以琼脂凝胶固定热聚IgG制备类风湿关节炎免疫吸附剂的研究

以环氧氯丙烷对琼脂凝胶珠进行活化反应后键联热聚ＩｇＧ,制成一种新型类风湿关节炎免疫吸附剂。确定了最佳制备条件,使凝胶上环氧基的含量达１１０μｍｏｌ／ｇ,对热苯ＩｇＧ的固定量达６ｍｇ／ｇ。在体外条件下吸附剂对三种类风湿因子ＩｇＭＲＦ,ＩｇＧＲＦ及ＩｇＡＲＦ的吸附量分别达３４００,２２５０和２４００ＩＵ／ｇ,具有良好的应用前景。     

Functional Analysis of Autoantibody Signatures in Rheumatoid Arthritis

For the identification of antigenic protein biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we conducted IgG profiling on high density protein microarrays. Plasma IgG of 96 human samples (healthy controls, osteoarthritis, seropositive and seronegative RA, n = 24 each) and time-series plasma of a pristane-induced arthritis (PIA) rat model (n = 24 total) were probed on AIT’s 16k protein microarray. To investigate the analogy of underlying disease pathways, differential reactivity analysis was conducted. A total of n = 602 differentially reactive antigens (DIRAGs) at a significance cutoff of p < 0.05 were identified between seropositive and seronegative RA for the human samples. Correlation with the clinical disease activity index revealed an inverse correlation of antibodies against self-proteins found in pathways relevant for antigen presentation and immune regulation. The PIA model showed n = 1291 significant DIRAGs within acute disease. Significant DIRAGs for (I) seropositive, (II) seronegative and (III) PIA were subjected to the Reactome pathway browser which also revealed pathways relevant for antigen presentation and immune regulation; of these, seven overlapping pathways had high significance. We therefore conclude that the PIA model reflects the biological similarities of the disease pathogenesis. Our data show that protein array analysis can elucidate biological differences and pathways relevant in disease as well be a useful additional layer of omics information.     

Gene Interaction Network Analysis Reveals IFI44L as a Drug Target in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Periodontitis

Simple SummaryIn spite of substantial investigation, the biological link between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis remains unexplained. This study intended to correlate periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis gene expression patterns to find shared targets for both the disease. We identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis. The network was built by integrating DEGs and ranking the genes using GeneMANIA. FINDSITEcomb2.0 was used to find a possible inhibitor for the top-ranked gene. Further, the binding effectiveness and protein-ligand complex stability were then determined by molecular docking and molecular dynamics. The network analysis showed IFI44L as a highly ranking gene implicated in most immunological pathways. A virtual screening of 6507 compounds revealed vemurafenib as the best candidate for the IFI44L target. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics modelling revealed the stability of the IFI44L-vemurafenib complex, which suggest IFI44L is potential target and vemurafenib could be the better candidate to treat both diseases.AbstractObjective: Despite extensive research on periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis, the underlying molecular connectivity between these condition remains largely unknown. This research aimed to integrate periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis gene expression profiles to identify interconnecting genes and focus to develop a common lead molecule against these inflammatory conditions. Materials and Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis were identified from the datasets retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The network was constructed by merging DEGs, and the interconnecting genes were identified and ranked using GeneMANIA. For the selected top ranked gene, the potential inhibitor was searched using FINDSITE^comb2.0. Subsequently, the molecular docking and molecular dynamics were performed to determine the binding efficiency and protein-ligand complex stability, respectively. Results: From the network analysis, IFN-induced protein 44-like (IFI44L) was identified as a top ranked gene involved in most of the immunological pathway. With further virtual screening of 6507 molecules, vemurafenib was identified to be the best fit against the IFI44L target. The binding energy and stability of IFI44L with vemurafenib were investigated using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. Docking results show binding energy of −7.7 Kcal/mol, and the simulation results show stability till 100 ns. Conclusions: The identified IFI44L may represent a common drug target for periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Vemurafenib could be a potent anti-inflammatory drug for both diseases.     

Metabolic characteristics and pharmacokinetic differences of Qiwei Tongbi oral liquid in rheumatoid arthritis rats

Qiwei Tongbi oral liquid (QWTB), a classical traditional Chinese medicine formula, is widely used to treat arthritis-related diseases in clinical practice. Currently, in vivo metabolic characteristics and pharmacokinetic studies are lacking. This study analyzed the prototype components of QWTB absorbed in the blood and their metabolic transformation process after intragastric administration and compared the differences in pharmacokinetic properties between healthy and rheumatoid arthritis model rats. In sum, 17 prototype components and 21 related metabolites were identified in the plasma and urine of the treated rats. Metabolites were derived from sinomenine and magnoflorine. Through systematic methodology verification, an accurate and stable detection method for sinomenine and magnoflorine in plasma samples was established and applied to pharmacokinetic research of QWTB. At the three dose levels, the AUC_0–∞ (area under the curve) of the two components showed a good positive correlation with the dose (R² > 0.9). Compared with healthy rats, the T_max, t_1/2z, and AUC of sinomenine were markedly increased, and C_max was decreased in rheumatoid arthritis model rats, indicating that the rate of absorption and elimination rate decreased, but the body exposure increased. However, there were no significant differences in the pharmacokinetic parameters of magnoflorine under healthy and pathological conditions. In summary, the main active ingredients of QWTB are sinomenine and magnoflorine, which exhibit linear kinetic characteristics within a set dose range, and the rheumatoid arthritis pathological state is more conducive to the absorption and efficacy of sinomenine. The results of this study demonstrate the rationality of the clinical application of the QWTB.     

First mechanosynthesis of piperlotines A,C, and derivatives through solvent-free Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons reaction

Piperlotines are natural products characterized by an α,β-unsaturated amide moiety. These compounds found wide applications in Medicinal Chemistry like antibacterials, cytotoxic agents, anticoagulants, among others. To date, diverse methods of synthesis have been reported for piperlotines, but involving the use of catalysts, hazard reagents, anhydrous media or coupling reagents. Thus, in this work, we developed a greener method of synthesis of piperlotines A, C, and derivatives, through mechanochemical activation under solvent-free conditions. The reaction of a β-amidophosphonate, K₂CO₃, and an aromatic aldehyde afforded target compounds in moderate to good yields (46–77%), in an open atmosphere by grinding. It is worth to mention that this mechanochemical process was under thermodynamic control because just E isomer was isolated for every reaction. Moreover, synthesized piperlotines have been predicted by means of chemoinformatic analysis as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of arthritis or cancer.     

类风湿关节炎患者血清骨形态发生蛋白6和铁调素与贫血的关系

目的探讨类风湿关节炎（RA）患者骨形态发生蛋白6(BMP-6)和铁调素(Hepc)与贫血的关系。方法采用酶联免疫吸附法测定99例RA患者、19例系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）患者、40例健康志愿者的血清BMP-6、Hepc水平,同时检测RA患者的红细胞计数（RBC）、血红蛋白水平（HGB）、白细胞介素6(IL-6)、血清铁（SI）、血清可溶性转铁蛋白受体（sTfR）、铁蛋白（SF），分析比较RA组与SLE组和健康对照组、RA患者贫血组与非贫血组、慢性病性贫血（ACD）与慢性病伴缺铁性贫血（IDA+ACD）组间及不同疾病活动度组间BMP-6、Hepc和其他贫血相关指标,以及RA患者血清BMP-6和Hepc水平与其他因素间的相关性。结果 RA患者贫血发生率为59.6%，其中ACD占52.5%, IDA+ACD占47.5%。血清BMP-6和Hepc水平在RA患者中明显升高，与SLE组、健康对照组的差异均有统计学意义（均P＜0.05）。RA贫血组的IL-6水平及类风湿关节炎疾病活动性评分（DAS28）较非贫血组均明显升高，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05），而两者SI、SF、BMP-6和Hepc水平的差异均无统计学意义（均P＞0.05）；RA伴ACD患者的血清SF、Hepc、BMP-6水平及DAS28评分均明显高于RA伴IDA+ACD组，差异均有统计学意义（均P＜0.05）。DAS28＞5.1的RA疾病高度活动组血清BMP-6及Hepc较DAS28评分≤5.1的疾病非高度活动组明显升高，而HGB水平明显降低，差异均有统计学意义（均P＜0.05）。RA患者的血清BMP-6与Hepc水平呈正相关（P＜0.01），且两者均与IL-6、DAS28呈正相关（P＜0.05），BMP-6还与SI呈正相关（P＜0.05）。结论 RA患者贫血类型以ACD为主，其血清BMP-6和Hepc水平均明显升高，在伴ACD或疾病高度活动的RA患者中升高尤其明显，且互相关系密切，说明BMP-6和Hepc水平异常正是诱导RA患者发生ACD的主要因素之一，两者可能可以作为RA患者ACD治疗的靶点，其在RA中的作用机制值得进一步研究探索。     

Δ8(14)-Ergostenol Glycoside Derivatives Inhibit the Expression of Inflammatory Mediators and Matrix Metalloproteinase

Arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease accompanied by pathological reactions such as swelling, redness, fever, and pain in various joint areas. The drugs currently available to treat arthritis are associated with diverse side-effects. Therefore, there is a need for safer and more effective treatments to alleviate the inflammation of arthritis with fewer side-effects. In this study, a new sterol, Δ⁸⁽¹⁴⁾-ergostenol, was discovered, and its glycosides were synthesized and found to be more efficient in terms of synthesis or anti-inflammatory activity than either spinasterol or 5,6-dihydroergosterol is. Among these synthetic glycosides, galactosyl ergostenol inhibited the expression of inflammatory mediators in TNF-α-stimulated FLS and TNF-α-induced MMPs and collagen type II A1 degradation in human chondrocytes. These results suggest the new galactosyl ergostenol as a treatment candidate for arthritis.     

Urinary metabolite profiling provides potential differentiation to explore the mechanisms of adjuvant‐induced arthritis in rats

To explore the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) from the perspective of metabolomics, gas chromatography time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (GC‐TOF/MS) technology was used to observe changes in the metabolic profiles of urine output from rats with adjuvant‐induced arthritis (AA). Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group, with eight in each. Rats in the experimental group were induced by intracutaneous innoculation of 0.1 mL Freund's complete adjuvant to right paws. On day 20 after immunization, the metabolic profiles between rat control and experimental groups were compared by combining GC‐TOF/MS technology with multivariate statistical approaches, including principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis and orthogonal projections to latent structures–discriminant analysis. Nine potential biomarkers were identified, including 2,2‐dimethylsuccinic acid, tartronic acid, dehydroshikimic acid, hippuric acid, adenine, phenaceturic acid, l ‐dopa, 1,4‐dihydroxy‐2‐naphthoic acid and melibiose. The findings indicate that the rats with AA are disturbed in metabolism of purine, amino acid, fat and energy. This study also demonstrates that the dysfunction in a range of biosynthetic and catabolic pathways, which leads to increased oxygen free radicals and inflammation, could cause underlying pathogenesis of RA. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Breathing Micelles for Combinatorial Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Breathing process involves inhalation and exhalation of different gases in animals. The gas exchange of the breathing process plays a critical role in maintaining the physiological functions of living organisms. Although artificial breathing materials exhibiting volume expansion and contraction upon alternate exposure to different gases have been well explored, those being able to realize the gas exchange remain elusive. Herein, we report breathing micelles (BM) capable of inhaling nitric oxide (NO) and exhaling carbon monoxide (CO), both of which are endogenous gaseous signaling molecules. We demonstrate that BM can simultaneously scavenge overproduced NO and attenuate proinflammatory cytokines in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged macrophage cells. In vivo studies revealed that BM outperformed conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as dexamethasone (Dexa) in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats, likely due to the combinatorial effect of NO depletion, CO-mediated deactivation of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and activation of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). This work provides new insights into artificial BM for potential biomedical applications.     

Genetic studies of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease that results in significant morbidity. As with other complex disorders, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have greatly contributed to the current understanding of RA etiology. In this review, we describe the genetic configuration of RA as revealed primarily through GWASs and their meta-analyses. In addition, we discuss the pathologic mechanisms of RA as suggested by the findings of genetic and functional studies of individual RA-associated genes, including HLA-DRB1, PADI4, PTPN22, CCR6 and FCRL3, and the potential use of genetic information for RA treatment in clinical practice.