Objective:To evaluate the relationship between gluten-free diet and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods:Data were obtained from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and genetic loci that are independent of gluten-free diet and RA of people of Europe2 were selected as instrumental variables. The gluten-free diet GWAS data included 64 949 individuals and 9 851 867 controls. Data were obtained from GWAS of 58 284 RA patients and 13 108 512 controls. The inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR Egger, weighted median method and weighted model were used to conduct two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Cochran Q test and mendelian randomness pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) were used to assess SNP heterogeneity. Applying the MR Egger intercept to test the level pleiotropy of SNP. The sensitivity analysis of the "leave one method" that evaluates whether MR studies were influenced by a single SNP. Results:After matching GFD and RA data, three SNPs were included as instrumental variables in the study. IVW showed that GFD could significantly reduce the risk of RA ( β=-60.83, s x=3.82, P<0.001). The weighted median method and weighted pattern also showed that the gluten free diet could reduce the risk of RA ( β=-57.97, s x=4.41, P<0.001; β=-55.81, s x=5.10, P=0.008). Sensitivity analysis of the correlation between GFD and RA showed that there might be heterogeneity between SNPs (Cochran Q test, Q=12.80, P=0.002). The MR-PRESSO results showed that no abnormal SNP was detected ( P=0.174). The forest map showed that SNPs was closely related to GFD and RA stability. The method comparison chart showed that the results of multiple testing methods were basically consistent. The funnel plot showed that SNPs were basically symmetrical, indicating that there was no pleiotropy in MR analysis. The MR Egger intercept test showed no horizontal pleiotropy in MR analysis (intercept value was-0.24, P=0.174). The sensitivity analysis of the "leave one method" is suggested that no single SNP had a significant impact on the overall results. Conclusion:Gluten free diet is related to the risk reduction of RA.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has achieved remarkable success in the treatment of hematological malignancies. Based on the immunomodulatory capability of CAR-T cells, efforts have turned toward exploring their potential in treating autoimmune diseases. Bibliometric analysis of 210 records from 128 academic journals published by 372 institutions in 40 countries/regions indicates a growing number of publications on CAR-T therapy for autoimmune diseases, covering a range of subtypes such as systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, among others. CAR-T therapy holds promise in mitigating several shortcomings, including the indiscriminate suppression of the immune system by traditional immunosuppressants, and non-sustaining therapeutic levels of monoclonal antibodies due to inherent pharmacokinetic constraints. By persisting and proliferating in vivo, CAR-T cells can offer a tailored and precise therapeutics. This paper reviewed preclinical experiments and clinical trials involving CAR-T and CAR-related therapies in various autoimmune diseases, incorporating innovations well-studied in the field of hematological tumors, aiming to explore a safe and effective therapeutic option for relapsed/refractory autoimmune diseases.

Alzheimer's disease （AD） is a deleterious neurodegenerative disorder， which has become a significant public health concern and economic burden. The pathogenesis of AD is complex and involves several hypotheses such as amyloid β-protein （Aβ） deposition， Tau protein hyperphosphorylation， oxidative stress， and inflammation. There is an urgent need for a holism-based comprehensive intervention with multi-pathway， multi-level， and multi-target characteristics， which demonstrates the unique advantage of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. Therefore， it is of great significance to conduct and promote research on TCM treatment of AD. Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） from the Synopsis of Golden Chamber （《金匮要略》） by ZHANG Zhongjing （150 AD-219 AD） was originally designed for reliving gynecological ailments. It is a classic TCM formula that modulates liver and spleen and dispels blood stasis and water retention. Since the late 1980s when Japanese researchers reported its therapeutic effect on AD， it has been widely used in the clinic with clear effects. The elucidation of the mechanism of this formula helps exert its effects. Hereby， this paper reviewed relative research progress and made an analysis in terms of attenuating aberrant accumulation of Aβ and hyperphosphorylated Tau protein， anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities， mediating neurotransmitters， ameliorating lipid metabolism， modulating gut microbiota， reduced neuron apoptosis， decreasing intracellular Ca²⁺ overloading， and increasing the expression of estradiol. This paper is expected to provide references for understanding the scientific connotation of DDS in the treatment of AD and lay a solid foundation for further investigation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） in the improvement of the cognitive ability of SAMP8 mice with Alzheimer's disease （AD） via regulating the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway （UPP）. MethodFifteen SAMR1 mice were used as a normal group， and 60 SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into a model group and DSS high， medium， and low-dose groups （57.6， 28.8， and 14.4 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 15 mice in each group. Intragastric administration was conducted for eight continuous weeks. Place navigation and spatial capacity were evaluated by Morris water maze. Pathological structure changes in neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area was detected by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The protein expression levels of hippocampal β-amyloid protein（Aβ） and phosphorylation（p）-Tau were determined by immunohistochemical staining （IHC） and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of hippocampal ubiquitin （Ub）， ubiquitin ligase E3 （E3）， 26S proteasome， ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase-1 （UCHL1）， and UCHL3 were determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultAs compared with the normal group， the escape latency was prolonged in the model group （P<0.05） with the reduced number of crossing platform quadrants and time ratio in the platform quadrant （P<0.05）. The model group decreased neurons and condensed cell bodies in the CA1 area， and increased β-amyloid precursor protein （β-APP） and p-Tau positive cells （P<0.05）. In the model group， the protein expression levels of Aβ and p-Tau were increased （P<0.05）， the mRNA and protein expression levels of Ub were increased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of E3， 26S proteasome， UCHL1， and UCHL3 were decreased （P<0.05）. As compared with the model group， the escape latency was shortened in the DSS high and medium-dose groups （P<0.05） with an increased number of crossing platform quadrants and residence time ratio （P<0.05）. The pathological changes in CA1 of each DSS group were significantly improved， and the number of β-APP positive staining cells decreased （P<0.05）. The number of p-Tau positive staining cells decreased in the DDS medium and low-dose groups （P<0.05）. The protein expression levels of Aβ and p-Tau in each DDS group decreased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression level of Ub in each group decreased （P <0.05）. The mRNA expression levels of 26S， E3， and UCHL3 in the DDS high and medium-dose groups increased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression level of UCHL1 in the DDS medium-dose group increased （P<0.05）. The protein expression level of Ub in each DDS group decreased， and the protein expression levels of 26S， E3， UCHL1+3 in the DDS high and medium-dose groups increased （P<0.05）. ConclusionDSS can improve the cognitive ability of SAMP8 mice， and its mechanism may be related to the reduction of the abnormal deposition of Aβ and p-Tau via decreasing the expression of Ub and increasing that of E3， 26S， UCHL1， and UCHL3 in the UPP.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS）-contained serum on β-amyloid （Aβ）_1-40-injured rat adrenal pheochromocytoma PC12 cells and its mechanism in regulating ubiquitin-proteasome pathway （UPP）. MethodAβ_1-40 was used to intervene PC12 cells to prepare the cell models of Alzheimer's disease （AD）， and the experiment was divided into the blank， model， and DSS-contained serum high， medium， and low-dose groups （10%， 5%， and 2.5%）. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected using cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） method and flow cytometry， respectively. The content of Aβ and p-Tau protein was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The ubiquitin （Ub）， ubiquitin ligase E3 （E3）， 26S proteasome， ubiquitin carboxyl terminal hydrolase1 （UCHL1）， and UCHL3 protein expressions of UPP were displayed using immunofluorescence cytochemistry （ICC）， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of Ub， E3-parkin， 26S， UCHL1， and UCHL3 were determined by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultThe data of the CCK8 experiment verified that 5 μmol·L^-1 and 48 hours were the optimal conditions for modeling Aβ_1-40-injured PC12 cells. As compared with the blank group， the cell viability rate in the model group decreased （P<0.05） with an increased apoptosis rate （P<0.05）， the content of Aβ and p-Tau contents was elevated （P<0.05）， the mRNA and protein expression levels of Ub increased， and the mRNA and protein expression levels of 26S， E3， and UCHL1+3 decreased （P<0.05）. As compared with the model group， the cell viability rate in the DSS-contained medium-dose group increased （P<0.05）， whereas the apoptosis rate in each DSS-contained group decreased （P<0.05）. The content of Aβ in each DDS-contained group decreased （P<0.05）， and the content of p-Tau in the DDS-contained high and medium-dose groups decreased （P<0.05）. The mRNA expression level of Ub decreased， and that of 26S increased in each DDS-contained group （P<0.05）. The mRNA expression level of UCHL1 in the DDS-contained medium-dose group increased （P<0.05）， and the mRNA expression levels of E3 and UCHL 3 in the DDS-contained high and medium-dose groups increased （P<0.05）. The protein expression level of Ub in each DDS-contained group decreased， and the protein expression levels of 26S， E3， and UCHL1+3 in the DDS high and medium-dose groups increased. The DSS-contained serum medium-dose group exerted the optimal effect. ConclusionDSS-contained serum can increase cell viability rate， reduce cell apoptosis rate， eliminate Aβ and p-Tau protein deposits， and exert protective effects on Aβ_1-40-injured PC12 cells. Its mechanism may involve UPP via decreasing the expression of Ub and increasing that of 26S， E3， UCHL1， and UCHL3.

ObjectiveTo analyze the effects of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） on the gut microbiota of the Alzheimer's disease （AD） model in SAMP8 mice based on 16S rDNA sequencing. MethodTwenty-four SAMP8 mice aged seven months were randomly divided into low-， medium-， and high-dose DSS groups （14.4， 28.8， 57.6 g·kg^-1·d^-1） and a model group according to a random number table， with six rats in each group. Six SAMR1 mice of the same age were assigned to the normal group. After intragastric administration for eight consecutive weeks， 16S rDNA sequencing was performed to detect the gut microbiota of feces in mice. Morris water maze was employed to assess the directional navigation and space exploration ability of mice. Nissl staining was performed to observe the pathological changes of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was adopted to measure the protein content of hippocampal amyloid β-protein （Aβ） and hyperphosphorylated Tau （p-Tau）. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group presented a declining α diversity （P<0.05）， markedly altered β diversity， prolonged escape latency （P<0.05）， reduced number of platform crossings and cumulative duration in the targeted quadrant （P<0.05）， decreased neurons and Nissl bodies in the CA1 hippocampal area， and up-regulated Aβ and p-Tau expression （P<0.05）. However， DSS intervention enhanced the α diversity， and medium- and high-dose DSS， especially the medium-dose DSS， could result in α diversity similar to the control group. Moreover， at the phylum level， the abundance of Firmicutes increased （P<0.05）， while the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria decreased （P<0.05）. At the genus level， the abundance of Lactobacillus and other genera increased （P<0.05）， while the abundance of Bacteroides， Helicobacterium， Rikenella， Parabacteroides， Sutterella， and Mucilaginibacter decreased （P<0.05）. The DSS groups also showed shortened escape latency （P<0.05）， increased number of platform crossings and cumulative duration in the targeted quadrant （P<0.05）， increased Nissl bodies （P<0.05）， and reduced Aβ and p-Tau content （P<0.05）. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the abundance of Mucilaginibacter， Bacteroides， and Sutterella was negatively correlated with the cognitive ability of SAMP8 mice， while the abundance of Lactobacillus and Butyricimonas was positively correlated with the cognitive ability of SAMP8 mice. ConclusionDSS can improve the cognitive ability of SAMP8 mice， and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of gut microbiota diversity and community composition.

Objective This study aims to investigate the variation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in animal model of staphylococcus aureus (SA) infected systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) MRL/Lpr mouse.Methods The infection model was developed by injecting the Staphylococcus Aureus in the mouse tail vein.The Staphylococcus Aureus load of the serum and kidney was detected by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA).The level of NETs complex in the serum was detected by Cell-Death-Elisa-Plus-Kit and anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO) antibody.The kidney NETs formation was tested with the immunofluorescence.Statistical program for social sciences (SPSS) 17.0 software and Image Pro Plus statistical software were used for analysis.Comparisons between groups were made using unpaired t test for normally distributed numerical data,nonparametric test for non-normally distributed numerical data,and single factor analysis (ANOVA) for variance.Results The incidence of walking instability,purulent exudate in eyes and death was 2/6,1/6,1/6 respectively in Staphylococcus Aureus-infected MRL/Lpr mice,However,The control group had no death and related symptoms.The Staphylococcus Aureus load of the serum was higher in MRl/lpr mice when compared to the control group [(106.79±23.39) ng/ml vs (48.82±11.49) ng/ml,U=2.739,P＜0.05] after Staphylococcus Aureus infection.The control group had a higher NETs level [(2.24±0.15) vs (1.64±0.08),U=2.882,P＜0.05],however,all the MRL/Lpr mice had no significant change of the NETs level [(2.63±0.61) vs (2.65 ±0.260),U=0.548,P＞0.05] after Staphylococcus Aureus infection.Conclusion After infected by the Staphylococcus Aureus,more symptoms,higher death rate and higher Staphylococcus Aureus load of the serum present in the MRlL/lpr mice than the control group.While,there's none significant change of the NETs level in Staphylococcus Aureus-infected MRLL/lpr mice.This suggests that the dyspoiesis of NETs is present in Staphylococcus Aureus-infected MRL/lpr mice.

Objective To investigate the expression and antibacterial function of Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.Methods Thirty stable SLE patients and thirty normal controls (NC) were recruited to this study.The acitivity of SLE was assessed by SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI).Density gradient centrifugation was uesd to isolate neutrophilic granulocytes.Picogreen assay was used to quantify NETs formation.Colony counting method was used to compare the antibacterial rate of NETs between two groups.Variation of quantity and activities of neutrophil elastase (NE) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) on induced NETs was tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results There was no significant difference in the number of NETs between SLE and NC.Compared to the control group,more NETs were induced from neutrophils in SLE,the antibacterial rate of induced NETs was significantly lower,with the activities of antibacterial protein MPO decreased.Conclusions Stable SLE patients are more easily to induce NETs,and the antibacterial function of induced NETs are truly defective,may be related to the decreased activity of the antibacterial protein MPO.

Objective:To analyze the trend relevant factors leading to death and their patterns over a 10-year period in inpatients with connective tissue diseases (CTDs).Methods:All clinical data about death in inpatients with CTDs were retrospectively reviewed between 2005 and 2014 at the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University.Results:In the 10-year time period,the overall hospital mortality was 15.689‰.The disease itself accounted for 44.71% of the total causes of death,infection accounted for 42.94%,and comorbidities accounted for 12.35%.The constituent ratio of deaths and the average hospital mortality caused by the disease itself declined gradually year by year,and the constituent ratio of deaths caused by infection and comorbidities increased gradually year by year (P<0.05).In 2013-2014,infection was the leading cause of death,which accounted for 51.06%.The survival time for CTDs inpatients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) was shorter than that of CTDs inpatients without ILD,and even the risk of death was 1.722 times of the latter.The proportion of deaths caused by the disease itself was the highest in systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus,that by infection was the highest in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM),and that by comorbidities was the highest in rheumatoid arthritis.Conclusion:The proportion of deaths and the hospital mortality in CTDs inpatients caused by the disease itself show a declining trend,while the proportion of deaths caused by infection and comorbidities increase.CTDs patients with ILD have shorter survival time and an increase in risk of death.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of low-dose prednisone combined with methotrexate (MTX) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods In this 12-week study,150 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis were randomly divided into two groups:prednisone group (70 cases who were received prednisone 5 ～ 10 mg/d + MTX 10 mg/w +HCQ 0.2 g/d) and control group (80 cases who were treated by Meloxicam 7.5 mg/d + MTX 10 mg/w +Leflunomide (LEF) 20 mg/d).The primary end-points were tender and swollen joint counts,visual analogue scales (VAS),and global physician and patients assessments of disease.The secondary end-points were morning stiffness time,C-reactive protein,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ),DAS28 and ACR20,ACR50.Results After 12 weeks,in terms of primary endpoints,tender and swollen joint counts,VAS and global physician assessments in the prednisone group were improved significantly [(4.5 ± 2.5),(3.2 ± 3.36),(21 ± 15),(24.2 ± 16.4),(20.2 ± 10.4) vs (6.4 ±5.84),(6.6±5.5),(46±14),(37.9±19.7),(34.1±12.4),P ＜0.05orP ＜0.01].In terms of secondary end-points,the prednisone group produced higher response rates [HAQ score (0.93 ± 0.52),CRP(10.2 ± 5.8) mg/L,ESR(30 ± 14) mm/h,morning stiffness time (32.0 ± 32.3) min,DAS 28 score (3.1±0.9) vs (1.22 ±0.81),(16.3±10.1)mg/L,(33±29)mm/h,(54.7±45.4)min,(4.9±1.9),P ＜0.05 orP ＜0.01].The incidence of adverse events was similar between two groups (43％ vs 49％,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Low-dose prednisone combined with MTX and HCQ produced rapid and relevant improvements in RA signs and symptoms.