Browsing by Author "Pires, A"
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- Diálogo entre a glândula supra-renal e o rim na regulação do potássio: da fisiologia à fisiopatologiaPublication . Lima, A; Campos, P; Pires, A
- Doença renal crónica: relação com a flora intestinal e impacto da alimentaçãoPublication . Campos, P; Pires, A
- HIV-2 infection is associated with preserved GALT homeostasis and epithelial integrity despite ongoing mucosal viral replication.Publication . Fernandes, S; Pires, A; Matoso, P; Ferreira, C; Nunes-Cabaço, H; Correia, L; Valadas, E; Poças, J; Pacheco, P, et al.The mechanisms that enable preservation of gut mucosal integrity during persistent viral replication and inherent inflammation remain unclear. Here, we investigated, for the first time, gut homeostasis in HIV-2 infection, a naturally occurring form of attenuated HIV disease. We found viral replication in both sigmoid and ileum of asymptomatic HIV-2+ patients (range: 240-851 circulating CD4+T-cells per μl) despite their undetectable viremia, accompanied by interferon-γ-producing CD8 T-cell expansion, irrespective of antiretroviral treatment. Nevertheless, there was no CD4 T-cell depletion, and Foxp3+ and IL-17- or IL-22-producing CD4 T-cell numbers were unaffected. Moreover, IL-22-producing innate lymphoid cells and IL-22-induced antimicrobial peptides and mucins were maintained. In agreement, the epithelium histology was preserved, including tight junction protein zonula occludens (ZO-1) levels. Furthermore, in vitro infection of colon epithelia with primary isolates revealed no HIV-2 impact on ZO-1 expression. Notably, sigmoid transcriptional levels of CCL20 and CCL28 were significantly increased, in direct correlation with GM-CSF, indicating a local response able to enhance CD4 T-cell recruitment. In conclusion, maintenance of mucosal integrity in HIV-2 infection was associated with T-cell recruitment responses, potentially counteracting CD4 T-cell depletion due to HIV-2 replication. These data have unique implications for the design of therapies targeting gut homeostasis in HIV-1 infection and other chronic inflammatory settings.
- A mathematical model of calcium and phosphorus metabolism in two forms of hyperparathyroidism.Publication . Raposo, J; Pires, A; Yokota, H; Ferreira, HParathyroid hormone (PTH) plays a critical role in calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Interestingly, in two forms of hyperparathyroidism (excessive amount of PTH in the serum), the metabolic disturbances in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) significantly differ from those with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP). Since an intuitive understanding of these PTH-linked regulatory mechanisms are hardly possible, we developed a mathematical model using clinical data (1586 CKD and 40 PHP patients). The model was composed of a set of ordinary differential equations, in which the regulatory mechanism of PTH together with other key factors such as 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)₂D) and calcium was described in the tissues including bone, the kidney, the serum, and the parathyroid glands. In this model, an increase in PTH was induced by its autonomous production in PHP, while PTH in CKD was elevated by a decrease in feedback inhibition of 1,25(OH)₂D in the serum, as well as an increase in stimulation by phosphorus in the serum. The model-based analysis revealed characteristic differences in the outcomes of hyperparathyroidism in CKD and PHP. The calcium exchange in bone, for instance, was predicted significantly higher in PHP than CKD. Furthermore, we evaluated the observed and predicted responses to the administration of calcimimetics, a recently developed synthetic drug that modulated efficacy of calcium-sensing receptors. The results herein support the notion that the described model would enable us to pose testable hypotheses about the actions of PTH, providing a quantitative analytical tool for evaluating treatment strategies of PHP and CKD.
- Model-based analysis of FGF23 regulation in chronic kidney diseasePublication . Yokota, H; Pires, A; Raposo, J; Ferreira, HThe mechanism of FGF23 action in calcium/phosphorus metabolism of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) was studied using a mathematical model and clinical data in a public domain. We have previously built a physiological model that describes interactions of PTH, calcitriol, and FGF23 in mineral metabolism encompassing organs such as bone, intestine, kidney, and parathyroid glands. Since an elevated FGF23 level in serum is a characteristic symptom of CKD patients, we evaluate herein potential metabolic alterations in response to administration of a neutralizing antibody against FGF23. Using the parameters identified from available clinical data, we observed that a transient decrease in the FGF23 level elevated the serum concentrations of PTH, calcitriol, and phosphorus. The model also predicted that the administration reduced a urinary output of phosphorous. This model-based prediction indicated that the therapeutic reduction of FGF23 by the neutralizing antibody did not reduce phosphorus burden of CKD patients and decreased the urinary phosphorous excretion. Thus, the high FGF23 level in CKD patients was predicted to be a failure of FGF23-mediated phosphorous excretion. The results herein indicate that it is necessary to understand the mechanism in CKD in which the level of FGF23 is elevated without effectively regulating phosphorus.
- Nefrotoxicidade e lesão renal agudaPublication . Campos, P; Pires, A; Inchaustegui, L
- The Calcium/Phosphorus Homeostasis in Chronic Kidney Disease: From Clinical Epidemiology to Pathophysiology.Publication . Pires, A; Sobrinho, L; Ferreira, GINTRODUCTION: A simple data filtering process together with some basic concepts of control theory applied to electronically stored clinical data were used to identify some of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the perturbations of the calcium/phosphorus homeostasis in chronic kidney disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective data (a set per patient of serum single value concentrations of creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, parathormone, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D) from 2507 patients with stable chronic kidney disease not on renal replacement therapy were studied. The variables were paired and subjected sequentially to a moving average and partioned into frequency classes. The plots were interpreted using the concept of a feedback loop comprising two branches of opposite sign and of set point of the loop. The set point for each pair of variables is displaced in the course of the disease and this displacement indicates which of the two factors involved (the serum concentrations of calcium or parathormone, for example) is primarily affected. RESULTS: This analysis showed that in the course of the development of chronic kidney disease the relationships between the observed variables progressed following a monotonous, a biphasic or a triphasic pattern. DISCUSSION: As chronic kidney disease progresses, calcium/phosphorus metabolism regulation evolves through different phases. Later, there is a progressive loss of the parathyroid gland sensitivity to the control by the serum concentrations of calcium and phosphorus. The sensitivity to the inhibitory action of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D decreases monotonously but never releases the gland. CONCLUSION: The clinical data analysis used permits to illustrate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.