Volcanic monitoring of the 2021 La Palma eruption using long-period magnetotelluric data

Between September and December 2021, the first subaerial volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands in 50 years took place on the island of La Palma. Since November 2021, we have been conducting a long-period magnetotelluric (MT) monitoring experiment at a site located 2.4 km east of the volcanic cone. Having continuously recorded data since then, the obtained dataset shows significant changes in resistivity over the fourteen months following the eruption: more than ± 20% in apparent resistivity and ± 2 degrees in phase. These temporal variations in electrical resistivity, recorded continuously using long-period MT during both the syn- and post-eruptive stages, have not been reported to date, making this dataset unique. Four estimated impedances have been selected as representatives of the major temporal changes observed and inverted to generate new 3-D resistivity models. The results provide novel key information on the spatiotemporal evolution of the subsoil's electrical resistivity, enabling the characterization of a set of structures acting as preferred magmatic fluid pathways. Therefore, our study highlights the strong potential of MT as a volcanic monitoring tool and provides new insights about the evolution of the fluid pathways during the post-eruptive stage. These findings enhance our understanding of the magmatic system and may contribute to volcanic hazard mitigation in the future.

Clues on the origin of post-2000 earthquakes at Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy)

The inter-arrival times of the post 2000 seismicity at Campi Flegrei caldera are statistically distributed into different populations. The low inter-arrival times population represents swarm events, while the high inter-arrival times population marks background seismicity. Here, we show that the background seismicity is increasing at the same rate of (1) the ground uplift and (2) the concentration of the fumarolic gas specie more sensitive to temperature. The seismic temporal increase is strongly correlated with the results of recent simulations, modelling injection of magmatic fluids in the Campi Flegrei hydrothermal system. These concurrent variations point to a unique process of temperature-pressure increase of the hydrothermal system controlling geophysical and geochemical signals at the caldera. Our results thus show that the occurrence of background seismicity is an excellent parameter to monitor the current unrest of the caldera.

Increased tryptase and myeloperoxidase levels in blister fluids of patients with bullous pemphigoid: correlations with cytokines, adhesion molecules and anti-basement membrane zone antibodies

Tryptase and myeloperoxidase respectively represent 2 specific markers of activated mast cells or neutrophils. Therefore, establishing the levels of these enzymes may be useful to quantify the cell involvement in the tissues or fluids of different origins and in different pathologies. The aim of this study was to analyse the levels of these 2 markers in both the sera and blister fluids of patients affected with bullous pemphigoid. These levels were then correlated to the concentrations of 19 cytokines and 2 soluble adhesion molecules determined in the same samples and also with the log (anti-basement membrane zone antibody) titres, evaluated in the patients' sera. For these purposes, 15 patients with bullous pemphigoid (10 males and 5 females; median age: 84 years, range 66-87; median disease duration: 0 years, range 0-3: median number of skin lesions: 17, range 14-30; median anti-basement membrane zone antibody titre: 1:320, range 0.0-1:2560) and 15 normal subjects (11 males and 4 females, median age: 81 years, range 59-86) were analysed by means of commercially available kits. Results showed that blister fluid myeloperoxidase and tryptase levels were increased as compared with the respective sera (P<0.01) and several correlations were observed with cytokines and adhesion molecules. In fact, significant correlations of blister fluid tryptase levels were observed with IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, VEGF, RANTES and sICAM-1, while myeloperoxidase was correlated with IL-1beta, IL-13 and IL-15. The blister fluid tryptase levels were also significantly correlated with the anti-basement membrane zone antibody titres (R=0.53, P=0.05). In conclusion, these findings are in accord with an involvement of both mast cells and neutrophils in bullous pemphigoid and their recruitment may be mediated by different biological modulators. Our findings seem to indicate that the cytokine (IL-3, IFN-gamma and OSM) or adhesion molecule (sICAM-1) concentrations in blister fluid are logarithmically related to the anti-basement membrane zone antibody titers.

Anti-intercellular substance antibody log titres are correlated with serum concentrations of interleukin-6, interleukin-15 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with Pemphigus vulgaris relationships with peripheral blood neutrophil counts, disease severity and duration and patients' age

Pemphigus vulgaris is a rare dermatosis of autoimmune origin, characterized by autoantibodies directed against intercellular substance (AICS) and presenting with intra-epidermal blisters and/or erosions of the skin and mucous membranes. The aim of this paper is to analyze the relationships between serum AICS titers (after log transformation) and: patients' age, disease duration and disease activity; serum cytokine (IL-6, IL-7, IL-15 and TNF-alpha) concentrations and peripheral blood cell counts (namely neutrophils, lymphocytes and natural killer cells). Fifteen consecutive subjects affected with PV were enrolled. Diagnosis was supported by histological examination as well as by direct and indirect immunofluorescence tests. Cytokine determinations were made by means of commercially available ELISA kits. This study shows for the first time that AICS titers have a significant correlation with age of PV patients (R=0.57, p=0.031) and with the disease duration (R=0.73, p=0.002). A correlation between blood neutrophils count and log (AICS) titres was observed (R=0.6, p=0.021). Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between log (AICS) titres and serum IL-15 (R=0.54, p=0.048), serum IL-6 (R=0.53, p=0.05) or serum TNF-alpha concentrations (R=0.53, p=0.05). These data, taken together, show that there are several connections between the log (AICS) titres, some proinflammatory cytokines, peripheral blood neutrophil counts and the numbers of individuals' lesions, suggesting a relationship between AICS production and lesion development.

Cytokines and bullous pemphigoid

This report reviews the data presented in the literature concerning the presence and levels of different cytokines in sera, lesional tissue or blister fluids of patients with bullous pemphigoid. The list of cytokines analysed includes 21 molecules: interleukins (IL)-1 => 8, IL-10 => 13, IL-15, granulocyte-monocyte-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), oncostatin-M (OSM), regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and presumably secreted (RANTES), transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Basic information regarding the functions of these cytokines and their possible involvement in the pathogenetic steps of the disease, such as autoantigen expression, autoantibody induction, complement activation, local cell recruitment and stimulation, resident cell activation, release of various effector molecules and tissue damage are also reported. A specific function for each cytokine in bullous pemphigoid induction cannot be still defined, however, the literature attributes a major role to IL-1, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8 and IFN-gamma. On the basis of significant (direct or inverse) correlations found between disease intensity and the blister fluid/serum levels, the following cytokines IL-7, IL-15, RANTES, VEGF and TNF-alpha, besides those previously mentioned, may also be involved in this disease.

Diagnostic relevance of polymerase chain reaction technology for T. pallidum in subjects with syphilis in different phases of infection

Although serology is a valid tool for the clinician to manage syphilis infection, there are still some cases in which evidence of the presence of T. pallidum or its specific components, such as specific DNA segments, may be useful to establish or confirm the diagnosis. In the absence of T. pallidum grown in culture, a nested PCR to amplify a specific segment of the microorganism genome was performed in ulcerative secretions or sera, after DNA extraction, using a commercially available kit. A kit validation was based on the observation of no positivities in patients without ongoing or anamnestic infection (40 patients). On the contrary, patients infected with T. pallidum presented positivities both in ulcerative secretions and in sera with frequencies that depended on the disease phase and type of sample. In fact, even after treatment, ulcerative secretions that were negative in dark-field examination were found to be positive in PCR. In addition, the sera of patients with positive specific IGM (serologically diagnosed syphilis, asymptomatic state) were also positive in PCR. This test could, therefore, be useful to analyze difficult situations, especially when a seropositivity for a previous infection may complicate the serology of a reinfection or when therapies interfere with dark-field microscopic observation.

Increased serum IL-6, TNF-alpha and IL-10 levels in patients with bullous pemphigoid: relationships with disease activity

AIM

The present report analyzes the serum levels of three cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in 15 patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) (compared with 20 healthy controls) to evaluate a possible involvement of these biological modulators in the clinical expression of this disease.

BACKGROUND

BP is a rare bullous disease of autoimmune origin with evidence of inflammatory processes that cause skin lesions with local increase of various pro-inflammatory mediators.

METHODS

Determination of cytokine concentrations were obtained employing commercially available ELISA kits.

RESULTS

The sera of BP patients showed increased levels of these three cytokines (P < 0.01). When the number of skin lesions (blisters and/or erosion) of each patient, employed as a marker of disease activity, was correlated with the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha, significant correlations were found (IL-6: P < 0.01 and TNF-alpha: P < 0.01, respectively), suggesting a possible role of these mediators in the development of BP blisters. The serum levels of IL-6 also correlated (P = 0.01 with those of serum C reactive protein (CRP), an acute-phase protein induced by IL-6 in hepatocytes. In addition, serum TNF-alpha and sE-selectin (an adhesion molecule previously reported to be increased by this cytokine) levels were also correlated (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of these data, it may be indicated that at least IL-6 and TNF-alpha are associated with the clinical expression of BP and that the endothelial activation (possibly induced by the TNF-alpha activity), seems to be an important phase of this dermatosis.

Decreased interleukin-7 and transforming growth factor-beta1 levels in blister fluids as compared to the respective serum levels in patients with bullous pemphigoid. Opposite behavior of TNF-alpha, interleukin-4 and interleukin-10

This study analyzes both the blister fluid (BF) and serum levels of IL-7 and TGF-beta1 in samples from 18 patients affected with bullous pemphigoid (BP). These cytokines clearly present lower concentrations (P<0.001) in BFs than in the sera (1/20 and 1/2, respectively). In contrast, TNF-alpha, IL-10 and IL-4 present increased amounts in BFs that were 12, 12 and 17-fold, respectively. Eighteen sera (and 10 suction BF) from normal individuals were also employed as control. Normal sera presented significantly lower serum IL-7 concentrations than BP, while no significant TGF-beta1 variations were observed between normal and pathologic serum samples. In addition, the serum levels detected in BP patients were significantly correlated with disease intensity (r=0.64, P=0.003, evaluated as the number of blisters/erosions for each patient) as well as with the peripheral B-lymphocyte counts (r=0.80, P<0.001) and antibodies directed against the basement membrane zone (r=0.65, P<0.005). Although a clear explanation of this phenomenon is lacking, the data presented in this report agree with a strong decrease of IL-7 production at the local level (keratinocyte is known to produce IL-7 and the latter is known to be down-regulated by IL-10, and in other models also by TGF-beta1 and IL-4, whose levels are elevated in BP BFs) as opposed to an increased peripheral release of the same modulator. The IL-7 reduction may have a biological relevance in controlling a chronic, progressive disease.

Relationship between theoretical molecular weight and blister fluid/serum ratio of cytokines and five other molecules evaluated in patients with bullous pemphigoid

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) blisters contain several molecules, some of which spread into the blisters from the interstitial fluid, while others are produced locally and migrate into the circulation. The calculation of the ratios between blister/serum concentrations may help to distinguish between these two types of molecules. The rules regulating the diffusion of the molecules have been described only in suction blisters, where the theoretical molecular weight (MW) represents one of the principal influencing factors. The aim of the present study was to analyse the relationship between theoretical MWs and the ratios of concentrations of several molecules evaluated both in sera and in blister fluids. Eight cytokines (interleukin-2, interleukin-3, interleukin-4, interleukin-5, interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, oncostatin-M and vascular endothelial growth factor), two acute phase reactants (alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, haptoglobin), albumin, one soluble membrane molecule with adhesion functions (sICAM-1) and the eosinophil cathionic protein (ECP) were measured in samples from 15 patients affected with BP by means of commercially available tests. The data suggest that the MW may influence the rate of diffusion throughout the blister, both in input and output directions, despite the discontinuity observed at the basement membrane level on the BP blister floor.

Cytokine pattern in blister fluid and serum of patients with bullous pemphigoid: relationships with disease intensity

Few and contrasting data are available in the literature concerning the levels of various cytokines in blister fluid (BF) and in the serum of patients affected with bullous pemphigoid (BP). Using commercially available ELISA kits, this study reports the levels of 11 cytokines detected both in BF and sera of 15 BP patients and compares them with those of 15 control subjects' sera. Generally, no significant differences were observed in BP and control sera. In contrast, interleukin (IL) 1 beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) showed increased BF levels as compared with BP sera. Two cytokines, IL-11 and IL-12 did not show significant differences between BP BF and sera, while an opposite behaviour was observed for transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1), whose serum levels were higher than the concentrations in BF. Using the number of lesions of the patients as a possible disease intensity marker, significant correlations were found with the BF levels of IL-1 beta, IL-8, TNF-alpha and, most closely, IL-5. These data may have pathogenetic relevance and suggest the possibility that these biological modulators may be used as a quantitative marker of disease intensity.

Recognition and treatment of psoriasis. Special considerations in elderly patients

Psoriasis is a chronic dermatological disorder that affects 1 to 2% of the general population. Although its aetiology is still unknown, the importance of genetic factors has been confirmed by many studies, mainly in young individuals. With respect to clinical features, plaque-type psoriasis (localised or generalised) is the most common form. At present, there is no cure for psoriasis and the available treatments can only temporarily clear the skin manifestations. The choice of treatment regimen for psoriasis is based on the severity of the disease, the patient's gender, age, treatment history and level of compliance, and the physician's personal experience. All therapies for psoriasis have different and potentially toxic effects. Therefore, a good knowledge of their relative and absolute contraindications, adverse effects and interactions with other drugs is mandatory. The elderly represent a significant proportion of patients with psoriasis because its prevalence increases with age. Physicians, particularly general practitioners, dermatologists and gerontologists, must be aware of the problems that the treatment of psoriasis in the elderly can present. This is especially important because of the increased risk of adverse drug reactions in the elderly.

Spontaneous release of leukemia inhibitory factor and oncostatin-M is increased in supernatants of short-term organ cultures from lesional psoriatic skin

Several cytokines are increased in psoriatic skin, mainly at the lesional level. Some of these mediators seem to be very important in the pathogenesis of psoriasis since they are thought to stimulate keratinocyte proliferation and/or to drive the inflammatory changes associated with psoriasis. Among the proinflammatory modulators, hematopoietins, which are a family of cytokines sharing a receptor component (the gp130 subunit), have been under intensive investigation in recent years. The hematopoietin family includes interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-11 (IL-11,) leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), oncostatin-M (OSM), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and cardiotrophin. Amounts of two of these molecules, IL-6 and IL-11, have been found to be increased in psoriatic lesions. The present study adds new information concerning the spontaneous release of two hematopoietins, namely LIF and OSM, in 48-h culture supernatants of lesional and nonlesional skin punch biopsies from psoriatic patients and normal subjects. The cytokine determinations were performed using commercially available ELISA kits. The results are expressed as picograms per milligram of tissue, after weight normalization. The levels of LIF released by lesional skin (median 2.4 pg/mg, range 0.05-13.4 pg/mg) were significantly higher than from nonlesional (median 0.4 pg/mg, range under detection limit (UDL)-4.4 pg/mg; P = 0.001) and normal skin (median 0.4 pg/mg, range UDL-0.9 pg/mg; P = 0.005). The OSM levels were also significantly higher in supernatants of lesional skin (median 0.9 pg/mg, range 0.4-5.2 pg/mg) than in supernatants of nonlesional (median 0.2 pg/mg, range UDL-0.8 pg/mg; P = 0.001) and normal skin (median 0.1 pg/mg, range UDL-0.4 pg/mg; P = 0.0001). In addition, interleukin-8 (IL-8), a cytokine involved in the pathomechanisms of psoriasis, showed a similar behaviour when measured in the same samples. Lesional skin showed a median value of 752.5 pg/mg, range 98.8-2063.8 pg/mg, nonlesional skin a median value of 58.3 pg/mg, range UDL-1252.5 pg/mg (P = 0.007) and normal skin a median value of 44.6 pg/mg, range UDL-176.7 pg/mg (P = 0.004). No significant differences were found between nonlesional and normal skin for the three molecules analyzed. Taken together with the fact that at least two other hematopoietins (namely IL-6 and IL-11) are also increased in supernatants of lesional psoriatic skin, these data point to a possible involvement of the hematopoietins in inflammatory processes associated with psoriasis.

[Monitoring of sE-selectin serum levels in three different dermatoses]

PURPOSE

To determine the behaviour of serum levels of soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), the soluble isoform of E-selectin, before/during/after therapy in patients with three.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Using commercially available ELISA kits, serum levels of sE-selectin have been determined in 15 patients with psoriasis, 15 with pemphigus vulgaris and 15 with bullous pemphigoid, and compared with those of 30 healthy subjects.

RESULTS

The results showed increased serum levels of sE-selectin in the three groups of patients as compared with those of 30 healthy subjects (p < 0.01). In addition, serum levels were significantly correlated with the disease activity expressed as Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI score) (R = 0.56, p = 0.014) in psoriasis, and as number of the visible lesions (blisters/erosions), in the two bullous dermatoses (R = 0.81, p < 0.01). After therapy, the marker levels were significantly decreased (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, these data suggest that serum determinations of sE-selectin could represent a clinically useful indicator to monitor therapy.

Endothelin-1 levels are increased in sera and lesional skin extracts of psoriatic patients and correlate with disease severity

Endothelins (ETs), in addition to their systematical activities, exert important functions at the skin level, such as increase of keratinocyte proliferation, neo-angiogenesis and leukocyte chemotaxis, which are among the main characteristics of psoriasis. To assess a possible ET-1 involvement in plaque-type psoriasis, ET-1 determinations were carried out in 15 sera and 8 lesional and non-lesional biopsy skin extracts from psoriatic patients and in 15 sera and 5 biopsy skin extracts from healthy volunteers, sex- and age-matched, using commercially available ELISA kits. A statistical analysis of the results showed that ET-1 levels were increased in sera of psoriatic patients, as compared to normal subjects (p = 0.04). In addition, there was a significant correlation between both serum (r = 0.60, p = 0.02) and lesional skin (r = 0.80, p = 0.03) ET-1 values versus the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores. Significant increases of the lesional versus the non-lesional (p = 0.01) and versus the normal (p = 0.04) ET-1 skin extract values were observed, together with a significant correlation between lesional and non-lesional ET-1 skin levels (r = 0.79, p = 0.03). These findings were also confirmed at the mRNA level, using RT-PCR analysis, where increased ET-1 mRNA levels, densitometrically measured, were found in the lesional samples versus non-lesional and normal skin. Since interleukin-8 is involved in psoriasis and shares some biological properties with ET-1, we further evaluated the levels of this cytokine in skin extracts. The behaviour of interleukin-8 paralleled that of ET-1, and a significant correlation between these two molecules was observed in the lesional skin (r = 0.76, p = 0.05). Taken together, these data stress that, as previously described for interleukin-8, ET-1 may be involved in inflammatory processes associated with psoriasis.

Cytokines in the sera of patients with pemphigus vulgaris: interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels are significantly increased as compared to healthy subjects and correlate with disease activity

Cytokine serum levels, when detectable, are currently measured in many disease states, both to evaluate a possible pathogenetic involvement of such molecules and for clinical purposes. No data are currently available on the cytokine levels in the sera of patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV), a rare bullous disease of autoimmune origin. This study presents data concerning the levels of 13 different cytokines assayed in the sera of 25 patients affected with PV as compared with 20 healthy subjects using high sensitivity ELISA kits. Of the 13 molecules analyzed, no differences in the levels of most cytokines were observed between pemphigus and control sera, with the exception of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Serum TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels were found to be significantly higher in PV patients than in normal controls (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the levels of the two cytokines decreased after one month of corticosteroid therapy. A significant correlation was found between the serum levels of both TNF-alpha and IL-6 and the number of lesions for each patient (p < 0.001). The data presented support an involvement of at least IL-6 and TNF-alpha in the biological modifications associated with PV manifestations.

Bullous pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris: correlated behaviour of serum VEGF, sE-selectin and TNF-alpha levels

BACKGROUND

Recently, we reported that soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), an isoform of the cell membrane E-selectin, an adhesion molecule synthesized only by endothelial cells, is significantly increased in sera of the patients with bullous pemphigoid (PB) or pemphigus vulgaris. A significant correlation was also found between the serum sE-selectin levels and the number of skin lesions, suggesting the possible use of this molecule to gauge disease intensity before therapy. One of the sE-selectin inducers is tumor nerosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), that is also able to enhance vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a strong endothelium activator.

OBJECTIVE

On the basis of these observations, the present study was conducted to analyze the serum levels of VEGF, sE-selectin, and TNF-alpha in 8 patients with BP (age: 82, range 54-87, 7 males, 1 female) and in 6 patients affected affected with PV (age: 55, range 44-65; 5 males, 1 female) and to verify possible correlations between these variables and the disease activity, In addition, serum sE-selectin levels were measured over time and compared with the serum anti-epithelium antibodies titers.

METHODS

The sE-selectin, VEGF and TNF-alpha levels were measured in the samples by means of commercially available ELISA kit. The same samples were also employed to measure the anti-epithelium antibody titers.

RESULTS

Serum VEGF, sE-selectin and TNF-alpha levels were significantly correlated each other (p at least < 0.01). All three variables were also significantly correlated with the number of lesions (p at least < 0.01). Serum VEGF levels were found increased (median = 178 pg/ml, range 37-595) as compared to 28 healthy controls (median = 135 pg/ml, range 18/269, p < 0.05). Also serum TNF-alpha levels were found increased (median = 5.5 pg/ml, range < 0.1-41.0) as compared to 28 healthy controls (median < 0.1 pg/ml, range < 0.1-5.3), p < 0.01). When the patients were observed over time, serum sE-selectin levels highly correlated with the disease intensity in both dermatoses, although with different regression curves.

CONCLUSIONS

These data further underline the endothelium involvement in these bullous dermatoses and stress the possibility of employing sE-selectin as a non-specific follow-up marker of both BP and PV.

Serum TNF-alpha levels correlate with disease severity and are reduced by effective therapy in plaque-type psoriasis

TNF-alpha is a pleiotropic cytokine possibly involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the serum TNF-alpha levels in plaque-type psoriatic patients to evaluate the concentrations, correlation with the severity score and behaviour after therapy. The serum TNF-alpha levels of thirty-seven patients (25 females and 12 males; median age: 52.5 years, range 18-81: median PASI score: 11.4, range 3.5-42) and thirty healthy controls (21 females and 9 males, median age: 48.5 years, range 25-77) were compared after measurements obtained employing commercially available ELISA kits. The median serum TNF-alpha levels of the patients were significantly higher than those of controls (p = 0.004). 30/37 patients were followed over time at 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. Twenty one subjects were also observed after 6 weeks. After effective treatments, both the PASI scores and the cytokine levels were significantly and concomitantly reduced (p < 0.001). Significant correlations were found when the TNF-alpha values were plotted against the PASI scores both at the time of patient enrollment and at all the subsequent times (118 observations). A significant correlation was observed between circulating TNF-alpha and sE-selectin in agreement with a possible functional activity of the cytokine. However, no correlation was found between the cytokine levels and other 4 soluble membrane molecules. Our findings indicate that the molecule studied, although non specific for the disease considered, presents a behaviour paralleling that of the disease severity and therefore might have clinical usefulness, particularly in monitoring the therapeutic effects.

The serum levels of sE-selectin are increased in patients with bullous pemphigoid or pemphigus vulgaris. Correlation with the number of skin lesions and recovery after corsticosteroid therapy

Soluble E (sE)-selectin represents the soluble isoform of cellular E-selectin, an adhesion molecule synthesized only by endothelial cells. As a consequence, it may be considered a marker of endothelial activity. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the serum levels of sE-selectin in nine patients affected with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and in 15 patients with bullous pemphigold (BP). Higher amounts of sE-selectin, median 40.3 ng/mL, range 30-109.6 were found in the patients when compared with 20 healthy individuals, median 28.5 ng/mL, range 6.4-48; P < 0.01, matched for sex and age. These levels were also significantly correlated with the number of detectable lesions (r = 0.63, P < 0.001) when the patient data were considered at the time of the first observation. Thirteen subjects were followed over time for a maximum of 3 months (from three to seven observations). During therapy, the number of lesions and the serum sE-selectin values decreased concomitantly. Differently from sE-selectin, the serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) values were not significantly different in the patients from the controls and showed no correlation with the serum sE-selectin concentrations or with the number of lesions. The data presented point to the possible use of sE-selectin determinations as a non-specific follow-up marker, suitable to gauge disease intensity over time and emphasize that endothelial activation is present in BP as well as in PV.

Interleukin-11 production is increased in organ cultures of lesional skin of patients with active plaque-type psoriasis as compared with nonlesional and normal skin. Similarity to interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6 and interleukin-8

Increased levels of several cytokines, mainly proinflammatory mediators, have been reported in psoriatic lesions. Little information, if any, is available concerning other cytokines, especially those initially studied as marrow differentiation agents. Using the experimental approach of measuring cytokines released by skin organ cultures. IL-11 and three other proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1 beta, IL-6 and IL-8) were determined using commercially available ELISA kits in supernatants of ten biopsies from lesional and nonlesional psoriatic skin areas and in supernatants of biopsies from ten normal volunteers. The results obtained showed that the amounts of IL-11 and the other three modulators were significantly increased in the material from the lesional areas (P < 0.01). The amounts of IL-11, which is known to have functional activity similar to the proinflammatory cytokines and to share a receptor component with IL-6, were also correlated with the disease severity index (R = 0.69, P = 0.04). In addition, a nearly significant correlation was noted between the amounts of IL-11 released by the lesional and the nonlesional skin biopsies (R = 0.66, P = 0.05). More detailed studies are needed to clarify whether IL-11 plays a specific functional role in psoriasis, but this study emphasizes the complexity of the pathogenesis of psoriasis and the cytokine network, including activation of proinflammatory and haemopoietic biological response modifiers, in this disease.

Increased interleukin-7 concentrations in lesional skin and in the sera of patients with plaque-type psoriasis

Several cytokines have been shown to be increased in psoriasis, mainly at the local and sometimes at the systemic level. At present, no data concerning the relationships between psoriasis and interleukin-7 (IL-7) are available. This biological modifier regulates immune response by means of its pleomorphic activities, including the ability to stimulate different monocyte functions, such as killing of intracellular pathogens, induction of cytokines, and enhancement of some membrane molecule expression. Study groups consisted of nine psoriatic and nine normal subjects. Using a commercially available immune-enzyme method, IL-7 concentrations were determined in various samples: biopsy and scale extracts, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) supernatants, and sera. The results show that IL-7 levels are significantly increased both in biopsy and in scale extracts obtained from lesional skin compared to those obtained from nonlesional and normal skin (P at least < 0.01). In addition, the serum values were higher in psoriatic patients than in the controls (P = 0.003). In contrast, no significant differences were observed in the supernatants of unstimulated PBMCs maintained in culture for 48 hr. These data suggest that IL-7 is involved in some way in the pathomechanisms of psoriasis and that the keratinocyte may be a candidate for psoriatic IL-7 overproduction.