The association of PTPN22 rs2476601 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis is specific to females.

A preponderance of females develop autoimmune disease, including juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), yet the reason for this bias remains elusive. Evidence suggests that genetic risk of disease may be influenced by sex. PTPN22 rs2476601 is associated with JIA and numerous other autoimmune diseases, and has been reported to show female-specific association with type 1 diabetes. We performed main effect and sex-stratified association analyses to determine whether a sex-specific association exists in JIA. As expected, rs2476601 was associated with JIA in our discovery (413 cases and 690 controls) and replication (1008 cases and 9284 controls) samples. Discovery sample sex-stratified analyses demonstrated an association specifically in females (odds ratio (OR)=2.35, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.52-3.63, P=0.00011) but not males (OR=0.91, 95% CI=0.52-1.60, P=0.75). This was similarly observed in the replication sample. There was evidence for genotype-by-sex interaction (Pinteraction=0.009). The association between rs2476601 and JIA appears restricted to females, partly accounting for the predominance of females with this disease.

Novel and enhanced anti-melanoma DNA vaccine targeting the tyrosinase protein inhibits myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumor growth in a syngeneic prophylactic and therapeutic murine model.

Melanoma is the most deadly type of skin cancer, constituting annually ∼ 75% of all cutaneous cancer-related deaths due to metastatic spread. Currently, because of metastatic spread, there are no effective treatment options for late-stage metastatic melanoma patients. Studies over the past two decades have provided insight into several complex molecular mechanisms as to how these malignancies evade immunological control, indicating the importance of immune escape or suppression for tumor survival. Thus, it is essential to develop innovative cancer strategies and address immune obstacles with the goal of generating more effective immunotherapies. One important area of study is to further elucidate the role and significance of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the maintenance of the tumor microenvironment. These cells possess a remarkable ability to suppress immune responses and, as such, facilitate tumor growth. Thus, MDSCs represent an important new target for preventing tumor progression and escape from immune control. In this study, we investigated the role of MDSCs in immune suppression of T cells in an antigen-specific B16 melanoma murine system utilizing a novel synthetic tyrosinase (Tyr) DNA vaccine therapy in both prophylactic and therapeutic models. This Tyr vaccine induced a robust and broad immune response, including directing CD8 T-cell infiltration into tumor sites. The vaccine also reduced the number of MDSCs in the tumor microenvironment through the downregulation of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, interleukin-10, CXCL5 and arginase II, factors important for MDSC expansion. This novel synthetic DNA vaccine significantly reduced the melanoma tumor burden and increased survival in vivo, due likely, in part, to the facilitation of a change in the tumor microenvironment through MDSC suppression.

Central nervous system Sjögren's syndrome in a child: case report and review of the literature.

We describe a case of pediatric Sjögren's syndrome with progressive neurologic involvement. At age 4 years, she had been diagnosed with Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome. After being stable with facial diplegia and swelling for 5 years, she acutely presented with diplopia, vertigo, and ataxia. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a left dorsal midbrain lesion. Serologic and histopathologic findings confirmed primary Sjögren's syndrome. She responded well to intravenous methylprednisolone, with subsequent clinical improvement and MRI resolution. This report reviews the pediatric literature and underscores the importance of considering Sjögren's syndrome in a child with unexplained facial weakness and in the differential diagnosis of pediatric stroke.

Juvenile arthritis and autoimmunity to type II collagen.

OBJECTIVE: Joint inflammation in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is sometimes associated with an autoimmune response to type II collagen (CII), a cartilage-specific protein. To test the hypothesis that down-regulation of autoimmunity to CII can be accomplished in JRA by oral administration of CII, an open-label study of CII was performed in 9 patients with JRA. METHODS: Seven rheumatoid factor-negative JRA patients with polyarticular disease and 2 JRA patients with pauciarticular disease (1 with early onset and 1 with late onset) were treated for 3 months with oral bovine CII. Patients were examined for disease activity and underwent routine laboratory testing at monthly intervals. Two of the patients had flares of disease when treatment was discontinued, and these patients were re-treated for an additional 3 months. To test the hypothesis that oral tolerance induces an immune deviation of T cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients were collected before and after treatment and cultured with CII. Supernatants and RNA were collected and analyzed for the presence of various cytokines. RESULTS: Eight patient trials met the criteria for clinical improvement outlined by Giannini and coworkers in 1997. None of the patients had any side effects from the treatment. In 6 of the 8 patients who improved, interferon-gamma production decreased after oral CII therapy, correlating with clinical improvement, while 6 patients had increases in levels of transforming growth factor beta3. CONCLUSION: These results are encouraging. The possible beneficial effect of oral CII in JRA merits further investigation.

HIV-1 NL4-3, but not IIIB, inhibits JAK3/STAT5 activation in CD4(+) T cells.

HIV-1 infection leads to T cell dysfunction and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. The shared common gamma chain of IL-2R and its associated Janus kinase, JAK3, are indispensable for normal T cell function and survival. We have reported that CD4 ligation with HIV gp120 inhibits T cell receptor-induced activation and expression of JAK3. We have also shown that while some strains of HIV-1, such as NL4-3, induce apoptosis of infected CD4(+) T cells, other strains, such as HIV-1 IIIB, do not. Interestingly, we show here that infection of CD4(+) T cells with HIV-1 NL4-3, but not IIIB, inhibited activation and expression of JAK3. NL4-3-infected T cells were unable to upregulate JAK3 expression following stimulation through TCR/CD3. In addition, NL4-3, but not IIIB, inhibited tyrosine phosphorylation and expression of STAT5, a downstream target of JAK3. These data suggest a correlation between apoptosis of HIV-1-infected T cells and inhibition of the JAK3/STAT5 activation pathway.

Ras regulates NFAT3 activity in cardiac myocytes.

Multiple distinct signal transduction pathways have been implicated in the development of cardiac myocyte hypertrophy. These hypertrophic pathways include those regulated by the Ras superfamily of small GTPases and a separate calcineurin-regulated pathway that culminates in the activation of the transcription factor NFAT3. In this report, we demonstrate a functional interaction between Ras-regulated and calcineurin-regulated pathways. In particular, expression in neonatal myocytes of a constitutively active form of Ras (V12ras), but not activating mutants of Rac1, RhoA, or Cdc42, results in an increase in NFAT activity. Similarly, expression of an activated Ras, but not other small GTPases, results in the nuclear translocation of an NFAT3 fusion protein. Expression of a dominant negative ras gene product blocks phenylephrine-stimulated NFAT transcriptional activity and the ligand-stimulated NFAT3 nuclear localization. Ras proteins appear to function upstream of calcineurin, because cyclosporin A blocks the ability of V12ras to stimulate NFAT-dependent transcription and nuclear localization. Similarly, expression of a dominant negative ras gene inhibits phenylephrine-stimulated calcineurin activity. Pharmacological inhibition of MEK1 or expression of a dominant negative form of c-Raf or ERK2 inhibits phenylephrine-stimulated NFAT3 activation. Conversely, NFAT activity was stimulated by expression of constitutively active forms of c-Raf or MEK1. Taken together, these results imply that, in cardiac myocytes, a Ras-regulated pathway involving stimulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase regulates NFAT3 activity.

Reactive oxygen species and signal transduction.

Increasing evidence suggests a role for intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) as mediators of normal and pathological signal transduction pathways. In particular, a growing list of recent reports have demonstrated a rapid and significant increases in intracellular ROS following growth factor or cytokine stimulation. These ROS appear essential for a host of downstream signaling events. Biochemical characterization of this ligand-activated ROS production has revealed important information regarding the molecular composition of the cellular oxidases and the regulation of their activity by small GTPases. Work is proceeding on identifying strategies to identify how ROS might specifically regulate signaling pathways by altering the activity of direct target molecules. This review will focus on the progress in the rapid emerging area of oxidant or redox-dependent signal transduction and speculate how these insights might alter our view and treatment of diseases thought to be caused by oxidative stress.

Oxidants, oxidative stress and the biology of ageing.

Living in an oxygenated environment has required the evolution of effective cellular strategies to detect and detoxify metabolites of molecular oxygen known as reactive oxygen species. Here we review evidence that the appropriate and inappropriate production of oxidants, together with the ability of organisms to respond to oxidative stress, is intricately connected to ageing and life span.

Identification of oxidant-sensitive proteins: TNF-alpha induces protein glutathiolation.

Reactive oxygen species are thought to play a role in a variety of physiologic and pathophysiological processes. One possible mediator of oxidant effects at the molecular level is a subset of proteins containing reactive cysteine thiols that can be readily oxidized. The transient incorporation of glutathione into cellular proteins is an established response to oxidant stress and could provide a mechanism for reversible covalent modification in response to reactive oxygen species. To better understand the function of protein S-glutathiolation in vivo, a biotinylated membrane-permeant analogue of glutathione, biotinylated glutathione ethyl ester, was developed and used to detect proteins into which glutathione is incorporated under oxidant stress. Oxidant stress from exogenous hydrogen peroxide or generated in response to TNF-alpha was found to increase incorporation of biotinylated glutathione ethyl ester into several HeLa cell proteins. The identity of two of these proteins was determined by peptide sequencing and mass spectrometric peptide mapping. A 23 kDa S-glutathiolated protein was identified as thioredoxin peroxidase II, a member of the peroxiredoxin family of peroxidases known to play a role in redox-dependent growth factor and cytokine signal transduction. A second, 36 kDa, protein was identified as annexin II. Further investigation revealed a single reactive cysteine in the annexin II tail domain. Deletion of the identified cysteine was found to abolish S-glutathiolation of annexin II. These findings demonstrate a specific posttranslational modification associated with an endogenously generated oxidant stress and suggest a mechanism by which TNF-alpha might selectively regulate protein function in a redox-dependent fashion.

Role for mitochondrial oxidants as regulators of cellular metabolism.

Leakage of mitochondrial oxidants contributes to a variety of harmful conditions ranging from neurodegenerative diseases to cellular senescence. We describe here, however, a physiological and heretofore unrecognized role for mitochondrial oxidant release. Mitochondrial metabolism of pyruvate is demonstrated to activate the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). This metabolite-induced rise in cytosolic JNK1 activity is shown to be triggered by increased release of mitochondrial H(2)O(2). We further demonstrate that in turn, the redox-dependent activation of JNK1 feeds back and inhibits the activity of the metabolic enzymes glycogen synthase kinase 3beta and glycogen synthase. As such, these results demonstrate a novel metabolic regulatory pathway activated by mitochondrial oxidants. In addition, they suggest that although chronic oxidant production may have deleterious effects, mitochondrial oxidants can also function acutely as signaling molecules to provide communication between the mitochondria and the cytosol.

Redox-dependent signal transduction.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide appear to be transiently produced in response to growth factor and cytokine stimulation. A variety of evidence suggests that this ligand-stimulated change in the cellular redox state participates in downstream signal transduction. This review will focus on the effects of ROS on signal transduction pathways, the molecules that regulate intracellular ROS production and the potential protein targets of oxidants.

Vascular effects following homozygous disruption of p47(phox) : An essential component of NADPH oxidase.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that the vessel wall contains an oxidase similar, if not identical, to phagocytic NADPH oxidase. We tested the contribution of this specific oxidase to the progression of atherosclerosis and the regulation of blood pressure. METHODS AND RESULTS: An examination of aortic rings from wild-type mice and mice with homozygous targeted disruptions in p47(phox) revealed that p47(phox) knockout mice had a reduction in vascular superoxide production. However, analyses of apoE -/- p47(phox)+/+ and apoE -/- p47(phox) -/- strains of mice demonstrated no significant differences in atherosclerotic lesion sizes. Similarly, analyses of wild-type and p47(phox) knockout mice revealed no differences in either basal blood pressure or the rise in blood pressure seen after the pharmacological inhibition of nitric oxide synthase. CONCLUSIONS: NADPH oxidase contributes to basal vascular superoxide production. However, the absence of a functional oxidase does not significantly affect the progression of atherosclerosis in the standard mouse apoE -/- model, nor does it significantly influence basal blood pressure.

Homocysteine accelerates endothelial cell senescence.

In this study we demonstrate that exposure of cultured endothelial cells to homocysteine significantly accelerates the rate of endothelial senescence. Examination of telomere length demonstrates that homocysteine increases the amount of telomere length lost per population doubling. The effects of homocysteine on both senescence and telomere length are inhibited by treatment with the peroxide scavenger catalase. Chronic exposure of endothelial cells to homocysteine also increases the expression of two surface molecules linked to vascular disease, intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Interestingly, the level of expression of both ICAM-1 and PAI-1 correlates with the degree of endothelial senescence. Taken together, these results suggest that homocysteine accelerates the rate of cellular senescence through a redox-dependent pathway. In addition, it suggests that chronic oxidative stress in the vessel wall may hasten the rate of senescence and that the senescent endothelial cell may in turn be pro-atherogenic.

Endothelial progenitor cells as putative targets for angiostatin.

Angiostatin, a product of the proteolytic cleavage of plasminogen, possesses potent antitumor and antiangiogenic properties in vivo. Studies with cultured endothelial cells suggest that under certain conditions, angiostatin inhibits the migration and proliferation of these cells or, alternatively, increases their rate of apoptosis. In general, the effects of angiostatin have been considerably less potent in vitro than in vivo. One potential explanation for this disparity is that the in vivo target of angiostatin is not the mature endothelial cell. Recently, evidence has accumulated to show that circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contribute to neovascularization. In this study, we have isolated EPCs from human subjects and demonstrated that, in contrast to that of mature endothelial cells, the growth of EPCs is exquisitely sensitive to angiostatin. These results suggest that angiostatin and related compounds may exert their biological effects by inhibiting the contribution of EPCs to angiogenesis and not by altering the growth of mature endothelial cells.