Decreased serum thrombospondin-1 and elevation of its autoantibody are associated with multiple exacerbated clinical manifestations in systemic lupus erythematosus.

The pathological effects of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) have been studied in many preclinical tumor models and rheumatoid arthritis. However, the role of TSP-1 and anti-thrombospondin-1 autoantibodies (ATSA) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has not been specifically defined. In this study, we investigated the clinical relevance and functional significance of TSP-1 and ATSA in SLE patients.

Clinical Relevance of Autoantibodies against Interleukin-2 in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Background: Increased serum autoantibodies against interleukin-2 (anti-IL-2 autoantibodies) were reported in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in patients receiving IL-2 therapy. This study aimed to explore the clinical relevance of serum anti-IL-2 autoantibodies and the interactions between low-dose IL-2 therapy and serum anti-IL-2 autoantibodies.

Methods: Serum samples were collected from 152 SLE patients and 100 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs).

Circulating immune complexome analysis identified anti-tubulin-α-1c as an inflammation associated autoantibody with promising diagnostic value for Behcet's Disease.

Background: Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic, multisystem-involved vasculitis and its pathogenesis remains elusive. No specific serological markers for BD diagnosis have been established. Identification of novel diagnostic biomarkers will be helpful in timely diagnostic and treatment for Behcet's disease.

TH17-Induced Neutrophils Enhance the Pulmonary Allergic Response Following BALB/c Exposure to House Dust Mite Allergen and Fine Particulate Matter From California and China.

Asthma is a global and increasingly prevalent disease. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 235 million people suffer from asthma. Studies suggest that fine particulate matter (PM2.

Endoscopically controlled flapless transcrestal sinus floor elevation with platelet-rich fibrin followed by simultaneous dental implant placement: A case report and literature review.

Rationale: In this case study, a modified transcrestal approach was applied to the patient of extremely atrophic posterior maxilla. We analysis the Implant Stability Quotient values (ISQ) to monitor implant stability, and the cone-beam computer tomography (CBCT) to evaluate the bone regeneration.

Patient Concern: A 26-year-old female patient visited our hospital with no contraindications for dental implants and a loss of the maxillary right first molar.

Identification of a novel autoantibody against self-vimentin specific in secondary Sjögren's syndrome.

Background: Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a primary autoimmune disease (pSS) or secondarily associated with other autoimmune diseases (sSS). The mechanisms underlying immune dysregulation in this syndrome remain unknown, and clinically it is difficult to diagnose owing to a lack of specific biomarkers.

Methods: We extracted immunoglobulins (Igs) from the sera of patients with sSS associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and used them to screen a phage display library of peptides with random sequences.

Anti-tubulin-α-1C autoantibody in systemic lupus erythematosus: a novel indicator of disease activity and vasculitis manifestations.

A variety of autoantibodies has been involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), some of which are well known and applied as disease biomarkers. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of a novel autoantibody, anti-tubulin-α-1C, in patients with SLE and investigate its clinical significance. Anti-tubulin-α-1C autoantibody levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 128 SLE patients, 38 primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients, and 106 healthy controls (HCs).

Diversity analysis of subgingival microbial bacteria in peri-implantitis in Uygur population.

This study is to investigate the subgingival bacterial diversity and community structure in the Uygur subjects with peri-implantitis.Totally 40 cases of gingival crevicular fluid were collected from Uygur subjects and divided into the Control group (healthy implants) and Case group (peri-implantitis), respectively. DNA was extracted, and the sequencing in the 16SrRNA V4-V5 region was conducted on the Illumina Miseq sequencing platform.

Growth of B Cell Receptor Microclusters Is Regulated by PIP and PIP Equilibrium and Dock2 Recruitment and Activation.

The growth of B cell receptor (BCR) microclusters upon antigen stimulation drives B cell activation. Here, we show that PI3K-mediated PIP production is required for the growth of BCR microclusters. This growth is likely inhibited by PTEN and dependent on its plasma membrane binding and lipid phosphatase activities.

Sequence Variation in Rhoptry Neck Protein 10 Gene among Isolates from Different Hosts and Geographical Locations.

Background: as a eukaryotic parasite of the phylum Apicomplexa, can infect almost all the warm-blooded animals and humans, causing toxoplasmosis. Rhoptry neck proteins (RONs) play a key role in the invasion process of and are potential vaccine candidate molecules against toxoplasmosis.

Methods: The present study examined sequence variation in the rhoptry neck protein 10 (TgRON10) gene among 10 isolates from different hosts and geographical locations from Lanzhou province during 2014, and compared with the corresponding sequences of strains ME49 and VEG obtained from the ToxoDB database, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, sequence analysis, and phylogenetic reconstruction by Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum parsimony (MP).

SHIP-1 Deficiency in AID B Cells Leads to the Impaired Function of B10 Cells with Spontaneous Autoimmunity.

Unlike conventional B cells, regulatory B cells exhibit immunosuppressive functions to downregulate inflammation via IL-10 production. However, the molecular mechanism regulating the production of IL-10 is not fully understood. In this study, we report the finding that activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is highly upregulated in the IL-10-competent B cell (B10) cell from Innp5dAicda mice, whereas the 5' inositol phosphatase SHIP-1 is downregulated.

Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein is a sensitive disease activity biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the performance and clinical significance of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) as a disease activity biomarker in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: LBP levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The associations between LBP and the clinical and serological features of RA and its clinical significance as a RA disease activity biomarker were analysed.

Substrate stiffness governs the initiation of B cell activation by the concerted signaling of PKCβ and focal adhesion kinase.

The mechanosensing ability of lymphocytes regulates their activation in response to antigen stimulation, but the underlying mechanism remains unexplored. Here, we report that B cell mechanosensing-governed activation requires BCR signaling molecules. PMA-induced activation of PKCβ can bypass the Btk and PLC-γ2 signaling molecules that are usually required for B cells to discriminate substrate stiffness.

Differential pulmonary effects of wintertime California and China particulate matter in healthy young mice.

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is associated with adverse cardiorespiratory effects. To better understand source-orientated PM toxicity, a comparative study of the biological effects of fine PM (diameter≤2.5μm, PM) collected during the winter season from Shanxi Province, China, and the Central Valley, California, United States, was conducted.

Sialic acid linkage-specific permethylation for improved profiling of protein glycosylation by MALDI-TOF MS.

Protein glycosylation mediates a wide range of cellular processes, affecting development and disease in mammals. Deciphering the "glycocodes" requires rapid, sensitive and in-depth characterization of diverse glycan structures derived from biological samples. In this study, we described a two-step derivatization strategy termed linkage-specific sialic acid permethylation (SSAP) consisting of dimethylamination and permethylation for the improved profiling of glycosylation by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-fight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS).

Fasting plasma glucose and serum uric acid levels in a general Chinese population with normal glucose tolerance: A U-shaped curve.

Objective: Although several epidemiological studies assessed the relationship between fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and serum uric acid (SUA) levels, the results were inconsistent. A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate this relationship in Chinese individuals with normal glucose tolerance.

Research Design And Methods: A total of 5,726 women and 5,457 men with normal glucose tolerance were enrolled in the study.

Characteristics of germinal center-like structures in patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

Aim: To analyze the relationship between ectopic germinal centers (GCs) in the salivary glands and the clinical/laboratory characteristics of patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS).

Methods: Retrospectively, 126 patients with primary SS (pSS) and 16 patients with secondary SS (sSS) were analyzed. Minor salivary gland biopsies were evaluated for the presence of GC-like morphology by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for CD21.

Ultrafast Solar-Blind Ultraviolet Detection by Inorganic Perovskite CsPbX Quantum Dots Radial Junction Architecture.

Inorganic CsPbX (X = Cl, Br, I, or hybrid among them) perovskite quantum dots (IPQDs) are promising building blocks for exploring high performance optoelectronic applications. In this work, the authors report a new hybrid structure that marries CsPbX IPQDs to silicon nanowires (SiNWs) radial junction structures to achieve ultrafast and highly sensitive ultraviolet (UV) detection in solar-blind spectrum. A compact and uniform deployment of CsPbX IPQDs upon the sidewall of low-reflective 3D radial junctions enables a strong light field excitation and efficient down-conversion of the ultraviolet incidences, which are directly tailored into emission bands optimized for a rapid photodetection in surrounding ultrathin radial p-i-n junctions.

Modulation of autophagy in exJSRV-env-transfected cells through the Akt/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathway.

The envelope (Env) of Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) is an oncoprotein of ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA). Autophagy is involved in different cancers, but how it is carcinogenic in JSRV Env is unclear. Modulation of autophagy in exJSRV-env-NM-transfected cells through the Akt/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathway was studied, and we observed strong positive labeling of p-Akt, p-mTOR, p-MEK1/2, p-ERK1/2, p-p38 and p-JNK in tumor cells and typical type II pneumocytes in naturally infected OPA lung tissues, which was co-aligned with JSRV-Env positive cells as shown by immunohistochemical and microscopic analysis.

Increased Interleukin-17F is Associated with Elevated Autoantibody Levels and More Clinically Relevant Than Interleukin-17A in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.

Th17 related immune response is pathogenic in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). However, the role of IL-17F, one potent inflammatory member of IL-17 family cytokines in pSS, has not been specifically defined. We recruited one hundred and nine pSS patients and forty-two healthy controls and their serum levels of IL-17A and IL-17F were determined by multiplex cytokine assays.

D-dimer level for predicting the in-hospital mortality in liver cirrhosis: A retrospective study.

The present study aimed to examine the correlation of D-dimer levels with the Child-Pugh and MELD scores, as well as to determine the predictive ability of D-dimer level for the in-hospital mortality of liver cirrhosis patients. All cirrhotic patients who were consecutively admitted to our hospital between January 2011 and June 2014, and underwent D-dimer tests on admission were retrospectively analyzed. Pearson's χ tests were employed to evaluate the correlations of D-dimer levels with Child-Pugh and MELD scores.

Hypermethylation of ATP-binding cassette B1 (ABCB1) multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) is associated with cisplatin resistance in the A549 lung adenocarcinoma cell line.

Development of multiple drug resistance has been attributed to the overexpression of the ATP-binding cassette B1 (ABCB1) gene. In this study, the major purpose was to assess the expression and methylation levels of ABCB1 in human lung adenocarcinoma and to reveal the relationship between these processes and acquisition of cisplatin (DDP) resistance in the human cancer cell line A549. Methylation and expression levels of the ABCB1 gene ABCB1 in clinical human lung tissue were assessed using bisulphite sequencing, reverse transcription real-time PCR (RT -PCR) and Western blot methods.

CD16 Monocyte Subset Was Enriched and Functionally Exacerbated in Driving T-Cell Activation and B-Cell Response in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Background: The roles that CD16 monocyte subset plays in T-cell activation and B-cell response have not been well studied in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the distribution of CD16 monocyte subsets in SLE and explore their possible roles in T-cell activation and B-cell differentiation.

Methods: The frequencies of monocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of healthy controls (HCs) and patients with SLE were determined by flow cytometry.

Impairment on the lateral mobility induced by structural changes underlies the functional deficiency of the lupus-associated polymorphism FcγRIIB-T232.

FcγRIIB functions to suppress the activation of immune cells. A single-nucleotide polymorphism in the transmembrane (TM) domain of FcγRIIB, FcγRIIB-T232, is associated with lupus. In this study, we investigated the pathogenic mechanism of FcγRIIB-T232 at both functional and structural levels.