Objective:To investigate the possible role of chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1) and macrophage inhibitory protein-1(MIP-1?) in pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis(RA).Methods: Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to determine the serum expression of MCP-1 and MIP-1? in 17 patients with early active RA,18 with advanced active RA,and 15 healthy controls(all aged 18-79 years).Clinical activity indices such as the strength of grip,joint pain index,and joint swelling index were assessed in all subjects;and the serological indices such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR),C-reactive protein(CRP),and rheumatoid factors were also determined.The relationships between serum levels of MCP-1, MIP-1? with the clinical activity indices and serological indices were analyzed.Results: The serum levels of MCP-1 in patients with early and advanced RA were higher than that in the controls(P

Jinyingzi is the dry ripe fruit of Rosa leav gata Michx.. It contains mainly tannic acid, malic acid, citric acid, vitamin C and saponins. Its effect on urinary sy stem was studied on mouse Pollakiuria model by severing hypogastric nerve. Results showed that the water extract of R. laevigata can decrease the frequency and prolong the interval of urination and increase the quantity of eacn urination. The said extract can inhibit the automatic contraction of isolated rabbit jejunal smooth muscle and antagonize the spasmodic contraction arouscd by acetylcholine and barium chloride of isolated rabbit jejunal smoothmusele, and isolated vesical smooth muscle of mouse, and antagonize reaction of contractility aroused by noradrenalin on isolated thoracic aorta strips of rabbit. All of the the three inhibitions of smooth muscle contraction showed signicant dose-response curve.

Objective To investigate the relationship between chronic gastropathy with intestinal metaplasia (IM) and caudal type homeobox genes 2 (Cdx2),tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection.Methods Onehundred and thirty patients underwent gastroscopy were divided into 2 groups by typical pathological type:gastritis group (30 cases) and IM group [100 cases,including mild IM group (30 cases),moderate IM group (35 cases),severe IM group (35 cases)].Hp infection was confirmed.The expressions of Cdx2 and TNF-α protein was evaluated by immunohistochemistry.Results The positive expression rates of Cdx2 and TNF-α protein in IM group were significantly higher than those in gastritis group [78.0％(78/100) vs.6.7％(2/30),60.0％(60/100) vs.16.7％(5/30)],and there were statistical differences (P ＜ 0.01).The positive expression rates of Cdx2 and TNF-α protein in positive and negative Hp infection in IM group were significantly higher than those in gastritis group [Cdx2 protein:79.4％(50/63) vs.1/10,75.7％(28/37) vs.5.0％(1/20);TNF-α:74.6％(47/63) vs.4/10,35.1％(13/37)vs.5.0％ (1/20)],and there were statistical differences (P ＜ 0.01).The positive expression rate of Cdx2 protein in moderate IM group and severe IM group were significantly higher than those in mild IM group [80.0％ (28/35) and 97.1％ (34/35) vs.53.3％ (16/30)],in severe IM group were significantly higher th.an those in moderate IM group,and there were statistical differences (P ＜0.05).There were no statistical differences in the positive expression rate of Cdx2 protein of difference Hp infection among the 4 groups (P＞0.05).There were no statistical differences in the positive expression rate of TNF-α protein between mile IM group and moderate IM group (P ＞ 0.05).The positive expression rate of TNF-α protein in severe IM group was significantly higher than that in mild IM group and moderate IM group [80.0％(28/35) vs.40.0％(12/30) and 57.1％(20/35)],and there were statistical differences (P ＜ 0.05).The positive expression rate of TNF-α protein of positive Hp infection patients in gastritis group,mild IM group,moderate IM group and severe IM group were significantly higher than those of negative Hp infection patients (4/10 vs.1/20,47/63vs.13/37,10/18 vs.2/12,15/21 vs.5/14,22/24 vs.6/11),and there were statistical differences (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions The expressions of Cdx2 and TNF-α protein and Hp infection are closely related with IM.Therefore,testing the level of Cdx2 and TNF-α protein expressions can help to judge the degree of IM,which provides a basis for reversing IM.

Objective To examine the suscepribility of the single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)in IL-1 gene in Chinese Han population to ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods An correlation analysis was performed in a case-control cohort of 162 AS cases, 58 patients with other autoimmune diseases and 162 controls. Four SNPs located in the IL-1 gene (rs16944, rs3811058, rs419598, rs315952) were examined by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP). Results The frequencies of allele C at position rs16944, rs3811058, rs419598 significantly increased in AS cases VS controls, so did their genotype frequencies (50% vs 36.3%, 57.9% vs 52.8%, 45.7% vs 12.3%, P＜0.05). The SNPs of these sites significantly influenced the prevalence of AS. Conclusion We discover that SNPs of IL-1 gene Rs16944, Rs419598, Rs3811058 is closely related to the occurrence of AS.

Objective To study the serum levels of low molecule weight IgM (LMW IgM) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to evaluate the relationship of LMW IgM levels with the disease activities. Methods The levels of LMW IgM and pentameric IgM in AS patients, RA patients and healthy controls were measured with ELISA after separated using ultrafiltration assay. Differences in the percentage of LMW IgM between subject groups were analysed using Mann-Whitney U test. Results The percentages of LMW IgM increased dramatically in AS patients and RA patients compared with healthy controls (0.194 ± 0123, 0.061 ±0.026, 0.028 ±0.165 separately). The LMW IgM percentages were not correlated with the disease activities. Conclusion The increase of LMW IgM indicates humoral immune function abnormality in AS patients and RA. However, the mechanism needs further study.

In this study we examined the in vitro characteristics of tenocyte adhesion to biologically-modified surface of polymer. Polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) 85/15 films were prepared by a solvent-casting technique. Each film was adhered onto the bottom of a chamber. The film was precoated with poly-D-lysine (PDL), and then coated with serum-free F12 medium containing various concentrations of fibronectin (FN), type I collagen (CN I), and insulin-like growth factor1 (IGF-1). The monoclonal antibodies (to FN and to CN I) with various dilutions were used to inhibit attachment of tenocytes to surface precoated with FN or CN I. Human embryonic tendon cells (HETCs) and transformed human embryonic tendon cells (THETCs) were used as the seeding cells. The system used for the measurement of adhesion force was the micropipette aspiration experiment system. The micropipette was manipulated to aspirate a small portion of the tenocyte body by using a small aspiration pressure. Then the pipette was pulled away from the adhesion area by micromanipulation. The minimum force required to detach the tenocyte from the substrate was defined as the adhesion force. The results showed that modification of FN or CN I by precoating significantly enhanced attachment of tenocytes to surface of polymer (P < 0.05). As antibodies to FN or CN I were added to a polymer film precoated with FN or CN I, the adhesion force decreased significantly (P < 0.05). We concluded that the specific adhesion forces of tenocytes to extracellular matrix adhesion proteins (FN and CN I) had coordinated action and showed good dependence on their precoating concentrations, and were inhibited by the antibodies to these adhesion proteins. Films precoated with IGF-1 strongly accelerated the adhesion of tenocytes to polymer. These results indicate that the specific adhesion of tenocytes to polymer can be promoted by coating extracellular matrix adhesive proteins and insulin-like growth factor1. It is of great importance to construct tissue-engineered tendon.
Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; pharmacology ; Growth Substances ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; chemistry ; Polyglycolic Acid ; chemistry ; Polylysine ; pharmacology ; Polymers ; chemistry ; Tendons ; cytology ; embryology ; physiology ; Tissue Engineering

Objective: To investigate the role of lectin-like Ox-LDL receptor-1( LOX-1) in the activation and oxidative stress of cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cell(HUVEC) after human cytomegalovirus(HCMV) infection. Methods: HUVEC were divided into four groups: HCMV, Control, Carrageenan, and HCMV+ Carrageenan. After HCMV AD169 infection, the supernatant of the culture was extracted, and cells were lysed. The levels of LOX-1 mRNA, intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1) mRNA and vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1) in HUVEC were measured by real-time PCR. And the content of nitrogen monoxidum(NO) of the supernatant was detected by nitrate reductase method accordingly. Results: 24 h after infection, the mRNA expression of LOX-1, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in HUVEC of HCMV infected group increased obviously compared to control, and NO quantity increased accordingly. The mRNA expression of LOX-1, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and the quantity of NO decreased after adding the LOX-1 inhibitor carrageenan. There was significant difference between groups(P<0.05). Conclusions HCMV may increase the mRNA expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and quantity of NO by upregulating the mRNA expresion of LOX-1, which may contribute to the formation of a therosclerosis(AS).