ABSTRACT
Objective: To analyze the clinical implications of C-reactive protein (C-reactive protein) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in atopic dermatitis and their correlations with the therapeutic effect of Dupilumab (DU). Methods: Seventy-four cases of atopic dermatitis (intervention group) were admitted to Xingtai Third Hospital between May 2021 and January 2023, and 55 concurrent healthy controls (control group) were selected as research participants. Atopic dermatitis patients were treated with a DU injection of 600 mg for the first time after diagnosis. Peripheral blood IL-4 and C-reactive protein levels before and after treatment in the intervention group and their levels at admission in the control group were comparatively analyzed, and their predictive value for the occurrence, clinical efficacy, and adverse reactions of atopic dermatitis were determined. Additionally, alterations in C-reactive protein and IL-4 levels before and after treatment in the intervention group and their relationship with the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index were discussed. Results: The intervention group exhibited higher C-reactive protein and IL-4 levels than the control group. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of C-reactive protein + IL-4 detection for atopic dermatitis were 74.32% and 94.55%, respectively (P < .05). The post-treatment C-reactive protein and IL-4 were lower in the intervention group, and the test results were positively correlated with SCORAD before and after treatment (P < .05). In addition, C-reactive protein + IL-4 detection showed excellent predictive effects on the therapeutic efficacy of DU and adverse reactions. Conclusions: IL-4 and C-reactive protein are closely related to atopic dermatitis, which can be used as the evaluation indexes for disease development of atopic dermatitis and therapeutic effects of DU in the future.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Taurine is an organic amino acid and a major constituent of bile. With its contribution to various cellular functions, it has demonstrated therapeutic effects in a wide range of diseases. Since there is a lack of literature investigating taurine as a treatment for lupus nephritis (LN), here we examined the potential of taurine as a treatment for LN. METHODS: Experiments were carried out using MRL/lpr mice as a model of LN, and C57BL/6 mice were used as negative controls. At 12 weeks old, MRL/lpr mice were divided into four groups and treated with 0, 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight taurine for 5 days. Enalapril is used as a positive control drug. All animals were sacrificed after treatment. LN-induced damage was assessed by proteinuria, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (CRE) levels. The degree of inflammation was assessed by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels. The degree of oxidative stress was assessed by malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) levels. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and TUNEL staining assessed histopathological damage and apoptosis, respectively. The levels of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, caspase-9, and NF-κB p65 were detected by western blot. RESULTS: The data indicated that taurine administration improved kidney functions, reversed cell death, suppressed oxidative stress, and importantly, adjusted the immune response of LN mice to a more balanced state. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide a novel strategy for LN therapy, which may overcome the disadvantages of traditional immunosuppression and hormone treatments with greater efficacy and fewer side effects.
