M proteins are fragments of immunoglobulin generated by the abnormal proliferation of a plasma cell, generating clones of the same structure and therefore affinity to a particular epitope

M proteins are fragments of immunoglobulin generated by the abnormal proliferation of a plasma cell, generating clones of the same structure and therefore affinity to a particular epitope. mesangial thickening: the mesangium is the structure between the vessels inside the kidney glomerulus, surrounding capillaries and easy muscle cells of the arterioles. Thickening of this layer is Trofosfamide usually associated with membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis, a type of kidney disease common in SLE and RA. Granuloma: localised nodular inflammations formed by immune cells walling off foreign substances or areas of necrotic tissue. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ): orally administrated pharmaceutical treatment for RA and SLE that changes the pH in lysosomes, thus suppressing immune cell function. Hyperplasia: enlargement in tissue size due to an increase in cell proliferation, resulting in a higher than normal cell number. Interstitial and perivascular fibrosis: in the heart, interstitial fibrosis refers to the accumulation of collagen in the spaces between cardiomyocytes, while perivascular fibrosis indicates fibrosis around a blood vessel in the heart. LibmanCSacks endocarditis: a form of endocarditis associated with SLE. Endocarditis is the inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, often also the mitral valve. The disease causes lesions (vegetations) in the tissue and haematoxylin bodies made up of autoantibodies and degraded nuclear material. Lymphadenopathy: enlarged lymph node. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II I-Ag7 and I-Aq haplotypes: haplotype Rabbit polyclonal to ACTR1A refers to the specific variation of a set of genes that are inherited together. A heterozygous individual will have two MHC haplotypes, one from each parent. In mouse, various MHC class II haplotypes exist: I-Ab, I-Ad, I-Ap, I-Aq, I-Ak, I-Ar, I-Af, I-As and I-Ag7. Microangiopathy: Trofosfamide also known as microvascular disease; a disease of small blood vessels that can occur throughout the body. Monoclonal gammopathy: a condition in which plasma cells produce an excess amount of monoclonal protein (M protein). M proteins are fragments of immunoglobulin generated by the abnormal proliferation of a plasma cell, generating clones of the same structure and therefore affinity to a particular epitope. This causes a shift in the size distribution of antibodies and can impair immune function. Monocytosis: elevated monocyte levels in the blood. Myocardial angiostatin: angiostatin is an angiogenesis inhibitor that blocks vessel growth; works by hindering endothelial Trofosfamide cell proliferation. Pannus: a fibrovascular structure that covers tissue in response to inflammation. It consists of macrophages, fibroblast-like mesenchymal cells and cells that secrete collagenolytic enzymes. Commonly found over a joint (in RA) or cornea. Pericarditis: inflammation of the pericardium, the fibrous membrane that surrounds the heart. Polyarthritis: an inflammatory disease in which at least five joints are affected simultaneously. Pristane: a mineral oil originally derived from shark liver oil. Now, it can be synthesised, and the hydrocarbon compound is commonly used as an adjuvant for inducing tumours, arthritis and lupus nephritis in rodent models by stimulating antibody production. Quilty-like lesions: tissue lesions that suggest the infiltration of long-lived lymphocytes into the endomyocardium, commonly found in allogeneic cardiac grafts. Regurgitation: leakage or reverse flow of blood through the valves into the heart due to valve disease. Rheumatic carditis: a side effect of acute rheumatic fever, which is a systemic inflammatory disease that causes the body to react to cardiac self-antigen, causing inflammatory lesions in the heart. Rheumatoid factors (RFs): antibodies that target the Fc portion of immunoglobulin (Ig)G, often found in the blood of patients with RA. Semi-allogeneic: allogeneic describes cells or tissue from a genetically different origin of the same species. Semi-allogeneic denotes individuals that share some genetic information, such as parents and offspring. Splenomegaly: enlargement of the spleen. Synovial inflammation: inflammation of the synovial membrane in the joints. Thrombosis: Trofosfamide formation of a blood clot in a blood vessel. Thymic atrophy: the decrease in size of the thymus, a primary lymphoid organ crucial for T cell maturation in early life. The size of the thymus reduces with age naturally, where the stroma is usually replaced with fat tissue. As a hallmark of immune system senescence, thymic atrophy is related to impaired resistance to contamination and increased susceptibility to cancer. Vasculitis: inflammation of blood vessels that leads to their destruction. Open in a separate window Fig. 2. Systemic autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) cause immune-mediated damage to the heart, which may manifest as acute inflammation, fibrosis, valve disease, remodelling towards heart failure, endothelial and cardiomyocyte dysfunction or arrhythmias. To study selected or combined cardiac phenotypes, the research community benefits from a.