Lupus podocytopathy is a glomerular lesion in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) characterized by diffuse podocyte foot process effacement (FPE) without immune complex (IC) deposition or with only mesangial IC deposition. It is rarely seen in children with SLE. A 13-year-old girl met the 2019 European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)/ American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Classification Criteria for SLE based on positive ANA; facial rash; thrombocytopenia; proteinuria; and positive antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies, including lupus anticoagulant (LAC), anti-β2 glycoprotein-I antibody (anti-β2GPI), and anti-cardiolipin antibody (aCL).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComput Math Methods Med
July 2022
Objective: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipates chemical energy to protect against obesity. In the present study, we aimed to determine the effects of Erchen decoction on the lipolysis and thermogenesis function of BAT in high-fat diet-fed rats.
Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups, which were fed a control diet (C) or a high-fat diet (HF), and the latter was administered with high and low doses of Erchen decoction by gavage once a day, for 12 weeks.
Purpose: Skeletal muscle has a major influence on whole-body metabolic homeostasis. In the present study, we aimed to determine the metabolic effects of the β3 adrenergic receptor agonist CL316243 (CL) in the skeletal muscle of high-fat diet-fed rats.
Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to three groups, which were fed a control diet (C) or a high-fat diet (HF), and half of the latter were administered 1 mg/kg CL by gavage once weekly (HF+CL), for 12 weeks.
Clin Exp Rheumatol
September 2020
Paediatric Behçet's disease (BD) accounts for only 2-5% of all patients with BD. Neurological and vascular involvement account for only 3.6% and 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The association between mutations in the TNFAIP3 gene and a new autoinflammatory disease (called A20 haploinsufficiency, HA20) has recently been recognized. Here, we describe four patients with HA20 from two unrelated Chinese families.
Case Presentation: A total of four patients from two families were included.
Biomed Pharmacother
July 2019
Backgroud Icariin, a major bioactive pharmaceutical component of the Chinese herbal medicine Epimedii Herba, has demonstrated lipid-lowering and anti-obesity effects. Irisin/ fibronectin type III domain-containing 5 (FNDC5) protects against obesity by inducing browning in white adipose tissue. Objectives This study investigated the effects of icariin on irisin/FNDC5 expression in C2C12 myotubes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale: Gain of function (GOF) mutations in PIK3CD gene encoding PI3K p110δ were recently associated with a novel combined immune deficiency characterized by recurrent sinopulmonary infections, CD4 lymphopenia, reduced class-switched memory B cells, lymphadenopathy, cytomegalovirus and/or epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viremia, and EBV-related lymphoma. A subset of affected patients also had elevated serum IgM.
Patient Concerns: We report a patient who was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at a young age and was recently found to carry heterozygous mutations in PIK3CD.
Metab Syndr Relat Disord
November 2017
Background: Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) can regulate vascular homeostasis by secreting various adipokines. This study investigated the effects of PVAT browning on its endocrine function.
Methods: In the first section of our study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into cold exposure (8°C) and 24°C acclimation groups.
Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken)
February 2016
Objective: To assess the quality of medical care in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at tertiary pediatric rheumatology centers as measured by observance of SLE quality indicators (SLE-QIs).
Methods: International consensus has been achieved for childhood-onset SLE-QIs capturing medical care provision in 9 domains: diagnostic testing, education of cardiovascular (CV) risk and lifestyles, lupus nephritis (LN), medication management, bone health, ophthalmologic surveillance, transition, pregnancy, and vaccination. Using medical record information, the level of performance of these childhood-onset SLE-QIs was assessed in childhood-onset SLE populations treated at 4 tertiary pediatric rheumatology centers in the US, 2 in Brazil, and 1 center in India.
Depression is a well‑established risk factor for cardiac morbidity and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Previous studies have demonstrated that the level of brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is decreased in depressed patients and this depletion may be reversed by antidepressants. Several recent studies have suggested that BDNF is involved in the pathogenesis of CAD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Primary hyperoxaluria type 1 is a rare autosomal recessive disease of glyoxylate metabolism caused by a defect in the liver-specific peroxisomal enzyme alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase (AGT) that leads to hyperoxaluria, recurrent urolithiasis, and nephrocalcinosis.
Methods: Two unrelated patients with recurrent urolithiasis, along with members of their families, exhibited mutations in the AGXT gene by PCR direct sequencing.
Results: Two heterozygous mutations that predict truncated proteins, p.
Background: Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome is the most common glomerular disease in children. This study was undertaken to observe the efficacy and side-effects of rituximab (RTX) in treating children with different types of refractory primary nephrotic syndrome.
Methods: Twelve patients with steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS), frequently relapsing nephritic syndrome (FRNS), and steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) were enrolled in our study.
This study investigated the role of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) in the beneficial effects of andrographolide on vascular reactivity in endotoxaemic rats. After being challenged by lipopolysaccharide (4 mg/kg intraperitoneally), the rats were treated with andrographolide (1 mg/kg intraperitoneally). The response to phenylephrine of aortic rings with or without PVAT was recorded.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZhonghua Er Ke Za Zhi
November 2011
Objective: To deeply understand prognosis of pediatric cases with lupus nephritis (LN) treated in our hospital and analyze the prognostic factors.
Method: One hundred and one patients were enrolled, who were diagnosed as lupus nephritis in our hospital during the period from Jan. 1996 to Dec.
Recent studies have shown that astrocytes play important roles in ATP degradation and adenosine (a well known analgesic molecule) generation, which are closely related to pain signaling pathway. The aim of this study was to investigate whether morphine, a well known analgesic drug, could affect the speeds of ATP enzymolysis and adenosine generation in rat astrocytes. Intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) of astrocyte was measured by flow cytometry, and the time points that morphine exerted notable effects were determined for subsequent experiments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with hypertension and chronic kidney disease in adulthood. Postnatal overnutrition after IUGR may be of pathogenic importance for the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study was to identify the effects of IUGR and a postnatal high-protein diet on the kidneys in adult rats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNephrogenesis requires a fine balance of many factors that can be disturbed by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), leading to a low nephron endowment. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that IUGR affects expression of key proteins that regulate nephrogenesis, by a comparative proteomic approach. IUGR was induced in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by isocaloric protein restriction in pregnant dams.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZhonghua Er Ke Za Zhi
July 2008
Objective: To analyze the clinical features, renal damage and prognosis of primary vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) in children, hoping to give more attention to early recognition and treatment of the disease.
Methods: Between June 1995 and December 2006, 974 patient were admitted in our hospital because of urinary tract infection (UTI), 139 primary VUR children were enrolled in the retrospective study. VUR grades, renal scar development, renal ultrasound and urinalysis were evaluated.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun
January 2008
Proteasome inhibitors exhibit antitumoral activity against malignancies of different histology. Emerging evidence indicates that antiapoptotic factors may also accumulate as a consequence of exposure to these drugs, thus it seems plausible that activation of survival signaling cascades might compromise their antitumoral effects. Bcl-2-associated athanogene (BAG) family proteins are characterized by their property of interaction with a variety of partners involved in modulating the proliferation/death balance, including heat shock proteins (HSP), Bcl-2, Raf-1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZhongguo Wei Zhong Bing Ji Jiu Yi Xue
November 2007
Sheng Li Ke Xue Jin Zhan
July 2007