Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and their soluble receptors (sTNF-alpha-Rp55 and slL-6R) serum levels in systemic lupus erythematodes

Tetrahydrocurcumin Lipid Nanoparticle Based Gel Promotes Penetration into Deeper Skin Layers and Alleviates Atopic Dermatitis in 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) Mouse Model

Treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) is challenging due to its complex pathophysiology. Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) a polyphenolic, colorless compound that is more polar than curcumin. It possesses superior anti-inflammatory properties and has a clinical advantage over curcumin. The present study investigated the therapeutic effectiveness of THC solid lipid nanoparticle (THC-SLN)-based gels in AD. THC-SLNs prepared using microemulsification resulted in a particle size of 109.2 nm as determined by nanoparticle tracking, and FTIR confirmed the entrapment of drug within the lipid matrix. THC-SLNs greatly enhanced skin hydration when tested both ex vivo and in vivo in Lacca mice. Deeper skin penetration was clearly established using dermatokinetics and CLSM. The in vivo pharmacodynamics of THC-SLNs gel in 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD mice showed enhanced bioactivity; reduced levels of TNF-α and IL-6; and complete healing, as evident from histopathological studies. Thus, the novel topical THC-SLN gel has potential to emerge as a safe alternative to conventional corticosteroids for AD and other skin disorders with overbearing inflammation.

Insulin resistance in children with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus and ınvestigation of the possibly responsible factors

OBJECTIVE

Insulin resistance (IR) has been described in adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), though its mechanism has not been fully clarified. In this study, it was aimed to investigate insulin sensitivity for the first time in children with juvenile SLE (jSLE) by considering the effect of the already known contributing factors of IR.

METHOD

This is a cross-sectional study including 43 patients with jSLE and the same number of healthy controls matched for age, gender, pubertal stage, body mass index, and physical activity level. IR, as calculated by both homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and a relatively new method, triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, was compared between the patients and their matched controls, also among the patients stratified by disease duration, corticosteroid use, and disease activity.

RESULTS

Insulin resistance in the patient group was higher than the controls according to both HOMA-IR and TyG index (p < 0.001 for both). In the patient group, no significant effect of disease duration, corticosteroid use, disease activity, and levels of anti-dsDNA, anti-cardiolipin IgM, anti-cardiolipin IgG, C3, and C4 on IR was demonstrated.

CONCLUSION

Children with jSLE were found to have higher IR even after neutralizing the effects of the contributing factors which are expected to aggravate IR. This elevation in IR in jSLE seems not to be associated with corticosteroid use, disease duration, disease activity, or autoantibody levels. Thus, the presence of IR in jSLE cannot be explained solely with neither the already known contributing factors nor the increased inflammation of the disease. Key Points • In this study, insulin sensitivity was investigated for the first time in children with jSLE. • Children with jSLE have higher insulin resistance than healthy ones. • Insulin resistance in children with jSLE is independent of corticosteroid use, disease duration, disease activity or autoantibody, and complement levels.

Molecular biology of atherosclerosis

At least 468 individual genes have been manipulated by molecular methods to study their effects on the initiation, promotion, and progression of atherosclerosis. Most clinicians and many investigators, even in related disciplines, find many of these genes and the related pathways entirely foreign. Medical schools generally do not attempt to incorporate the relevant molecular biology into their curriculum. A number of key signaling pathways are highly relevant to atherogenesis and are presented to provide a context for the gene manipulations summarized herein. The pathways include the following: the insulin receptor (and other receptor tyrosine kinases); Ras and MAPK activation; TNF-α and related family members leading to activation of NF-κB; effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on signaling; endothelial adaptations to flow including G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and integrin-related signaling; activation of endothelial and other cells by modified lipoproteins; purinergic signaling; control of leukocyte adhesion to endothelium, migration, and further activation; foam cell formation; and macrophage and vascular smooth muscle cell signaling related to proliferation, efferocytosis, and apoptosis. This review is intended primarily as an introduction to these key signaling pathways. They have become the focus of modern atherosclerosis research and will undoubtedly provide a rich resource for future innovation toward intervention and prevention of the number one cause of death in the modern world.

Therapeutic effect of artemisinin on lupus nephritis mice and its mechanisms

In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of artemisinin (Art) on lupus nephritis mice and its mechanisms by comparing the differences between lupus nephritis (LN) mice given Art and control mice in molecular biology, immunohistochemistry, and histopathology. The results showed that Art could remarkably relieve the symptoms, decrease the level of urine protein/24 h, and alleviate pathological renal lesions. The differences among the four groups in the expression of the NF-κBp65 protein, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity, and the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) mRNA in renal tissue suggested that Art can lower the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and inhibit the expression of the NF-κBp65 protein and NF-κB and TGF-β1 mRNA in the renal tissues of LN mice. These results proved that it is reliable and effective to use Art to treat LN mice, and its therapeutic mechanisms should closely be related to the fact that Art can obviously decrease the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and down-regulate the expression of the NF-κBp65 protein and NF-κB and TGF-β1 mRNA in renal tissues.

The influence of antimalarial treatment on IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNA expression on UVB-irradiated skin in systemic lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND

There are very few data addressing the mechanisms of antimalarial treatment benefit locally within the skin of patients with lupus erythematosus, at the level of cytokine messenger RNA (mRNA) expression.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether 3 months of monotherapy with chloroquine influences the mRNA skin expression of interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in nonirradiated and locally ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiated nondiseased skin of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

PATIENTS/METHODS

Skin biopsies were collected from 14 patients with SLE 24 h after irradiation at one site and from an adjacent unirradiated site, before and after 3 months of chloroquine treatment. Messenger RNA levels for IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha were determined by relative quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in the levels of mRNA cytokine expressions in the unirradiated sites before and after 3 months of chloroquine administration. In the irradiated sites, the expression of all three cytokine mRNA levels was significantly higher than in the unirradiated group, approximately 24 h after irradiation, before chloroquine treatment. Significantly lower expression of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha mRNAs was noted in irradiated skin samples after 3 months of chloroquine treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate the local inhibitory effects of chloroquine on UVB-induced upregulation in the mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines in irradiated skin of SLE patients, and provide further insight into the apparent immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory and photoprotective properties of chloroquine.

Autoimmune-induced damage of the midbrain dopaminergic system in lupus-prone mice

Spontaneous development of lupus-like disease is accompanied by impaired dopamine catabolism and degenerating axon terminals in the mesencephalon of MRL-lpr mice. We presently examine the hypothesis that systemic autoimmunity affects the central dopaminergic system in behaviorally impaired animals. The functional damage of the nigrostriatal pathway was assessed from rotational behavior after a single injection of the D1/D2-receptor agonist apomorphine. Neurodegeneration in the midbrain was estimated by Fluoro Jade B (FJB) staining. The causal role of autoimmunity was tested by comparing asymptomatic and diseased MRL-lpr mice, and by employing the immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide. Damage of dopaminergic neurons was assessed by tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH) staining of the midbrain. Apomorphine induced significant asymmetry in limb use, which lead to increased circling in the diseased MRL-lpr group. While FJB-positive somas were not seen in the striatum, increased staining in the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) were detected in behaviorally impaired MRL-lpr mice, but not in age-matched controls. Reduced brain mass and increased levels of TNF-alpha in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) suggested cerebral atrophy and inflammation. In addition, CSF was neurotoxic to a dopaminergic progenitor cell line. Immunosuppression attenuated CSF cytotoxicity, TNF-alpha levels, and midbrain neurodegeneration. Supportive of the notion that dying neurons were dopaminergic, the SN of autoimmune mice showed approximately a 35% reduction in the number of TH-positive cells. A three-fold increase in serum brain-reactive antibodies accompanied this loss. Although the source of toxic mediator(s) remains unknown, present results are consistent with the hypothesis that autoimmunity-induced destruction of mesonigral and mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways contributes to the etiology of aberrant behavior in an animal model of neuropsychiatric lupus.

Circulating IL-6-type cytokines and sIL-6R in patients with multiple myeloma

We investigated the serum concentration of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and four IL-6 family cytokines - oncostatin M (OSM), leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), interleukin-11 (IL-11) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) as well as IL-6 soluble receptor (sIL-6R) - using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 67 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and 24 healthy controls, for a possible association between the serum levels of these peptides with disease activity and known prognostic factors. sIL-6R was detectable in all 67 and IL-6 in 65 (97%) patients. Both peptides were measurable in all healthy controls. In contrast, OSM was detectable in 30 (44.8%) MM patients and in only four (16.6%) normal individuals. The serum levels of IL-6, OSM and sIL-6R were significantly higher in MM patients compared with control group (P < 0.001, P < 0.03 and P < 0. 001 respectively). The highest concentrations of these cytokines were found in patients with progressive disease and the lowest in MM patients with stable disease and in healthy persons. LIF was detectable in four (6%), CNTF in 28 (41.8%) and IL-11 in eight (11. 9%) of the patients with MM. In the control group LIF, CNTF and IL-11 were measurable in 8.3%, 33.3% and 8.3% respectively. The serum concentration of these cytokines did not correlate either with clinical stage or with the phase of disease and was similar to those in healthy individuals. We found significant positive correlation between IL-6 levels and OSM (P < 0.001). We also observed positive correlation between beta2-M concentration and serum levels of IL-6 (P < 0.002), sIL-6R (P < 0.02) and OSM (P < 0.04) as well as a positive relationship between CRP and IL-6 (P < 0.001) and OSM (P < 0.002). In conclusion, the serum levels of IL-6, OSM and sIL-6R, but not LIF, IL-11 and CNTF, may be useful markers of MM activity.

Cytokines serum levels as the markers of thyroid activation in Graves' disease

In order to examine which cytokine could be used as a marker of the biological effect of thyroid hormones or anti-thyroid antibodies in Graves' disease (GD) patients, we simultaneously evaluated the concentrations of TSH, free thyroid hormones (fT3 and fT4), anti-thyroid antibodies (anti-TPO and anti-TG) and a group of cytokines: interleukin-2 (IL-2), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and their soluble receptors (sIL-2R, sTNFalphaR, sIL-6R) as well as interleukin-10 (IL-10) in eight GD females and nine normal controls. We found that serum sIL-2R concentrations of GD patients had only the tendency to be higher versus controls, but strong positive correlations between fT3 and fT4 and sIL-2R in peripheral blood of GD subjects were revealed. We showed that sIL-2R was the best cytokine marker, showing very good correlation with the endocrine status of GD patients.