Rheumatoid arthritis patients harbour aberrant enteric bacteriophages with autoimmunity-provoking potential: a paired sibling study.

Objectives: Viruses have been considered as important participants in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the profile of enteric virome and its role in RA remains elusive. This study aimed to investigate the atlas and involvement of virome in RA pathogenesis.

Proinflammatory phenotype of B10 and B10pro cells elicited by TNF-α in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: B10 and B10pro cells suppress immune responses via secreting interleukin (IL)-10. However, their regulators and underlying mechanisms, especially in human autoimmune diseases, are elusive. This study aimed to address these questions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), one of the most common highly disabling autoimmune diseases.

Impaired regulatory function of granzyme B-producing B cells against T cell inflammatory responses in lupus mice.

Objective: Recently, a new subtype of granzyme B (GrB)-producing Breg cells has been identified, which was proven to be involved in autoimmune disease. Our recent report demonstrated that GrB-producing Breg cells were correlated with clinical and immunological features of SLE. However, the effect of GrB-producing Breg cells in lupus mice is unclear.

Decreased perforin-producing B cells correlate with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: It has been proved that B cells play indispensable roles in immunity via producing cytokines and secreting antibodies. Aberrant B cells are considered as the major participants in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Recently, perforin (PFP)-producing B cell has been identified, serving as a new type of potential anti-tumour effector cells.

Elevated expression of TAM receptor tyrosine kinase in synovial fluid and synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis.

To investigate the expression and roles of TAM (Tyro3/Axl/Mer) receptor tyrosine kinases (TK) in synovial fluid and synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The expression of TAM TKs in the synovial fluid and synovial tissues of RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients was measured by ELISA and immunohistochemistry. The relationships between soluble TAM TKs (sTAM TKs) levels and the clinical features, laboratory parameters and disease activity were analyzed in RA.

Gasdermin-E Mediated Pyroptosis-A Novel Mechanism Regulating Migration, Invasion and Release of Inflammatory Cytokines in Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes.

Synovium fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) are important participants in the pathogenesis of synovitis and joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Pyroptosis is a pro-inflammatory and cell lytic programmed cell death mechanism mediated by gasdermin (GSDM) family proteins. In this study, we demonstrated the increased expression of GSDME and increased levels of GSDME-mediated pyroptosis in RA synovial tissues.

Impaired granzyme B-producing regulatory B cells in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Granzyme B (GrB)-producing B cells are proposed to be a kind of regulatory B cells (Bregs) and have been revealed to be implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Nevertheless, their role in SLE remains elusive. In this study, the frequencies of GrB-producing Bregs in peripheral blood of heathy control (HC) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were evaluated by flow cytometry, and their correlation with SLE patient clinical and immunological features were analyzed.

The characteristics and its contributing factors of refractory rheumatoid arthritis, view of the rheumatologists of China: results of a nationwide cross-sectional survey.

Objective: To explore the characteristics of refractory RA and its contributory factors based on the understanding of the rheumatologists of China.

Methods: A national cross-sectional survey was performed in 32 provinces across China, and 1381 rheumatologists were recruited. Information about the sociodemographic background, refractory RA characteristics, and contributory factors was collected using a pre-made questionnaire including fourteen single-choice and four multiple-choice questions, respectively.

Clinical features and relapse risks of IgG4-related ophthalmic disease: a single-center experience in China.

Background: IgG4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD) is one of the phenotypes of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), and its lesions are mainly located in the ocular. Currently, there are few studies on IgG4-ROD and no study has compared the phenotypic differences between IgG4-ROD and non IgG4-ROD (nIgG4-ROD). Thus, it is difficult to establish the optimal treatment strategy for IgG4-ROD.

CD14CD16 monocytes are the main precursors of osteoclasts in rheumatoid arthritis via expressing Tyro3TK.

Background: Monocytes as precursors of osteoclasts in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are well demonstrated, while monocyte subsets in osteoclast formation are still controversial. Tyro3 tyrosine kinase (Tyro3TK) is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family involved in immune homeostasis, the role of which in osteoclast differentiation was reported recently. This study aimed to compare the osteoclastic capacity of CD14CD16 and CD14CD16 monocytes in RA and determine the potential involvement of Tyro3TK in their osteoclastogenesis.

Scavenger receptor-A is a biomarker and effector of rheumatoid arthritis: A large-scale multicenter study.

Early diagnosis is critical to improve outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but current diagnostic tools have limited sensitivity. Here we report a large-scale multicenter study involving training and validation cohorts of 3,262 participants. We show that serum levels of soluble scavenger receptor-A (sSR-A) are increased in patients with RA and correlate positively with clinical and immunological features of the disease.