Uncovering lupus nephritis-specific genes and the potential of TNFRSF17-targeted immunotherapy: a high-throughput sequencing study.

Introduction: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study aimed to identify LN specific-genes and potential therapeutic targets. Methods: We performed high-throughput transcriptome sequencing on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from LN patients. Healthy individuals and SLE patients without LN were used as controls. To validate the sequencing results, qRT-PCR was performed for 5 upregulated and 5 downregulated genes. Furthermore, the effect of the TNFRSF17-targeting drug IBI379 on patient plasma cells and B cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. Results: Our analysis identified 1493 and 205 differential genes in the LN group compared to the control and SLE without LN groups respectively, with 70 genes common to both sets, marking them as LN-specific. These LN-specific genes were significantly enriched in the 'regulation of biological quality' GO term and the cell cycle pathway. Notably, several genes including TNFRSF17 were significantly overexpressed in the kidneys of both LN patients and NZB/W mice. TNFRSF17 levels correlated positively with urinary protein levels, and negatively with complement C3 and C4 levels in LN patients. The TNFRSF17-targeting drug IBI379 effectively induced apoptosis in patient plasma cells without significantly affecting B cells. Discussion: Our findings suggest that TNFRSF17 could serve as a potential therapeutic target for LN. Moreover, IBI379 is presented as a promising treatment option for LN.

Heat-sensitive moxibustion attenuates the inflammation after focal cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion injury.

Heat-sensitive moxibustion has neuroprotective effects against focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, however its mechanism of action remains unclear. In this study, rat models of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury were treated with suspended moxibustion at acupoint Dazhui (DU14) for 35 minutes. Results showed that suspended moxibustion decreased infarct volume, reduced cortical myeloperoxidase activity, and suppressed serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines in rats with focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Our experimental findings indicated that heat-sensitive moxibustion can attenuate inflammation and promote repair after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.