/08916934.2017.1305361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Autoimmunology is a super-specialty of immunology specifically dealing with autoimmune disorders. To assess the extant literature concerning autoimmune disorders, bibliometric and scientometric analyses (namely, research topics/keywords co-occurrence, journal co-citation, citations, and scientific output trends - both crude and normalized, authors network, leading authors, countries, and organizations analysis) were carried out using open-source software, namely, VOSviewer and SciCurve. A corpus of 169,519 articles containing the keyword "autoimmunity" was utilized, selecting PubMed/MEDLINE as bibliographic thesaurus. Journals specifically devoted to autoimmune disorders were six and covered approximately 4.15% of the entire scientific production. Compared with all the corpus (from 1946 on), these specialized journals have been established relatively few decades ago. Top countries were the United States, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, China, France, Canada, Australia, and Israel. Trending topics are represented by the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the ethiopathogenesis of autoimmune disorders, contributions of genetics and of epigenetic modifications, role of vitamins, management during pregnancy and the impact of gender. New subsets of immune cells have been extensively investigated, with a focus on interleukin production and release and on Th17 cells. Autoimmunology is emerging as a new discipline within immunology, with its own bibliometric properties, an identified scientific community and specifically devoted journals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulla Watad
- a Department of Medicine 'B' , Sheba Medical Center , Tel- Hashomer, Israel.,b Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center , Tel- Hashomer, Israel.,c Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel-Aviv University , Tel-Aviv , Israel
| | - Nicola Luigi Bragazzi
- d School of Public Health Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL) , University of Genoa , Genoa , Italy
| | - Mohammad Adawi
- e Padeh and Ziv Hospitals, Bar-Ilan Faculty of Medicine , Ramat Gan , Israel
| | - Howard Amital
- a Department of Medicine 'B' , Sheba Medical Center , Tel- Hashomer, Israel.,b Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center , Tel- Hashomer, Israel.,c Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel-Aviv University , Tel-Aviv , Israel
| | - Shaye Kivity
- b Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center , Tel- Hashomer, Israel.,c Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel-Aviv University , Tel-Aviv , Israel
| | - Naim Mahroum
- a Department of Medicine 'B' , Sheba Medical Center , Tel- Hashomer, Israel.,b Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center , Tel- Hashomer, Israel.,c Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel-Aviv University , Tel-Aviv , Israel
| | - Miri Blank
- b Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center , Tel- Hashomer, Israel.,c Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel-Aviv University , Tel-Aviv , Israel
| | - Yehuda Shoenfeld
- b Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Center , Tel- Hashomer, Israel.,c Sackler Faculty of Medicine , Tel-Aviv University , Tel-Aviv , Israel
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Abstract
Turner Syndrome (TS) is a common genetic disorder, affecting female individuals, resulting from the partial or complete absence of one sex chromosome, and occurring in approximately 50 per 100,000 liveborn girls. TS is associated with reduced adult height and with gonadal dysgenesis, leading to insufficient circulating levels of female sex steroids and to infertility. Morbidity and mortality are increased in TS but average intellectual performance is within the normal range. TS is closely associated to the presence of autoantibodies and autoimmune diseases (AID), especially autoimmune thyroiditis and inflammatory bowel disease. Despite the fact that the strong association between TS and AID is well known and has been widely studied, the underlying immunopathogenic mechanism remains partially unexplained. Recent studies have displayed how TS patients do not show an excess of immunogenic risk markers. This is evocative for a higher responsibility of X-chromosome abnormalities in the development of AID, and particularly of X-genes involved in immune response. For instance, the long arm of the X chromosome hosts a MHC-locus, so the loss of that region may lead to a deficiency in immune regulation. Currently no firm guidelines for diagnosis exist. In conclusion, TS is a condition associated with a number of autoimmune manifestations. Individuals with TS need life-long medical attention. As a consequence of these findings, early diagnosis and regular screening for potential associated autoimmune conditions are essential in the medical follow-up of TS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lleo
- Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, Italy
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Cervera R, Conti F, Doria A, Iaccarino L, Valesini G. Does seronegative antiphospholipid syndrome really exist? Autoimmun Rev 2011; 11:581-4. [PMID: 22036830 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2011.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The diagnosis of seronegative (SN-) antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) has been suggested for patients with clinical manifestations indicative of APS but with persistently negative results in the commonly used assays to detect anti-cardiolipin (aCL) antibodies, anti-β2 Glycoprotein I antibodies (aβ2GPI), and lupus anticoagulant (LA). To date the best management of these patients is still unclear. New emerging anti-phospholipid (aPL) assays could improve our ability in diagnosing APS. However, the availability of aPL assays in routine laboratory practice is limited. In fact, even aβ2GPI is routinely tested in only a small number of laboratories, and other aPL, such as anti-prothrombin or anti-annexin antibodies, in only a few research laboratories. On the other hand transient or false negative aPL assay and other genetic or acquired pro-thrombotic conditions can further complicate this issue. This paper is focused on the arguments for and against the diagnosis of SN-APS and is aimed to help the clinician when approaching a patient with clinical manifestations consistent with APS diagnosis but with negative aPL using the commonly available tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricard Cervera
- Department of Autoimmune Diseases, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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