Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0003873 (rheumatoid arthritis)
 53,068 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The 4A11 antigen is a unique cytokine-inducible antigen up-regulated on rheumatoid arthritis synovial endothelium compared with normal endothelium. In soluble form, this antigen, Lewisy-6/H-5-2 (Ley/H), or its glucose analog, 2-fucosyllactose (H-2g), mediates angiogenesis. The Ley/H antigen is structurally related to the soluble E-selectin ligand, sialyl Lewisx, and is selectively expressed in skin, lymphoid organs, thymus, and synovium, suggesting that it may be important in leukocyte homing or adhesion. In the present study, we used H-2g as a functional substitute to demonstrate a novel property for Ley/H antigen in inducing leukocyte-endothelial adhesion. H-2g significantly enhanced the expression of human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), but not vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, E-selectin, and P-selectin. Immunoprecipitation and Western blotting showed glycolipids Ley-6, H-5-2, or the glucose analog H-2g quickly activated human microvascular endothelial cell line-1 (HMEC-1) Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and that the JAK2 inhibitor, AG-490, completely inhibited HMVEC ICAM-1 expression and HL-60 adhesion to HMEC-1s. Use of a JAK/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) profiling system confirmed that H-2g selectively activated STAT3 but not STAT1 and STAT2. AG-490 inhibited H-2g-induced Erk1/2 and PI3K-Akt activation, suggesting that JAK2 is upstream of the Erk1/2 and PI3K-Akt pathways. Furthermore, the JAK2 inhibitor AG-490, the Erk1/2 inhibitor PD98059, or the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 or antisense oligodeoxynucleotides directed against JAK2, Erk1/2, or phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase blocked H-2g-induced HMVEC ICAM-1 expression and HL-60 adhesion to HMEC-1s. Hence, H-2g signals through JAK2 and its downstream signal transducers STAT3, Erk1/2, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase result in ICAM-1 expression and cell adhesion. Potential treatment strategies through the inhibition of JAK-dependent pathways to target H-2g signals may provide a useful approach in inflammation-driven diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
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PMID:A novel function for a glucose analog of blood group H antigen as a mediator of leukocyte-endothelial adhesion via intracellular adhesion molecule 1. 1267 94

Chemokines are small chemoattractant cytokines that control a wide variety of biological and pathological processes, ranging from immunosurveillance to inflammation, and from viral infection to cancer. Genetic and pharmacological studies have shown that chemokines are responsible for the excessive recruitment of leucocytes to inflammatory sites and damaged tissue. In the present paper, we discuss the rationale behind interfering with the chemokine system and introduce various points for therapeutic intervention using either protein-based or small-molecule inhibitors. Unlike other cytokines, chemokines signal via seven-transmembrane GPCRs (G-protein-coupled receptors), which are favoured targets by the pharmaceutical industry, and, as such, they are the first cytokines for which small-molecule-receptor antagonists have been developed. In addition to the high-affinity receptor interaction, chemokines have an in vivo requirement to bind to GAGs (glycosaminoglycans) in order to mediate directional cell migration. Prevention of the GAG interaction has been shown to be a viable therapeutic strategy. Targeting chemokine intracellular signalling pathways offers an alternative small-molecule approach. One of the key signalling targets downstream of a variety of chemokine receptors identified to date is PI3Kgamma (phosphoinositide 3-kinase gamma), a member of the class I PI3K family. Thus the chemokine system offers many potential entry points for innovative anti-inflammatory therapies for autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and allergic contact dermatitis.
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PMID:Chemokine inhibition--why, when, where, which and how? 1504 11

Transient production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in optimizing transcriptional and proliferative responses to TCR signaling in T lymphocytes. Conversely, chronic oxidative stress leads to decreased proliferative responses and enhanced transcription of inflammatory gene products, and is thought to underlie the altered pathogenic behavior of T lymphocytes in some human diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although the signaling mechanisms regulating ROS production in T lymphocytes has not been identified, activation of the small GTPase Ras has been shown to couple agonist stimulation to ROS production in other cell types. We find that Ras signaling via Ral stimulates ROS production in human T lymphocytes, and is required for TCR and phorbol ester-induced ROS production. The related small GTPase Rap1 suppresses agonist, Ras and Ral-dependent ROS production through a PI3K-dependent pathway, identifying a novel mechanism by which Rap1 can distally antagonize Ras signaling pathways. In synovial fluid T lymphocytes from RA patients we observed a high rate of endogenous ROS production, correlating with constitutive Ras activation and inhibition of Rap1 activation. Introduction of dominant-negative Ras into synovial fluid T cells restored redox balance, providing evidence that deregulated Ras and Rap1 signaling underlies oxidative stress and consequent altered T cell function observed in RA.
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PMID:Rap1 signaling is required for suppression of Ras-generated reactive oxygen species and protection against oxidative stress in T lymphocytes. 1524 Jun 79

From the studies on the involvement of iNOS in arthritis, it is clear that attention has focused primarily on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). To date, little is known about the role of iNOS in the pathophysiology of gouty arthritis (GA). Here, we investigated the significance of iNOS expression in cell culture system as well as in GA patients. Gouty crystals monosodium urate (MSU) appeared to up-regulate inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA and protein expression in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in RAW264.7 macrophages. This increase of iNOS expression is attributable to the activation of multiple signaling pathways. Evidence for this was initially established by inhibitor treatment of cells in the presence of MSU. While the JAK inhibitor AG490, the PI3K inhibitor LY294002, and the NFkappaB inhibitor PDTC abrogated almost completely the expression of iNOS induced by MSU, the ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 was only partially effective. Furthermore, the effect of MSU on the activation of PI3K/Akt, JAK/STAT, ERK1/2, and NFkappaB signaling molecules was carefully examined. Moreover, it was shown that GAS and NFkappaB motifs are required for iNOS expression mediated by MSU. In addition, synovial tissues obtained from GA patients displayed enhanced expression of iNOS when compared with normal synovium. Taken together, these findings provide the first evidence for the potential importance of iNOS in the pathogenesis of GA as well as RA and OA, and in turn raise the possibility that iNOS may be an ideal target for preventive therapy in human arthritis.
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PMID:Stimulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase by monosodium urate crystals in macrophages and expression of iNOS in gouty arthritis. 1556 69

Macrophages are activated during an inflammatory response and produce multiple inflammatory cytokines. IL-18 is one of the most important innate cytokines produced from macrophages in the early stages of the inflammatory immune response. Monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) is expressed in many inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and its expression is correlated with the severity of the disease. Both IL-18 and MCP-1 have been shown to be involved in inflammatory immune responses. However, it has been unclear whether IL-18 is involved in the induction of MCP-1. This investigation was initiated to determine whether IL-18 can induce MCP-1 production, and if so, by which signal transduction pathways. We found that IL-18 induced the production of MCP-1 in macrophages, which was IL-12-independent and was not mediated by autocrine cytokines such as IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha. We then examined signal transduction pathways involved in IL-18-induced MCP-1 production. We found that IL-18 did not activate the IkappaB kinase/NF-kappaB pathway, evidenced by no degradation of IkappaBalpha and no translocation of NF-kappaB p65 to the nucleus in IL-18-stimulated macrophages. Instead, IL-18 activated the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways. Inhibition of either of these pathways attenuated MCP-1 production in macrophages, and inhibition of both signaling pathways resulted in the complete inhibition of MCP-1 production. On the basis of these observations, we conclude that IL-18 induces MCP-1 production through the PI3K/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways in macrophages.
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PMID:IL-18 induces monocyte chemotactic protein-1 production in macrophages through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and MEK/ERK1/2 pathways. 1633 68

The pleiotropic cytokine interleukin 1 (IL-1) is considered to be the principal inducer of mediators of cartilage degradation in both, osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). IL-1 activates numerous signaling pathways involved in cartilage destruction and dedifferentiation of chondrocytes. In this study, we analyzed expression and functional effects of IL-1 in human chondrocytes. We found an IL-1-induced reduction in the expression of the cartilage specific proteoglycan aggrecan as an indicator for the IL-1-mediated dedifferentiation of chondrocytes. To block the IL-1-induced signaling pathways specifically, we incubated human chondrocytes and cartilage explants with IL-1 in the presence of different signal transduction inhibitors and analyzed their effect on aggrecan mRNA expression and IL-6 secretion. IL-6 has been found to act synergistically in the IL-1-induced suppression of the proteoglycan synthesis in chondrocytes. Our results led to the identification of p38MAPK and/or PI3K/JNK as being crucial for IL-1-induced IL-6 secretion by chondrocytes. IL-1-induced down-regulation of aggrecan expression was found to be mediated by p38MAPK and/or ERK1/2. The identification and characterization of these signaling pathways will enable us to develop new modulation strategies for therapeutic use in inflammatory joint diseases.
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PMID:p38MAPK mediates IL-1-induced down-regulation of aggrecan gene expression in human chondrocytes. 1652 25

In inflamed joints of rheumatoid arthritis, PGE(2) is highly expressed, and IL-10 and IL-6 are also abundant. PGE(2) is a well-known activator of the cAMP signaling pathway, and there is functional cross-talk between cAMP signaling and the Jak-STAT signaling pathway. In this study, we evaluated the modulating effect of PGE(2) on STAT signaling and its biological function induced by IL-10 and IL-6, and elucidated its mechanism in THP-1 cells. STAT phosphorylation was determined by Western blot, and gene expression was analyzed using real-time PCR. Pretreatment with PGE(2) significantly augmented IL-10-induced STAT3 and STAT1 phosphorylation, as well as suppressors of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) and IL-1R antagonist gene expression. In contrast, PGE(2) suppressed IL-6-induced phosphorylation of STAT3 and STAT1. These PGE(2)-induced modulating effects were largely reversed by actinomycin D. Pretreatment with dibutyryl cAMP augmented IL-10-induced, but did not change IL-6-induced STAT3 phosphorylation. Misoprostol, an EP2/3/4 agonist, and butaprost, an EP2 agonist, augmented IL-10-induced STAT3 phosphorylation and SOCS3 gene expression, but sulprostone, an EP1/3 agonist, had no effect. H89, a protein kinase A inhibitor, and LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, diminished PGE(2)-mediated augmentation of IL-10-induced STAT3 phosphorylation. In this study, we found that PGE(2) selectively regulates cytokine signaling via increased intracellular cAMP levels and de novo gene expression, and these modulating effects may be mediated through EP2 or EP4 receptors. PGE(2) may modulate immune responses by alteration of cytokine signaling in THP-1 cells.
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PMID:Prostaglandin E2 augments IL-10 signaling and function. 1681 66

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by persistent joint synovial tissue inflammation. Leflunomide is an immunomodulatory agent that has been approved for treatment of active RA. In the past few years, uses other than RA treatment have appeared. Leflunomide has been reported to show antitumor potential through inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. We thus tested the antiproliferative potential of leflunomide on HEL and K562 erythroleukemia cells. The findings summarized in this report demonstrate for the first time that low dose leflunomide prolonged survival and reduced apoptosis induced by several anticancer agents in erythroleukemia cells. We showed that in treated cells, leflunomide reduced the signalling pathways involved in promoting apoptosis by reducing p38 MAPK and JNK basal activity. On the other hand, leflunomide transiently activated the ERK signalling pathway and induced a sustained activation of Akt. We also showed that leflunomide reduced caspase-3 activity and DNA fragmentation induced by anticancer agents. By using an inhibitory strategy, we showed that inhibition of Akt activation but not ERK abolished the protective effect of leflunomide. Thus our findings suggested that leflunomide reduced apoptosis induced by anticancer agents through PI3K/Akt signalling activation.
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PMID:Low dose leflunomide activates PI3K/Akt signalling in erythroleukemia cells and reduces apoptosis induced by anticancer agents. 1692 21

Although the mechanisms leading to the induction of RA (rheumatoid arthritis) are poorly understood, improper activation, proliferation, survival and retention of neutrophils, macrophages, lymphocytes and other leucocytes contribute to perpetuation of inflammation and eventual joint destruction through activation of stromal fibroblast-like synoviocytes. Fundamental studies in developmental biology, cellular biology and immunology have established critical roles for PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) signal transduction pathways in cellular chemotactic responses, proliferation, apoptosis and survival. Despite profound alteration of these cellular processes in RA, involvement of PI3K signalling pathways in this chronic inflammatory disease, and their assessment as potential therapeutic targets, has until recently received scant attention. This review highlights recent advances in our understanding of PI3K signalling pathways, in particular regulation of FoxO (forkhead box O) transcription factors, and their relevance to RA.
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PMID:Phosphoinositide 3-kinase signalling and FoxO transcription factors in rheumatoid arthritis. 1705 83

Cyclosporine A (CSA) has various biological effects on T cells, including inhibition of interleukin (IL)-15-induced IL-17 production in CD4+ T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the mechanism underlying this effect is not fully understood. Here, we tried to investigate the mechanism of CSA to inhibit IL-17 production induced by IL-15 in CD4+ T cells. Synovial fluid and serum levels of IL-15 and IL-17 were determined by ELISA. CD4+ T cells from RA patients were treated with IL-15 in the presence of CSA or several signal inhibitors. The concentration of IL-17 in culture supernatants was measured by ELISA and IL-17 mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR. NF-kappaB binding activity for IL-17 transcription was assessed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. IL-15 induced IL-17 production by CD4+ T cells in dose- and time-dependent manner. IL-15-stimulated IL-17 production and mRNA expression were inhibited by CSA in CD4+ T cells. Moreover PI3K/Akt inhibitor, NF-kappaB inhibitor, and FK506 significantly inhibited IL-15-induced IL-17 production in CD4+ T cells. Inhibition studies revealed the requirement of PI3K/Akt and NF-kappaB signal pathway for IL-15-induced IL-17 production. CSA down-regulated the phosphorylation of Akt and IkappaB. CSA inhibited binding of NF-kappaB to IL-17 promoter. The inhibitory effect of CSA on IL-15 induced IL-17 production partially depended on the increase in IL-10, since neutralizing anti-IL-10 antibodies were able to partially reverse this inhibition. CSA inhibits IL-17 production by CD4+ T cells and this effect is mediated by IL-15-activated NF-kappaB pathway in CD4+ T cells, which is possible mechanism of CSA in treating RA as NF-kappaB targeting strategy.
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PMID:Cyclosporine A inhibits IL-15-induced IL-17 production in CD4+ T cells via down-regulation of PI3K/Akt and NF-kappaB. 1716 67


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