Fas/FasL与系统性红斑狼疮的关系

Ｆａｓ系统参与淋巴细胞凋亡及自身免疫耐受维持 ,所以 ,Ｆａｓ和ＦａｓＬ基因改变引起的相应蛋白质分子变化所导致的功能丧失 ,可能与自身免疫病的发生密切相关。Ｆａｓ基因和ＦａｓＬ基因的功能缺失会引起小鼠产生淋巴增生 (ｌｙｍｐｈｏｐｒｏｌｉｆｅｒａｔｉｏｎ ,ｌｐｒ)和广泛性淋巴增生病 (ｇｅｎｅｒａｌｉｚｅｄｌｙｍｐｈｏｐｒｏｌｉｆ ｅｒａｔｉｏｎｄｉｓｅａｓｅ ,ｇｌｄ)两种类似人类系统性红斑狼疮 (ＳＬＥ)的自身免疫病[1] 。这两种小鼠出现淋巴结病和脾肿大 ,产生大量的ＩｇＧ和ＩｇＭ型自身抗体 ,包括抗ＤＮＡ抗体和类…     

益生菌对自身免疫病的作用及机制研究现状

自身免疫病是机体免疫功能紊乱而导致组织器官受损的一类疾病,包括类风湿关节炎、系统性红斑狼疮、多发性硬化症、自身免疫性肝炎等。糖皮质激素及免疫抑制剂是治疗自身免疫病的常用药物,但长期使用会产生代谢紊乱、免疫低下、继发感染等副作用。随着肠道菌群与自身免疫病相关研究的进展,益生菌干预自身免疫病成为一大研究热点。研究证实,益生菌缓解自身免疫病安全有效,有望成为辅助疗法甚至替代疗法。本文就益生菌缓解类风湿关节炎、系统性红斑狼疮、多发性硬化症、自身免疫性肝炎等的作用及相关机制进行综述。     

FAM160A2功能缺失性突变可能诱发心房颤动

心房颤动(atrial fibrillation, AF)是临床最常见的心律失常,对AF致病基因的研究,有助于AF早期筛查。本文旨在家族性AF人群和散发性AF人群中筛选具有潜在发病意义的易感基因,并对其在AF发生机制进行初步探讨。首先对4名家族性AF进行全外显子组测序(WES),鉴定AF相关基因。然后用Sanger测序在非家族性AF人群和健康人群中证实易感基因突变情况,应用Western印迹分析其蛋白质表达情况,利用膜片钳技术分析突变基因对外向钾离子电流的影响。家族共有39人,其中有4人发生AF,这4名AF患者存在2个共有的突变基因FAM160A2(纯合突变,rs77726581 c.1375C>T)和MUC5B(杂合突变,rs199736618 c.12272C>T)。在52例非家族性AF患者中,有5例存在FAM160A2相同位点杂合突变,在健康人群中未发现此突变;而MUC5B在非家族性AF人群和健康人群中均发生杂合突变。FAM160A2蛋白在非家族性AF散发人群和健康人群中表达水平并无显著性差异。FAM160A2基因突变明显降低外向钾离子电流(与野生型比较,P<0...     

TLR/MyD88信号通路与自身免疫性疾病

Toll样受体(Toll-like receptor,TLR)是近年来发现的一类模式识别受体,通过识别病原相关分子模式(pathogen-associated molecular pattern,PAMP),激活天然免疫.TLR信号还通过上调抗原提呈细胞(antigen presenting cells,APC)表面共刺激分子及APC分泌的炎症细胞因子调节获得性免疫.TLR/MyD88信号在自身免疫性疾病的发病过程中起重要作用.本文介绍了TLR/MYD88信号通路及其在自身免疫病如实验性自身免疫脑脊髓膜炎、类风湿性关节炎、实验性自身免疫性葡萄膜炎、实验性自身免疫性心肌炎和自身免疫性肾小球肾炎等发生发展中的作用.     

环形RNA在天然免疫过程中的重要功能

一类环形RNA来自外显子反向剪接,以共价键形成闭环结构。至今,科学家在真核生物中发现了多达几十万条环形RNA,但大部分环形RNA的功能至今不详。中国科学院生物化学与细胞生物学研究所陈玲玲研究组与合作者的最新研究成果阐述了环形RNA在细胞受病毒感染时的降解机制及其通过形成分子内双链结构结合天然免疫因子参与天然免疫应答调控的重要新功能,并揭示环形RNA低表达与炎症性自身免疫性病——系统性红斑狼疮(systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE)密切相关。该研究为环形RNA在天然免疫中的重要功能研究奠定基础,并为炎症性自身免疫病的发病机制及未来的干预治疗提出了新的思路与潜在靶点。     

自身免疫病的分子遗传学

自身免疫病影响着大约5％的人口,这类疾病的特点是患者体内存在大量的针对自身抗原的自身抗体,这些自身抗体通过不同的模式引起机体的损伤。一些严重的自身免疫病如类风湿性关节炎、系统性红斑狼疮可引起致残和死亡。总之,自身免疫病的发病率和致残率呈现出一个全球性的健康问题。由于这种健康问题巨大的严重性和广泛性,引起了全球性的自身免疫病病因学的研究热潮。多代家系和大量双胞胎的流行病学调查清晰的显示自身免疫病遗传因素的存在。至少有20多个疾病易感基因被认为与环境因素相互作用引起自身免疫病的发生和发展。基于这种遗传研究热潮,多个遗传研究小组采用基因组范围的易感基因的扫描工作,在人类和鼠模型中鉴定出多个遗传易感位点,这些位点可能含有自身免疫病的致病基因。本文就人类和鼠模型中定位的易感基因位点作一综述。     

自身免疫调节因子(AIRE)的研究进展

自身免疫调节因子(autoimmune regulator,AIRE)是一种具有转录活化潜能的DNA结合蛋白。由于AIRE基因的突变可导致自身免疫病APECED(autoimmune polyendocrinopathy—candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy,APECED),又称自身免疫性多腺体综合征I(autoimmune polyglandular syndrome typeI,APSI)。因此,这一基因在正常生理状态下很可能对维持自身免疫耐受、控制自身免疫起着重要作用。对自身免疫耐受产生机制的揭示将为自身免疫病、超敏反应、移植排斥及肿瘤的治疗提供新的策略。本文对AIRE的基因鉴定、分子结构和生化功能、亚细胞定位、组织分布及其在自身耐受产生中的作用作一综述性介绍。     

系统性红斑狼疮与细胞因子的研究进展

系统性红斑狼疮(SLE)属系统性自身免疫病,以B淋巴细胞高度活化为特征,产生大量自身抗体与免疫复合物导致组织器官损害,但其致病机制仍未阐明.研究发现Th1/Th2细胞亚群及细胞因子在其发病的过程中发挥着重要的作用,细胞因子的异常表达将有助于判断疾病活动程度及指导临床免疫治疗.本文就以下几种细胞因子IL-10,IL-12,IL-18,IFN-γ,IL-17,IL-6的研究进展作一综述.     

系统性红斑狼疮早发动脉粥样硬化的研究进展

系统性红斑狼疮(systemic lupus erythematosus,SLE)是累及多系统多器官的自身免疫病,近年来的流行病学研究发现SLE患者已成为心血管痰病(cardiovascular disease,CVD)的高危人群,早发动脉粥样硬化(atherosclerosis,AS)是SLE患者最常见的CVD之一.传统心血管危险因素如高血压、高脂血症、肥胖等不能完全解释SLE早发AS,非传统危险因素如自身抗体、免疫复舍物、内皮功能障碍、系统性炎症反应等在SLE早发AS的发病机制中的作用越来越受到关注,深入研究这些非传统危险因素在SLE早发AS的致病作用,将有助于防治SLE患者的CVD,提高SLE患者生存率.     

白介素-17家族细胞因子的研究进展

白介素-17(interleukin-17,IL-17)细胞因子家族含有6个成员,分别是IL-17A(简称IL-17)、IL-17B、IL-17C、IL-17D、IL-17E(也称IL-25)以及IL-17F。IL-17A是该家族中目前研究得最清楚的成员,它可以诱导抗菌肽和炎症性基因的表达,在宿主防御病原微生物如细菌和真菌等的感染中发挥着重要作用,同时也参与多种自身免疫病的炎症性发病病理。IL-17A及其受体的阻断性抗体在牛皮癣和类风湿性关节炎等自身免疫病的临床治疗试验中取得很好的疗效。IL-25诱导Th2相关基因的表达,在过敏反应和宿主抵抗寄生虫感染中发挥重要作用。近年来研究发现,IL-17C也参与宿主抵抗病原菌感染和自身免疫病病理,而IL-17细胞因子家族也参与肿瘤的发生和发展。尽管人们对IL-17A的信号转导机制有了一定的了解,但该家族中其他成员的功能机制还不清楚。因此,深入研究IL-17家族细胞因子的功能与分子机制将为相关疾病,如自身免疫病、感染性疾病、过敏性疾病和肿瘤等的治疗提供重要的理论基础和分子靶标。     

人参植物皂苷生物合成相关新基因的筛选与鉴定

人参植物根进行的特定发育过程在药用次生物———人参皂苷生物合成和累积中发挥重要作用。为从人参根中分离出人参皂苷生物合成相关基因 ,采用抑制差减杂交技术 ,构建四年和一年生人参根组织mRNA群体间正向差减cDNA文库。对从差减文库中筛选的 4 0个阳性cDNA克隆进行酶切、PCR与逆向Northern斑点杂交鉴定、DNA测序以及核苷酸序列同源性比较。结果表明 ,获得的 6个差减克隆在GenBank/DDBJ/BMBL无对应的同源基因 ,代表新基因序列。与此同时 ,使用Northern印迹杂交验证及半定量RT PCR进一步确认 ,6个转录本为根发育阶段差异性表达基因。因而提示 ,它们可能在人参皂苷生物合成中发挥了重要作用。此外 ,在人参茎、叶与种子中亦能检测到上述基因转录本的表达。目前 ,6个新基因已被命名 ,在GenBank注册并获登录号 ,为克隆上述新基因cDNA全长序列及深入鉴定其在人参皂苷生物合成中的功能提供了重要实验依据。     

Alterations of the T-cell population in BXSB mice: early imbalance of 9F3-defined Lyt-2+ subsets occurs in the males with rapid onset lupic syndrome

BXSB mice represent a model for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Due to a Y chromosome-linked genetic defect, males of this strain suffer from SLE much earlier in life than do the females. Comparative study of male and female BXSB mice therefore provides a way to identify abnormalities of the immune system leading to accelerated SLE development. The present work is part of an effort to examine whether T-cell alterations accompany such immune abnormalities. We focused on the evolution of Lyt-2+ T-cell subsets as defined by the 9F3 monoclonal antibody (MAb). By means of two-color flow cytofluorometry analysis, 9F3+ Lyt-2+ and 9F3- Lyt-2+ cell subsets could be clearly distinguished in the lymph nodes (LN) of BXSB mice. At as early as 2 months of age, BXSB males showed an increase of 9F3+ Lyt-2+ cell frequency compared to the females. This sex-related difference became more pronounced upon further aging. In 9- to 11-month-old mice, 9F3+ cells accounted for 80-85% of the LN Lyt-2+ population in the males versus 40-45% in the females. This difference reflected the selective expansion of 9F3+ Lyt-2+ cells in the males. It was also observed at a younger age in autoimmune (NZW X BXSB)F1 hybrids but not in old nonautoimmune C57Bl/6 or (CBA/N X BXSB)F1 mice. Moreover, adult thymectomy of BXSB mice was found to hasten the shift of 9F3-defined Lyt-2+ subset proportions. We postulate that the early imbalance of 9F3-defined Lyt-2+ subsets seen spontaneously in BXSB males may result from some thymus dysfunction and may be related to the development of autoimmunity.     

The Yaa mutation promoting murine lupus causes defective development of marginal zone B cells

The accelerated development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in BXSB male mice is associated with the presence of an as yet unidentified mutant gene, Yaa (Y-linked autoimmune acceleration). In view of a possible role of marginal zone (MZ) B cells in murine SLE, we have explored whether the expression of the Yaa mutation affects the differentiation of MZ and follicular B cells, thereby implicating the acceleration of the disease. In this study, we show that both BXSB and C57BL/6 Yaa mice, including two different substrains of BXSB Yaa males that are protected from SLE, displayed an impaired development of MZ B cells early in life. Studies in bone marrow chimeras revealed that the loss of MZ B cells resulted from a defect intrinsic to B cells expressing the Yaa mutation. The lack of selective expansion of MZ B cells in diseased BXSB Yaa males strongly argues against a major role of MZ B cells in the generation of pathogenic autoantibodies in the BXSB model of SLE. Furthermore, a comparative analysis with mice deficient in CD22 or expressing an IgM anti-trinitrophenyl/DNA transgene suggests that the hyperreactive phenotype of Yaa B cells, as judged by a markedly increased spontaneous IgM secretion, is likely to contribute to the enhanced maturation toward follicular B cells and the block in the MZ B cell generation.     

Treatment with high doses of anti-IgM prevents, but with lower doses accelerates autoimmune disease in (NZW x BXSB)F1 hybrid mice

We have treated autoimmune-prone (NZW x BXSB)F1 hybrid mice with polyclonal rabbit anti-mouse IgM antibodies starting from birth to define conditions leading to quantitative and functional elimination of the B cell compartment and to determine the effect of anti-IgM treatment on the development of autoimmune disease. A maintenance dose of anti-IgM antibodies (600 micrograms/wk), which efficiently induced B cell depletion in various non-autoimmune strains of mice, was not sufficient to deplete B cells from autoimmune-prone (NZW x BXSB)F1 mice. (NZW x BXSB)F1 mice required approximately twice as many anti-IgM antibodies (1200 micrograms/wk) to maintain the suppression of B cell development. Continuous treatment with the sub-suppressive dose of anti-IgM antibodies led to a marked acceleration of autoimmune disease in (NZW x BXSB)F1 mice. In contrast, elimination of B cells in (NZW x BXSB)F1 mice with a higher dose of anti-IgM antibodies (1200 micrograms/wk) completely prevented autoantibody production, immune complex formation, and development of glomerulonephritis and vascular lesions associated with mononuclear cell infiltrations. Our results are a direct demonstration of the primary role of autoantibodies for the development of various tissue lesions seen in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and indicates that autoreactive effector T cells, if they exist, play no major direct role in the pathogenesis of SLE, at least in (NZW x BXSB)F1 hybrid mice.     

The effect of thymectomy on lupus-prone mice

The effect of neonatal thymectomy on the induction and/or modification of murine SLE disease was examined in several representative groups of mice with early-life SLE (MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr females, BXSB males, (NZB X W)F1 females, (NZW X BXSB)F1 males and females), late-life SLE (MRL/Mp-+/+ and BXSB females), and normal strains (BALB/c and C57BL/6 females). Our results indicated that thymectomy prevented disease only in the MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr SLE mice, and that this effect diminished as thymectomy was delayed beyond 3 wk post-natally. In the other SLE mice studied, neonatal thymectomy did not modify disease symptoms to any significant degree. Moreover, depletion of mature T cells from donor BXSB male bone marrow did not affect the expression of early-life SLE in thymectomized BXSB female recipients. Neonatal thymectomy did not induce SLE in normal mice. Of note, neonatal thymectomy did not completely deplete the Thy-1.2+ cell population, i.e., 10 to 15% remained in the spleens of the thymectomized mice. This incomplete T cell depletion, together with the previously demonstrated dependence on and hyperresponsiveness of BXSB and (NZB X W)F1 B cells to T helper cell-derived accessory signals, cast doubts on earlier conclusions that B cells from some SLE mice can autonomously proliferate and differentiate to autoantibody-secreting cells. It seems more appropriate to conclude that B cells from the various SLE mice vary in their degree of response to, and production of, T cell-derived helper signals, and thus in their expression of B cell hyperactivity and disease.     

利用K562红细胞分化模型和cDNA芯片技术筛选参与红细胞分化的新基因(英文)

以氯高铁血红素 (hemin)诱导K5 6 2分化作为体外红细胞分化模型 ,结合cDNA大规模测序、生物信息学分析、基因芯片杂交和NorthernBlot分析等技术 ,筛选红细胞分化相关的新基因 .首先利用大规模测序技术从人胚肾cDNA文库中随机挑选克隆测得 192个EST(expressedsequencetags)片段 ,经在线生物信息学分析 ,得到 79个代表新基因的未知EST片段 ,并在NCBI(NationalCenterofBiotechnologyInformation)dbEST库中登录 .利用 79个ESTcDNA片段制备了基因芯片 .提取分化前后的K5 6 2细胞的mRNA作为荧光标记反转录的模板 ,反转录后的探针用于DNA芯片杂交 .分析杂交后的结果 ,得到了 2个差异表达较明显的基因 ,GenBank登录号分别为AF147772 (187bp)和AF4 776 2(6 30bp) ,并分别命名为EDRG1和EDRG2 (erythroiddifferentiationrelatedgene 1and 2 ) ,相似性检索表明它们属全新基因 ,基因组草图测序数据库检索表明了两个基因的染色体定位 .随后的Northern印迹用于验证了在分化前后的K5 6 2细胞中差异表达 .提示这两个基因参与了红细胞分化过程 .RT PCR检测了EDRG1和EDRG2在人胚胎多组织中的表达 .结果提示 ,EDRG1可能与多种胚组织的正常发育相关 ,尤其在胚脑中高丰度表达 ,而EDRG2则可能参与了胚心和胚肾的组织生成 .生物     

Protection of murine systemic lupus by the Ea transgene without expression of I-E heterodimers

A high-level expression of the Ea transgene encoding the MHC class II I-E alpha-chain is very effective in the protection from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in mice. However, it has not been elucidated whether this protection results from the induction or increased expression of I-E heterodimers or from the generation of I-E alpha-chain-derived peptides displaying high affinity for I-A molecules, because previous studies were conducted in lupus-prone mice expressing I-E beta-chains. To address this question, we assessed the protective effect of the Ea transgene in lupus-prone BXSB mice bearing the H2(q) haplotype (i.e., unable to express I-E heterodimers because of a deficiency in I-E beta-chains). We observed that the Ea transgene expression resulted in a marked suppression of the development of SLE in H2(q) BXSB mice despite the absence of I-E expression. The observed protection was not associated with any detectable levels of T cell depletion and regulatory T cell expansion. Significantly, transgenic I-E alpha-chains were substantially expressed on the surface of B lymphocytes and dendritic cells, but not of macrophages, without apparent formation of mixed-isotype heterodimers with I-A beta-chains. Our results demonstrate for the first time that the Ea transgene is able to prevent the development of SLE without induction of I-E heterodimer expression, indicating a critical role of I-E alpha-chains, but not I-E heterodimers, in the Ea transgene-mediated protection from SLE. Taken together, our data favor a model of autoimmunity prevention based on competition for Ag presentation between I-E alpha-chain-derived peptides and autoantigens.     

Analysis of vascular lesions in murine SLE. I. Association with serologic abnormalities

In murine SLE, two different vascular lesions can develop. A necrotizing polyarteritis (NPA), exclusively found in MRL/I mice, is characterized by a dense infiltration of PMN and fibrinoid necrosis of the arterial wall. The second, a degenerative vascular lesion, occurs in a low incidence in all SLE mice, except the (NZW X BXSB)F1 (WBF1) male, in which its incidence is 100%. This lesion shows subendothelial deposits of immunoglobulins with minimal or no inflammatory or proliferative reaction. This degenerative vascular disease (DVD) is predominantly localized in the coronary arteries and is highly correlated with myocardial infarction. Serologic analysis revealed that NPA in MRL/I mice was associated with relatively late development of high levels of autoantibodies and circulating immune complexes; DVD in WBF1 mice was associated with an early onset of autoantibody production of a low magnitude that gave rise to a persistent low level of circulating immune complexes. Characterization of circulating immune complexes in MRL/I mice showed these complexes were mainly of intermediate size (7S-19S) and contained predominantly anti-DNA antibodies. In WBF1 mice, complexes were barely detectable and contained mostly anti-gp70 antibodies. Elution of kidneys showed that the major antibody deposited in MRL/I mice has an anti-DNA specificity, whereas in WBF1 animals, the major antibody was anti-gp70. Furthermore, a 10 times greater amount of immunoglobulins could be eluted from WBF1 hearts with DVD than from MRL/I and BXSB hearts. Additionally, we found that the lack of an inflammatory reaction in DVD was not because of a preferential deposition of noncomplement-fixing IgG1 antibodies nor could it be related to a defective inflammatory response, because WBF1 mice had an undiminished reverse passive Arthus reaction throughout their lives. It is concluded that NPA develops secondary to high levels of autoantibodies with a concomitant rise in immune complexes, whereas DVD is associated with sustained low levels of circulating immune complexes.     

Identification and characterization of members of the FKHR (FOX O) subclass of winged-helix transcription factors in the mouse

Genetic alterations of FKHR (FOXO1), AF6q21 (FOXO2), and AFX (FOXO4), closely related members of the forkhead family of DNA binding proteins, in human cancers has suggested they play a role in the regulation of cellular differentiation or proliferation. In order to elucidate the function of this gene subfamily during mammalian development, we have identified and characterized three novel mouse genes; Fkhr1 (Foxo1), Fkhr2 (Foxo3), and Afxh (Foxo4), which are closely related to the human FKHR (Foxo1), AF6q21 (FOXO2), and AFX (FOXO4) genes, respectively. The genes are each expressed both during development and in the adult with distinct patterns ranging from ubiquitous [Fkhr2 (Foxo3)] to tissue-specific [Afxh (Foxo4)]. Selection of high-affinity DNA-binding sites from a pool of degenerate oligonucleotides demonstrated that the proteins encoded by these genes recognize a core sequence [(T/A) (A/T) A A C A] similar to that recognized by other forkhead domain-containing proteins. We have also identified additional FKHR-related genes expressed during development in both the chick and zebrafish. Further characterization will provide insight into the roles of members of the FKHR subfamily of forkhead-related genes during both normal and neoplastic development.     

Cytokine dysregulation induced by apoptotic cells is a shared characteristic of murine lupus

Of the multiple murine models of autoimmunity, the three most closely resembling human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are the MRL/lpr, New Zealand Black/White F(1), and male BXSB. Although these strains share many disease characteristics, no common cellular defect has previously been found in prediseased mice from all these strains. We show in this study that macrophages from prediseased mice of all three SLE-prone strains, as well as macrophages from mice whose genomes contribute to the development of SLE (MRL/+, New Zealand White, New Zealand Black, female BXSB, and LG/J), have an identical and profound defect in cytokine expression that is triggered by apoptotic cells. Strikingly, none of 13 nonautoimmune strains tested exhibited this defect. Given that apoptotic Ags have been increasingly recognized as the target of autoantibodies, a defect in cytokine expression that is triggered by apoptotic cells has broad potential to upset the balance between tolerance and immunity.