Dose-Response Associations Between Diet and Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.

To provide a systematic and quantitative summary of dietary factors and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk. A systematic review and meta-analysis included prospective cohort studies from 2000 to 2024 reporting relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for RA incidence relating to 32 different dietary exposures. Linear and non-linear dose-response analyses were conducted.

A molecular view of peptoid-induced acceleration of calcite growth.

The extensive deposits of calcium carbonate (CaCO) generated by marine organisms constitute the largest and oldest carbon dioxide (CO) reservoir. These organisms utilize macromolecules like peptides and proteins to facilitate the nucleation and growth of carbonate minerals, serving as an effective method for CO sequestration. However, the precise mechanisms behind this process remain elusive.

Angle between DNA linker and nucleosome core particle regulates array compaction revealed by individual-particle cryo-electron tomography.

The conformational dynamics of nucleosome arrays generate a diverse spectrum of microscopic states, posing challenges to their structural determination. Leveraging cryogenic electron tomography (cryo-ET), we determine the three-dimensional (3D) structures of individual mononucleosomes and arrays comprising di-, tri-, and tetranucleosomes. By slowing the rate of condensation through a reduction in ionic strength, we probe the intra-array structural transitions that precede inter-array interactions and liquid droplet formation.

Time evolution of moduli of a polymer-induced liquid precursor (PILP) of calcium carbonate.

AFM observations show that when PILP droplets contact a surface, their initial properties are either a liquid with a high interfacial tension (350 mJ m) or a soft gel-like material with a low modulus (less than 0.2 MPa). These findings suggest that PILP may initially be liquid-like to infiltrate collagen fibrils, enabling the production of interpenetrating composites, and/or become viscoelastic, to provide a means for moulding minerals.

Upregulation of CD39 During Gout Attacks Promotes Spontaneous Remission of Acute Gouty Inflammation.

Gout is a self-limiting form of inflammatory arthropathy caused by the formation of urate crystals due to hyperuricemia. The resolution of gout involves the transition of proinflammatory M1-type macrophages to anti-inflammatory M2-type macrophages, as well as neutrophil-mediated extracellular trap (NET) formation. However, the underlying mechanisms of these changes are not clear.

Climate change and daily outpatient visits for dermatomyositis in Hefei, China: a time-series study.

With the deepening of research on the correlation between meteorological factors and autoimmune diseases, the relationship between climate change and dermatomyositis (DM) has come to our attention. This study aimed to explore the short-term correlation between meteorological factors and DM outpatient visits. Daily records of hospital outpatient visits for DM, air pollutants, and meteorological factor data in Hefei from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021 were obtained.

Impact of climate factors and climate-gene interaction on systemic lupus erythematosus patients' response to glucocorticoids therapy.

Background: Glucocorticoids (GCs) were the essential drugs for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, different patients differ substantially in their response to GCs treatment. Our current study aims at investigating whether climate variability and climate-gene interaction influence SLE patients' response to the therapy of GCs.

Resolving protein-mineral interfacial interactions during mineralization by atom probe tomography.

Organic macromolecules exert remarkable control over the nucleation and growth of inorganic crystallites during (bio)mineralization, as exemplified during enamel formation where the protein amelogenin regulates the formation of hydroxyapatite (HAP). However, it is poorly understood how fundamental processes at the organic-inorganic interface, such as protein adsorption and/or incorporation into minerals, regulates nucleation and crystal growth due to technical challenges in observing and characterizing mineral-bound organics at high-resolution. Here, atom probe tomography techniques were developed and applied to characterize amelogenin-mineralized HAP particles , revealing distinct organic-inorganic interfacial structures and processes at the nanoscale.

Multi-Step Nucleation of a Crystalline Silicate Framework via a Structurally Precise Prenucleation Cluster.

Hierarchical nucleation pathways are ubiquitous in the synthesis of minerals and materials. In the case of zeolites and metal-organic frameworks, pre-organized multi-ion "secondary building units" (SBUs) have been proposed as fundamental building blocks. However, detailing the progress of multi-step reaction mechanisms from monomeric species to stable crystals and defining the structures of the SBUs remains an unmet challenge.

The functional change of the P2X7R containing the Ala to Thr polymorphism is associated with the pathogenesis of gout.

Our previous study has shown that ATP action on P2X7R could be the second signal to induce the onset of gouty arthritis. However, the functional changes of P2X7R single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the effects of ATP-P2X7R-IL-1β signaling pathway and uric acid remained unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between the functional change of P2X7R containing the Ala to Thr polymorphisms (rs1718119) and the pathogenesis of gout.

IFN-beta and EIF2AK2 are potential biomarkers for interstitial lung disease in anti-MDA5 positive dermatomyositis.

Objective: DM with positive anti-melanoma differentiation-related gene 5 (MDA5) antibody is an autoimmune disease with multiple complications. Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are significantly associated with DM and are particularly related to MDA5+ DM. This article aims to explore potential molecular mechanisms and develop new diagnostic biomarkers for MDA5+ DM-ILD.

Therapeutic Potential of Targeting the NLRP3 Inflammasome in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a cytoplasmic multiprotein complex composed of the innate immune receptor protein NLRP3, the adapter protein apoptosis-associate speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), and the inflammatory protease cysteine-1. Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or other endogenous danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) activate the NLRP3 inflammasome. As part of the innate immune response, activated NLRP3 promotes GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis, and IL-1β and IL-18 are released during inflammation.

Co-Assembly of Carbon Nanotube Porins into Biomimetic Peptoid Membranes.

Robust and cost-effective membrane-based separations are essential to solving many global crises, such as the lack of clean water. Even though the current polymer-based membranes are widely used for separations, their performance and precision can be enhanced by using a biomimetic membrane architecture that consists of highly permeable and selective channels embedded in a universal membrane matrix. Researchers have shown that artificial water and ion channels, such as carbon nanotube porins (CNTPs), embedded in lipid membranes can deliver strong separation performance.

P2X7R Mediates the Synergistic Effect of ATP and MSU Crystals to Induce Acute Gouty Arthritis.

Activation of the nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome by monosodium urate (MSU) crystals has been identified as the molecular basis for the acute inflammatory response in gouty arthritis. However, MSU crystals alone are not sufficient to induce acute gouty arthritis (AGA). Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an endogenous signaling molecule involved in the NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Inflammasomes cross-talk with lymphocytes to connect the innate and adaptive immune response.

Background: Innate and adaptive immunity are two different parts of the immune system that have different characteristics and work together to provide immune protection. Inflammasomes are a major part of the innate immune system that are expressed widely in myeloid cells and are responsible for inflammatory responses. Recent studies have shown that inflammasomes are also expressed and activated in lymphocytes, especially in T and B cells, to regulate the adaptive immune response.

Correlation between oxygen evolution reaction activity and surface compositional evolution in epitaxial LaSrNiFeO thin films.

Water electrolysis can use renewable electricity to produce green hydrogen, a portable fuel and sustainable chemical precursor. Improving electrolyzer efficiency hinges on the activity of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst. Earth-abundant, ABO-type perovskite oxides offer great compositional, structural, and electronic tunability, with previous studies showing compositional substitution can increase the OER activity drastically.

High-yield recombinant bacterial expression of C-, N-labeled, serine-16 phosphorylated, murine amelogenin using a modified third generation genetic code expansion protocol.

Amelogenin constitutes ~90% of the enamel matrix in the secretory stage of amelogenesis, a still poorly understood process that results in the formation of the hardest and most mineralized tissue in vertebrates-enamel. Most biophysical research with amelogenin uses recombinant protein expressed in Escherichia coli. In addition to providing copious amounts of protein, recombinant expression allows C- and N-labeling for detailed structural studies using NMR spectroscopy.

Altered gut fungi in systemic lupus erythematosus - A pilot study.

Objective: Gut fungi, as symbiosis with the human gastrointestinal tract, may regulate physiology multiple interactions with host cells. The plausible role of fungi in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is far from clear and need to be explored.

Methods: A total of 64 subjects were recruited, including SLE, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (UCTDs) patients and healthy controls (HCs).

Changes in the C-terminal, N-terminal, and histidine regions of amelogenin reveal the role of oligomer quaternary structure on adsorption and hydroxyapatite mineralization.

Adsorption interactions between amelogenin and calcium phosphate minerals are believed to be important to amelogenin's function in enamel formation, however, the role of specific amino acid residues and domains within the protein in controlling adsorption is not well known. We synthesized "mechanistic probes" by systematically removing charged regions of amelogenin in order to elucidate their roles. The probes included amelogenin without the charged residues in the N-terminus (SEKR), without two, three, or eight histidines (H) in the central protein region (H2, H3, H8), or without the C-terminal residues (Delta).

Single-cell transcriptome profiling and chromatin accessibility reveal an exhausted regulatory CD4+ T cell subset in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease, and CD4 T cells are known to promote SLE development. Here, we explore heterogeneities in the CD4 T cell regulome and their associations with SLE pathogenesis by performing assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) and single-cell transcriptome sequencing (single-cell RNA sequencing [scRNA-seq]) of peripheral CD4 T cells from 72 SLE patients and 30 healthy controls. Chromatin accessibility signatures of CD4 T cells are correlated with disease severity.

Causal effects of systemic lupus erythematosus on endometrial cancer: A univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization study.

Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been observationally associated with endometrial cancer, but the causality remains unclear. Here, we investigated for the first time the causal links between SLE and endometrial cancer risk.

Methods: Univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted to disentangle the causality of SLE with endometrial cancer.

Role of NINJ1 in Gout Flare and Potential as a Drug Target.

Objective: To determine the role of nerve injury-induced protein 1 (NINJ1) introduced plasma membrane rupture (PMR) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) release in the pathogenesis and progression of gout and to explore the potential of NINJ1 as a therapeutic target in gout.

Methods: Both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and serum sample from gout patients (n = 58) and healthy controls (n = 16) were collected and processed to NINJ1 expression, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) detection, NINJ1 inhibition, and NINJ1 expression experiments, respectively. NINJ1 knockdown was carried out by lentivirus in a monosodium urate (MSU) induced rat model, and NINJ1 neutralizing antibody was applied in a MSU induced mouse model.