[Recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis in China]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and the leading cause of old age disability, affecting an estimated 302 million people worldwide. OA is seriously overlooked in the world. The awareness of OA and the popularization of standardized diagnosis and treatment are all lacking. Knees, hips, and hands are the most commonly affected joints in OA. Based on the experience of diagnosis and treatment, consensus and guidelines, we formulated this diagnosis and treatment standard in order to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of OA. We hope that our standard can reduce misdiagnosis and mistreatment and improve the prognosis of OA.

[Relationships between decreased LAMC3 and poor prognosis in ovarian cancer]

Objective: To investigate the correlations of laminin subunit gamma 3 (LAMC3) expression with prognosis of ovarian cancer (OC). Methods: LAMC3 protein expression was measured using immunohistochemical streptavidin-peroxidase-biotin connection method (IHC). Gene expression and related clinical data in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) cohort and clinical proteomic tumor analysis consortium (CPTAC) were applied to analyse the correlation between gene and protein expressions and clinical outcomes. Correlations between LAMC3 and clinicopathological factors were evaluated using the Pearson χ² test (2-sided). The probability of survival and significance was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier plot. The functional clustering of biological pathways enriched from co-expressed genes of LAMC3 was used to explore the possible mechanisms that LAMC3 might contribute to poor prognosis. Results: Based on the IHC results of 216 OC tissues or ovaries (including 208 tumors and 8 normal tissues) and 51 OC tissues (including 24 chemotherapy-resistant and 27 sensitive tissues), and the protein expression data from CPTAC (including 100 primary tumors and 25 normal tissues), the results showed that the protein expression of LAMC3 was significantly decreased in OC tissues compared with normal, decreased in advanced-stage tissues compared with early-stage tissues, and decreased in drug-resistant tissues compared with sensitive tissues (all P<0.05). Furthermore, low expression of LAMC3 protein was significantly associated with poor disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in 51 OC tissues (P<0.01), consistent with the results that the low levels of LAMC3 mRNA predicted short DFS and OS in 489 OC tissues of the TCGA cohort (P<0.05). The results suggested that low expression of LAMC3 might be the adverse factors for OC development, such as drug resistance and advanced tumors, and might be a risk indicator for prognosis. Moreover, functional clustering of biological pathways enriched from the co-expressed genes of LAMC3 in TCGA ovarian cohort indicated that LAMC3 potentially involved in regulation of OC via oncogene-pathways such as Ras associated protein 1 (Rap1), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Ras and cell adhesion-related pathways such as extra cellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction and focal adhesion. It indicated that LAMC3 might contribute to short survival and tumor progression by regulation of the above pathways. Conclusion: Low expression of LAMC3 is related to poor prognosis and malignant progression in OC, and thus it is expected to be a new prognostic marker and therapeutic target for clinical treatment.

Interleukin-27 and interleukin-23 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: possible role in lupus nephritis

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the concentration of interleukin (IL)-27 and IL-23 in serum and urine of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared with healthy controls (HC).

METHOD

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to analyse the serum and urine concentration of IL-27 and IL-23 from 50 patients with lupus nephritis (LN), 55 patients without LN, and 30 HC. The correlations between the levels of IL-27, IL-23, and disease activity, clinical parameters in SLE patients were analysed.

RESULTS

The levels of IL-27 and IL-23 increased significantly in the serum and urine of SLE patients with and without LN compared with HC. Moreover, urine levels of IL-27 and IL-23 were correlated with the renal SLE Disease Activity Index (rSLEDAI) score and 24-h urinary protein levels. After 6 months of immunosuppressive treatment, urine IL-27 expression rose significantly in SLE patients with LN.

CONCLUSIONS

IL-27 and IL-23 may be involved in the pathogenesis of LN.

Profiling of differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) during differentiation of rat hepatic oval cells (HOCs) into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells

OBJECTIVE

To explore the expression profile of miRNAs during differentiation of rat hepatic oval cells (HOCs) into hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HCC).

METHODS

Proliferation of rat HOCs was induced by chemical carcinogen, 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (3'-Me-DAB) in male rats. By using Percoll density gradient centrifugation method, HOCs were isolated, followed by continuous cultivation in vitro. The isolated HOCs were identified via Thy-1 and C-kit detection under laser scanning confocal microscope. Total miRNA was then extracted from HOCs during cell differentiation for microarray hybridization. Differentially expressed miRNAs among the indicated time points were identified. The target genes of identified miRNAs were predicted using PicTar, Target-Scan, and miRanda; then the functions and pathways of the genes were enriched. Y chromosome-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was utilized to trace the differentiation of the male HOCs in carcinogen-induced HCC of female rats.

RESULTS

It was shown that isolated HOCs expressed stem cells markers of Thy-1 and C-kit in cytoplasm and membrane. Among 1,210 miRNAs identified, 22 were differentially expressed (P < 0.05, fold change ≥2), including 19 up-regulated and 3 down-regulated ones. The predicted target genes of these miRNAs were enriched in several functions, including axon guidance, angiogenesis, post-transcriptional protein modification, and small molecular metabolism. For PCR-based SRY detection, HCC genomic DNA of female rats from the experimental group displayed the same PCR product as that from normal male rat.

CONCLUSION

Differentially expressed miRNAs exerted important roles during the differentiation process of HOCs to HCC.

Prenatal ethanol exposure enhances the susceptibility to metabolic syndrome in offspring rats by HPA axis-associated neuroendocrine metabolic programming

OBJECTIVE

The present study was designed to demonstrate that prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) could enhance the susceptibility of high-fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome (MS) in adult male offspring via a hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis-associated neuroendocrine metabolic programmed mechanism.

METHODS

Pregnant Wistar rats were intragastricly administrated ethanol 4 g/kg·d from gestational day 11 until term delivery. All male offspring were fed with high-fat diet after weaning, exposed to an unpredictable chronic stress at postnatal week (PW) 17 and sacrificed at PW20.

RESULTS

In PEE group, body weight presented a "catch-up growth" pattern, and the HPA axis exhibited a lower basal activity but an enhanced sensitivity to chronic stress, leading to increased levels of serum glucose, insulin, insulin resistant index, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Furthermore, many lipid droplets and vacuolar degeneration were observed in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and liver.

CONCLUSIONS

PEE induces enhanced susceptibility to MS in adult offspring fed with high-fat diet, and the underlying mechanism involves a HPA axis-associated neuroendocrine metabolic programming alteration.

Livin and caspase-3 expression are negatively correlated in cervical squamous cell cancer

OBJECTIVE

Overexpression in cancer cells of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins like livin appears to promote tumorigenesis by regulating expression of proteins involved in apoptosis signaling. Here, the authors investigated expression of livin and an apoptosis protein that is known to inhibit, caspase-3, in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Their expression was assessed for correlation with tumor invasiveness. Immunohistochemistry for livin and caspase-3 was used in 36 normal cervical tissues and in 98 samples of cervical squamous cell carcinoma. The percentage of cells expressing these proteins was compared between normal and cancer samples. Their expression rates in cancer samples were subsequently compared with one another and with the clinical and pathological characteristics of the samples.

RESULTS

Livin was more commonly expressed in tumor samples than in normal tissues, while the opposite pattern was observed for caspase-3. Expression of livin was significantly associated with advanced clinical stage, higher pathological grade, and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). Expression of caspase-3 was significantly associated with lower clinical stage, lower pathological grade, and lack of lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). Finally, expression of livin was negatively correlated to caspase-3 expression in cervical squamous cell carcinoma tissue (r = -0.57, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Livin may inhibit apoptosis in cervical squamous cell carcinoma by downregulating caspase-3, thereby promoting disease progression.

Elevated levels of interleukin-27 and effect on production of interferon-γ and interleukin-17 in patients with Behçet's disease

OBJECTIVES

To measure the levels of interleukin (IL)-27, interferon (IFN)-γ, and IL-17 in serum and supernatants of stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with Behçet's disease (BD) compared with healthy subjects, and to evaluate the effect of recombinant human IL-27 (rhIL-27) on IFN-γ and IL-17 production by PBMCs.

METHODS

Forty-three patients with BD and 40 healthy controls were included in this study. The serum levels of IL-27, IFN-γ, and IL-17 and their production by PBMCs were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), together with the effects of levels of rhIL-27 on IFN-γ and IL-17 production by PBMCs.

RESULTS

There were significantly higher levels of IL-27, IFN-γ, and IL-17 in sera of patients with BD compared with the controls. Levels of IL-27, IFN-γ, and IL-17 in BD patients with active uveitis were significantly higher than in those without. Moreover, IL-27, IFN-γ, and IL-17 production by stimulated PBMCs was increased in BD patients compared to controls. In the presence of rhIL-27, stimulation of PBMCs from BD patients resulted in decreased production of IL-17 but increased production of IFN-γ.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that IL-27, IFN-γ, and IL-17 play a role in the pathogenesis of BD.

[Study on the association between interleukin-5 and eosinophil in nasal polyp]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the expression of IL-5 and its role in the formation and development of nasal polyp.

METHOD

31 patients with nasal polyp, 11 patients with chronic sinusitis(CS) and 6 control cases were chosen. Their IL-5 concentration in tissue homogenate were measured by ELISA. All patients with chronic sinusitis, control cases and 15 patients with nasal polyp were chosen to be counted eosinophils in their HE slice.

RESULT

1. The values of IL-5(pg/ml) in nasal polyp, CS and control group separately were: 23.44 +/- 6.68, 16.41 +/- 3.09, 12.86 +/- 4.17. IL-5 concentration in nasal polyp group was higher than that in the other two groups(P < 0.001). 2. The numbers of eosinophils in nasal polyp, CS and control group were 7.42 +/- 2.33, 1.30 +/- 0.59, 1.07 +/- 0.70 separately, the numbers of eosinophils in nasal polyp group were higher than that in CR or control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Nasal polyp is a disease characterized by eosinophilia, and IL-5 which activates eosinophil plays part role in the formation of nasal polyp.