Subclinical inflammation on MRI of hand and foot of anticitrullinated peptide antibody–negative arthralgia patients at risk for rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction

It is known that anticitrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA)–positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has a preclinical phase. Whether this phase is also present in ACPA-negative RA is unknown. To determine this, we studied ACPA-negative arthralgia patients who were considered prone to progress to RA for local subclinical inflammation observed on hand and foot magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

Methods

We studied a total of 64 ACPA-negative patients without clinically detectable arthritis and with arthralgia of the small joints within the previous 1 year. Because of the character of the patients’ symptoms, the rheumatologists considered these patients to be prone to progress to RA. For comparisons, we evaluated 19 healthy, symptom-free controls and 20 ACPA-negative RA patients, who were identified according to the 1987 American Rheumatism Association criteria. All participants underwent MRI of unilateral wrist, metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joints. Synovitis and bone marrow oedema (BME) were scored according to the OMERACT rheumatoid arthritis magnetic resonance imaging scoring system, and the scores were summed to yield the ‘MRI inflammation score’. Scores were compared between groups. Among the ACPA-negative arthralgia patients, MRI inflammation scores were related to C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the tenderness of scanned joints.

Results

MRI inflammation scores increased progressively among the groups of controls and ACPA-negative arthralgia and RA patients (median scores = 0, 1 and 10, respectively; P < 0.001). The MRI inflammation scores of ACPA-negative arthralgia patients were significantly higher than those of controls (P = 0.018). In particular, the synovitis scores were higher in ACPA-negative arthralgia patients (P = 0.046). Among the ACPA-negative arthralgia patients, inflammation was observed predominantly in the wrist (53%). The synovitis scores were associated with CRP levels (P = 0.007) and joint tenderness (P = 0.026). Despite the limited follow-up duration, five patients developed clinically detectable arthritis. These five patients had higher scores for MRI inflammation (P = 0.001), synovitis (P = 0.002) and BME (P = 0.003) compared to the other patients.

Conclusion

Subclinical synovitis was observed in the small joints of ACPA-negative arthralgia patients, and especially in patients whose conditions progressed to clinically detectable arthritis. This finding suggests the presence of a preclinical phase in ACPA-negative RA. Further longitudinal studies of these lesions and patients are required to confirm this hypothesis.     

A genetic variant in osteoprotegerin is associated with progression of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction

Progression of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is partly heritably; 45 to 58% of the variance in joint destruction is estimated to be explained by genetic factors. The binding of RANKL (Receptor Activator for Nuclear Factor κ B Ligand) to RANK results in the activation of TRAF6 (tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor associated factor-6), and osteoclast formation ultimately leading to enhanced bone resorption. This bone resorption is inhibited by osteoprotegerin (OPG) which prevents RANKL-RANK interactions. The OPG/RANK/RANKL/TRAF6 pathway plays an important role in bone remodeling. Therefore, we investigated whether genetic variants in OPG, RANK, RANKL and TRAF6 are associated with the rate of joint destruction in RA.

Methods

1,418 patients with 4,885 X-rays of hands and feet derived from four independent data-sets were studied. In each data-set the relative increase of the progression rate per year in the presence of a genotype was assessed. First, explorative analyses were performed on 600 RA-patients from Leiden. 109 SNPs, tagging OPG, RANK, RANKL and TRAF6, were tested. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated in phase-1 were genotyped in data-sets from Groningen (Netherlands), Sheffield (United Kingdom) and Lund (Switzerland). Data were summarized in an inverse weighted variance meta-analysis. Bonferonni correction for multiple testing was applied.

Results

We found that 33 SNPs were significantly associated with the rate of joint destruction in phase-1. In phase-2, six SNPs in OPG and four SNPs in RANK were associated with progression of joint destruction with P-value <0.05. In the meta-analyses of all four data-sets, RA-patients with the minor allele of OPG-rs1485305 expressed higher rates of joint destruction compared to patients without these risk variants (P = 2.35x10⁻⁴). This variant was also significant after Bonferroni correction.

Conclusions

These results indicate that a genetic variant in OPG is associated with a more severe rate of joint destruction in RA.     

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Solanum gilo Raddi as influenced by explant type

An efficient system for Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Solanum gilo was established. The marker genes for kanamycin resistance and ß-glucuronidase expression were introduced. A comparison between cotyledon and hypocotyl explants showed that while regeneration was better from hypocotyl explants, cotyledon explants gave better transformation efficiency (46% vs. 32%). Four levels of kanamycin selection (100, 150, 200 and 250 mg/l) were tested for effect on transformation efficiency with each type of explant. Lower levels of kanamycin worked better using cotyledon explants, while higher levels of kanamycin worked better for hypocotyl explants. All nine t₀ plants tested for expression of the kan ^r gene were positive. The progeny of three of these plants showed a pattern of classical Mendelian inheritance (3 to 1) for both the kan ^r and the ß-glucuronidase genes.Abbreviations MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium - 2,4-D 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - NPTII neomycin phosphotransferase - GUS ß-glucuronidase     

A kinetic model for quantitative evaluation of the effect of hydrogen and osmolarity on hydrogen production by Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus

Background

The main technological impediment to widespread utilization of lignocellulose for the production of fuels and chemicals is the lack of low-cost technologies to overcome its recalcitrance. Organisms that hydrolyze lignocellulose and produce a valuable product such as ethanol at a high rate and titer could significantly reduce the costs of biomass conversion technologies, and will allow separate conversion steps to be combined in a consolidated bioprocess (CBP). Development of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for CBP requires the high level secretion of cellulases, particularly cellobiohydrolases.

Results

We expressed various cellobiohydrolases to identify enzymes that were efficiently secreted by S. cerevisiae. For enhanced cellulose hydrolysis, we engineered bimodular derivatives of a well secreted enzyme that naturally lacks the carbohydrate-binding module, and constructed strains expressing combinations of cbh1 and cbh2 genes. Though there was significant variability in the enzyme levels produced, up to approximately 0.3 g/L CBH1 and approximately 1 g/L CBH2 could be produced in high cell density fermentations. Furthermore, we could show activation of the unfolded protein response as a result of cellobiohydrolase production. Finally, we report fermentation of microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel?) to ethanol by CBH-producing S. cerevisiae strains with the addition of beta-glucosidase.

Conclusions

Gene or protein specific features and compatibility with the host are important for efficient cellobiohydrolase secretion in yeast. The present work demonstrated that production of both CBH1 and CBH2 could be improved to levels where the barrier to CBH sufficiency in the hydrolysis of cellulose was overcome.     

Amyloidogenicity of naturally occurring full‐length animal IAPP variants

The aggregation of the 37‐amino acid polypeptide human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP), as either insoluble amyloid or as small oligomers, appears to play a direct role in the death of human pancreatic β‐islet cells in type 2 diabetes. hIAPP is considered to be one of the most amyloidogenic proteins known. The quick aggregation of hIAPP leads to the formation of toxic species, such as oligomers and fibers, that damage mammalian cells (both human and rat pancreatic cells). Whether this toxicity is necessary for the progression of type 2 diabetes or merely a side effect of the disease remains unclear. If hIAPP aggregation into toxic amyloid is on‐path for developing type 2 diabetes in humans, islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) aggregation would likely need to play a similar role within other organisms known to develop the disease. In this work, we compared the aggregation potential and cellular toxicity of full‐length IAPP from several diabetic and nondiabetic organisms whose aggregation propensities had not yet been determined for full‐length IAPP.     

DNA-hybridization electron microscopy. Localization of five regions of 16 S rRNA on the surface of 30 S ribosomal subunits

DNA-hybridization electron microscopy has been used to locate five regions of 16 S rRNA on the surface of 30 S ribosomal subunits. Biotinylated DNA probes that are complementary to selected regions of 16 S rRNA were hybridized to activated 30 S ribosomal subunits. These hybridized probes were reacted with avidin and localized by electron microscopy. The specificity of DNA binding was monitored with RNase H, which recognizes RNA-DNA hybrids and cleaves the RNA. Three of the five sequences examined were mapped on the platform. These sequences are 686-703, 714-733 and 787-803. Region 1492-1505 is mapped in the cleft and region 518-533 is at the neck on the side opposite the platform, respectively.     

Calcium channel antagonist binding and pharmacology in rat uterine smooth muscle

The calcium channel antagonists altered Ca-dependence of high K+-contractions of the estrogen dominant rat myometrium with the following pA2 values: PN-200-110, 10.63; nitrendipine, 9.56; nifedipine, 9.41; D-600, 9.05; and diltiazem, 7.57. Specific binding of 3H-nitrendipine occurred to the isolated plasma membrane vesicles with Kd of 0.1 to 0.3 nM and was inhibited by PN-200-110, nitrendipine, nifedipine and D-600, and slightly activated by diltiazem. The binding studies and the contractility studies were in excellent agreement for the three dihydropyridines, but not for D-600 and diltiazem.     

CHO DUKX cell lineages preadapted to growth in serum-free suspension culture enable rapid development of cell culture processes for the manufacture of recombinant proteins

Using an adaptive strategy, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines were developed that are capable of robust growth in serum-free suspension culture. These preadapted derivatives of the commonly used strain of CHO cells (CHO DUKX), termed PA-DUKX, were used for the introduction and stable expression of several heterologous human genes. A significant advantage of recombinant PA-DUKX cells was their ability to readily resume growth in serum-free suspension culture after transfection and amplification of heterologous genes. Expression of recombinant human proteins in PA-DUKX cells was quantitatively similar to that of lineages generated using conventional CHO DUKX cells. In addition, recombinant human proteins expressed by transfected PA-DUKX lineages were shown to be biochemically and structurally similar to those expressed in CHO DUKX cells, PA-DUKX host cell technology provides an opportunity for reducing the time and resources required to develop large-scale, suspension culture-based manufacturing processes employing serum-free medium. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.