Publications by authors named "Sheng-Xiao Zhang"

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, characterized by memory loss, speech and motor defects, personality changes, and psychological disorders. The exact cause of AD remains unclear. Current treatments focus on maintaining neurotransmitter levels or targeting β-amyloid (Aβ) protein, but these only alleviate symptoms and do not reverse the disease.

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Autoimmune diseases are characterized by the body's immune system attacking its own cells, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and multiple sclerosis (MS). In recent studies, regulatory B cells (Bregs), which play a vital role in maintaining peripheral tolerance and controlling persistent autoimmune diseases (ADs), have shown great potential in treating ADs. This review synthesizes the latest advancements in targeted therapies for ADs, with a particular emphasis on the subgroups, phenotypic markers, and signal pathways associated with Bregs.

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Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease that relapses frequently. Keratinocyte apoptosis dysregulation plays a crucial role in the pathological mechanisms of psoriasis. PANoptosis is a process with intermolecular interaction among pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis.

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Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a connective tissue disease that primarily affects spinal joints, peripheral joints, and paravertebral soft tissues, leading to joint stiffness and spinal deformity. Growing evidence has implicated gut microbiota in the regulation of AS, though the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Wanfang Data, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) databases from the time the databases were created until 30 July 2023.

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Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a debilitating chronic condition characterized by inflammation of the joints, bones, enthesis, and skin. The pivotal role of interleukin-23 (IL-23) in the pathogenesis of PsA has become increasingly evident. This proinflammatory cytokine is markedly elevated in patients with PsA, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target.

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Article Synopsis
  • Difficult-to-treat Rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA) is defined by the lack of response to at least two different biologic drugs, leading to ongoing disease activity, prompting a systematic review of treatment options.
  • The study reviewed 42 randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of various drugs, finding that tocilizumab, baricitinib, and olokizumab ranked highest in improving disease activity scores.
  • The results suggest that tocilizumab, particularly at an 8 mg/4-week dosage, alongside rituximab, are effective and safe options for managing D2T RA, marking tocilizumab as a leading choice for treatment.
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Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by disturbance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory lymphocytes. Growing evidence shown that gut microbiota participated in the occurrence and development of SLE by affecting the differentiation and function of intestinal immune cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of gut microbiota in SLE and judge its associations with peripheral T lymphocytes.

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Iridocyclitis and the use of glucocorticoid medication have been widely studied as susceptibility factors for cataracts. However, the causal relationship between them remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between the development of iridocyclitis and the genetic liability of glucocorticoid medication use on the risk of senile cataracts occurrence by performing Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses.

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Article Synopsis
  • A study aimed to explore the genetic relationship between interstitial lung disease (ILD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data.
  • Results indicated that RA increases the risk of developing ILD by 9.6%, while ILD is associated with a 12.8% greater risk of developing RA.
  • The findings highlight the importance of screening for ILD in RA patients, suggest potential benefits from RA treatment for ILD patients, and call for attention to racial disparities in these diseases for more effective therapies.
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Background: Immunotherapy targeting factors related to immune imbalance has been widely employed for RA treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-dose interleukin (IL)-2 combined with tocilizumab (TCZ), a biologics targeting IL-6, in RA patients.

Methods: Fifty adults with active RA who met the criteria with complete clinical data were recruited, and divided into three groups: control group (n=15), IL-2 group (n=26), and IL-2+TCZ group (n=9).

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Article Synopsis
  • - Bimekizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-17A and IL-17F, showing promise in treating Psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
  • - A systematic review of 4 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 892 PsA patients found that bimekizumab significantly improved skin and joint symptoms compared to placebos, although there was a slight increase in overall adverse events.
  • - The study concluded that bimekizumab offers meaningful clinical benefits for PsA management while maintaining an acceptable safety profile.
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Background: Observational evidence suggests that type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with the risk of osteoporosis (OP). Nevertheless, it is not apparent whether these correlations indicate a causal relationship. To elucidate the causal relationship, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed.

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic disease characterized by an imbalance between immunological reactivity and immune tolerance. Regulatory T cells (Tregs), which play a crucial role in controlling ongoing autoimmunity and maintaining peripheral tolerance, have shown great potential for the treatment of autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases such as RA. This review aims to provide an updated summary of the latest insights into Treg-targeting techniques in RA.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the causal relationship between nine lifestyle factors and erectile dysfunction (ED) using advanced genetic analysis methods.
  • Findings suggested that smoking, alcohol consumption, and higher body mass index (BMI) are associated with increased ED risk, while an earlier age at first intercourse may reduce that risk.
  • Overall, the study aimed to clarify the impact of these lifestyle factors on ED, highlighting some areas where lifestyle changes might be beneficial but found no strong evidence for certain factors like coffee intake or physical activity.
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The purpose of this research was to characterize the microbiota of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and to compare the relationship between the microbiota and peripheral lymphocyte subsets and cytokines. We collected stool samples from 13 PsA patients and 26 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) and researched the gut microbiota by sequencing the V3-V4 variable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene with the Illumina Miseq PE300 system. Flow cytometry was used to assess the peripheral lymphocyte subsets in these participants.

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Article Synopsis
  • Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) remains an unclear condition with limited treatment effectiveness, leading to the FDA's approval of risankizumab in 2019 as a therapeutic option targeting IL-23.
  • A meta-analysis was conducted on six randomized controlled trials involving 5,038 patients, assessing the effectiveness and safety of risankizumab compared to a placebo over a 24-week period.
  • Results demonstrated that patients receiving risankizumab achieved significantly better outcomes in terms of response rates (ACR20 and Minimal Disease Activity), improved overall health status (measured by SF-36), and reduced disability (HAQ-DI), indicating its potential benefit in managing moderate to severe PsA.
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Introduction: Existing therapies of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are efficacious only in certain patients. Developing new treatment methods is urgent. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-dose IL-2 (LD-IL-2).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated the relationship between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and regulatory T (Treg) cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to better understand potential treatment strategies.
  • Researchers analyzed lncRNA expression profiles in the peripheral blood of nine active SLE patients compared to nine healthy control individuals, identifying 240 differentially expressed lncRNAs.
  • Notable findings include specific lncRNAs positively and negatively correlating with Treg cell numbers, suggesting that these lncRNAs may play a critical role in Treg cell differentiation and offer new avenues for SLE treatment.
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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the accumulation of leukocytes and inflammatory mediators within the synovial tissue. Leukocyte counts are proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of RA. However, the causality remains unclear.

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Introduction: Current therapies for autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARDs) have limited efficacy in certain patients, highlighting the need for the development of novel treatment approaches. This meta-analysis aims to assess the efficacy and safety of low-dose interleukin-2 (LD-IL-2) and evaluate the alterations in lymphocyte subsets in various rheumatic diseases following administration of different dosages of LD-IL-2.

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Embase databases and CNKI to identify relevant studies.

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Background: The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an immune imbalance, in which various inflammatory immune cells and pro-inflammatory factors are involved. Interleukin-17 (IL-17), a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine, has been found to have increased expression in the joints of patients with RA compared to healthy individuals. However, the causal relationship between the expression level of IL-17 or IL-17 receptor (IL-17R) and RA remained unknown.

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Background: As Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue ailment that impacts various bodily systems. The study aims to clarify the molecular subtypes of SSc, with the ultimate objective of establishing a diagnostic model that can inform clinical treatment decisions.

Methods: Five microarray datasets of SSc were retrieved from the GEO database.

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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a sporadic or familial neurodegenerative disease of insidious onset with progressive cognitive decline. Although numerous studies have been conducted or are underway on AD, there are still no effective drugs to reverse the pathological features and clinical manifestations of AD. Rapamycin is a macrolide antibiotic produced by .

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by systemic synovitis and bone destruction. Proinflammatory cytokines activate pathways of immune-mediated inflammation, which aggravates RA. The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway associated with RA connects immune and metabolic signals, which regulates immune cell proliferation and differentiation, macrophage polarization and migration, antigen presentation, and synovial cell activation.

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Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease, is characterised by B-cell abnormalities and a loss of tolerance that can produce autoantibody. However, the imperative genes and molecular pathways involved in the change of B cell populations remain unclear.

Methods: The expression of B cell subsets between SLE and healthy controls (HCs) was detected based on micro-array transcriptome data.

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