CD11b expression on polymorphonuclear leukocytes from patients with ankylosing spondylitis in a lipopolysaccharide-stimulated whole blood ex vivo model.

AIM: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that compromises the axial skeleton, causing pain and disability. The involved mechanisms are not completely understood, but evidence suggests a role of the gut microbiota in eliciting innate immune responses. We conducted an experimental study to determine if AS patients exhibit an enhanced inflammatory response to microbial compounds. METHOD: We incubated whole peripheral blood of AS patients and healthy controls with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 48 h with saturating levels of labeled antibodies (CD66b, CD11b and human leukocyte antigen type DR [HLA-DR]) for flow cytometry. CD11b and HLA-DR expression levels were assessed in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) (CD66b high - HLA-DR low). We also measured basal CD11b and HLA-DR levels on circulating PMN (without incubation). RESULTS: We found that CD11b and HLA-DR levels were similarly elevated in response to LPS on PMNs from healthy controls (HC) and AS patients. Basal levels of CD11b and HLA-DR on circulating PMN from AS patients and HC were similar. However, significantly lower levels of CD11b and HLA-DR were observed in PMNs from AS patients than HC in response to incubation with PBS for 48 h. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the response of AS innate immune cells to LPS is similar to that observed in immune cells from HCs, and suggested that the lower PMN activation of AS patients after 48 h saline incubation is mainly due to anti-inflammatory medication.

[Alcohol and construction workers]. / Alcol e lavoro in edilizia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: On the basis of the data drawn by national and international literature and the introduction of recent legislation concerning "alcohol and alcohol-related problems", we studied alcohol consumption and the consequences that alcohol abuse has on health, working ability, accidents and absenteeism in construction workers. METHODS: We studied alcohol consumption in two groups of building workers over different periods (1996-2000; 2006). In 142 workers alcohol concentration was measured in expired air during the periodic health surveillance examination and during work on building sites. We also analyzed the relationship between declared alcohol consumption, accidents and absenteeism. RESULTS: Our study showed a reduction in the average consumption of alcohol over the last ten years but confirmed the role of alcohol-related diseases as a cause of work limitations or work disability. On the other hand, "breathalysing" demonstrated that alcohol consumption during pauses in work is still common. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm the correlation between frequency/seriousness of accidents, absenteeism and average consumption of alcohol.

[Efficacy of periodic health surveillance of construction workers visited at the CPT of Bergamo]. / Considerazioni sull'efficacia della sorveglianza sanitaria periodica di lavoratori edili visitati presso il CPT di Bergamo.

The aim of this work is to expose the results obtained with the application of a model about efficacy in occupational medicine proposed by ALMLII. In particular we discuss the validity of some indicators of efficacy used in a large group of construction workers during health surveillance, in order to verify effectiveness and appropriateness of an occupational medicine service, as a part of the whole prevention and safety system.