Raquel de la Varga-Martínez

Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Cádiz · Department of Immunology

Merkel cell carcinoma is a very aggressive primary skin tumour with a high risk of local recurrences and lymphatic and distant metastases. The frequent association between this carcinoma and other skin tumour and lymphoid malignancies, its similar cellular morphology with leukocytes, and limited infiltration in bone marrow constituted a challenging...

We report a patient with HLAB27+ spondyloarthritis treated with ixekizumab who developed a systemic IgE-mediated reaction. A successful and easy to perform subcutaneous desensitization protocol is described.

Ixekizumab is a high-affinity IgG4 monoclonal humanized antibody indicated for the treatment of adult patients with active ankylosing spondylitis who have responded inadequately to conventional therapy. We describe the case of a 54-female patient with HLAB27+ spondyloarthritis. The patient experienced immediate severe dyspnea, skin erythema and flu...

Innate immunity relies on inflammasomes as key components, defending the host against diverse harmful stimuli by orchestrating the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and initiating pyroptosis. While extensively studied in myeloid cells, the involvement of natural killer (NK) cells in inflammatory responses through inflammasome signaling remains...

Inflammation causes a wide range of health disorders. In this process, the formation of inflammasome complexes plays a key role. Although inflammasomes have been extensively studied during kidney disease, their role in kidney transplantation has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we evaluate the gene and protein expression of several compone...

Renal transplantation is an effective treatment for severe chronic kidney diseases. However, young patients often face a scarcity of kidneys from donors of similar age, resulting in the transplantation of older organs, which increase the risk of graft rejection and several complications compared with older individuals who receive kidneys from donor...

The high mortality rate due to COVID-19 has necessitated the mass vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 to induce protective humoral and cellular immunity. (1) Objective: To study the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2-specific B cells after two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. (2) Methods: Immunophenotyping and cellular cultures were used to determin...

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) increases the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). We aimed to analyze the altered inflammatory markers and angiogenic factors among women with GDM to identify pregnant women at higher risk of developing HDP. Methods: This was a prospective study of 149 women without hypertension diagnosed in the...

Background Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia (SIOD) is a very rare autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by mutations in the SMARCAL1 gene. It is characterized by spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, T-cell immunodeficiency, hypercromic nevi, hypercholesterolemia and steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome with progressive renal failure to end-stage kidn...

Systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis are autoimmune diseases characterised by B‐cell hyperactivation and production of autoantibodies (AutoAbs) against various self‐antigens, including extractable nuclear antigens and citrullinated peptides. Therefore, B lymphocytes and antibody‐secreting cells are considered relevant targets for t...

We describe a successful desensitization to alemtuzumab in one patient diagnosed with T-cell prolymphocytic leukaemia. Alemtuzumab treatment was initiated during infusion number 18, the patient showed cutaneous eruption with a miliary pattern, despite premedication with corticosteroids and antihistamines. The eruption returned with successive alemt...

Background: T-helper (Th)-17 lymphocytes and neutrophils are the main sources of the proinflammatory cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the improvement of the inflammatory serum markers (ISM) levels in patients with moderate-to-severe HS who receive adalimumab. Method...

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is characterized by uncontrolled activation of the immune system that leads to systemic hyperinflammation. Lymphoproliferative syndrome linked to the X chromosome is a hereditary immunodeficiency characterized by an inability to mount an adequate immune response to an Epstein-Barr virus infection. Hemophagocytic l...

Objectives To assess inflammatory serum markers including serum proinflammatory cytokines, C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) according to the clinical inflammatory activity of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Patients and Methods Seventy-four patients with HS were studied based on the Hidradenitis Suppu...

Disturbances of plasma cell homeostasis and auto‐antibody production are hallmarks of systemic lupus erythematosus. The aim of this study was to explore the presence of circulating anti‐ENA and anti‐dsDNA antibody‐secreting cells, to determine their dependence on plasma cell‐niche cytokines and to analyze their clinical value. The study was perform...

Brooke–Spiegler Syndrome (BSS) is a rare genodermatosis characterized by the progressive formation of adnexal skin tumors in the scalp and face, mainly trichoepitheliomas, cylindromas, and spiradenomas. It has also been associated with salivary glands neoplasms. It is due to mutations in the tumor suppressor gene cylindromatosis (CYLD gene) localiz...