Recent Advances in the Use of Exosomes in Sjögren's Syndrome.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the exocrine glands mediated by lymphocytic infiltrates damaging the body tissues and affecting the life quality of patients. Although traditional methods of diagnosis and treatment for SS are effective, in the time of personalized medicine, new biomarkers, and novel approaches are required for the detection and treatment of SS. Exosomes represent an emerging field in the discovery of biomarkers and the management of SS. Exosomes, a subtype of extracellular vesicles, are secreted by various cell types and can be found in most bodily fluids. Exosomes are packed with cytokines and other proteins, bioactive lipids, and nucleic acids (mRNA, circular RNA, non-coding RNA, tRNA, microRNA, genomic DNA, and ssDNA), and transport such cargo between cells. Evidence has indicated that exosomes may play roles in processes such as the modulation of the immune response and activation of inflammation. Moreover, due to features such as stability, low immunogenicity and toxicity, long half-life, and the capacity to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, exosomes have also emerged as therapeutic tools for SS. In this review, we summarize existing literature regarding the biogenesis, isolation, and function of exosomes, specifically focusing on exosomes as novel biomarkers and their potential therapeutic uses in SS.

[Controlled clinical study on compound Decumbent Corydalis Rhizome and diclofenac in treatment of knee osteoarthritis].

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of compound Decumbent Corydalis Rhizome (DCR) in treating patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Totally 79 patients with knee osteoarthritis were selected from out-patient and inpatient departments of West China Hospital and randomly divided into the test group and the control group. The test group (n = 41) was given Compound DCR with the dosage of 1.8 g · d(-1), while the control group (n = 38) was administered with diclofenac sodium with the dosage of 75 mg · d(-1). After 12 weeks of treatment, the total efficacy rates based on patients/physicians evaluation for experimental and control groups were 68.29%, 63.41% and 71.05%, 63.16%, respectively, without significant difference between the two groups. Both of the two groups showed significant improvements in the main efficacy indexes (pain on walking 20 m) and minor indexes (tenderness on palpation, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA index (WOMAC) and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36 ), but without significant difference in efficacy between them. The incidence of related adverse events was 24.39% in the test group and 47.37% in the control group, respectively, with significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.05). In the controlled study, compound DCR is as efficient as diclofenac sodium but more tolerable, with a good clinical application prospect.

[Effects of dihydroartemisinin on collagen II-induced arthritis in rats model].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of dihydroartemisinin on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats model. METHODS: CIA was induced in Male Wistar rats by intradermal injection of emulsion of 0. 3 mg type II collagen in Freund's complete adjuvant (CII/FA) at the base of the tail and repeated one times after 15 days. The normal control rats received the injection of the same volume of saline 52 days later, the CIA rats were divided into dihydroartemisinin treated group, saline treated group, in which the rats were subjected to the treatment of dihydroartemisinin 30 mg/(kg x d) or the same volume of saline for 28 days, then the effects of the treatments on arthritis were evaluated.. RESULTS: Compared with the normal rats, the joints of non-treated CIA rats were obviously swollen. After the treatment of dihydroartemisinin, the joints of CIA rats appeared less inflammation cell erosion, less proliferation of fibrous connective tissue and blood capillary, more clear, articular cavity and no bone erosion. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study indicated dihydroartemisinin may have the effects to relieve CIA in rats.