Risk factors of significant relapse and appropriate maintenance therapy strategy in SLE-associated immune thrombocytopenia.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus-associated immune thrombocytopenia (SLE-ITP) is characterized by relapse. The risk factors of relapse and appropriate maintenance therapy strategy deserve further exploration.

Objectives: To determine the risk factors for relapse and appropriate maintenance therapy in significant SLE-ITP patients (a platelet count ⩽30 × 10/l) after the first complete response.

Paeonol inhibited TNFα-induced GM-CSF expression in fibroblast-like synoviocytes.

Objectives: Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been proved to be among the most important chemokines, playing a key role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the mechanism underlying the regulation of GM-CSF has not been established clearly yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of paeonol in the expression of GM-CSF in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS).

[The effect of culture supernatant from MSCs on the proliferation and expression of COX-2, MMP-2 in rat synovial cell line].

Objective: To investigate the effect of culture supernatant form mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the proliferation of rat fibroblast-like synovial cell line RSC-364 and the expression of COX-2, MMP-2.

Methods: After isolation and identification of MSCs, the effect of MSCs supernatant liquid (MSCs-SL) on the proliferation of RSC-364 and the expression of COX-2, MMP-2 were detected by MTT assay and RT-PCR.

Results: MSCs-SL enhanced the proliferation of synoviocyte and elevated the expression of COX-2 and MMP-2 in synoviocytes (P < 0.

[Effect of HepG2 cells modified with CD80-IgG1 Fc fusion protein on anti-tumor immune response by lymphocytes].

Aim: To investigate the anti-tumor immune response of lymphocytes elicited by HepG2 cells modified with CD80-IgG1 Fc fragment fusion protein (CD80-Fc).

Methods: HepG2 cells were modified with CD80-Fc, then the expression of CD80 on the cell surface was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). After mixed lymphocyte-tumour cell reaction (MLTR) of the modified HepG2 cells and peripheral lymphocytes of healthy volunteers, the proliferation and cytotoxicity of the lymphocytes were tested by MTT colorimetry and LDH release assay,respectively.

[Construction of eukaryotic expression vector of CD80-IgG1 Fc fragment fusion protein and its expression in CHO cells].

Aim: To construct an eukaryotic expression vector of CD80-IgG1 Fc, and to express the fusion protein in CHO cells.

Methods: The gene encoding the CD80-IgG1 Fc fusion protein were constructed in eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1(+) by means of T-A cloning and subcloning techniques, then was transfected into CHO cells for stable expression.

[Inhibition of CD40 expression on CA46 cell lines by hairpin siRNA eukaryotic expression vectors].

Aim: To construct human CD40 hairpin siRNA eukaryotic expression vectors and investigate their effects on CD40 expression, proliferation and apoptosis of CA46 cells.

Methods: Two DNA oligonucleotides encoding CD40 hairpin siRNAs were synthesized, and cloned into pSilenCircle to construct recombinant plasmid siCD40/pSilenCircle that expressed hairpin siRNAs under the control of pol III U6 promoter. At the same time, antiCD40/pSilenCircle encoding the antisense CD40 RNA and siFly/pSilenCircle encoding siRNA against luciferase were constructed as control vectors.

[Effect of antisense CD40 RNA on CD40 expression and proliferation of EB virus-transformed B lymphocytes].

Aim: To investigate the changes of CD40 expression and proliferation pattern of EB virus-transformed B lymphocytes that had been transfected by antisense CD40 RNA.

Methods: Eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3/CD40 of human CD40antisense RNA was constructed by means of T-A cloning and subcloning, and then was transfected into EB virus-transformed B lymphocytes. Changes of CD40 expression on the B cells and their proliferation were tested by flow cytometry and MTT colorimetry assay, respectively.