With the exception of complement protein C3, most soluble mediators of innate immunity are found in relatively small amounts in the serum under normal conditions. The concentrations of several of these proteins, however, can increase as much as 1000-fold during serious infections or other crises, as part of a coordinated protective reaction called the acute-phase response. In this response, the liver temporarily increases its synthesis of more than 30 different serum proteins, often called acute-phase proteins (Table bellow). Many of these, such as complement factors C3 and B, MBL, LBP, C-reactive protein, and serum amyloid protein P, participate in antimicrobial defense. (more…)
Acute phase proteins are plasma proteins, the synthesis and the circulating concentrations of which are adaptively regulated in res ...
Most acute phase proteins are synthesized in the liver, although the genes for some are also expressed in cells and tissues els ...
There is considerable diversity among acute phase proteins with respect to the concentrations attained, their structures, and their ...
Acute phase proteins and the acute phase response in general arc stably conserved in evolution and are universal within each specie ...
An especially elaborate and important type of innate antimicrobial enzymes defense is provided by a group of serum proteins tha ...
An especially elaborate and important type of innate antimicrobial enzymes defense is provided by a group of serum proteins that together make up the complement cascade pathway. This group comprises more than two dozen different liver-and macrophage-derived proteins, called complement factors or components, most of which normally circulate in the form of proenzymes that have latent protease activity. As a rule, each of the proteases becomes active when proteolytically cleaved and will then catalyze cleavage and activation of a different complement component. (more…)
Innate immune responses are seen in a very broad range of tissues. Indeed, the Toll-like receptors (TLRs, one of the most important ...
A few of the best known humoral effectors of innate immunity are listed in Table 1 bellow, along with the types of target molec ...
With the exception of complement protein C3, most soluble mediators of innate immunity are found in relatively small amounts in ...
Some of the immediate sequelae of injury are uncomfortably familiar: Soon after an injury occurs, the affected site and its sur ...
Bacteria cause allergic disease because of toxicity, invasiveness, immunopathology, or lends of these three mechanisms. Thus much ...
Marimastat is a synthetic broad-spectrum matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inhibitor. This study assessed the anti-inflammatory effects of marimastat in patients with asthma by reducing TNF-aa production in vivo by inhibiting MMP activity and hence TNF-aa release. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the effects of this MMP inhibitor on allergen-induced hyper-reactivity. The study was designed as a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover trial. (more…)
Tumour Necrosis Factor is a pro-inflammatory cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of asthmatic airway inflammation, hyper-react ...
Roflumilast is an oral, once-daily inhibitor of phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) that prevents the breakdown of cyclic adenosine ...
In asthma, the secretory phospholipases A2 (sPLA2) have been implicated in the release of arachidonic acid from cellular membra ...
IgE plays an important role in allergic asthma. Reducing IgE in the airway mucosa should reduce airway inflammation. Omalizumab has ...
Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) is a major therapeutic target in a range of chronic inflammatory disorders involving neutr ...