Janus kinase inhibitors and their use in non-infectious orbital inflammatory disorders: new treatment possibilities? A case series.

We present a patient with isolated autoimmune anterior scleritis and a patient with nonspecific orbital inflammation (NSOI). Both patients were treated with systemic corticosteroids during multiple recurrences, with the addition of various disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including biologics, in the case of scleritis, resulting in complications and local adverse events. Both patients were subsequently effectively managed using Janus kinase inhibitors (JAK-i), specifically baricitinib and tofacitinib without relapses of inflammation during the follow-up of more than one year.

Investigation of the Structural Changes in Silk Due to Tin Weighting.

In the 19th century, the weighting of silk with metal salts, such as tin, was a common practice to enhance certain properties of silk fabrics and compensate for the weight loss incurred during the degumming process. This technique induces both physical and chemical modifications to the fibres, contributing to their long-term degradation, which requires thorough investigation. This study aims to examine the structural changes in silk fibres caused by the accumulation of metal salts from the tin-weighting process, using mock-up samples prepared through successive loading with weighting agents using a traditional tin-phosphate treatment method.

Polymethylenetetrazole: Synthesis, Characterization, and Energetic Properties.

The tetrazole moiety remains one of the most interesting scaffolds in the development of new high-energy density materials (HEDMs) because of its desired characteristics, such as high nitrogen content and heat of formation (HOF). The combination of several heterocycles with high HOF seems to be a promising strategy for obtaining energetic materials with superior properties. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a tetrazole polymer, polymethylenetetrazole (PMT), as a potential HEDM.

Molecular maps of synovial cells in inflammatory arthritis using an optimized synovial tissue dissociation protocol.

In this study, we optimized the dissociation of synovial tissue biopsies for single-cell omics studies and created a single-cell atlas of human synovium in inflammatory arthritis. The optimized protocol allowed consistent isolation of highly viable cells from tiny fresh synovial biopsies, minimizing the synovial biopsy drop-out rate. The synovium scRNA-seq atlas contained over 100,000 unsorted synovial cells from 25 synovial tissues affected by inflammatory arthritis, including 16 structural, 11 lymphoid, and 15 myeloid cell clusters.

BRD3 Regulates the Inflammatory and Stress Response in Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovial Fibroblasts.

Background: Individual functions of members of the bromodomain (BRD) and extra-terminal (BET) protein family underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of BET inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are incompletely understood. Here, we aimed to analyze the regulatory functions of BRD3, an understudied member of the BET protein family, in RA synovial fibroblasts (FLS).

Methods: BRD3 was silenced in FLS prior to stimulation with TNF.

The histone acetyl transferases CBP and p300 regulate stress response pathways in synovial fibroblasts at transcriptional and functional levels.

The activation of stress response pathways in synovial fibroblasts (SF) is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). CBP and p300 are two highly homologous histone acetyl transferases and writers of activating histone 3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) marks. Furthermore, they serve as co-factors for transcription factors and acetylate many non-histone proteins.

Colloidal Interactions of Microplastic Particles with Anionic Clays in Electrolyte Solutions.

Homoaggregation of polystyrene microplastics (MPs) and heteroaggregation of MPs with anionic clay minerals, namely, layered double hydroxide (LDH), in different salt (NaCl, CaCl, and NaSO) solutions were systematically investigated using light scattering techniques. The salt type and ionic strength had significant effects on the stability of both MPs and LDH particles individually and the results could be explained by DLVO theory and the Schulze-Hardy rule. However, once stable colloidal dispersions of the individual particles were mixed, heteroaggregation occurred between the oppositely charged MPs and LDH, which was also confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray scattering.

Short-term outcome of patients with adult IgA vasculitis: a single-center experience.

Background: Follow-up data on IgA vasculitis (IgAV) in adults are scarce. We aimed to investigate the outcome of adult IgAV in a well-defined cohort.

Methods: Data from histologically proven patients diagnosed between January 2010 and July 2022 with at least a 3-month follow-up were analyzed.

Bromodomain Protein Inhibitors Reorganize the Chromatin of Synovial Fibroblasts.

Bromodomain- and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins are epigenetic reader proteins that regulate transcription of their target genes by binding to acetylated histone side chains. Small molecule inhibitors, such as I-BET151, have anti-inflammatory properties in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) and in animal models of arthritis. Here, we investigated whether BET inhibition can also affect the levels of histone modifications, a novel mechanism underlying BET protein inhibition.

Delamination of Layered Double Hydroxide in Ionic Liquids under Ambient Conditions.

Liquid phase delamination of layered materials into single- or few-layer nanosheets leads to stable nanoscale dispersions of 2D materials. The delamination of layered double hydroxide (LDH) to double hydroxide nanosheets was studied in two ionic liquids (ILs): ethylammonium nitrate (EAN) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate (BMIMSCN). The as-prepared lamellar structure of LDH disappeared upon dispersing it in ILs due to delamination into 2D nanosheets confirmed by X-ray scattering and diffraction techniques and further evaluated by height profile assessment of the nanoparticles by atomic force microscopy.

Performance of leflunomide as a steroid-sparing agent in giant cell arteritis: A single-center, open-label study.

Background: The management of giant cell arteritis (GCA) remains challenging and many patients require prolonged glucocorticoid treatment due to high disease relapse rates. We aimed to evaluate the role of leflunomide as a steroid-sparing agent in GCA.

Methods: This prospective open-label study included patients diagnosed with GCA between July 2014 and August 2020 and followed them for 96 weeks.

Molecular and Cellular Markers in Chlorhexidine-Induced Peritoneal Fibrosis in Mice.

Understanding the tissue changes and molecular mechanisms of preclinical models is essential for creating an optimal experimental design for credible translation into clinics. In our study, a chlorhexidine (CHX)-induced mouse model of peritoneal fibrosis was used to analyze histological and molecular/cellular alterations induced by 1 and 3 weeks of intraperitoneal CHX application. CHX treatment for 1 week already caused injury, degradation, and loss of mesothelial cells, resulting in local inflammation, with the most severe structural changes occurring in the peritoneum around the ventral parts of the abdominal wall.

Hyperspectral evaluation of vasculature in induced peritonitis mouse models.

Imaging of blood vessel structure in combination with functional information about blood oxygenation can be important in characterizing many different health conditions in which the growth of new vessels contributes to the overall condition. In this paper, we present a method for extracting comprehensive maps of the vasculature from hyperspectral images that include tissue and vascular oxygenation. We also show results from a preclinical study of peritonitis in mice.