In this study the effect of collagen-polyvinylpyrrolidone (collagen-PVP) vs. triamcinolone acetonide (Triam) in scleroderma (SSc) skin lesions was evaluated. Ten SSc patients were treated weekly with subcutaneous injections of 0.2 mL Triam (8 mg/mL) or 0.2 mL collagen-PVP (1.66 mg collagen). Skin biopsies were obtained from lesions before and after treatment. Tissue sections were evaluated by histology and immunohistochemistry (ELAM-1, VCAM-1, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta1 and PDGF). The corticoid-treated group showed abnormal tissue architecture while the biodrug-treatment restored cutaneous appendages and type I/III collagen proportion. Cytokine and adhesion molecule expression was almost inhibited with Triam, while collagen-PVP down-regulated it. Collagen-PVP improved the tissue architecture of SSc lesions and down-regulated some proinflammatory parameters, without the side effects induced by corticoids.

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Objective To determine the differences between clinical, manometric, and neuroimmunological profile of esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction (EGJOO) and achalasia patients. Methods Seven EGJOO and 27 achalasia patients were enrolled in a blind cross‐sectional study. Peripheral blood (PB) of 10 healthy donors and 10 lower esophageal sphincter (LES) muscle biopsies from organ transplant donors were included as controls. The presence of ganglion cells, cells of Cajal, Th22/Th7/Th2/Th1/Tregs/Bregs/pDCregs in tissue, and PB was assessed by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Serum concentration of IL‐22/IL‐17A/IL‐17F/IL‐4/IFN‐γ/IL‐1β/IL‐6/IL‐23/IL‐33/TNF‐α/IL‐10 was determined using bioplex plates. ANAs and antineuronal antibodies were evaluated by immunofluorescence and Western blot. Key Results EGJOO and achalasia patients had lower ganglion cells and cells of Cajal percentage vs. controls, while fibrosis was present only in achalasia patients. EGJOO and controls had lower cell percentage of Th22/Th17/Th2 vs. achalasia. EGJOO tissue had lower Th1/Treg cell number vs. achalasia, but higher levels vs. control group. Bregs and pDCregs percentage was higher in EGJOO vs. control group. Percentage of PB subpopulations in EGJOO was not significantly different from control group. Serum cytokine levels were higher for IL‐1β/IL‐6/TNF‐α, while IL‐17A levels were lower in EGJOO vs. achalasia and control group. EGJOO group was negative for ANAs, while in achalasia group, 54% were positive. GAD65 and PNMa/Ta2 antibodies were present in achalasia, whereas Yo and recoverin were positive in EGJOO group. Conclusions and Inferences Although EGJOO shares some clinical characteristics with achalasia, the neuroimmunological profile is completely different, suggesting that EGJOO might be a different entity.

Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) are prototypical complex diseases characterized by chronic inflammation, induced by interacting environmental, genomic, microbial and immunological factors. 1 Chronic inflammation and aberrant tissue remodeling with excessive accumulation or degradation of extracellular matrix components are hallmarks in pathogenesis of IBD. 2 Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) can cleave and remodel extracellular matrix components in response to inflammatory stimuli and by their immunomodulating effects. 3

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