Article
Immunology
Christina-Maria Flessa, Evangelia Zampeli, Maria-Eleftheria Evangelopoulos, Vasilis Natsis, Iris L. A. Bodewes, Erika Huijser, Marjan A. Versnel, Haralampos M. Moutsopoulos, Clio P. Mavragani
Summary: This study found that the TT genotype of the rs9514828 SNP in the BAFF gene reduces the likelihood of fatigue development in primary Sjogren's Syndrome patients. Further research is needed to validate these findings.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Md Ashik Ullah, Fabienne Mackay
Summary: B cell-activating factor (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) are members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family, playing crucial roles in immune homeostasis and driving pathogenesis in autoimmunity and cancer. High levels of BAFF, APRIL, and their receptors are associated with disease severity and treatment response in different cancers. This review discusses the role of the BAFF-APRIL system in immune cell differentiation and tolerance, its pathogenic functions in hematological and solid cancers, and highlights emerging therapeutics targeting this system in various cancer types.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yidan Zhang, Jie Tian, Fan Xiao, Leting Zheng, Xiaoxia Zhu, Ling Wu, Cheng Zhao, Shengjun Wang, Ke Rui, Hejian Zou, Liwei Lu
Summary: B cells play a pivotal role in autoimmune diseases, and B cell-activating factor (BAFF) is key in driving autoreactive B cell response. Increased BAFF levels have been observed in patients with autoimmune diseases and mouse models where autoantibody production is prominent. Recent clinical studies have shown BAFF as a potential therapeutic target for treating autoimmune diseases.
CYTOKINE & GROWTH FACTOR REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Matheus Aranguren, Kim Doyon-Laliberte, Mohamed El-Far, Carl Chartrand-Lefebvre, Jean-Pierre Routy, Jean-Guy Barril, Benoit Trottier, Cecile Tremblay, Madeleine Durand, Johanne Poudrier, Michel Roger
Summary: Chronic inflammation persists in PLHIV despite ART and is involved in their premature development of CVD such as atherosclerosis. BAFF levels are elevated and positively correlate with CVD and its risk factors in PLHIV, while APRIL levels correlate negatively. Breg markers expression is lower in PLHIV compared to HIV-uninfected controls, and APRIL can upregulate their expression while BAFF dampens this modulation.
Article
Rheumatology
Xinyi Meng, Xiaoyuan Hou, Ping Wang, Joseph T. Glessner, Hui-Qi Qu, Michael E. March, Sipeng Zhang, Xiaohui Qi, Chonggui Zhu, Kenny Nguyen, Xinyi Gao, Xiaoge Li, Yichuan Liu, Wentao Zhou, Shuyue Zhang, Junyi Li, Yan Sun, Jie Yang, Patrick M. A. Sleiman, Qianghua Xia, Hakon Hakonarson, Jin Li
Summary: This study identified rare coding variants in JIA patients using RNA-seq data, including some reported causal variants. These variants were partially replicated in polyarticular patients and shared common variants with genes associated with autoimmune diseases. Genes related to immune pathways were enriched for rare coding variants and differentially expressed genes.
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Rheumatology
Lingxiao Xu, Jian Zhao, Qing Sun, Xue Xu, Lei Wang, Ting Liu, Yunjuan Wu, Jingfeng Zhu, Linyu Geng, Yun Deng, Alexander Awgulewitsch, Diane L. Kamen, Jim C. Oates, Prithvi Raj, Edward K. Wakeland, R. Hal Scofield, Joel M. Guthridge, Judith A. James, Bevra H. Hahn, Deborah K. McCurdy, Fang Wang, Miaojia Zhang, Wenfeng Tan, Gary S. Gilkeson, Betty P. Tsao
Summary: This research found two novel SAT1 LOF variants through whole exome sequencing in families with multiple siblings affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), demonstrating their association with SLE. The study highlights the pathogenic role of dysregulated polyamine catabolism in lupus.
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pilar Ortiz-Aljaro, Marco Antonio Montes-Cano, Jose-Raul Garcia-Lozano, Virginia Aquino, Rosario Carmona, Javier Perez-Florido, Francisco Jose Garcia-Hernandez, Joaquin Dopazo, Maria Francisca Gonzalez-Escribano
Summary: This study investigates the role of cytokine levels and genetic variants in the autoimmune disease SLE. The study finds differences in the BAFF/APRIL pathway among SLE patient subgroups with diverse clinical features, and suggests the involvement of genetic variants in the susceptibility to the disease.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Patricia Costa-Reis, Kelly Maurer, Michelle A. Petri, Daniella Levy Erez, Xue Zhao, Walter Faig, Jon Burnham, Kathleen O'Neil, Marisa S. Klein-Gitelman, Emily von Scheven, Laura Eve Schanberg, Kathleen E. Sullivan
Summary: Lupus nephritis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in SLE patients. There is a need for a biomarker that can distinguish active lupus nephritis, especially for pediatric patients where minimizing invasive procedures is desirable.
LUPUS SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Huai-Chia Chuang, Wei-Ting Hung, Yi-Ming Chen, Pu-Ming Hsu, Jeng-Hsien Yen, Joung-Liang Lan, Tse-Hua Tan
Summary: Multiple germline and somatic variants of the MAP4K3 (GLK) gene were found in patients with SLE, leading to increased GLK expression through mRNA or protein stability.
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Borja Hernandez-Breijo, Ioannis Parodis, Marta Novella-Navarro, Ana Martinez-Feito, Victoria Navarro-Compan, Mariana Diaz-Almiron, Dora Pascual-Salcedo, Alejandro Balsa, Chamaida Plasencia-Rodriguez
Summary: This study found that serum BAFF concentrations are associated with response to TNF inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis patients, highlighting the importance of B-cells in RA.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Joana Couceiro, Irina Matos, Jose Joao Mendes, Pedro V. Baptista, Alexandra R. Fernandes, Alexandre Quintas
Summary: Preterm birth is a major clinical and public health challenge worldwide, with a prevalence of 11%. The etiology of this condition remains unclear, with most cases being spontaneous. Risk factors for preterm birth include inflammatory diseases and genetic background, and there is evidence suggesting a common genetic background with autoimmune diseases.
Article
Rheumatology
Eunji Ha, So-Young Bang, Jiwoo Lim, Jun Ho Yun, Jeong-Min Kim, Jae-Bum Bae, Hye-Soon Lee, Bong-Jo Kim, Kwangwoo Kim, Sang-Cheol Bae
Summary: The study identified a large number of rheumatoid arthritis-specific DEGs in CD4(+) T cells, with a focus on T cell differentiation and activation pathways. Additionally, rheumatoid arthritis-specific DMRs were correlated with the expression levels of DEGs, mainly in the same topologically associating domains. Furthermore, expressional variances in DEGs were partially explained by expression QTLs and meQTLs, indicating potential regulatory roles of rheumatoid arthritis-risk variants in shaping gene expression and methylation patterns.
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Hui-Hui Fan, Lei Cui, Xiao-Xia Jiang, Ya-Dan Song, Shu-Shu Liu, Ke-Yun Wu, Hao-Jia Dong, Miao Mao, Begench Ovlyakulov, Hong-Mei Wu, Jian-Hong Zhu, Xiong Zhang
Summary: This study found that genetic variants of CLEC16A are associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) in the Han Chinese population. Specifically, the rs6498169 and rs7200786 variants were significantly associated with PD susceptibility, and rs6498169 was also associated with a specific subtype of PD. Functional annotation analysis suggested that rs6498169 may affect transcription factor binding and target gene expression. These findings highlight the pleiotropic role of CLEC16A and strengthen the association between PD and autoimmune diseases.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yue Gao, Xin Li, Shipeng Shang, Shuang Guo, Peng Wang, Dailin Sun, Jing Gan, Jie Sun, Yakun Zhang, Junwei Wang, Xinyue Wang, Xia Li, Yunpeng Zhang, Shangwei Ning
Summary: LincSNP 3.0 is an updated comprehensive database that focuses on documenting and annotating disease or phenotype-associated variants in human long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs, with expanded types of variants and regulatory elements, as well as identified associations among them.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Sophie Stephenson, Matthew A. Care, Gina M. Doody, Reuben M. Tooze
Summary: This study explores the role of APRIL in human plasmablasts and finds that APRIL can promote plasma cell maturation and longevity. APRIL achieves this through the regulation of multiple signaling pathways and transcriptional responses, sharing some similarities with CD4OL but also showing distinct differences.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Audrey Mohr, Marie Cumin, Cristina Bagacean, Pierre Pochard, Christelle Le Dantec, Sophie Hillion, Yves Renaudineau, Christian Berthou, Adrian Tempescul, Hussam Saad, Jacques-Olivier Pers, Anne Bordron, Christophe Jamin
Article
Rheumatology
David Aguirre-Valencia, Ana Suarez-Avellaneda, Vanessa Ocampo-Piraquive, Ivan Posso-Osorio, Juan Naranjo-Escobar, Ivana Nieto-Aristizabal, Gabriel J. Tobon, Carlos A. Canas
CLINICAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2019)
Correction
Rheumatology
David Aguirre-Valencia, Ana Suarez-Avellaneda, Vanessa Ocampo-Piraquive, Ivan Posso-Osorio, Juan Naranjo-Escobar, Ivana Nieto-Aristizabal, Gabriel J. Tobon, Carlos A. Canas
CLINICAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2019)
Article
Rheumatology
I. Nieto-Aristizabal, T. Martinez, M-A Urbano, I. Posso-Osorio, I. F. Plata, J. E. Garcia-Robledo, C. C. Aragon, V. A. Santos, G. J. Tobon
Article
Rheumatology
Alvaro J. Vivas, Mario Bautista-Vargas, Sebastian Portacio, Andres Garces-Palacio, Maria-Alejandra Urbano, Andres Agualimpia, Ingrid Ruiz-Ordonez, Ivana Nieto-Aristizabal, Gabriel J. Tobon
Summary: This study showed good concordance between rheumatologists and pathologists in interpreting MSGB results for SS diagnosis. There was a strong association between interstitial plasmocytes and SS, indicating the potential predictive value of specific histological findings for the development of SS. MSGB is an essential tool for diagnosing SS despite factors that may impact its reproducibility.
CLINICAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anne Bordron, Marie Morel, Cristina Bagacean, Maryvonne Dueymes, Pierre Pochard, Anne Harduin-Lepers, Christophe Jamin, Jacques-Olivier Pers
Summary: Sialylation plays a crucial role in autoimmunity, with hyposialylation often leading to inflammation and organ damage. A better understanding of this mechanism will help improve treatment strategies.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Guillermo Carvajal Alegria, Divi Cornec, Alain Saraux, Valerie Devauchelle-Pensec, Christophe Jamin, Sophie Hillion, Jacques-Olivier Pers, Pierre Pochard
Summary: The study showed that abatacept enhances the immunoregulatory properties of B cells by increasing their production of IL-10 and TGF-beta, leading to a suppression of T cell activation and differentiation, ultimately promoting the generation of regulatory T cells.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
Juan-David Marin, Sthephany Vargas, Ingrid Ruiz-Ordonez, Ivan Posso-Osorio, Ivana Nieto-Aristizabal, Maria Claudia Barrera, Lady J. Rios-Serna, Gabriel J. Tobon
Summary: This study examined the clinical significance and serological associations of serum antiribosomal P antibodies in SLE patients in southwestern Colombia. The results showed a significant association between anti-P antibodies and anti-Smith, anti-Ro60/SSA, and anti-dsDNA antibodies, but not with neuropsychiatric SLE, lupus nephritis, or hepatic involvement.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED LABORATORY MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Valeria Erazo-Martinez, Ivana Nieto-Aristizabal, Isabella Ojeda, Michelle Gonzalez, Cristian C. Aragon, Maria Andrea Zambrano, Gabriel J. Tobon, Johanna Arango, Alex Echeverri, David Aguirre-Valencia
Summary: Pregnant women with SLE have a higher risk of maternal complications, including preterm labor, preeclampsia, and preterm rupture of membranes. Disease activity and lupus nephritis in SLE may lead to adverse maternal outcomes.
Letter
Rheumatology
Valeria Erazo-Martinez, Jose Alejandro-Posso, Carolina Medellin, Michiko Kaimoto, Carlos A. Canas, Gabriel J. Tobon
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jessica Forero-Delgadillo, Vanessa Ochoa, Jaime M. Restrepo, Laura Torres-Canchala, Ivana Nieto-Aristizabal, Ingrid Ruiz-Ordonez, Aura Sanchez, Maria Claudia Barrera, Carlos Andres Jimenez, Gabriel J. Tobon
Summary: This study evaluates the expression of B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and its receptors in renal samples from pediatric nephrotic syndrome (NS) patients and finds a relationship between BAFF expression and renal function survival. BAFF expression in podocytes and interstitial inflammatory infiltrates (III) is associated with worse renal function outcomes, indicating that BAFF expression could be a prognostic factor for renal function.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Sergio I. Prada, Ana M. Perez, Ivana Nieto-Aristizabal, Gabriel J. Tobon
Summary: This study aimed to describe the direct costs of lupus nephritis in Colombia, showing that patients with lupus nephritis incurred significantly higher costs compared to those without nephritis. The cost difference was mainly attributed to the cost and frequency of procedures in lupus nephritis patients.
EINSTEIN-SAO PAULO
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Ingrid Ruiz-Ordonez, Juan-Manuel Piedrahita, Javier-Andres Arevalo, Andres Agualimpia, Gabriel J. Tobon
Summary: The study explores predictors associated with lymphomagenesis in Sjogren's syndrome patients through a comprehensive literature review, identifying new biomarkers and emphasizing the importance of recognizing markers for worse prognosis in the lymphoproliferation process.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL AUTOIMMUNITY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Ivana Nieto-Aristizabal, Alvaro J. Vivas, Pablo Ruiz-Montano, Cristian C. Aragon, Ivan Posso-Osorio, Jairo Quinones, Julian Alejandro Rivillas, Gabriel J. Tobon
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Immunology
David Aguirre-Valencia, Juan Naranjo-Escobar, Ivan Posso-Osorio, Maria Carmenza Macia-Mejia, Ivana Nieto-Aristizabal, Tatiana Barrera, Maria Alejandra Obando, Gabriel J. Tobon
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES
(2019)
Article
Immunology
Shane Kelly, Katherine J. L. Jackson, Timothy J. Peters, Dan Suan, Christopher C. Goodnow
Summary: This study successfully identified and characterized PR3-specific B cells from the peripheral blood of patients with PR3 autoantibodies. These cells exhibited specific immunological features, suggesting that PR3 self-reactivity may occur early in B-cell development.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)
Article
Immunology
Ana Merino-Vico, Jan Piet van Hamburg, Paul Tuijnenburg, Giulia Frazzei, Aram Al-Soudi, Carlo G. Bonasia, Boy Helder, Abraham Rutgers, Wayel H. Abdulahad, Coen A. Stegeman, Jan-Stephan Sanders, Laura Bergamaschi, Paul A. Lyons, Theo Bijma, Laura van Keep, Kirsten Wesenhagen, Aldo Jongejan, Henric Olsson, Niek de Vries, Taco W. Kuijpers, Peter Heeringa, Sander W. Tas
Summary: B lineage cells play a critical role in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), and the transcription factor NF-kappa B may be a potential therapeutic target for AAV and other autoimmune diseases with prominent B cell involvement.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)
Article
Immunology
Christopher Nelke, Thomas Muentefering, Derya Cengiz, Lukas Theissen, Vera Dobelmann, Christina B. Schroeter, Helena Block, Corinna Preu, Alexander P. E. Michels, Stefanie Lichtenberg, Marc Pawlitzki, Steffen Pfeuffer, Niklas Huntemann, Alexander Zarbock, Thorben Briese, Christoph Kittl, Carsten Dittmayer, Thomas Budde, Ingrid E. Lundberg, Werner Stenzel, Sven G. Meuth, Tobias Ruck
Summary: K2P2.1 plays a regulatory role in the autoimmune response of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), by regulating inflammatory cell response, adhesion, and transmigration in both endothelial and skeletal muscle cells. Inhibiting K2P2.1 enhances the inflammatory response, while activating K2P2.1 improves the disease course.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)
Article
Immunology
Xuan Zhang, Jun Xia, Ying Jiang, David S. Pisetsky, Josef S. Smolen, Rong Mu, Shengming Dai, Michael E. Weinblatt, Tore K. Kvien, Juan Li, Thomas Doerner, Yu Zhang, Liwei Lu, Chengde Yang, Pingting Yang, Yuan Zhang, Chenchen Xu, Zhan Zhao, Peter E. Lipsky
Summary: The study suggests that TwHF may be as effective as MTX in treating active RA, and combination therapy may be more effective than monotherapy.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)
Article
Immunology
Maya F. Amjadi, Maxwell H. Parker, Ryan R. Adyniec, Zihao Zheng, Alex M. Robbins, S. Janna Bashar, Michael F. Denny, Sara S. Mccoy, Irene M. Ong, Miriam A. Shelef
Summary: Rheumatoid factors (RFs) are polyreactive antibodies that can bind disease-specific epitopes. Recent studies have found that RFs in COVID-19 can bind novel IgG epitopes, which provides new insights into the mechanism of RFs.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)
Article
Immunology
Johanne Liberatore, Yann Nguyen, Jerome Hadjadj, Pascal Cohen, Luc Mouthon, Xavier Puechal, Loic Guillevin, Benjamin Terrier
Summary: B-cell depletion induced by rituximab (RTX) in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) can lead to decreased gammaglobulin levels, which is associated with an increased risk of relapse and severe infections. Older age, low gammaglobulin levels, and receiving pulses of methylprednisolone at induction therapy are risk factors for gammaglobulin decline.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)
