Value of dual-energy computed tomography in the diagnosis of gouty arthritis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the value of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in the diagnosis of gouty arthritis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty-one patients with gout, 30 with ankylosing spondylitis and 30 with rheumatoid arthritis were included in the study. DECT scans of the hands, wrists, elbows, feet, ankles, knees, lumbar, pelvis and sacroiliac joint were performed. For post-processing, a color-coding gout software protocol was used. The demographic data and blood uric acid levels were recorded. For 3 gout patients, the findings of puncture biopsy and DECT were compared. Ten gout patients with urate crystal deposition upon recruitment underwent DECT scans again after a 6-month urate-lowering therapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positivity rates of DECT scan differed significantly among the patients with gout, ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis [98.4% (60/61), 13.3% (4/30), and 6.7% (2/30), respectively; χ² =95.522, P<0.05). Of the 21 patients with acute gouty arthritis, 20 (95.2%) showed positive DECT finding, and all the 40 patients with chronic gouty arthritis showed positive findings. In the patients with patients with gout, ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis, the positivity rates of hyperuricemia were 97.3% (36/37), 44.4% (4/9), and 28.6% (2/7), respectively (χ² =24.197, P<0.05). A total of 344 urate deposition sites were detected in the gout patients, involving most commonly the first metatarsophalangeal joint (22.1%), the middle and distal end of the first phalanges of the toes (19.8%), the calcaneus (17.4%), and the inferior extremity of the tibia (13.4%). Seventeen and 5 urate deposition sites were found in ankylosing spondylitis patients and rheumatoid arthritis patients, respecitvely. The 10 gout patients receiving a 6-month urate-lowering therapy showed decreased urate deposition on DECT scan.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>DECT scan can detect urate deposition to allow differentiation diagnosis and follow-up in gout patients.</p>

Construction of ISSR Genetic Map of Chrysanthemum Morifolium from Macheng County / 中国药师

Objective:To establish the ISSR fingerprint of Chrysanthemum morifolium cultivated in Futianhe area of Macheng county to guide the breeding of C. morifolium. Methods:Using the technology of ISSR molecular markers and the software of SPSS 15. 0, the coefficient matrix of Jaccard was established and the tree graph of the genetic relationship of the breeds of C. morifolium cultivated in Fu-tianhe area was built to analyze the respective genetic relationship and features. Results:By ISSR analysis, it confirmed that C. morifoli-um in Futianhe area had long genetic distance with the other white chrysanthemum breeds, and it could be considered as an individual breed. Conclusion:The ISSR map can be used to identify the breed of C. morifolium cultivated in Futianhe area.

Role of NK-22 cells and interleukin-22-related molecules in proliferation of fibroblast- like synoviocytes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of natural killer-22 (NK-22) cells in the synovial fluid in the proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and explore the possible signal pathway involved.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>NK-22 cells in the SF of RA patients were sorted by flow cytometry. NK-22 cells were cultured for two weeks and the purity was detected by flow cytometry before stimulation with 20 ng/ml phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and 0.5 µmol/L ionomycin for 4 h. The level of interleukin-22 (IL-22) in the culture medium supernatant was then measured with ELISA. The proliferation of FLS in the presence of the culture supernatant of NK-22 cells was assessed with MTT assay at 24, 48 and 72 h, and the effect of IL-22 antibody on FLS proliferation was also observed. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were used to detect Stat3 mRNA and p-Stat3 protein levels, respectively, in the FLS exposed to rhIL-22 and AG490.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>NK-22 cells were successfully sorted by flow cytometry with a purity exceeding 90%. The levels of IL-22 in the supernatant of NKp44(+)NK cell culture averaged 1273.42∓254.48 pg/ml. The FLS proliferated rapidly 24, 48, and 72 h after the addition of culture supernatant of NK-22 cells (P<0.05). IL-22 antibody obviously inhibited the proliferation of FLS induced by NK-22 cell culture supernatant (P<0.05). Exposure of the FLS to rhIL-22 obviously increased cellular Stat3 expression levels, which were significantly lowered by the addition of AG490 (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>NK-22 cells in the SF of RA patients can produce high concentrations of IL-22 to promote the proliferation of FLS through the STAT3 signal pathway.</p>