Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatiory disease that mainly destroys cartilages or bones at the joints. This inflammatory disorder is initiated by self-attack using own immune system, but the detail of pathological mechanism is unclear. Features of autoantigens leading to autoimmune disease are also under veil although several candidates including type II collagen have been suggested to play a role in pathogenesis. In this report, we tried to identify proteins responding to antibodies purified from RA patients and screen proteins up-regulated or down-regulated in RA using proteomic approach. Fibronectin, semaphorin 7A precursor, growth factor binding protein 7 (GRB7), and immunoglobulin mu chain were specifically associated with antibodies isolated from RA synovial fluids. In addition, some metabolic proteins such as adipocyte fatty acid binding protein, galectin-1 and apolipoprotein A1 precursor were overexpressed in RA synovium. Also, expression of peroxiredoxin 2 was up-regulated in RA. On the contrary, expression of vimentin was severely suppressed in RA synoviocytes. Such findings might give some insights into understanding of pathological mechanism in RA.
Synovial Fluid/metabolism ; Sepharose/chemistry ; Proteomics/methods ; Middle Aged ; Male ; *Inflammation ; Humans ; *Gene Expression Regulation ; Female ; Collagen Type II/biosynthesis ; Autoantigens/metabolism ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*metabolism ; Aged ; Adult

BACKGROUNDSmD1-amino-acid 83-119 peptide (SmD183-119) is the major epitope of Smith (Sm) antigen, which is specific for adult systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The anti-SmD183-119 antibody has exhibited higher sensitivity and specificity than anti-Sm antibody in diagnosing adult SLE. However, the utility of anti-SmD183-119antibodies remains unclear in children with SLE (cSLE). This study aimed to assess the characteristics of anti-SmD183-119antibody in the diagnosis of cSLE.

METHODSSamples from 242 children with different rheumatological and immunological disorders, including autoimmune diseases (SLE [n = 46] and ankylosing spondylitis [AS, n = 11]), nonautoimmune diseases (Henoch-Schonlein purpura [HSP, n = 60], idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura [n = 27], hematuria [n = 59], and arthralgia [n = 39]) were collected from Shanghai Children's Medical Center from March 6, 2012 to February 27, 2014. Seventy age- and sex-matched patients were enrolled in this study as the negative controls. All the patients' sera were analyzed for the anti-SmD183-119, anti-Sm, anti-U1-nRNP, anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), anti-nucleosome, anti-SSA/Ro60, anti-SSA/Ro52, anti-SSB, anti-Scl-70, and anti-histone antibodies using the immunoblotting assay. The differences in sensitivity and specificity between anti-SmD183-119 and anti-Sm antibodies were compared by Chi-square test. The correlations between anti-SmD183-119and other auto-antibodies were analyzed using the Spearman's correlation analysis. A value of P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTSThirty-six out of 46 patients with cSLE were found to be positive for anti-SmD183-119, while 12 patients from the cSLE cohort were found to be positive for anti-Sm. Compared to cSLE, it has been shown that anti-SmD183-119 was only detected in 27.3% of patients with AS and 16.7% of patients with HSP. In comparison with anti-Sm, it has been demonstrated that anti-SmD183-119 had a higher sensitivity (78.3% vs. 26.1%, χ2 = 25.1, P< 0.05) and a lower specificity (90.8% vs. 100%, χ2 = 13.6, P< 0.05) in the diagnosis of cSLE. Further analysis revealed that anti-SmD183-119antibodies were positively correlated with anti-dsDNA, anti-nucleosome, and anti-histone antibodies in cSLE. Moreover, it has been clearly shown that anti-SmD183-119 was more sensitive than anti-Sm in discriminating autoimmune diseases from nonautoimmune disorders in patients with arthralgia or hematuria.

CONCLUSIONSMeasurement of anti-SmD183-119in patients with cSLE has a higher sensitivity and a marginally lower specificity than anti-Sm. It has been suggested that inclusion of anti-SmD183-119testing in the integrated laboratory diagnosis of cSLE may significantly improve the overall sensitivity in child populations.

Autoantibodies ; immunology ; Autoantigens ; immunology ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Immune System Diseases ; immunology ; Immunoblotting ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; immunology ; Male ; Peptides ; chemistry ; immunology ; snRNP Core Proteins ; immunology

The transition between the main subtypes of pemphigus, pemphigus vulgaris (PV), and pemphigus foliaceus (PF) has rarely been reported. Moreover, the development of PV in a patient with PF is much more unusual than that of PF in a patient with PV. We report a 48-year-old man who presented with cutaneous lesions showing the typical clinical and histological features of PF. Five years later, his skin lesions became extensive and he developed oral erosions. His condition did not respond well to steroids and azathioprine. Histological examination of a vesicle disclosed suprabasal acantholysis in contrast to the subcorneal acantholysis discovered upon initial histological evaluation. Indirect immunofluorescence revealed IgG antikeratinocyte cell surface antibodies at a titer of 1:640. The titer was 1:160 at initial diagnosis. Upon immunoblotting, the patient's serum reacted with 130 kiloDalton (kDa) and 160 kDa proteins, suggesting desmoglein (Dsg) 3 and 1, respectively. We herein report an unusual case of PV that developed from PF during the disease's flare-up.
Time Factors ; Steroids/therapeutic use ; Skin/pathology ; Pemphigus/*diagnosis/pathology ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Immunoglobulin G/chemistry ; Immunoblotting ; Humans ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Female ; Disease Progression ; Cell Membrane/metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Azathioprine/therapeutic use ; Autoantigens/chemistry ; Autoantibodies/chemistry ; Aged ; Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the anti-angiogenic activity of peptide 21 obtained by modification of tumstatin, and its inhibitory effect on the growth and metastasis of human ovarian cancer transplanted in nude mice.

METHODSThe peptide 21 was purified by affinity chromatography. Human ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells were inoculated in nude mice and the transplanted tumor was treated with the peptide 21 to observe the tumor growth and metastasis. The microvessel density (MVD) and immunohistochemical staining index of PCNA, VEGF and MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were performed to assess the inhibitory effect of the peptide 21.

RESULTSIn the nude mice at 21 days after peptide 21 treatment, the inhibition rate of tumor growth was 53.17%, the tumor microvessel density was significantly reduced (P <0.05), the expression of PCNA, VEGF and MMP-2 were significantly lower (P <0.01), and TIMP-2 expression was significantly higher (P <0.01) in comparison with that of control group.

CONCLUSIONThe peptide 21 generated in this study has a significant anti-angiogenetic activity, showing significant inhibitory effect on the growth of human ovarian cancer transplanted in nude mice. The mechanism of its inhibitory action on ovarian cancer growth may be mediated by reduction of neovascularization and reduction of expression of angiogenetic factors.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Autoantigens ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Collagen Type IV ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Peptides ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 ; metabolism ; Tumor Burden ; drug effects ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

To study whether the antibody against the testis form of the nuclear autoantigenic sperm protein (tNASP) could result in reproductive failure, we successfully cloned and expressed a 339-bp cDNA fragment of mouse tNASP (mtNASP). Using mouse as a model, recombinant mtNASP (rmtNASP) and a synthetic peptide, human tNASP(393-408) (htNASP(393-408)), were investigated for their antifertility effect. Active immunization with rmtNASP or the synthesized peptide raised high antibody titers in the immunized mice. Sperm-egg binding and fusion assay were carried out in 8-10-week-old BALB/c mice. Sperm-egg binding and in vitro fertilization of mouse oocytes were inhibited by co-incubation of zona-free mouse oocytes with capacitated mouse spermatozoa in the presence of varying concentrations of the antisera against rmtNASP. There was a significant antifertility effect in animals immunized with rmtNASP or the synthesized peptide. The effect on fertility in the mice immunized with the synthesized peptide was reversible. Our data indicate that active immunization with rmtNASP antigen may induce a strong antibody response that causes an inhibition of fertility.
Adult ; Animals ; Autoantibodies ; administration & dosage ; immunology ; Autoantigens ; chemistry ; immunology ; pharmacology ; Contraception, Immunologic ; Female ; Fertility ; drug effects ; immunology ; Humans ; Immune Sera ; immunology ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Nuclear Proteins ; chemistry ; immunology ; pharmacology ; Rabbits ; Recombinant Proteins ; immunology ; Sequence Analysis, Protein ; Sperm Motility ; drug effects ; immunology ; Sperm-Ovum Interactions ; immunology ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; immunology ; Vaccines, Contraceptive ; immunology ; pharmacology

BACKGROUNDTumstatin is a recently developed endogenous vascular endothelial growth inhibitor that can be applied as an anti-angiogenesis and antineoplastic agent. The study aimed to design and synthesize the small molecular angiogenesis inhibition-related peptide (peptide 21), to replicate the structural and functional features of the active zone of angiogenesis inhibition using tumstatin and to prove that synthesized peptide 21 has a similar activity: specifically inhibiting tumor angiogenesis like tumstatin.

METHODSPeptide 21 was designed and synthesized using biological engineering technology. To determine its biological action, the human umbilical vein endothelial cell line ECV304, the human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3 and the mouse embryo-derived NIH3T3 fibroblasts were used in in vitro experiments to determine the effect of peptide 21 on proliferation of the three cell lines using the MTT test and growth curves. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and flow cytometry (FCM) were applied to analyze the peptide 21-induced apoptosis of the three cell lines qualitatively and quantitatively. In animal experiments, tumor models in nude mice subcutaneously grafted with SKOV-3 were used to observe the effects of peptide 21 on tumor weight, size and microvessel density (MVD). To initially investigate the role of peptide 21, the effect of peptide 21 on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) by tumor tissue was semi-quantitatively analyzed.

RESULTSThe in vitro MTT test and growth curves all indicated that cloned peptide 21 could specifically inhibit ECV304 proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.01); TEM and FCM showed that peptide 21 could specifically induce ECV304 apoptosis (P < 0.01). Results of in vivo experiments showed that tumors in the peptide 21 group grew more slowly. The weight and size of the tumors after 21 days of treatment were smaller than those in the control group (P < 0.05), with a mean tumor inhibition rate of 67.86%; MVD of the tumor tissue in the peptide 21 group was significantly lower than in the control group (P < 0.05); the number of cells positive for VEGF in the peptide 21 group was significantly fewer than in the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSSimilar to the activity of tumstatin in specifically inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, peptide 21 may specifically inhibit tumor endothelial cell proliferation and induce their apoptosis, thereby suppressing tumor angiogenesis and indirectly inhibit the growth, infiltration and metastasis of tumors. Peptide 21 may exert its effect through down-regulating the VEGF expression of tumor cells and vascular endothelial cells.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Autoantigens ; chemistry ; genetics ; Cell Line ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Collagen Type IV ; chemistry ; genetics ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; ultrastructure ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; NIH 3T3 Cells ; Neoplasms, Experimental ; blood supply ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Peptides ; chemistry ; genetics ; pharmacology ; Recombinant Proteins ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Glucosamine, a naturally occurring amino monosaccharide, has been reported to play a role in the regulation of apoptosis more than half century. However the effect of glucosamine on tumor cells and the involved molecular mechanisms have not been thoroughly investigated. Glucosamine enters the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) downstream of the rate-limiting step catalyzed by the GFAT (glutamine:fluctose-6-phosphate amidotransferase), providing UDP-GlcNAc substrates for O-linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) protein modification. Considering that O-GlcNAc modification of proteasome subunits inhibits its activity, we examined whether glucosamine induces growth inhibition via affecting proteasomal activity. In the present study, we found glucosamine inhibited proteasomal activity and the proliferation of ALVA41 prostate cancer cells. The inhibition of proteasomal activity results in the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, followed by induction of apoptosis. In addition, we demonstrated that glucosamine downregulated proteasome activator PA28gamma and overexpression of PA28gamma rescued the proteasomal activity and growth inhibition mediated by glucosamine. We further demonstrated that inhibition of O-GlcNAc abrogated PA28gamma suppression induced by glucosamine. These findings suggest that glucosamine may inhibit growth of ALVA41 cancer cells through downregulation of PA28gamma and inhibition of proteasomal activity via O-GlcNAc modification.
Acetylglucosamine/chemistry/metabolism ; Alloxan/pharmacology ; Apoptosis/*drug effects ; Autoantigens/genetics/*metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/*drug effects ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Glucosamine/*pharmacology ; Humans ; Male ; Phosphorylation ; Prostatic Neoplasms/*enzymology ; Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex/*antagonists & inhibitors/genetics/metabolism ; RNA, Small Interfering/genetics ; Ubiquitinated Proteins/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of Si-Wu-Tang on serum protein of blood deficient mice b y proteomicstechnique and study the enriching and regulating blood mechanism of Si-Wu-Tang on mocular level.

METHODThe blood deficient mice was induced by using a single dose of 3.5 Gy radiation from a 60Cogamma source, and high resolution two-dimensional polyacryamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE), computer-assisted image analysis, and mass spectrometry were used to detect regulated protein by Si-Wu-Tang.

RESULT12 lower and 4 higher protein in sera could be recovered by Si-Wu-Tang, 4 protein might be DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit, Dystrophin, KIF13A, dystonin. They play a part in DNA double-stranded break repair, recombination and modulation of transcription, transportation of mannose-6-phosphate receptor, etc.

CONCLUSIONSi-Wu-Tang can regulate serum protein in blood deficient mice, resulting in improving hematopoiesis and lessening irradiated injury.

Animals ; Autoantigens ; blood ; Carrier Proteins ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Dystonin ; Dystrophin ; blood ; Female ; Kinesin ; blood ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; Non-Fibrillar Collagens ; blood ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Radiation Injuries, Experimental ; blood ; Radiation-Protective Agents ; pharmacology ; Whole-Body Irradiation