Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0024141 (systemic lupus erythematosus)
 44,322 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Enlargement of the cheeks may be due to a multitude of disorders, congenital, neoplastic, and in particular inflammatory. Congenital facial anomalies include cutaneous (and osseous) hemihypertrophy of the face and unilateral angiomatous malformations (e.g. Sturge-Weber-Krabbe Syndrome). Buccal enlargement due to dermal tumours include localized haemangiomas and lymphangiomas, lipomas and other benign connective tissue neoplasms, generalized disorders of the lymphatic or reticuloendothelial system including mycosis fungoides, reticulum cell sarcoma and other soft tissue malignancies, and cutaneous manifestations of malignant haemoblastoses, in particular chronic lymphatic leukaemia. Within the very large group of inflammatory skin swellings of the face a review is made of some bacterial pyodermias, severe forms of acne vulgaris, herpes zoster, lupus vulgaris, erysipelas, rosacea, steroid dermatitis, lupus erythematosus (discoid and systemic), toxic dermatitis, allergic eczema, urticaria, Quincke's oedema, and the Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome. The importance of prevention and early detection of steroid-induced dermatitis is emphasized. This disorder, which is a pseudo-inflammatory disfiguring complication of prolonged topical steroid abuse, ranks in frequency with the skin problems most often seen in dermatological practice.
HNO 1979 Apr
PMID:[Differential diagnosis of facial skin swellings (author's transl)]. 37 16

SK&F 105685 (N,N-Dimethyl-8,8-dipropyl-2-azaspiro[4.5]decane-2-propanamine+ ++ dihydrochloride) is a novel azaspirane with beneficial activity in animal models of autoimmune diseases such as adjuvant-induced arthritis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in the Lewis rat and lupus-like disease in the MRL mouse. The effect of SK&F 105685 on the proliferation of rat lymphoid cells was examined in vitro. The compound inhibited the proliferative response of spleen, thymus and lymph node cells to the mitogen concanavalin A (Con A) in a dose-dependent manner but had little or no effect on the mitogenic response of peripheral blood lymphocytes. Although less potent than cyclosporin A, SK&F 105685 was able to inhibit the proliferation of spleen cells stimulated with PMA and ionomycin or the mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA), Con A and pokeweed mitogen (PWM). Relatively early event(s) in cell proliferation were affected by SK&F 105685 since delaying addition of the drug by 24 to 48 hours after Con A stimulation of rat spleen cells resulted in reduced levels of suppression. The mode of action of SK&F 105685 appeared to differ from that of cyclosporin A or rapamycin. Unlike cyclosporin A, SK&F 105685 did not affect IL-2 production by Con A-stimulated spleen cells or the IL-2-producing Jurkat cell line, but, like rapamycin, the compound significantly reduced the IL-2-induced proliferation of rat ConA blasts. These results suggest that inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation by SK&F 105685 may require the activity of an intermediate effector cell(s) present in susceptible populations such as cells from the spleen, thymus, lymph nodes and Con A blast preparations but absent or present in low numbers in resistant populations such as peripheral blood cells. Indomethacin and NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NGMMA), a competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, were both unable to relieve SK&F 105685-induced suppression of splenic Con A responses thereby ruling out a role for the production of prostaglandins or nitric oxide by macrophages as an intermediate in drug-mediated suppression. In summary, SK&F 105685 was unable to inhibit lymphoproliferative responses by a mechanism distinct from that of cyclosporin A or rapamycin and which appears to involve regulation of cellular interactions rather than a direct effect on responding lymphocytes.
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PMID:Inhibition of lymphoproliferative responses by SK&F 105685, a novel anti-arthritic agent. 166 43

Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) frequently present with one or only a few symptoms, which does not allow prompt diagnosis. Raynaud's phenomenon is one of those symptoms. However, only a minority of patients who present with Raynaud's phenomenon develop a CTD. Prognostic factors for the future development of CTD in such patients are older age at presentation, more severe Raynaud's phenomenon, the presence of antinuclear antibodies, and abnormal patterns on nailfold capillary microscopy. Some patients have overlapping symptoms of various CTDs. Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is the prototype of such an overlapping syndrome. However, during follow-up, most patients with MCTD develop a specific CTD, either scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, or combinations of those illnesses. Primary pulmonary hypertension is one of the leading causes of death in MCTD. Its treatment is insufficient, although continuous prostacyclin infusion may provide some relief. New therapies such as nitric oxide and combined heart-lung transplantation in an early stage should be explored. The autoimmune response to small nuclear ribonucleoproteins, which is highly characteristic for MCTD, interestingly shows cross-reactivity with retroviral antigens, and the cooccurrence of human T cell lymphotropic virus type I and HIV infection with MCTD has been reported. This suggests that those viruses, possibly by molecular mimicry, play a role in the induction of the disease. Fibrotic conditions related to silicone exposure still evoke much interest. However, most recent data do not substantiate a role for silicone gel breast implants in the development of autoimmune CTDs.
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PMID:Overlapping syndromes, undifferentiated connective tissue disease, and other fibrosing conditions. 857 80

Nitric oxide (NO) is a critical mediator of a variety of biological functions. A range of micro-organisms, including viruses, bacteria, protozoa and helminths, is sensitive to NO produced by macrophages activated with gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) and lipopolysaccharide. In contrast, NO is involved in a number of important immunopathologies, including diabetes, graft-vs-host reaction, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis. Thus, it is crucial that the synthesis of NO is under tight regulation. This is achieved, in part, through the opposing cytokines produced by T helper 1 (Th1) and Th2 cells. Th1 cells produce IFN-gamma, which is the most powerful inducer of inducible NO synthase (iNOS). In contrast, interleukin 4 is produced by Th2 cells and inhibits the induction of iNOS at the level of transcription. Furthermore, NO is also produced by Th1 cells, whose proliferation can be inhibited by high concentrations of NO. Thus, apart from being a mediator of Th1/Th2 interaction, NO may also be an important self-regulatory molecule that prevents the over-expansion of Th1 cells which are implicated in a range of severe immunopathologies.
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PMID:Nitric oxide in infectious and autoimmune diseases. 872 41

Nitric oxide is involved as a messenger molecule in a large number of physiologic and pathologic responses. Local generation of high nitric oxide output through the expression of the calcium-independent, cytokine-inducible form of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) can result in either protective or damaging effects. The development of drugs that specifically suppress iNOS expression or inhibit its activity may therefore provide an excellent therapeutic tool for treatment of a diverse set of dysfunctions, including asthma, inflammatory processes, and autoimmune disease. We show compelling evidence that linomide, an immunomodulator known to ameliorate autoimmune diseases, prevents accumulation in the macrophages of mRNA encoding iNOS in mice injected with LPS. This effect is partially mediated by the blocking of TNF-alpha and IL-beta production by activated macrophages. Here, we also present evidence that kidneys from MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr mice express high iNOS levels when the mice develop glomerulonephritis. The administration of linomide to MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr mice significantly decreases iNOS mRNA levels and prevents the development of glomerulonephritis, extending the half-life of mice of this strain. This linomide effect is compatible with its role in preventing the development of autoimmune disease and extends its possible use to other pathologic manifestations associated with iNOS expression, such as the systemic lupus erythematosus-associated glomerulonephritis present in MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr mice.
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PMID:Linomide administration to mice attenuates the induction of nitric oxide synthase elicited by lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages and prevents nephritis in MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr mice. 901 85

MRL/MpJ-Faslpr (MRL-lpr) and New Zealand Black/ White (NZB/W) mice develop spontaneous autoimmune disease characterized by autoantibody production and glomerulonephritis that progresses in parallel with increasing systemic nitric oxide (NO) production. A previously published study from our laboratory indicated that oral administration of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA) before the onset of clinical disease significantly decreased renal and joint pathology in MRL-lpr mice. To characterize the effect of late modulation of NO production in murine SLE, we administered oral NMMA and/or restricted dietary arginine after disease onset in two murine models of SLE. When receiving combined NMMA and arginine restriction, MRL-lpr mice had reduced joint pathology scores and NZB/W mice had lower renal pathology scores than control mice. These results indicate that modulating NO production after the onset of disease diminishes disease severity in two models of SLE, although not as effectively as treating before disease onset.
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PMID:Effect of late modulation of nitric oxide production on murine lupus. 907 40

Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA and DHA respectively) can suppress the production of interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-2 and TNF (tumor necrosis factor) but not of IL-4 by human lymphocytes in vitro. In addition, the concentrations of EPA and DHA were also found to be low in the plasma phospholipid fraction of patients with SLE. In a limited clinical study performed by us earlier, it was observed that oral supplementation of EPA/DHA to patients with SLE can induce clinical remission without any side-effects. Since oxygen free radicals are known to be involved in the pathobiology of SLE, we estimated the plasma concentrations of lipid peroxides, nitric oxide, and anti-oxidants such as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase and vitamin E in these patients both before and after the induction of remission following EPA/DHA administration. These results showed that the levels of lipid peroxides are elevated and those of nitric oxide, SOD and glutathione peroxidase are decreased in SLE prior to EPA/DHA supplementation. Following EPA/DHA administration the concentrations of lipid peroxides, and those of nitric oxide, SOD and glutathione peroxidase reverted to near normal levels. These results suggest that oxidant stress, nitric oxide, and anti-oxidants play a significant role in SLE and that EPA/DHA can modulate oxidant stress and nitric oxide synthesis and may have a regulator role in the synthesis of anti-oxidant enzymes such as SOD and glutathione peroxidase. From the results of this study, we would like to suggest that measurement of lipid peroxides, nitric oxide and anti-oxidants can be used as markers to predict prognosis in patients with SLE.
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PMID:Oxidant stress, anti-oxidants and essential fatty acids in systemic lupus erythematosus. 908 97

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a difficult disease to study with a variable disease course characterized by exacerbations and remissions. A variety of biologic agents are under investigation as potential treatments for systemic lupus erythematosus, either in murine disease models or in clinical trials. These products are designed to specifically interfere with the following immunologic processes: T-cell activation and T-cell-B-cell collaboration, production of anti-dsDNA antibodies, deposition of anti-dsDNA antibody complexes, complement activation, and deposition, and cytokine activation and modulation. More aggressive interventions include gene therapy and stem-cell transplantation. Recently developed immunomodulators have been studied in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus 2'-Chlorodeoxyadenosine, mycophenolate mofetil, and leflunomide. Additional innovative pharmaceutical treatments include the mild androgen dehydroepiandrosterone, estrogen antagonists, including tamoxifen and selective estrogen receptor modulators, and the prolactin inhibitor bromocriptine. Other promising pharmaceutical interventions include products designed to inhibit synthesis of the proinflammatory mediators: prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and nitric oxide. Although previously regarded as an indication to be avoided in the development of new therapeutics, enthusiasm for studying systemic lupus erythematosus in clinical trials now exists. A variety of biologic and pharmaceutical agents offer promise as potential therapies. As with rheumatoid arthritis, development of these products will benefit from active involvement of rheumatologists and efforts to develop international consensus regarding trial methodology and outcome measures.
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PMID:Approaches to the management of systemic lupus erythematosus. 930 96

Over-expression of iNOS is implicated in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis in animal models of systemic lupus erythematosus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of aminoguanidine, a selective inhibitor of iNOS, for the protection from glomerulosclerosis in NZB/W F1 mice. Female NZB/W F1 mice (n = 8) were treated with aminoguanidine (1 g/l) in drinking water for 4 months starting at age 2 months before the onset of glomerulonephritis. Controls were age- and sex-matched mice (n = 10) without aminoguanidine treatment. By glomerular microdissection and reverse-transcription competitive polymerase chain reaction, we found that glomerular iNOS/beta-actin and TGF-beta1/beta-actin mRNA ratios were reduced 15.1% (P<0.05) and 61.3% (P<0.01), respectively, in aminoguanidine-treated mice. Aminoguanidine significantly reduced the glomerular iNOS staining, urinary nitrite production and degree of glomerulosclerosis. In addition, the glomerular volume and mean glomerular cell number were reduced 33.2% (P<0.01) and 32.8% (P<0.01), respectively. Likewise, the urinary proteinuria was also significantly reduced by aminoguanidine. These results indicate that administration of aminoguanidine may reduce the progression of glomerulosclerosis in NZB/W F1 mice, possibly through inhibition of glomerular nitric oxide production.
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PMID:Aminoguanidine reduces glomerular inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1) mRNA expression and diminishes glomerulosclerosis in NZB/W F1 mice. 971 76

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an inflammatory disease in which up to two thirds of the patients present neurological symptoms. The diagnosis of the disease is based on clinical findings and the presence of autoantibodies, and the pathogenesis is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine if the pathogenesis was partly mediated via nitric oxide (NO) formation. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 15 patients with cerebral SLE were analyzed for the NO metabolites nitrite and nitrate using capillary electrophoresis. The severity of neurological symptoms was scored by dividing the patients into two groups with either mild or moderate/severe CNS involvement. All patients with cerebral SLE showed increased levels of NO metabolites. In CSF, there was a relationship between signs of NO production and clinical results showing that increased levels of nitrite and nitrate were associated with more severe neurological symptoms. These findings may shed new light on the pathogenesis of cerebral SLE, and analysis of nitrate and nitrate may prove to be of value in monitoring the activity of the disease.
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PMID:Central nervous system nitric oxide formation in cerebral systemic lupus erythematosus. 977 74


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