mRNA expression of chemokine receptors on peripheral blood mononuclear cells and correlation with clinical features in systemic lupus erythematosus patients / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expressions of chemokine receptors and interleukin (IL) receptors on the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and their correlations with clinical features as well as SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The mRNA expressions of chemokine receptors and IL receptors on PBMCs of 93 SLE patients and 30 healthy controls were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, including CCR2, CCR3, CCR4, CCR5, CCR6, CCR8, CXCR3, CXCRS, CX3CR1, XCR1, IL-4R, and IL-10R. The clinical features of SLE patients were recorded. The correlations of chemokine receptors and IL receptors mRNA expressions with clinical features as well as SLEDAI were assayed using linear regression analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The level of CCR5 mRNA in SLE patients (including active and inactive SLE) was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between active and inactive patients in this respect (P > 0.05). CX3CR1 mRNA expression significantly increased from healthy control to inactive SLE to active SLE in sequence. The others (except for CCR8, CXCR3, and IL-10R) in active SLE patients were significantly higher than those in both inactive SLE patients and healthy controls (all P < 0.05). There were positive correlations between SLEDAI and CCR2 (r = 0.424, t = 4.313, P < 0.001), CCR3 (r = 0.518, t = 5.410, P < 0.001), CCR4 (r = 0.376, t = 3.851, P < 0.001), CCR6 (r = 0.457, t = 4.513, P < 0.001), CXCR5 (r = 0.455, t = 4.629, P < 0.001), CX3CR1 (r = 0.445, t = 4.523, P < 0.001), as well as XCR1 (r = 0.540, t = 5.445, P < 0.001). And CCR5 mRNA expression level was positively correlated with IL-4R mRNA (r = 0.313, t = 2.353, P < 0.05). The patients with myositis and cutaneous vasculitis simultaneously showed lower levels of CCR5 and CX3CR1, and CCR5 expression was negatively correlated with the scores of SLEDAI in SLE cases accompanied by photosensitivity (r = 0.426, t = -2.155, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Increased expressions of CCR5 and CX3CR1 on PBMCs may be indicators in clinical survey for SLE.</p>

Phenomena and pathological significances of the methylated p16 promotor in DNA derived from plasma and blood cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the methylation status of p16 gene promotor in DNA derived from plasma and blood cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) , and it's relationship with clinical symptoms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>p16 promotor methylation in plasma and peripheral blood cells (PBCs) DNA were simultaneously detected with the methylation specific PCR (MSP) method in 24 active SLE patients, 21 inactive SLE patients, as well as 20 healthy controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the plasma DNA, p16 gene methylation ratio (MP%) was higher in SLE patients than in the healthy controls (64.4% vs. 5.0%, P < 0.05). MP% in the active SLE patients was significantly higher than that in the inactive SLE patients (83.3% vs. 42.9%, P < 0.05). In the PBCs, p16 gene methylation ratio (MC%) in the healthy controls was significantly higher than that in SLE (80.0% vs. 48.9%, P < 0.05). MC% in the active SLE patients (29.2%) was the lowest among three groups. There was no significant difference between the inactive SLE patients and healthy controls (71.4% vs. 80.0%, P > 0.05). Each patient could be judged as one of the four methylation patterns: MP/MC, UP/MC (UP: unmethylated plasma p16) , MP/UC (UC: unmethylated PBCs p16) , and UP/UC. The ratios of MP/ MC and UP/UC were similar between the active and inactive SLE patients. However, different distributions of other two patterns were found in the active and inactive SLE patients as UP/MC 4.2% vs. 42.9% (P <0.05) and MP/UC 58.3% vs. 14.3% (P < 0.05), respectively. The active SLE patients with MP/UC and the inactive SLE patients with UP/MC showed different clinical symptoms and laboratory examinations. Significant correlation was found between the disease activity index for lupus patients (SLEDAI) scores and MP% (r = 0.93), between the SLEDAI scores and MC% (r = - 0.96) also between MC% and MP% (r = - 0.79).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The p16 methylation assay provides available information for the diagnosis, judgment of disease activity, as well as novel insights into the pathogenesis underlying this disease.</p>