Association of use of Chinese herbal medicines and the risk of fracture in patients with osteoporosis: a population-based cohort study.

After utilizing a large population-based claims database and the application of propensity score match approach to reduce the confounding effects, we found that the use of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) was related to the lower risk of sequent osteoporotic fracture by 27% among the individuals with osteoporosis. The predominant effect was observed in those receiving CHMs for more than two years. INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis (OS) is a highly disabling condition that can lead to fragility fracture, thus posing greater burdens of functional limitations for the affected individuals. It is unclear if the use of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) could reduce the risk of fracture due to OS. This study aimed to investigate the association of CHMs and the subsequent osteoporotic fracture risk among OS patients. METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study used the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 250,699 newly diagnosed OS patients aged 20 years or older between 1998 and 2010. We recruited 103,325 CHM users following the onset of OS (CHM users) and randomly selected 103,325 subjects without CHM usage as controls (non-CHM users) by propensity score matching according to the demographic characteristics and comorbidities at enrollment. All enrollees were followed until the end of 2012 to record the incidence of osteoporotic fracture. We applied the Cox proportional hazard regression model to compute the hazard ratio (HR) of the risk of osteoporotic fracture. RESULTS: During the 15-year follow-up period, 7208 CHM users and 11,453 non-CHM users sustained osteoporotic fracture, with an incidence rate of 9.26 and 12.96, respectively, per 1000 person-years. We found that CHM users had a significantly reduced risk of osteoporotic fracture compared to non-CHM users (adjusted HR 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.70-0.75). Those treated with CHMs for longer than 730 days had a lower fracture risk by 54%. Some commonly used CHMs, such as Yan hu suo (Rhizoma Corydalis), Huang Qin (Scutellaria Baicale), Jie Geng (Platycodon grandifloras), Xiang Fu (Cyperus rotundus), Hai Piao Xiao (Cuttlebone Sepium), Jia-Wei-Xiao-Yao-San, Ge-Gen-Tang, Shao-Yao-Gan-Cao-Tang, and Du-Huo-Ji-Sheng-Tang, are related to the lower risk of fracture. CONCLUSIONS: The use of CHMs was associated with lower risk of osteoporotic fracture for OS patients, suggesting that it could be integrated into conventional therapy to prevent subsequent bone fracture.

Association of use of rehabilitation services with development of osteoporosis among patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

This is the first study that has found that rehabilitation services (RS) intervention, following the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), may significantly reduce the risk of osteoporosis in RA patients. Those patients who received more than five sessions of RS had the greatest benefit for the prevention of osteoporosis. INTRODUCTION: People with rheumatoid arthritis have increased risk of developing osteoporosis (OP). It remains unclear whether use of rehabilitation services can reduce the risk of developing OP. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study to compare the effect of RS on the risk of OP in Taiwanese individuals with RA. METHODS: A national health insurance database was used to identify 2693 newly diagnosed RA patients, 20-70 years old, between 1998 and 2007. Among them, 808 received RS after the onset of RA (RS users) and 1885 patients did not receive RS (non-RS users). All enrollees were followed until the end of 2012 to record incident cases of OP. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to compute adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for the relationship of use of RS with OP. RESULTS: During the 15-year follow-up, 358 RS users and 1238 non-RS users developed OP, corresponding to incidence rates of 87.24 and 129.27 per 1000 person-years, respectively. Use of RS was significantly associated with a lower risk of OP (aHR 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.56-0.71). Those who received more than five sessions of RS had the greatest benefit (aHR 0.47; 95% CI = 0.38-0.56). CONCLUSIONS: The integration of RS into the clinical management of patients with RA may decrease their risk of developing OP.

Decreased T cell expression of H/ACA box small nucleolar RNA 12 promotes lupus pathogenesis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective To investigate whether the aberrant expression of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) could contribute to the pathogenesis of lupus. Methods Expression profiles of RNA transcripts in T cells from three patients with SLE and three controls were analyzed by microarray analysis. Potentially aberrant-expressed ncRNAs were validated using T cell samples from 23 patients with SLE and 17 controls. Transfection studies and microarray analyses were conducted to search for any gene expression that is regulated by specific ncRNAs. Results Initial analysis revealed differential expression of 18 ncRNAs in SLE T cells. After validation, decreased expression of H/ACA box small nucleolar RNA 12 (SNORA12) was confirmed in SLE T cells (0.69-fold, P = 0.007) compared with normal T cells, and its expression level was inversely associated with higher SLE disease activity scores. Jurkat cells transfected with a plasmid encoding SNORA12 showed increased expression of two genes and decreased expression of 15 genes in Jurkat cells. These changes of gene expression were significantly associated with the SLE pathway in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes map using microarray analysis. Overexpression of SNORA12 altered the expression of CD69, decreased the expression of histone cluster 1 H4 family member k (HIST1H4K), inhibited the secretion of interferon gamma and the expression of HIST1H4K was increased in SLE T cells. Conclusion Among the ncRNAs, we found that the expression level of SNORA12, which belongs to the family of small nucleolar RNAs, was lower in SLE T cells and affected T cell function. This novel finding suggests that aberrant-expressed snoRNAs lead to dysfunction of T cells and may be involved in the immunopathogenesis of SLE.

Immunopathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis: the role of aberrant expression of non-coding RNAs in T cells.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), are RNA molecules that do not translate into protein. Both miRNAs and lncRNAs are known to regulate gene expression and to play an essential role in T cell differentiation and function. Both systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a prototypic systemic autoimmune disease, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a representative disease of inflammatory arthritis, are characterized by a complex dysfunction in the innate and adaptive immunity. T cells play a central role in cell-mediated immune response and multiple defects in T cells from patients with SLE and RA have been observed. Abnormality in T cell signalling, cytokine and chemokine production, T cell activation and apoptosis, T cell differentiation and DNA methylation that are associated closely with the aberrant expression of a number of miRNAs and lncRNAs have been implicated in the immunopathogenesis of SLE and RA. This review aims to provide an overview of the current state of research on the abnormal expression of miRNAs and lncRNAs in T cells and their roles in the immunopathogenesis of SLE and RA. In addition, by comparing the differences in aberrant expression of miRNAs and lncRNAs in T cells between patients with SLE and RA, controversial areas are highlighted that warrant further investigation.

Higher risk of incident ankylosing spondylitis in patients with uveitis: a secondary cohort analysis of a nationwide, population-based health claims database.

OBJECTIVES: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a progressive, systemic, inflammatory autoimmune disease that typically affects young adults. Uveitis is a common extra-articular manifestation of AS. Nevertheless, the magnitude of the risk of AS among patients with uveitis is not clear. The aim of this secondary retrospective cohort study was to investigate the risk of incident AS in patients with uveitis using data from a nationwide, population-based health claims research database. METHOD: Using Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 6637 patients with uveitis between 2000 and 2012. A comparison cohort was assembled, which consisted of five patients without uveitis, based on frequency matching for gender, 10 year age interval, and index year, for each patient with uveitis. Both groups were followed until diagnosis of AS or the end of the follow-up period. A Poisson regression model was used to calculate the incidence rate ratio for AS between the uveitis cohort and the comparison cohort. RESULTS: Patients with uveitis exhibited a significantly higher incidence of AS than the comparison cohort (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 2.57, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis with stratification by the interval between the diagnosis of uveitis and AS indicated that the adjusted incidence rates were significantly higher in the uveitis cohort with an interval of up to 7.9 years. CONCLUSION: A significant increased risk in AS among patients with uveitis was observed, with a time lag of up to 7.9 years between the diagnosis of uveitis and subsequent diagnosis of AS.

Increased prevalence of JC polyomavirus viruria was associated with arthritis/arthralgia in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to investigate the prevalence of reactivation of the human polyomavirus John Cunningham virus (JCV) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its associated clinical manifestations. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with SLE and 22 controls were enrolled. Urine JCV viral load was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Length variants of the VP1 gene were analyzed using capillary electrophoresis. RESULTS: The prevalence of JCV viruria (63.9% vs. 18.2%, p < 0.001) and urine JCV viral load (2.92 ± 2.76 vs. 0.81 ± 1.85 copies/ml by log10 scale, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in patients with SLE compared with controls. JCV viruria (+) SLE patients had a higher occurrence of arthritis/arthralgia compared with JCV viruria (-) SLE patients (64.1% vs. 22.7%, p = 0.003). In SLE patients, the urine JCV viral load was significantly associated with the occurrence of arthritis/arthralgia. SLE patients with urine JCV viral load >10,000 copies/ml exhibited a 12.75-fold (95% confidence interval 2.88-56.40) risk in clinical arthritis/arthralgia, 18.90-fold (95% confidence interval 2.10-170.39) risk in persistent arthritis, and significantly greater number of length variants in the VP1 gene of JCV compared with JCV viruria (-) SLE patients. CONCLUSION: Reactivation of JCV in the urinary tract of SLE patients was very common. Both JCV viruria and urine JCV viral load were associated with the occurrence of arthritis/arthralgia in patients with SLE. High urine JCV viral load also was associated with the genetic variant in the VP1 gene.

Increased miR-223 expression in T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis leads to decreased insulin-like growth factor-1-mediated interleukin-10 production.

We hypothesized that the aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) T cells was involved in the pathogenesis of RA. The expression profile of 270 human miRNAs in T cells from the first five RA patients and five controls were analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Twelve miRNAs exhibited potentially aberrant expression in RA T cells compared to normal T cells. After validation with another 22 RA patients and 19 controls, miR-223 and miR-34b were over-expressed in RA T cells. The expression levels of miR-223 were correlated positively with the titre of rheumatoid factor (RF) in RA patients. Transfection of Jurkat cells with miR-223 mimic suppressed insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and transfection with miR-34b mimic suppressed cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) protein expression by Western blotting. The protein expression of IGF-1R but not CREB was decreased in RA T cells. The addition of recombinant IGF-1-stimulated interleukin (IL)-10 production by activated normal T cells, but not RA T cells. The transfection of miR-223 mimic impaired IGF-1-mediated IL-10 production in activated normal T cells. The expression levels of SCD5, targeted by miR-34b, were decreased in RA T cells after microarray analysis. In conclusion, both miR-223 and miR-34b were over-expressed in RA T cells, but only the miR-223 expression levels were correlated positively with RF titre in RA patients. Functionally, the increased miR-223 expression could impair the IGF-1-mediated IL-10 production in activated RA T cells in vivo, which might contribute to the imbalance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Decreased microRNA(miR)-145 and increased miR-224 expression in T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus involved in lupus immunopathogenesis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease with abnormal T cell immune responses. We hypothesized that aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in T cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE. First, we analysed the expression profiles of 270 human miRNAs in T cells from five SLE patients and five healthy controls and then validated those potentially aberrant-expressed miRNAs using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Then, the expression of mRNAs regulated by these aberrant-expressed miRNAs was detected using real-time PCR. Finally, miRNA transfection into Jurkat T cells was conducted for confirming further the biological functions of these miRNAs. The initial analysis indicated that seven miRNAs, including miR-145, miR-224, miR-513-5p, miR-150, miR-516a-5p, miR-483-5p and miR-629, were found to be potentially abnormally expressed in SLE T cells. After validation, under-expressed miR-145 and over-expressed miR-224 were noted. We further found that STAT1 mRNA targeted by miR-145 was over-expressed and apoptosis inhibitory protein 5 (API5) mRNA targeted by miR-224 was under-expressed in SLE T cells. Transfection of Jurkat cells with miR-145 suppressed STAT1 and miR-224 transfection suppressed API5 protein expression. Over-expression of miR-224 facilitates activation-induced cell death in Jurkat cells. In the clinical setting, the increased transcript levels of STAT1 were associated significantly with lupus nephritis. In conclusion, we first demonstrated that miR-145 and miR-224 were expressed aberrantly in SLE T cells that modulated the protein expression of their target genes, STAT1 and API5, respectively. These miRNA aberrations accelerated T cell activation-induced cell death by suppressing API5 expression and associated with lupus nephritis by enhancing signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT)-1 expression in patients with SLE.

Aberrant expression of microRNAs in T cells from patients with ankylosing spondylitis contributes to the immunopathogenesis.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by dysregulated T cells. We hypothesized that the aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in AS T cells involved in the pathogenesis of AS. The expression profile of 270 miRNAs in T cells from five AS patients and five healthy controls were analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Thirteen miRNAs were found potentially differential expression. After validation, we confirmed that miR-16, miR-221 and let-7i were over-expressed in AS T cells and the expression of miR-221 and let-7i were correlated positively with the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Index (BASRI) of lumbar spine in AS patients. The protein molecules regulated by miR-16, miR-221 and let-7i were measured by Western blotting. We found that the protein levels of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), a target of let-7i, in T cells from AS patients were decreased. In addition, the mRNA expression of interferon (IFN)-γ was elevated in AS T cells. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a TLR-4 agonist, inhibited IFN-γ secretion by anti-CD3(+) anti-CD28 antibodies-stimulated normal T cells but not AS T cells. In the transfection studies, we found the increased expression of let-7i enhanced IFN-γ production by anti-CD3(+) anti-CD28(+) lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated normal T cells. In contrast, the decreased expression of let-7i suppressed IFN-γ production by anti-CD3(+) anti-CD28(+) LPS-stimulated AS T cells. In conclusion, we found that miR-16, miR-221 and let-7i were over-expressed in AS T cells, but only miR-221 and let-7i were associated with BASRI of lumbar spine. In the functional studies, the increased let-7i expression facilitated the T helper type 1 (IFN-γ) immune response in T cells.

Combination of nifedipine and subtherapeutic dose of cyclosporin additively suppresses mononuclear cells activation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and normal individuals via Ca(2+) -calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T cells pathway.

Abnormal Ca(2+) -mediated signalling contributes to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the potential implication of calcium channel blocker in RA remained unknown. We hypothesized that nifedipine, an L-type calcium channel blocker, combined with a calcineurin inhibitor, could suppress T cell activation via targeting different level of the Ca(2+) signalling pathway. The percentage of activated T cells and the apoptotic rate of mononuclear cells (MNCs) was measured by flow cytometry. The MNC viability, cytokine production, cytosolic Ca(2+) level and activity of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The NFAT-regulated gene expression, including interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-γ and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We found that the percentage of activated T cells in anti-CD3 + anti-CD28-activated MNC was higher in RA patients. High doses of nifedipine (50 µM) increased MNCs apoptosis, inhibited T cell activation and decreased T helper type 2 (Th1) (IFN-γ)/Th2 (IL-10) cytokine production in both groups. The Ca(2+) influx was lower in anti-CD3 + anti-CD28-activated MNC from RA patients than healthy volunteers and suppressed by nifedipine. When combined with a subtherapeutic dose (50 ng/ml) of cyclosporin, 1 µM nifedipine suppressed the percentage of activated T cells in both groups. Moreover, this combination suppressed more IFN-γ secretion and NFAT-regulated gene (GM-CSF and IFN-γ) expression in RA-MNCs than normal MNCs via decreasing the activity of NFATc1. In conclusion, we found that L-type Ca(2+) channel blockers and subtherapeutic doses of cyclosporin act additively to suppress the Ca(2+) -calcineurin-NFAT signalling pathway, leading to inhibition of T cell activity. We propose that this combination may become a potential treatment of RA.

Correlation between Klebsiella pneumoniae carrying pLVPK-derived loci and abscess formation.

Klebsiella pneumoniae-caused liver abscess (KLA) is an emerging infectious disease. However, factors other than K1-specific loci that contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease have not been identified. pLVPK is a 219,385-bp plasmid of K. pneumoniae CG43, an invasive K2 strain associated with KLA. We aimed in this study to evaluate the involvement of pLVPK in K. pneumoniae virulence and its clinical significance in abscess formation. A pLVPK-cured CG43 was isolated and its virulence was examined in a mouse model. The prevalence of pLVPK-derived loci terW, iutA, rmpA, silS, and repA was investigated in 207 clinical isolates by screening with specific primers. Loss of pLVPK abolished the ability of K. pneumoniae to disseminate into extraintestinal sites and, consequently, attenuated abscess formation in mice. Primary K. pneumoniae abscess isolates (n = 94) were more likely to be terW (+)-iutA (+)-rmpA (+)-silS (+) than those related to non-abscess infections (n = 113) (62% vs. 27%; p < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the presence of the terW-rmpA-iutA-silS loci was a significant risk factor (odds ratio, 4.12; 95% confidence interval, 2.02-8.4; p < 0.0001) for abscess formation. pLVPK is a determinant for K. pneumoniae virulence and infection with strains carrying the pLVPK-derived terW-rmpA-iutA-silS loci may predispose patients to abscess formation.

Characterization and activity of visible-light driven TiO2 photocatalyst doped with tungsten.

This research aimed to expand the activity of TiO(2) down to the visible light region by modifying the sol-gel conditions and doping with tungsten. The optimum conditions for calcination temperature, acid type, and heating rate were 200°C, HNO(3), and 1°C/min, respectively. The undoped TiO(2) synthesized under these conditions could significantly absorb the visible light whereas the commercial Degussa P-25 could not. The absorptivity decreased sequentially as the wavelength increased from 400 to 700 nm. Within 6 h of 2-W blue-light illumination, 23% of 0.1 mM 2-chlorophenol was removed. The XRD result showed that the crystalline was anatase phase. The visible-light absorption property of the TiO(2) became even better when doped with tungsten. At the optimum W to TiO(2) ratio of 0.5%, the degradation of 0.1 mM 2-chlorophenol increased to 53% indicating a higher photocatalytic activity. Both crystalline and amorphous TiO(2) could exhibit the photocatalytic activity under the visible light region.

Abnormal in vitro CXCR2 modulation and defective cationic ion transporter expression on polymorphonuclear neutrophils responsible for hyporesponsiveness to IL-8 stimulation in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the molecular basis of hyporesponsiveness of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) to interleukin-8 (IL-8) stimulation in patients with active SLE. METHODS: PMN obtained from active SLE and well-matched healthy individuals were studied. The expression of two IL-8 receptors, CXCR1 and CXCR2, in PMN were detected by flow cytometry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The binding affinity of PMN with IL-8 was calculated by Scatchard plotting. Soluble CXCR2 level in IL-8-stimulated PMN culture supernatant was measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The resting and IL-8-stimulated membrane potential (MP) changes, and membrane expression of cationic ion transporters including Na+-K+-ATPase, renal epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) and renal outer medullary epithelial K+ channel 1 (ROMK1) on PMN were detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Compared with normal PMN, decreased CXCR2 gene expression, but normal IL-8-binding affinity of SLE-PMN, was found. For exploring the molecular basis of the defect, the modulation of CXCR2 in SLE-PMN was intensively investigated. We found that increased cytosolic CXCR2 expression in SLE-PMN was due to defective surface translocation, increased spontaneous internalization and/or increased spontaneous synthesis. The IL-8-induced CXCR2 down-regulation in SLE-PMN was also impaired due to decreased proteolytic cleavage of IL-8-IL-8 receptor complexes from the cell surface whereas IL-8-induced internalization of the complexes was normal. In addition, we originally found that increased resting but decreased IL-8-stimulated MP in SLE-PMN was relevant to defective expression of Na+-K+-ATPase, ENaC and ROMK1 on the cell surface. CONCLUSION: The abnormal CXCR2 modulation and impaired cationic ion transporter expression cause SLE-PMN hyporesponsiveness to IL-8 stimulation in vitro.

Increased multidrug resistance-associated protein activity in mononuclear cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

UNLABELLED: Multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs, ATP binding cassette sub-family C), P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and ATP binding cassette (ABC) sub-family G member 2 (ABCG2) are important drug efflux pumps emerging after long-term medications. We intended to detect whether these molecules are expressed in immune-related cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) on long-term immunosuppressants. METHODS: Mono nuclear cells (MNC) and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) were isolated from healthy volunteers and SLE patients. The MPR-mediated transport activity of these cells was measured by using carboxy-2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (CFDA) efflux assay. P-gp-mediated transport activity of cells was detected by rhodamine 123 efflux assay. ABCG2-mediated transport assay was evaluated by mitoxantrone efflux assay. The intracellular expression of MRP1, MRP2, and MRP3 molecules in MNC was detected by flow cytometry. The results were compared between MNC and PMN derived from normal and SLE groups. RESULTS: The specific dye-efflux function of MRPs in SLE-MNC is significantly higher than normal MNC. However, the expression of MRP1, MRP2, and MRP3 molecules in SLE-MNC was not different from normal MNC. We also noted that only the duration of corticosteroid treatment in different clinical/laboratory parameters was significantly correlated with the increased activity of MRPs in SLE-MNC. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that increased activity of MRPs in SLE-MNC is elicited by long-term corticosteroid therapy.

Emergence, transmission and phylogeny of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sequence type 8 (USA300) in Taiwan.

Twenty-seven (0.51%) USA300 isolates were identified from a pool of 5308 meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates collected in Taiwan between 1995 and October 2015, including 12 infecting isolates from 10 patients. The first two isolates were identified in 2005, and 23 isolates have been collected since 2010. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all the local isolates were closely related to those in North America, and there was a clade consisting of 13 local isolates from 10 patients. MRSA USA300 existed in Taiwan in 2005 or earlier, with increasing identification since 2010. Local transmission of USA300 has occurred in Taiwan after importation from North America.

Comparison of anti-agalactosyl IgG antibodies, rheumatoid factors, and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies in the differential diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and its mimics.

OBJECTIVE: Anti-agalactosyl IgG antibodies [anti-Gal(0) IgG] have been regarded as a useful serological marker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Our aim was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of anti-Gal(0) IgG in the differential diagnosis of rheumatic disorders that mimic RA compared to rheumatoid factors (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP). METHODS: Sera were collected from 39 patients with RA, 49 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSjS), 47 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 65 patients with chronic hepatitis B viral infection (HBV), 68 patients with chronic hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) and 19 normal individuals. RF-IgM was measured by the nephelometeric method, and RF-IgA, anti-Gal(0) IgG and anti-CCP were measured by the respective ELISA assays. RESULTS: Anti-Gal(0) IgG titers were remarkably elevated in patients with RA (191.0 +/- 250.8 AU/ml) compared to pSjS (37.9 +/- 42.6 AU/ml), SLE (10.3 +/- 13.6 AU/ml), chronic HBV with (36.1 +/- 38.4 AU/ml) or without rheumatic symptoms (9.6 +/- 19.4 AU/ml), RF(+) chronic HCV without rheumatic symptoms (19.0 +/- 14.8 AU/ml), chronic HCV with rheumatic symptoms (15.2 +/- 17.4 AU/ml) and healthy individuals (2.6 +/- 0.7 AU/ml). The specificity of anti-Gal(0) IgG could be greatly enhanced by elevating the cut-off value from 12 AU/ml to 40 AU/ml (68.6% vs. 85.6%, p < 0.001) without significantly compromising its sensitivity (76.9% vs. 61.5%, p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The serum titer of anti-Gal(0) IgG is much higher in rheumatoid arthritis than in mimicking diseases. The specificity of anti-Gal(0) IgG is enhanced when the cut-off value is raised. However, anti-CCP remains the most specific biomarker for RA.

Anti-myeloperoxidase antibodies enhance phagocytosis, IL-8 production, and glucose uptake of polymorphonuclear neutrophils rather than anti-proteinase 3 antibodies leading to activation-induced cell death of the neutrophils.

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) not only are triggered by target protein myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3) of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) but also react with primed PMN to exert the inflammatory process in vasculitis syndrome. To clarify the crucial role of PMN in ANCA-associated vasculitis and the related mechanism, PMN was cultured with monoclonal antibody MPO-ANCA and PR3-ANCA to determine the function of phagocytosis, Interleukin- 8 (IL-8) production, glucose uptake, and TNF-related apoptosis induced ligand (TRAIL) production. The spontaneous membrane expression of MPO and PR3 on PMN could be significantly increased by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and TNF-alpha, but not by IL-8 or GRO-alpha. The PMN-stimulating activity of ANCA was demonstrated by enhancing phagocytosis, IL-8 production, and glucose uptake that was more prominent by MPO-ANCA. The PMN stimulation by ANCA was not through protein kinase, H2O2, or superoxide anion radicals as their inhibitors exerted no effect on ANCA-mediated activation. On the other hand, ANCA also accelerated PMN apoptosis and increased TRAIL production. These results demonstrate that activation-induced cell death (AICD) mechanism could be initiated in PMN with existence of ANCA. In conclusion, MPO-ANCA is more potent in stimulating PMN than PR3-ANCA. ANCA-activated PMN is not only responsible for the amplified inflammatory process in blood vessel but also initiates immune circuit via triggered macrophage/monocyte by apoptotic PMN through the mechanism of AICD elicited by ANCA.

Catalytic action of goethite in the oxidation of 2-chlorophenols with hydrogen peroxide.

The use of goethite and hydrogen peroxide was recently found to effectively oxidise organic compounds. This research was to investigate the effect of adsorption, pH, Fe2+ and Fe3+ on 2-CP oxidation. Results indicated that 2-CP can be decomposed with hydrogen peroxide catalysed by goethite and the oxidation rate increased with decreasing goethite particle size. The optimum oxidation rate was observed at the pH below 3.0. Addition of Fe2+ and Fe3+ can enhance the catalytic oxidation rate of 2-CP very efficiently. The main mechanism of goethite catalysing hydrogen peroxide to oxidise 2-CP may be due to the catalysis of ferrous ions and goethite surface.

TGF-ß upregulates the translation of USP15 via the PI3K/AKT pathway to promote p53 stability.

Crosstalk between transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) signaling and p53 has a critical role in cancer progression. TGF-ß signals via Smad and non-Smad pathways. Under normal conditions, wild-type p53 forms a complex with Smad2/3 and co-activates transcription of a variety of tumor suppressor genes, resulting in tumor suppressive effects. Thus, p53 stability is essential in progression of tumor suppressive responses mediated by TGF-ß signaling. However, it remains unknown whether p53 stability is regulated by TGF-ß. In the current study, we identify that USP15 binds to and stabilizes p53 through deubiquitination in U2OS and HEK293 cells. TGF-ß promotes the translation of USP15 through activation of mammalian target of rapamycin by the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT pathway. Upregulation of USP15 translation links the crosstalk between TGF-ß signaling and p53 stability, allowing this cytokine to have a critical role in cancer progression.