Microscopic polyangiitis in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: a unique presentation of pulmonary-renal syndrome and case report of an overlap syndrome.

Secondary vasculitis is encountered in about one-third of all cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Skin is most commonly involved in lupus-related small vasculitis. Although antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV) is relatively uncommon, it can be the most dangerous manifestation associated with high mortality.

Immunometabolism in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a typical autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation and pathogenic auto-antibodies. Apart from B cells, dysregulation of other immune cells also plays an essential role in the pathogenesis and development of the disease including CD4T cells, dendritic cells, macrophages and neutrophils. Since metabolic programs control immune cell fate and function, they are critical checkpoints in an effective immune response and are involved in the etiology of autoimmune disease.

Clinical manifestations, immunological features and prognosis of Chinese pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: A single-center study.

Aim: Since there are only a few reports on pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE) in Chinese populations, therefore we retrospectively report the clinical and immunological features as well as renal outcome in Chinese pSLE.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with pSLE at Shanghai Children's Medical Center between 2001 and 2016 were evaluated and clinical data were retrospectively collected.

Results: A total of 102 pSLE patients were analyzed.

Feasibility of diagnosing renal allograft dysfunction by oligonucleotide array: Gene expression profile correlates with histopathology.

Background: Effective non-invasive monitoring method to tell histopathology is a big challenge in renal transplantation.

Methods: We used 70-mer long oligonucleotide array with 449 immune related genes to determine gene expression profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) under different immune status including stable renal function (TX), acute tubular necrosis (ATN), biopsy conformed acute rejection (AR), clinical rejection with pathology of borderline changes (BL), clinical rejection without biopsy proven/presumed rejection (PR) and renal dysfunction without rejection (NR).

Results: Distinct molecular expression signatures in each group were found to correlate with histopathology.

Evaluation of sphingolipid metabolism in renal cortex of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes and the effects of rapamycin.

Background: Abnormal lipid metabolism contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetes, but it is uncertain whether it plays a role in the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN). While rapamycin was shown to prevent DN development in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats in our previous studies, it is unknown if it intervenes with lipid metabolism.

Methods: We divided the rats into four groups: normal control rats, rapamycin-treated normal rats, diabetic rats and rapamycin-treated DN rats.

[Preparation of a novel targeted MR contrast agent Gd-DTPA-Granzyme B monoclonal antibody].

Objective: To prepare a novel MRI targeted contrast agent Gd-DTPA-Granzyme B monoclonal antibody (mAb) and to test its reaction conditions.

Methods: The Granzyme B mAb was coupled with DTPA,and then conjugated with Gd. The Gd-DTPA antibody was characterized using MALDI-TOF-MS.

A pilot study of GC/MS-based serum metabolic profiling of acute rejection in renal transplantation.

Aims: Acute allograft rejection is one of the important complications after renal transplantation, and it is a deleterious factor for long-term graft survival. Rejection is a complex pathophysiologic process, which has been explained by transcriptome and proteome in RNA transcripts and proteins level respectively. How are serum metabolite levels in response to acute rejection? Can metabolite levels in serum be used to diagnose and explain acute renal allograft rejection?

Methods: Gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze serum metabolome in 22 recipients of acute rejection and 15 stable renal transplant recipients.