Search

Objective: Behçet's syndrome (BS) is a chronic, multisystemic and inflammatory syndrome. In our study, we aimed to compare the initiator, effector and inflammatory caspases and pannexin channel protein, which is thought to have an activity in inflammation, in the inflammatory process of BS, with healthy subjects, to investigate their level in patients and their relationship with the clinical findings., Method: Forty-six patients who were under follow-up for BS in the Sivas Cumhuriyet University Medical Faculty Department of Internal Diseases, Rheumatology Unit, between January 2017 and June 2017 and 44 healthy controls (HC) who did not have any rheumatic, systemic or metabolic diseases, were enrolled in this study., Results: The mean serum pannexin-1 level was 6.36 (4.21-527.2) pg/mL in the BS group and 255.8 (5.38-2000) pg/mL in the HC group. Serum pannexin-1 levels were statistically significantly lower in the BS group (P < 0.0001). The measured mean serum caspase-3 level was 12.04 (11.25-43.69) pg/mL in the group with BS and 12.1 (11.19-484.3) pg/mL in the HC group (P = 0.143), mean serum caspase-9 level was 22 (5.14-29.33) pg/mL in the BS group and 22.01 (11.23-850) pg/mL in the HC group (P = 0.593), mean serum caspase-14 level was 6 (5.2-8.21) pg/mL in the BS group and 6.15 (5.7-353) pg/mL in the HC group (P = 0.053)., Conclusion: Comparison of serum caspase-3, caspase-9 and caspase-14 levels in subjects with BS and in the HC group did not reveal any statistically significant differences. On the other hand, serum pannexin-1 levels were statistically significantly lower in the BS group., (© 2019 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Objective: To investigate the potential of the baseline gene expression in the whole blood of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug-naïve rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients for predicting the response to methotrexate (MTX) treatment., Methods: Twenty-six control subjects and 40 RA patients were examined. Clinical, immunological and radiographic parameters were assessed before and after 24 months of follow-up. The gene expressions in the whole blood were measured using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The protein concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to suggest thresholds that were associated with the prediction of the response., Results: Decreases in the disease activity at the end of the study were accompanied by significant increases in joint space narrowing score (JSN). Positive correlations between the expressions of the Unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) genes with the level of C-reactive protein and MMP-9 expression with Disease Activity Score of 28 joints (DAS28) and swollen joint count were noted at baseline. The baseline tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α gene expression was positively correlated with JSN at the end of the follow-up, whereas p21, caspase 3, and runt-related transcription factor (RUNX)2 were correlated with the ΔDAS28 values., Conclusions: Our results suggest that the expressions of MMP-9 and ULK1 might be associated with disease activity. Increased baseline gene expressions of RUNX2, p21 and caspase 3 in the peripheral blood might predict better responses to MTX therapy., (© 2017 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Aim: Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by type 17 helper T cell (Th17)/regulatory T cell (Treg) imbalance. The objective of this article is to study whether insufficient apoptosis contributes to the imbalance of Th17/Treg in rheumatoid arthritis., Methods: Twenty-one rheumatoid arthritis patients and eight healthy volunteers were involved in this study. The percentage of CD4(+) interleukin (IL)-17(+) T cells and CD4(+) transcription factor-forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3)(+) T cells were measured by flow cytometry, and active caspase-3 labeling was used to detect early apoptosis. The number of T cell subtypes in peripheral blood between the two groups was compared, as well as the apoptotic ratio., Results: Neither the number of Th17 nor Treg cells was significantly different between rheumatoid arthritis patients and healthy controls. However, the number of regulatory T cells positively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate, Disease Activity Score of 28 joints and rheumatoid factor. For the apoptosis of T cell subtypes, the percentage of apoptotic Th17 cells was higher in peripheral blood of rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to controls. Furthermore, peripheral Th17 cells were more sensitive to apoptosis than Treg cells, but there was no difference between rheumatoid arthritis patients and controls., Conclusion: It seemed that there was no relationship between the number and apoptosis ratio of peripheral Th17/Treg cells. But the number of Treg cells positively correlated with disease activity. Furthermore, Th17 cells are more sensitive to apoptosis after freezing, especially in RA patients. This serendipitous finding may provide new areas for the further study of these two cell populations., (© 2013 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)