17 results on '"Shucong, Zheng"'
Search Results
2. Ultrasound assessment of skin thickness and stiffness: the correlation with histology and clinical score in systemic sclerosis
- Author
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Chen Chen, Yi Cheng, Xiaoxia Zhu, Yehua Cai, Yu Xue, Ning Kong, Yiyun Yu, Dandan Xuan, Shucong Zheng, Xue Yang, Zaihua Zhu, Tianyi Zhao, Weiguo Wan, Hejian Zou, and Minrui Liang
- Subjects
Ultrasound ,Shear wave elastography ,Systemic sclerosis ,Histology ,Diseases of the musculoskeletal system ,RC925-935 - Abstract
Abstracts Background Ultrasound is a useful tool to evaluate and quantify skin lesions. Few studies have assessed the criterion validity of skin ultrasound in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aims of the study were to investigate skin thickness and stiffness using ultrasound and shear wave elastography (SWE) in SSc and to validate skin ultrasound measurements against histological skin thickness. Methods A total of 22 patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc), 22 with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc), and 22 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Skin thickness and stiffness were measured by B-mode ultrasound with SWE imaging on the bilateral fingers and hands. Additional ultrasound evaluation was carried out in 13 patients (9 dcSSc and 4 lcSSc) on their dorsal forearms, followed by skin biopsy conducted in the same skin areas. Correlations between ultrasound measurements and histological skin thickness and modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) were investigated using Spearman’s correlation. Results Compared with controls, ultrasound-measured skin thickness and skin stiffness were significantly higher in patients with SSc (p
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- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Performance of Ultrasound in the Clinical Evaluation of Gout and Hyperuricemia
- Author
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Ling Cao, Tianyi Zhao, Chunmei Xie, Shucong Zheng, Weiguo Wan, Hejian Zou, and Xiaoxia Zhu
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Immunologic diseases. Allergy ,RC581-607 - Abstract
Objective. To evaluate monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition and related lesions in the joints of patients with gout and hyperuricemia (HUA) using ultrasound. To explore the association between ultrasound findings and clinical features in gout and HUA. Methods. A total of 202 patients with gout and 43 asymptomatic patients with HUA were included. The clinical data and ultrasonic assessment results were collected and statistically analyzed. Results. Deposition of MSU crystals was found in 25.58% (11/43) of patients with asymptomatic HUA and 76.24% (154/202) of patients with gout. Of the 1,082 joints from patients with gout examined, 33.09% (358/1082) displayed MSU crystal deposition. In the joints with MSU crystal deposition, 77.37% (277/358) had a history of attacks. Among the joints of gouty arthritis, double contour sign (DCS), hyperechoic aggregate (HAG), and tophi were found in 32.65% (159/487), 7.80% (38/487), and 24.64% (120/487) of the joints, respectively. DCS and tophi, but not HAG, increasingly appeared with the extension of gout duration. In patients with more than 15 years of gout history, DCS, Tophi, and HAG were found in 48.18%, 40.00%, and 6.36% of US assessed joints, respectively. In patients with gout, synovial lesion and bone erosion were found in 17.74% (192/1082) and 7.58% (82/1082) of joints, respectively. The synovial lesion was related to HAG, while bone erosion was related to tophi and DCS. Nephrolithiasis was detected in 20.30% (41/202) of patients with gout and 4.65% (2/43) of HUA patients, indicating that nephrolithiasis occurred in more patients with gout than in patients with HUA. Conclusion. HAG is an early performance of MSU crystal deposition in joints of gout and HUA. Both DCS and tophi are risk factors for bone erosion. Early urate-lowering therapy (ULT) should be considered in patients with gout, DCS, or tophi.
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- 2021
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4. Experimental research on seawater erosion resistance of magnesium potassium phosphate cement pastes
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Jianming, Yang, jie, Zhang, and Shucong, Zheng
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- 2018
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5. BANK1 alters B cell responses and influences the interactions between B cells and induced T regulatory cells in mice with collagen-induced arthritis
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Jie Yang, Jie Ren, Yiming Yang, Juan Sun, Xiaohui Zhou, Shucong Zheng, Dandan Xuan, Yu Xue, Huimin Fan, Jiong Zhang, Hejian Zou, Weiguo Wan, and Ning Kong
- Subjects
Diseases of the musculoskeletal system ,RC925-935 - Abstract
Abstract Background Functional variants of the B cell gene, B cell scaffold protein with ankyrin repeats 1 (BANK1) contribute to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility, but their influences on B cell responses are unclear. Moreover, the function of induced T regulatory cells (iTregs) in the inflammatory milieu in a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model is unknown. This study was performed to investigate the roles of BANK1 in CIA and the interaction between B cells and iTregs. Methods The changes in BANK1 mRNA and protein levels and their correlation with disease severity in CIA were determined. Next, the antigen-presenting function and autoantibody production in B cells were evaluated by co-culture with effector T cells and iTregs, respectively, both in vitro and in vivo. Then, the mechanisms underlying these interactions were studied by adding neutralizing antibodies or transwell inserts and by adoptive transfer to B-cell-depleted CIA mice. Results The BANK1 level decreased in the peripheral blood, spleen and lymph nodes of CIA mice, particularly during the acute stage of arthritis, and exhibited negative correlation with disease severity and autoantibody production. B cell responses were enhanced by this decrease. B cells from CIA mice (CIA-B cells) promoted iTreg differentiation, proliferation and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) expression. Meanwhile, BANK1 expression in CIA-B cells increased after co-culture with iTregs, limiting B cell responses. All these interactions depended on cell contact with CTLA-4-overexpressing iTregs but were independent of CTLA-4 cytokine. Conclusion Decreased BANK1 expression promotes B cell responses, resulting in an increased antigen presentation ability and autoantibody production that subsequently influences the communication between B cells and iTregs through a cell-contact-dependent and CTLA-4- cytokine-independent mechanism in CIA mice.
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- 2018
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6. Performance of Ultrasound in the Clinical Evaluation of Gout and Hyperuricemia
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Xiaoxia Zhu, Hejian Zou, Tianyi Zhao, Weiguo Wan, Shucong Zheng, Ling Cao, and Chunmei Xie
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musculoskeletal diseases ,Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,congenital, hereditary, and neonatal diseases and abnormalities ,Article Subject ,Adolescent ,Gout ,Immunology ,Hyperuricemia ,Asymptomatic ,Gastroenterology ,Lesion ,03 medical and health sciences ,Young Adult ,0302 clinical medicine ,Monosodium urate ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Immunology and Allergy ,Humans ,In patient ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Aged ,Ultrasonography ,030203 arthritis & rheumatology ,business.industry ,Arthritis, Gouty ,Ultrasound ,nutritional and metabolic diseases ,General Medicine ,RC581-607 ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Uric Acid ,Asymptomatic Diseases ,Female ,Joints ,medicine.symptom ,Immunologic diseases. Allergy ,business ,Clinical evaluation ,Research Article - Abstract
BackgroundEvaluation of monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition and related lesion in joints using ultrasound in gout and hyperuricemia patients. MethodsTotal 202 gout patients and 43 asymptomatic hyperuricemia patients were included, the clinical data and ultrasunic assessment results were collected and statistically analyzed. ResultsDeposition of MSU crystals were found in 25.58% (11/43) of the patients with asymptomatic hyperuricemia and 76.24% (154/202) of the patients with gout. In the all examined 1082 joints from gout patients, 33.09% (358/1082) of them were detected MSU crystals. In MSU crystal positive joints, 77.37% (277/358) of them had history of attacks. Among the joints of gouty arthritis, 56.88% (277/487) of them were found MSU crystals. Double contour sign (DCS), hyperechoic aggregate (HAG) and Tophi were found in 32.65% (159/487), 7.80% (38/487) and 24.64% (120/487) of the joints, respectively. DCS and Tophi, but not HAG, appeared increasingly in gout duration extension. In the patients with more than 15 years of gout history, DCS, Tophi and HAG were found in 48.18%, 40.00%, 6.36% of US assessed joints, respectively. In the gout patients, synovial lesion and bone erosion were found in 17.74% (192/1082) and 7.58% (82/1082) of joints, respectively. Synovial lesion was related with HAG, while bone erosion was related to tophi and DCS. Nephrolithiasis was detected in 20.30% (41/202) of gout patients and 4.65% (2/43) of hyperuricemia patients, indicating nephrolithiasis occurred in more gout patients than in hyperuricemia patients.ConclusionHAG is the early sign of MSU crystal deposition in joints. Early urate lowering therapy (ULT) may reduce HAG and ameliorate synovitis and synovial hypertrophy. DCS and tophi are the risk factors of bone erosion. Early ULT should be considered in the gout patients with DCS or tophi. And nephrolithiasis was remarkably relevant to MSU crystal deposition in joints in gout patients.
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- 2021
7. T follicular helper cells and regulatory B cells dynamics in systemic lupus erythematosus.
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Xue Yang, Ji Yang, Yiwei Chu, Yu Xue, Dandan Xuan, Shucong Zheng, and Hejian Zou
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Medicine ,Science - Abstract
T follicular helper (Tfh) cells aid effector B cells, and augment autoimmunity, whereas the role of Tfh cells on regulatory B (Breg) cells in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is not known. The aim of this study is to investigate the percentage of Breg cells in SLE, and the role of Tfh cells on Breg cells. First, we demonstrated the presence of Breg cells in SLE peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in involved skins. Both the percentage of circulating Breg cells and the ability to produce interleukin-10 (IL-10) were elevated in SLE patients. The percentage of Breg cells increased during SLE flares and decreased following disease remission. Second, Tfh cell expansion was not only related to autoantibody production but also correlated with the increased percentage of Breg cells. Third, in vitro studies revealed that Tfh cell-derived IL-21 could promote IL-10 production and Breg cell differentiation. In conclusions, these data imply that SLE flares may be linked to the expansion of Tfh cells and that Breg cells are increased in a regulatory feedback manner. Thus, SLE development may be associated with the complex regulation of Tfh cells and diverse B cell subsets.
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- 2014
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8. Ultrasound assessment of skin thickness and stiffness: the correlation with histology and clinical score in systemic sclerosis
- Author
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Xue Yang, Ning Kong, Chen Chen, Minrui Liang, Weiguo Wan, Tianyi Zhao, Zaihua Zhu, Yiyun Yu, Hejian Zou, Yi Cheng, Dandan Xuan, Shucong Zheng, Xiaoxia Zhu, Yehua Cai, and Yu Xue
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,lcsh:Diseases of the musculoskeletal system ,Histology ,Skin thickness ,Correlation ,Scleroderma, Limited ,Internal medicine ,Ultrasound ,medicine ,Humans ,Skin ,Ultrasonography ,Shear wave elastography ,Scleroderma, Systemic ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,integumentary system ,business.industry ,Stiffness ,Hand ,Rheumatology ,Skin biopsy ,Scleroderma, Diffuse ,Systemic sclerosis ,lcsh:RC925-935 ,medicine.symptom ,business ,Nuclear medicine ,Research Article - Abstract
s Background Ultrasound is a useful tool to evaluate and quantify skin lesions. Few studies have assessed the criterion validity of skin ultrasound in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aims of the study were to investigate skin thickness and stiffness using ultrasound and shear wave elastography (SWE) in SSc and to validate skin ultrasound measurements against histological skin thickness. Methods A total of 22 patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc), 22 with limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc), and 22 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Skin thickness and stiffness were measured by B-mode ultrasound with SWE imaging on the bilateral fingers and hands. Additional ultrasound evaluation was carried out in 13 patients (9 dcSSc and 4 lcSSc) on their dorsal forearms, followed by skin biopsy conducted in the same skin areas. Correlations between ultrasound measurements and histological skin thickness and modified Rodnan skin score (mRSS) were investigated using Spearman’s correlation. Results Compared with controls, ultrasound-measured skin thickness and skin stiffness were significantly higher in patients with SSc (p r = 0.6926, p = 0.009). A weaker association was also observed between histological skin thickness and local mRSS (r = 0.5867, p = 0.050). Conclusions Ultrasound is a reliable tool for quantifying skin involvement in SSc. Ultrasound-measured skin thickness showed good agreement with histological skin thickness.
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- 2020
9. Additional file 1 of Ultrasound assessment of skin thickness and stiffness: the correlation with histology and clinical score in systemic sclerosis
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Chen, Chen, Cheng, Yi, Xiaoxia Zhu, Yehua Cai, Xue, Yu, Kong, Ning, Yiyun Yu, Dandan Xuan, Shucong Zheng, Yang, Xue, Zaihua Zhu, Tianyi Zhao, Weiguo Wan, Hejian Zou, and Minrui Liang
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body regions ,integumentary system - Abstract
Additional file 1 : Supplementary Figure S1. Correlations between ultrasound measured skin thickness and skin stiffness. Supplementary Figure S2. Correlations between whole body mRSS and ultrasound parameters measured at fingers and hands.
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- 2020
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10. Renal excretion is a cause of decreased serum uric acid during acute gout
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Tianyi Zhao, Xiaoxia Zhu, Ling Cao, Weiguo Wan, Shucong Zheng, Meizhu Guo, Xiaoxi Lv, Yu Xue, and Hejian Zou
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Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Time Factors ,Gout ,Urinary system ,Down-Regulation ,Renal function ,Hyperuricemia ,Kidney ,Gastroenterology ,Excretion ,Young Adult ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Rheumatology ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Aged ,Retrospective Studies ,030203 arthritis & rheumatology ,Arthritis, Gouty ,business.industry ,nutritional and metabolic diseases ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Uric Acid ,Renal Elimination ,chemistry ,Renal physiology ,Uric acid ,Female ,business ,Body mass index ,Biomarkers - Abstract
AIMS To evaluate the fluctuation of serum uric acid (SUA) during acute gout (AG) and explore its potential mechanisms. METHODS Data such as SUA, urinary uric acid and 24-hour uric acid urinary excretion were collected from 126 patients diagnosed with gout and were analyzed. RESULTS Serum uric acid was negatively correlated with age in gout patients, and significantly elevated in patients aged ≤50 years. Twenty-four-hour uric acid urinary excretion was affected by SUA, creatinine clearance, age, body mass index and urine volume. In contrast, clearance of uric acid and fractional excretion of uric acid (FEur) were more stable. SUA was significantly downregulated during acute attacks. Of the AG patients, 34.92% had detected SUA
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- 2018
11. Sirt1 ameliorates systemic sclerosis by targeting the mTOR pathway
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Hejian Zou, Weiguo Wan, Haiyan Chu, Jiucun Wang, Qingmei Liu, Shucong Zheng, Shuai Jiang, Lei Liu, Yu Xue, Jianhua Qiu, and Xiaoxia Zhu
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0301 basic medicine ,Biopsy ,Resveratrol ,Biochemistry ,Scleroderma ,Mice ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Sirtuin 1 ,Fibrosis ,Stilbenes ,Phosphorylation ,skin and connective tissue diseases ,Cells, Cultured ,Skin ,Mice, Inbred C3H ,Gene knockdown ,integumentary system ,TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases ,Immunohistochemistry ,Gene Knockdown Techniques ,Cytokines ,Female ,Collagen ,medicine.symptom ,Signal Transduction ,Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ,Inflammation ,Dermatology ,Biology ,Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Bleomycin ,03 medical and health sciences ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,RNA, Messenger ,Molecular Biology ,PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway ,Sirolimus ,030203 arthritis & rheumatology ,Autoimmune disease ,Scleroderma, Systemic ,Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ,Fibroblasts ,medicine.disease ,Disease Models, Animal ,030104 developmental biology ,chemistry ,Immunology ,Cancer research - Abstract
Background Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation and fibrosis. Our previous research has indicated that Sirtuin1 (Sirt1) plays a role in the regulation of TNF-α-induced inflammation; however, whether Sirt1 may inhibit the progress of SSc by blocking inflammation remains unknown. Objective We aimed to investigate the function of Sirt1 in SSc. Methods The function and its mechanism of Sirt1 were evaluated in fibroblasts or scleroderma mice. The expression of Sirt1 and cytokines was analyzed using real-time PCR, western blot, ELISA and immunohistochemistry. Results We determined that fibroblasts of SSc patients were activated to exhibit inflammation. Sirt1, activated by resveratrol (Res), ameliorated cutaneous inflammation and fibrosis in bleomycin (BLM)-induced scleroderma mice. An improvement in mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) was identified in the fibroblasts of SSc patients and the skin lesions of BLM mice. Rapamycin, an mTOR specific inhibitor, substantially inhibited the induced inflammation and fibrosis. The enhancement of mTOR expression in the skin lesions of the BLM-treated mice was significantly inhibited by Sirt1 activation. However, in both the BLM-treated cells and mice, Res exerted an inhibitory function on the expression of inflammatory factors, and collagen was diminished following mTOR knockdown. These findings suggest that Res may inhibit inflammation and fibrosis via mTOR. Conclusion The modulation of Sirt1 activity may represent a potential therapeutic method for SSc. The mechanism may involve the inhibition of mTOR phosphorylation, whereas mTOR activity was shown to be a pathogenic culprit of SSc.
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- 2017
12. BANK1 alters B cell responses and influences the interactions between B cells and induced T regulatory cells in mice with collagen-induced arthritis
- Author
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Huimin Fan, Jie Ren, Ning Kong, Jie Yang, Jiong Zhang, Dandan Xuan, Xiaohui Zhou, Hejian Zou, Juan Sun, Yu Xue, Yiming Yang, Weiguo Wan, and Shucong Zheng
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,musculoskeletal diseases ,Male ,Adoptive cell transfer ,lcsh:Diseases of the musculoskeletal system ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Antigen presentation ,Arthritis ,Gene Expression ,Spleen ,Cell Communication ,T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ,Granzymes ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,medicine ,Cytotoxic T cell ,Animals ,B cell ,Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ,030203 arthritis & rheumatology ,Antigen Presentation ,B-Lymphocytes ,biology ,Chemistry ,Cell Differentiation ,medicine.disease ,Arthritis, Experimental ,Coculture Techniques ,Cell biology ,030104 developmental biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Cytokine ,Mice, Inbred DBA ,biology.protein ,Cytokines ,lcsh:RC925-935 ,Antibody ,Research Article - Abstract
Background Functional variants of the B cell gene, B cell scaffold protein with ankyrin repeats 1 (BANK1) contribute to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility, but their influences on B cell responses are unclear. Moreover, the function of induced T regulatory cells (iTregs) in the inflammatory milieu in a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model is unknown. This study was performed to investigate the roles of BANK1 in CIA and the interaction between B cells and iTregs. Methods The changes in BANK1 mRNA and protein levels and their correlation with disease severity in CIA were determined. Next, the antigen-presenting function and autoantibody production in B cells were evaluated by co-culture with effector T cells and iTregs, respectively, both in vitro and in vivo. Then, the mechanisms underlying these interactions were studied by adding neutralizing antibodies or transwell inserts and by adoptive transfer to B-cell-depleted CIA mice. Results The BANK1 level decreased in the peripheral blood, spleen and lymph nodes of CIA mice, particularly during the acute stage of arthritis, and exhibited negative correlation with disease severity and autoantibody production. B cell responses were enhanced by this decrease. B cells from CIA mice (CIA-B cells) promoted iTreg differentiation, proliferation and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) expression. Meanwhile, BANK1 expression in CIA-B cells increased after co-culture with iTregs, limiting B cell responses. All these interactions depended on cell contact with CTLA-4-overexpressing iTregs but were independent of CTLA-4 cytokine. Conclusion Decreased BANK1 expression promotes B cell responses, resulting in an increased antigen presentation ability and autoantibody production that subsequently influences the communication between B cells and iTregs through a cell-contact-dependent and CTLA-4- cytokine-independent mechanism in CIA mice.
- Published
- 2018
13. The effect of resveratrol on the recurrent attacks of gouty arthritis
- Author
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Yuankai Wang, Xiaoxia Zhu, Jianhua Qiu, Hejian Zou, Qiong Liu, Shucong Zheng, Huiqing Zhu, Haiyan Chen, and Yu Xue
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Arthritis ,Inflammation ,Resveratrol ,Kidney ,Mice ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Rheumatology ,Recurrence ,Internal medicine ,Stilbenes ,medicine ,Animals ,Hyperuricemia ,Gouty arthritis ,Arthritis, Gouty ,business.industry ,Therapeutic effect ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,Uric Acid ,Gout ,Mice, Inbred C57BL ,Disease Models, Animal ,Treatment Outcome ,Endocrinology ,chemistry ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
Gouty arthritis is characterized by inflammation induced by monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition, which is resulted by an increase of serum urate concentration. The management of gout, especially the recurrent acute attacks of chronic gouty arthritis, is still a problem to be resolved. In this study, we aimed to develop the preventive and therapeutic effect of resveratrol on gouty arthritis. MSU was used to induce gouty arthritis in the foot pad of C57BL/6 mice. Yeast polysaccharide and potassium oxonate were used to induce hyperuricemia in Kunming mice. Resveratrol was intraperitoneal injected to the mice in the treatment group. The pad inflammation and the level of serum uric acid were investigated to estimate the effect of resveratrol in gouty arthritis. Hyperuricemia was significantly detected in the mice treated with yeast polysaccharide and potassium oxonate, and gouty arthritis was successfully induced with MSU in mice. We further identified that resveratrol inhibited pad swelling and pad 99mTc uptake in gouty mice. Moreover, serum uric acid level was also decreased by resveratrol in hyperuricemia mice. This study highlighted that resveratrol might be applied to prevent the recurrent acute attack of gouty arthritis because of its inhibition of articular inflammation and down-regulation of serum uric acid.
- Published
- 2014
14. New Interleukins in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Patients: The Possible Roles of Interleukin-33 to Interleukin-38 in Disease Activities and Bone Erosions
- Author
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Ning Kong, Jiong Zhang, Xiangyu Li, Xiaoxia Zhu, Jiang Li, Wenlong Rui, Dandan Xuan, Yiyun Yu, Shucong Zheng, He-jian Zou, Lei Liu, Yu Xue, and Weiguo Wan
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Osteolysis ,business.industry ,Arthritis ,Interleukin ,Dermatology ,medicine.disease ,Gastroenterology ,Interleukin 33 ,03 medical and health sciences ,Psoriatic arthritis ,030104 developmental biology ,Osteoprotegerin ,Psoriasis Area and Severity Index ,Internal medicine ,Psoriasis ,Medicine ,business - Abstract
Objectives: New interleukins (ILs), especially members of IL-1 and IL-12 families, have recently been reported to be involved in the development and regulation of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of these new ILs in psoriasis (Ps) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Methods: Forty PsA patients, 20 Ps patients, and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Blood samples were obtained for detecting the levels of ILs, IL-12/23p40, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). The severity of skin lesions was assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Arthritis activities of PsA patients were assessed by the PsA Joint Activity Index. For PsA patients, circulating osteoclastogenesis-related cytokines (osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand) and numbers of osteoclast precursors were evaluated. Radiographic features of affected joints in these patients were scored for erosion, joint-space narrowing, osteolysis, and new bone formation. Correlations among levels of these ILs, Ps, and PsA disease activities and bone erosions were studied. Results: Ps and PsA patients had higher serum levels of TNF-α, IL-12/23p40, and IL-33. Serum levels of IL-34 and IL-35 were higher in PsA patients than in Ps patients and HCs. Patients with pustular Ps had higher serum levels of IL-36α and IL-38 than patients with Ps vulgaris or HCs. Increased serum levels of IL-36α were positively correlated with PASI. Conclusion: Certain ILs were elevated in the circulation of patients with Ps and PsA, which might contribute to the pathogenesis of skin lesions and arthritis.
- Published
- 2016
15. Role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the transient release of IL-1β induced by monosodium urate crystals in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes
- Author
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Shucong Zheng, Yu Xue, Qiong Liu, Xiaoxia Zhu, Jian-hua Qiu, Li-hong Zhang, and Hejian Zou
- Subjects
MSU ,Monosodium Urate Crystals ,integumentary system ,business.industry ,Research ,Clinical Biochemistry ,Pharmacology toxicology ,Interleukin ,Inflammasome ,Cell Biology ,Bioinformatics ,Synoviocytes ,Molecular medicine ,Cell biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,NLRP3 ,IL-1β ,Monosodium urate ,medicine ,business ,Fibroblast ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Background To investigate whether monosodium urate (MSU) crystals induce interleukin (IL)-1β in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), and whether the NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in the inflammatory mechanism. Methods Human FLS isolated from explants of synovial tissue were stimulated with MSU crystals (0.001 to 0.5 mg/ml) for different time course (6 hours to 48 hours). The expressions of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NLRP3 were evaluated with ELISA, Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR. Results Exposure of FLS to MSU crystals transiently induced a significant increase in IL-1β expression in culture medium with a peak at 6 h. The mRNA level of IL-1β in the FLS cells had a similar pattern at this time point. Changes in IL-6 and TNF-α expression were not observed. Simultaneously, intercellular pro-IL-1β was detected at 6 h. Furthermore, MSU crystals also induced NLRP3 mRNA and protein expression at 6 h to 48 h after MSU treatment. Conclusions MSU crystals directly increased IL-1β and intercellular NLRP3 expression in FLS cells. It is suggested that the NLRP3 inflammasome may be associated with IL-1β in FLS treated with MSU. Altogether, MSU could induce production and release of IL-1β through the NLRP3 inflammasome in human synoviocytes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12950-015-0070-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
- Published
- 2015
16. Tag SNPs for HLA-B alleles that are associated with drug response and disease risk in the Chinese Han population
- Author
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Hejian Zou, Jishan Sun, Jianhua Wang, Hao Yu, Hao Chen, J Xu, Daru Lu, Shucong Zheng, and Xuan Liu
- Subjects
Pharmacology ,Genetics ,Male ,Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ,Genotype ,Single-nucleotide polymorphism ,Human leukocyte antigen ,Biology ,Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ,HLA-B ,Chinese han population ,HLA-B Antigens ,Disease risk ,Drug response ,Molecular Medicine ,Humans ,Female ,Allele ,Alleles ,Genetic Association Studies - Abstract
Multiple HLA-B alleles (haplotypes) are associated with drug-induced adverse responses and disease risks but are difficult to be directly genotyped. The goal of this study is to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are able to tag HLA-B alleles in the Chinese Han population. Twelve HLA-B alleles that are associated with drug adverse responses and disease risks were identified. They were sequenced initially in 880 Chinese Han subjects where high-density SNPs within the HLA-B gene were available. Performances of these SNPs to tag the HLA-B alleles were assessed primarily by sensitivity and specificity. Two HLA-B alleles can be reliably tagged by SNPs at 100% sensitivity and95% specificity. For example, HLA-B*15:02 can be tagged by the 'C' allele of rs10484555, and HLA-B*58:01 can be tagged by the 'T' allele of rs9262570. These results were confirmed in 500 additional Chinese Han subjects. If confirmed in independent studies, these tag SNPs could be used as a reliable, simple and cost-effective alternative for genotyping a subset of HLA-B alleles.
- Published
- 2014
17. T follicular helper cells and regulatory B cells dynamics in systemic lupus erythematosus
- Author
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Dandan Xuan, Yiwei Chu, Yu Xue, Xue Yang, Hejian Zou, Ji Yang, and Shucong Zheng
- Subjects
Male ,B Cells ,Cellular differentiation ,lcsh:Medicine ,Autoimmunity ,medicine.disease_cause ,Cell Movement ,immune system diseases ,Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ,Connective Tissue Diseases ,skin and connective tissue diseases ,lcsh:Science ,Skin ,B-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ,Multidisciplinary ,T Cells ,Interleukin ,Cell Differentiation ,T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ,Middle Aged ,Interleukin-10 ,Interleukin 10 ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Medicine ,Female ,Research Article ,Adult ,Immune Cells ,Regulatory B cells ,Immunology ,Dermatology ,Biology ,Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ,Peripheral blood mononuclear cell ,Autoimmune Diseases ,Young Adult ,Rheumatology ,medicine ,Humans ,B cell ,Cell Proliferation ,Lupus erythematosus ,Lupus Erythematosus ,Interleukins ,lcsh:R ,medicine.disease ,Clinical Immunology ,lcsh:Q - Abstract
T follicular helper (Tfh) cells aid effector B cells, and augment autoimmunity, whereas the role of Tfh cells on regulatory B (Breg) cells in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is not known. The aim of this study is to investigate the percentage of Breg cells in SLE, and the role of Tfh cells on Breg cells. First, we demonstrated the presence of Breg cells in SLE peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in involved skins. Both the percentage of circulating Breg cells and the ability to produce interleukin-10 (IL-10) were elevated in SLE patients. The percentage of Breg cells increased during SLE flares and decreased following disease remission. Second, Tfh cell expansion was not only related to autoantibody production but also correlated with the increased percentage of Breg cells. Third, in vitro studies revealed that Tfh cell-derived IL-21 could promote IL-10 production and Breg cell differentiation. In conclusions, these data imply that SLE flares may be linked to the expansion of Tfh cells and that Breg cells are increased in a regulatory feedback manner. Thus, SLE development may be associated with the complex regulation of Tfh cells and diverse B cell subsets.
- Published
- 2014
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