Levels of vitamin D and a bone resorption marker in the sera of young women with alcohol use disorder.

Background: Excessive alcohol drinking negatively affects bone metabolism and leads to a risk of decreased bone mass, which is a major component of the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. However, the potential influence of alcohol on bones has not been fully recognized, particularly among the young to middle-aged generation.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the status of serum markers related to bone metabolism in young to middle-aged women with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Changes in lifestyle-related behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: a questionnaire survey for examinees who underwent an annual health check-up.

Objective: To investigate the effect of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on lifestyle behaviour and clinical data in a population who underwent an annual health check-up in Tokyo, Japan.

Methods: A self-report questionnaire was completed regarding changes in their physical activities, diet, alcohol intake, smoking and mental stress. For those recommended to undergo further examination or treatment, their intention to do so was also questioned.

Corrigendum: Editorial: Reviews in rheumatology.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.

Glucose as a Potential Key to Fuel Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Glucose is the most important source of energy and homeostasis. Recent investigations are clarifying that glucose metabolism might be altered in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which would play a role in the inflammatory phenotype of rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts. It may also play a role in a variety of autoimmune diseases' pathophysiology by modulating immune responses and modifying autoantigen expressions.

Chemotherapy alters subjective senses of taste and smell but not dietary patterns in Japanese lung cancer patients.

Purpose: To investigate how outpatient-based chemotherapy would alter the senses of taste and smell and affect daily dietary intake in patients with lung cancer.

Methods: The self-reported taste and smell alteration (TSA) in 35 Japanese patients with lung cancer as well as their patterns of dietary intake at home were tested using a questionnaire.

Results: The patients experienced considerable TSA, and smoking was shown to contribute to this alteration.

A Potential Benefit of "Balanced Diet" for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Although it is largely unknown how diet might modulate rheumatoid arthritis (RA), dietary interventions, including so-called "low-carbohydrate" diets, may be considered for RA patients because of the high incidence of cardiovascular comorbidity. However, it has been shown that restriction or skewed intake of particular nutrient may alter the components of the intestinal flora. Changes to the gut microbiota or dysbiosis may be relevant to the pathogenesis of RA because the gut microbiota is reported to regulate the T cell phenotype and T cell-mediated immunity.

Phosphoproteome analysis of synoviocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Aim: To explore disease-associated molecules in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we comprehensively analyzed phosphoproteins purified from RA synoviocytes.

Method: Synoviocytes were obtained from three patients with RA and three patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Profiles of phosphoproteins purified from the synoviocytes were compared by two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) between the RA and OA groups.

Angiopoietin-like 4: A molecular link between insulin resistance and rheumatoid arthritis.

Recent evidence suggests that common factor(s) or molecule(s) might regulate lipid and glucose metabolism, inflammation, and bone and cartilage degeneration. These findings may be particularly relevant for cases of rheumatoid arthritis, in which chronic inflammation occurs in an autoimmune context and causes the degradation of articular joints as well as insulin resistance and cardiovascular complications. Candidates for this common regulatory system include signals mediated by peroxisome proliferator-activated regulator and its response factor, angiopoietin-like 4.

Rheumatoid cachexia revisited: a metabolic co-morbidity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease in which pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, play a crucial role. The chronic inflammation, combined with reduced physical activity, leads to muscle wasting whereas fat mass would be maintained; the resulting abnormal metabolic state is described as rheumatoid cachexia. Since the loss of muscle volume would be compensated by the increased fat mass, body mass index (BMI) is reported not to reflect the nutritional status in RA patients.

Potential food-drug interactions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Various medications are used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Food-drug interactions may occur with concomitant ingestion of particular food. For example, methotrexate (MTX), the anchor drug in the therapeutic strategy against RA, is an antifolate agent.

Expression of Angiotensin II Receptor-1 in Human Articular Chondrocytes.

Background. Besides its involvement in the cardiovascular system, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAS) system has also been suggested to play an important role in inflammation. To explore the role of this system in cartilage damage in arthritis, we investigated the expression of angiotensin II receptors in chondrocytes.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate modulates expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in human articular chondrocytes: a possible new role in arthritis.

Aim: Although sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is suggested to have an important role in arthritis, its function in chondrocytes remains unknown. In contrast, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been speculated to contribute to the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA), most likely by regulating angiogenesis. We here investigated the in vitro effect of S1P on VEGF expression in human articular chondrocytes from OA patients.

Layilin, a talin-binding hyaluronan receptor, is expressed in human articular chondrocytes and synoviocytes and is down-regulated by interleukin-1β.

Objective: Layilin (LAYN), a 55-kDa transmembrane protein with homology to C-type lectins, has been identified as a receptor of hyaluronan (HA). Interestingly, LAYN does not share any sequence homology with CD44, a primary HA receptor. The primary aim of our study was to examine the expression and potential function of LAYN in human articular chondrocytes and synoviocytes.

Increased expression of S100 calcium binding protein A8 in GM-CSF-stimulated neutrophils leads to the increased expressions of IL-8 and IL-16.

Objectives: In our previous proteomic surveillance, we found that at least 11 proteins in neutrophils were increased more than 2.5-fold by the stimulation of GM-CSF. In this paper, focusing on one of the 11 proteins, S100 calcium binding protein A8 (S100A8), we tried to elucidate the effect of S100A8 and the cooperative effect of S100A8 and GM-CSF on production and secretion of cytokines of neutrophils.

Arthritogenicity of annexin VII revealed by phosphoproteomics of rheumatoid synoviocytes.

Objective: To identify novel proteins involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to characterise the identified proteins based on pathogenic and therapeutic aspects.

Methods: The authors applied differential phosphoproteomic analysis to articular synoviocytes between RA and osteoarthritis (OA) to identify proteins differently phosphorylated between RA and OA. Focusing on annexin VII (Anx7), one of the highly phosphorylated proteins in RA, the authors prepared Anx7-transgenic C57BL/6 (Anx7-Tg-B6) mice to evaluate their susceptibility to collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).

Proteomic surveillance of autoantigens in patients with Behcet's disease by a proteomic approach.

To promote an understanding of autoimmunity in BD, we surveyed autoAgs in patients with BD and investigated the prevalence and clinical significance of the identified autoAbs. Specifically, proteins, extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells and separated by 2DE, were subjected to WB, using five serum samples from patients with BD. The detected candidate autoAgs were identified by mass spectrometry.

Prostaglandin E2 regulates the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes via the EP4 receptor.

Background: The regulatory mechanisms of the expression of connective tissue growth factor/CCN family member 2 (CTGF/CCN2) in human articular chondrocytes have not been clarified. We investigated the effect of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on CTGF/CCN2 expression in chondrocytes.

Findings: Articular cartilage samples were obtained from patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and chondrocytes were isolated and cultured in vitro.

Protein profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells are useful for differential diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Background: Effective biomarkers for discrimination between ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) have not been established yet. In this study, we analyzed protein profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of the patients to find such a biomarker.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell proteins from 17 UC patients, 13 CD patients, and 17 healthy controls were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Water-soluble fullerene (C60) inhibits the osteoclast differentiation and bone destruction in arthritis.

Recently, it has been demonstrated that oxygen free radicals have an important role as a signaling messenger in the receptor activator NFkappaB (RANK) signal pathway required for osteoclast differentiation. The aim of this study was to examine the potential of a strong free-radical scavenger, water-soluble fullerene (C60), as a protective agent against the RANK-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclastic bone destruction in arthritis, both in vitro and in vivo. The effects of C60 on the RANK-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclastic bone resorption were examined in vitro.

Water-soluble fullerene (C60) inhibits the development of arthritis in the rat model of arthritis.

Recently, it has been demonstrated that oxygen free radicals have an important role as a signaling messenger in the development of inflammation and osteoclastogenesis, suggesting the implication of oxygen free radicals in the pathogenesis of arthritis. The aim of this study was to examine the potential of a strong free-radical scavenger, water-soluble fullerene (C60), as a protective agent against synovitis in arthritis, both in vitro and in vivo. In the presence or absence of C60 (0.

Comprehensive analysis of short peptides in sera from patients with IgA nephropathy.

We analyzed serum short peptides comprehensively to know whether they were useful to characterize IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Serum samples from 26 patients with untreated IgAN and 25 healthy donors were tested. Short peptides with molecular weights of approximately 7 kDa, purified from the serum samples by magnetic-beads-based weak cation exchange, were detected by mass spectrometry.