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Hegarty C, Neto N, Cahill P, Floudas A. Computational approaches in rheumatic diseases - Deciphering complex spatio-temporal cell interactions. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:4009-4020. [PMID: 37649712 PMCID: PMC10462794 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid (RA), and psoriatic (PsA) arthritis, are clinically and immunologically heterogeneous diseases with no identified cure. Chronic inflammation of the synovial tissue ushers loss of function of the joint that severely impacts the patient's quality of life, eventually leading to disability and life-threatening comorbidities. The pathogenesis of synovial inflammation is the consequence of compounded immune and stromal cell interactions influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Deciphering the complexity of the synovial cellular landscape has accelerated primarily due to the utilisation of bulk and single cell RNA sequencing. Particularly the capacity to generate cell-cell interaction networks could reveal evidence of previously unappreciated processes leading to disease. However, there is currently a lack of universal nomenclature as a result of varied experimental and technological approaches that discombobulates the study of synovial inflammation. While spatial transcriptomic analysis that combines anatomical information with transcriptomic data of synovial tissue biopsies promises to provide more insights into disease pathogenesis, in vitro functional assays with single-cell resolution will be required to validate current bioinformatic applications. In order to provide a comprehensive approach and translate experimental data to clinical practice, a combination of clinical and molecular data with machine learning has the potential to enhance patient stratification and identify individuals at risk of arthritis that would benefit from early therapeutic intervention. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the effect of computational approaches in deciphering synovial inflammation pathogenesis and discuss the impact that further experimental and novel computational tools may have on therapeutic target identification and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciara Hegarty
- Translational Immunology lab, School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Nuno Neto
- Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Paul Cahill
- Vascular Biology lab, School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Achilleas Floudas
- Translational Immunology lab, School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
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Ma W, Cai J, Zhang W, Suo S, Zu J, Yao Q, Wei J, Lu Q. Diagnostic performance of double inversion recovery MRI sequence for synovitis of the wrist joints in rheumatoid arthritis. LA RADIOLOGIA MEDICA 2023:10.1007/s11547-023-01669-8. [PMID: 37402026 DOI: 10.1007/s11547-023-01669-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess the diagnostic accuracy of double inversion recovery (DIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences for synovitis of the wrist joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIAL AND METHODS Participants with newly diagnosed RA were enrolled between November 2019 and November 2020. MRI examinations of the wrist joints were performed using a contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging sequence (CE-T1WI) and DIR sequence. We measured synovitis score, number of synovial areas, synovial volume, mean synovium-to-bone signal ratio (SBR), and synovial contrast-to-noise ratio (SNR). The inter-reviewer agreement rated on a four-point scale was evaluated by calculating the weighted k statistics. Two MRI sequences were assessed using Bland-Altman analyses, and the diagnostic performance of DIR images was calculated using the chi-square test. RESULTS A total of 47 participants were evaluated, and 282 joint regions in 5076 images were reviewed by two readers. There was no significant difference in synovitis scores (P = 0.67), number of synovial areas (P = 0.89), and synovial volume (P = 0.086) between the two MRI sequences. DIR images showed better SBR and SNR (all P < 0.01). There was good agreement between the two reviewers in terms of synovitis distribution (κ = 0.79). The synovitis was well agreed upon by the two readers according to Bland-Altman analyses. Using CE-T1WI as the reference standard, DIR imaging demonstrated a sensitivity of 94.1% and a specificity of 84.6% at the patient level. CONCLUSION The non-contrast DIR sequence showed good consistency with CE-T1WI and potential for evaluating synovitis in patients with RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Ma
- Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Jianguo Cai
- Department of Radiology, Xinhua Hospital Chongming Branch, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 202150, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Shiteng Suo
- Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Jinyan Zu
- Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Qiuying Yao
- Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Jiaxu Wei
- Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200001, China
| | - Qing Lu
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai East Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, 150 Jimo Road, Shanghai, 200120, China.
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Li J, Zhang X, Guo D, Shi Y, Zhang S, Yang R, Cheng J. The mechanism of action of paeoniae radix rubra–angelicae sinensis radix drug pair in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis through PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1113810. [PMID: 36992829 PMCID: PMC10040578 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1113810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of Paeoniae radix rubra–Angelicae sinensis radix (P-A) drug pair in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods: Mass spectrometry was employed to accurately characterize the main components of the P-A drug pair. Network pharmacology was used to analyze the main components and pathways of the P-A drug pair in the treatment of RA, and Discovery Studio software was used to molecularly dock the key proteins on the pathway with their corresponding compounds. The levels of serum TNF-a, IL-1β, and IL-6 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The histopathology of the ankle joint was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and the positive expression of p-PI3K, p-IKK, p-NF-κB, and p-AKT in the synovial tissue of the ankle joint was detected by immunohistochemical analysis. Finally, the expression of PI3K, IKK, and AKT and their phosphorylation levels were determined by western blot in each group of rats.Results: Network pharmacology combined with molecular docking analysis revealed that the pharmacodynamic mechanism of the P-A drug pair for the treatment of RA may be related to the contents of caffeic acid, quercetin, paeoniflorin, and baicalein in the regulation of the expression of the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway and the targets of PIK3CA, PIK3R1, AKT1, HSP90AA1 and IKBKB in the pathway. Compared with the model group, the P-A drug pair significantly improved the pathological changes of the synovial tissue and reduced feet swelling in RA model rats. Moreover, it regulated the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in serum (p < 0.05). The results of the immunohistochemical analysis and western blot showed that the expression of PI3K, IKK, NF-κB, and AKT decreased after phosphorylation in the synovial tissue (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The P-A drug pair exhibited an inhibitory effect on the hyperactivation of the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway in the synovial membrane of RA rats. The mechanism may be related to the downregulation of the phosphorylation levels PI3K, IKK, NF-κB, and AKT, which in turn decreased inflammatory cell infiltration and synovial membrane proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Li
- Department of Pharmaceutics, The Key Laboratory of Basic and New Drug Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Xiaofei Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, The Key Laboratory of Basic and New Drug Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
- Department of Pharmaceutics, The Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
| | - Dongyan Guo
- Department of Pharmaceutics, The Key Laboratory of Basic and New Drug Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Yajun Shi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, The Key Laboratory of Basic and New Drug Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Shihao Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, The Key Laboratory of Basic and New Drug Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Ruiying Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, The Key Laboratory of Basic and New Drug Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Jiangxue Cheng
- Department of Pharmaceutics, The Key Laboratory of Basic and New Drug Research of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
- *Correspondence: Jiangxue Cheng,
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Ceccarelli F, Natalucci F, Olivieri G, Perricone C, Pirone C, Spinelli FR, Alessandri C, Conti F. Erosive arthritis in systemic lupus erythematosus: not only Rhupus. Lupus 2021; 30:2029-2041. [PMID: 34666547 DOI: 10.1177/09612033211051637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-related arthritis has been traditionally defined as non-erosive and is therefore considered a minor manifestation requiring a mild treatment. However, the concept of non-erosive arthritis in SLE has been challenged with the advent of sensitive imaging techniques, such as high-resolution ultrasound with power Doppler or magnetic resonance. The application of these new imaging tools has demonstrated that up to 40% of SLE patients with joint involvement can develop erosive damage. Thus, this more aggressive phenotype can be identified not only in patients overlapping with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This issue has been considered for the first time in the classification criteria proposed by Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics in 2012, in which the old definition of "non-erosive arthritis" was replaced with either synovitis or tenderness in two or more joints with morning stiffness, suggesting the possible presence of an erosive phenotype. Accordingly, the 2019 EULAR/ACR's SLE recommendations advise treatment with immunosuppressant or biological drugs for patients with RA-like moderate arthritis. As a result, several studies have investigated the presence of biomarkers associated with SLE erosive damage. A relevant role seems to be played by the autoantibodies directed against post-translational modified proteins: above all, a significant association has been observed with antibodies directed against citrullinated and carbamylated proteins. Conversely, the rheumatoid factor was not associated with this more aggressive SLE-related arthritis. Nonetheless, some pro-inflammatory factors have been associated with erosive damage in SLE patients. These results suggest new pathogenic mechanisms underlining erosive arthritis, only partially shared with RA. Hence, in the present narrative review, we summarized available data about erosive arthritis in SLE patients, in the light of its impact on therapeutic decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fulvia Ceccarelli
- Lupus Clinic, Reumatologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Internistiche, Anestesiologiche e Cardiovascolari, 9311Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Francesco Natalucci
- Lupus Clinic, Reumatologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Internistiche, Anestesiologiche e Cardiovascolari, 9311Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Giulio Olivieri
- Lupus Clinic, Reumatologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Internistiche, Anestesiologiche e Cardiovascolari, 9311Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Carlo Perricone
- Rheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, 9309University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Carmelo Pirone
- Lupus Clinic, Reumatologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Internistiche, Anestesiologiche e Cardiovascolari, 9311Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Francesca Romana Spinelli
- Lupus Clinic, Reumatologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Internistiche, Anestesiologiche e Cardiovascolari, 9311Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Cristiano Alessandri
- Lupus Clinic, Reumatologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Internistiche, Anestesiologiche e Cardiovascolari, 9311Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Conti
- Lupus Clinic, Reumatologia, Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Internistiche, Anestesiologiche e Cardiovascolari, 9311Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
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Park EH, Yoon CH, Kang EH, Baek HJ. Utility of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Positron Emission Tomography in Rheumatic Diseases. JOURNAL OF RHEUMATIC DISEASES 2020. [DOI: 10.4078/jrd.2020.27.3.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eun Hye Park
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chong-Hyeon Yoon
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
| | - Eun Ha Kang
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
| | - Han Joo Baek
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Gachon University College of Medicine Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea
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Just SA, Nielsen C, Werlinrud JC, Larsen PV, Klinkby CS, Schrøder HD, Humby F, Torfing T, Lindegaard H. Six-month prospective trial in early and long-standing rheumatoid arthritis: evaluating disease activity in the wrist through sequential synovial histopathological analysis, RAMRIS magnetic resonance score and EULAR-OMERACT ultrasound score. RMD Open 2019; 5:e000951. [PMID: 31413866 PMCID: PMC6667976 DOI: 10.1136/rmdopen-2019-000951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Standardised scoring systems for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) joint disease activity include Larsen score for radiographs, rheumatoid arthritis magnetic resonance imaging score (RAMRIS) for MRI and using the European League Against Rheumatisms-Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (EULAR-OMERACT) score for ultrasound (US) images. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the relationship between histological synovitis and radiological synovitis, assessed by conventional X-ray, US and MRI of the wrist radiocarpal joint. Methods 20 patients with treatment naive early RA (ERA) and 20 with long-standing RA (LRA) were enrolled in a 6-month prospective study. Patients with RA underwent US-guided synovial biopsy, X-ray and US of the wrist at enrolment and 6 months. MRI at baseline and also at 6 months for the ERA group, and scored with the RAMRIS system. X-ray was scored by Larsen score and US by the EULAR-OMERACT system. Synovial biopsy inflammation was determined by the Krenn score. Results In the ERA group at baseline, Krenn score was correlated strongly with both US combined score (r = 0.77 p < 0.001) and MRI synovitis score (r = 0.85 p < 0.001), while uncorrelated at 6 months. In the LRA group at baseline, these scores correlated strongly (r = 0.83, p < 0.001) to moderately (r = 0.61, p = 0.002), and persisted at 6 months for US score (r = 0.81 p < 0.001). For all patients with RA, change in Krenn score between baseline and 6 months was correlated with both change in US combined score (r = 0.65, p < 0.001) and change in MRI synovitis score (r = 0.50, p = 0.03). Conclusion The MRI RAMRIS synovitis score and EULAR-OMERACT US scoring system are sensitive measures of histological synovitis in LRA and ERA. After 6 months, this correlation persists in the established RA group, but not in the ERA group. Overall, decreases in MRI/US synovitis are associated with reductions in histological synovitis. The study validates the use of MRI RAMRIS and EULAR-OMERACT US scores as surrogate markers of histological synovitis in established RA and early untreated RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Søren Andreas Just
- Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Svendborg Sygehus OUH, Svendborg, Denmark
| | - Christian Nielsen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,Odense Patient data Explorative Network (OPEN), Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | | | - Pia Veldt Larsen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | | | | | - Fran Humby
- Centre for Experimental Medicine and Rheumatology, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK
| | - Trine Torfing
- Section of musculoskeletal radiology, Department of Radiology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Hanne Lindegaard
- Department of Rheumatology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
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Østergaard M, Boesen M. Imaging in rheumatoid arthritis: the role of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. Radiol Med 2019; 124:1128-1141. [DOI: 10.1007/s11547-019-01014-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Murray E, Ellis A, Butylkova Y, Skup M, Kalabic J, Garg V. Systematic review and network meta-analysis: effect of biologics on radiographic progression in rheumatoid arthritis. J Comp Eff Res 2018; 7:959-974. [PMID: 30129776 DOI: 10.2217/cer-2017-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of biologics in inhibiting radiographic progression among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. MATERIALS & METHODS Bayesian network meta-analysis of published trials investigating the USA FDA approved biologics treatment in RA patients, using methotrexate (MTX) as the reference comparator. RESULTS Nine trials met the inclusion criteria for base case analysis. Compared with MTX, most biologics (except golimumab) + MTX had significantly lower rates of radiographic progression at 1 year. Mean difference in radiographic progression rates between MTX monotherapy and biologics + MTX was highest for adalimumab + MTX (-3.8) and lowest for tocilizumab + MTX (-0.7). Inhibition of radiographic progression was sustained. CONCLUSION Biologics inhibit radiographic progression in patients with RA at 1 year; however, published evidence beyond 1 year is limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Murray
- Doctor Evidence, Santa Monica, CA, 90401, USA
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T-614 Promotes Osteoblastic Cell Differentiation by Increasing Dlx5 Expression and Regulating the Activation of p38 and NF- κB. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:4901591. [PMID: 29670900 PMCID: PMC5836304 DOI: 10.1155/2018/4901591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease characterized by bone loss. Degree of inflammation has been identified as an important initiator of skeletal damage in RA. Iguratimod (T-614) is an anti-inflammatory agent which has been reported to show the inhibitory effect of bone destruction in RA. However, the role of T-614 in osteoblast differentiation is still not clear. In this study, we intended to find the effect of T-614 on the osteogenesis process. We detected osteogenesis markers and transcription factors associated with osteoblastic lineage and bone formation in the culture of mesenchymal stem cells which differentiate osteoblast. The contents and activity of alkaline phosphatase, levels of collagen type I and bone gla protein, and calcium nodule formation were increased significantly after T-614 treated. Meanwhile, the mRNAs expressions of Osterix and Dlx5 were also found to be increased significantly by real-time PCR. The changes of levels of phosphorylation of p38 and NF-κB were also detected by Western blot. The results showed that T-614 promotes osteoblastic differentiation by increasing the expression of Osterix and Dlx5 and increasing the activation of P38. T-614 could advance the ectopic expression of NF-κB to suppress inflammation, which indirectly inhibits the damage of the osteoblasts.
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