Expansion of exhausted CD8+ T cells associates with increased pulmonary fungal infection risk in anti-melanoma differentiation associated gene 5 dermatomyositis.

Objectives: Anti-MDA5+ dermatomyositis was associated with poor prognosis due to the high incidence of rapid progressive interstitial lung disease, pulmonary infection. The aim of this study is to investigate the abundance and clinical relevance of exhaustion markers on peripheral CD8 T cells from patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM).

Methods: Twenty-nine healthy controls (HCs) and 71 patients with IIM were enrolled, including 42 with anti-MDA5+ and 18 with anti-MDA5- dermatomyositis (DM) and 11 with anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS).

Contribution of Necroptosis to Myofiber Death in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies.

Objective: Myofiber necrosis is a significant pathologic characteristic of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), and its molecular mechanism is largely unknown. Necroptosis is a recently identified form of regulated necrotic cell death, and its activation might have crucial biologic consequences. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of necroptosis in IIM muscle damage.

Aberrantly Expressed Galectin-9 Is Involved in the Immunopathogenesis of Anti-MDA5-Positive Dermatomyositis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease.

Background: Dermatomyositis (DM) associated rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) has high mortality rate and poor prognosis. Galectin-9 (Gal-9) plays multiple functions in immune regulation. We investigated Gal-9 expression in DM patients and its association with DM-ILD.

Increased Levels of Soluble CD206 Associated with Rapidly Progressive Interstitial Lung Disease in Patients with Dermatomyositis.

Objective: Soluble CD206 (sCD206) is considered a macrophage activation marker, and a previous study proved it as a potential biomarker to predict the severity of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5- (anti-MDA-5-) positive dermatomyositis- (DM-) associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). To investigate the role of sCD206 in various subtypes of DM, we evaluated the serum level of sCD206 in patients with different myositis-specific autoantibodies besides anti-MDA-5 and clarified its clinical significance.

Methods: Commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used to detect serum concentrations of sCD206 in 150 patients with DM and 52 healthy controls (HCs).

A novel autoantibody targeting calreticulin is associated with cancer in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of anti-calreticulin autoantibodies (anti-CRT Ab) in a large cohort of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients.

Methods: Sera from 469 patients with IIM, 196 patients with other connective tissue diseases, 28 patients with solid tumors and 81 healthy controls were screened for anti-CRT Ab by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using human recombinant CRT protein. Sera from 35 IIM patients were tested using an immunoprecipitation assay to confirm the presence of anti-CRT Ab.

Anti-Mi-2 antibodies characterize a distinct clinical subset of dermatomyositis with favourable prognosis.

Background: Anti-Mi-2 antibody is a type of myositis-specific autoantibody found in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy patients.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical features and long-term outcomes in anti-Mi-2-positive dermatomyositis (DM) patients.

Materials And Methods: Serum anti-Mi-2β antibodies were detected in 357 DM patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and possible associated clinical features were investigated based on cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.

Identification of a novel autoantibody against heat shock factor 1 in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

Objectives: Myositis autoantibodies show great utility in the diagnosis and clinico-serological phenotyping of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM). We identified a novel autoantibody against heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) and further evaluated its disease specificity and clinical significance in IIM patients.

Methods: A human protein microarray was used to identify autoantibodies in myositis sera.

Targeted capture sequencing identifies novel genetic variations in Chinese patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Objectives: Previous association studies have identified genetic variants in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex as substantial risk factors for idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). However, a great number of genes are located in the HLA region, and thus fine mapping is quite necessary.

Methods: Targeted capture sequencing were performed on the whole HLA region in 42 IIM patients and 24 healthy controls.

The prevalence and clinical significance of anti-PUF60 antibodies in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

Autoantibodies against poly-U-binding factor 60 kDa protein (PUF60) have been reported in Caucasian dermatomyositis (DM) patients. However, their clinical significance in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) remains to be fully clarified. Our objective was to analyze the prevalence and clinical significance of anti-PUF60 antibodies in a large cohort of Chinese IIM patients.

Transcriptomic profiling of long non-coding RNAs in dermatomyositis by microarray analysis.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are prevalently transcribed in the genome and have been found to be of functional importance. However, the potential roles of lncRNAs in dermatomyositis (DM) remain unknown. In this study, a lncRNA + mRNA microarray analysis was performed to profile lncRNAs and mRNAs from 15 treatment-naive DM patients and 5 healthy controls.

Elevated Serum Levels of Soluble CD163 in Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis: Associated with Macrophage Infiltration in Muscle Tissue.

Objective: To investigate serum levels of soluble CD163 (sCD163) in patients with polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM), and to correlate these to clinical manifestations and laboratory data.

Methods: Serum levels of sCD163 were detected in 24 patients with PM, 84 patients with DM, and 46 healthy controls by using the ELISA method. Immunohistochemistry staining of macrophage infiltration in muscle tissue using anti-CD163 monoclonal antibody was conducted on muscle biopsy specimens from 13 patients with PM and 17 with DM.

[The levels and clinical significance of serum B cell activating factor in Chinese patients with polymyositis or dermatomyositis].

Objectives: To investigate serum levels of B cell activating factor (BAFF) in Chinese patients with polymyositis (PM) or dermatomyositis (DM), and analyze the correlation of BAFF with autoantibodies and clinical phenotypes.

Methods: Serum BAFF levels of 28 PM patients and 30 DM patients (study group), and 25 matched healthy controls (control group) were measured by ELISA. Serum anti-Jo-1 antibody levels were also measured by ELISA in all the subjects.

[Distribution and species of mercury in water and sediments from Xiangjiang River section flowing through Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, Changsha].

Total mercury content in water in dry season is (1.881 +/- 1.854) microg x L(-1) in Xiangjiang River section flowing through Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, Changsha.

[Linkage of modified human papillomavirus type 16 E7 to CD40 ligand enhances specific CD8+ T-lymphocyte induction and anti-tumour activity of DNA vaccine].

Objective: To develop human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 DNA vaccine for the treatment of HPV16 infection and its related tumors.

Methods: HPV16 oncogene E7 was modified by combined approaches including insertion and replication of specific region of E7 gene, murine codon optimization, and point-mutation at transforming regions of the E7 protein. The resulting artificial gene, named as mE7, was obtained by gene synthesis.