[Application and prospects of infrared thermography in rheumatic diseases].

Infrared thermography is an advanced technology that utilizes infrared detectors to sense the infrared thermal radiation emitted from the human body' s surface, converting it into electrical signals. These signals are then processed by computers to generate planar temperature color images, providing an intuitive display of the body surface temperature distribution. Rheumatic diseases, as prevalent conditions that significantly impact the quality of life of millions of people worldwide, pose significant challenges in diagnosis and assessment.

[Low disease activity and remission status of systemic lupus erythematosus in a real-world study].

Objective: To investigate the rates of low disease activity and clinical remission in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a real-world setting, and to analyze the related factors of low disease activity and clinical remission.

Methods: One thousand patients with SLE were enrolled from 11 teaching hospitals. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data, as well as treatment regimes were collec-ted by self-completed questionnaire.

Plasma microRNA-320c as a Potential Biomarker for the Severity of Knee Osteoarthritis and Regulates cAMP Responsive Element Binding Protein 5 (CREB5) in Chondrocytes.

Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a commonly known prevalent joint disease, with limited therapeutic methods. This study aimed to investigate the expression of plasma microRNA-320c (miR-320c) in patients with knee OA and to explore the clinical value and potential mechanism of miR-320c in knee OA.

Methods: Forty knee OA patients and 20 healthy controls were enrolled.

The composition and function profile of the gut microbiota of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Objectives: This healthy volunteer control-based study was conducted to explore alterations of compositions and function of gut microbiota in Chinese pSS patients.

Method: The high-throughput Illumina Miseq sequencing method, targeting the V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene, was used to compare the microbiota communities between 30 pSS patients and 30 age-matched healthy volunteers. The intestinal dysbiosis of pSS patients was evaluated and its correlation with some disease phenotypes was analyzed.

Systemic lupus erythematosus-complicating immune thrombocytopenia: From pathogenesis to treatment.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a common hematological manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The heterogeneity of its clinical characteristics and therapeutic responses reflects a complex pathogenesis. A better understanding of its pathophysiological mechanisms and employing an optimal treatment regimen is therefore important to improve the response rate and prognosis, and avoid unwanted outcomes.

Salivary gland ultrasonography in primary Sjögren's syndrome from diagnosis to clinical stratification: a multicentre study.

Background: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of major salivary gland ultrasonography (SGUS) in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) using the novel Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT) scoring system in a large-scale multicentre study.

Methods: SGUS was conducted for 246 pSS patients, 140 control subjects with conditions other than SS and 27 healthy control subjects. The echostructure features from the parotid and submandibular glands on both sides were graded using the novel OMERACT scoring system.

Hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine in patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Since the COVID-19 pandemic, several therapeutic agents have been used in COVID-19 management. However, the results were controversial. Here, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ)/chloroquine (CQ) in COVID-19.

The Role of Prostaglandin E2 Synthesized in Rat Lateral Parabrachial Nucleus in LPS-Induced Fever.

Introduction: The lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) is considered to be a brain site of the pyrogenic action of prostaglandin (PG) E2 outside of the preoptic area. Yet, the role of the LPBN in fever following a systemic immune challenge remains poorly understood.

Methods: We examined the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and microsomal PGE synthase-1 (mPGES-1) in the LPBN after the intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Tocilizumab for Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia: Experience from 5 Geriatric Chinese Patients with 6 Months Follow-up.

Objective: To enable physicians to understand the efficacy and safety of Tocilizumab (TCZ) in patients with severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: We respectively reviewed the clinical records, laboratory results, and chest computed tomography (CT) scans of 5 geriatric patients with severe COVID-19 treated with TCZ during their inpatient hospitalization period in Wuhan from February 08, 2020 to April 04, 2020. The survival status of the patients in the third and the sixth month after being discharged was followed up and recorded.

MicroRNA-320c inhibits articular chondrocytes proliferation and induces apoptosis by targeting mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1).

Aim: To clarify the interaction of microRNA-320c (miR-320c) and mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), and to investigate the effects of miR-320c on articular chondroctye proliferation and apoptosis.

Methods: Lentiviral expression vectors were constructed and dual luciferase assays containing MAPK1 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTRs) were performed. Small hairpin RNA (shRNA) was utilized to modulate MAPK1 expression.

Antibody to peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGLYRP)-2 as a novel biomarker in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To identify novel autoantigens from circulating immune complexes (CICs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and further explore their clinical significance.

Methods: From serum samples of 10 early RA (ERA) patients and 10 healthy donors, CICs were isolated and subjected to orbitrap mass spectrometry for autoantigen identification. Antibodies against the peptidoglycan recognition protein-2 (PGLYRP-2) derived from CICs were further detected by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 178 patients with RA, compared with 59 osteoarthritis (OA), 59 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 55 ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 95 primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and 50 healthy controls (HC).

Screening and identification of biomarkers for systemic sclerosis via microarray technology.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease. The pathogenesis of SSc is currently unclear, although like other rheumatic diseases its pathogenesis is complicated. However, the ongoing development of bioinformatics technology has enabled new approaches to research this disease using microarray technology to screen and identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the skin of patients with SSc compared with individuals with healthy skin.

Leukocytapheresis Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results Compared with Control Trial.

Context: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease, mainly characterized by synovitis and with symmetrical joint involvement. LCAP therapy for RA patients has been shown to be safe and efficacious in some developed countries for over a decade.

Objective: The study intended to evaluate the efficacy and safety of leukocytopheresis (LCAP) for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to study the influence of treatment on the levels of various serum cytokines.

Iguratimod ameliorates bleomycin-induced alveolar inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis in mice by suppressing expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9.

Aim: To investigate the potential therapeutic efficacy of iguratimod (IGU) on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

Methods: A total of 75 C57BL/6 mice were randomly and evenly divided into control group, BLM (5 mg/kg) group, BLM + IGU (90 mg/kg) group, BLM + methylprednisolone (MP, 10 mg/kg) group and BLM + pirfenidone (PF, 100 mg/kg) group. The mice were sacrificed on day 7, 14 and 28.

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.

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.

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).

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.

Chinese SLE Treatment and Research Group (CSTAR) registry:VIII. Influence of socioeconomic and geographical variables on disease phenotype and activity in Chinese patients with SLE.

Aim: The aim of this study was to estimate the influence of socioeconomic and geographical variables on disease phenotype and activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a Chinese population.

Methods: Data on 904 therapy-naïve SLE patients from the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research Group (CSTAR), which is a nation-wide database of SLE patients, were used to evaluate the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) and geographical regions on disease phenotypes. The influence of regional climate and economic variables (i.

Plasmapheresis therapy in combination with TNF-α inhibitor and DMARDs: A multitarget method for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a multitarget method involving plasmapheresis therapy combined with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitor and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on disease activity parameters in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Sixty-five patients with active RA were divided into two groups according to the treatment administered: the plasmapheresis combination therapy group (Plasmapheresis combination group; 38 cases), in which patients received plasmapheresis therapy along with a TNF-α inhibitor (recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-Fc; rhTNFR:Fc; Etanercept biosimilars) and DMARDs, and a TNF-α inhibitor therapy group (biological agent group; 27 cases), in which patients received a TNF-α inhibitor and DMARDs. Clinical parameters were measured before and at 4 and 24 weeks after treatment.

Dietary intake and risk of rheumatoid arthritis-a cross section multicenter study.

Environmental factors play an important role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Among these factors, smoking is generally considered to be an established risk factor for RA. Data regarding the impact of diet on risk of RA development is limited.

Effect of colchicine in prevention of pericardial effusion and atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis.

Randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) have assessed the effect of colchicine therapy in prevention of pericardial effusion (PE) and atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the effects are still inconclusive. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and EMBASE database were searched.

Remission of rheumatoid arthritis and potential determinants: a national multi-center cross-sectional survey.

The aim of this study is to investigate the remission rate of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in China and identify its potential determinants. A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2009 to January 2012. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews of the rheumatology outpatients in 28 tertiary hospitals in China.

Identification of potential serum biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis by high-resolution quantitative proteomic analysis.

The aim of this study was to find serum biomarkers of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by high-resolution proteomic analysis. Low-abundance proteins from pooling serum sample of early RA patients and healthy controls were enriched using ProteoMiner™ enrichment kits. The enriched proteins were separated on SDS-PAGE, digested by trypsin, labeled with tandem mass tag (TMT) reagents, and desalted by C18 stage tip column.