[Detection significance of Th17 cells in peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in clinical remission].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the significance and evaluate the early structural erosion through the expressions of Th17 cells in peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in clinical remission. METHODS: A total of 41 active RA patients without structural erosion were selected. Intracelluar flow cytometric detection of Th17 cells in peripheral blood was performed. And the supernatant level of interleukin (IL)-17A was determined simultaneously in RA patients and control groups at baseline and endpoint of 24-month therapy. The correlations were analyzed between Th17 cells and RA disease activity index DAS28. They were classified into radiographic progression (P, n = 10) and radiographic non-progression groups (NP, n = 26) by the Sharp/van der Heijde score (SHS) at the endpoint. The differences of Th17 cells and IL-17A levels were analyzed between P (SHS > 0.5) and NP groups (SHS ≤ 0.5). RESULTS: The expression of Th17 cells in active RA patients was significantly higher than that of controls [(1.63 ± 0.45)% vs (0.91 ± 0.26)%, P < 0.01]. And the results of IL-17A level were similar [1510 ± 280) vs (320 ± 31) ng/L, P < 0.05]. The expression of Th17 cells was positively correlated with DAS28 score (r = 0.87, P < 0.01). Thirty-six RA patients were followed up at the endpoint and all of them stayed in clinical remission (DAS28 < 2.6). The peripheral blood expressions of Th17 cells of P group were significantly higher than those of NP group . At the same time, no differences of IL-17A levels existed between two groups. CONCLUSION: Structural erosion still progresses in some RA patients despite an apparent clinic remission. And a high-level peripheral expression of Th17 hints at structural erosion.

[Expression and significance of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression and significance of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Thirty active SLE patients (including 17 SLE patients with lupus nephritis), 20 inactive SLE patients and 20 healthy controls were enrolled. The expressions of Th17 cells and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were evaluated by flow cytometry. The correlations between the expression of Th17 cells, CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells and disease activity (SLEDAI), as well as the ratios of Th17 cells and Treg cells (Th17/Treg) in SLE patients and healthy controls were analyzed respectively. RESULTS: The expression of Th17 cells in PBMC of SLE patients was higher than that in healthy controls [(1.39 ± 0.60)% vs (0.80 ± 0.33)%, P < 0.01] while the expression of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells decreased in SLE patients [(3.09 ± 1.54)% vs (6.04 ± 1.49)%, P < 0.01]. The increased expression of Th17 cells and reduced CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in PBMC were positively correlated with SLEDAI and negatively correlated with complements C3 and C4. There were increased expression of Th17 cells and reduced CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in PBMC of lupus nephritis versus SLE patients without nephritis. CONCLUSION: There is an abnormal elevation of Th17 cells and decrease of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in PBMC of SLE patients. The imbalance between Th17 and Treg cells may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Sufficient conditions for oscillation of a nonlinear fractional nabla difference system.

In this paper, we study the oscillation of nonlinear fractional nabla difference equations of the form [Formula: see text]where c and α are constants, [Formula: see text] is the Riemann-Liouville fractional nabla difference operator of order [Formula: see text] is a real number, and [Formula: see text]. Some sufficient conditions for oscillation are established.

Oscillation of certain higher-order neutral partial functional differential equations.

In this paper, we study the oscillation of certain higher-order neutral partial functional differential equations with the Robin boundary conditions. Some oscillation criteria are established. Two examples are given to illustrate the main results in the end of this paper.