Adalimumab therapy for childhood uveitis

Fourteen children with uveitis (9 JIA associated and 5 idiopathic) were treated with adalimumab for an average of 18.1 months. Inflammation decreased in 21/26 eyes (80.8%), 4 eyes remained stable (15.4%), and 1 worsened (3.8%) (P < .001; 2 tailed paired Wilcoxon rank sum test). No significant adverse events occurred.     

Associations of corticosterone and testosterone with alcohol drinking in F2 populations derived from AA and ANA rat lines

In our previous studies on alcohol-preferring AA (Alko alcohol) and nonpreferring ANA (Alko nonalcohol) rats, we have observed that the AA rats exhibit lower endogenous levels of corticosterone, higher testosterone levels, and more frequent alcohol-induced testosterone elevations when compared with ANA rats. The objective of the present study was to get more conclusive evidence for the potential role of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axes in alcohol drinking by using the F2 experimental design. Alcohol-preferring AA and alcohol-nonpreferring ANA rat lines were crossbred to form a F1 population from which the final F2 population was derived. Male animals were challenged with a priming alcohol dose after which a 3 weeks’ voluntary alcohol drinking period took place. After a washout period of 1 week, one-half of the 40 highest and 40 lowest alcohol drinkers were challenged with a second dose of alcohol and the other half with saline. Serum testosterone and corticosterone levels were measured before and during the test. Higher endogenous testosterone levels were detected in the rats of the high alcohol consumption group compared with the low consumption group. Also supporting the original AA/ANA line differences, a trend for lower endogenous corticosterone levels were measured in the high alcohol consumption group compared with the low consumption group. The alcohol challenge test after the drinking period resulted in a higher frequency (38%) of testosterone elevations in the high drinkers compared with the low drinkers (5%). The present data confirms the validity of the positive connections between testosterone elevation and increased alcohol drinking, as well as between testosterone reduction and decreased alcohol drinking, in AA and ANA rats.     

Systemic sclerosis and prevalence of monoclonal immunoglobulin

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of monoclonal immunoglobulin (MIg) among patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) according to the capillary electrophoresis or immunofixation method of detection and to search for any related clinical correlations.

Patients and methods

Retrospective multicenter comparison of capillary electrophoresis and immunofixation results in SSc patients and of the characteristics of patients with and without MIg.

Results

The study included 244 SSc patients (216 women and 28 men, mean age: 55 ± 14 years). Median time since SSc diagnosis was 51 months [0–320]; disease was diffuse in 48% of cases. Ten percent of patients had cancer, including Waldenström macroglobulinemia (n = 1) and multiple myeloma (n = 3).Capillary electrophoresis showed a γ-globulin anomaly in 41% of cases, and immunofixation in 18%: MIg (13.5%) and restriction of heterogeneity (4.5%). Capillary electrophoresis failed to detect 60% of the 33 MIg patients. Measurable MIg concentrations were obtained from 7 patients.MIg patients were significantly older at SSc diagnosis than those without MIg (p = 0.002), had a lower diffusing capacity (p = 0.002), a higher prevalence of pulmonary hypertension and cancer (p = 0.002) and were more frequently positive for anti-mitochondrial and anti-beta2-glycoprotein-I antibodies (p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively). Multivariate analyses showed that only age at test [hazard ratio 1.03 (95% CI, 1.00–1.07, p = 0.04)] and presence of cancer [hazard ratio 4.46 (95% CI, 1.6–12.4, p = 0.004)] were associated with MIg.

Conclusion

Immunofixation detected a high prevalence of MIg among SSc patients especially in patients aged 50-years or older. MIg was not detected by the standard capillary electrophoresis in 60% of cases and was significantly associated with cancer.     

Murine lupus strains differentially model unique facets of human lupus serology

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a polygenic autoimmune disease characterized by the production of anti-nuclear autoantibodies that lead to subsequent end organ damage. Previous array-based studies in patients with SLE have shown that high immunoglobulin (Ig)G anti-nuclear autoantibody reactivity was associated with severe renal lupus, whereas IgM polyreactivity was associated with less severe disease. To ascertain how different murine lupus strains recapitulate these different autoantibody profiles seen in patients, serum from New Zealand black (NZB)/NZ white (W) F(1), Murphy Roths large (MRL)/lpr, NZ mixed (M)2410 and BXSB strains were compared using a comprehensive array-based screen. The array results were verified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Serum from MRL/lpr mice exhibited high levels of IgG anti-nuclear antibodies as well as anti-glomerular antibodies and variable levels of antibodies to myosin, Matrigel and thyroglobulin. Elevated anti-nuclear IgG antibodies were associated with severe nephritis in this strain. In contrast, NZM2410 mice exhibited lower IgG autoantibody levels with less severe nephritis but a significantly higher polyreactive IgM autoantibody profile. ELISA analysis confirmed these results. The NZB/NZW F(1) and BXSB strains exhibited an intermediate serological profile. Hence, just as in patients with SLE, whereas strong IgG reactivity to nuclear antigens is associated with severe renal disease, a polyreactive IgM seroprofile is also less ominous in murine lupus.     

特发性炎性肌病患者酶谱指标、炎症指标、自身抗体水平分析

目的探讨特发性炎性肌病(IIM)患者的酶谱指标、炎症指标、自身抗体水平。方法利用间接免疫荧光法(IIF)和线性免疫分析法(LIA)比较、分析94例IIM患者[包含20例多发性肌炎(PM)患者和74例皮肌炎(DM)患者]和84例健康体检者的自身抗体[抗核抗体(ANA)、抗SA52抗体、抗SA60抗体、抗Jo-1抗体]及一般实验室指标[酶谱指标丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)、天门冬氨酸氨基转移酶(AST)、碱性磷酸酶(ALP)、谷氨酰转肽酶(GGT)、乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)、肌酸激酶(CK)、肌酸激酶同工酶(CK-MB)及炎症指标超敏C反应蛋白(hs-CRP)]水平,探讨以上指标在IIM中的意义,同时分析IIM伴间质性肺炎对实验室指标及临床表现的影响。结果IIM患者大部分酶谱指标、炎症指标水平,以及自身抗体阳性率明显高于健康对照者,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05);抗Jo-1抗体阳性组和阴性组的ANA、抗SA52抗体阳性率比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。PM组与DM组的AST、LDH、CK、CK-MB水平以及抗SA52抗体、抗Jo-1抗体阳性率差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。IIM伴间质性肺炎患者乏力、发热、吞咽困难、活动后气短的发生率高于IIM不伴间质性肺炎患者,且抗Jo-1抗体阳性率明显高于IIM不伴间质性肺炎患者。结论IIM具有酶谱指标及炎症指标水平明显升高的特点,酶谱指标AST、LDH、CK、CK-MB及抗SA52抗体、抗Jo-1抗体对PM诊断的意义较大。抗Jo-1抗体作为特异性自身抗体对IIM,尤其是伴间质性肺炎的IIM具有重要的诊断价值。     

白癜风患者血清免疫球蛋白、补体、自身抗体检测及分析

目的 检测白癜风患者血清中免疫球蛋白IgG、IgA、IgM,补体C3、C4,抗核抗体(ANA)、抗甲状腺过氧化物酶抗体(A-TPO)、抗甲状腺球蛋白抗体(A-TG)的水平并进行比较分析.方法 收集门诊确诊为白癜风的患者血清168例和正常体检人群血清88例,性别、年龄分布无统计学差异,采用速率散射比浊法检测白免疫球蛋白IgG、IgA、IgM和补体C3、C4,采用ELISA法检测抗核抗体,采用电化学发光免疫分析法检测A-TPO、A-TG,结果用SPSS19.0统计软件进行分析.结果 白癜风患者组血清中免疫球蛋白IgG、IgA、IgM,补体C3、C4表达水平与正常人对照组差异不具有统计学意义(P＞0.05);白癜风组与正常对照组ANA阳性率分别为8.1％和5.7％,经比较差异不具有统计学意义(P＞0.05);两组间A-TPO的阳性率分别为18.8％和10.2％,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);两组A-TG阳性率分别为25.8％和4.5％,经比较差异具有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论 部分白癜风患者存在体液免疫紊乱,在发病机制上可能与自身免疫性甲状腺疾病有相似之处;免疫球蛋白、补体及抗核抗体等免疫指标的检测在白癜风诊治中评价的意义不大.