Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.2.1.17 (lysozyme)
 21,489 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The two main patterns of inflammatory response in the placenta and its adnexae are: (1) amniotic infection, usually bacterial ascending, with acute chorioamnionitis and funisitis; (2) haematogenous villitis, usually viral, with early necrotizing lesions and vasculitis and, later, chronic infiltrates and obliterative vasculitis. In amniotic infection most cells in the exudate are maternal. These leucocytes participate in antibacterial defence of the amniotic cavity in conjunction with substances such as zinc polypeptide and lysozyme and may contribute directly to fetal defence. Immunoglobulins may be produced in the cord of placenta only in protracted lesions such as 'healed' funisitis. Individual variations in the resistance of the membranes to bacterial penetration are possible. In viral infections a massive multifocal production by plasmacytes of immunoglobulins M, G and A is seen in affected villi. The secretion of non-specific antiviral substances in the infected placenta is possible. In all affected villi there is an activation of fixed macrophages (Hofbauer cells) that remain partly 'immature', i.e. are lysozyme-negative. Multifocal lymphoplasmacytic villitis is uncommon and has helped to focus the diagnosis on prenatal infection. In contrast, non-specific lymphocytic villitis is common; since there is no morphological difference between cases known to be associated with an infection, e.g. varicella, and the others, many cases may well be due to silent infection, although a graft-versus-host reactions remains a distinct possibility.
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PMID:Pathology of the placenta and cord in ascending and in haematogenous infection. 26 58

Accurate diagnosis of uveitis is of great importance since the treatment for the various uveitis entities may differ considerably. In a large number of cases the clinical picture is sufficient to make an adequate diagnosis. There are cases in which the diagnosis cannot be made on clinical grounds alone and support is needed from laboratory tests. Only a limited number of tests have been proven to be useful as a diagnostic or prognostic aid. These include HLA-B27 typing in patients presenting with anterior uveitis and testing for angiotensin converting enzyme and lysozyme in case of suspected sarcoid uveitis. Toxoplasma serology is only useful to exclude the diagnosis and a positive test has very low specific value. Analysis of local intraocular antibody production is a valuable tool to confirm a suspected clinical diagnosis in uveitis. It is now possible to analyse paired serum and aqueous samples for the presence of specific antibodies against toxoplasma, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus using commercially available kits. Of the patients retrospectively diagnosed as having toxoplasma chorioretinitis 75% were shown to have a positive antibody coefficient indicating specific intraocular antibody production. Local antibody production in the eye directed against CMV confirmed the suspected diagnosis of CMV retinitis in 50% of the AIDS patients investigated. Until now we have not been able to measure local antibody production against herpes simplex virus (26 samples tested). Two of three patients with acute retinal necrosis had a positive antibody coefficient against varicella zoster virus. Both of these patients even had a higher titre in the aqueous than in serum. Since the choice of treatment, in infectious uveitis, depends on the causative organisms, it is very important to confirm a suspected clinical diagnosis with aqueous humor analysis.
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PMID:The value of laboratory testing in uveitis. 217 95