Establishment of functional epithelial organoids from human lacrimal glands.

Background: Tear deficiency due to lacrimal gland (LG) dysfunction is one of the major causes of dry eye disease (DED). Therefore, LG stem cell-based therapies have been extensively reported to regenerate injured lacrimal tissue; however, the number of stem cells in the LG tissue is low, and 2D long-term cultivation reduces the differentiation capacity of stem cells. Nevertheless, 3D LG organoids could be an alternative for a DED therapy because it is capable of prolonged growth while maintaining the characteristics of the LG tissue.

Methotrexate-loaded multifunctional nanoparticles with near-infrared irradiation for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Backgrounds: Despite the advances of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapeutics, several patients do not receive adequate treatment due to the toxicity and/or insufficient response of drugs. The aim of this study is to design photothermally controlled drug release from multifunctional nanoparticles (MNPs) at a near-infrared (NIR) irradiated site to improve therapeutic efficacy for RA and reduce side effects.

Methods: Au film was deposited onto methotrexate (MTX)-loaded poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles, resulting in MTX-loaded MNPs.

Clinical characteristics associated with drug-free sustained remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Data from Korean Intensive Management of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (KIMERA).

Objectives: There is limited information on treatment withdrawal in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study investigated the clinical course after stopping disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in patients with well-controlled RA and the clinical features associated with disease flare.

Methods: Among patients in the Korean Intensive Management of Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (KIMERA) cohort, discontinuation of DMARDs was determined by a shared decision between patient and rheumatologist.

Treat-to-Target Strategy for Asian Patients with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis: Result of a Multicenter Trial in Korea.

Background: To evaluate the therapeutic benefits of the treat-to-target (T2T) strategy for Asian patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Korea.

Methods: In a 1-year, multicenter, open-label strategy trial, 346 patients with early RA were recruited from 20 institutions across Korea and stratified into 2 groups, depending on whether they were recruited by rheumatologists who have adopted the T2T strategy (T2T group) or by rheumatologists who provided usual care (non-T2T group). Data regarding demographics, rheumatoid factor titer, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody titer, disease activity score of 28 joints (DAS28), and Korean Health Assessment Questionnaire (KHAQ) score were obtained at baseline and after 1 year of treatment.

Rapid onset of efficacy predicts response to therapy with certolizumab plus methotrexate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.

Background/aims: The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of add-on therapy with certolizumab pegol (CZP) in active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients of a single ethnicity.

Methods: In this 24-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, eligible patients (n = 127) were randomized 2:1 to subcutaneous CZP + methotrexate (MTX; 400 mg at week 0, 2, and 4 followed by 200 mg every 2 weeks) or placebo + MTX.

Results: At week 24, the American College of Rheumatology criteria for 20% (ACR20) response rate was significantly greater with CZP + MTX than with placebo (66.

Red blood cell distribution width is useful in discriminating adult onset Still's disease and sepsis within 24 hours after hospitalization.

Background/aims: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a value representing the heterogeneity in the size of red blood cell, and it is usually used in distinguishing types of anaemia. Recently, it was reported that it could reflect the burden of inflammation in diverse diseases and their prognosis. Hence, in this study, we investigated whether RDW may contribute to discriminating adult onset Still's disease (AOSD) from sepsis in serious febrile patients within 24 hours after hospitalization.

Increased serum interleukin-32 levels in patients with Behçet's disease.

Aim: Interleukin (IL)-32 is known to act as a proinflammatory cytokine and is likely involved in several chronic inflammatory diseases. The aims of this study were to investigate whether serum IL-32 levels are elevated in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) and to identify the correlation between IL-32 levels and disease activity.

Methods: We enrolled 50 patients with BD and 35 healthy controls.

Delta neutrophil index contributes to the differential diagnosis between acute gout attack and cellulitis within 24 hours after hospitalization.

Objective: An acute gout attack is often misdiagnosed as cellulitis. Differentiating these two diseases is crucial when deciding treatment strategies. Delta neutrophil index (DNI) represents the difference between leucocyte subfractions that corresponds to the fraction of immature granulocytes and can predict the bacterial infection burden.

Anti-Sm is associated with the early poor outcome of lupus nephritis.

Aim: We investigated whether anti-Smith (Sm) is associated with the outcome of kidney biopsy-proven lupus nephritis.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed clinical, laboratory and histological results in 90 patients with kidney biopsy-proven lupus nephritis. We defined persistent administration of immunosuppressants for more than 3 months after the kidney biopsy as early poor outcome of lupus nephritis.

Serum anti-lysozyme is associated with disease activity of Behçet's disease.

Objectives: We investigated the association between autoantibodies against non-myeloperoxidase (MPO) neutrophil granule antigens and activity of Behçet's disease (BD).

Methods: We consecutively enrolled 51 BD patients. We assessed clinical data and BD activity using patients' index scores from the Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form and we performed tests for antibodies against proteinase 3 (PR3), MPO, bactericidal permeability increasing protein (BPI), cathepsin G, elastase, lactoferrin and lysozyme.

Discontinuation of etanercept after achievement of sustained remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who initially had moderate disease activity-results from the ENCOURAGE study, a prospective, international, multicenter randomized study.

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of etanercept (ETN) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with moderate disease activity and the possibility to discontinue ETN after achieving remission.

Methods: Multicenter, randomized, and open-label study was conducted in Japan and Korea. RA patients (disease duration <5 years) with moderate disease activity despite methotrexate (MTX) treatment were allocated to either MTX or ETN + MTX (Period 1) for 12 months.

Identification of a Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Risk Locus Spanning ATG16L2, FCHSD2, and P2RY2 in Koreans.

Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disorder whose etiology is incompletely understood, but likely involves environmental triggers in genetically susceptible individuals. Using an unbiased genome-wide association (GWA) scan and replication analysis, we sought to identify the genetic loci associated with SLE in a Korean population.

Methods: A total of 1,174 SLE cases and 4,246 population controls from Korea were genotyped and analyzed with a GWA scan to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with SLE, after strict quality control measures were applied.

Clinical predictors of silent but substantial liver fibrosis in primary Sjogren's syndrome.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and the predictors of silent but substantial liver fibrosis in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS).

Methods: We enrolled 101 pSS patients with normal liver function and structures, and without significant liver diseases or other conditions affecting liver fibrosis. The European league against rheumatism (EULAR) SS patients reported index (ESSPRI) and the EULAR SS disease activity index (ESSDAI) were analyzed.

Disease duration and Medsger's severity score are associated with significant liver fibrosis in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Objectives: We investigated the prevalence and predictors of significant liver fibrosis in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) who had no evidences of liver diseases due to viral infection, drug, and heavy alcohol consumption.

Methods: A total of 44 SSc patients were recruited. In addition to the clinical and laboratory data, the 2013 College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification criteria score, modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS), and Medsger's severity score (MSS) were analysed.

Application of the 2013 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for systemic sclerosis to patients with Raynaud's phenomenon.

Introduction: We investigated how many patients, who presented with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and who had not been classified as systemic sclerosis (SSc), would be reclassified as SSc, if the 2013 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification criteria were used. We also analyzed the predictive values of the reclassification as SSc in those patients.

Methods: We consecutively enrolled 64 patients with RP and 60 patients with SSc.

Evaluation of the effect of tofacitinib on measured glomerular filtration rate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis: results from a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). During the clinical development programme, increases in mean serum creatinine (SCr) of approximately 0.07 mg/dL and 0.

Treatment of Collagen-Induced Arthritis Using Immune Modulatory Properties of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have immune modulatory properties. We investigated the potential therapeutic effects of human bone marrow (BM)-, adipose tissue (AD)-, and cord blood (CB)-derived MSCs in an experimental animal model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and explored the mechanism underlying immune modulation by MSCs. We evaluated the therapeutic effect of clinically available human BM-, AD-, and CB-derived MSCs in DBA/1 mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).

Usefulness of serum leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein as a disease activity biomarker in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Our study aimed to investigate whether serum leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein (LRG) levels are elevated in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition, we assessed their correlation with disease activity parameters and pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Our study included 69 patients with RA and 48 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Heterozygote genotypes for PADI4_89 were protectively associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis in Koreans.

The aim of this study was to determine whether peptidyl arginine deiminase (PADI) genes could affect susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB), which can be a presumptive base to explain the increased incidence of TB in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Korean. The study population consisted of 47 patients with active TB, 35 patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial disease, 50 RA patients, and 83 healthy controls who had received comprehensive medical testing. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells using a standard protocol.

Concurrent use of methotrexate and celecoxib increases risk of silent liver fibrosis in rheumatoid arthritis patients with subclinical reduced kidney function.

We evaluated the effects of concurrent use of methotrexate and celecoxib on silent liver and kidney damages in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. We enrolled 92 RA patients with normal laboratory results related to liver and kidney functions, who had received methotrexate and celecoxib concurrently over 6 months. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using transient elastography and ultrasonography were performed along with blood and urine tests.

Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 suppresses inflammatory response in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes through down-regulation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase.

Objective: This study was performed to investigate the effect of secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (Sfrp5), a novel anti-inflammatory adipokine that competes with the frizzled proteins for Wnt binding, on inflammatory response and the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signalling pathway in RA.

Methods: Expression of Sfrp5 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) from patients with RA and OA was determined using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). Sfrp5 RNA interference (RNAi) plasmids were transfected to abrogate Sfrp5 expression in RA FLSs, and adenovirus containing the Sfrp5 transcript was delivered into RA FLSs to strengthen Sfrp5 expression.

Delta neutrophil index as an early marker for differential diagnosis of adult-onset Still's disease and sepsis.

Purpose: To investigate clinical implications of delta neutrophil index (DNI) to discriminate adult onset Still's disease (AOSD) from sepsis.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 13 patients with AOSD and 33 gender and age-matched patients with sepsis. In all subjects, microbial tests were performed to exclude or confirm sepsis.

Active tuberculosis risk with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors after treating latent tuberculosis.

Background: Active tuberculosis (TB) risk increases during anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy; therefore, latent TB infection (LTBI) screening is recommended in potential TNF inhibitor users. It is unclear whether anti-TNF therapy increases the risk of active TB infection even after standard LTBI treatment.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the risk of active TB development in LTBI-positive versus LBTI-negative TNF inhibitor users following the current national LTBI treatment guidelines for LTBI.