A novel autoantibody targeting calreticulin is associated with cancer in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of anti-calreticulin autoantibodies (anti-CRT Ab) in a large cohort of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients. METHODS: Sera from 469 patients with IIM, 196 patients with other connective tissue diseases, 28 patients with solid tumors and 81 healthy controls were screened for anti-CRT Ab by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using human recombinant CRT protein. Sera from 35 IIM patients were tested using an immunoprecipitation assay to confirm the presence of anti-CRT Ab. Subsequently, IIM-cancer patients were identified and divided into new-onset, remission and recurrent groups based on their cancer status. The relationships between anti-CRT Ab levels and IIM disease activity were also investigated. RESULTS: Serum anti-CRT Ab was detected positive in 81 of the 469 (17.3%) IIM patients. Immunoprecipitated bands were observed at a molecular weight of 60 kDa corresponding to the CRT protein. The IIM patients with anti-CRT Ab more frequently had cancers compared to the patients without anti-CRT Ab. Moreover, the prevalence of anti-CRT Ab differed according to the cancer status. The IIM patients with recurrent cancers had a much higher prevalence of anti-CRT Ab than those with cancers in remission. Also, serum anti-CRT Ab levels positively correlated with disease activity at baseline and at follow-up visits. CONCLUSION: We report the existence of serum anti-CRT Ab in IIM patients and demonstrate the possible association of anti-CRT Ab with malignancy in IIM patients. Serum anti-CRT Ab could serve as a novel candidate marker of cancer in IIM patients.

Urinary metabolomics analysis identifies key biomarkers of different stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

AIM: To identify a panel of biomarkers that can distinguish between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and explore molecular mechanism involved in the process of developing NASH from NAFLD. METHODS: Biomarkers may differ during stages of NAFLD. Urine and blood were obtained from non-diabetic subjects with NAFLD and steatosis, with normal liver function (n = 33), from patients with NASH, with abnormal liver function (n = 45), and from healthy age and sex-matched controls (n = 30). Samples were subjected to metabolomic analysis to identify potential non-invasive biomarkers. Differences in urinary metabolic profiles were analyzed using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry with principal component analysis and partial least squares-discriminate analysis. RESULTS: Compared with NAFLD patients, patients with NASH had abnormal liver function and high serum lipid concentrations. Urinary metabonomics found differences in 31 metabolites between these two groups, including differences in nucleic acids and amino acids. Pathway analysis based on overlapping metabolites showed that pathways of energy and amino acid metabolism, as well as the pentose phosphate pathway, were closely associated with pathological processes in NAFLD and NASH. CONCLUSION: These findings suggested that a panel of biomarkers could distinguish between NAFLD and NASH, and could help to determine the molecular mechanism involved in the process of developing NASH from NAFLD. Urinary biomarkers may be diagnostic in these patients and could be used to assess responses to therapeutic interventions.

Glycyrrhizic acid in the treatment of liver diseases: literature review.

Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is a triterpene glycoside found in the roots of licorice plants (Glycyrrhiza glabra). GA is the most important active ingredient in the licorice root, and possesses a wide range of pharmacological and biological activities. GA coupled with glycyrrhetinic acid and 18-beta-glycyrrhetic acid was developed in China or Japan as an anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antiallergic drug for liver disease. This review summarizes the current biological activities of GA and its medical applications in liver diseases. The pharmacological actions of GA include inhibition of hepatic apoptosis and necrosis; anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory actions; antiviral effects; and antitumor effects. This paper will be a useful reference for physicians and biologists researching GA and will open the door to novel agents in drug discovery and development from Chinese herbs. With additional research, GA may be more widely used in the treatment of liver diseases or other conditions.