Synovial tissue transcriptomes of long-standing rheumatoid arthritis are dominated by activated macrophages that reflect microbial stimulation.

Advances in microbiome research suggest involvement in chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Searching for initial trigger(s) in RA, we compared transcriptome profiles of highly inflamed RA synovial tissue (RA-ST) and osteoarthritis (OA)-ST with 182 selected reference transcriptomes of defined cell types and their activation by exogenous (microbial) and endogenous inflammatory stimuli. Screening for dominant changes in RA-ST demonstrated activation of monocytes/macrophages with gene-patterns induced by bacterial and fungal triggers.

Monocyte alterations in rheumatoid arthritis are dominated by preterm release from bone marrow and prominent triggering in the joint.

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) accompanies infiltration and activation of monocytes in inflamed joints. We investigated dominant alterations of RA monocytes in bone marrow (BM), blood and inflamed joints.

Methods: CD14 cells from BM and peripheral blood (PB) of patients with RA and osteoarthritis (OA) were profiled with GeneChip microarrays.

Urinary CD4 T cells identify SLE patients with proliferative lupus nephritis and can be used to monitor treatment response.

Objectives: Proliferative lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the major concerns in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here we evaluate urinary CD4 T cells as a biomarker of active LN and indicator of treatment response.

Methods: Urinary CD3CD4 T cells were quantified using flow cytometry in 186 urine samples from 147 patients with SLE.

Characterisation of hand small joints arthropathy using high-resolution MRI--limited discrimination between osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that microanatomical differences in joint disease localisation could be exploited using high-resolution MRI to better differentiate among rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis/psoriatic arthritis (SpA/PsA) and osteoarthritis (OA) in clinical practice.

Methods: Sixty-nine patients with suspected inflammatory joint disease of the hand or feet underwent high-resolution MRI using a small loop coil. Images were scored blinded to the clinical status.