Search for: rheumatoid arthritis methotrexate autoimmune disease biomarker gene expression GWAS HLA genes non-HLA genes
| ID | PMID | Title | PublicationDate | abstract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9314394 | Comparison of the Musculoskeletal Function Assessment questionnaire with the Short Form-36 | 1997 Sep | We compared the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (MFA) questionnaire with those of three commonly used health-status measures: the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP). The MFA, like the other health-status measures, demonstrated good reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients of more than 0.70), good sensitivity and specificity (more than 70 per cent), good criterion validity that correlated with physicians' ratings (p < 0.01), and good construct validity that correlated with the characteristics of the patients (p < 0.01). It also demonstrated better content validity than the other questionnaires, with no ceiling or floor effects for the total score. In addition, it was more responsive than the SF-36; for eight of the eleven comparisons, it was more efficient (relative efficiency of more than 2.00) in measuring changes in function between the baseline values and the values determined at the latest follow-up evaluation. These findings suggest that the MFA can be used to assess the health status of patients who have a musculoskeletal disorder. | |
| 11509635 | A role for IL-18 in neutrophil activation. | 2001 Sep 1 | IL-18 expression and functional activity has been identified in several autoimmune and infectious diseases. To clarify the potential role of IL-18 during early innate immune responses, we have explored the capacity of IL-18 to activate neutrophils. Human peripheral blood-derived neutrophils constitutively expressed IL-18R (alpha and beta) commensurate with the capacity to rapidly respond to IL-18. IL-18 induced cytokine and chemokine release from neutrophils that was protein synthesis dependent, up-regulated CD11b expression, induced granule release, and enhanced the respiratory burst following exposure to fMLP, but had no effect upon the rate of neutrophil apoptosis. The capacity to release cytokine and chemokine was significantly enhanced in neutrophils derived from rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid, indicating differential responsiveness to IL-18 dependent upon prior neutrophil activation in vivo. Finally, IL-18 administration promoted neutrophil accumulation in vivo, whereas IL-18 neutralization suppressed the severity of footpad inflammation following carrageenan injection. The latter was accompanied by reduction in tissue myeloperoxidase expression and suppressed local TNF-alpha production. Together, these data define a novel role for IL-18 in activating neutrophils and thereby promoting early innate immune responses. | |
| 11037964 | The protective effect of IFN-gamma in experimental autoimmune diseases: a central role of | 2000 Oct | The study of animal models for organ-specific autoimmune disease contributes to our understanding of human diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Although experimental autoimmune diseases develop spontaneously in certain strains of mice, others need to be induced by administration of organ-specific autoantigen, often together with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), containing heat-killed mycobacteria. In the two types of models, the role of endogenous interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) has extensively been investigated by using neutralizing anti-IFN-gamma antibodies and by employing mice genetically deficient in IFN-gamma or its receptor. In these studies disease-promoting as well as disease-protective roles of endogenous IFN-gamma have been described. Remarkably, in most models that rely on the use of CFA, there is abundant evidence for a protective role. Here, we review evidence that this role derives from an inhibitory effect of IFN-gamma on myelopoiesis elicited by the killed mycobacteria. These findings explain the bimodal role of IFN-gamma in different models of autoimmune disease and raise questions regarding the clinical relevance of these models. | |
| 10706681 | Central role of thrombospondin-1 in the activation and clonal expansion of inflammatory T | 2000 Mar 15 | Thrombospondin-1 (TSP) is a transiently expressed matricellular protein known to promote chemotaxis of leukocytes to inflammatory sites. However, TSP and its receptor CD36 are abundantly expressed in chronically inflamed tissues such as the rheumatoid synovium. Here, we show that TSP provides the costimulatory signal that is necessary for the activation of autoreactive T cells. Data presented reveal that TSP-mediated costimulation is achieved through its independent interaction with CD36 on APCs and with CD47 on T cells. We propose that a CD47-TSP-CD36 trimolecular complex is a novel costimulatory pathway that significantly decreases the threshold of T cell activation. Consistent with the paradigm that lesions in rheumatoid synovitis are sites of antigenic recognition, the characteristic focal expression of TSP on APCs such as macrophages and fibroblast-like synoviocytes suggest a central role of TSP in the expansion of tissue-infiltrating T cells. | |
| 11246658 | Methotrexate (MTX) inhibits osteoblastic differentiation in vitro: possible mechanism of M | 2001 Feb | OBJECTIVE: To clarify the mechanism of impaired bone formation during low dose methotrexate (MTX) therapy. METHODS: The in vitro effects of MTX on the function and differentiation of osteoblastic cells were investigated using (1) a mouse osteogenic cell line (MC3T3-E1) with the capacity to differentiate into osteoblastic or osteocytes, (2) a human osteoblastic osteosarcoma cell line (SaOS-2) with a mature osteoblastic phenotype, and (3) mouse bone marrow stromal cells containing osteoblast precursors. Osteoblast function was assessed by measuring the cellular activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and the mineralization capacity of cultures. RESULTS: MTX suppressed ALP activity dose-dependently in growing MC3T3-E1 cells, but proliferation of these cells was only inhibited by a high concentration of MTX. In contrast, inhibition of ALP activity in MC3T3-E1 cells of mature osteoblastic phenotype was only observed with 10(-8) M and 10(-7) M MTX, and proliferation was not influenced. ALP activity and the proliferation of SaOS-2 cells were not inhibited by MTX, even when growing cells were treated. However, both ALP activity and formation of calcified nodules in bone marrow stromal cell cultures were significantly suppressed by MTX at concentrations between l0(-10) and 10(-7) M. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that MTX suppresses bone formation by inhibiting the differentiation of early osteoblastic cells. | |
| 11097115 | Fine-specificity of the anti-CENP-A B-cell autoimmune response. | 2000 | The major targets recognized by anti-centromere autoantibodies are the three centromere-associated proteins (CENPs) A, B, and C, with apparent molecular masses of 19, 80, and 140 kDa, respectively. Previously a major epitope region on the 19-kDa CENP-A antigen was identified by synthesis of a soluble synthetic 15-mer peptide (amino acids 3-17) to be used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot competition assays. However, no systematic experimental scanning for epitope regions on the CENP-A autoantigen has yet been performed. In this study we scanned the complete CENP-A amino acid sequence for epitopes using 19 previously characterized autoimmune-sera. Overlapping peptides 15 amino acids in length and offset by three amino acids were synthesized on activated membranes, covering the whole CENP-A autoantigen. Probing of the membranes with various anti-centromere sera showed that all epitopes are clustered in the N-terminal 45 amino acids. For fine-mapping of this autoreactive region the N-terminus of CENP-A (amino acids 1-45) was scanned again by probing overlapping 15-mer, 12-mer, 10-mer, 8-mer, 7-mer, 6-mer, and 5-mer peptides, all offset by one amino acid, with anti-centromere sera. In this way we localized two epitope core regions within the N-terminal 45 amino acids, one covering amino acids 2-17, recognized by 17 sera, and the other covering amino acids 22-38, recognized by 18 sera. One serum did not react with CENP-A at all. Several sera seem to recognize overlapping individual epitopes within these two epitope core regions. All sera, however, recognize a sequence motif G/A-P-R/S-R-R. | |
| 11762935 | Selective lymphocyte chemokine receptor expression in the rheumatoid joint. | 2001 Dec | OBJECTIVE: In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), chemokines and their receptors are important for lymphocyte trafficking into the inflamed joint. This study was undertaken to characterize the expression of chemokine receptors CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, CCR4, CCR5, CCR6, CXCR3, and CX3CR1 in normal (NL) peripheral blood (PB), RA PB, and RA synovial fluid (SF). METHODS: Using flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and 2-color immunofluorescence, we defined the expression of chemokine receptors on CD3+ T lymphocytes in RA synovial tissue (ST), RA SF, RA PB, and NL PB. RESULTS: The percentage of CD3+ lymphocytes expressing CCR2, CCR4, CCR5, and CX3CR1 was significantly elevated in RA PB compared with that in NL PB, while the percentage of CD3+ lymphocytes expressing CCR5 was significantly enhanced in RA SF compared with that in NL and RA PB. In contrast, similar percentages of CD3+ lymphocytes in NL PB, RA PB, and RA SF expressed CCR6 and CXCR3. Immunohistochemistry of RA ST showed lymphocyte expression of CCR4, and 2-color immunofluorescence staining revealed RA ST CD3+ lymphocytes intensely immunoreactive for CXCR3, suggesting that these 2 receptors may be particularly important for CD3+ lymphocyte trafficking to the inflamed joint. In comparisons of chemokine receptor expression on naive (CD45RA+) and memory (CD45RO+) CD3+ lymphocytes, there were greater percentages of memory CD3+/CD4+ lymphocytes expressing CCR4, CCR5, and CXCR3 than naive CD3+/CD4+ lymphocytes in RA PB and RA SF, and greater percentages of memory CD3+/CD8+ lymphocytes expressing CCR4, CCR5, and CXCR3 than naive CD3+/CD8+ lymphocytes in RA SF, suggesting receptor up-regulation upon lymphocyte activation. In contrast, percentages of CD3+/CD8+ memory lymphocytes expressing CX3CR1 were significantly less than percentages of naive CD3+/CD8+ lymphocytes in RA PB, suggesting that this receptor may be down-regulated upon lymphocyte activation. A major difference between the RA PB and NL PB groups was significantly more CCR4+ memory leukocytes and memory CCR5+/ CD3+/CD8+ lymphocytes in RA PB than NL PB, further suggesting that these receptors may be particularly important for lymphocyte homing to the RA joint. CONCLUSION: These results identify CCR4, CCR5, CXCR3, and CX3CR1 as critical chemokine receptors in RA. | |
| 10525477 | Potential regulation of cartilage metabolism in osteoarthritis by fibronectin fragments. | 1999 Oct 15 | There are few candidates for biochemical pathways that either initiate or amplify catabolic processes involved in osteoarthritis (OA). Perhaps, one of the most likely sources for such pathways may be within the extracellular matrix itself. This review focuses on an example of how specific degradation products of the extracellular matrix of cartilage, produced during proteolytic damage, have the potential to enhance OA-like processes. In this example, these products can induce or activate other factors, such as catabolic cytokines, that amplify the damage. The damage, in turn, enhances levels of the degradation products themselves, as in a positive feedback loop. Since these products are derived from the cartilage matrix, they could be considered barometers of the health of the cartilage that signal to the chondrocyte, through outside to inside signaling, the health or status of the surrounding matrix. The best example and most characterized system is that of fragments of the matrix protein, fibronectin (Fn), although as discussed later, other recently discovered fragment systems may also have the potential to regulate cartilage metabolism. In the case of Fn fragments (Fn-fs), the Fn-fs enhance levels of catabolic cytokines as in OA and, thus, are potentially earlier damage mediators than catabolic cytokines. The Fn-fs up-regulate matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression, significantly enhance degradation and loss of proteoglycan (PG) from cartilage and temporarily suppress PG synthesis, all events observed in OA. However, this Fn-f system may be involved in normal cartilage homeostasis as well. For example, low concentrations of Fn-fs enhance anabolic activities and could play a role in normal homeostasis. This system may also be involved in not only amplifying damage but also coupling damage to repair. For example, high concentrations of Fn-fs that might arise in OA temporarily offset the anabolic response of lower Fn-f concentrations and cause short-term enhanced catabolic events that are followed by slowly increasing anabolic responses. Such effects would be expected for mediators with roles in regulation of metabolism in both normal or diseased cartilage. Other products of matrix degradation have also been shown to regulate cartilage metabolism. A common mechanistic theme to these systems may be that they perturb the cartilage matrix and directly or indirectly alter function of specific receptors involved in metabolism. These concepts illustrate the potential of the cartilage matrix to regulate its composition in both health and disease. | |
| 9824498 | High-level production of alternatively spliced soluble interleukin-6 receptor in serum of | 1998 Nov | We have previously shown, using human T-cell lymphocytotrophic virus-I (HTLV-I)-infected cell lines, that soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) is generated through an alternative splicing mechanism. In this study, we examined human sera for the presence of alternatively spliced soluble IL-6R (AS-sIL-6R). We produced a monoclonal antibody (mAb) recognizing the unique sequence of AS-sIL-6R peptide, generated by an altered reading frame. We also made recombinant AS-sIL-6R protein in Spodoptera frugiperda-9 (Sf-9) cells carrying baculovirus, which encoded altered sIL-6R or conventional IL-6R cDNA. mAbs specifically recognized AS-sIL-6R, but not conventional IL-6R, as demonstrated by Western blot analyses, fluorescence-activated cell sorter, immunofluorescence analyses and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We adapted an ELISA system and used it for detection of altered sIL-6R in sera from 23 healthy persons, 12 patients with adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL) and 13 patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM). Serum levels of AS-sIL-6R were 6.4 or 6.1 times greater in ATL (28.7+/-20.4 ng/ml, P<0.0001) and in HAM patients (27.5+/-12.1 ng/ml, P<0.0001) than in healthy individuals (4.5+/-2.1 ng/ml). High levels of AS-sIL-6R were also observed in plasma from rheumatoid arthritis patients and in persons with elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), antinuclear antibody (ANA), or alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). However, in human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected individuals, AS-sIL-6R levels were not elevated. In this study, we confirmed that AS-sIL-6R is indeed present in human sera. These observations suggest that alternative splicing of IL-6R mRNA is of consequence in ATL, HAM and in some autoimmune diseases. The HTLV-I-infected T cells appeared to play an important role in AS-sIL-6R production. | |
| 9283991 | Efficacy of lansoprazole against peptic ulcers induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory | 1997 Jul | Beyond the obvious step of limiting use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the treatment of ulcers induced by NSAIDs remains controversial. We evaluated the efficacy of the proton-pump inhibitor lansoprazole on NSAID-induced ulcers. Ulcers were endoscopically diagnosed in 47 NSAID users. These patients received 30 mg/day lansoprazole, orally, for 6 or 8 weeks (6 weeks for duodenal ulcers and 8 weeks for other ulcers). Ulcer healing was assessed using an established classification system. The presence of immunoglobulin G antibody against Helicobacter pylori was also evaluated. The antibody was present in the sera of 51% of patients (24/47). Most of the ulcers reached scarring stages S1 (healing) or S2 (good healing), and the S2 healing rate was 35%. Two H. pylori seropositive patients did not reach these stages; their ulcers were improved by H. pylori eradication therapy, followed, in one case, by medication with misoprostol. Lansoprazole seemed to be useful for most patients with NSAID-induced ulcers, but a few needed additional treatments. | |
| 9036955 | MUC18/MCAM (CD146), an activation antigen of human T lymphocytes. | 1997 Mar 1 | Extravasation and tissue infiltration of leukocytes and metastatic tumor cells require the regulated expression and function of adhesive and pro-proteolytic surface molecules. We demonstrate here that human T cells, upon activation, neo-express the melanoma metastasis-associated surface molecule MUC18/melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM). Expression of MUC18/MCAM (CD146) on T cells could be identified with two mAbs (541-10B2 and 541-2E5) obtained after immunization with HUT102 T cells and found to react with activated T cells. The specificity of our mAbs for MUC18/MCAM (CD146) was revealed by 1) definition of the appropriate molecular mass of approximately 110 kDa unreduced and 120 kDa reduced, 2) reactivity of mAbs with MUC18/MCAM (CD146) cDNA-transfected mouse L cells, 3) conclusive crosswise immunoblotting experiments with MUC18/MCAM (CD146)-specific mAbs, and 4) N-terminal amino acid sequencing of precipitated protein. In vitro activation by PHA caused neo-expression of MUC18/MCAM (CD146) on peripheral blood T cells within 1 day of stimulation, reaching a maximum on day 3. In vivo expression of MUC18/MCAM (CD146) was confirmed on CD3+ T cells infiltrating delayed-type hypersensitivity lesions of the skin, on synovial fluid T cells of rheumatoid arthritis patients, and on distinct T leukemia cells. MUC18/MCAM (CD146) cell surface expression on activated T cells is mirrored by the presence of specific mRNA. Leukocytes of healthy donors do not show significant MUC18/MCAM (CD146) expression. The finding that MUC18/MCAM (CD146) is also expressed on activated T cells might suggest that this adhesion molecule is involved in the extravasation and/or homing of activated T cells. | |
| 10386512 | Dry eye and dry mouth in the elderly: a population-based assessment. | 1999 Jun 28 | BACKGROUND: Symptoms of dry eye and dry mouth are common in the elderly and are often debilitating. Previous research on small populations has been inconsistent regarding the contribution to sicca symptoms of autoimmune markers, medication use, and other factors. The objective of this study was to determine the population prevalence of symptoms of dry eye and dry mouth and to evaluate possible risk factors. METHODS: This is a population-based study of 2481 individuals, aged 65 to 84 years, residing in Salisbury, Md, and identified by the Health Care Financing Medicare database. The main outcome measures included information on sicca symptoms, medical history, medication use, and joint examination results collected in a standardized manner. Autoimmune status was assessed in 1200 individuals by measuring antinuclear antibody, rheumatoid factor, and autoantibodies to the soluble nuclear antigens Ro/SS-A and La/SS-B by double immunodiffusion. RESULTS: Approximately 27% of the population reported dry eye or dry mouth symptoms to be present often or all the time and 4.4% reported both. The prevalence of dry mouth (but not dry eye) symptoms increased with age, female sex, and white race. No association of sicca symptoms was found with rheumatoid arthritis, smoking, alcohol consumption, reproductive hormonal status, or the presence of autoantibodies. A strong, dose-response relationship was observed between sicca symptoms and the use of certain medication classes. The proportion of the population prevalence of sicca symptoms attributable to the use of drying medications was estimated at 62% for dry eye and dry mouth and 38% for dry eye or dry mouth symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Sicca symptoms are common in the elderly, and medication side effects appear to be a major underlying factor. Our results do not indicate an association between autoimmune status and sicca symptoms and do not support immunologic testing in persons with sicca symptoms in the absence of other important systemic features. | |
| 10617994 | Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids and inflammatory mediator production. | 2000 Jan | Many antiinflammatory pharmaceutical products inhibit the production of certain eicosanoids and cytokines and it is here that possibilities exist for therapies that incorporate n-3 and n-9 dietary fatty acids. The proinflammatory eicosanoids prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and leukotriene B(4) (LTB(4)) are derived from the n-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA), which is maintained at high cellular concentrations by the high n-6 and low n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content of the modern Western diet. Flaxseed oil contains the 18-carbon n-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, which can be converted after ingestion to the 20-carbon n-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Fish oils contain both 20- and 22-carbon n-3 fatty acids, EPA and docosahexaenoic acid. EPA can act as a competitive inhibitor of AA conversion to PGE(2) and LTB(4), and decreased synthesis of one or both of these eicosanoids has been observed after inclusion of flaxseed oil or fish oil in the diet. Analogous to the effect of n-3 fatty acids, inclusion of the 20-carbon n-9 fatty acid eicosatrienoic acid in the diet also results in decreased synthesis of LTB(4). Regarding the proinflammatory ctyokines, tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1beta, studies of healthy volunteers and rheumatoid arthritis patients have shown < or = 90% inhibition of cytokine production after dietary supplementation with fish oil. Use of flaxseed oil in domestic food preparation also reduced production of these cytokines. Novel antiinflammatory therapies can be developed that take advantage of positive interactions between the dietary fats and existing or newly developed pharmaceutical products. | |
| 9775124 | [Potential importance of antileukotrienes in the treatment of asthma and other inflammator | 1998 Feb | OBJECTIVES: Among the mediators involved in the asthma bronchoconstriction and inflammation mechanisms, there is now substantial evidence that the sulfidopeptide leukotrienes (LTs) are important. Antagonists of their receptors and inhibitors of their synthesis have been developed. IMPORTANT POINTS: Antagonists of LTs, as well as inhibitors of their synthesis, reduce the LTs actions: bronchoconstriction, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, hypersecretion and inflammation. They produce an acute bronchodilating effect in mild asthma, reduce the hyperresponsiveness responses due to allergens, aspirin and cold and dry air, and also cutaneous and gastrointestinal reactions. Oral administrations tested during 4 or 6 weeks diminish the use of the beta-agonists, decrease the asthma symptom scores and other inflammatory signs. PERSPECTIVES AND PROJECTS: More studies for longer periods, double blind trials and comparisons with classical treatments will be necessary to define the real place of LTs antagonists in the treatment of asthma. So their efficacy has to be confirmed as well as their good tolerance profile (particularly for hepatic functions). CONCLUSION: Antagonists of receptors and synthesis inhibitors of LTs have known a recent and important development. They constitute a new therapeutic class: further studies are needed to better define the place of these new drugs in the treatment of asthma and other inflammatory diseases. | |
| 10209523 | Up-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), endothelial leucocyte adhesio | 1999 Apr | In order to elucidate the pathogenic role(s) of autoantibodies in connective tissue disease (CTD), we examined whether autoantibodies against U1-ribonucleoprotein (RNP) and double-stranded (ds) DNA can up-regulate ICAM-1, ELAM-1 and class I and II MHC molecule expression on pulmonary artery endothelial cells (HPAEC). ICAM-1, ELAM-1 and class II MHC molecule expression on HPAEC cultured in the presence of anti-U1-RNP-containing and anti-dsDNA-containing IgG from CTD patients was up-regulated significantly in comparison with that on HPAEC cultured with IgG from normal healthy volunteers. Affinity chromatographic enrichment and depletion of the anti-U1-RNP antibody content of anti-U1-RNP-containing IgG confirmed that the anti-U1-RNP antibody did up-regulate ICAM-1, ELAM-1 and class II MHC molecule expression. The finding that an IgG F(ab')2-purified anti-U1-RNP antibody also up-regulated expression of these molecules may indicate that mechanisms other than Fc receptor-mediated stimulation are involved. These in vitro findings suggest that autoantibodies against U1-RNP and dsDNA play important roles in the immunopathological processes leading to the proliferative pulmonary arterial vasculopathy observed in CTD patients with pulmonary hypertension by up-regulating adhesion and class II MHC molecule expression on endothelial cells. | |
| 11723830 | [The elastases]. | 2001 | Elastases are proteinases capable of solubilizing fibrous elastin. They may belong to the class of serine proteinases, cysteine proteinases and metalloproteinases. Mammalian elastases occur mainly in the pancreas and the phagocytes. Among non-mammalian elastases there is a great variety of bacterial metallo and serine elastases. The elastolytic activity varies from one elastase to another and is usually not correlated with the catalytic efficiency of these proteinases. One may measure this activity using native or labelled elastins. With pure elastases one may use synthetic substrates. There is a large number of natural (proteins) and synthetic elastase inhibitors. Elastases play a pathologic role in pulmonary emphysema, cystic fibrosis, infections, inflammation and atherosclerosis. | |
| 10553089 | Resistance of rheumatoid synovial dendritic cells to the immunosuppressive effects of IL-1 | 1999 Nov 15 | IL-10 down-regulates the APC function of many dendritic cells (DC), including human peripheral blood (PB) DC. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), synovial fluid (SF) DC express markers of differentiation and are effective APC despite abundant synovial IL-10. The regulation of DC responsiveness to IL-10 was therefore examined by comparing the effect of IL-10 on normal PB and RA SF DC. Whereas IL-10 down-modulated APC function and MHC class II and B7 expression of PB DC, IL-10 had no such effect on SF DC. Since SF DC have differentiated in vivo in the presence of proinflammatory cytokines, PB DC were cocultured in the presence of IL-10 and either GM-CSF, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6, or TGF-beta. GM-CSF, IL-1beta, and TNF-alpha were all able to restore APC function. Whereas the effects of IL-10 on PB DC were shown to be mediated by IL-10R1, neither PB nor RA SF DC constitutively expressed IL-10R1 mRNA or detectable surface protein. In contrast, IL-10R1 protein was demonstrated in PB and SF DC whole cell lysates, suggestive of predominant intracellular localization of the receptor. Thus, DC responsiveness to IL-10 may be regulated through modulation of cell surface IL-10R1 expression or signaling. | |
| 10415627 | Androgens and dry eye in Sjögren's syndrome. | 1999 Jun 22 | Sjögren's syndrome is an extremely complex and currently incurable autoimmune disorder, which occurs primarily in females, and is associated with lacrimal gland inflammation, meibomian gland dysfunction, and severe dry eye. We hypothesize that androgen deficiency, which reportedly occurs in primary and secondary Sjögren's syndrome (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis), is a critical etiologic factor in the pathogenesis of dry eye syndromes. We further hypothesize that androgen treatment to the ocular surface will promote both lacrimal and meibomian gland function and alleviate both "aqueous-deficient" and "evaporative" dry eye. Our results demonstrate that androgens regulate both lacrimal and meibomian gland function, and suggest that topical androgen administration may serve as a safe and effective therapy for the treatment of dry eye in Sjögren's syndrome. | |
| 9111868 | CD44: structure, function, and association with the malignant process. | 1997 | CD44 is a ubiquitous multistructural and multifunctional cells surface adhesion molecule involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Twenty exons are involved in the genomic organization of this molecule. The first five and the last 5 exons are constant, whereas the 10 exons located between these regions are subjected to alternative splicing, resulting in the generation of a variable region. Differential utilization of the 10 variable region exons, as well as variations in N-glycosylation, O-glycosylation, and glycosaminoglycanation (by heparan sulfate or chondroitin sulfate), generate multiple isoforms (at least 20 are known) of different molecular sizes (85-230 kDa). The smallest CD44 molecule (85-95 kDa), which lacks the entire variable region, is standard CD44 (CD44s). As it is expressed mainly on cells of lymphohematopoietic origin, CD44s is also known as hematopoietic CD44 (CD44H). CD44s is a single-chain molecule composed of a distal extracellular domain (containing, the ligand-binding sites), a membrane-proximal region, a transmembrane-spanning domain, and a cytoplasmic tail. The molecular sequence (with the exception of the membrane-proximal region) displays high interspecies homology. After immunological activation, T lymphocytes and other leukocytes transiently upregulate CD44 isoforms expressing variant exons (designated CD44v). A CD44 isform containing the last 3 exon products of the variable region (CD44V8-10, also known as epithelial CD44 or CD44E), is preferentially expressed on epithelial cells. The longest CD44 isoform expressing in tandem eight exons of the variable region (CD44V3-10) was detected in keratinocytes. Hyaluronic acid (HA), an important component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), is the principal, but by no means the only, ligand of CD44. Other CD44 ligands include the ECM components collagen, fibronectin, laminin, and chondroitin sulfate. Mucosal addressin, serglycin, osteopontin, and the class II invariant chain (Ii) are additional, ECM-unrelated, ligands of the molecule. In many, but not in all cases, CD44 does not bind HA unless it is stimulated by phorbol esters, activated by agonistic anti-CD44 antibody, or deglycosylated (e.g., by tunicamycin). CD44 is a multifunctional receptor involved in cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions, cell traffic, lymph node homing, presentation of chemokines and growth factors to traveling cells, and transmission of growth signals. CD44 also participates in the uptake and intracellular degradation of HA, as well as in transmission of signals mediating hematopoiesis and apoptosis. Many cancer cell types as well as their metastases express high levels of CD44. Whereas some tumors, such as gliomas, exclusively express standard CD44, other neoplasms, including gastrointestinal cancer, bladder cancer, uterine cervical cancer, breast cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, also express CD44 variants. Hence CD44, particularly its variants, may be used as diagnostic or prognostic markers of at least some human malignant diseases. Furthermore, it has been shown in animal models that injection of reagents interfering with CD44-ligand interaction (e.g., CD44s- or CD44v-specific antibodies) inhibit local tumor growth and metastatic spread. These findings suggest that CD44 may confer a growth advantage on some neoplastic cells and, therefore, could be used as a target for cancer therapy. It is hoped that identification of CD44 variants expressed on cancer but not on normal cells will lead to the development of anti-CD44 reagents restricted to the neoplastic growth. | |
| 9646007 | Clinical pharmacokinetics of mycophenolate mofetil. | 1998 Jun | The pharmacokinetics of the immunosuppressant mycophenolate mofetil have been investigated in healthy volunteers and mainly in recipients of renal allografts. Following oral administration, mycophenolate mofetil was rapidly and completely absorbed, and underwent extensive presystemic de-esterification. Systemic plasma clearance of intravenous mycophenolate mofetil was around 10 L/min in healthy individuals, and plasma mycophenolate mofetil concentrations fell below the quantitation limit (0.4 mg/L) within 10 minutes of the cessation of infusion. Similar plasma mycophenolate mofetil concentrations were seen after intravenous administration in patients with severe renal or hepatic impairment, implying that the de-esterification process had not been substantially affected. Mycophenolic acid, the active immunosuppressant species, is glucuronidated to a stable phenolic glucuronide (MPAG) which is not pharmacologically active. Over 90% of the administered dose is eventually excreted in the urine, mostly as MPAG. The magnitude of the MPAG renal clearance indicates that active tubular secretion of MPAG must occur. At clinically relevant concentrations, mycophenolic acid and MPAG are about 97% and 82% bound to albumin, respectively. MPAG at high (but clinically realisable) concentrations reduced the plasma binding of mycophenolic acid. The mean maximum plasma mycophenolic acid concentration (Cmax) after a mycophenolate mofetil 1 g dose in healthy individuals was around 25 mg/L, occurred at 0.8 hours postdose, decayed with a mean apparent half-life (t1/2) of around 16 hours, and generated a mean total area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC infinity) of around 64 mg.h/L. Intra- and interindividual coefficients of variation for the AUC infinity of the drug were estimated to be 25% and 10%, respectively. Intravenous and oral administration of mycophenolate mofetil showed statistically equivalent MPA AUC infinity values in healthy individuals. Compared with mycophenolic acid, MPAG showed a roughly similar Cmax about 1 hour after mycophenolic acid Cmax, with a similar t1/2 and an AUC infinity about 5-fold larger than that for mycophenolic acid. Secondary mycophenolic acid peaks represent a significant enterohepatic cycling process. Since MPAG was the sole material excreted in bile, entrohepatic cycling must involve colonic bacterial deconjugation of MPAG. An oral cholestyramine interaction study showed that the mean contribution of entrohepatic cycling to the AUC infinity of mycophenolic acid was around 40% with a range of 10 to 60%. The pharmacokinetics of patients with renal transplants (after 3 months or more) compared with those of healthy individuals were similar after oral mycophenolate mofetil. Immediately post-transplant, the mean Cmax and AUC infinity of mycophenolic acid were 30 to 50% of those in the 3-month post-transplant patients. These parameters rose slowly over the 3-month interval. Slow metabolic changes, rather than poor absorption, seem responsible for this nonstationarity, since intravenous and oral administration of mycophenolate mofetil in the immediate post-transplant period generated comparable MPA AUC infinity values. Renal impairment had no major effect on the pharmacokinetic of mycophenolic acid after single doses of mycophenolate mofetil, but there was a progressive decrease in MPAG clearance as glomerular filtration rate (GFR) declined. Compared to individuals with a normal GFR, patients with severe renal impairment (GFR 1.5 L/h/1.73m2) showed 3-to 6-fold higher MPAG AUC values. In rental transplant recipients during acute renal impairment in the early post-transplant period, the plasma MPA concentrations were comparable to those in patients without renal failure, whereas plasma MPAG concentrations were 2- to 3-fold higher. Haemodialysis had no major effect on plasma mycophenolic acid or MPAG. Dosage adjustments appear to not be necessary either in renal impairment or during dialysis. (ABSTRACT TRUN |