Gene expression of catalytic proteasome subunits and resistance toward proteasome inhibition of B lymphocytes from patients with primary sjogren syndrome.

Objective: Dysregulation of proteasome subunit β1i expression has been shown in total blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS), a B cell-driven systemic autoimmune disorder.

Methods: Proteasome activation was investigated in sorted blood cells from patients with pSS and controls by measuring transcript levels of constitutive (β1/β2/β5) and corresponding immunoproteasome catalytic subunits (β1i/β2i/β5i) using real-time PCR. At protein level, β1i protein expression was analyzed by immunoblotting.

Is musculoskeletal ultrasonography an operator-dependent method or a fast and reliably teachable diagnostic tool? Interreader agreements of three ultrasonographers with different training levels.

Objectives. To assess interreader agreements and a learning curve between three (senior, junior, and beginner) different experienced musculoskeletal ultrasonographers. Senior served as the imaging "gold standard".

Rimexolone inhibits proliferation, cytokine expression and signal transduction of human CD4+ T-cells.

Rimexolone is a lipophilic glucocorticoid drug used for local application. Only few data are available describing its effects on immune cell functions. In this study we investigated the effects of rimexolone on the proliferation of human CD4+ T-cells using dexamethasone as standard reference.

Potencies of topical glucocorticoids to mediate genomic and nongenomic effects on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Several different genomic and nongenomic mechanisms are known to mediate the important anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of glucocorticoids (GC). Genomic effects are the most important while the clinical relevance of nongenomic actions is still a matter of debate. We therefore investigated whether beclometasone and clobetasol are particularly suitable for topical application because of their specific spectrum of genomic and nongenomic actions.