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ID PMID Title PublicationDate abstract
33583971 Neutrophil Extracellular Traps: New Aspects. 2020 Neutrophils are the "first line" of defense against pathogens in the locus of inflammation, where they use effector functions such as phagocytosis, degranulation, and formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In 2004, Artuto Zychlinsky characterized one more neutrophil effector function-the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (or NETs). NETs are a modified chromatin "decorated" by bactericidal proteins of granules, nucleus, and cytoplasm. The release of NETs can be activated by diverse physiological and pharmacological stimuli and depends on ROS, for which NADPH oxidase is the main source. In the process of NET formation, the release of bactericidal components of granules into the cytoplasm, modification of histones leading to chromatin decondensation, destruction of the nuclear envelope and cytoplasmic membrane with the involvement of gasdermin D protein, and, finally, the release of chromatin outside the cell occurs. At the same time, uncontrolled formation of NETs is a provoking factor in the development of many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. NETs were found at autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and vasculitis; NETs are involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and oncological diseases. In this review, the main ideas about the mechanisms of NET formation, as well as their role in physiological processes and pathogenesis of a number of diseases (including COVID-19), are discussed.
33357362 Role of dyslipidemia in accelerating inflammation, autoimmunity, and atherosclerosis in sy 2020 Jul Dyslipidemia refers to the abnormality of lipid metabolism. The aberrant lipid profiles are usually characterized by elevated plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), apoprotein B (ApoB), and decreased level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c). Dyslipidemia occurs frequently in autoimmune diseases (ADs), such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), type-1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and many other diseases. An imbalance in lipid metabolism contributes to accelerated inflammatory responses in addition to promoting the formation of atherosclerosis. Although there have been many studies and reports on the relationship between abnormal lipid metabolism and ADs, it remains uncertain as to whether dyslipidemia has a unique role in promoting the occurrence and development of ADs. Here, we discuss the mechanisms of how dyslipidemia accelerates inflammatory response, autoimmunity, and atherosclerosis at epidemiological, molecular, and cellular levels, and the discussion is mainly conducted with SLE as an example.
33174015 [Retracted] Epigenetic silencing of miR‑130a ameliorates hemangioma by targeting tissue 2020 Dec Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the authors' attention by an interested reader that some tumours featured in Fig. 6A of the above paper were strikingly similar to those featured in Fig. 8A of an article appearing in the same journal [Fan F‑Y, Deng R, Yi H, Sun H‑P, Zeng Y, He G‑C and Su Y: The inhibitory effect of MEG3/miR‑214/AIFM2 axis on the growth of T‑cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. Int J Oncol 51: 316‑326, 2017]. Furthermore, flow cytometric images featured in Fig. 2G of the above paper were strikingly similar to data featured in the following article [Zhang H‑j, Wei Q‑f, Wang S‑j, Zhang H‑j, Zhang X‑y, Geng Q, Cui Y‑h and Wang X‑h: LncRNA HOTAIR alleviates rheumatoid arthritis by targeting miR‑138 and inactivating NF‑κB pathway. Int Immunopharmacol 50: 283‑290, 2017]. The Editor asked the authors for an explanation to account for the appearance of strikingly similar data in their paper independently, and they responded to request that the paper be retracted from International Journal of Oncology. All the authors agreed that the article should be retracted. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in International Journal of Oncology 50: 1821‑1831, 2017; DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2017.3943].
33064162 Correction to: Osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: trends in the German Na 2020 Dec The original article can be found online.
32896251 Up-regulation of autophagy by etanercept treatment results in TNF-induced apoptosis reduct 2021 May OBJECTIVES: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune systemic inflammatory disease associated with a high prevalence of atherosclerosis. Endothelial dysfunction has emerged as a potentially valuable prognostic tool in predicting the development of atherosclerosis. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is the main cytokine involved in RA pathogenesis, exerting a pro-atherogenic role. TNF-inhibitors are effective treatments in RA, also improving endothelial function. Regarding this, no experimental data are known about the involvement of etanercept. We investigated the contribution of TNF to endothelial dysfunction and the effect of in vitro treatment with etanercept, with a special focus on autophagy and apoptosis pathways. METHODS: Autophagy and apoptosis were evaluated by Western blot and flow cytometry in EA.hy926 endothelial cells treated with TNF alone or in combination with etanercept for 24h. RESULTS: Blocking autophagy, TNF was able to induce endothelial cell apoptosis. Co-treatment with etanercept reverted this effect, up-regulating the autophagy pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm the protective role of etanercept, by restoring autophagy on TNF-induced endothelial damage.
32850850 Bach1 Inhibition Suppresses Osteoclastogenesis via Reduction of the Signaling via Reactive 2020 Bone destructive diseases such as periodontitis are common worldwide and are caused by excessive osteoclast formation and activation. Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) is essential factor for osteoclastogenesis. This triggers reactive oxygen species (ROS), which has a key role in intracellular signaling as well exerting cytotoxicity. Cells have protective mechanisms against ROS, such as nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which controls the expression of many antioxidant enzyme genes. Conversely, BTB and CNC homology 1 (Bach1), a competitor for Nrf2, transcriptionally represses the expression of anti-oxidant enzymes. Previously, we demonstrated that RANKL induces Bach1 nuclear import and attenuates the expression of Nrf2-mediated antioxidant enzymes, thereby augmenting intracellular ROS signaling and osteoclastogenesis. However, it remains unknown if Bach1 inhibitors attenuate osteoclastogenesis. In this study, we hypothesized that Bach1 inhibition would exert an anti-osteoclastogenic effects via diminishing of intracellular ROS signaling through augmented antioxidation. We used RAW 264.7 cells as osteoclast progenitor cells. Using flow cytometry, we found that Bach1 inhibitors attenuated RANKL-mediated ROS generation, which resulted in the inhibition of osteoclastogenesis. Local injection of a Bach1 inhibitor into the calvaria of male BALB/c mice blocked bone destruction induced by lipopolysaccharide. In conclusion, we demonstrate that Bach1 inhibitor attenuates RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis and bone destruction in mice by inducing the expression of Nrf2-regulated antioxidant enzymes that consequently decrease intracellular ROS levels. Bach1 inhibitors have potential in inhibiting bone destructive diseases such as periodontitis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.
32823416 Clinical profile of patients with anterior nodular scleritis in India. 2020 Sep PURPOSE: To report the clinical profile of a series of anterior nodular scleritis in Indian population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of medical records of 140 eyes of 123 consecutive patients with nodular scleritis who presented to a tertiary eye care institute between 2007 and 2018. RESULTS: The mean age at presentation was 46.8 ± 13.1 years and 70.7% of the patients were female. Bilateral involvement was observed in 14% patients. The most common presenting symptom was redness (92.6%) and ocular pain (69.1%). Twenty-seven patients (22%) had some systemic association and rheumatoid arthritis (5%) was the most common autoimmune disease. Presumed ocular tuberculosis was diagnosed in 13% patients. Methotrexate was the most common immunosuppressive used in these patients and an additional immunosuppressive was required in 6.5% patients. Recurrence of inflammation was observed in 74.8% patients. Deterioration of vision noted in 2.8% eyes. CONCLUSION: Tuberculosis remains an important cause of nodular scleritis in India. Recurrence of scleritis is common in nodular scleritis and cases with non infectious nodular scleritis often require treatment with immune suppressives.
32714332 Impact of Androgens on Inflammation-Related Lipid Mediator Biosynthesis in Innate Immune C 2020 Rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, allergic rhinitis and many other disorders related to an aberrant immune response have a higher incidence and severity in women than in men. Emerging evidences from scientific studies indicate that the activity of the immune system is superior in females and that androgens may act as "immunosuppressive" molecules with inhibitory effects on inflammatory reactions. Among the multiple factors that contribute to the inflammatory response, lipid mediators (LM), produced from polyunsaturated fatty acids, represent a class of bioactive small molecules with pivotal roles in the onset, maintenance and resolution of inflammation. LM encompass pro-inflammatory eicosanoids and specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPM) that coexist in a tightly regulated balance necessary for the return to homeostasis. Innate immune cells including neutrophils, monocytes and macrophages possess high capacities to generate distinct LM. In the last decades it became more and more evident that sex represents an important variable in the regulation of inflammation where sex hormones play crucial roles. Recent findings showed that the biosynthesis of inflammation-related LM is sex-biased and that androgens impact LM formation with consequences not only for pathophysiology but also for pharmacotherapy. Here, we review the modulation of the inflammatory response by sex and androgens with a specific focus on LM pathways. In particular, we highlight the impact of androgens on the biosynthetic pathway of inflammation-related eicosanoids in innate immune cells.
32607108 Type I allergic reaction to rituximab upon first lifetime exposure: a case report. 2020 BACKGROUND: While drug reactions to rituximab have been commonly reported in the literature, a type I allergic reaction to rituximab after first lifetime exposure has never been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a case of a 58-year-old female patient who received rituximab for the first time for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. She developed symptoms immediately after infusion, however presented 11 days after drug exposure with cyclical anaphylaxis-like reaction requiring multiple doses of epinephrine. On second exposure, she experienced immediate anaphylaxis 30 min into infusion. CONCLUSION: Our case illustrates the importance of heightened awareness by physicians that type I IgE-mediated reactions after first exposure to monoclonal antibodies such as rituximab are possible, and if unrecognized, could be potentially life-threatening.
32572806 Preconceived notions about biosimilars-a French experience. 2020 Aug Since the arrival of the first biosimilar monoclonal antibodies into the market, many information has been circulating, leading to preconceived notions for patients and healthcare professionals. In a pressing economic context and faced with a growing number of available biosimilars, we (clinician, patient association, biologist, pharmacists, health economists) propose to take stock by trying to distinguish facts from misconceptions.
32241665 Shoulder Tumor/Tumor-Like Lesions: What to Look for. 2020 May This article discusses the most common tumor and tumor-like lesions arising at the shoulder. Osseous tumors of the shoulder rank second in incidence to those at the knee joint and include benign osteochondromas and myeloma or primary malignant lesions, such as osteosarcoma or chondrosarcomas. Soft tissue tumors are overwhelmingly benign, with lipomas predominating, although malignant lesions, such as liposarcomas, can occur. Numerous tumor-like lesions may arise from the joints or bursae, due to either underlying arthropathy and synovitis (eg, rheumatoid arthritis and amyloid) or related to conditions, including tenosynovial giant cell tumor and synovial osteochondromatosis.
32232419 Use of Hydroxychloroquine and Chloroquine During the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Every Clinici 2020 Jun 2 Two medications often used for treatment of immune-mediated conditions, hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, have recently attracted widespread interest as potential therapies for coronavirus disease 2019. The authors of this commentary provide guidance for clinical decision making for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 as well as for patients with rheumatologic conditions, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis
31950362 Clostridium septicum-infected Stanford type A acute aortic dissection: a case report. 2020 Jan 16 BACKGROUND: Thoracic aortitis caused by Clostridium septicum is a rare infection with a strong association with malignancy and high mortality rate when left untreated. We report a case of surgical treatment for Stanford type A acute aortic dissection in a patient with C. septicum sepsis and thoracic aortitis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 63-year-old hypertensive man with rheumatoid arthritis presented with general malaise and diagnosed with C. septicum-infected aortitis with sepsis. On the 5th day of hospitalization, Stanford type A acute aortic dissection developed with severe aortic regurgitation. The patient underwent emergent surgical treatment successfully with excision of the infected ascending aorta and aortic root followed by replacement using a composite graft, followed by diagnosis of sigmoid colon cancer 7 months after aortic surgery. He was scheduled to undergo elective colon surgery. CONCLUSIONS: C. septicum aortitis can progress quickly, causing aneurysm or dissection. Therefore, in a patient with C. septicum aortitis, prompt surgical in situ graft replacement should be performed to debride the infected vascular lesions. Further investigations for gastrointestinal and hematological malignancies as a source of C. septicum should be also conducted.
31936082 The Serum Cell-Free microRNA Expression Profile in MCTD, SLE, SSc, and RA Patients. 2020 Jan 7 Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a rare disorder characterized by symptoms that overlap two or more Autoimmune Connective Tissue Diseases (ACTDs). The aim of this study was to determine whether miRNAs participating in the TLRs signaling pathway could serve as biomarkers differentiating MCTD or other ACTD entities from a healthy control group and between groups of patients. Although the selected miRNA expression level was not significantly different between MCTD and control, we observed that miR-126 distinguishes MCTD patients from all other ACTD groups. The expression level of miRNAs was significantly higher in the serum of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients compared to controls. The miR-145 and -181a levels distinguished RA from other ACDT patients. miR-155 was specific for SLE patients. MiR-132, miR-143, and miR-29a distinguished RA and SLE patients from the systemic sclerosis (SSc) group. Additionally, some clinical parameters were significantly related to the miRNA expression profile in the SLE group. SLE and RA are characterized by a specific serum expression profile of the microRNAs associated with the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) signaling pathway. The analysis showed that their level distinguishes these groups from the control and from other ACTD patients. The present study did not reveal a good biomarker for MCTD patients.
31919061 Calcified stone in intestinal blind loop after 60 years of surgical treatment of complex j 2020 Jan 8 A 60-year-old woman was presented in emergency department with abdominal pain and vomiting for 1 day. She was known to have seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. Importantly, she was treated surgically for complex jejunal atresia and duplication surgery, when she was 6 days old. CT scan showed intestinal obstruction secondary to intussception. Patient had lapartomy and operative findings revealed side-to-side anastomosis with gut duplication 10 cm distal to duodenal jejunum junction (due to her previous surgery during infancy). Redundant part of the loop dilated up to 300 mL with large hard stone (4×3.5 cm) was excised. Patient recovered well postoperatively and was discharged to go home. To our knowledge, this is the first case report to show formation of large stone 60 years after surgical treatment of complex jejunal atresia and duplication surgery in infancy.
31914804 Human antimicrobial peptides in autoimmunity. 2020 May Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were firstly discovered as cytotoxic substances that killed bacteria. Later they were described as biologically active peptides that are able not only to kill invaders but also to modulate host immunity. In particular, it is shown that human antimicrobial peptides are able to influence the activity of different innate and adaptive immunity components, thus, obviously, they also participate in autoimmune processes. In this review we discuss the nature of human AMPs and analyze their role in such autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, Crohn's disease and sarcoidosis. These peptides were shown to have a "double-sided" influence on the autoimmune disease pathogenesis. Thus, described facts should be taken into account for the development of new pharmaceutical agents to cure patients with autoimmune disorders. These agents could derive from natural antimicrobial peptides that in some cases modulate immune response. For example, it was shown that human AMPs are able to modulate complement system dysregulation of which is known to be one of the most dangerous pathogenic factors during autoimmune processes.
34713060 OrthoRehab: Development of a New Methodology for the Comparison Study Between Different Ty 2020 Foot dysfunction is one of the most likely consequences of rheumatoid arthritis and stroke. It is characterized by severe changes in the gait pattern due to a significant increase in the plantar flexion. Some of these dysfunctions can be compensated by using an ankle-foot orthosis. However, the clinical decision about which orthosis best suits the patient creates a real problem for physicians/therapists. Purpose: The main goal of this paper is to present a quantitative support tool that can assist the physicians/therapists in deciding which orthosis is most suitable for each subject. Methodology: In order to achieve such goal, a platform named OrthoRehab was developed, and it was tested in three conditions: without any orthosis and with two different ankle-foot orthoses. The data were acquired in the Gait Laboratory of Rehabilitation Medicine Center of Alcoitão using a VICON NEXUS 1.8.5(®) motion capture system that allows the capturing of kinematic and kinetic data. Results: The results reveal that OrthoRehab is a user-friendly, easy to apply tool that analyzes very relevant data for the clinical staff. Conclusion: The developed decision support tool, OrthoRehab, offers a quantitative analysis and provides insight to which orthosis achieves the best performance in comparison with the patient's gait pattern with no orthosis.
33569512 Therapeutic potential of TNFα inhibitors in chronic inflammatory disorders: Past and futu 2021 Jan In the past 20 years, patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Crohn's disease (CD), and other immune diseases have witnessed the impact of a great treatment advance with the availability of biological TNFα inhibitors. With 5 approved anti-TNFα biologics on the market and soon available biosimilars, patients have more treatment options and have benefited from understanding the biology of TNFα. Nevertheless, many unmet needs remain for people living with TNFα-related diseases, namely some side effects and tolerance of current anti-TNFα biologics and resistance to therapies. Furthermore, common diseases such as osteoarthritis and back/neck pain may respond to anti-TNFα therapies at early onset of symptoms. Development of new TNFα inhibitors focusing on TNFR1 specific inhibitors, preferably small molecules that can be delivered orally, is much needed.
33013360 Traditional Chinese Medicine Regulating Lymphangiogenesis: A Literature Review. 2020 Lymphatic vessels, as an important part of the lymphatic system, form a fine vascular system in humans and play an important role in regulating fluid homeostasis, assisting immune surveillance and transporting dietary lipids. Dysfunction of lymphatic vessels can cause many diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, lymphedema, inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis. Research on lymphangiogenesis has become increasingly important over the last few decades. Nevertheless, the explicit role of regulating lymphangiogenesis in preventing and treating diseases remains unclear owing to the lack of a deeper understanding of the cellular and molecular pathways of the specific and tissue-specific changes in lymphangiopathy. TCM, consisting of compound extracted from TCM, Injections of single TCM and formula, is an important complementary strategy for treating disease in China. Lots of valuable traditional Chinese medicines are used as substitutes or supplements in western countries. As one of the main natural resources, these TCM are widely used in new drug research and development in Asia. Moreover, as a historical and cultural heritage, TCM has been widely applied to clinical research on lymphangiogenesis leveraging new technologies recently. Available studies show that TCM has an explicit effect on the regulation of lymphatic regeneration. This review aims to clarify the function and mechanisms, especially the inhibitory effect of TCM in facilitating and inhibiting lymphatic regeneration.
32956080 Neutrophilic Infiltrates in Panniculitis: Comprehensive Review and Diagnostic Algorithm Pr 2020 Oct Neutrophilic infiltrates in panniculitis can be seen in different clinical-pathological entities. There are a "mostly neutrophilic inflammatory infiltrate" in some entities classically defined as neutrophilic panniculitis and already included in algorithms, such as enzymatic panniculitis, infective and factitial ones, erythema induratum, or subcutaneous Sweet syndrome, but there are also other panniculitis where neutrophils are frequently observed such as panniculitis associated with inflammatory bowel disease or rheumatoid arthritis, or drug-induced panniculitis associated with BRAF inhibitors, and finally, some panniculitis are better classified in other panniculitides groups but may present with neutrophil-rich variants, such as the neutrophil-rich subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn. We review the main clinical and histopathological features of most of these panniculitides and construct a diagnostic algorithm including these diseases.