Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterised by chronic inflammation of the joints. Its development is stimulated by genetic and environmental risk factors. It is not very long ago that the relevant autoantigens in RA were identified. So-called citrullinated proteins (they contain the amino acid citrulline) are one of possibly several target antigens of […]
Uromodulin is a kidney-specific glycoprotein, which is exclusively expressed by the epithelial cells of the ascending limb of loop of Henle (TAL cells) and secreted into the urine. There, it is the quantitatively most significant protein. Additionally, secretion of small quantities of uromodulin into the interstitium was described. In this way the proteins gets into
A large cross-sectional serostudy of blood donors in Saudi Arabia has revealed a significant number of subclinical infections with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS), which pose a likely source of infection in previously unexplained outbreaks of MERS. Notably, the prevalence of antibodies against MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was significantly higher in persons with regular exposure
Experts from different countries gathered at the international Lancet Neurology Autoimmune Disorder Conference on 26th and 27th March in Barcelona to discuss the latest findings in research on neuronal autoimmunity and target antigens in CNS. EUROIMMUN was one of the major sponsors of the conference. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), an important molecule for the synaptic impulse
Vitamin D is a fascinating molecule. In the body it is involved in a multitude of biological processes, and current research is constantly uncovering new associations between vitamin D deficiency and severe disease. The connection between vitamin D and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia has been the subject of
