CLINICAL OBSERVATION ON 40 CASES OF ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS TREATED WITH ACUPUNCTURE AND CHINESE DRUGS

Ankylosing spondylitis(AS)is a systemic dis-ease marked by chronicinflammation of the sacro-iliacjoint and the spinal column.Its pathologic changesare inflammation of the attachment point of the mus-cle tendons and ligaments,rigidity,deformity andeven severe dysfunction of the spineinthelate stage.This disease is mostly seenin young and middle-agedpeople,possesses an obviousfamilial disposition andisclosely related to human leukocyte antigen(HLA)-B27.But its pathogenic causes remain unknown …     

何世东治疗强直性脊柱炎临床经验

强直性脊柱炎是脊柱关节炎常见的临床类型,好发于青年男性,以中轴关节受累为主,可伴发关节外表现,严重者可发生脊柱畸形和关节强直,是一种慢性炎症性疾病。何老临证潜心研究,注重强直性脊柱炎病变的核心,从临床常见的证型着手,攻克难治之疾,何老认为该病根源在于肾虚,肾虚累及肝脾,脾胃不足则后天之气血精微无以生化,筋脉骨骼失去滋养。肝不足则血虚,继而筋脉失养,发生该病。     

ERAP1 reduces accumulation of aberrant and disulfide-linked forms of HLA-B27 on the cell surface

ObjectiveEndoplasmic reticulum (ER) aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) variants contribute to the risk of ankylosing spondylitis in HLA-B27 positive individuals, implying a disease-related interaction between these gene products. The aim of this study was to determine whether reduced ERAP1 expression would alter the cell surface expression of HLA-B27 and the formation of aberrant disulfide-linked forms that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis.MethodsERAP1 expression was knocked down in monocytic U937 cells expressing HLA-B27 and endogenous HLA class I. The effect of ERAP1 knockdown on the accumulation HLA-B alleles (B18, B51, and B27) was assessed using immunoprecipitation, isoelectric focusing, and immunoblotting, as well as flow cytometry with antibodies specific for different forms of HLA-B27. Cell surface expression of aberrant disulfide-linked HLA-B27 dimers was assessed by immunoprecipitation and electrophoresis on non-reducing polyacrylamide gels.ResultsERAP1 knockdown increased the accumulation of HLA-B27 on the cell surface including disulfide-linked dimers, but had no effect on levels of HLA-B18 or -B51. Antibodies with unique specificity for HLA-B27 confirmed increased cell surface expression of complexes shown previously to contain long peptides. IFN-γ treatment resulted in striking increases in the expression of disulfide-linked HLA-B27 heavy chains, even in cells with normal ERAP1 expression.ConclusionsOur results suggest that normal levels of ERAP1 reduce the accumulation of aberrant and disulfide-linked forms of HLA-B27 in monocytes, and thus help to maintain the integrity of cell surface HLA-B27 complexes.     

Prevalence and severity of osteochondrosis of the free thoracic vertebra in three modern broiler strains and the Athens Canadian Random Bred control broiler

Osteochondrosis (OCD) results from a disturbance of endochondral ossification in articular cartilage and is an important cause of lameness in several animal species, including chickens. OCD lesions in the free thoracic vertebra (FTV) of chickens are essential to the pathogenesis of pathogenic Enterococcus cecorum. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of OCD in the FTV among three modern broiler chicken crosses (strains A/A, A/B, and C/C) and Athens Canadian Random Bred (ACRB) chickens, which served as the control group. The effect of sex, age, strain, body weight, and incubation temperature profile on OCD severity for each group was determined. At 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age, the FTV of 10 male and 10 female birds from each strain exposed to either optimal or low-early, high-late incubation temperature profiles were collected and scored histologically for OCD lesion severity. OCD spectrum lesions were detected in >70% of all strain/sex combinations, including the ACRB controls. No association was observed between mean OCD score and broiler strain, incubation temperature profile, sex, age, or body weight. These findings indicate that OCD of the FTV is common in broiler chickens with similar prevalence observed in broilers with modern genetics and the ACRB broilers which represent 1950s broiler genetics. As the parameters examined did not have a statistical correlation with OCD, additional work is needed to understand factors that contribute to development of OCD in chickens.     

IL-17 inhibition in axial spondyloarthritis: current and future perspectives

Introduction: Interleukin (IL)-17 is a proinflammatory cytokine considered to play a significant role in the immunopathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS)/axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) as well as of other spondyloarthritides. There is a number of substances targeting IL-17, which are at different stages of development in the axSpA indication.

Areas covered: This review summarizes the current evidence on the role of IL-17 in the pathophysiology of axSpA and provided a comprehensive review of clinical and radiographic outcomes as well as of safety data from studies with IL-17A inhibitors secukinumab and ixekizumab. Ongoing studies on other IL-17 inhibitors (bimekizumab, brodalumab and BCD-085) that are being developed are also summarized.

Expert opinion: The development of the IL-17 inhibitors has expanded AS treatment with effective options and confirmed the pathophysiological role of IL-17 in axSpA. IL-17 inhibition showed sufficient efficacy against signs and symptoms of the disease even after the failure of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, being at the same time reasonably safe.