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Objective. To investigate the difference of prolactin (PRL) expression in peripheral blood and decidual stromal cells (DSCs) between unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL) and normal early pregnancy. Methods. Eighty cases of URPL patients in our hospital from March 2018 to March 2019 were recruited. Seventy women with induced abortion and 190 normal pregnancy women were selected as controls. Fasting peripheral blood and decidua tissues were collected. The level of PRL in peripheral blood was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Quantitative real time PCR (RT-qPCR), Western bloting (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to detect the PRL expression of DSCs. Independent sample t test was used to compare the data of the two different groups, and one-way analysis of variance test was used to compare the data of the groups. Results. In the URPL group, 21 cases were excluded for chromosomal abnormality, and 59 cases were finally included. There were 70 cases in the induced abortion group. One hundred and seventy-seven cases in the normal pregnancy group completed follow-up, of which 157 cases were classified as final live birth in the normal pregnancy group, and the rest 20 cases subsequently had pregnancy loss, of which 19 miscarriages occurred in the first 10 weeks of gestation, classified as pregnancy loss in the normal pregnancy group. The PRL levels of peripheral blood in the final live birth in the normal pregnancy group and induced abortion group were similar, with no significant difference between the two groups in the same gestation, and they all increased significantly with advancing gestation (normal pregnancy with final live birth group: 5-5+6 week vs 6-7+6 week, P = 0.002; 6-7+6 week vs 8-9+6 week,P = 0.012;Induced abortion group: 5-5+6 week vs 6-7+6 week, P = 0.015; 6-7+6 week vs 8-9+6 week, P = 0.023). The levels of PRL in the peripheral blood of patients with URPL had no significant change with advancing gestation, and they were significantly lower than those of women with final live birth in the normal pregnancy group and induced abortion women in the same gestation from the 6th week (6-7+6week: P = 0.012, 0.024; 8-9+6 week: P = 0.015, 0.003). In addition, the levels of PRL in the peripheral blood of the women in the normal pregnancy group who later suffered miscarriage were similar to those in the URPL group of the same gestation. The PRL expression of DSCs in the induced abortion group increased significantly in both RNA and protein level with advancing gestation (5-5+6 week vs 6-7+6 week: RT-qPCR, P = 0.020; WB, P = 0.010; IHC,P = 0.030. 6-7+6 week vs 8-9+6 week: RT-qPCR, P = 0.011; WB, P = 0.034; IHC, P = 0.012). However, the increase of PRL expression of DSCs in the URPL group was delayed: the PRL expression of DSCs in women with 6-7+6week and 8-9+6 week of gestation was significantly lower than that in women accepting induced abortion of the same gestation (6-7+6 week: RT-qPCR, P = 0.012; WB, P = 0.014; IHC,P = 0.028. 8-9+6 week: RT-qPCR, P = 0.011; WB, P = 0.030;IHC, P = 0.026). Conclusion. PRL expression of the decidua is defective. The PRL expression of DSCs in URPL patients is deficient, and the lack of decidualization of DSCs may be related to the occurrence of URPL. The low level of PRL in peripheral blood after 6 weeks of gestation may indicate embryonic dysplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the value of metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) levels in assessing efficacy of etanercept treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS)., Methods: The serum and synovial fluid levels of MMP-3 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 48 patients with AS in week 0, 6 and 12; and also measured in 30 serum samples and 10 synovial fluid samples from healthy controls., Results: The serum levels of MMP-3 in AS patients were significantly higher than those in controls. In AS patients, the MMP-3 levels in synovial fluid were significantly higher than those in serum levels. The serum MMP-3 levels in AS patients with peripheral arthritis were higher than those with exclusively axial involvement; while C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) did not differ between these 2 groups of AS. At week 6 and week 12 of etanercept treatment, the serum MMP-3 levels were significantly decreased (p<0.01) with the declining trend of ESR, CRP, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) (all p<0.01). Before the etanercept treatment (week 0), serum levels of MMP-3 were correlated with ESR, CRP, BASDAI and BASFI (p<0.05). ESR was also correlated with CRP and BASFI, but not with BASDAI (r=0.361, P=0.071). At weeks 12, serum MMP-3 levels were still correlated with ESR, CRP and BASDAI (P<0.05), but not with BASFI (P=0.339); ESR was correlated with CRP, but not with BASDAI and BASFI. There was a significant correlation between BASDAI and BASFI (r=0.818,P=0.001)., Conclusion: Serum MMP-3 levels are closely related to disease activity and may serve as an useful indicator for efficacy of etanercept treatment in AS patients.

Objective: To investigate the effects of alendronate (Alen) on the prevention of systemic glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in patients with rheumatic diseases., Methods: 140 patients suffering from rheumatic diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and Sjögren's syndrome, with normal bone mineral density (BMD) and treated with oral glucocorticoids were randomly divided into 2 groups: Alen + calcium group (n = 74) receiving Alen 10 mg once a day and castrate D 600 0.6 g once a day for 24 weeks and control group (n = 66) receiving castrate D 600 0.6 g once a day for 24 weeks. The BMD and biomarkers of bone turnover were measured at baseline and 24 weeks after initiating glucocorticoid therapy., Results: After 24 weeks, the BMD values at lumbar spine, femoral neck, major trochanter, and Ward' s triangle increased by 6.1%, 6.3%, 3.3%, and 2.2% respectively compared with those at baseline (all P<0.05), however, those of the control group decreased by 8.7%, 9.1%, 7.7%, and 6.4% respectively (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the BMD levels at lumbar spine and femoral neck 24 weeks later of the Alen + calcium group were both higher than those of the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). 24 weeks later the level of urine cross linked N-telopeptides of type I collagen (NTX) of the Alen + calcium group decreased (P<0.05), and the blood osteocalcin (BGP) of the Alen + calcium group increased, however, not significantly (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in serum AKP and BGP and urine NTX 24 weeks later between these 2 groups., Conclusion: Improving BMD, alendronate plays an important role in the prevention of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. However, calcium treatment alone fails to prevent the loss of bone.

Objective: To investigate the expressions of C(4)D(+)CD(25)(+) T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to identify the relationship between the levels of CD(4)(+)CD(25)(+) T cells and the disease activity and progression of SLE., Methods: Fifty-three SLE patients were enrolled in the study. Flow-cytometric assay was employed for detection of CD(4)(+)CD(25)(+) T cells and CD(4)(+)CD(25)(bright) T cells were defined according to fluorescence intensity of CD(25) expression exceeding 100. Meanwhile, correlation analysis was performed between their expression and the scores of SLE disease active index (SLEDAI), C(3), dsDNA and antinuclear antibody titles., Results: The levels of peripheral blood CD(4)(+)CD(25)(+) T cells in SLE were (7.84 +/- 1.85)%, which were significantly lower than those in a group of healthy control [(9.18 +/- 2.01)%, P < 0.05]. The levels of CD(4)(+)CD(25)(+) T cells in a group of active SLE [(6.72 +/- 1.16)%] were higher than those in a group of stable SLE [(8.57 +/- 1.91)%, P < 0.01]. There was no difference between the active and stable groups of SLE in peripheral blood CD(4)(+)CD(25)(bright) T cells [(0.85 +/- 0.24)% vs (0.91 +/- 0.25)%, P = 0.686], but they were significantly lower than those in the group of healthy controls [(1.43 +/- 1.08)%, P < 0.01]. With the reduction of the SLEDAI scores in SLE patients after relevant treatment, the levels of peripheral blood CD(4)(+)CD(25)(bright) T cells did not change. No correlation was found between the levels of CD(4)(+)CD(25)(bright) T cells and SLEDAI scores, antinuclear antibody titles, dsDNA and C(3), respectively (rho = -0.188, P = 0.178; rho = -0.216, P = 0.121; rho = 0.082, P = 0.560; rho = 0.010, P = 0.944)., Conclusion: The reduction of CD(4)(+)CD(25)(+) T cells in peripheral blood may participate in the pathogenesis of SLE.

A fluorescence assay method for beta1-4galactosyltransferase (beta1-4GT) has been developed involving a pyridylaminated sugar as an acceptor substrate, a fluorescent sugar chain, with the reducing end of the Gnbeta1 - 2Malpha1 - 6(Gnbeta1-2Malpha1-3)Mbeta1 - 4Gnbeta1 - 4Gn - PA aminated with 2-aminopyridine. Microsome was prepared from the liver of normal male rats as an enzyme sample. Then the fluorescent reaction product was separated by reverse-phase HPLC. The kinetic experiments were carried out using crude enzyme extracts of the Golgi complex from the rat liver. The enzyme has a pH optimum of 6.5,and optimal concentration of Triton X-100 of 0.5%. The K(m) and V(max) values for the sugar acceptor substrates were found to be 2.31x10(-3)M(-1) and 5.75x10(-2) &mgr;mol/(min.mg) respectively. Furthermore, our research revealed that beta1-4GT had branch specificity. The Gn of alpha1-3 mannose branch of the acceptor substrate was more susceptible to galactosylation than that of the alpha1-6 branch by 2.10 times.