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Objective To explore the role of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation in the pathogenesis of Behcet's disease (BD),and to investigate the association between STAT3 phosphorylation and disease activity in BD patients.Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) was isolated from 15 mL peripheral boood of 10 active BD patients (BD-A),10 BD patients in remission (BD-R) and 10 healthy controls (HC) respectively.The blockade of STAT3 phosphorylation was performed by Stattic.The PBMC was divided into Stattic subgroup (treated with 2.5 μmol/L stattic and 1 640 medium,5 mL) and blank control subgroup (treated with 5 mL 1 640 medium),respectively.The protein levels of phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) and STAT3 were examined by flow cytometry and Western blot.The protein and mRNA levels of TNF-α,IFN-γ and IL-17 were tested by RT-PCR and ELISA.Two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc test were used to analyze the results.Results Compared with HC,the BD patients showed higher protein levels of pSTAT3 and STAT3,and higher protein and mRNA levels of TNF-α,IFN-γ and IL-17;compared with blank control subgroup,the protein levels of pSTAT3 and STAT3,and protein and mRNA levels of TNF-α,IFN-γ and IL-17 decreased in Stattic subgroup.In the BD-A group,the protein level of pSTAT3,and protein and mRNA levels of TNF-α,IFN-γ and IL-17 were significantly higher than those in the BD-R group.Conclusions An increased activation of the STAT3 pathway may contribute to the pathogenesis of BD and relate to disease activity in BD patients by inducing TH1 and Th17 cells activation.
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Behcet's disease is a condition characterized by systemic vasculitis liable to thrombosis, and may involve the parenchyma and blood vessels in the brain. We report a case of Behcet's disease that progressed into central neural system involvement rapidly due to failure of tertiary prevention. This case demonstrates the importance of management of the high risk factors of thrombosis and timely prevention of disease progression.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To examine the expression of FLICE-inhibitory protein (FLIP) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and analyze its correlation with synovial inflammation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of FLIP was assessed in 11 JIA and 3 normal synovial tissue samples by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. The cell types expressing FLIP were further characterized, and the correlation of FLIP expression with the degree of synovial inflammation, as well as the activity of caspase 8 was then analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>RT-PCR revealed the expression of FLIP mRNA in all 11 JIA samples, but not in 3 normal synovial tissues. In JIA, FLIP expression could be found in both the lining and sublining layers, mainly in the macrophage-like cells. Moreover, the expression of FLIP in JIA synovial tissues was positively correlated with the degree of synovial inflammation (r = 0.563, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expression of antiapoptotic FLIP in JIA synovial tissue and its correlation to accumulation of inflammatory cells in synovial tissue suggests that FLIP potentially extends the lifespan of synovial cells and thus contributes to the progression of joint destruction.</p>
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Arthritis, Juvenile , Metabolism , Pathology , CASP8 and FADD-Like Apoptosis Regulating Protein , Genetics , Metabolism , Caspase 8 , Metabolism , Inflammation , Metabolism , Pathology , Protein Isoforms , Genetics , Metabolism , Synovial Membrane , Cell Biology , Metabolism , PathologyABSTRACT
Objective: To study the causes of misdiagnosis of patients with POEMS syndrome and to discuss the clues for its early diagnosis. Methods: The clinical and laboratory data of 26 inpatients with POEMS syndrome, who were treated in Changhai hospital over the last decade, were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The misdiagnosis rate of our group was 100%. The misdiagnosis was made in (3.31±0.97) hospitals and in (3.31±0.93) clinical departments; the misdiagnosis period was (19.42±10.86) months and it had been misdiagnosed as 18 other diseases. The initial symptoms included polyneuropathy in 21 (80.8%) cases, edema of lower extremity in 22 (84.6%) cases, and body weight loss in 8 (30.8%) cases. The typical clinical symptoms included polyneuropathy in 26 (100%) cases and organomegaly in 24 (92.3%). Two cases had newly identified uterine hypertrophy, one had adrenal gland hypertrophy, and one had gastric wall thickening mimicking advanced gastric cancer. Hypothyroidism, impotence, skin pigmentation and sclerosis occurred in 76.9% (20/26), 60% (6/10), 92.3% (24/26) and 65.4% (17/26) cases, respectively. Monoclonal plasma cell proliferation was documented in 18 (81.8%); M proteins were positive in 14 (63.6%) cases by serum immunofixation, and only 2 (9.1%) cases also positive by serum protein electrophoresis. One patient was positive of M protein by urine immunofixation and one had abnormal infiltration of plasma cells in the gastric wall. Lymph node biopsy were performed in 8 patients and 3 were found to have Castleman disease; the other 5 cases had lymphocyte infiltration, with 3 complicated with plasma cell proliferation. Nerve biopsy in 4 cases all revealed axonal degeneration and one patient complicated with demyelination. Bone marrow biopsy in 5 cases revealed plasmacytosis in 2 cases and myeloma in one. Excessive radioactivity resorption was found in 10 of the 16 cases (62.5%) and abnormal plasma cells were detected in 2 cases by bone aspiration guided by radioisotope hone scan. Conclusion: Misdiagnosis of POEMS syndrome is very common. Polyneuropathy, edema of lower extremity and body weight loss are the common early symptoms of POEMS syndrome. Early diagnosis can be made by having an intimate knowledge of the progression of the disease and by detecting M protein through various approaches.
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Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of methotrexate(MTX)on the hip involve ment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS).Methods Among the AS patients with hip joint involvement admitted to the department from 1999—2002,50 patients were treated with sulfasalazine(SSZ)(control group, CG)and 48 MTX(observation group,OG).One kind of NSAIDs was taken by the patients in both groups as the basic therapy.The treatment was maintained in both groups after being discharged.Patients were followed-up for three years.The observation parameters included symptoms,signs,Bath AS disease activity index(BASDAI), Bath AS functional index(BASFI),hip joint function score,the CT staging of hip joint involvement,serum in- flammation markers,laboratory tests and side effects.The data were analyzed with SPSS10.0 statistics software. Results At the 1st,2nd and 3rd year,44,38 and 32 cases in the OG and 45,38 and 31 cases in the CG were followed up respectively.During the three-year follow-up period,the hip joint function score of the OG was significantly higher than that of the CG(P
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Objective:To study the causes of misdiagnosis of patients with POEMS syndrome and to discuss the clues for its early diagnosis.Methods:The clinical and laboratory data of 26 inpatients with POEMS syndrome,who were treated in Changhai hospital over the last decade,were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The misdiagnosis rate of our group was 100%. The misdiagnosis was made in(3.31?0.97)hospitals and in(3.31?0.93)clinical departments;the misdiagnosis period was (19.42?10.86)months and it had been misdiagnosed as 18 other diseases.The initial symptoms included polyneuropathy in 21 (80.8%)cases,edema of lower extremity in 22(84.6%)cases,and body weight loss in 8(30.8%)cases.The typical clinical symptoms included polyneuropathy in 26(100%)cases and organomegaly in 24(92.3%).Two cases had newly-identified uterine hypertrophy,one had adrenal gland hypertrophy,and one had gastric wall thickening mimicking advanced gastric cancer.Hypothyroidism,impotence,skin pigmentation and sclerosis occurred in 76.9%(20/26),60%(6/10),92.3%(24/ 26)and 65.4%(17/26)cases,respectively.Monoclonal plasma cell proliferation was documented in 18(81.8%);M proteins were positive in 14(63.6%)cases by serum immunofixation,and only 2(9.1%)cases also positive by serum protein electrophoresis.One patient was positive of M protein by urine immunofixation and one had abnormal infiltration of plasma cells in the gastric wall.Lymph node biopsy were performed in 8 patients and 3 were found to have Castleman disease;the other 5 cases had lymphocyte infiltration,with 3 complicated with plasma cell proliferation.Nerve biopsy in 4 cases all revealed axonal degeneration and one patient complicated with demyelination.Bone marrow biopsy in 5 cases revealed plasmacytosis in 2 cases and myeloma in one.Excessive radioactivity resorption was found in 10 of the 16 cases(62.5%)and abnormal plasma cells were detected in 2 cases by bone aspiration guided by radioisotope bone scan.Conclusion:Misdiagnosis of POEMS syndrome is very common.Polyneuropathy,edema of lower extremity and body weight loss are the common early symptoms of POEMS syndrome. Early diagnosis can be made by having an intimate knowledge of the progression of the disease and by detecting M protein through various approaches.