rheumatoid arthritis tagged posts

Fibroblasts could provide New Target for Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Synovial Fibroblasts (SFs) - pictured below - are cells that make up part of the connective tissue, or synovium, around human joints. In RA patients, SF cells cause damage by invading and attacking the cartilage and bone around the joint.

Synovial Fibroblasts (SFs)  are cells that make up part of the connective tissue, or synovium, around human joints. In RA patients, SF cells cause damage by invading and attacking the cartilage and bone around the joint

A study reveals the key role of different types of fibroblast cells in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), opening up a new avenue for research into treatment of the disease. Synovial Fibroblasts (SFs) are cells that make up part of the connective tissue, or synovium, around human joints. In RA patients, SF cells cause damage by invading and attacking the cartilage and bone around the joint.

A team from University of Birmingham’s Institute of Inflammation and Ageing identified 2 distinct types of SF within the synovial membrane...

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Flesh-Eating Infections in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients spur new discovery

Immune molecule IL-1beta (the "hot spots" shown here) senses bacterial infections. Credit: UC San Diego Health

Immune molecule IL-1beta (the “hot spots” shown here) senses bacterial infections. Credit: UC San Diego Health

Patient data reveals crucial role IL-1beta in sensing streptococcal infections. Rheumatoid arthritis patients taking medications that inhibit interleukin-1beta, a molecule that stimulates the immune system, are 300 times more likely to experience invasive Group A Streptococcal infections than patients not on the drug, according to University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers. Their study also uncovers a critical new role for IL-1beta as the body’s independent early warning system for bacterial infections.

“The more we know about each step in the body’s immune response to bacterial infections, the better equipped we are to design more personalized, targeted the...

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Gut Bacteria can Cause, Predict and Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis

Collinsella aerofaciens enhances arthritis severity. Two weeks post-immunization (marked with arrow) a subset of mice were treated with C. aerofaciens every alternate day for 4 weeks (marked with arrows), n = 10. Mice not treated with C. aerofaciens (n = 8) were used as a control. Mice were followed for a incidence and onset of arthritis (*P = 0.068) and b disease severity. Collinsella enhances T-cell proliferation. c T-cell proliferation was measured by culturing sorted (by fluorescence-activated cell sorting) CD4 cells from the spleens of CII-primed mice cultured with dendritic cells that were pre-cultured with Collinsella for 4 h. **P = 0.02 (n = 3 mice/group). Collinsella reduces the expression of the tight junction protein ZO-1 and Occludin. d CACO-2 cells cultured with or without Collinsella stained with ZO-1 and Occludin showed differences in the expression of tight junction proteins. e Quantification of the mean fluorescence intensity of ZO-1 and Occludin expression in CACO-2 cells cultured alone or in the presence of Collinsella, # P < 0.05 and *P < 0.01. f Increased gut permeability was observed in DQ8 mice when Collinsella was administered. Sera of mice were tested for FITC-Dextran before and after treating mice with Collinsella for 3 weeks (*P = 0.03; n = 10 mice/group). g Fold difference in the expression of Th17 regulatory cytokine/chemokine transcripts in CACO-2 cells cultured with C. aerofaciens compared with CACO-2 cells cultured with bacterial growth media. Error bars represent standard error of the mean values. Experiments were repeated for reproducibility

Collinsella aerofaciens enhances arthritis severity. Two weeks post-immunization (marked with arrow) a subset of mice were treated with C. aerofaciens every alternate day for 4 weeks (marked with arrows), n = 10. Mice not treated with C. aerofaciens (n = 8) were used as a control. Mice were followed for a incidence and onset of arthritis (*P = 0.068) and b disease severity. Collinsella enhances T-cell proliferation. c T-cell proliferation was measured by culturing sorted (by fluorescence-activated cell sorting) CD4 cells from the spleens of CII-primed mice cultured with dendritic cells that were pre-cultured with Collinsella for 4 h. **P = 0.02 (n = 3 mice/group). Collinsella reduces the expression of the tight junction protein ZO-1 and Occludin...

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Missing Link in Epigenetics could explain Conundrum of Disease Inheritance

Simvastatin acts as a stopper, plugging the adhesion molecules in the immune system.

Simvastatin acts as a stopper, plugging the adhesion molecules in the immune system.

Simvastatin, which is one of the most commonly used pharmaceuticals in the world, also has a beneficial effect on the immune defense system with regard to diseases such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Danish researchers have now explored why this is so, and their findings may result in improved treatment.

In the case of multiple sclerosis, the immune defense system destroys the central nervous system, while the inflammation affects the kidneys, eyes and sense of touch in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, leading to a variety of complications...

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