A plasmonic nanoparticle-embedded polydopamine substrate for fluorescence detection of extracellular vesicle biomarkers in serum and urine from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

There is an unmet clinical need to develop noninvasive liquid biopsy tools for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis and therapeutic effect evaluation. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are abundant in body fluids, have emerged as a valuable resource for liquid biopsy. Herein, we describe a simple and robust EV detection platform that is based on a plasmonic nanoparticle-embedded polydopamine substrate that is modified with EV-capture molecules and detection probes.

Anti-Interferon Autoantibodies in Adult-Onset Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Severe COVID-19 Infection.

Adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome due to anti-interferon (IFN)-γ autoantibodies has attracted much attention in recent years. It usually occurs in previously healthy people and usually presents as chronic, recurrent, and hard-to-control infections that can be effectively treated with aggressive antibiotic therapy. Adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome is also referred to as AIDS-like syndrome.

The amino acid variants in HLA II molecules explain the major association with adult-onset Still's disease in the Han Chinese population.

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare autoinflammatory disease with systemic involvement, and its pathophysiology remains unclear. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the Chinese population have revealed an association between AOSD and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) locus; however, causal variants in the MHC remain undetermined. In the present study, we identified independent amino-acid polymorphisms in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules that are associated with Han Chinese patients with AOSD by fine-mapping the MHC locus.

Clinical performance of automated chemiluminescent methods for anticardiolipin and anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies detection in a large cohort of Chinese patients with antiphospholipid syndrome.

Introduction: To assess the clinical performance and correlations of automated chemiluminescence assay (CIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies in the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

Methods: The study recruited 505 subjects, including 192 with APS, 193 with connective tissue diseases other than APS, and 120 healthy donors. We measured anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI) antibodies IgG, IgM, and IgA in all the samples using both CIA and ELISA.

Pathogenesis, disease course, and prognosis of adult-onset Still's disease: an update and review.

Objective: Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare but clinically well-known polygenic systemic autoinflammatory disease. In this review, we aim to present frontiers in the pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, biomarkers, disease course, prognosis, and treatment in AOSD.

Data Sources: We retrieved information from the PubMed database up to July 2019, using various search terms and relevant words, including AOSD and Still's disease.

Clinical features and current treatments of adult-onset Still's disease: a multicentre survey of 517 patients in China.

Objectives: As a rare systemic autoinflammatory disease, adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) has heterogeneous clinical manifestations, response to treatment and outcome. This study tried to assess the clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, and treatments of Chinese AOSD patients, and make a retrospective analysis.

Methods: We collected from 7 hospitals in China a total of 517 Chinese patients with AOSD who satisfied the Yamaguchi criteria.

Hydroxychloroquine Improves Obesity-Associated Insulin Resistance and Hepatic Steatosis by Regulating Lipid Metabolism.

The burden of obesity and associated cardiometabolic diseases has been considered as an important risk factor for lupus patients. Therefore, whether obesity is involved in the over-activation of autoimmune response has attracted more and more attention. Hydroxychloroquine is a synthetic antimalarial drug and has been the clinical treatment of rheumatic diseases irreplaceable first-line drugs.

Antiphosphatidylserine/prothrombin antibodies (aPS/PT) as potential diagnostic markers and risk predictors of venous thrombosis and obstetric complications in antiphospholipid syndrome.

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and clinical associations of antiphosphatidylserine/prothrombin antibodies (aPS/PT) with thrombosis and pregnancy loss in Chinese patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and seronegative APS (SNAPS).

Methods: One hundred and eighty six Chinese patients with APS (67 primary, 119 secondary), 48 with SNAPS, 176 disease controls (79 systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], 29 Sjogren's syndrome [SS], 30 ankylosing spondylitis [AS], 38 rheumatoid arthritis [RA]) and 90 healthy donors were examined. IgG and IgM aPS/PT, IgG/IgM/IgA anticardiolipin (aCL) and IgG/IgM/IgA anti-β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2GPI) antibodies were tested by ELISA.

IgMk paraprotein from gammopathy patient can bind to cardiolipin and interfere with coagulation assay: a case report.

Background: The monoclonal gammopathies are a group of plasma-cell proliferative disorders characterized by the secretion of monoclonal immunoglobulin (M protein or paraprotein). Some rare cases have revealed the specific affinity of paraprotein as autoantibody. Here we report a patient with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) accompanied by a remarkable increase of anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) and an extensively decreased coagulation factor activity, however, without any clinical signs of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and bleeding.

5-Aminosalicylic Acid Attenuates Monocrotaline-Induced Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Rats by Increasing the Expression of Nur77.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) on monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in rats and its molecular mechanism. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g) were evenly randomized into six groups: control group; PAH group induced by MCT intraperitoneal injection (50 mg/kg) on day 1; and four PAH groups treated for 30 days from day 2 with 5-ASA at 50 (5-ASA-50 group), 100 (5-ASA-100 group), 150 (5-ASA-150 group), and 200 mg/kg/day (5-ASA-200 group), respectively. Body mass, weight increment, survival rates, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI), and the signal pathway regulated by 5-ASA were assessed.

Clinical characteristics and laboratory findings of 252 Chinese patients with anti-phospholipid syndrome: comparison with Euro-Phospholipid cohort.

This study aims to characterize the Chinese Han patients with anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) and compare the data with those of the Euro-Phospholipid cohort. We conducted a single center study consisting of 252 patients with definite APS from 2000 to 2015. We analyzed the clinical and laboratory characteristics of our cohort and compared the data with those of the Euro-Phospholipid cohort.

Erratum to "The Characteristics and Significance of Locally Infiltrating B Cells in Lupus Nephritis and Their Association with Local BAFF Expression".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2013/954292.].

The Application of Intravascular Ultrasound to Evaluate Pulmonary Vascular Properties and Mortality in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the application of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to evaluate pulmonary vascular properties and mortality in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Methods: Patients (n = 51) with systolic pulmonary artery pressures ≥ 40 mm Hg on echocardiography were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent right-heart catheterization and IVUS and were divided into three groups: PAH associated with connective tissue diseases (group 1, n = 25), PAH due to other causes (group 2, n = 15), and patients with connective tissue diseases without pulmonary hypertension (group 3, n = 11).

Two-dimensional echocardiography in the assessment of long-term prognosis in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between cardiac diastolic dysfunction and outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and to clarify the potential effect of two-dimensional echocardiography (2D-echo) on prognostic value in patients with PAH.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with PAH (as WSPH (World Symposia on Pulmonary Hypertension) classification I) confirmed by right heart catheterization (RHC), received targeted monotherapy or combination therapy. 2D-echo parameters, World Health Organization (WHO) functional classification and 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) were recorded.

Infective endocarditis with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody: report of 13 cases and literature review.

Objective: Chronic infections tend to induce the production of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA). Infective endocarditis (IE) has been reported to exhibit positive ANCA tests and to mimic ANCA-associated vasculitis, which may lead to a misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment. The aim of this study was to clarify whether there is any difference in the clinical features between ANCA-positive IE and ANCA-negative IE.

The Characteristics and Significance of Locally Infiltrating B Cells in Lupus Nephritis and Their Association with Local BAFF Expression.

Introduction. Dysfunction of the B lymphocyte is considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN). Intrarenal B cells have been found in several forms of inflammatory kidney disease.

Association of intrarenal B-cell infiltrates with clinical outcome in lupus nephritis: a study of 192 cases.

Background: Lupus nephritis (LN) remains a major cause of morbidity and end-stage renal disease. Dysfunction of B lymphocytes is thought to be important in the pathogenesis of SLE/LN. Intrarenal B cells have been found in several forms of inflammatory kidney diseases although their role in LN renal is not well defined.

The detection of autoantibodies to ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 and its role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of autoantibodies against ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) in SLE patients, and evaluate the association between anti-ABCA1 autoantibodies and atherosclerosis in SLE.

Design And Methods: The sera of 75 SLE patients and 75 healthy controls were tested by immunoblotting. Then, we examined the effect of anti-ABCA1 autoantibodies on cholesterol efflux in vitro.

New insights into the role and mechanism of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in steroid-resistant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction: Glucocorticoid (GC) therapy remains important in improving the prognosis of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, some patients do not achieve an effective response with GC treatment, creating an obstacle to the remission of SLE. Identification of the underlying mechanisms responsible for steroid resistance can be significant.

The risk factors for nosocomial infection in chinese patients with active rheumatoid arthritis in shanghai.

Objective. To analyse the potential risk factors of nosocomial infections in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods.

Invasive fungal infection in Chinese patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Invasive fungal infection (IFI) can be a lethal complication in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of hospitalized SLE patients with IFI, and identify the risk factors compared to SLE with other major infections or those with active disease alone. Data from 18 SLE in-patients with IFI at Shanghai Renji Hospital between January 2007 and January 2011 were collected by chart review.