[IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 expression during in vitro immune response to fungal allergens in sensitized subjects]. / Expresión de IL-4, IL-5 e IL-13 durante la respuesta inmunitaria in vitro a alérgenos fúngicos en individuos sensibilizados.

BACKGROUND: Determination of T(H)2 citokines profile have arisen interest to understand the pathophysiology of allergic diseases. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the expression of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 during the immune response to allergic fungi in sensitized patients with allergic rhinitis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Mononuclear cells (Ficoll-paque d = 1.077) were isolated from four patients with allergic rhinitis and positive skin prick test to allergic fungi and subsequently activated with fungal allergic extracts. The supernatants were collected and the levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 were determined by enzyme-linked immune assay. RESULTS: The levels of IL-4 in supernatants were higher than IL-5 levels and IL-13 levels (p < 0.05) during the first 72 hours of challenge with fungal allergens in vitro. The expression of above mentioned cytokines was different attending time course response and fungal species in sensitized patients. CONCLUSIONS: IL-4, but not IL-5 and IL-13 either, showed a sustained expression during 72 hours after the challenge to allergic fungi in vitro. IL-4 could be studied as biomarker to estimate the allergenicity to fungi in sensitized patients.

[Renal disease in diabetics. Immunological bases of tubule-interstitial fibrosis and glomeruloesclerosis. Current therapeutic approach]. / Enfermedad renal en el diabético. Bases inmunológicas de la fibrosis tubulointersticial y la glomeruloesclerosis. Enfoque terapéutico actual.

Susceptibility of kidney to become target of the immunological aggression is easily recognizable when we consider the high number of diseases that, with a pathogenesis explained by autoimmunity mechanisms, have the kidney as a target organ. In diabetes mellitus, hyperglycemic state stimulates different molecular factors conditioning tubule-interstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis, among them the most important are: formation of products of advanced glycation; activation of protein kinase C, activation of the angiotensin II and the activation of the nuclear factor kappaB. These factors are closely related to the production of inflammatory cytokines and to the progression of renal damage. This paper reviews the role of these factors in the renal damage of diabetic patients and the effect of some drugs on the progression of the immunological damage.