Objective To investigate the level and clinical significance of laminin (LN) and hyalu-ronic acid (HA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with neuropsychiatric lupus (NPLE). Methods The level of LN and HA in CSF in 31 cases of NPLE, 36 cases of no-NPLE SLE, 23 cases of no-SLE cerebrovascular disease and 39 normal controls were messured by radioimmunoassay method. Results The level of LN and HA in CSF of NPLE patients was higher than that of the no-NPLE, no-SLE cerebrovascular disease and normal controls (P

BACKGROUND:In recent years, the application of stem cel s to treat autoimmune diseases has become a hot spot. But, studies on umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cel s transplantation for the treatment of polymyositis/dermatomyositis are rarely reported. OBJECTIVE:To explore the immunologic mechanism of Th cytokines on the occurrence and development of polymyositis/dermatomyositis by observing the changes in serum interferon-γ, interleukin-4 and interleukin-17 in patients after umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cel s transplantation. METHODS:Eighty-one polymyositis/dermatomyositis patients were selected and divided into conventional therapy group (n=44) undergoing glucocorticoid and immunosuppressants therapy and cel transplantation group (n=37) undergoing intravenous infusion of umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cel s at a density of (3.5-5.2 )×107 . Dosing regimen was same in the two groups. After fol ow-up of 1, 3, 6 months, the changes of creatine kinase and myodynamia were evaluated;after fol ow-up of 3 and 6 months, lung imaging was evaluated;in the cel transplantation group, interferon-γ, interleukin-4 and interleukin-17 levels were detected before treatment and at 3 and 6 months after treatment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:At 1, 3, 6 months after treatment, the creatine kinase level was significantly decreased, and the muscle force grade was significantly increased in both groups (both P<0.001). Compared with the conventional therapy group, the creatine kinase level was lower and the muscle force grade was higher in the cel transplantation group (both P<0.001). Results from lung imaging test showed a remarkable improvement after cel transplantation, and it indicated that umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cel s transplantation had good stability. At 6 months after transplantation, the level of interferon-γwas significantly increased, while the interleukin-4 level was decreased significantly (both P<0.01);at 3, 6 months after cel transplantation, the levels of interleukin-17 were significantly decreased (P<0.01). Levels of interleukin-4 and interleukin-17 were positively correlated with the level of creatine kinase at 6 months after cel transplantation (r=0.467, 0.488, both P<0.05), but there was no obvious correlation between the levels of interferon-γand creatine kinase (r=0.213, P>0.05). These findings indicate umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cel s transplantation combined with glucocorticoid and immunosuppressants therapy can adjust immune network effects and improve the immune tolerance in polymyositis/dermatomyositis patients, which is safe and effective.