Objective : To investigate the mechanism of puerarin in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) by network pharmacology and animal experiments. Methods : Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmcolog Database(TCMSP) and SwissTargetPrediction database were used to collect puerarin targets, and the targets of RA were obtained from GeneCards database and OMIM database. The PPI network was established by Cytoscape 3.7.2 software. Gene ontology(GO) function and Kyotoencyclopedia of genes(KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed through the Metascape database. RA rat-collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) model was reproduced using type Ⅱ collagen emulsion, 49 Wistar rats were randomly assigned to seven groups: control group, CIA model group, low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose puerarin group, methotrexate group, Tripterysium Glycosides Tablets group. Except for the control group, the other groups were given continuous gavage for 28 days after the CIA in rats model were prepared. The redness and swelling of the joints and ankle joint pathological changes were observed in each group. Western blot was used to detect the expression of Glycogen synthase kinase3β(GSK-3β), beta-catenin(β-catenin) proteins in the synovium. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR) was used to detect the expression of GSK-3β, β-catenin and c-Myc mRNA in the synovium. Results : Puerarin had 134 targets genes, RA had 5 821 target genes, and there were 102 overlapping target genes of puerarin and RA. It involved 184 signaling pathways, including JAK-STAT signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, et al. The results of animal experiments showed that after the intervention of M-puerarin and MTX, the symptoms of redness and swelling of the hind foot were alleviated, the inflammatory cell infiltration in the synovium of the joint was significantly reduced, and the damage of cartilage and bone tissue was reduced. Compared with CIA group, the expressions of GSK-3β, β-catenin protein and GSK-3β, β-catenin and c-Myc mRNA in synovial tissue of rats after M-puerarin intervention decreased(P<0.05). Conclusion Puerarin has the characteristic of multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathway intervention in RA. Puerarin may alleviate synovial hyperplasia, reduce articular cartilage erosion and bone destruction in CIA in rats by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanisms of Leigongteng （Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f.） in treating rheumatoid arthritis （RA） using bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation. MethodsBioinformatics approaches， including the Gene Expression Omnibus （GEO）， the traditional Chinese medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP）， Gene Ontology （GO） enrichment analysis， Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment， protein-protein interaction （PPI） network analysis， molecular docking， receiver operating characteristic （ROC） analysis， and immune infiltration analysis， were used to predict the key active components of Leigongteng and its target genes for RA treatment. Experimental validation was conducted using human rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes （HFLS-RA） in vitro， with methotrexate as the positive control. A scratch assay was performed to assess cell migration after 24 hours of culture. Western blotting was used to detect protein expression levels， qPCR was used to measure target gene mRNA levels， and ELISA was conducted to evaluate inflammatory cytokine levels， including interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-10 （IL-10）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）. ResultsA total of 117 target genes of Leigongteng were identified and intersected with RA-related genes， yielding 55 key genes. Further screening identified three core genes： PTGS2， CXCR4， and TIMP1. Based on the correspondence between potential drug targets and key components， triptolide and nobiletin were identified as the primary active compounds. Molecular docking results showed that both triptolide and nobiletin had binding energies lower than -5 kcal/mol with their respective target proteins， indicating strong interactions. In vitro experiments demonstrated that， compared with the blank control group， the triptolide， nobiletin， and positive control groups exhibited reduced cell migration rates after 24 hours of culture （P＜0.01）. The expression levels of PTGS2 and CXCR4 （both mRNA and protein） were significantly downregulated， while TIMP1 expression was upregulated. Levels of IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α decreased， whereas IL-10 levels increased （P＜0.01）. Compared with the positive control group， the triptolide and nobiletin groups showed increased cell migration rates， upregulated PTGS2 and CXCR4 expression （mRNA and protein）， downregulated TIMP1 expression （mRNA and protein）， increased IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α levels， and decreased IL-10 levels （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionThe key active components of Leigongteng， triptolide and nobiletin， may alleviate RA by inhibiting PTGS2 and CXCR4 while promoting TIMP1 expression， thereby suppressing inflammatory responses.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of iguratimod combined with the Chinese medicine Runzaoling in the treatment of primary Sjögren's syndrome （pSS）. MethodSeventy-two patients treated in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine（TCM） from January 2021 to June 2022 who met the Western medical diagnosis of pSS and had the TCM syndrome of Yin deficiency and heat toxin syndrome were randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group， with 36 patients in each group. The observation group was treated with iguratimod combined with Runzaoling， and the control group was treated with iguratimod. The treatment in both groups lasted for 12 weeks. The clinical symptoms， EULAR Sjogren's syndrome patient reported index （ESSPRI）， EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index （ESSDAI）， erythrocyte sedimentation Rate （ESR）， C-reactive protein （CRP）， immunoglobulin （IgG）， Schirmer score， and saliva flow of the two groups were determined before and after treatment. Furthermore， the incidence of adverse reactions was compared between the two groups. ResultThe total response rate in the observation group was 75.0% （27 patients with response and 9 patients with no response）， which was higher than that （61.11%， 22 patients with response and 14 patients without response） in the control group （P<0.05）. After treatment， the ESSPRI， ESSDAI， and TCM syndrome scores in both groups decreased and the decreases were more obvious in the observation group than in the control group （P<0.05）. The treatment in both groups recovered the ESR， CRP， IgG， Schirmer score， and saliva flow （P<0.05）. Moreover， the observation outperformed the control group in terms of the ESR， CRP， IgG， and saliva flow （P<0.05） and had no significant difference in the Schirmer score compared with the control group. During the treatment period， 2 patients in the observation group had nausea， and 1 patient had an abnormal liver function， which were relieved after symptomatic treatment and did not affect the treatment. In the control group， 1 patient withdrew from the study due to rashes and showed no special discomfort in the follow-up 4 weeks， and 1 patient had nausea， which was relieved after symptomatic treatment. ConclusionIguratimod combined with Runzaoling has good clinical efficacy and safety in the treatment of pSS.

Objective : To investigate the expression of genes and proteins in the peripheral blood mononuclear cell ( PBMC) cystine / glutamate antiporter system (System Xc-) / glutathione ( GSH) / glutathione peroxidase 4 ( GPX4) ferroptosis pathway and its influence on inflammatory factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis ( RA) ． Methods : 30 patients with RA and 30 healthy participants were enrolled．PBMCs were isolated using Ficoll-hypaque density gradient centrifugation．The cells were categorized into the healthy control，RA，ferroptosis inhibitor，ferroptosis in- ducer group．The cell viability was checked using the cell counting kit-8 ( CCK-8) method．Intracellular Fe2 + rela- tive fluorescence intensity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected using the FerroOrange and Di- hydroethidium (DHE) fluorescent probes，respectively．Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) de- tected the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 ( Nrf2 ) ，solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) ，GPX4 proteins and mRNA．And the flow cytometry quantified the levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) ，Interleukin (IL) -1，and IL-6 in the supernatant of each cell group. Results : Compared to the healthy control group，the RA group showed a significantly increased Fe2 + concentration and elevated ROS levels，reduced expression of Nrf2，SLC7A11 and GPX4 proteins and mRNA，and increased contents of TNF-α , IL-1 and IL-6 in PBMC supernatant，and the differences were statistically significant．The concentration of Fe2 + and ROS levels in the inhibitor group were lower than those in the RA group，the proteins expressions of Nrf2，SLC7A11 and GPX4 increased，the mRNA expressions of SLC7A11 and GPX4 increased，the content of IL-6 in the PBMC supernatant decreased but the content of TNF-α increased，and the differences were statistically significant．In contrast，the in- ducer group，when compared to the RA group，displayed increased ROS levels，reduced expression of SLC7A11 protein and mRNA and decreased expression of Nrf2 protein，and the contents of TNF-α and IL-1 in the PBMC su- pernatant increased，but the expression of GPX4 protein increased ，and the differences were statistically signifi- cant．The inducer group，compared to the RA group，showed increased cell viability，and the difference was statis- tically significant (P＜0. 000 1) ． Conclusion The presence of ferroptosis in PBMC in RA patients，inhibiting or inducing PBMC ferroptosis in RA patients，will inhibit or promote the secretion of inflammatory factors．Inhibition of PBMC ferroptosis in RA patients may be helpful in the treatment of RA.

Objective Given that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is associated with the progression of knee osteoarthritis(KOA),this study aims to investigate whether the polarization induction of synovial macrophages mediated by the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling axis is the cause of KOA progression.Methods The synovial fluid of KOA KL-Ⅱ and KL-Ⅲ patients and normal individuals was collected,and the percentage of M1 macrophages(CD80,CD86)and M2 macrophages(CD163,CD206)in the synovial fluid(M1/M2 ratio)was measured to e-valuate the polarization of macrophage cytokines such as IL-1,IL-6,IL-10,and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,transforming growth factor(TGF)-β Expression in KOA synovial fluid,and detect and analyze of key molecules PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling axis PI3K,AKT3,mTORC1,and inducible nitric oxide synthase(iONS)in KOA synovial fluid.Results Compared with the synovial fluid of normal individuals,the percentage of M1 macrophages(CD80,CD86)in KOA patients increased(P<0.01),and the M1/M2 ratio increased(P<0.001);The ex-pression of IL-1,IL-6,and TNF-α in the synovial fluid of the KOA group was also higher than that of the control group(P<0.01),while the expression of IL-10 and TGF-β in the KOA group was significantly reduced(P<0.01);The key proteins PI3K,AKT3,mTORC1,and downstream inflammatory factor iONS in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in the synovial fluid of the KOA group were higher than those in the control group(P<0.01).Conclusion In KOA synovial fluid,M1 macrophage polarization plays a dominant role,and the inflam-matory response mediated by M1 macrophage polarization may be the cause of synovitis.At the same time,the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway may mediate the polarization of M1 macrophages involved in KOA inflammato-ry response.

Objective To explore the causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis(RA)and iron deficiency a-nemia(IDA)in European population by two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis.Methods The single nu-cleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)of RA and IDA were analyzed using public genome-wide association studies(GWAS).The inverse variance weighting method(IVW)was used as the main analysis method to evaluate the causal effect of RA on IDA.MR-Egger method,weighted median method(WM),weighted model method and simple model method were used as regression supplements to evaluate the robustness of sensitivity analysis results.The het-erogeneity function was used to calculate the P-value to test the heterogeneity,and the intercept term intercept was used to test the level pleiotropy.Results In the FINNGEN database at the genome-wide level,strong-related SNPs that removed linkage disequilibrium and met the P＜5.0 × 10-8 by Mendelian randomization analysis were select-ed.After integrating exposure and outcome data,31 SNPs were obtained as the final effective instrumental variables.IVW showed that RA was a risk factor for IDA(the risk of IDA in RA patients was 1.064 times higher than that in non-RA patients,OR=1.064,95％CI:1.028-1.103).The weighted median method and MR-Egger method re-sults supported the positive correlation between RA and IDA.The intercept value was close to 0,indicating that there was no horizontal pleiotropy between exposure and outcome.The heterogeneity function's P＜0.05 indicated that there was heterogeneity between exposure and outcome,but the random effect model test showed P＜0.05,indi-cating that even if there was heterogeneity in causality,the overall trend was stable.Conclusion RA is a risk factor for IDA,and there is a positive correlation between RA and IDA.

Objective To investigate the effect of leflunomide(LEF)on the expression of associated autophagy genes in synoviocytes of rheumatoid arthritis(RA)by regulating HIF-1α signal pathway.Methods Three genera-tions of RA synovial cells were divided into blank control group,LEF group and Tripterygium wilfordii polyglyco-sides group.The blank control group was added with the same volume of DMEM culture medium.The drug group was treated with LEF(concentration 0.2 mg/ml)and Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides(concentration 0.03 mg/ml),the proliferation and apoptosis of synovial cells were detected by flow cytometry,the expression of IL-1 β,TNF-α,ANGPTL-4 and VEGF was detected by ELISA,the expression of HIF-1α mRNA was detected by qRT-PCR,and the expression of HIF-1 α,Beclin-1 and BNIP3 protein was detected by Western blot.Results Com-pared with Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides group,the expression of IL-1 α,TNF-α,ANGPTL-4 and VEGF in synovial supernatant of LEF group decreased;compared with the blank control group,the expression of HIF-1αmRNA in synovial cells of LEF group and Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides group decreased,and the effect of LEF group was the most obvious;compared with the blank control group,the protein expressions of HIF-1α,Bec-lin-1 and BNIP3 in synovial cells of LEF group and Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosides group decreased,and the effect of LEF group was the most obvious.Conclusion LEF can inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors in RA synovial cells,inhibit HIF-1α signaling pathway,inhibit the expression of autophagy-related genes Beclin-1 and BNIP3,and improve the pathological state of synovitis.

Objective: To investigate the changes of microorganisms and metabolites in joint effusion of patients with Rheumatoid arthritis(RA), Osteoarthritis(OA) and Urarthritis(UA). To provide new ideas for the study of the effect of microbiota on the pathogenesis of arthritis. Methods: Joint effusion samples were collected from 20 patients with RA, 20 patients with OA, and 20 patients with UA. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted ultra-high performance Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) were used to explore the differences in microorganisms and metabolites among the three groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to detect the correlation between effusion microbiota and metabolites. Results: There were differences in microbial diversity and microbiota composition among the three groups. Combined with VIP>1 from OPLS-DA andP<0.05 from two-tailed Students t-test, 45 differential metabolites(Between RA and OA groups), 38 differential metabolites(Between UA and OA groups) and 16 differential metabolites(Between RA and UA groups), were identified. GO analysis and KEGG pathway analysis showed that the differential metabolic pathways among the three groups were mainly concentrated in citric acid cycle(TCA cycle), nucleotide metabolism, amino acid metabolism and glycolysis pathway. Correlation analysis of joint effusion microbiota and metabolites suggested that bacteria enriched in the three groups of joint effusion, such asPrevotella,Clostridium ruminosus,Prevotellaceae＿UCG-001, were related to many key metabolites such as lysozyme, uric acid, glucose, and L-glutamine. Conclusion This study shows that there are a variety of bacterial flora in joint cavity effusion of RA, OA, and UA patients, and the differential metabolites produced by them are involved in the pathogenesis of the three types of arthritis by affecting a variety of metabolic pathways.

Objective To investigate the causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) by the Mendelian randomization design method.Methods The data on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of exposure and outcome were obtained by using publicly available ge-nome-wide association studies and the summary analysis was conducted;the inverse variance-weighted (IVW) method as the primary analysis method was used to assess the causal effect of exposure factors (RA) on the outcomes (PH);the MR-Egger regression method,weighted median method (WM),weighted model and sim-ple model were used as supplementary regression explanations to conduct the sensitivity analysis for evalua-ting the robustness of results;the "heterogeneity" function was used to calculate the "P value" for testing the heterogeneity,and the "horizontal pleiotropy" function was used to calculate the "P value" to test the level pleiotropy.Results In the "FINNGEN data" included in the GWAS database,the SNPs had the strong corre-lation after removing the linkage imbalance by Mendelian random analysis and satisfying "P<5×10-8" were selected,the effective instrumental variables were obtained by integrating the exposure and outcome.The IVW results showed that RA was a risk factor for PH (OR=1.295,95％CI:1.053-1.593,P=0.014)."heteroge-neity" function test showed that the results had no heterogeneity (P=0.221);" horizontal pleiotropy" func-tion test showed that the results had no horizontal pleiotropy (P=0.877),and the total results were steady and reliable.Conclusion RA is a risk factor for PH,and RA is positively associated with PH.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the correlation between blood lipoprotein levels and the risk of osteoporosis (OP) development in postmenopausal patients with RA and its influencing factors.Methods:Patients hospitalized with a definite diagnosis of RA from July 2017 to May 2020 were retrospectively collected and analyzed by bone mineral density (BMD) in subgroups, using correlation analysis, di-chotomous Logistic regression to quantify independent associations between laboratory test results and out-comes, and restrictive cubic spline (RCS) to fit the relationship of OP risk occurrence.Results:Six hundred and sixty-six eligible RA patients were included according to inclusion criteria, including 253 RA-OP and 413 RA-non-OP patients. After exclusion of relevant influencing factors by comparing demographic characteristics, a significant correlation was found between blood HDL-C ( r=-0.11, P=0.006) LDL-C ( r=0.12, P=0.003) levels and RA-OP( P<0.05), and dichotomous Logistic regression showed that as BMI ( OR(95% CI)=0.81(0.77, 0.86), P<0.001], calcium [ OR(95% CI)=0.24(0.10, 0.63), P<0.001], HDL-C[ OR(95% CI)=0.38(0.22, 0.66), P<0.001] increased, the risk of developing OP in RA patients decreased. In contrast, the risk of developing OP increased with increasing age [ OR(95% CI)=1.10(1.07, 1.21), P<0.001), disease duration [ OR(95% CI)=1.00(1.00, 1.00), P=0.020], and LDL-C[ OR(95% CI)=1.71(1.38, 2.12), P<0.001]. Conclusion:Blood HDL-C and LDL-C levels are significantly correlated with the development of RA-OP, and can be used as predictors of OP development and good indicators for disease monitoring in RA patients.