Kiori Shio

Thrombin-cleaved Osteopontin Is Increased in Urine of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective. To measure concentrations of the thrombin-cleaved isoform of osteopontin (OPN) in urine and plasma of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to assess whether levels of thrombin-cleaved OPN are associated with measures of RA. Methods. Subjects comprised 70 patients with RA, 20 patients with osteoarthritis (OA), and 46 healthy controls. RA disease activity was evaluated by tender joint count, swollen joint count, patient’s global assessment of disease activity, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), and rheumatoid factor (RF), as well as 28-joint count Disease Activity Score (DAS28). OPN levels in plasma and urine were measured by ELISA. Results. Median levels of thrombin-cleaved OPN in urine (U-half) were significantly higher in RA patients (143.5 pmol/mmol Cr) than in healthy controls (67.9 pmol/mmol Cr) or OA patients (69.8 pmol/mmol Cr). Thrombin-cleaved OPN was not detected in plasma. U-half levels correlated significantly with levels of CRP (r = 0.26, p = 0.03), ESR (r = 0.26, p = 0.03), and RF (r = 0.28, p = 0.03). Median U-half levels were significantly higher in patients with stage III (249.9 pmol/mmol Cr) and IV (251.6 pmol/mmol Cr) disease than in patients with stage I (98.6 pmol/mmol Cr) disease. Conclusion. Our results suggest that urine levels of the thrombin-cleaved isoform of OPN may reflect the severity of active inflammatory arthritis in patients with RA.

Doppler ultrasonographic characteristics of superficial and deep-flow signals in the knee joint pannus of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Increased blood flow signals on power Doppler ultrasonography in the proliferated synovium (pannus) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been used to evaluate articular inflammation.1–7 Fiocco et al 5 reported that, in patients with RA after 3 months of etanercept treatment, superficial layer vascularity of the knee joint pannus8 was significantly reduced, and this occurred before deep-layer vascularity was affected. In all, 97 knee joints of 52 patients with RA were scanned longitudinally and transversely at suprapatellar recess; we …

Association of anti-triosephosphate isomerase antibody and MRL/MpJ-Faslpr mouse

The association between anti-triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) antibodies and MRL/MpJ-Fas(lpr) (MRL/lpr) mice was examined. We found that serum anti-TPI antibody levels in MRL/lpr mice, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, were significantly higher than that of age-matched Balb/c mice and NZB/WF1 mice. Anti-TPI antibodies were detected in serum and cerebrospinal fluid in MRL/lpr mice by Western blotting. Inoculation of anti-TPI monoclonal antibody-producing hybridoma into the brain of Balb/c mice resulted in immunoglobulin deposition in the regions near the ventricles, hippocampus, and choroid plexus. Anti-TPI antibodies may play a role in the etiology of brain damage and behavioral deficits in MRL/lpr mice.

A case of emphysematous pyelonephritis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis taking corticosteroid and low-dose methotrexate.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that is characterized by chronic synovial inflammation. Patients with RA have increased risk of infection; this is related to RA itself or the adverse effects of medication. In this report, we describe a case of emphysematous pyelonephritis in a patient with RA associated with AA amyloidosis and steroid‐induced diabetes mellitus who was taking corticosteroid and low‐dose methotrexate.