Zhen Zeng
Anhui Medical University
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Featured researches published by Zhen Zeng.
Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology | 2013
Guixing Li; Sheng Wang; Zhenhua Duan; Zhen Zeng; Faming Pan
Objectives: The aims of this study were to measure the levels of interleukin (IL)-33 and ST2 and T-helper (Th)2-associated cytokines (IL-13, IL-4, IL-5) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and examine the correlation of serum cytokine levels with disease activity and laboratory parameters. Method: Serum IL-33, IL-13, IL-4, and IL-5 levels were assessed by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the mRNA levels of IL-33 and ST2 were quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), in 43 AS samples and compared with 27 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Results: Serum IL-33, IL-13, and IL-4 levels were increased significantly in AS patients compared with controls (p < 0.01); moreover, serum IL-33 and IL-13 levels were significantly higher in patients with active AS than in those with inactive AS (p < 0.05). The serum levels of IL-5 showed no significant difference between AS patients and controls (p > 0.05). Serum IL-33 levels were positively correlated with both IL-13 (r = 0.306, p < 0.01) and IL-4 levels (r = 0.432, p < 0.01). The mRNA levels of IL-33 and ST2 were significantly different between AS patients and controls (p < 0.01) but not between active and inactive AS patients. Conclusions: Serum levels of IL-33 could partially reflect AS disease activity and indicate that IL-33/ST2 signalling plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AS.
Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology | 2012
Zhenhua Duan; Faming Pan; Zhen Zeng; Tianchen Zhang; Sheng Wang; Guixing Li; Yang Mei; Jing Gao; Rui Ge; Dong-Qing Ye; Yan-Feng Zou; Xu Sq; Jianhua Xu; Zhang L
Objective: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Fc gamma receptor IIB (FCGR2B) gene have recently been found to be associated with several human autoimmune diseases. We undertook the current study to investigate the influence of these polymorphisms on the risk of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Method: A total of 306 patients with AS from Anhui, China, fulfilling the modified New York Criteria, and 300 matched healthy controls were analysed. All subjects were genotyped for two SNPs (rs1050501, rs10917661) in the FCGR2B gene, and the SNaPshot Assay was used for genotyping. Results: SNP rs10917661 was significantly associated with AS [C vs. T: odds ratio (OR) 1.723, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.086–2.733, p = 0.020; genotype: p = 0.026] whereas no association was found for rs1050501. Furthermore, no haplotype was found to be associated with AS. Conclusion: These findings indicated that rs10917661 may be a novel SNP involved in AS genetic predisposition in the Han Chinese population.
Clinical Rheumatology | 2012
Zhen Zeng; Zhenhua Duan; Tianchen Zhang; Sheng Wang; Guixing Li; Yang Mei; Jing Gao; Rui Ge; Dong-Qing Ye; Yan-Feng Zou; Shengqian Xu; Jianhua Xu; Li Zhang; Faming Pan
Previous studies have found that the Fc receptor-like (FCRL) molecule, involved in controlling B cell signaling, may contribute to the autoimmune disease process. Many studies have reported the relation of FCRL gene family with SLE and RA. We hypothesized that FCRL4 may be a key gene for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) development. To test this hypothesis, we screened FCRL4 polymorphisms in the Chinese Han population. Five tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including rs14335, rs849826, rs10489674, rs2778003, and rs2777963, were selected. Using a case–control study, five tag SNPs, which captured the majority of known common variation within FCRL4 gene, were selected and genotyped by Multiplex Snapshot technique. We analyzed 299 patients and 300 controls from China. The genotype analysis demonstrated that one of the FCRL4 tag SNPs rs2777963 TT genotype may be a risk factor of AS (χ2 = 7.374, p = 0.024). The haplotype analysis indicated that there were no significant differences between AS cases and controls. Patients with AS who had rs14335 AA genotype had a significantly declined visual analogue scale patients global assessment scores compared to those with the GG genotype (31.21 ± 26.25 vs 40.54 ± 25.40, p = 0.035) and GA genotype (38.29 ± 24.94 vs 40.54 ± 25.40, p = 0.044), and in locus rs10489674, TT genotype had significantly increased Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index scores compared to those with the CC genotype (4.73 ± 2.43 vs 3.15 ± 1.61, p = 0.003) and CT genotype (4.73 ± 2.43 vs 2.97 ± 1.71, p = 0.001). The FCRL4 polymorphisms may play an important role in the susceptibility and severity of AS in the Chinese Han population.
Modern Rheumatology | 2014
Dazhi Fan; Si Liu; Ting Yang; Shanshan Wu; Sheng Wang; Guixing Li; Zhen Zeng; Zhenhua Duan; Guo Xia; Dong-Qing Ye; Yan-Feng Zou; Shengqian Xu; Jianhua Xu; Li Zhang; Zongwen Shuai; Faming Pan
Abstract Objectives. Published association studies of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in populations are inconsistent. The aim of this study is to determine whether the KIR polymorphisms confer susceptibility to AS in populations by conducting a meta-analysis. Methods. A computer search was carried out up to August 2013 for literature pertaining to AS and KIR polymorphisms. Publications addressing the association between the KIR polymorphisms and susceptibility to AS in populations were selected from the Pubmed, Elsevier Science Direct, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM) databases. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was calculated. Results. A total of 13 case-control studies in 9 articles were included in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis results identified two positive associations of 2DS4 and 3DS1 with susceptibility to AS in populations. In subgroup analysis, there was a positive association between 2DS4 and susceptibility to AS in Asians, but not in Caucasians. And there were associations between 3DL1, 3DS1 and susceptibility to AS in Caucasians, but not in Asians. Results of subgroup analysis also showed that there were associations between 2DL5, 2DS4, 2DS5, 3DL1, 3DS1 and susceptibility to AS in HLA-B*27-positive patients and HLA-B*27-positive healthy controls. Conclusions. This meta-analysis confirms that 2DS4 and 3DS1 might be potential risk factors for AS in populations.
Journal of Nephrology | 2012
Zhenhua Duan; Yujing Zhang; Faming Pan; Tianchen Zhang; Zhen Zeng; Sheng Wang; Guixing Li; Beibei Shen; Jing Gao
OBJECTIVE Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) has been shown to transmit an inhibitory signal to T cells, which is a therapeutic target for acute rejection of kidney transplantation, and CTLA4 polymorphisms have also been considered as a potential risk factor. However, major studies have not yielded significant results. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis of existing studies to boost their statistical power to clarify any associations between CTLA4 gene polymorphisms and acute rejection of kidney transplantation. METHODS We searched for studies using PubMed, Embase and Academic Source Premier databases and checked the reference lists of all included studies for other relevant studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated by both dominant and recessive genetic models. RESULTS For CTLA4 +49A/G polymorphism, we found a marginally significant p value for A vs. G (OR=0.805, 95% CI, 0.677-0.957, p=0.014). No significant association between the -318C/T polymorphism and acute rejection risk was observed. CONCLUSION The results suggest that the CTLA4 gene +49A/G polymorphism may be a possible genetic susceptibility locus for acute rejection. The results of the present meta-analysis may be limited by a number of factors including inadequate total sample size and poor statistics, and should be interpreted with caution. Further confirmation in large and well-designed studies are needed.
Rheumatology International | 2013
Zhen Zeng; Zhenhua Duan; Shengqian Xu; Faming Pan
A recent genome-wide association study reported that the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the RUNX3 are associated with AS [1]. However, the previous research on RUNX3 was mainly focused on cancer [2–4]. This is the first study that deals with the relationship between mutations in RNUX3 and AS. In fact, a study points out that inactivation of the gene encoding RUNX cofactor core-binding factor-b (CBF-b) in mice and small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated suppression of RUNX1 and RUNX3 in human T cells resulted in reduced expression of Foxp3 [5]. Foxp3 is an important symbol of recognition of Treg, and the ratio of CCR4?CCR6? Th to Treg cells is imbalanced in AS [6]. RUNX3 is associated with types of cancer, and it is considered as an important tumor suppressor gene [7]; it is highly expressed in the hematopoietic system and seems to be involved in myeloid and B-cell differentiation [8]. RUNX3 contributes to T-cell differentiation, and its absence results in spontaneous inflammatory bowel disease. Some studies found that the levels of Th17 cells are increased in patients with AS, and Th17 cells may contribute to the pathogenesis and development of AS [9, 10]. In our previous research, we also found the same result [11]. It is established that Th17 cells play a pivotal role in adaptive immunity. In fact, TGF-b, together with IL-6, IL21, and subsequently IL-23, promotes differentiation of Th17 cells from CD4? T cells, and RUNX3 in the downstream in the TGF-b signaling, it may play a key role in the CD4? T-cell differentiation, and it may generate the imbalance of Th17/Treg cell in AS. All of these findings indicate that RUNX3 may be involved in the pathogenesis of AS, and further studies are required, especially in human systems, to comprehensively explore the role of RUNX3 in AS.
Journal of Immunology | 2012
Zhenhua Duan; Yujing Zhang; Zhen Zeng; Faming Pan
Recently, Kahlenberg et al. ([1][1]) found that inhibition of caspase-l disrupted IFN-α–mediated endothelial progenitor cell (EPC)/circulating angiogenic cell (CAC) dysfunction in murine and human systems. It lends more information on the role of IFN-α, which might promote atherosclerosis in
Rheumatology International | 2012
Zhenhua Duan; Faming Pan; Zhen Zeng; Tianchen Zhang; Sheng Wang; Guixing Li; Shengqian Xu; Jianhua Xu; Li Zhang
Modern Rheumatology | 2013
Zhen Zeng; Zhenhua Duan; Tianchen Zhang; Sheng Wang; Guixing Li; Jing Gao; Dong-Qing Ye; Shengqian Xu; Jianhua Xu; Li Zhang; Faming Pan
Modern Rheumatology | 2013
Ting Yang; Zhenhua Duan; Shanshan Wu; Si Liu; Zhen Zeng; Guixing Li; Sheng Wang; Dazhi Fan; Dong-Qing Ye; Shengqian Xu; Li Zhang; Faming Pan