Minor populations of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria-type cells in patients with chronic idiopathic neutropenia.

Chronic idiopathic neutropenia (CIN) is an acquired disorder of granulopoiesis characterized by increased apoptosis of the bone marrow (BM) granulocytic progenitor cells under the influence of pro-inflammatory mediators and oligoclonal/monoclonal T-lymphocytes. Because patients with immune-mediated BM failure display frequently paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)-type cells in the peripheral blood (PB), we investigated the possible existence of PNH-type cells in 91 patients with CIN using flow cytometry. The patients displayed increased proportions of PNH-type glycophorin A /CD59 and glycophorin A /CD59 red blood cells (RBCs), FLAER /CD24 granulocytes, and FLAER /CD14 monocytes, compared to controls (n = 55).

Micro-RNA analysis of renal biopsies in human lupus nephritis demonstrates up-regulated miR-422a driving reduction of kallikrein-related peptidase 4.

Background: Aberrancies in gene expression in immune effector cells and in end-organs are implicated in lupus pathogenesis. To gain insights into the mechanisms of tissue injury, we profiled the expression of micro-RNAs in inflammatory kidney lesions of human lupus nephritis (LN).

Methods: Kidney specimens were from patients with active proliferative, membranous or mixed LN and unaffected control tissue.

Identification of novel microRNA signatures linked to human lupus disease activity and pathogenesis: miR-21 regulates aberrant T cell responses through regulation of PDCD4 expression.

Objective: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate the expression of genes involved in immune activation. A study was undertaken to characterise the miRNA signature and identify novel genes involved in the regulation of immune responses in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: The expression of 365 miRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with SLE and healthy controls was analysed using TaqMan Low Density Arrays.