Search for: rheumatoid arthritis methotrexate autoimmune disease biomarker gene expression GWAS HLA genes non-HLA genes
| ID | PMID | Title | PublicationDate | abstract |
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| 34134579 | A randomized, double-blind, single-dose, two-way, parallel phase I clinical study comparin | 2022 Feb | BACKGROUND: Humira® is a fully humanized anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) monoclonal antibody that has been marketed and approved in the United States for the clinical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis and other immune-mediated diseases. This study compared the bioequivalence, immunogenicity and safety of adalimumab injecta (a biosimilar of Humira® produced by Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd) and Humira® in healthy Chinese male subjects in a phase I clinical study. METHODS: Healthy Chinese male subjects (N = 164) were randomly given a subcutaneous injection of 40 mg adalimumab or Humira® at a 1:1 ratio. Plasma drug concentrations were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and primary pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters were statistically analyzed. To evaluate drug immunogenicity, anti-drug antibody (ADA) and neutralizing antibody (nAb) levels were detected. To evaluate the safety of the drugs, the subjects' physical indicators, such as multiple vital signs and routine blood tests, were continuously monitored. RESULTS: The similarity ratios of adalimumab and Humira® PK parameters were all within 80%-125%, meeting the bioequivalence standards. Drug-induced ADA and nAb levels were similar, and the drug safety in subjects was also similar. CONCLUSIONS: All study drugs showed similar bioequivalence, immunogenicity and safety. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: CTR20182070 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry). | |
| 35605911 | Contributions of intestine and liver to the absorption and disposition of FZJ-003, a selec | 2022 May 20 | FZJ-003 is a selective Janus kinase 1 (JAK1) inhibitor with structural modification of filgotinib for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. In this study, a series of in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the specific contribution of the intestine and liver to the disposition of FZJ-003 compared with filgotinib. Results showed that FZJ-003 exhibited over 2-fold higher systemic exposure and lower clearance than those of filgotinib, after intravenous or intragastric administration at the equivalent mole dose level to conscious rats. In anesthetized rats treated with different dosing routes, FZJ-003 exhibited higher intestinal bioavailability (F(a)·F(g), 98.47 vs 34.54%) but lower hepatic bioavailability (F(h), 61.45 vs 92.07%). Permeability test in Caco-2 cells indicated that FZJ-003 was probably transported by passive diffusion (efflux ratio 1.37 < 2, indicating the approximately equivalent P(app) values in two directions) with a little higher permeability (P(app)(,AP-to-BL), 1.42 × 10(-6)vs 1.01 × 10(-6) cm·s(-1), FZJ-003 vs filgotinib). Metabolic studies in pre-systemic incubation systems showed that FZJ-003 experienced more NADPH-dependent metabolism, especially in hepatic microsomes fractions. Unlike filgotinib, there was no obvious amide-hydrolyzed metabolite of FZJ-003 detected throughout the pre-systemic metabolic sites. Collectively, these data suggest that the higher systemic exposure of FZJ-003 than filgotinib is mainly attributed to the higher intestinal bioavailability including bypassing the amide hydrolysis and possible efflux by intestinal epithelial cells, which strongly support the structural design purpose in terms of pharmacokinetics. | |
| 35641033 | Insulin-like growth factor 2 promotes osteoclastogenesis increasing inflammatory cytokine | 2022 Jul | Osteoporosis is caused by an imbalance in bone remodeling due to abnormal osteoclast (OC) formation and activation. Hypoxia at the site of inflammation promotes OC formation and activation in various species, including humans. We previously reported that insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) plays an important role in osteoclastogenesis under hypoxia. In our present study, we focused on the mechanism of osteoclastogenesis in regard to IGF2 signaling under hypoxia. We confirmed that the addition of IGF2 promoted osteoclastogenesis under normoxic conditions. Conversely, IGF2-neutralizing antibodies inhibited osteoclastogenesis under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. IGF2 addition increased levels of phosphorylated Akt (Thr308 and Ser473) and NF-κB (Ser536), indicating activation of the Akt-NF-κB pathway. IGF2 also increased the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, which promotes osteoclastogenesis via nitric oxide production. Expression levels of genes encoding inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, were upregulated, indicating that IGF2 promotes osteoclastogenesis by increasing the expression of inflammatory cytokines via activation of the Akt-NF-κB pathway. These results suggest that IGF2 is a promising therapeutic target for osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. | |
| 35573508 | Mortality Rate of Ischemic Stroke Patients Undergoing Decompressive Hemicraniectomy With O | 2022 Apr | Background Obesity has been shown to have a positive mortality benefit in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention and dialysis and those with rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and various wasting diseases. Studies for this mortality benefit in ischemic stroke patients are conflicting and have not been well studied in hemicraniectomy patients. We sought to determine the impact of obesity on outcomes of hemicraniectomy patients. Methods We performed a retrospective case-control database analysis using a multi-institutional database (TriNetX) looking at obese versus non-obese patients with ischemic stroke undergoing hemicraniectomy. Our primary endpoint was mortality. Secondary endpoints included seizure, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction (MI), cerebral infarction, deep vein thrombosis, tracheostomy, and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Cohorts were propensity-score matched for confounders. Results After propensity score matching for basic demographics and common comorbidities, as well as indicators of stroke severity, 646 patients were identified that were obese and had an ischemic stroke with subsequent hemicraniectomy (cohort 1), and 646 patients were identified who were non-obese with ischemic stroke and hemicraniectomy (cohort 2). Thirty-day survival rate was 98.142% in the obese vs. 87.771% in the non-obese cohorts, 90-day survival was 85.15% vs. 79.35%, 180-day survival was 96.44% vs. 84.52%, 365-day survival was 94.272% vs. 81.734%, and five-year survival was 81.889% vs. 75.077%, respectively. At five years, risk difference was -7.276% (95% CI: -11.757, -2.794) and odds ratio was 0.666 (95% CI: 0.510, 0.871) (p = 0.0029). Despite a higher mortality rate, obese patients had a statistically significant increase in pulmonary embolism (11.61% vs. 5.108, p < 0.0001), deep venous thrombosis (16.873% vs. 9.133%, p < 0.0001), and MI (8.824% vs. 5.882%, p = 0.0428). There was no significant difference in intensive care unit length of stay, ventilator dependence, tracheostomy placement, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement, or intracerebral hemorrhage. Conclusions Despite the increased risk of ischemic stroke, obese patients who undergo hemicraniectomy have decreased mortality rates compared to their non-obese counterparts. | |
| 35524204 | Prediction models for early diagnosis of actinomycotic osteomyelitis of the jaw using mach | 2022 May 6 | BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop and validate five machine learning models designed to predict actinomycotic osteomyelitis of the jaw. Furthermore, this study determined the relative importance of the predictive variables for actinomycotic osteomyelitis of the jaw, which are crucial for clinical decision-making. METHODS: A total of 222 patients with osteomyelitis of the jaw were analyzed, and Actinomyces were identified in 70 cases (31.5%). Logistic regression, random forest, support vector machine, artificial neural network, and extreme gradient boosting machine learning methods were used to train the models. The models were subsequently validated using testing datasets. These models were compared with each other and also with single predictors, such as age, using area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). RESULTS: The AUC of the machine learning models ranged from 0.81 to 0.88. The performance of the machine learning models, such as random forest, support vector machine and extreme gradient boosting was significantly superior to that of single predictors. Presumed causes, antiresorptive agents, age, malignancy, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis were the six features that were identified as relevant predictors. CONCLUSIONS: This prediction model would improve the overall patient care by enhancing prognosis counseling and informing treatment decisions for high-risk groups of actinomycotic osteomyelitis of the jaw. | |
| 35353782 | Association of Primary Open-angle Glaucoma With Tinnitus: A Nationwide Population-Based St | 2022 Apr 1 | PRCIS: This study aims to investigate the association between primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and tinnitus. We found that tinnitus was significantly associated with preexisting POAG [adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.298]. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between POAG and tinnitus using nationwide population-based data from Taiwan. METHODS: Data for this case-control study were retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for all 542,682 patients with a first-time diagnosis of tinnitus (cases), and 1,628,046 propensity score-matched controls from Taiwan's National Health Insurance system. We performed multiple logistic regression analysis to estimate the odds (ORs) of prior POAG among cases versus controls. RESULTS: Of total 2,170,728 study patients, 85,257 (3.93%) had POAG before the index date of tinnitus, 25,496 (4.70%) among cases and 59,761 (3.67%) among controls (P<0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between prior POAG and tinnitus (OR=1.298, 95% confidence interval: 1.278-1.318) after adjusting for age, sex, monthly income, geographic location and residential urbanization level, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, alcohol abuse, nicotine dependence, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with POAG have a higher risk of tinnitus compared with those without the disease. Ophthalmologists should be aware of this association and further studies are needed to understand underlying mechanisms. | |
| 35340878 | Effects of vitamin D with or without calcium on pathological ossification: A retrospective | 2022 Apr | Vitamin D protects against the development and severity of several rheumatic diseases. However, the effect of vitamin D on the pathological ossification associated with rheumatic diseases remains unknown. The present retrospective study analyzed the clinical outcomes of vitamin D without calcium compared with vitamin D with calcium on pathological ossification in joints and ligaments. Data were collected from patients who were diagnosed with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or spondylarthritis, and the presence of pathological ossification in joints or ligaments was confirmed by X-ray, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging examination. A total of 2,965 patients aged 18-75 years old were included, among who, 1,725 were included in the vitamin D alone group and 1,240 in the vitamin D with calcium group. Vitamin D was administered intramuscularly (300,000 IU) once every 7-10 days, 4-6 times in total. Patients who ingested an oral calcium supplement (1,000 mg/day; ≥5 days/week) were considered the vitamin D with calcium group. The clinical outcome was evaluated based on the imaging changes of pathological ossification, which were classified as alleviation, aggravation and unchanged. The bone mineral density (BMD) was determined, and the calcium concentration in the serum and urine was measured. The results revealed that vitamin D alone alleviated pathological ossification, while vitamin D combined with calcium aggravated pathological ossification in the majority of patients (P<0.0001) independent of disease type and patient age. BMD measurements demonstrated a decreasing trend in the vitamin D alone group, whereas they exhibited an increasing trend in the vitamin D combined with calcium group. The urine calcium concentration increased after vitamin D treatment alone. Therefore, it was concluded that vitamin D exerted both pro-resorptive and anti-resorptive actions on pathological ossification. The bidirectional action of vitamin D on bone metabolism may depend on exogenous calcium supplementation. | |
| 35315815 | The Results of Interfacetal Fusion Using Local Bone Combined With an Atlantoaxial Instrume | 2022 May 1 | BACKGROUND: Many studies have described different C1-2 fusion techniques that have evolved over time. We introduced an easy and effective C1-2 fusion technique using local bone chips combined with atlantoaxial instrumentation. OBJECTIVE: To identify the efficacy of interfacetal fusion using local bone combined with atlantoaxial instrumentation by assessment of clinical outcomes and fusion rate. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data from 25 patients who underwent atlantoaxial stabilization surgery using C1-2 pedicle screws and interfacetal bone fusion by a single surgeon between March 2012 and December 2019. RESULTS: The demographics were 15 men and 10 women with a mean age of 57.6 years (range, 27-85 years) at the time of surgery. Three patients underwent surgery for myelopathy due to os odontoideum, 9 for C1-2 instability, 9 for trauma, 3 for rheumatoid arthritis, and 1 for bony spur, C1-2. At 3 months postsurgery, 3 and 21 patients showed 2-point and 1-point improvements in the Nurick grade, respectively. There was no difference in the Nurick score in 1 patient. Seven patients had a computed tomography scan at 1 year after surgery, which revealed a bridging trabecular bone. No movement was observed in the x-ray flexion/extension view at 1 year after surgery in all patients. In addition, no patients complained of postoperative occipital neuralgia. CONCLUSION: This study showed that interfacetal fusion with C1-2 pedicle screws using the free-hand technique was efficient and simple. | |
| 35281937 | Ginger Constituent 6-Shogaol Inhibits Inflammation- and Angiogenesis-Related Cell Function | 2022 | Rhizomes from Zingiber officinale Roscoe are traditionally used for the treatment of a plethora of pathophysiological conditions such as diarrhea, nausea, or rheumatoid arthritis. While 6-gingerol is the pungent principle in fresh ginger, in dried rhizomes, 6-gingerol is dehydrated to 6-shogaol. 6-Shogaol has been demonstrated to exhibit anticancer, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory actions more effectively than 6-gingerol due to the presence of an electrophilic Michael acceptor moiety. In vitro, 6-shogaol exhibits anti-inflammatory actions in a variety of cell types, including leukocytes. Our study focused on the effects of 6-shogaol on activated endothelial cells. We found that 6-shogaol significantly reduced the adhesion of leukocytes onto lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), resulting in a significantly reduced transmigration of THP-1 cells through an endothelial cell monolayer. Analyzing the mediators of endothelial cell-leukocyte interactions, we found that 30 µM of 6-shogaol blocked the LPS-triggered mRNA and protein expression of cell adhesion molecules. In concert with this, our study demonstrates that the LPS-induced nuclear factor κB (NFκB) promoter activity was significantly reduced upon treatment with 6-shogaol. Interestingly, the nuclear translocation of p65 was slightly decreased, and protein levels of the LPS receptor Toll-like receptor 4 remained unimpaired. Analyzing the impact of 6-shogaol on angiogenesis-related cell functions in vitro, we found that 6-shogaol attenuated the proliferation as well as the directed and undirected migration of HUVECs. Of note, 6-shogaol also strongly reduced the chemotactic migration of endothelial cells in the direction of a serum gradient. Moreover, 30 µM of 6-shogaol blocked the formation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced endothelial sprouts from HUVEC spheroids and from murine aortic rings. Importantly, this study shows for the first time that 6-shogaol exhibits a vascular-disruptive impact on angiogenic sprouts from murine aortae. Our study demonstrates that the main bioactive ingredient in dried ginger, 6-shogaol, exhibits beneficial characteristics as an inhibitor of inflammation- and angiogenesis-related processes in vascular endothelial cells. | |
| 35194953 | Curing inflammatory diseases using phosphorous dendrimers. | 2022 Feb 22 | Different types of water-soluble phosphorous dendrimers have been synthesized and display many different biological properties. It has been shown in particular that phosphorous dendrimers of first generation functionalized with azabisphosphonate terminal functions are able to stimulate the human immune system ex vivo. These dendrimers are internalized by monocytes within a few seconds, and induce their anti-inflammatory activation. The presence of the dendrimers induces also the inhibition of the differentiation of monocytes into osteoclasts, the maturation of dendritic cells, and inhibits the proliferation of the proinflammatory CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Finally, after 2-3 weeks of culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, amplifications by several tens of natural killer cells is observed. In view of all these properties, the influence of these azabisphosphonate-dendrimers has been tested in vivo with several animal models, against different chronic or acute inflammatory diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, uveitis, and psoriasis, but also against myeloid leukemia, a hematological cancer. The hematological safety has been demonstrated in mice, as there is no platelet aggregation, no hemolysis, and no disturbance in the hematological formula. The safety of the azabisphosphonate-dendrimer has been assessed also with non-human primates (cynomolgus monkeys) which received repeated injections, as a de-risking pre-clinical test. Biochemical, hematological, and all immunological parameters in peripheral blood remained within a normal physiological range throughout the study, and all survived well. Other phosphorous dendrimers also display anti-inflammatory properties in vivo, in particular dendrimers functionalized with mannose derivatives, which prevent acute lung diseases when given orally (per os) to mice. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Neurological Disease. | |
| 35193053 | Application of extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells as potential the | 2022 May | Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proven to have superior potential to be used astherapeutic candidates in various disorders. Nevertheless, the clinical application of these cells have been restricted because of their tumorigenic properties. Increasing evidence has established that the valuable impacts of MSCs are mainly attributable to the paracrine factors including extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs are nanosized double-layer phospholipid membrane vesicles contain various proteins, lipids and miRNAs which mediate cell-to-cell communications. Due to their inferior immunogenicity and tumorigenicity, as well as easier management, EVs have drawn attention as potential cell-free replacement therapy to MSCs. For that reason, herein, we reviewed the recent findings of researches on different MSC-EVs and their effectiveness in the treatment of several autoimmune and rheumatic diseases including multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus as well as Sjogren's syndrome, systemic sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. | |
| 35099673 | Rheumatologic diseases in patients with inborn errors of immunity in the USIDNET registry. | 2022 Jan 31 | There is a gap in clinical knowledge regarding associations between specific inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) and rheumatologic diseases. This study reports the frequency of rheumatologic conditions in a large cohort of patients with IEI using the USIDNET (United States Immunodeficiency Network) registry. We used the USIDNET registry to conduct the analysis. We included all IEI patients within the registry for whom a diagnosed rheumatologic disease was reported. The total number of patients with IEI in our query was 5058. Among those, 278 (5.49%) patients had a diagnosis of rheumatologic disease. This cohort included 172 (61.8%) female and 106 (38.2%) male patients. Rheumatologic complications were highest in the interferonopathies (66.6%), autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) (13.7%), and immunoglobulin G subclass deficiency (IgGSD) (11.11%). Additionally, disease patterns were noted to be different in various IEI disease groups. Inflammatory myopathies were the most common rheumatologic condition in patients with X-linked agammaglobulinemia (1.65%), Sjogren's syndrome was the most common rheumatologic disease reported in ALPS patients (6.85%), and systemic lupus erythematosus was the most common rheumatologic disease in patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC) (7.41%). Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) report rate was highest in patients with IgGSD (3.70%), specific antibody deficiency (SAD) (3.66%), and ALPS (2.74%). This study reports that rheumatologic diseases are frequently observed in patients with IEI. The frequency of different rheumatologic conditions was variable based on the underlying diagnosis. Clinicians caring for patients with IEI should be vigilant to monitor for rheumatologic complications. Key Points • The rates of reported rheumatologic diseases in the USIDNET registry are different in individual IEIs. • Further studies are needed to guide clinicians for detecting rheumatologic conditions earlier in patients with IEI. | |
| 35069870 | Auranofin induces urothelial carcinoma cell death via reactive oxygen species production a | 2022 Feb | Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is one of the most common cancer types of the urinary tract. UC is associated with poor 5-year survival rate, and resistance to cisplatin-based therapy remains a challenge for invasive bladder cancer treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new drugs for advanced UC therapy. Auranofin (AF) was developed over 30 years ago for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and has been reported to exert an antitumor effect by increasing the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer cells. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of AF on cancer cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis, either alone or in combination with cisplatin. AF induced cell death in two separate cell lines, HT 1376 and BFTC 909, in a concentration- and time-dependent manner by inducing cell cycle arrest. However, the distribution of cells in different phases of the cell cycle differed between the two cell lines, with G(0)/G(1) cell cycle arrest in HT 1376 cells and S phase arrest in BFTC 909 cells. In addition, AF induced apoptosis in HT 1376, as well as redox imbalance in both HT 1376 and BFTC 909 cells. Cell viability was rescued following treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine, a ROS scavenger. Furthermore, AF treatment synergistically increased the cytotoxicity of HT 1376 and BFTC 909 cells when combined with cisplatin treatment. These findings suggest that AF may represent a potential candidate drug against UC and increase the therapeutic effect of cisplatin. | |
| 35033725 | Dental implants in patients suffering from autoimmune diseases: A systematic critical revi | 2022 Jan 13 | PURPOSE: This systematic review aimed to evaluate complications and survival rates of dental implants placed in patients suffering from autoimmune diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses systematic review guidelines (PRISMA), using Google scholar and PubMed electronic databases with a stop date of September 2021. The eligibility criteria included all full text human studies in the English language literature reporting on patients with autoimmune diseases treated with dental implants. RESULTS: Fifty-five studies reporting on nine distinct autoimmune diseases were analyzed: 17 on Sjögren's syndrome (SS), 11 on oral lichen planus (OLP), 8 on Type 1 diabetes, 6 on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 4 on systemic scleroderma (SSc), 3 on Crohn's disease (CD), 3 on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 2 on mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMB) and 1 on pemphigus vulgaris (PV). Despite the heterogeneity and methodological limitations of most of the studies, results showed that dental implant survival rates were comparable to those reported in the general population. However, patients with secondary SS or erosive OLP were more susceptible to developing peri-mucositis and increased marginal bone loss. CONCLUSION: This review suggested that dental implants may be considered as a safe and viable therapeutic option in the management of edentulous patients suffering from autoimmune diseases. Nevertheless, scrupulous maintenance of oral hygiene and long-term follow-up emerge as being the common determinants for uneventful dental implant treatment. | |
| 34798672 | The Clinical and Biological Effects of Homeopathically Prepared Signaling Molecules: A Sco | 2022 Feb | BACKGROUND: Signaling molecules such as cytokines and interleukins are key mediators for the immune response in responding to internal or external stimuli. Homeopathically prepared signaling molecules have been used therapeutically for about five decades. However, these types of products are not available in many countries and their usage by homoeopaths is also infrequent. The aim of this scoping review is to map the available pre-clinical and clinical data related to the therapeutic use of homeopathically prepared signaling molecules. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of clinical and pre-clinical studies of therapeutically used signaling molecules that have been prepared in accordance with an officially recognized homeopathic pharmacopoeia. Articles in peer-reviewed journals reporting original clinical or pre-clinical research of homeopathically prepared signaling molecules such as interleukins, cytokines, antibodies, growth factors, neuropeptides and hormones, were eligible. Non-English language papers were excluded, unless we were able to obtain an English translation. An appraisal of eligible studies took place by rating the direction of the outcomes on a five-point scale. The quality of the papers was not systematically assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-eight eligible papers, reporting findings for four different manufacturers' products, were identified and reviewed. Seventeen papers reported pre-clinical studies, and 11 reported clinical studies (six experimental, five observational). A wide range of signaling molecules, as well as normal T-cell expressed specific nucleic acids, were used. A majority of the products (21 of 28) contained two or more signaling molecules. The most common clinical indications were psoriasis, vitiligo, rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory allergies, polycystic ovary syndrome, and herpes. The direction of the outcomes was positive in 26 papers and unclear in two papers. CONCLUSION: This scoping review found that there is a body of evidence on the use of homeopathically prepared signaling molecules. From a homeopathy perspective, these substances appear to have therapeutic potential. Further steps to explore this potential are warranted. | |
| 34613668 | Acceptability of Vaccines Against Preventable Infections Including Coronavirus Disease 201 | 2022 Jan | OBJECTIVE: Vaccination against preventable infections is widely recommended for patients with systemic rheumatic disease. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted variability in attitudes toward vaccination, particularly with the use of novel vaccine platforms. We studied attitudes toward vaccination against COVID-19 and other preventable infections among patients with systemic rheumatic disease and compared these against the general population. METHODS: We surveyed patients treated at Brigham and Women's Hospital for systemic rheumatic disease using a secure web-based survey or paper survey in English or Spanish, from December 2020 to April 2021. We included survey questions used in the nationwide Harris Poll (October 2020 and February 2021), allowing the comparison of responses with those from the general population. Response frequencies were estimated and compared using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Of 243 participants (25% response rate), the mean age was 56 years, 82% were women, and 33% were nonwhite. Rheumatoid arthritis (50%) and systemic lupus erythematosus (28%) were the most common diagnoses. Thirty percent had been hospitalized previously for any infection. Seventy-six percent worried a lot or somewhat about contracting COVID-19. Attitudes toward vaccination were very favorable, with 92% having received a flu shot in the past year and 84% desiring a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible compared with 30% to 40% of Harris Poll respondents (P < 0.001). Physician recommendation to receive a vaccine and desire to avoid infection were the most common reasons for desiring vaccinations. CONCLUSION: Vaccine acceptability, including toward COVID-19 vaccines, was high among this population of patients with systemic rheumatic disease seen at an academic medical center cohort. Physician recommendation is a key factor for vaccine uptake. | |
| 35638582 | Acteoside promotes B cell-derived IL-10 production and ameliorates autoimmunity. | 2022 May 31 | IL-10-producing regulatory B (Breg) cells are well recognized for maintaining immune tolerance. The impaired Breg cell function with decreased IL-10-producing capacity has been found in autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS). However, seldom therapeutic agents targeting Breg cells are available to treat those autoimmune diseases. Here, we showed that acteoside (AC), a caffeoyl phenylethanoid glycoside from a medicinal herb Radix Rehmanniae, could promote IL-10 production from both human and murine B cells via critically regulating the TLR4/PI3K axis. Moreover, TLR4 was found increased in Breg cells from mice with experimental SS (ESS), a mouse model that recapitulates human pSS. Thus, B cells from the ESS mice were susceptible to AC treatment, showing higher IL-10-producing capacity than those from naïve controls. In addition, AC treatment also promoted the production of IL-10 from TLR4(+) CXCR4(+) plasma cells of ESS mice. Notably, we found that AC was able to enter lymphoid organs upon oral administration. AC treatment effectively increased IL-10(+) B cells in ESS mice and ameliorated disease pathology accompanied by reduced T effector cells, including Th17 and T follicular helper cells in the ESS mice. In conclusion, AC could promote Breg cell function and attenuate ESS pathology in vivo, which may be a promising drug candidate for treating pSS and other autoimmune diseases. | |
| 35637826 | Prevalence of Varicose Veins Among Nurses in Different Departments in Jazan Public Hospita | 2022 Apr | Varicose veins (VV) in the lower limbs are the most prevalent vascular condition in humans. They can cause significant signs and symptoms and, in extreme cases, death. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and identify the risk factors for varicose veins among nurses working in multiple departments at Jazan King Fahd Central Hospital and Prince Muhammad bin Nasser Hospital. A cross-sectional study was conducted by sending a questionnaire to female and male nurses in these hospitals. This study included 482 nurses, 415 (86.1%) of whom were female and 67 (13.9%) male. The prevalence of varicose veins among the nurses of both hospitals was 76 (15.8%), compared with 406 (84.2%) not diagnosed with varicose veins. The prevalence of varicose veins was 67 (88.2%) in female nurses, compared with 9 (11.8%) in male nurses. The risk factors associated with varicose veins were ethnicity (p = 0.007), carrying heavy items (p = 0.001), lack of exercise (p = 0.031), family history (p = 0.001), use of hormonal therapy (p = 0.001), use of contraceptive pills (p = 0.0035), type of delivery (p = 0.002), number of children (p = 0.004), and hours sitting per shift (p = 0.002). The comorbidities associated with varicose veins were deep vein thrombosis (p = 0.001), hypertension (p = 0.002), chronic constipation (p = 0.006), diabetes (p = 0.001), kidney disease (p = 0.001), rheumatoid arthritis (p = 0.001), coronary artery disease, and severe occupational injury to the lower extremities (p = 0.001). Nurses are responsible for most of the health system's services. Increasing the number of nursing workers for patient care, encouraging physical exercise, and lowering the pension age appear to be required to avoid the occurrence and development of varicose veins among nurses. | |
| 35269395 | Platelet Storage Pool Deficiency and Elevated Inflammatory Biomarkers Are Prevalent in Pos | 2022 Feb 23 | A significant number of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) patients have platelet delta granule storage pool deficiency (δ-SPD). The etiology of POTS is unknown but a number of laboratories, including ours, have reported elevations of G-protein-coupled adrenergic receptor and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor autoantibodies in POTS patients, detected by a variety of techniques, suggesting that the disorder is an autoimmune condition. Thus, it could also be considered an inflammatory disease. In a pilot study, we investigated a limited number of platelet-related cytokines and chemokines and discovered many that were elevated. This case-control study validates our pilot study results that POTS patients have an activated innate immune system. Plasma of 35 POTS patients and 35 patients with unexplained bleeding symptoms and categorized as "non-POTS" subjects was analyzed by multiplex flow cytometry to quantify 16 different innate immune system cytokines and chemokines. Electron microscopy was used to quantify platelet dense granules. Ten of 16 biomarkers of inflammation were elevated in plasma from POTS patients compared to non-POTS subjects, with most of the differences extremely significant, with p values < 0.0001. Of particular interest were elevations of IL-1β and IL-18 and decreased or normal levels of type 1 interferons in POTS patients, suggesting that the etiology of POTS might be autoinflammatory. All POTS patients had δ-SPD. With a growing body of evidence that POTS is an autoimmune disease and having elevations of the innate immune system, our results suggest a potential T-cell-mediated autoimmunity in POTS characteristic of a mixed-pattern inflammatory disease similar to rheumatoid arthritis. | |
| 35543332 | COVID-19 outcomes among rheumatic disease patients in Kuwait: Data from the COVID-19 Globa | 2022 May 11 | PURPOSE: We aimed to assess the characteristics of inflammatory rheumatic disease (IRD) patients in Kuwait diagnosed with COVID-19 and the factors linked with hospitalization, complications, and mortality. METHODS: Data of IRD patients from Kuwait diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 2020 and March 2021, submitted to the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance physician-reported registry, were included in our analysis. Data on patients' age, gender, smoking, diagnosis, IRD activity, and other comorbidities were collected. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 25, was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients were included, with a mean age of 55 years (±14). The majority of patients were ≤65 years (77%), female (77%), non-smokers (80.8%), and diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (67.0%). Of the included patients, 19.2%, 9.6%, and 7.7% reported having methotrexate monotherapy, antimalarials monotherapy, and interleukin-6 inhibitors monotherapy immediately before COVID-19, respectively. Most of the included patients (92.3%) were either in remission or had minimal/low disease activity, while others (7.7%) had moderate disease activity. Forty-three patients (82.7%) were hospitalized, while 11 patients (25.6%) required ventilation (invasive or non-invasive). Ten of the ventilated patients (90.9%) received glucocorticoids as part of the local protocol to treat severe COVID symptoms, and 4 patients (7.69%) died. The duration till symptom-free ranged between 0 to 30 days, with a mean value of 10 days (±6.5). CONCLUSION: The current study provides timely real-world evidence regarding characteristics and potential risk factors linked to poor COVID-19-related outcomes in the IRD population in Kuwait. |