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Wang X, Xue Q, Duan Q, Sun Z, Wu Y, Yang S, Xu P, Cao H, Liao F, Wang X, Miao C. Circ_0011058 alleviates RA pathology through the circ_0011058/miR-335-5p/CUL4B signal axis. Autoimmunity 2024; 57:2299587. [PMID: 38254314 DOI: 10.1080/08916934.2023.2299587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Our previous study found that Cullin 4B (CUL4B) inhibited rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathology through glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3β)/canonical Wnt signalling pathway. In this work, pre-experiment and bioinformatics analysis suggested that circ_0011058 may lead to the up-regulation of CUL4B expression by inhibiting miR-335-5p. Therefore, we studied whether circ_0011058 can promote the expression of CUL4B through sponging the miR-335-5p and further promote the pathological development of RA. Bioinformatics prediction, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), western blot (WB), double luciferase reporter gene and other relevant methods were used to study the inhibition of circ_0011058 on RA pathology and its molecular mechanism. Results showed that the expression of circ_0011058 was significantly increased in adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats and RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). The knockout of circ_0011058 inhibited the proliferation of AA FLS and RA FLS, decreased the levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8), and inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), fibronectin, which showed that circ_0011058 had a strong role in promoting RA pathology. Furthermore, miR-335-5p expression was reduced in AA rats and RA FLS. The highly expressed circ_0011058 directly sponged the miR-335-5p, which led to the increase of CUL4B expression and promoted the activation of the GSK3β/canonical signalling pathway. Finally, we confirmed that miR-335-5p mediated the roles of circ_0011058 in promoting RA pathological development, which showed that the circ_0011058/miR-335-5p/CUL4B signal axis was involved in RA pathology. This work was of great significance for clarifying the roles of circ_0011058 in RA pathology, and further work was needed to establish whether circ_0011058 was a potential therapeutic target or diagnostic marker for RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Wang
- Department of Humanistic Nursing, School of Nursing, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Qiuyun Xue
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Qiangjun Duan
- Department of Experimental Teaching Center, School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Ziyi Sun
- Department of Scientific Research Technology Center, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Yajie Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Shuo Yang
- Department of Orthopaedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Department of Orthopaedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China
| | - Huibo Cao
- Chuzhou Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Chuzhou, China
| | - Faxue Liao
- Department of Orthopaedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Department of Clinical Nursing, School of Nursing, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Chenggui Miao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
- Institute of Rheumatism, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
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Zhao L, Wu Q, Long Y, Qu Q, Qi F, Liu L, Zhang L, Ai K. microRNAs: critical targets for treating rheumatoid arthritis angiogenesis. J Drug Target 2024; 32:1-20. [PMID: 37982157 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2023.2284097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Vascular neogenesis, an early event in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) inflammation, is critical for the formation of synovial vascular networks and plays a key role in the progression and persistence of chronic RA inflammation. microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of single-stranded, non-coding RNAs with approximately 21-23 nucleotides in length, regulate gene expression by binding to the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of specific mRNAs. Increasing evidence suggests that miRNAs are differently expressed in diseases associated with vascular neogenesis and play a crucial role in disease-related vascular neogenesis. However, current studies are not sufficient and further experimental studies are needed to validate and establish the relationship between miRNAs and diseases associated with vascular neogenesis, and to determine the specific role of miRNAs in vascular development pathways. To better treat vascular neogenesis in diseases such as RA, we need additional studies on the role of miRNAs and their target genes in vascular development, and to provide more strategic references. In addition, future studies can use modern biotechnological methods such as proteomics and transcriptomics to investigate the expression and regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs, providing a more comprehensive and in-depth research basis for the treatment of related diseases such as RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyun Zhao
- College of Acupuncture, Tuina and Rehabilitation, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Qingze Wu
- College of Acupuncture, Tuina and Rehabilitation, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Yiying Long
- Hunan Traditional Chinese Medical College, Zhuzhou, China
| | - Qirui Qu
- College of Acupuncture, Tuina and Rehabilitation, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Fang Qi
- College of Acupuncture, Tuina and Rehabilitation, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Li Liu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- College of Acupuncture, Tuina and Rehabilitation, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
| | - Kun Ai
- College of Acupuncture, Tuina and Rehabilitation, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China
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Oliveira SR, de Arruda JAA, Schneider AH, Bemquerer LM, de Souza RMS, Barbim P, de Mattos-Pereira GH, Calderaro DC, Machado CC, Alves SF, Moreira PR, de Oliveira RDR, Louzada-Júnior P, Abreu LG, Cunha FQ, Silva TA. Neutrophil extracellular traps in rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis: Contribution of PADI4 gene polymorphisms. J Clin Periodontol 2024; 51:452-463. [PMID: 38115803 DOI: 10.1111/jcpe.13921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
AIM We sought to investigate the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in neutrophils from individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and controls and compare the presence of NETs in gingival tissues according to periodontal status. Also, the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the peptidyl arginine deaminase type 4 (PADI4) gene and the GTG haplotype with RA, periodontitis and NETs was evaluated in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS Peripheral neutrophils were isolated by density gradient, and NET concentration was determined by the PicoGreen method. Immunofluorescence was studied to identify NETs by co-localization of myeloperoxidase (MPO)-citrullinated histone H3 (H3Cit). Genotyping for SNPs (PADI4_89; PADI4_90; PADI4_92; and PADI4_104) was performed in 87 individuals with RA and 111 controls. RESULTS The release of NETs in vitro was significantly higher in individuals with RA and periodontitis and when stimulated with Porphyromonas gingivalis. Gingival tissues from subjects with RA and periodontitis revealed increased numbers of MPO-H3Cit-positive cells. Individuals with the GTG haplotype showed a higher release of NETs in vitro and worse periodontal parameters. CONCLUSIONS The release of NETs by circulating neutrophils is associated with RA and periodontitis and is influenced by the presence of the GTG haplotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sicília Rezende Oliveira
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - José Alcides Almeida de Arruda
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ayda Henriques Schneider
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Larissa Marques Bemquerer
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rayssa Maria Soalheiro de Souza
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Paula Barbim
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Henrique de Mattos-Pereira
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Débora Cerqueira Calderaro
- Department of Locomotor Apparatus, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Caio Cavalcante Machado
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sandra Fukada Alves
- Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paula Rocha Moreira
- Department of Morphology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Paulo Louzada-Júnior
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Guimarães Abreu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Oral Health, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernando Queiroz Cunha
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tarcília Aparecida Silva
- Department of Oral Surgery, Pathology and Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Fan D, Geng Q, Wang B, Wang X, Xia Y, Yang L, Zhang Q, Deng T, Xu Y, Zhao H, Liu B, Lu C, Gu X, Xiao C. Hypoxia-induced ALKBH5 aggravates synovial aggression and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis by regulating the m6A modification of CH25H. Clin Immunol 2024; 261:109929. [PMID: 38331303 DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2024.109929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that epigenetic factors are involved in the occurrence and development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the role of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation in RA has not been determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the role and regulatory mechanisms of hypoxia-induced expression of the m6A demethylase alkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5) in RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs). Synovial tissues were collected from RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients, and RA FLSs were obtained. ALKBH5 expression in RA FLSs and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model rats was determined using quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR), western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Using ALKBH5 overexpression and knockdown, we determined the role of ALKBH5 in RA FLS aggression and inflammation. The role of ALKBH5 in RA FLS regulation was explored using m6A-methylated RNA sequencing and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation coupled with quantitative real-time PCR. The expression of ALKBH5 was increased in RA synovial tissues, CIA model rats and RA FLSs, and a hypoxic environment increased the expression of ALKBH5 in FLSs. Increased expression of ALKBH5 promoted the proliferation and migration of RA-FLSs and inflammation. Conversely, decreased ALKBH5 expression inhibited the migration of RA-FLSs and inflammation. Mechanistically, hypoxia-induced ALKBH5 expression promoted FLS aggression and inflammation by regulating CH25H mRNA stability. Our study elucidated the functional roles of ALKBH5 and mRNA m6A methylation in RA and revealed that the HIF1α/2α-ALKBH5-CH25H pathway may be key for FLS aggression and inflammation. This study provides a novel approach for the treatment of RA by targeting the HIF1α/2α-ALKBH5-CH25H pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danping Fan
- China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Department of Emergency, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Beijing 100029, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Research of Chinese Medicine on Prevention and Treatment for Major Diseases, Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Qishun Geng
- China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Department of Emergency, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Beijing 100029, China; China-Japan Friendship Clinical Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Bailiang Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xing Wang
- China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Department of Emergency, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Beijing 100029, China; China-Japan Friendship Clinical Medical College, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Ya Xia
- China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Department of Emergency, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Beijing 100029, China; China-Japan Friendship Clinical Medical College, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Liwen Yang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Tingting Deng
- China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Department of Emergency, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yuan Xu
- Department of TCM Rheumatology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hongyan Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Research of Chinese Medicine on Prevention and Treatment for Major Diseases, Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Cheng Lu
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
| | - Xiaofeng Gu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Cheng Xiao
- China-Japan Friendship Hospital (Department of Emergency, Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences), Beijing 100029, China.
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5
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Liu R, Shang X, Fu Y, Wang Y, Wang P, Yan S. Shared genetic architecture between hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis: A large-scale cross-trait analysis. Mol Immunol 2024; 168:17-24. [PMID: 38368726 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent years, mounting evidence has indicated a co-morbid relationship between hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), however, the shared genetic factors underlying this association remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the common genetic architecture between hypothyroidism and RA. METHODS Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics from recently published studies were utilized to examine the genetic correlation, shared genetic loci, and potential causal relationship between hypothyroidism and RA. Statistical methods included linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC), high-definition likelihood (HDL), cross-trait meta-analyses, colocalization analysis, multi-marker analysis of genomic annotation (MAGMA), tissue-specific enrichment analysis (TSEA), functional enrichment analysis, and latent causal variable method (LCV). RESULTS Our study demonstrated a significant genetic correlation between hypothyroidism and RA(LDSC:rg=0.3803,p=7.23e-11;HDL:rg=0.3849,p=1.02e-21). Through cross-trait meta-analysis, we identified 1035 loci, including 43 novel genetic loci. By integrating colocalization analysis and the MAGMA algorithm, we found a substantial number of genes, such as PTPN22, TYK2, and CTLA-4, shared between the two diseases, which showed significant enrichment across 14 tissues. These genes were primarily associated with the regulation of alpha-beta T cell proliferation, positive regulation of T cell activation, positive regulation of leukocyte cell-cell adhesion, T cell receptor signaling pathway, and JAK-STAT signaling pathway. However, our study did not reveal a significant causal association between the two diseases using the LCV approach. CONCLUSION Based on these findings, there is a significant genetic correlation between hypothyroidism and RA, suggesting a shared genetic basis for these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyan Liu
- Endocrine Ward II, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xin Shang
- Endocrine Ward II, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yu Fu
- Endocrine Ward II, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Geriatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Ping Wang
- Endocrine Ward II, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Shuxun Yan
- Endocrine Ward II, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China.
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Ren R, Tan H, Wang X, Wang L, Yang B. Gene polymorphisms of an interleukin-23 receptor associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis in the Western Chinese Han population. Int J Immunogenet 2024; 51:72-80. [PMID: 38196067 DOI: 10.1111/iji.12652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease which is closely related to genetic background. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been found to play an important role in the development of RA. This study intends to investigate the links between gene polymorphisms in the interleukin-23 receptor (IL23R) and interleukin 17A (IL17A) and susceptibility to RA in the Western Chinese Han population. Four SNPs (rs6693831 T > C, rs1884444 G > T, and rs7517847 T > G in IL23R gene, and rs2275913 G > A in IL17A gene) were genotyped in 246 RA patients and 362 healthy controls by high resolution melting analysis. The comparative analyses among genotype distributions, clinical indicators, and IL-17A and IL-23R levels in RA patients were also performed. The study revealed that the SNP rs6693831 and rs1884444 of IL23R had a significant association with RA susceptibility. The frequencies of rs6693831 genotype CC and allele C were significantly higher in the RA group and associated with higher RA risk compared with genotype TT and allele T (OR = 7.797, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.072-14.932 and OR = 5.984, 95%CI = 3.190-11.224, respectively). The TT genotype of rs1884444 appeared to decrease the RA risk compared with the GG genotype (OR = .251, 95%CI = .118-.536). The genotype CC and allele C of rs6693831 and the genotype GG and allele G of rs1884444 may be risk factors for RA. IL23R gene polymorphisms may be involved in the risk of RA susceptibility in the Western Chinese Han population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruyu Ren
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Huiling Tan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuean Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bin Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Sun S, Liang L, Tian R, Huang Q, Ji Z, Li X, Lin P, Zheng S, Peng Y, Yuan Q, Pan X, Li T, Yuan Z, Huang Y. LncRNA expression profiling in exosomes derived from synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 130:111735. [PMID: 38412675 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profiling in exosomes derived from synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and carry out bioinformatics analysis on target genes of differentially expressed lncRNAs. METHODS Exosomes were isolated from synovial fluid via ultracentrifugation. RNAs were extracted from exosomes by using HiPure Liquid RNA/miRNA kits, followed by lncRNA sequencing. Differentially expressed lncRNAs in RA were screened, and bioinformatics analysis of their target genes was carried out. qRT-PCR was used to verify the lncRNA expression levels. RESULTS Compared with osteoarthritis (OA), 347 lncRNAs were found differentially expressed in RA. Compared with gout, 805 lncRNAs were found differentially expressed in RA. Compared with both OA and gout, 85 lncRNAs were found specially expressed in RA (65 were upregulated (including ENST00000433825.1)). Functional analysis of target genes of the specially expressed lncRNAs revealed significant enrichment of "autophagy" and "mTOR signaling pathway". The qRT-PCR results indicated that ENST00000433825.1 was highly expressed in RA, compared with both OA and gout (P < 0.05), which matched the lncRNA sequencing results. Correlation analysis showed that the level of ENST00000433825.1 in RA patients was significantly and positively correlated with the level of C-reactive protein (CRP) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The lncRNA expression profiling in exosomes derived from synovial fluid of RA was significantly different from OA and gout. ENST00000433825.1 was highly and uniquely expressed in RA and significantly and positively correlated with CRP, which might provide a diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker for RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanmiao Sun
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, Guangdong, China; The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Ling Liang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, Guangdong, China
| | - Rui Tian
- School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Higher Education Mega Center, 100 Outside Ring West Road, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China
| | - Qidang Huang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhuyi Ji
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, Guangdong, China
| | - Xingjian Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, Guangdong, China
| | - Paifeng Lin
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, Guangdong, China
| | - Shaoling Zheng
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, Guangdong, China
| | - Yalian Peng
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, Guangdong, China
| | - Qian Yuan
- School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Higher Education Mega Center, 100 Outside Ring West Road, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China
| | - Xia Pan
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, Guangdong, China.
| | - Tianwang Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, Guangdong, China; Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Zhaoqing Central People's Hospital, Zhaoqing 526299, Guangdong, China; The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, China.
| | - Zhengqiang Yuan
- School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Higher Education Mega Center, 100 Outside Ring West Road, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yukai Huang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, Guangdong, China.
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8
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Dudek G, Sakowski S, Brzezińska O, Sarnik J, Budlewski T, Dragan G, Poplawska M, Poplawski T, Bijak M, Makowska J. Machine learning-based prediction of rheumatoid arthritis with development of ACPA autoantibodies in the presence of non-HLA genes polymorphisms. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300717. [PMID: 38517871 PMCID: PMC10959370 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Machine learning (ML) algorithms can handle complex genomic data and identify predictive patterns that may not be apparent through traditional statistical methods. They become popular tools for medical applications including prediction, diagnosis or treatment of complex diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA is an autoimmune disease in which genetic factors play a major role. Among the most important genetic factors predisposing to the development of this disease and serving as genetic markers are HLA-DRB and non-HLA genes single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Another marker of RA is the presence of anticitrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) which is correlated with severity of RA. We use genetic data of SNPs in four non-HLA genes (PTPN22, STAT4, TRAF1, CD40 and PADI4) to predict the occurrence of ACPA positive RA in the Polish population. This work is a comprehensive comparative analysis, wherein we assess and juxtapose various ML classifiers. Our evaluation encompasses a range of models, including logistic regression, k-nearest neighbors, naïve Bayes, decision tree, boosted trees, multilayer perceptron, and support vector machines. The top-performing models demonstrated closely matched levels of accuracy, each distinguished by its particular strengths. Among these, we highly recommend the use of a decision tree as the foremost choice, given its exceptional performance and interpretability. The sensitivity and specificity of the ML models is about 70% that are satisfying. In addition, we introduce a novel feature importance estimation method characterized by its transparent interpretability and global optimality. This method allows us to thoroughly explore all conceivable combinations of polymorphisms, enabling us to pinpoint those possessing the highest predictive power. Taken together, these findings suggest that non-HLA SNPs allow to determine the group of individuals more prone to develop RA rheumatoid arthritis and further implement more precise preventive approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Dudek
- Electrical Engineering Faculty, Czestochowa University of Technology, Czestochowa, Poland
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
- Centre for Data Analysis, Modelling and Computational Sciences, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Sebastian Sakowski
- Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
- Centre for Data Analysis, Modelling and Computational Sciences, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Olga Brzezińska
- Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Joanna Sarnik
- Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Budlewski
- Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Dragan
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Marta Poplawska
- Biobank, Department of Immunology and Allergy, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Poplawski
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biochemistry, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Michał Bijak
- Biohazard Prevention Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Joanna Makowska
- Department of Rheumatology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
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9
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Cha S, Bang SY, Joo YB, Cho SK, Choi CB, Sung YK, Kim TH, Jun JB, Yoo DH, Lee HS, Bae SC. Association of HLA-DRB1 locus with treatment response to abatacept or TNF inhibitors in patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6763. [PMID: 38514707 PMCID: PMC10957942 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56987-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The strongest genetic risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been known as HLA-DRB1 based on amino acid positions 11, 71, and 74. This study analyzed the association between specific HLA-DRB1 locus and treatment response to abatacept or TNF inhibitors (TNFi) in patients with seropositive RA. A total of 374 Korean RA patients were treated with abatacept (n = 110) or TNFi (n = 264). Associations between HLA-DRB1 and treatment response after 6 months were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Seropositive RA patients with HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) had a favorable response to abatacept (OR = 3.67, P = 0.067) and an inversely associated response to TNFi (OR 0.57, P = 0.058) based on EULAR response criteria, but the difference was not statistically significant in comparison to those without SE. In analyses using amino acid positions of HLA-DRB1, a significant association was found between valine at amino acid position 11 of SE and good response to abatacept (OR = 6.46, P = 5.4 × 10-3). The VRA haplotype also showed a good response to abatacept (OR = 4.56, P = 0.013), but not to TNFi. Our results suggest that treatment response to abatacept or TNFi may differ depending on HLA-DRB1 locus in seropositive RA, providing valuable insights for selecting optimal therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soojin Cha
- Hanyang University Institute for Rheumatology Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - So-Young Bang
- Hanyang University Institute for Rheumatology Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Bin Joo
- Hanyang University Institute for Rheumatology Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo-Kyung Cho
- Hanyang University Institute for Rheumatology Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chan-Bum Choi
- Hanyang University Institute for Rheumatology Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon-Kyoung Sung
- Hanyang University Institute for Rheumatology Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Hwan Kim
- Hanyang University Institute for Rheumatology Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Bum Jun
- Hanyang University Institute for Rheumatology Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae Hyun Yoo
- Hanyang University Institute for Rheumatology Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Soon Lee
- Hanyang University Institute for Rheumatology Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Cheol Bae
- Hanyang University Institute for Rheumatology Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Rheumatology, Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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10
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Pollastro S, Musters A, Balzaretti G, Niewold I, van Schaik B, Hässler S, Verhoef CM, Pallardy M, van Kampen A, Mariette X, de Vries N. Sensitive B-cell receptor repertoire analysis shows repopulation correlates with clinical response to rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther 2024; 26:70. [PMID: 38493208 PMCID: PMC10943808 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-024-03297-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although B-cell depleting therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is clearly effective, response is variable and does not correlate with B cell depletion itself. METHODS The B-cell receptor (BCR) repertoire was prospectively analyzed in peripheral blood samples of twenty-eight RA patients undergoing rituximab therapy. Timepoints of achieved BCR-depletion and -repopulation were defined based on the percentage of unmutated BCRs in the repertoire. The predictive value of early BCR-depletion (within one-month post-treatment) and early BCR-repopulation (within 6 months post-treatment) on clinical response was assessed. RESULTS We observed changes in the peripheral blood BCR repertoire after rituximab treatment, i.e., increased clonal expansion, decreased clonal diversification and increased mutation load which persisted up to 12 months after treatment, but started to revert at month 6. Early BCR depletion was not associated with early clinical response but late depleters did show early response. Patients with early repopulation with unmutated BCRs showed a significant decrease in disease activity in the interval 6 to 12 months. Development of anti-drug antibodies non-significantly correlated with more BCR repopulation. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that rather than BCR-depletion it is repopulation with unmutated BCRs, possibly from naïve B cells, which induces remission. This suggests that (pre-existing) differences in B-cell turnover between patients explain the interindividual differences in early clinical effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Pollastro
- Department of Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology | Amsterdam Rheumatology & Immunology Centre (ARC), Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute | Program Inflammatory Diseases, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Musters
- Department of Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology | Amsterdam Rheumatology & Immunology Centre (ARC), Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Giulia Balzaretti
- Department of Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology | Amsterdam Rheumatology & Immunology Centre (ARC), Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute | Program Inflammatory Diseases, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ilse Niewold
- Department of Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology | Amsterdam Rheumatology & Immunology Centre (ARC), Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Barbera van Schaik
- Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Signe Hässler
- Université Paris Saclay, INSERM U1018, CESP, Villejuif, France
- INSERM UMR 959, Immunology-Immunopathology-Immunotherapy (i3), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, Biotherapy (CIC-BTi), Paris, France
| | | | - Marc Pallardy
- Université Paris-Saclay, INSERM, Inflammation, Microbiome, Immunosurveillance, Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Antoine van Kampen
- Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Xavier Mariette
- Université Paris-Saclay, INSERM UMR1184: Center for immunology of viral infections and autoimmune diseases, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- Department of Rheumatology, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Hôpital Bicêtre, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Niek de Vries
- Department of Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology | Amsterdam Rheumatology & Immunology Centre (ARC), Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Amsterdam Infection & Immunity Institute | Program Inflammatory Diseases, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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11
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Jiang J, Huang M, Zhang SS, Wu YG, Li XL, Deng H, Qili XY, Chen JL, Meng Y, Sun WK. Identification of Hedyotis diffusa Willd-specific mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA network in rheumatoid arthritis based on network pharmacology, bioinformatics analysis, and experimental verification. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6291. [PMID: 38491124 PMCID: PMC10943027 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56880-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Hedyotis diffusa Willd (HDW) possesses heat-clearing, detoxification, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its effects on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remain under-researched. In this study, we identified potential targets of HDW and collected differentially expressed genes of RA from the GEO dataset GSE77298, leading to the construction of a drug-component-target-disease regulatory network. The intersecting genes underwent GO and KEGG analysis. A PPI protein interaction network was established in the STRING database. Through LASSO, RF, and SVM-RFE algorithms, we identified the core gene MMP9. Subsequent analyses, including ROC, GSEA enrichment, and immune cell infiltration, correlated core genes with RA. mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA regulatory networks were predicted using databases like TargetScan, miRTarBase, miRWalk, starBase, lncBase, and the GEO dataset GSE122616. Experimental verification in RA-FLS cells confirmed HDW's regulatory impact on core genes and their ceRNA expression. We obtained 11 main active ingredients of HDW and 180 corresponding targets, 2150 RA-related genes, and 36 drug-disease intersection targets. The PPI network diagram and three machine learning methods screened to obtain MMP9, and further analysis showed that MMP9 had high diagnostic significance and was significantly correlated with the main infiltrated immune cells, and the molecular docking verification also showed that MMP9 and the main active components of HDW were well combined. Next, we predicted 6 miRNAs and 314 lncRNAs acting on MMP9, and two ceRNA regulatory axes were obtained according to the screening. Cellular assays indicated HDW inhibits RA-FLS cell proliferation and MMP9 protein expression dose-dependently, suggesting HDW might influence RA's progression by regulating the MMP9/miR-204-5p/MIAT axis. This innovative analytical thinking provides guidance and reference for the future research on the ceRNA mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Jiang
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China
| | - Meng Huang
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China
| | - Si-Si Zhang
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China
| | - Yong-Gang Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, Xindu District People's Hospital, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiao-Long Li
- Department of Orthopedics, Xindu District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China
| | - Hui Deng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sichuan Taikang Hospital, Chengdu, 610213, Sichuan, China
| | - Xin-Yu Qili
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China
| | - Jian-Lin Chen
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China
| | - Yao Meng
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China.
| | - Wen-Kui Sun
- School of Laboratory Medicine, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China.
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12
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Aterido A, López-Lasanta M, Blanco F, Juan-Mas A, García-Vivar ML, Erra A, Pérez-García C, Sánchez-Fernández SÁ, Sanmartí R, Fernández-Nebro A, Alperi-López M, Tornero J, Ortiz AM, Fernández-Cid CM, Palau N, Pan W, Byrne-Steele M, Starenki D, Weber D, Rodriguez-Nunez I, Han J, Myers RM, Marsal S, Julià A. Seven-chain adaptive immune receptor repertoire analysis in rheumatoid arthritis reveals novel features associated with disease and clinically relevant phenotypes. Genome Biol 2024; 25:68. [PMID: 38468286 PMCID: PMC10926600 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-024-03210-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the activation of T and B cell clones specific for self-antigens leads to the chronic inflammation of the synovium. Here, we perform an in-depth quantitative analysis of the seven chains that comprise the adaptive immune receptor repertoire (AIRR) in RA. RESULTS In comparison to controls, we show that RA patients have multiple and strong differences in the B cell receptor repertoire including reduced diversity as well as altered isotype, chain, and segment frequencies. We demonstrate that therapeutic tumor necrosis factor inhibition partially restores this alteration but find a profound difference in the underlying biochemical reactivities between responders and non-responders. Combining the AIRR with HLA typing, we identify the specific T cell receptor repertoire associated with disease risk variants. Integrating these features, we further develop a molecular classifier that shows the utility of the AIRR as a diagnostic tool. CONCLUSIONS Simultaneous sequencing of the seven chains of the human AIRR reveals novel features associated with the disease and clinically relevant phenotypes, including response to therapy. These findings show the unique potential of AIRR to address precision medicine in immune-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrià Aterido
- Rheumatology Research Group, Vall Hebron Research Institute, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María López-Lasanta
- Rheumatology Research Group, Vall Hebron Research Institute, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francisco Blanco
- Rheumatology Department, Hospital Juan Canalejo, A Coruña, Spain
| | | | | | - Alba Erra
- Rheumatology Research Group, Vall Hebron Research Institute, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
- Rheumatology Department, Hospital Sant Rafael, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Raimon Sanmartí
- Rheumatology Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Jesús Tornero
- Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitario Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Spain
| | - Ana María Ortiz
- Rheumatology Department, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, IIS La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Núria Palau
- Rheumatology Research Group, Vall Hebron Research Institute, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jian Han
- iRepertoire Inc, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Richard M Myers
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL, USA
| | - Sara Marsal
- Rheumatology Research Group, Vall Hebron Research Institute, 08035, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Julià
- Rheumatology Research Group, Vall Hebron Research Institute, 08035, Barcelona, Spain.
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13
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Gong J, Zhang X, Khan A, Liang J, Xiong T, Yang P, Li Z. Identification of serum exosomal miRNA biomarkers for diagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 129:111604. [PMID: 38320350 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation-induced joint damage, which can cause lasting disability. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of RA are crucial. Herein, we evaluated whether exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) could be served as promising biomarkers that can accelerate the diagnosis of RA and development of therapies for RA. METHODS First, we performed small RNA sequencing to determine the miRNA profiles of serum exosomes within a screening cohort comprised of 18 untreated active RA patients, along with 18 age and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs). Subsequently, the miRNA profiles were then validated in a training cohort consisting of 24 RA patients and 24 HCs by RT-qPCR. Finally, the selected exosomal miRNAs were validated in a larger cohort comprising 108 RA patients and 103 HCs. The diagnostic efficacy of the exosomal miRNAs was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Biological functions of the miRNAs were determined by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. RESULTS Our results first demonstrated a noteworthy upregulation of three candidate miRNAs (miR-885-5p, miR-6894-3p, and miR-1268a) in the RA patients' serum exosomes compared to HCs. The combination of three miRNAs along with anti- citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) exhibited excellent diagnostic accuracy, yielding an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.963 (95 % CI : 0.941-0.984), sensitivity of 87.96 %, and specificity of 93.20 %. Notably, miR-885-5p exhibited remarkable discriminatory capacity by itself in indistinguishing ACPA- negative RA patients from HCs, with an AUC of 0.993 (95 % CI : 0.978-1.000), sensitivity of 96.67 %, and specificity of 100 %. Moreover, the expression of miR-1268a in the assessment of therapeutic effectiveness displayed significant reduction on 29th day of Methotrexate (MTX) treatment in RA patients. This decreased expression paralleled with trends observed in tender 28-joint count (TJC28), swollen 28-joint count (SJC28), and disease activity score with 28-joint count using C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP), all of which are indicative of RA disease activity. Finally, predictive analysis indicated that, these three exosomal miRNAs target pivotal signaling molecules involved in inflammatory pathways, thereby demonstrating effective modulation of the immune system. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we successfully demonstrated the promising potential for serum exosomal miRNAs, particularly miR-885-5p, miR-6894-3p and miR-1268a as biomarkers for early diagnosis and prediction of RA for the first time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianmin Gong
- College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434025, China
| | - Xiaoshan Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Adeel Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology Bannu, Bannu 28100, Pakistan
| | - Jun Liang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China
| | - Tao Xiong
- College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei 434025, China.
| | - Ping Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
| | - Zhiyang Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, China.
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14
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Teng M, Wang J, Su X, Tian Y, Wang J, Zhang Y. Causal associations between rheumatoid arthritis, cataract and glaucoma in European and East Asian populations: A bidirectional two-sample mendelian randomization study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299192. [PMID: 38437213 PMCID: PMC10911615 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have indicated a heightened susceptibility to cataract and glaucoma among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, while it remains uncertain whether RA is causally associated with cataract and glaucoma. A two-sample mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to investigate the causal associations between RA, cataract and glaucoma in European and East Asian populations. METHODS In the European population, genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for cataract (372,386 individuals) and glaucoma (377,277 individuals) were obtained from the FinnGen consortium (R9), while RA summary data were derived from a meta-analysis of GWAS encompassing 97173 samples. In the East Asian population, summary data for cataract (212453 individuals), glaucoma (212453 individuals), and RA (22515 individuals) were sourced from the IEU Open GWAS project. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW, random-effects) method served as the primary analysis, complemented by MR‒Egger regression, weighted median, weighted mode and simple mode methods. Additionally, various sensitivity tests, including Cochran's Q test, MR‒Egger intercept, MR pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier test and leave-one-out test were performed to detect the heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy and stability of the analysis results. RESULTS Following stringent screening, the number of selected instrumental variables ranged from 8 to 56. The IVW results revealed that RA had an increased risk of cataract (OR = 1.041, 95% CI = 1.019-1.064; P = 2.08×10-4) and glaucoma (OR = 1.029, 95% CI = 1.003-1.057; P = 2.94×10-2) in European populations, and RA displayed a positive association with cataract (OR = 1.021, 95% CI = 1.004-1.039; P = 1.64×10-2) in East Asian populations. Other methods also supported those results by IVW, and sensitivity tests showed that our analysis results were credible and stable. CONCLUSIONS This study revealed a positive causality between RA and the increased risk of cataract and glaucoma, which provides guidance for the early prevention of cataracts and glaucoma in patients with RA and furnishes evidence for the impact of RA-induced inflammation on ophthalmic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menghao Teng
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jiachen Wang
- Department of Joint Surgery, HongHui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaochen Su
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ye Tian
- Healthy Food Evaluation Research Center, West China School of Public Health and West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiqing Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yingang Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
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15
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Nomair AM, Abdelati A, Dwedar FI, Elnemr R, Kamel YN, Nomeir HM. The impact of folate pathway variants on the outcome of methotrexate therapy in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Clin Rheumatol 2024; 43:971-983. [PMID: 38311638 PMCID: PMC10876746 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-024-06892-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 01/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are currently no validated criteria that entirely explain or predict response to methotrexate (MTX) treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We tried to identify the connection between three variants (RFC1 G80A (rs1051266), TYMS 2R/3R (rs34743033), and ATIC C347G (rs2372536)) in the folate pathway of MTX metabolism and the response to MTX monotherapy in a cohort of RA cases. METHODS A prospective study on 100 RA patients on MTX monotherapy was performed. Disease activity was measured at the start of treatment and 6 months after treatment with MTX. The patients were then split into two groups: those who responded to the treatment and those who did not. The molecular genetic study for the RFC1 (G80A) variant was employed via the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique, the ATIC (C347G) variant was performed using TaqMan allelic discrimination real-time PCR, and the tandem repeat sequences of TYMS (2R/3R) were amplified by conventional PCR and detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. RESULTS The genotype distribution of RFC-1 (G80A) showed significant variations among non-responders and responders in the recessive genetic model. A significant difference was found in TYMS (2R/3R) in the dominant and heterozygous genetic models. However, ATIC (C347G) genotype frequency did not exhibit substantial link with drug response in all genetic models. Furthermore, the genotype and allele rates of the analyzed variants did not show any significant association with adverse events in all genetic models. CONCLUSION The 80AA genotype of RFC-1 G80A and the 2R/3R or 3R/3R genotypes of TYMS 2R/3R are more vulnerable to the good consequences of MTX therapy. Key Points • Current recommendations support the gold standard role of MTX as a first-line monotherapy for RA patients. However, up to 40% of RA patients do not respond or exhibit partial response to MTX. • Persistent disease activity due to treatment unresponsiveness will affect the long-term outcomes in RA patients. • We aimed, through molecular genetic study, to identify the connection between three variants in the folate pathway of MTX metabolism and the response to methotrexate monotherapy in a cohort of RA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azhar M Nomair
- Department of Chemical Pathology, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Abeer Abdelati
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - Fatma I Dwedar
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Rehab Elnemr
- Department of Physical Medicine Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Yasmine N Kamel
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Hanan M Nomeir
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
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16
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Qiao L, Lv S, Meng K, Yang J. Genetically proxied therapeutic inhibition of lipid-lowering drug targets and risk of rheumatoid arthritis disease: a Mendelian randomization study. Clin Rheumatol 2024; 43:939-947. [PMID: 38198113 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-023-06837-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the potential impact of consistent use of similar treatments over a long period; it is essential to investigate the potential correlation between genetic variations that influence the expression or function of pharmacological targets for reducing lipid levels and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS We used variants in the following genes to conduct Mendelian randomization analyses: HMGCR (encoding the target for statins), PCSK9 (encoding the target for PCSK9 inhibitors, such as evolocumab and alirocumab), and NPC1L1 (encoding the target for ezetimibe). Data from lipid genetics consortia (173,082 sample size) were used to weight variations according to their correlations with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). In two large datasets (total n = 19,562 cases, 501,655 controls). We conducted a meta-analysis of Mendelian randomization estimates, weighted by LDL-C levels, on the regional differences in the risk of rheumatoid arthritis using data from two large databases. RESULTS We approached SMR and IVW-MR analyses to examine the relationship between target gene expression (including HMGCR, PCSK9, and NPC1L1) and LDL-C levels mediated by these genes with RA. The IVW-MR analysis revealed no significant association between genetically predicted LDL-C concentration and the risk of RA (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.59-1.29; OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.67-1.23; OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.49-1.36; all p > 0.05). Similarly, our findings from the SMR approach provided no evidence to suggest that gene expression of HMGCR, PCSK9, and NPC1L1 was associated with the risk of RA (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.79-1.05, p = 0.207; OR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.85-1.09, p = 0.493). CONCLUSIONS Our results do not provide evidence to support the hypothesis that reducing LDL-C levels with statins, alirocumab, or ezetimibe effectively prevents the risk of developing RA. However, our study provides valuable insights into the assessment of lipid-lowering agents in RA, which can enhance our understanding of the condition and assist in clinical practice by aiding in the determination and monitoring of RA status to clinical response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Qiao
- Shanghai Xuhui District Central Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Shun Lv
- Shanghai Xuhui District Central Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Kai Meng
- Shanghai Xuhui District Central Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianmei Yang
- Shanghai Xuhui District Central Hospital, Shanghai, China.
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17
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Ding K, Jiang W, Zhangwang J, Li J, Lei M. The Effect of Rheumatoid Arthritis on Features Associated with Sarcopenia: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Calcif Tissue Int 2024; 114:286-294. [PMID: 38310546 DOI: 10.1007/s00223-023-01178-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Previous epidemiological evidence suggests rheumatoid arthritis is associated with sarcopenia-related features. However, most of the current evidence is from cross-sectional studies, and the causal link of this association is still to be determined. Therefore, this study was committed to a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to assess the causal effect of rheumatoid arthritis on sarcopenia-related features. In this two-sample Mendelian randomization study, instrumental variables for rheumatoid arthritis were obtained from the Non-Cancer Disease Study, and data for the five relevant characteristics of sarcopenia were pooled from UKBiobank. Inverse variance weighting is the primary analysis method for assessing causal effects. MR-Egger regression and weighted median are complementary analysis methods for causal effects. Leave-one-out analysis, horizontal pleiotropy test, and Heterogeneity test are applied as a sensitivity analysis to assess the robustness of causal effect estimates. The inverse variance weighted results for the five characteristics associated with sarcopenia and rheumatoid arthritis were: hand grip strength (right) (beta = - 2.309, se = 0.206, p = 3.340E-29), hand grip strength (left) (beta = - 2.046, se = 0.205, p = 2.166E-23), whole body lean mass (beta = - 0.843, se = 0.135, p = 4.67E-10), appendicular lean mass (beta = - 2.444, se = 0.208, p = 6.069E-32), Usual walking pace (OR 0.340, 95% CI (0.238, 0.484), p = 2.471E-09). The sensitivity analyses did not support that horizontal pleiotropy distorted causal effect estimates. The beta coefficient quantifies the number of standard deviations of the continuous outcome variables (hand grip strength, whole body lean mass, and appendicular lean mass) that change on average with each increase in the standard deviation of the binary exposure variable (rheumatoid arthritis). The odds ratios indicate the increased risk of the binary outcome variable (usual walking pace) per rheumatoid arthritis standard deviation increase. This study has demonstrated a negative causal effect of rheumatoid arthritis with five major sarcopenia-related features in a European population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaixi Ding
- School of Clinical Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- School of Clinical Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, China
- Department of Geriatrics, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, China
| | - Juejue Zhangwang
- School of Clinical Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, China
- Department of Geriatrics, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Lei
- Department of Geriatrics, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 610075, China.
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18
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Bao X. Validation of new immune and inflammation-related diagnostic biomarkers for RA. Clin Rheumatol 2024; 43:949-958. [PMID: 38285375 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-024-06882-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease, whose development is associated with immune cells and persistent inflammation. Exploring the biomarkers of RA holds immense significance in terms of the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of RA. MATERIAL AND METHODS The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in RA patients and the control group were screened by limma package. Through DEGs intersection overlapping 200 inflammatory response-related genes and 2498 immune-related genes, differentially expressed immune and inflammation-related genes (DE-IIRGs) were identified. Lasso regression analysis screened RA diagnostic biomarkers and constructed PPI networks. Finally, immune infiltration analysis and drug prediction were performed. RESULTS A total of 20 DE-IIRGs were identified by overlapping DEGs with 2498 immune-related genes and 200 inflammatory response-related genes. These DE-IIRGs were primarily enriched in the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and other biological processes, and then five biomarker genes (TNFSF10, IL1R1, CXCL9, ACVR1B, and IL15) were identified. It was found that the expression levels of CXCL9, IL15, and TNFSF10 in the disease samples were significantly higher than those in the control group. These biomarker genes have more effective diagnostic potential. The RA samples exhibited significantly higher levels of cell infiltration compared to the control samples. hsa-miR-199a-5p's connections to the ACVR1B and CCR7 genes were identified by creating ceRNA networks from 20 screened DE-IIRGs. There was a connection between CCL5 and AEMA4D and hsa-miR-214-3p. CONCLUSION We identified immune- and inflammation-related biomarkers in RA based on bioinformatics analysis and screened TNFSF10, IL1R1, CXCL9, ACVR1B, and IL15 as diagnostic markers for RA. Key Points • TNFSF10, IL1R1, CXCL9, ACVR1B, and IL15 may be new diagnostic biomarkers for RA. • These findings may provide a theoretical basis for early RA diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xijie Bao
- Department of Rheumatology, Hexian People's Hospital, Ma'anshan City, Anhui Province, China.
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19
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Cao X, Liang X, Zhang S, Sha Q. Gene selection by incorporating genetic networks into case-control association studies. Eur J Hum Genet 2024; 32:270-277. [PMID: 36529820 PMCID: PMC10923938 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-022-01264-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successfully applied to a wide range of genetic variants underlying complex diseases. The network-based regression approach has been developed to incorporate a biological genetic network and to overcome the challenges caused by the computational efficiency for analyzing high-dimensional genomic data. In this paper, we propose a gene selection approach by incorporating genetic networks into case-control association studies for DNA sequence data or DNA methylation data. Instead of using traditional dimension reduction techniques such as principal component analyses and supervised principal component analyses, we use a linear combination of genotypes at SNPs or methylation values at CpG sites in a gene to capture gene-level signals. We employ three linear combination approaches: optimally weighted sum (OWS), beta-based weighted sum (BWS), and LD-adjusted polygenic risk score (LD-PRS). OWS and LD-PRS are supervised approaches that depend on the effect of each SNP or CpG site on the case-control status, while BWS can be extracted without using the case-control status. After using one of the linear combinations of genotypes or methylation values in each gene to capture gene-level signals, we regularize them to perform gene selection based on the biological network. Simulation studies show that the proposed approaches have higher true positive rates than using traditional dimension reduction techniques. We also apply our approaches to DNA methylation data and UK Biobank DNA sequence data for analyzing rheumatoid arthritis. The results show that the proposed methods can select potentially rheumatoid arthritis related genes that are missed by existing methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuewei Cao
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Liang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Shuanglin Zhang
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA
| | - Qiuying Sha
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA.
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20
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Achudhan D, Lai YL, Lin YY, Huang YL, Tsai CH, Ho TL, Ko CY, Fong YC, Huang CC, Tang CH. CXCL13 promotes TNF-α synthesis in rheumatoid arthritis through activating ERK/p38 pathway and inhibiting miR-330-3p generation. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 221:116037. [PMID: 38301965 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a well-known autoimmune disorder associated with joint pain, joint swelling, cartilage and bone degradation as well as deformity. The chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 13 (CXCL13) plays a crucial role in multiple cellular pathogenesis processes, including RA. TNF-α is a vital proinflammatory factor in the progression of RA. However, the role of CXCL13 in TNF-α production in RA has not been fully explored. Our analysis of both database and clinical samples revealed higher levels of CXCL13 and TNF-α in RA samples compared to healthy controls. CXCL13 concentration-dependently induces TNF-α synthesis in RA synovial fibroblasts. CXCL13 enhances TNF-α expression by interacting with the CXCR5 receptor, activating the ERK/p38 pathways, and inhibiting miR-330-3p generation. Importantly, treatment with CXCL13 shRNA counteracted the upregulation of TNF-α production induced by collagen-induced arthritis. Our findings support the notion that CXCL13 is a promising target in the treatment of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Achudhan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Liang Lai
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Department of Physical Therapy and Graduate Institute of Rehabilitation Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yen-You Lin
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Li Huang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hao Tsai
- Department of Sports Medicine, College of Health Care, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Trung-Loc Ho
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Yuan Ko
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chin Fong
- Department of Sports Medicine, College of Health Care, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, China Medical University Beigang Hospital, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chung Huang
- School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Hsin Tang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan; Chinese Medicine Research Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hsinchu Hospital, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
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21
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Berczi B, Nusser N, Peter I, Nemeth B, Gyongyi Z. Association Between AIRE Polymorphisms rs870881(C>T), rs1003854(T>C) and Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk: A Hungarian Case-control Study. In Vivo 2024; 38:774-784. [PMID: 38418155 PMCID: PMC10905445 DOI: 10.21873/invivo.13501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) is a transcription factor that plays pivotal role in controlling autoimmunity. In the thymus, it supports the presentation of peripheral tissue antigens to developing T cells, where recognition of these self-antigens negatively selects the autoimmune naïve T-cells by central tolerance. Studies demonstrated that single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in AIRE alter transcription and propagate clonal survival of autoimmune T cells, therefore increase susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. This study intended to identify SNPs in exon and intron sequences that determine AIRE transcription, where their genotypes are associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk and clinical parameters. PATIENTS AND METHODS After a thorough in silico research, we enrolled 100 patients with RA and 100 healthy controls to analyze the association of SNP rs870881(C>T) and rs1003854(T>C) in AIRE coding sequence with RA risk by using five different genetic models and selected clinical parameters. Multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine allelic discrimination of SNPs. RA risk was assessed by odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS In a recessive model of rs878081, minor allele TT homozygotes were associated with RA (p=0.032, OR=5.44, 95%CI=1.16-25.52); in a recessive model of rs1003854, minor allele CC homozygotes were associated with RA (p=0.047, OR=4.84, 95%CI=1.02-23.02). Higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with RA were significantly associated with minor allele homozygotes in recessive and codominant genetic models (p=0.029 and p=0.043, respectively) of rs1003854. CONCLUSION Genotypes for minor alleles of rs878081 and rs1003854 might be involved in RA pathogenesis and risk prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balint Berczi
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Nóra Nusser
- Harkány Thermal Rehabilitation Centre, Harkány, Hungary
| | - Ivan Peter
- Harkány Thermal Rehabilitation Centre, Harkány, Hungary
| | - Balazs Nemeth
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary;
- Harkány Thermal Rehabilitation Centre, Harkány, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Gyongyi
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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22
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Su W, Ye Z, Wang G, Huang H, Fang Y. Circ_0008410 contributes to fibroblast-like synoviocytes dysfunction by regulating miR-149-5p/HIPK2 axis. Microbiol Immunol 2024; 68:100-110. [PMID: 38129937 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.13110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play functional roles in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progression. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RASFs) are the main effectors in RA development. In this study, we explored the function and mechanism of circ_0008410 in RASFs. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of circ_0008410, microRNA-149-5p (miR-149-5p), and homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2). Cell counting kit-8, EdU assay, flow cytometry, and transwell assay were performed to evaluate cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Western blot measured the protein levels of related markers and HIPK2. The levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 were tested by corresponding ELISA kits and Western blot. The combination between miR-149-5p and circ_0008410 or HIPK2 was detected by dual-luciferase reporter assay or RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Our data showed that circ_0008410 and HIPK2 were elevated, while miR-149-5p was downregulated in RA synovial tissues and RASFs. Circ_0008410 promoted RASF proliferation, migration, invasion, and inflammation while inhibiting apoptosis. MiR-149-5p was a target of circ_0008410, and its overexpression could reverse the promoting effects of circ_0008410 on RASF dysfunction. Moreover, miR-149-5p could target HIPK2 to suppress RASF proliferation, migration, invasion, and inflammation. Collectively, circ_0008410 promoted RASF dysfunction via miR-149-5p/HIPK2, which might provide a potential target for RA therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wensi Su
- Department of Geriatric Center, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhifang Ye
- Department of Sports Medicine, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangji Wang
- Department of Sports Medicine, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Huang
- Department of Sports Medicine, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yehan Fang
- Department of Sports Medicine, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, Hainan, People's Republic of China
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23
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Zhang Q, Wang G, Xu B. Brucine alleviates fibroblast-like synoviocytes dysfunction and inflammation by regulating YY1 during rheumatoid arthritis. Chem Biol Drug Des 2024; 103:e14472. [PMID: 38458967 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Brucine is a weak alkaline indole alkaloid with wide pharmacological activities and has been identified to protect against rheumatoid arthritis (RA) process. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are also reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of RA. Here, we aimed to probe the role and mechanism of Brucine and circ_0139658 in RA progression. The fibroblast-like synoviocytes of RA (RA-FLSs) were isolated for functional analysis. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, as well as inflammatory response were evaluated by CCK-8 assay, EdU assay, flow cytometry, transwell assay, and ELISA analysis, respectively. qRT-PCR and western blotting analyses were utilized to measure the levels of genes and proteins. The binding between miR-653-5p and circ_0139658 or Yin Yang 1 (YY1), was verified using dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays. Brucine suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of RA-FLSs, and alleviated inflammation by reducing the release of pro-inflammatory factors and macrophage M1 polarization. RA-FLSs showed increased circ_0139658 and YY1 levels and decreased miR-653-5p levels. Circ_0139658 is directly bound to miR-653-5p to regulate YY1 expression. Brucine treatment suppressed circ_0139658 and YY1 expression but increased YY1 expression in RA-FLSs. Functionally, circ_0139658 overexpression reversed the suppressing effects of Brucine on RA-FLS dysfunction and inflammation. Moreover, circ_0139658 silencing alleviated the dysfunction and inflammation in RA-FLSs, which were reverted by YY1 overexpression. Brucine suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and inflammation in RA-FLSs by decreasing YY1 via circ_0139658/miR-653-5p axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- Department of TCM, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Changzhou, China
| | - Gaodan Wang
- Department of TCM, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Changzhou, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Department of TCM, Changzhou Cancer Hospital, Changzhou, China
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24
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Huang Z, Cui T, Yao J, Wu Y, Zhu J, Yang X, Cui L, Zhou H. Potential association of genetically predicted lipid and lipid-modifying drugs with rheumatoid arthritis: A Mendelian randomization study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298629. [PMID: 38416767 PMCID: PMC10901327 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Past studies have demonstrated that patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often exhibit abnormal levels of lipids. Furthermore, certain lipid-modifying medications have shown effectiveness in alleviating clinical symptoms associated with RA. However, the current understanding of the causal relationship between lipids, lipid-modifying medications, and the risk of developing RA remains inconclusive. This study employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the causal connection between lipids, lipid-modifying drugs, and the occurrence of RA. METHODS We obtained genetic variation for lipid traits and drug targets related to lipid modification from three sources: the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium (GLGC), UK Biobank, and Nightingale Health 2020. The genetic data for RA were acquired from two comprehensive meta-analyses and the R8 of FINNGEN, respectively. These variants were employed in drug-target MR analyses to establish a causal relationship between genetically predicted lipid-modifying drug targets and the risk of RA. For suggestive lipid-modified drug targets, we conducted Summary-data-based Mendelian Randomization (SMR) analyses and using expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data in relevant tissues. In addition, we performed co-localization analyses to assess genetic confounders. RESULTS Our analysis revealed no significant causal relationship between lipid and RA. We observed that the genetically predicted 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) -mediated low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (OR 0.704; 95% CI 0.56, 0.89; P = 3.43×10-3), Apolipoprotein C-III (APOC3) -mediated triglyceride (TG) (OR 0.844; 95% CI 0.77, 0.92; P = 1.50×10-4) and low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) -mediated LDL-C (OR 0.835; 95% CI 0.73, 0.95; P = 8.81×10-3) were significantly associated with a lowered risk of RA. while Apolipoprotein B-100 (APOB) -mediated LDL-C (OR 1.212; 95%CI 1.05,1.40; P = 9.66×10-3) was significantly associated with an increased risk of RA. CONCLUSIONS Our study did not find any supporting evidence to suggest that lipids are a risk factor for RA. However, we observed significant associations between HMGCR, APOC3, LDLR, and APOB with the risk of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhican Huang
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Ting Cui
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jin Yao
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yutong Wu
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jun Zhu
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Xin Yang
- School of Health and Rehabilitation, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Cui
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Haiyan Zhou
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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25
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Cai H, Zhang J, Xu H, Sun W, Wu W, Dong C, Zhou P, Xue C, Nan Y, Ni Y, Wu X, Gu Z, Chen M, Wang Y. ALOX5 drives the pyroptosis of CD4 + T cells and tissue inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. Sci Signal 2024; 17:eadh1178. [PMID: 38412254 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adh1178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Pyroptosis, an inflammatory form of programmed cell death, is linked to the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying pyroptosis in T cells isolated from patients with RA. Compared with healthy individuals, patients with RA had more pyroptotic CD4+ T cells in blood and synovia, which correlated with clinical measures of disease activity. Moreover, the mRNA expression and protein abundance of arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5), which converts arachidonic acid to leukotriene A4 (LTA4), were increased in CD4+ T cells from patients with RA and, among patients with RA, were lowest in those in clinical remission. Knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of ALOX5 suppressed CD4+ T cell pyroptosis and improved symptoms in two rodent models of RA. Mechanistically, the increase in ALOX5 activity in RA CD4+ T cells enhanced the production of the LTA4 derivative LTB4, which stimulated Ca2+ influx through ORAI3 channels, leading to the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes and pyroptosis. Our findings reveal a role for ALOX5 in RA and provide a molecular basis for further exploring the clinical utility of ALOX5 inhibition in RA and for using ALOX5 as a biomarker to distinguish active disease and remission in RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Cai
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hua Xu
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weiwei Sun
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weijie Wu
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chen Dong
- Department of Rheumatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- Department of Medical Immunology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chengbin Xue
- Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yunyi Nan
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yingchen Ni
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xinyuan Wu
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhifeng Gu
- Department of Rheumatology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Minhao Chen
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Youhua Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
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Tang T, Zhong Y, Xu S, Yu H. Causal effects of endometriosis on SLE, RA and SS risk: evidence from meta-analysis and Mendelian randomization. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2024; 24:162. [PMID: 38395801 PMCID: PMC10885476 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-024-06347-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endometriosis is an underdiagnosed disorder that affects an estimated 6-10% of women of reproductive age. Endometriosis has been reported in epidemiological studies to be associated with autoimmune diseases. However, the relationship remains controversial. METHODS A meta-analysis of observational studies was undertaken to evaluate the risk of autoimmune diseases in patients with endometriosis. The relevant studies were retrieved via the databases Medline, Embase and Web of Science until July 20, 2023. Mendelian randomization (MR) was subsequently utilized to scrutinize the causal influence of genetic predisposition toward endometriosis on three autoimmune diseases. RESULTS The meta-analysis findings revealed a relationship between endometriosis and the onset of SLE (cohort studies: RR = 1.77, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.47-2.13, I2 = 0%; Case-control and cross-sectional studies: OR = 5.23, 95% CI: 0.74-36.98, I2 = 98%), RA (cohort studies: RR = 2.18, 95% CI: 1.85-2.55, I2 = 92%; Case-control and cross-sectional studies: OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.19-1.64, I2 = 0%) and SS (cohort studies: RR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.34-1.66, I2 = 0%). Similarly, in our MR study, the results of the inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) model suggested that genetic predisposition to endometriosis was causally associated with an increased risk for SLE (OR = 1.915, 95% CI: 1.204-3.045, p = 0.006) and RA (OR = 1.005, 95% CI: 1.001-1.009, p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS Both our meta-analysis and MR study indicate that endometriosis increases the risk of autoimmune diseases. These findings not only broaden our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying the comorbidity of endometriosis and autoimmune diseases, but also offer a new strategy for autoimmune disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyou Tang
- Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Yi Zhong
- Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Sipei Xu
- The First Medicine College, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Huilin Yu
- The Second Medicine College, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Yao X, Zhang R, Wang X. The gut-joint axis: Genetic evidence for a causal association between gut microbiota and seropositive rheumatoid arthritis and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e37049. [PMID: 38394529 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000037049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the causal relationship between GM and RA (seropositive RA and seronegative RA). A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to assess the causality of GM on seropositive RA and seronegative RA. GM's genome-wide association study (GWAS) was used as the exposure, whereas the GWAS datasets of seropositive RA and seronegative RA were the outcomes. The primary analysis approach was used as inverse-variance weighted (IVW), followed by 3 additional MR methods (MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode). Cochran's Q test was used to identify heterogeneity. The MR-Egger intercept test and leave-one-out analyses were used to assess horizontal pleiotropy. All statistical analyses were performed in R software. We discovered that Alloprevotella (IVW OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71-0.99, P = .04) and Christensenellaceae R 7 group (IVW OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.52-0.99, P = .04) were negatively correlated with seropositive RA, Ruminococcaceae UCG002 (IVW OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.10-1.54, P = .002) was positively associated with seropositive RA. Actinomyces (IVW OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.54-0.99, P = .04), Christensenellaceae R 7 group (IVW OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.39-0.97, P = .04), Terrisporobacter (IVW OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.44-0.93, P = .02), Lactobacillales (IVW OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.47-0.90, P = .01) were negatively correlated with seronegative RA. The present MR analysis showed a protective effect of Alloprevotella and Christensenellaceae R 7 group and a potentially anti-protective effect of Ruminococcaceae UCG002 on seropositive RA; and a protective effect of Actinomyces, Christensenellaceae R 7 group, Terrisporobacter, and Lactobacillales on seronegative RA. Further experimental studies and randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Yao
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Runrun Zhang
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xinchang Wang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
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Li G, Fang Y, Xu N, Ding Y, Liu D. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes-derived exosomal circFTO deteriorates rheumatoid arthritis by enhancing N6-methyladenosine modification of SOX9 in chondrocytes. Arthritis Res Ther 2024; 26:56. [PMID: 38388473 PMCID: PMC10882813 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-024-03290-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes disability worldwide. Exosomes released by fibroblast-like synoviocytes in RA (RA-FLSs-Exos) play a role in the development of RA, and circular RNAs (circRNAs) are important for RA progression. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of RA-FLSs-Exos in RA and identify the potential pathway responsible for these effects. METHODS We initially conducted microarray analysis to identify dysregulated circRNAs in exosomes associated with RA. We then co-cultured isolated RA-FLSs-Exos with chondrocytes to examine their role in RA. In vivo experiments were performed using collagen-induced arthritis mouse models, and circFTO knockdown was achieved through intra-articular injection of AAV5 vectors. RESULTS Our findings revealed increased expression of circFTO in both RA-FLSs-Exos and synovial tissues from patients with RA. Exosomal circFTO hindered chondrocyte proliferation, migration, and anabolism while promoting apoptosis and catabolism. Mechanistically, we discovered that circFTO facilitates the formation of methyltransferases complex to suppress SRY-related high-mobility group box 9 (SOX9) expression with assistance from YTH domain family 2 (YTHDF2) through an m6A-dependent mechanism. Furthermore, inhibition of circFTO improved symptoms of RA in vivo. CONCLUSION Taken together, our study demonstrates that exosomal circFTO derived from FLSs contributes to the progression of RA by targeting SOX9. These findings highlight a promising target for treating RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoqing Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225000, China.
| | - Yuxuan Fang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225000, China
| | - Nan Xu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225000, China
| | - Yimin Ding
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225000, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Subei People's Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225000, China
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Wu L, Wang Q, Gao QC, Shi GX, Li J, Fan FR, Wu J, He PF, Yu Q. Potential mechanisms and drug prediction of Rheumatoid Arthritis and primary Sjögren's Syndrome: A public databases-based study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298447. [PMID: 38359008 PMCID: PMC10868835 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) are the most common systemic autoimmune diseases, and they are increasingly being recognized as occurring in the same patient population. These two diseases share several clinical features and laboratory parameters, but the exact mechanism of their co-pathogenesis remains unclear. The intention of this study was to investigate the common molecular mechanisms involved in RA and pSS using integrated bioinformatic analysis. RNA-seq data for RA and pSS were picked up from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Co-expression genes linked with RA and pSS were recognized using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis. Then, we screened two public disease-gene interaction databases (GeneCards and Comparative Toxicogenomics Database) for common targets associated with RA and pSS. The DGIdb database was used to predict therapeutic drugs for RA and pSS. The Human microRNA Disease Database (HMDD) was used to screen out the common microRNAs associated with RA and pSS. Finally, a common miRNA-gene network was created using Cytoscape. Four hub genes (CXCL10, GZMA, ITGA4, and PSMB9) were obtained from the intersection of common genes from WGCNA, differential gene analysis and public databases. Twenty-four drugs corresponding to hub gene targets were predicted in the DGIdb database. Among the 24 drugs, five drugs had already been reported for the treatment of RA and pSS. Other drugs, such as bortezomib, carfilzomib, oprozomib, cyclosporine and zidovudine, may be ideal drugs for the future treatment of RA patients with pSS. According to the miRNA-gene network, hsa-mir-21 may play a significant role in the mechanisms shared by RA and pSS. In conclusion, we identified commom targets as potential biomarkers in RA and pSS from publicly available databases and predicted potential drugs based on the targets. A new understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with RA and pSS is provided according to the miRNA-gene network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Wu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital (Fifth Hospital) of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Qi Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Big Data for Clinical Decision Research, Taiyuan, China
- School of Management, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Qi-chao Gao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Gao-xiang Shi
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Department of Anaesthesia, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanxi Provincial People’s Hospital (Fifth Hospital) of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Fu-rong Fan
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jing Wu
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Pei-Feng He
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Big Data for Clinical Decision Research, Taiyuan, China
- School of Management, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Qi Yu
- Shanxi Key Laboratory of Big Data for Clinical Decision Research, Taiyuan, China
- School of Management, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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Zhang Q, Liu A, Huang C, Xiong Z, Cheng Q, Zhang J, Lin J, Yang H. Effect of basal metabolic rate on rheumatoid arthritis: a Mendelian randomization study. Postgrad Med J 2024; 100:187-195. [PMID: 37978228 DOI: 10.1093/postmj/qgad105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Basal metabolic rate (BMR) as one of the most basic and significant indicators of metabolism has been associated with human health. Previous studies showed that the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is linked to BMR; however, the causal relationship between BMR and RA is unknown. Thus, we aimed to explore the causal relationship between BMR and RA as well as RA-related factors. METHODS Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed on collected genome-wide association studies information. The effect of horizontal pleiotropy was detected by MR-PRESSO and MR-Radial. Five MR analysis methods were applied, including inverse variance weighted, MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, and simple mode. Four sensitivity analysis methods were used for the validation of the significant MR analysis results. A two-component mixture of regressions method was additionally used to validate single nucleotide polymorphisms and to verify results. RESULTS Genetically, there is a causal effect of BMR on overall RA (odds ratio = 1.25, 95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.47, PIVW = .006), seropositive RA (odds ratio = 1.20, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.44, PIVW = .035), and seronegative RA (odds ratio = 1.36, 95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.78, PIVW = .023). Sensitivity analyses validated the robustness of the above associations. No evidence supported the effect of RA on BMR. Moreover, BMR showed no causal relationship with rheumatoid factor, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and matrix metallopeptidase 3. CONCLUSION MR results implied the causal effect of BMR on RA and raised our attention to the importance of BMR in RA's pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital, Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Medical Centre of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ang Liu
- Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital, Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Medical Centre of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- Department of Orthopaedics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, P.R. China
| | - ZhenCheng Xiong
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, West China Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
- Department of Trauma Center, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, West China Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P.R. China
| | - Qi Cheng
- Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Suzhou Institute of Trade & Commerce, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
| | - Jun Lin
- Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital, Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Medical Centre of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huilin Yang
- Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215006, P.R. China
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Gu J, Xu J, Jiao A, Gao Z, Zhang C, Cai N, Xia S, Li J, Wang Z, Chen G, Liu X, Chen Y. The levels of IL1RN is a factor influencing the onset of rheumatoid arthritis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 128:111528. [PMID: 38241845 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
With the improvement of global dietary conditions, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has gradually become prevalent. As the number of NAFLD patients increases, the coexistence of diseases associated with it has come into focus. In this study, based on immune phenotypes, intercellular communication activities, and clinical manifestations of NAFLD patients, IL1RN was identified as a central pro-inflammatory factor. Subsequently, potential downstream biological pathways of IL1RN in liver tissues and various cell types were enriched to describe its functions. Transcription factors Nfkb1, Jun, and Sp1, significantly associated with these functions, were also enriched. Functional studies of IL1RN suggest its potential to trigger autoimmune diseases. Given this, Mendelian randomization analysis was used to explore the causal relationship between NAFLD and various autoimmune diseases, with IL1RN considered as an intermediary introduced into Mendelian randomization studies. The results indicate that IL1RN and its partially related proteins play a certain mediating role in the process of NAFLD inducing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Finally, additional research results suggest that intrahepatic ALT levels may influence IL1RN levels, possibly through amino acid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghua Gu
- First Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; School of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
| | - Jiansheng Xu
- First Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Annan Jiao
- First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Zongxuan Gao
- First Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- First Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Ningning Cai
- First Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Siyuan Xia
- Second Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jianyang Li
- First Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Zihao Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Guoqing Chen
- First Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xiaoying Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
| | - Yang Chen
- First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
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Bravo-Villagra KM, Muñoz-Valle JF, Baños-Hernández CJ, Cerpa-Cruz S, Navarro-Zarza JE, Parra-Rojas I, Aguilar-Velázquez JA, García-Arellano S, López-Quintero A. STAT4 Gene Variant rs7574865 Is Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis Activity and Anti-CCP Levels in the Western but Not in the Southern Population of Mexico. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:241. [PMID: 38397230 PMCID: PMC10887563 DOI: 10.3390/genes15020241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease. Currently, several genes play an important role in the development of the disease. The objective was to evaluate the association of the STAT4 rs7574865 and rs897200 gene variants with RA susceptibility, DAS28, RF, and anti-CCP in Western and Southern Mexico populations. Genotyping was performed on 476 samples (cases = 240; controls = 236) using the Taqman® system and qPCR probes. Disease activity was assessed using DAS28 and HAQ DI. CRP, ESR, RF, and anti-CCP were determined for clinical assessment. Our study showed there is a statistically significant association with susceptibility to RA for the rs7574865 variant in the Western population for the GT and TT genotypes. The same genotypes also showed a moderate-to-high activity according to DAS28 and positive anti-CCP compared to the control group. This association was not found in the Southern population. This work confirms the association of the rs7574865 variant with RA, as well as a moderate-to-high activity and positive anti-CCP in the Western population but not in the Southern population. No association of the rs897200 variant was found in any of the studied populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Mayela Bravo-Villagra
- Instituto de Nutrigenética y Nutrigenómica Traslacional, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG), Guadalajara 44340, Mexico;
- Doctorado en Genética Humana, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG), Guadalajara 44340, Mexico;
| | - José Francisco Muñoz-Valle
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG), Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (J.F.M.-V.); (C.J.B.-H.); (S.G.-A.)
| | - Christian Johana Baños-Hernández
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG), Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (J.F.M.-V.); (C.J.B.-H.); (S.G.-A.)
| | - Sergio Cerpa-Cruz
- Antiguo Hospital Civil de Guadalajara “Fray Antonio Alcalde”, Guadalajara 44200, Mexico;
| | | | - Isela Parra-Rojas
- Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero, Chilpancingo de Bravo 39086, Mexico;
| | - José Alonso Aguilar-Velázquez
- Doctorado en Genética Humana, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG), Guadalajara 44340, Mexico;
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG), Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (J.F.M.-V.); (C.J.B.-H.); (S.G.-A.)
| | - Samuel García-Arellano
- Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG), Guadalajara 44340, Mexico; (J.F.M.-V.); (C.J.B.-H.); (S.G.-A.)
| | - Andres López-Quintero
- Instituto de Nutrigenética y Nutrigenómica Traslacional, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG), Guadalajara 44340, Mexico;
- Doctorado en Genética Humana, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS), Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG), Guadalajara 44340, Mexico;
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Huang J. The causal effect of two occupational factors on osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: a Mendelian randomization study. Front Public Health 2024; 11:1281214. [PMID: 38410128 PMCID: PMC10895025 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1281214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are two common types of arthritis. We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to estimate the causal effects of two common occupational factors-job involves heavy manual or physical work and job involves mainly walking or standing-on OA and RA in individuals of European ancestry. Methods Instruments were chosen from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) that identified independent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) robustly linked to job involves heavy manual or physical work (N = 263,615) as well as job involves mainly walking or standing (N = 263,556). Summary statistics for OA and RA were taken from the Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) GWAS database; both discovery and replication GWAS datasets were considered. The primary analysis utilized the inverse variance weighted (IVW) MR method supplemented by various sensitivity MR analyses. Results In the IVW model, we found that genetically predicted job involves heavy manual or physical work was significantly associated with OA in both the discovery [odds ratio (OR) = 1.034, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.016-1.053, P = 2.257 × 10-4] and replication (OR = 1.857, 95% CI: 1.223-2.822, P = 0.004) analyses. The causal associations were supported in diverse sensitivity analyses. MR analyses suggested no causal effect of genetically predicted job involves heavy manual or physical work on RA. Similarly, our data provided no evidence that genetically predicted job involves mainly walking or standing was related to OA and RA. Conclusions Our MR study suggests that job involves heavy manual or physical work is a risk factor for OA. It is of utmost importance to create preventive strategies aimed at reducing its impact on OA at such work sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Huang
- Clinical Laboratory Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
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Latini A, De Benedittis G, Conigliaro P, Bonini C, Morgante C, Iacovantuono M, D’Antonio A, Bergamini A, Novelli G, Chimenti MS, Ciccacci C, Borgiani P. The rs11568820 Variant in the Promoter Region of Vitamin D Receptor Gene Is Associated with Clinical Remission in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Receiving Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:234. [PMID: 38397223 PMCID: PMC10887840 DOI: 10.3390/genes15020234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The vitamin D receptor (VDR), binding to the active form of the vitamin, promotes the transcription of numerous genes involved in the proliferation of immune cells, cytokine production and lymphocyte activation. It is known that vitamin D deficiency can influence the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or modulate its disease activity. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible association between the rs11568820 (C > T) polymorphism in the promoter region of VDR gene and the response to therapy with anti-TNF drugs in patients with RA. A total of 178 consecutive Italian patients with RA treated with anti-TNF, naïve for biological therapy, were recruited. Disease activity data were evaluated using specific indices such as DAS28, CDAI and SDAI, measured at the start of therapy and subsequently at 22, 52, 104 and 240 weeks. A statistically significant association emerged between the rs11568820 variant allele of VDR gene and failure to remission assessed by CDAI and SDAI at 52 weeks, and by DAS28, CDAI and SDAI at 104 weeks of follow-up. Furthermore, the variant allele of this polymorphism was observed more frequently in patients who did not undergo sustained remission calculated by CDAI and SDAI. The variant T allele of rs11568820 in VDR gene is associated with a reduced remission rate with anti-TNFα drugs. These data suggest the role of VDR genetic variability in the response to therapy and in the achievement of remission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Latini
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.L.); (G.D.B.); (C.M.); (G.N.)
| | - Giada De Benedittis
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.L.); (G.D.B.); (C.M.); (G.N.)
| | - Paola Conigliaro
- Rheumatology, Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (P.C.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (A.D.); (A.B.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Chiara Bonini
- Rheumatology, Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (P.C.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (A.D.); (A.B.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Chiara Morgante
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.L.); (G.D.B.); (C.M.); (G.N.)
| | - Maria Iacovantuono
- Rheumatology, Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (P.C.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (A.D.); (A.B.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Arianna D’Antonio
- Rheumatology, Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (P.C.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (A.D.); (A.B.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Alberto Bergamini
- Rheumatology, Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (P.C.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (A.D.); (A.B.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Giuseppe Novelli
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.L.); (G.D.B.); (C.M.); (G.N.)
- School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
- IRCCS NEUROMED, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Maria Sole Chimenti
- Rheumatology, Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (P.C.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (A.D.); (A.B.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Cinzia Ciccacci
- UniCamillus, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, 00131 Rome, Italy;
| | - Paola Borgiani
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Genetics Section, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; (A.L.); (G.D.B.); (C.M.); (G.N.)
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Zheng H, Liu Y, Deng Y, Li Y, Liu S, Yang Y, Qiu Y, Li B, Sheng W, Liu J, Peng C, Wang W, Yu H. Recent advances of NFATc1 in rheumatoid arthritis-related bone destruction: mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. Mol Med 2024; 30:20. [PMID: 38310228 PMCID: PMC10838448 DOI: 10.1186/s10020-024-00788-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease characterized by inflammation of the synovial tissue and joint bone destruction, often leading to significant disability. The main pathological manifestation of joint deformity in RA patients is bone destruction, which occurs due to the differentiation and proliferation of osteoclasts. The transcription factor nuclear factor-activated T cell 1 (NFATc1) plays a crucial role in this process. The regulation of NFATc1 in osteoclast differentiation is influenced by three main factors. Firstly, NFATc1 is activated through the upstream nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL)/RANK signaling pathway. Secondly, the Ca2+-related co-stimulatory signaling pathway amplifies NFATc1 activity. Finally, negative regulation of NFATc1 occurs through the action of cytokines such as B-cell Lymphoma 6 (Bcl-6), interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8), MAF basic leucine zipper transcription factor B (MafB), and LIM homeobox 2 (Lhx2). These three phases collectively govern NFATc1 transcription and subsequently affect the expression of downstream target genes including TRAF6 and NF-κB. Ultimately, this intricate regulatory network mediates osteoclast differentiation, fusion, and the degradation of both organic and inorganic components of the bone matrix. This review provides a comprehensive summary of recent advances in understanding the mechanism of NFATc1 in the context of RA-related bone destruction and discusses potential therapeutic agents that target NFATc1, with the aim of offering valuable insights for future research in the field of RA. To assess their potential as therapeutic agents for RA, we conducted a drug-like analysis of potential drugs with precise structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Zheng
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China
| | - Yuexuan Liu
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China
| | - Yasi Deng
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China
| | - Yunzhe Li
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China
| | - Shiqi Liu
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China
| | - Yong Yang
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China
| | - Yun Qiu
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China
| | - Bin Li
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China
| | - Wenbing Sheng
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China
| | - Jinzhi Liu
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China
| | - Caiyun Peng
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China
| | - Wei Wang
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China.
| | - Huanghe Yu
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Innovative Materia Medica Research Institute, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, China.
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Lin CMA, Isaacs JD, Cooles FAH. Role of IFN-α in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Curr Rheumatol Rep 2024; 26:37-52. [PMID: 38051494 PMCID: PMC10787895 DOI: 10.1007/s11926-023-01125-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Type 1 interferons (IFN-I) are of increasing interest across a wide range of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Historically, research into their role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been relatively neglected, but recent work continues to highlight a potential contribution to RA pathophysiology. RECENT FINDINGS We emphasise the importance of disease stage when examining IFN-I in RA and provide an overview on how IFN-I may have a direct role on a variety of relevant cellular functions. We explore how clinical trajectory may be influenced by increased IFN-I signalling, and also, the limitations of scores composed of interferon response genes. Relevant environmental triggers and inheritable RA genetic risk relating to IFN-I signalling are explored with emphasis on intriguing data potentially linking IFN-I exposure, epigenetic changes, and disease relevant processes. Whilst these data cumulatively illustrate a likely role for IFN-I in RA, they also highlight the knowledge gaps, particularly in populations at risk for RA, and suggest directions for future research to both better understand IFN-I biology and inform targeted therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung M A Lin
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Musculoskeletal Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - John D Isaacs
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Musculoskeletal Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Faye A H Cooles
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
- Musculoskeletal Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
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Wang B, Xiong Y, Li R, Zhang S. Potential role of SNP rs2071475 in rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease in the East Asian population: a Mendelian randomization study. Inflammopharmacology 2024; 32:683-692. [PMID: 37855981 PMCID: PMC10907428 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-023-01363-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous observational studies have identified an association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the causal relationship between RA and IBD in the East Asian population remains uncertain. METHODS The two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to elucidate the potential causal relationship between RA and IBD. Summary-level data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the East Asian population were utilized, including RA (n = 19,190) and IBD (n = 6543), including Crohn's disease (CD, n = 5409) and ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 4853). The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was employed as the primary analysis, supplemented by weighted median, weighted mode, simple median, MR-Egger, and MR-PRESSO analyses. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the results. Genetic data for RA (n = 22,515) were utilized to validate the findings in the East Asian population. RESULTS The IVW method showed no significant association between genetically predicted RA and overall IBD in the East Asian population (OR = 1.028; 95% CI: 0.935-1.129; P = 0.567). The subgroup analysis revealed a positive association between RA and CD (OR = 1.268; 95% CI: 1.108-1.451; P < 0.001), while a negative association was observed with UC (OR = 0.839; 95% CI: 0.710-0.993; P = 0.041). These findings were supported by another set of RA data. Additionally, an SNP rs2071475 was identified to play an important role in CD and UC. CONCLUSION This study revealed a potential increased susceptibility to CD and a decreased susceptibility to UC in the East Asian population with RA. Furthermore, a key SNP rs2071475 was discovered along with its opposite effects in CD and UC. These findings provide new evidence for research on the corresponding molecular mechanisms and offer insights for clinical management of RA-associated IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- Department of Geriatric Digestive Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 West 5th Road, Xi'an, 710004, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yongqiang Xiong
- Department of Geriatric Digestive Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 West 5th Road, Xi'an, 710004, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ren Li
- Department of Geriatric Digestive Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 West 5th Road, Xi'an, 710004, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shu Zhang
- Department of Geriatric Digestive Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, 157 West 5th Road, Xi'an, 710004, Shaanxi, China.
- Experimental Teaching Center for Clinical Skills, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
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Lee YH, Song GG. A meta-analysis of the association between the ATIC 347 C/G polymorphism and methotrexate responsiveness and toxicity in rheumatoid arthritis. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2024; 64:152337. [PMID: 38071832 DOI: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2023.152337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to determine whether the 347 C/G polymorphism in the 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide transformylase (ATIC) gene predicts the responsiveness to or toxicity of methotrexate (MTX) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHOD To identify relevant publications, we searched the Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases. We performed a meta-analysis of studies on the relationship between the ATIC 347 C/G polymorphism and MTX toxicity or non-responsiveness in patients with RA. RESULTS Thirteen studies consisting of 3,185 patients with RA satisfied our inclusion criteria. The analysis included 10 studies on MTX responsiveness and seven studies on MTX toxicity in patients with RA in connection with ATIC 347C/G polymorphism. According to our meta-analysis, the ATIC 347 GG genotype and failure to respond to MTX treatment were significantly associated (OR = 0.741, 95% CI = 0.591-0.929, p=0.009). According to stratification by ethnicity, this genotype was significantly associated with non-responsiveness to MTX in Europeans (OR=0.548, 95% CI=0.377-0.796, p=0.002) but not in Asian populations (OR=0.882, 95% CI=0.665-1.1172, p=0.388). However, analyses employing allelic, dominant, and homozygous contrast models failed to detect any relationship between the polymorphism and the failure to respond to MXT. However, the ATIC 347GG genotype and MTX toxicity were not associated (OR=1.278, 95% CI=0.937-1.745, p=0.121). Asian and European populations showed no evidence of a relationship between the ATIC 347GG genotype and MTX toxicity (OR=1.252, 95% CI=0.905-1.732, p=0.175 and OR =1.617, 95% CI=0.549-4.765, p=0.383, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This meta-analysis revealed that ATIC 347 C/G polymorphism was related to non-responsiveness to MTX in European populations with RA. However, no significant correlation was found with MTX toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Ho Lee
- Department of Rheumatology, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 73, Goryeodae-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Korea.
| | - Gwan Gyu Song
- Department of Rheumatology, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 73, Goryeodae-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Korea
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Yamamoto K, Ishigaki K, Okada Y. How can genetics analysis allow for early detection of rheumatoid arthritis. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2024; 64S:152323. [PMID: 38151400 DOI: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2023.152323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Early detection and diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is crucial for initiating appropriate therapy promptly, thereby leading to increase the likelihood of achieving remission and eventual cure. In this article, we will discuss the contribution of genetic information in predicting and detecting RA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yukinori Okada
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan; The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
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Xiao C, Xie S, Ouyang S. FNDC4 reduces inflammation, proliferation, invasion and migration of rheumatoid synovial cells by inhibiting CCL2/ERK signaling. Tissue Cell 2024; 86:102294. [PMID: 38181585 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2023.102294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic joint inflammation. Fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 4 (FNDC4) is a secretory factor that can regulate inflammatory diseases. However, the role of FNDC4 in RA has not been reported so far. METHODS The expression of FNDC4 in synovial tissues of RA was analyzed by GEO database (GSE55235 dataset). Then, the expression of FNDC4 in RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLSs) was detected by RT-qPCR and western blot. After constructing FNDC4 overexpression plasmid, cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected. Wound healing and transwell assays were used to detect cell migration and invasion. Then we examined the expression of cytokines related to cell inflammation. Subsequently, the regulatory mechanism of FNDC4 was further discussed. We detected the expression of CCL2 and ERK signaling pathway related proteins downstream of FNDC4. Finally, the mechanism was discussed through the overexpression of FNDC4 and CCL2 and the addition of ERK pathway activator tBHQ. RESULTS GEO database showed that FNDC4 expression decreased in synovial tissues of RA. FNDC4 expression was also decreased in RA-FLSs. Overexpression of FNDC4 inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of RA-FLSs whereas promoted the cellapoptosis. Overexpression of FNDC4 inhibited the release of inflammatory factors in RA-FLSs. The regulatory effect of FNDC4 is achieved by inhibiting the CCL2/ERK signaling pathway. CONCLUSION FNDC4 reduces inflammation, proliferation, invasion and migration of RA-FLSs in RA by inhibiting CCL2/ERK signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changjuan Xiao
- Nephrology Department, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), Changsha 410000, Hunan, P.R. China.
| | - Shuoshan Xie
- Nephrology Department, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), Changsha 410000, Hunan, P.R. China
| | - Shaxi Ouyang
- Nephrology Department, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University), Changsha 410000, Hunan, P.R. China
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Li GS, Yang YZ, Ma GR, Li PF, Cheng QH, Zhang AR, Zhang ZZ, Zhang FK, Yang X, Fan H, Guo HZ. Rheumatoid arthritis is a protective factor against Alzheimer's disease: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study. Inflammopharmacology 2024; 32:863-871. [PMID: 38151584 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-023-01397-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological evidence suggests that there is an association between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the causal relationship between RA and AD remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between RA and AD. METHODS Using publicly available genome-wide association study datasets, bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) was performed using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW), weighted median, MR‒Egger regression, simple mode, and weighted mode methods. RESULTS The results of MR for the causal effect of RA on AD (IVW, odds ratio [OR] = 0.959, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.941-0.978, P = 2.752E-05; weighted median, OR = 0.960, 95% CI: 0.937-0.984, P = 0.001) revealed a causal association between genetic susceptibility to RA and an increased risk of AD. The results of MR for the causal effect of AD on RA (IVW, OR = 0.978, 95% CI: 0.906-1.056, P = 0.576; weighted median, OR = 0.966, 95% CI: 0.894-1.043, P = 0.382) indicated that there was no causal association between genetic susceptibility to AD and an increased risk of RA. CONCLUSIONS The results of this two-way two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis revealed a causal association between genetic susceptibility to RA and a reduced risk of AD but did not reveal a causal association between genetic susceptibility to AD and an increased or reduced risk of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Shuai Li
- Gansu Wuwei Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuwei, China
| | - Yong-Ze Yang
- First Clinical Medical College of Gansu, University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- People's Hospital of Gansu Province, 204 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Guo-Rong Ma
- First Clinical Medical College of Gansu, University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- People's Hospital of Gansu Province, 204 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Peng-Fei Li
- First Clinical Medical College of Gansu, University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- People's Hospital of Gansu Province, 204 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Qing-Hao Cheng
- People's Hospital of Gansu Province, 204 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - An-Ren Zhang
- First Clinical Medical College of Gansu, University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- People's Hospital of Gansu Province, 204 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Zhuang-Zhuang Zhang
- First Clinical Medical College of Gansu, University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- People's Hospital of Gansu Province, 204 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Fu-Kang Zhang
- First Clinical Medical College of Gansu, University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- People's Hospital of Gansu Province, 204 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xin Yang
- First Clinical Medical College of Gansu, University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- People's Hospital of Gansu Province, 204 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Hua Fan
- First Clinical Medical College of Gansu, University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- People's Hospital of Gansu Province, 204 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Hong-Zhang Guo
- People's Hospital of Gansu Province, 204 Donggang West Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
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Xiao S, Ouyang Q, Feng Y, Lu X, Han Y, Ren H, Huang Q, Zhao J, Xiao C, Yang M. LncNFYB promotes the proliferation of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes via LncNFYB/ANXA2/ERK1/2 axis. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105591. [PMID: 38141769 PMCID: PMC10867587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are specifically expressed in different diseases and regulate disease progression. To explore the functions of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-specific lncRNA, we determined the lncRNA expression profile of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) obtained from patients with RA and osteoarthritis (OA) using a LncRNA microarray and identified up-regulated LncNFYB in RA as a potential therapeutic target. Using gain- and loss-of-function studies, LncNFYB was proven to promote FLS proliferation and cell cycle progress but not affect their invasion, migration, and apoptotic abilities. Further investigation discovered that LncRNA could combine with annexin A2 (ANXA2) and enhance the level of phospho-ANXA2 (Tyr24) in the plasma membrane area, which induced the activation of ERK1/2 to promote proliferation. These findings provide new insights into the biological functions of LncNFYB on modification of FLS, which may be exploited for the therapy of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shibai Xiao
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingqing Ouyang
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Feng
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoxi Lu
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yipeng Han
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Ren
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qin Huang
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinjun Zhao
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Changhong Xiao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Min Yang
- Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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Jia Q, Che Q, Zhang X, Chen J, Ren C, Wu Y, Liang W, Zhang X, Li Y, Li Z, Zhang Z, Shu Q. Knockdown of Galectin-9 alleviates rheumatoid arthritis through suppressing TNF-α-induced activation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 220:115994. [PMID: 38141929 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
The role of Galectin-9 (Gal-9) in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of action and therapeutic potential of Gal-9 in RA. We detected Gal-9 expression in clinical samples, explored the mechanism of function of Gal-9 by knockdown and overexpression in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), and further verified it in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. We found that the levels of Gal-9 were considerably elevated in RA synovium than in osteoarthritis (OA) patients. A substantial decrease of Gal-9 was demonstrated after tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) inhibitor treatment in the plasma of patients with RA. Additionally, transcriptome sequencing revealed that Gal-9 was involved in the regulation of the TNF-α pathway. Gal-9 was considerably upregulated after TNF-α stimulation in FLSs, and knockdown of Gal-9 substantially inhibited TNF-α activated proliferation, migration and inflammatory response. According to cell transcriptome sequencing results, we further confirmed that Gal-9 could achieve these effects by interacting with MAFB and affecting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Finally, we knocked down Gal-9 on the CIA model and found that it could alleviate the progression of arthritis. In conclusion, our study revealed that the knockdown of Gal-9 could inhibited TNF-α induced activation in RA through MAFB, PI3K/AKT/mTOR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Jia
- Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, China; Department of Rheumatology, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Immune Diseases and Gout, Linyi, China
| | - Qincheng Che
- Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Immune Diseases and Gout, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Immune Diseases and Gout, Jinan, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Immune Diseases and Gout, Jinan, China
| | - Chunfeng Ren
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Jining NO.1 People's Hospital, Jining, China
| | - Yunpeng Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Weiqiang Liang
- Department of Bone and Joint Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaojie Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Immune Diseases and Gout, Jinan, China
| | - Yanshan Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, China; Department of Rheumatology, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Immune Diseases and Gout, Linyi, China
| | - Zunzhong Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, China; Department of Rheumatology, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Immune Diseases and Gout, Linyi, China
| | - Zhenchun Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Linyi People's Hospital, Linyi, China; Department of Rheumatology, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Immune Diseases and Gout, Linyi, China
| | - Qiang Shu
- Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Department of Rheumatology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Immune Diseases and Gout, Jinan, China.
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Qin C, Hägg S. Associations Between Genetic Variation in the Targets of Low-Density Lipoprotein-Lowering Drugs and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Circ Genom Precis Med 2024; 17:e004232. [PMID: 38047393 DOI: 10.1161/circgen.123.004232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Qin
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara Hägg
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Heutz JW, Rogier C, Niemantsverdriet E, van den Eeden SJF, de Jong PHP, Lubberts E, Geluk A, van der Helm-van Mil AHM. The course of cytokine and chemokine gene expression in clinically suspect arthralgia patients during progression to inflammatory arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2024; 63:563-570. [PMID: 37280058 PMCID: PMC10836970 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Autoantibody responses increase years before the onset of inflammatory arthritis (IA) and are stable during transitioning from clinically suspect arthralgia (CSA) to IA. Cytokine and chemokine levels also increase years before IA onset. However, the course in the at-risk stage of CSA during progression to disease or non-progression is unknown. To increase the understanding of processes mediating disease development, we studied the course of cytokine, chemokine and related receptors gene expression in CSA patients during progression to IA and in CSA patients who ultimately did not develop IA. METHODS Whole-blood RNA expression of 37 inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and related receptors was determined by dual-colour reverse transcription multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification in paired samples of CSA patients at CSA onset and either at IA development or after 24 months without IA development. ACPA-positive and ACPA-negative CSA patients developing IA were compared at CSA onset and during progression to IA. Generalised estimating equations tested changes over time. A false discovery rate approach was applied. RESULTS None of the cytokine/chemokine genes significantly changed in expression between CSA onset and IA development. In CSA patients without IA development, G-CSF expression decreased (P = 0.001), whereas CCR6 and TNIP1 expression increased (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively) over a 2 year period. Expression levels in ACPA-positive and ACPA-negative CSA patients who developed IA were similar. CONCLUSION Whole-blood gene expression of assessed cytokines, chemokines and related receptors did not change significantly from CSA to IA development. This suggests that changes in expression of these molecules may not be related to the final process of developing chronicity and may have occurred preceding CSA onset. Changes in gene expression in CSA patients without IA development may provide clues for processes related to resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith W Heutz
- Department of Rheumatology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cleo Rogier
- Department of Rheumatology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Susan J F van den Eeden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Pascal H P de Jong
- Department of Rheumatology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Erik Lubberts
- Department of Rheumatology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Annemieke Geluk
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Annette H M van der Helm-van Mil
- Department of Rheumatology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Wierczeiko A, Linke M, Friedrich JP, Koch J, Schwarting A, Krause A, Gerber S, Gerber A. A Call for Gene Expression Analysis in Whole Blood of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) as a Biomarker for RA-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease. J Rheumatol 2024; 51:130-133. [PMID: 38302188 DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.2023-0588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the most common and prognostic organ manifestations of RA. Therefore, to allow effective treatment, it is of crucial importance to diagnose RA-ILD at the earliest possible stage. So far, the gold standard of early detection has been high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the lungs. This procedure involves considerable radiation exposure for the patient and is therefore unsuitable as a routine screening measure for ethical reasons. Here, we propose the analysis of characteristic gene expression patterns as a biomarker to aid in the early detection and initiation of appropriate, possibly antifibrotic, therapy. METHODS To investigate unique molecular patterns of RA-ILD, whole blood samples were taken from 12 female patients with RA-ILD (n = 7) or RA (n = 5). The RNA was extracted, sequenced by RNA-Seq, and analyzed for characteristic differences in the gene expression patterns between patients with RA-ILD and those with RA without ILD. RESULTS The differential gene expression analysis revealed 9 significantly upregulated genes in RA-ILD compared to RA without ILD: arginase 1 (ARG1), thymidylate synthetase (TYMS), sortilin 1 (SORT1), marker of proliferation Ki-67 (MKI67), olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4), baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat containing 5 (BIRC5), membrane spanning 4-domains A4A (MS4A4A), C-type lectin domain family 12 member A (CLEC12A), and the long intergenic nonprotein coding RNA (LINC02967). CONCLUSION All gene products of these genes (except for LINC02967) are known from the literature to be involved in the pathogenesis of fibrosis. Further, for some, a contribution to the development of pulmonary fibrosis has even been demonstrated in experimental studies. Therefore, the results presented here provide an encouraging perspective for using specific gene expression patterns as biomarkers for the early detection and differential diagnosis of RA-ILD as a routine screening test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Wierczeiko
- A. Wierczeiko, MSc, J.P. Friedrich, S. Gerber, Dr. rer. nat., Computational Systems Genomics Group, Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz
| | - Matthias Linke
- M. Linke, Dr. rer. nat., Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz
| | - Johannes Peter Friedrich
- A. Wierczeiko, MSc, J.P. Friedrich, S. Gerber, Dr. rer. nat., Computational Systems Genomics Group, Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz
| | - Jan Koch
- J. Koch, A. Krause, Dr. med., Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Immanuel Krankenhaus Berlin, Berlin
| | - Andreas Schwarting
- A. Schwarting, Dr. med., Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz
| | - Andreas Krause
- J. Koch, A. Krause, Dr. med., Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Immanuel Krankenhaus Berlin, Berlin
| | - Susanne Gerber
- A. Wierczeiko, MSc, J.P. Friedrich, S. Gerber, Dr. rer. nat., Computational Systems Genomics Group, Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz
| | - Alexander Gerber
- A. Gerber, Dr. med., Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, and Center for Rheumatic Diseases Halensee, Berlin, Germany.
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Lewis MJ. Predicting best treatment in rheumatoid arthritis. Semin Arthritis Rheum 2024; 64S:152329. [PMID: 38008706 DOI: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2023.152329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although targeted biological treatments have transformed the outlook for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 40% of patients show poor clinical response, and there is an imperative to unravel the molecular pathways and mechanisms underlying non-response and disease progression. 5-20% of RA individuals do not respond to all current medications including biologic and targeted therapies, which suggests that distinct pathogenic processes underlie multi-drug refractoriness. OBJECTIVES In this brief review we discuss advances from recent studies in precision medicine in rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS Bulk RNA-Sequencing of synovial biopsies from RA individuals combined with histology and deep clinical phenotyping has revealed substantial insights into divergent pathogenic pathways which lead to disease progression and illuminated mechanisms underlying failure to response to specific treatments. Biopsy-driven randomised controlled trials, such as R4RA and the forthcoming STRAP trial, have enabled the development of machine learning predictive models for predicting response to different therapies. RESULTS In the Pathobiology of Early Arthritis Cohort (PEAC), gene expression analysis showed that individuals could be classified into three gene expression subgroups which correlated with histopathotypes defined by histological markers: pauci-immune fibroid pathotype characterised by fibroblasts and an absence of immune inflammatory cells; diffuse-myeloid pathotype characterised by macrophage influx; and the lympho-myeloid pathotype delineated by the presence of B cells, but typically containing a complex inflammatory infiltrate with ectopic lymphoid structure formation. In the R4RA biopsy-driven randomised controlled trial, patients were randomised to either rituximab or tocilizumab. Comprehensive analysis of synovial biopsies pre/post-treatment identified gene signatures of response associated with pathogenic pathways which could be tracked over time. A group of true refractory patients were identified who had failed anti-TNF prior to the study (it was an entry criterion) and then subsequently failed both trial biologics during the trial. RNA-Seq analysis and digital spatial profiling identified specific cell types including DKK3+ fibroblasts as being associated with the refractory state. We identified machine learning predictive models based on specific gene signatures which were able to predict future response to therapy as well as the refractory state. CONCLUSIONS RNA-sequencing of synovial biopsies has enabled substantial progress in understanding disease endotypes in RA and identifying synovial gene signatures which predict prognosis and future response to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myles J Lewis
- Centre for Experimental Medicine & Rheumatology, EULAR Centre of Excellence, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom; Barts Health NHS Trust, Barts Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), London, United Kingdom; Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom.
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48
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Yan P, Yao J, Ke B, Fang X. Mendelian randomization reveals systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2024; 293:78-83. [PMID: 38128388 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2023.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effect of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on adverse pregnancy outcomes is a controversial topic. This study aimed to use Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the causal relationship between SLE, RA and adverse pregnancy outcomes. METHODS Genetic variants for SLE and RA, as well as adverse pregnancy outcomes, were derived from pooled statistics from large public genome-wide association studies. Several methods, such as inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median and MR-Pleiotropic Residuals Sum and Outliers, were employed to estimate two-sample causality. RESULTS Genetic prediction of SLE was associated with higher odds of preterm labour [odds ratio (OR) 1.03, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.05; p = 0.008]. RA was associated with higher odds of preterm labour (OR 1.03, 95 % CI 1.01-1.06; p = 0.009), pre-eclampsia or eclampsia (OR 1.04, 95 % CI 1.01-1.07; p = 0.005), and poor fetal growth (OR 1.08, 95 % CI 1.04-1.12; p = 2.91 × 10-5). The results of bidirectional MR analysis did not indicate that SLE was associated with spontaneous abortion, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, preterm rupture of membranes, or poor fetal growth (p-value for IVW 0.13-0.97). CONCLUSIONS This study found a genetic association between SLE and the risk of preterm labour, and highlights the importance of perinatal care and monitoring for patients with SLE. Furthermore, RA was found to be associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes, including preterm labour, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, and poor fetal growth; as such, there is a need for more intensive therapeutic interventions and prenatal monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Yan
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nangchang 330000, China
| | - Jiahuizi Yao
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nangchang 330000, China
| | - Ben Ke
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nangchang 330000, China.
| | - Xiangdong Fang
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nangchang 330000, China.
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Syed NH, Mussa A, Elmi AH, Jamal Al-Khreisat M, Ahmad Mohd Zain MR, Nurul AA. Role of MicroRNAs in Inflammatory Joint Diseases: A Review. Immunol Invest 2024; 53:185-209. [PMID: 38095847 DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2023.2293095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Inflammatory arthritis commonly initiates in the soft tissues lining the joint. This lining swells, as do the cells in it and inside the joint fluid, producing chemicals that induce inflammation signs such as heat, redness, and swelling. MicroRNA (miRNA), a subset of non-coding small RNA molecules, post-transcriptionally controls gene expression by targeting their messenger RNA. MiRNAs modulate approximately 1/3 of the human genome with their multiple targets. Recently, they have been extensively studied as key modulators of the innate and adaptive immune systems in diseases such as allergic disorders, types of cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. However, research on the different inflammatory joint diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, Lyme disease, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis, remains in its infancy. This review presents a deeper understanding of miRNA biogenesis and the functions of miRNAs in modulating the immune and inflammatory responses in the above-mentioned inflammatory joint diseases. According to the literature, it has been demonstrated that the development of inflammatory joint disorders is closely related to different miRNAs and their specific regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, they may present as possible prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers for all diseases and may help in developing a therapeutic response. However, further studies are needed to determine whether manipulating miRNAs can influence the development and progression of inflammatory joint disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazmul Huda Syed
- School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
- Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
| | - Ali Mussa
- Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
- Department of Haematology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Omdurman Islamic University, Omdurman, Sudan
| | - Abdirahman Hussein Elmi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
| | - Mutaz Jamal Al-Khreisat
- Department of Haematology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
| | | | - Asma Abdullah Nurul
- School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
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Chen Y, Ye Y, Liu H, Luo Z, Li Q, Xie Q. Interleukin-18 Gene Polymorphisms and Rheumatoid Arthritis Susceptibility: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses. J Immunol Res 2024; 2024:6631033. [PMID: 38328001 PMCID: PMC10849815 DOI: 10.1155/2024/6631033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
This study systematically analyzes the association between interleukin-18 (IL-18) gene polymorphisms and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility. The electronic databases Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Excerpta Medica Database, and Cochrane Library were searched to identify meta-analyses that included case-control studies reporting IL-18 gene polymorphisms and RA susceptibility. Data were reanalyzed using Review Manager Software 5.1, and Mantel-Haenszel random effects were applied for the five genetic models: allelic, recessive, dominant, homozygote, and heterozygote. The effect size of odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. A total of seven meta-analyses with poor quality were included. The IL-18 polymorphisms -607 A/C, -137 C/G, -920 T/C, and -105 C/A have been reported. With weak evidence, IL-18 -607 A/C polymorphisms were associated with a reduced risk of RA susceptibility using the allele model (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.61 - 0.93, p=0.01), dominant model (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.50 - 0.90, p=0.008), homozygote model (OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.35 - 0.91, p=0.02), and heterozygote model (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.54 - 0.93, p=0.01) in the overall population. IL-18 gene polymorphisms and RA susceptibility are affected by ethnicity: With weak evidence, IL-18 -137 C/G polymorphisms were related to reduce RA susceptibility in the Asian population (allele model: OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.40 - 0.88, p=0.01; dominant model: OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.37 - 0.89, p=0.01; heterozygote model: OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.38 - 0.94, p=0.03). IL-18 -607 A/C gene polymorphisms are a protective factor for RA susceptibility in the overall population, and IL-18 -137 C/G gene polymorphisms are a protective factor for RA susceptibility in the Asian population. Further studies are needed to confirm these results owing to the limitations of the included studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehong Chen
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yali Ye
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Huan Liu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhongling Luo
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qianwei Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qibing Xie
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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