An immune-shift induced by lycopene; from an eosinophil-dominant type towards an eosinophil/neutrophil-co-dominant type of airway inflammation.

Lycopene as the main carotenoid from tomatoes is known to have beneficial effects on various inflammatory diseases. In mice, lycopene ameliorates asthma symptoms and in human asthmatic patients serum lycopene levels are reduced. To further investigate the immunomodulatory effect of lycopene, first, we used a ragweed pollen extract (RWE)-induced asthma model in mice. In a second approach, we established a RWE-induced asthma model in gerbils, because of a more human-like carotenoid absorption in these animals. In RWE-sensitized/RWE-challenged gerbils (C+) following a basal diet, mainly the number of eosinophils in the broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) significantly increased, comparable to RWE-sensitized/PBS-challenged gerbils (C-). In RWE-sensitized/PBS-challenged gerbils with lycopene-supplementation (L-), an elevated number of mainly neutrophils, in addition to eosinophils, was detected compared to C-, whereas in RWE-sensitized/RWE-challenged animals with lycopene-supplementation (L+), mainly increased neutrophil numbers in BAL were detected compared to C+. Furthermore, using LC-MS, we determined an array of eicosanoids/docosanoids in the lungs and observed that 5-, 8-lipoxygenase (LOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX) pathways were significantly increased after intranasal RWE-challenge in sensitized mice and just by tendency in gerbils. In PBS- and RWE-challenged animals, lycopene-supplementation significantly raised COX-pathway metabolites. In conclusion, we found that lycopene-supplementation resulted in an increased inflammatory influx of neutrophils in combination with increased COX-pathways metabolites. This pro-inflammatory, pro-neutrophil activity induced by lycopene might be an important shift from allergic asthma towards an inflammatory symptomatic asthma type, though with the potential for resolution.

[The treatment of secondary Sjogren syndrome]. / Tratamentul sindromului Sjogren secundar.

Sjogren syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease witch affects mostly lachrymal and salivary glands. The exocrinopathy can be encountered alone (primary Sjogren syndrome) or in association with other autoimmune disorders (secondary Sjogren syndrome). Visual prognosis of the patients with secondary Sjogren syndrome depends on the early diagnosis, applied therapy follow-up controls along with an effective collaboration between ophthalmologist and rheumatologist. We present therapeutic options in secondary Sjogren syndrome: hygiene and protective measures, medical nonspecific substitution treatment, treatment to stimulate tear secretion, autoimmune disease-specific medical treatment and surgery.

[Corneal collagen cross-linking in the treatment of keratoconus--preliminary results]. / Cross-linkingul colagenului cornean în tratamentul keratoconului--rezultate preliminare.

PURPOSE: The aims of our study were to evaluate the effectiveness of riboflavin-ultraviolet type A (UV-A) induced corneal collagen cross-linking (CCCL) in reducing the progression of keratoconus and to assess the improvement of visual acuity in patients with progressive keratoconus. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 32 eyes of 27 patients with progressive keratoconus were treated with combined riboflavin-UV-A rays CCCL. Postoperative examinations were performed at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, including: uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), refraction, keratometry, corneal topography slit-lamp examination and these were referred to the preoperative dates. RESULTS: In all treated cases the progression of keratoconus was stopped. Comparative preoperative and postoperative results showed: increase of UCVA (p < 0.001), and BSCVA (p < 0.001), reduction of mean K (p < 0.001) and of the refractive errors--mean spherical equivalent (SE) (p < 0.001), mean cylinder values (Cyl) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CCCL is an effective treatment option for progressive keratoconus stages I, II and III. This simple procedure can stop the progression of keratectazia in keratoconus and helps to avoid or delay the need for penetrating keratoplasty.

Haptoglobin polymorphism: a novel genetic risk factor for celiac disease development and its clinical manifestations.

BACKGROUND: Haptoglobin (Hp) alpha-chain alleles 1 and 2 account for 3 phenotypes that may influence the course of inflammatory diseases via biologically important differences in their antioxidant, scavenging, and immunomodulatory properties. Hp1-1 genotype results in the production of small dimeric, Hp2-1 linear, and Hp2-2 cyclic polymeric haptoglobin molecules. We investigated the haptoglobin polymorphism in patients with celiac disease and its possible association to the presenting symptoms. METHODS: We studied 712 unrelated, biopsy-proven Hungarian celiac patients (357 children, 355 adults; severe malabsorption 32.9%, minor gastrointestinal symptoms 22.8%, iron deficiency anemia 9.4%, dermatitis herpetiformis 15.6%, silent disease 7.2%, other 12.1%) and 384 healthy subjects. We determined haptoglobin phenotypes by gel electrophoresis and assigned corresponding genotypes. RESULTS: Hp2-1 was associated with a significant risk for celiac disease (P = 0.0006, odds ratio [OR] 1.54, 95% CI 1.20-1.98; prevalence 56.9% in patients vs 46.1% in controls). It was also overrepresented among patients with mild symptoms (69.2%) or silent disease (72.5%). Hp2-2 was less frequent in patients than in controls (P = 0.0023), but patients having this phenotype were at an increased risk for severe malabsorption (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.60-3.07) and accounted for 45.3% of all malabsorption cases. Celiac and dermatitis herpetiformis patients showed similar haptoglobin phenotype distributions. CONCLUSIONS: The haptoglobin polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to celiac disease and its clinical presentations. The predominant genotype in the celiac population was Hp2-1, but Hp2-2 predisposed to a more severe clinical course. The phenotype-dependent effect of haptoglobin may result from the molecule's structural and functional properties.