Linked Life Data

11027451

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/11027451

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2000-11-30
pubmed:abstractText
Scleroderma (SSc) is a fibrosing connective tissue disease that is poorly responsive to any treatment, including immune suppression. SSc shares many characteristics with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Because the immunomodulatory drug thalidomide has proven beneficial in chronic GVHD, we studied the immune response and clinical effects of thalidomide in SSc patients. We treated 11 SSc patients with thalidomide in an open label, dose escalating, 12 week study. Histologic comparison of skin biopsies showed changes in skin fibrosis and an increase in epidermal and dermal infiltrating CD8(+) T cells with thalidomide treatment. In thalidomide-treated SSc patients, plasma levels of IL-12 and TNF-alpha increased, while plasma IL-5 and IL-10 levels remained unchanged. These changes were associated with clinical effects, including dry skin, dermal edema, transient rashes, decreased gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, and healing of digital ulcers. When SSc PBMCs activated by anti-CD3 mAb were exposed to thalidomide, increases in both production of IL-2, IL-3, GM-CSF, and IFN-gamma and T cell expression of CD40L were observed. Thalidomide therefore appears to induce immune stimulation in SSc patients in association with clinical changes. However, it remains to be shown whether long-term enhancement of immune responses in SSc patients is clinically beneficial.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Nov
pubmed:issn
1521-6616
pubmed:author
pubmed:copyrightInfo
Copyright 2000 Academic Press.
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
97
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
109-20
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2000
pubmed:articleTitle
Immune stimulation in scleroderma patients treated with thalidomide.
pubmed:affiliation
The Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't