scholarly journals Epigenetic alterations in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes

Epigenomics ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen M Doody ◽  
Nunzio Bottini ◽  
Gary S Firestein
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Javad Mousavi ◽  
Jafar Karami ◽  
Saeed Aslani ◽  
Mohammad Naghi Tahmasebi ◽  
Arash Sharafat Vaziri ◽  
...  

AbstractSwelling and the progressive destruction of articular cartilage are major characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a systemic autoimmune disease that directly affects the synovial joints and often causes severe disability in the affected positions. Recent studies have shown that type B synoviocytes, which are also called fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), as the most commonly and chiefly resident cells, play a crucial role in early-onset and disease progression by producing various mediators. During the pathogenesis of RA, the FLSs’ phenotype is altered, and represent invasive behavior similar to that observed in tumor conditions. Modified and stressful microenvironment by FLSs leads to the recruitment of other immune cells and, eventually, pannus formation. The origins of this cancerous phenotype stem fundamentally from the significant metabolic changes in glucose, lipids, and oxygen metabolism pathways. Moreover, the genetic abnormalities and epigenetic alterations have recently been implicated in cancer-like behaviors of RA FLSs. In this review, we will focus on the mechanisms underlying the transformation of FLSs to a cancer-like phenotype during RA. A comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms may lead to devising more effective and targeted treatment strategies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 734-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shou-di He ◽  
Ning Tan ◽  
Chen-xia Sun ◽  
Kang-han Liao ◽  
Hui-jun Zhu ◽  
...  

Background: Melittin, the major medicinal component of honeybee venom, exerts antiinflammatory, analgesic, and anti-arthritic effects in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). RA is an inflammatory autoimmune joint disease that leads to irreversible joint destruction and functional loss. Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes (FLS) are dominant, special mesenchymal cells characterized by the structure of the synovial intima, playing a crucial role in both the initiation and progression of RA. Objective: In this study, we evaluated the effects of melittin on the viability and apoptosis of FLS isolated from patients with RA. Methods: Cell viability was determined using CCK-8 assays; apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry, and the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins (caspase-3, caspase-9, BAX, and Bcl-2) were also determined. To explore whether melittin alters inflammatory processes in RA-FLS, IL-1β levels were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, we performed GFP-LC3 punctate fluorescence dot assays and western blotting (for LC3, ATG5, p62, and Beclin 1) to assess autophagy in RA-FLS. Results: Our results show that melittin can significantly impair viability, promote apoptosis and autophagy, and inhibit IL-1β secretion in RA-FLS. Conclusion: Melittin may be useful in preventing damage to the joints during accidental local stimulation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 934.3-934
Author(s):  
M. Kim ◽  
Y. Choe ◽  
H. Lee ◽  
Y. H. Cheon ◽  
S. I. Lee

Background:Histamine-releasing factor/translationally controlled tumor protein (HRF/TCTP) stimulates cancer progression and allergic responses. Increased expression of HRF/TCTP occurs in joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, but the role of HRF/TCTP in RA remains undefinedObjectives:In this study, we explored the pathogenic significance of HRF/TCTP and evaluated therapeutic effects of HRF/TCTP blockade in RA.Methods:HRF/TCTP transgenic (TG) and knockdown (KD) mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) were used to determine experimental phenotypes of RA. HRF/TCTP levels were measured in sera and joint fluids in patients with RA and compared to those with osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Behcet disease, and healthy controls. HRF/TCTP expression was also assessed in synovium and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) obtained from RA or OA patients. Finally, we assessed effects of HRF/TCTP and dimerized HRF/TCTP binding peptide-2 (dTBP2), an inhibitor of HRF/TCTP, in RA-FLS and CIA mice.Results:Our clinical, radiological, histological, and biochemical analyses indicate that inflammatory responses and joint destruction were increased in HRF/TCTP TG mice, and decreased in KD mice compared to wild-type littermates. HRF/TCTP levels were higher in sera, synovial fluid, synovium, and FLS of patients with RA than in control groups. Serum levels of HRF/TCTP correlated well with disease activity in RA. Tumor-like aggressiveness of RA-FLS was exacerbated by HRF/TCTP stimulation and ameliorated by dTBP2 treatment. dTBP2 exerted protective and therapeutic effects in CIA mice, and had no detrimental effect in a murine tuberculosis model.Conclusion:Our results indicate that HRF/TCTP represents a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for diagnosis and treatment of RA.References:N/AAcknowledgments :National Research Foundation of KoreaKorea Health Industry Development InstituteDisclosure of Interests:None declared


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1744-1751
Author(s):  
Deqian Meng ◽  
Wenyou Pan ◽  
Ju Li

Accumulating evidence have indicated that MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to explore the functional roles of miR-16-5p in proliferation, inflammation, and apoptosis of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). The expression of miR-16-5p and SOCS6 in FLA was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the direct target of miR-16-5p. Western blot analysis was performed to analysis the levels of SOCS6, Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved caspase 3. miR-16-5p expression was significantly upregulated while SOCS6 level was decreased in RA-FLS compared with normal FLS. In addition, luciferase reporter assay confirmed that SOCS6 was the target of miR-16-5p. Silencing of miR-16-5p inhibited cell proliferation, releases of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8, and induced the apoptosis. The effects of miR-16-5p silencing on RA-FLS were reversed by downregulation of SOCS6. In summary, knockdown of miR-16-5p could suppress cell proliferation and accelerate the apoptosis of RA-FLS through targeting SOCS6, which may provide a potential therapeutic target for patients with RA.


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