SOLANGE CARRASCO
Projetos de Pesquisa
Unidades Organizacionais
Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina
LIM/17 - Laboratório de Investigação em Reumatologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina
LIM/17 - Laboratório de Investigação em Reumatologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina
2 resultados
Resultados de Busca
Agora exibindo 1 - 2 de 2
- Abnormal collagen V deposition in dermis correlates with skin thickening and disease activity in systemic sclerosis(2012) MARTIN, Patricia; TEODORO, Walcy R.; VELOSA, Ana Paula P.; MORAIS, Jymenez de; CARRASCO, Solange; CHRISTMANN, Romy B.; GOLDENSTEIN-SCHAINBERG, Claudia; PARRA, Edwin R.; KATAYAMA, Maria Lucia; SOTTO, Mirian N.; CAPELOZZI, Vera L.; YOSHINARI, Natalino H.Objective: The physiological and mechanical properties of the skin, the primary tissue affected by systemic sclerosis, depend on the assembly of collagen types I, Ill and V, which form heterotypic fibers. Collagen V (COLV) regulates heterotypic fiber diameter, and the maintenance of its properties is important for maintaining normal tissue architecture and function. Based on a COLV-induced experimental SSc model, in which overexpression of abnormal COLV was a prominent feature, we assumed that this abnormality could be present in SSc patients and could be correlated to disease duration, skin thickening and disease activity. Methods: Skin biopsies from 18 patients (6 early-stage and 12 late-stage) and 10 healthy controls were studied. Skin thickening assessment was performed with the Modified Rodnan Skin Score (MRSS), and activity was calculated using the Valentini Disease Activity Index. Morphology, morphometry of COLV deposition in dermis, as well as, quantitative RT-PCR and 3D-reconstruction of the dermal fibroblast culture were performed. Results: Structurally abnormal COLV was overexpressed in SSc skin, mainly in the early stages of the disease, when compared to normal controls and late-stage. A positive correlation between COLV expression and MRSS and disease activity was observed. Collagen V alpha-1 and alpha-2 mRNA expression levels were higher in SSc. Tridimensional reconstruction of SSc dermal heterotypic fibers confirmed the presence of atypical COLV. Conclusion: Increased synthesis of abnormal COLV and its correlation with disease stage, activity and MRSS suggest that this collagen can be a possible trigger involved in the pathogenesis of SSc.
- Circulating Follicular Helper-Like T Cells in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus(2015) CHOI, Jin-Young; HO, John Hsi-en; PASOTO, Sandra G.; BUNIN, Viviane; KIM, Sang Taek; CARRASCO, Solange; BORBA, Eduardo F.; GONCALVES, Celio R.; COSTA, Priscila R.; KALLAS, Esper G.; BONFA, Eloisa; CRAFT, JosephObjective. To assess circulating follicular helper T (Tfh)-like CD4+ T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and determine their relationship to disease activity. Methods. Blood samples from patients with SLE, as well as blood samples from patients with Behcet's disease (BD) and healthy individuals as controls, were analyzed. In all samples, circulating Tfh-like cells were enumerated by flow cytometry, using, as markers, expression of CXCR5, inducible T cell costimulator (ICOS), and programmed death 1 (PD-1) protein, as well as secretion of interleukin-21 (IL-21). The frequency of circulating Tfh-like cells was compared to that of circulating plasmablasts (CD19+IgD-CD38+). In addition, the possible association of circulating Tfh-like cells with the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) was evaluated. Results. The subset of circulating Tfh-like T cells, identified as CXCR5(high)ICOS(high)PD-1(high), was expanded in the blood of SLE patients compared to controls. Circulating Tfh-like cells were found to produce IL-21 and had lower expression of CCR7 as compared to that in circulating CXCR5(high) central memory T cells, thereby enabling their distinction. Expression of PD-1, but not ICOS or CXCR5, was significantly elevated in circulating Tfh-like cells from SLE patients compared to controls. PD-1 expression among CXCR5(high) circulating Tfh-like cells correlated with the SLEDAI, frequency of circulating plasmablasts, and anti-double-stranded DNA antibody positivity, but not with disease duration or past organ injury; rather, this cell profile appeared to be a reflection of current active disease. Conclusion. Circulating Tfh-like cells are associated with disease activity in SLE, suggesting that their presence indicates abnormal homeostasis of T cell-B cell collaboration, with a causal relationship that is central to disease pathogenesis. These findings also suggest that circulating Tfh-like cells provide a surrogate for aberrant germinal center activity in SLE, and that their PD-1 expression offers a tool for measuring disease activity and monitoring the response to therapies.