Mycophenolate Mofetil and New-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibody has been reported to have a close relationship with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) flares and participates in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN) as well as causing damage to other organs. However, whether early use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) could prevent SLE flares is not clear.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of MMF plus prednisone and hydroxychloroquine sulfate compared with prednisone and hydroxychloroquine sulfate alone in patients with SLE.

Fluorescent and colorimetric dual-mode detection of Cu based on carbon dots.

A fluorescent and colorimetric dual-mode strategy based on carbon dots (CDs) was rationally designed for sensitive determination of Cu. Green fluorescent CDs with high absolute quantum yield of 72.9% were synthesized by facile one-step hydrothermal treatment of triethylenetetramine and Rose Bengal.

The landscape of innate and adaptive immune cell subsets in patients with adult-onset Still's disease.

Objective: Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a systemic autoinflammatory disorder. The understanding of the changes in adaptive immune cells and the crosstalk between innate and adaptive immune systems in AOSD is limited. This study aimed to examine the peripheral immune cell composition and inflammatory protein levels in AOSD patients.

Identification of Distinct Genetic Profiles of Palindromic Rheumatism Using Whole-Exome Sequencing.

Objective: Previous studies have underlined the genetic susceptibility in the pathogenesis of palindromic rheumatism (PR), but the known PR loci only partially explain the disease's genetic background. We aimed to genetically identify PR by whole-exome sequencing (WES).

Methods: This multicenter prospective study was conducted in 10 Chinese specialized rheumatology centers between September 2015 and January 2020.

Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine does not increase the risk of relapse in patients with clinically inactive adult-onset Still's disease.

Objective: A succession of cases have reported flares of adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) after vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), raising concerns. We aimed to investigate the impact of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines on disease activity in patients with AOSD.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled clinically inactive AOSD patients visiting the outpatient clinics of our department.

The clinical pattern differentiates ANCA-positive infective endocarditis patients from ANCA-associated vasculitis patients: a 23 years' retrospective cohort study in China and follow-ups.

Objectives: Patients with infective endocarditis (IE) may present rheumatic manifestations concurrent with various autoantibodies and thus mimic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). This study aims to characterize the specific features in a long-term cohort of ANCA-positive IE patients and to perform comparative analysis with primary AAV patients.

Methods: We performed a retrospective thorough review of 475 consecutive IE patients over 23 years, identifying 22 patients positive for proteinase 3 and/or myeloperoxidase and 36 treatment-naïve AAV patients.

COVID-19 vaccine affects neither prothrombotic antibody profile nor thrombosis in primary anti-phospholipid syndrome: a prospective study.

Objective: To explore whether inactivated coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine influences the profile of prothrombotic autoantibodies and induces thrombotic events in primary APS patients.

Methods: We enrolled 39 primary APS patients who received two doses of inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine (BBIBPCorV, Sinopharm, Beijing, China) voluntarily in this prospective cohort. Prothrombotic autoantibodies were determined before vaccination and 4 weeks after the second dose of vaccination.

Protective Role of Rheumatic Diseases Against Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Human Leukocyte Antigen B27 Highlighted.

Background: By determining the hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) positive rate postexposure and HBV-specific antigen/antibody (Ag/Ab) level in patients with rheumatic diseases, we aimed at exploring the rheumatic link to HBV control.

Methods: Patients who underwent HBV screening in the Ruijin Hospital from 2020 to 2021 were enrolled for the exposure rate estimation. Among antibody to HBV core antigen (HBcAb)-positive patients, we adopted propensity score matching (PSM) to study the impact of rheumatism on HBsAg seroprevalence after exposure.

Fucosylation of anti-dsDNA IgG1 correlates with disease activity of treatment-naïve systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Background: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex and heterogeneous autoimmune disease mediated by quantities of autoantibodies in which anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibodies are important. Besides, glycosylation is one of the most commonly post-translational modifications of antibodies. The association of anti-dsDNA antibodies glycosylation and SLE disease activity is still unknown.

Urine Proteomics Differentiate Primary Thrombotic Antiphospholipid Syndrome From Obstetric Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a multisystem disorder characterized by thrombosis and/or recurrent fetal loss. This clinical phenotype heterogeneity may result in differences in response to treatment and prognosis. In this study, we aimed to identify primary thrombotic APS (TAPS) from primary obstetric APS (OAPS) using urine proteomics as a non-invasive method.

Hyocholic acid species as novel biomarkers for metabolic disorders.

Hyocholic acid (HCA) is a major bile acid (BA) species in the BA pool of pigs, a species known for its exceptional resistance to spontaneous development of diabetic phenotypes. HCA and its derivatives are also present in human blood and urine. We investigate whether human HCA profiles can predict the development of metabolic disorders.

Theabrownin from Pu-erh tea attenuates hypercholesterolemia via modulation of gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism.

Pu-erh tea displays cholesterol-lowering properties, but the underlying mechanism has not been elucidated. Theabrownin is one of the most active and abundant pigments in Pu-erh tea. Here, we show that theabrownin alters the gut microbiota in mice and humans, predominantly suppressing microbes associated with bile-salt hydrolase (BSH) activity.

Study on serum Tau protein level and neurodevelopmental outcome of placental abruption with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

The aim of this study was to explore differences in serum Tau protein levels and neurodevelopmental prognoses of placental abruption or umbilical cord around neck with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Forty neonates with moderate/severe HIE divided into placental abruption with HIE group (placental abruption with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (PA-HIE) group) ( = 18) and umbilical cord around the neck with HIE group (umbilical cord around the neck with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (UCAN-HIE) group) ( = 22). Healthy term newborns comprised the control group ( = 35).

Evaluation of metabolite-microbe correlation detection methods.

Different correlation detection methods have been specifically designed for the microbiome data analysis considering the compositional data structure and different sequencing depths. Along with the speedy development of omics studies, there is an increasing interest in discovering the biological associations between microbes and host metabolites. This raises the need of finding proper statistical methods that facilitate the correlation analysis across different omics studies.

Strategy for an Association Study of the Intestinal Microbiome and Brain Metabolome Across the Lifespan of Rats.

There is increased appreciation for the diverse roles of the microbiome-gut-brain axis on mammalian growth and health throughout the lifespan. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the gut microbiome and their metabolites are extensively involved in the communication between brain and gut. Association study of brain metabolome and gut microbiome is an active field offering large amounts of information on the interaction of microbiome, brain and gut but data size and complicated hierarchical relationships were found to be major obstacles to the formation of significant, reproducible conclusions.