Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0409974 (lupus)
 22,386 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Blocks of potential Z-DNA-forming (dA-dC)n.(dG-dT)n sequences are ubiquitous in eukaryotic genomes. We examined whether naturally occurring polyamines, putrescine, spermidine and spermine, could provoke the Z-DNA conformation in plasmids pDHf2 and pDHf14 with 23 and 60 bp inserts respectively of (dA-dC)n.(dG-dT)n sequences using an e.l.i.s.a. Spermidine and spermine could provoke Z-DNA conformation in these plasmids, but putrescine was ineffective. For pDHf2 and pDHf14, the concentration of spermidine at the midpoint of B-DNA to Z-DNA transition was 25 microM, whereas that of spermine was 16 microM. Polyamine structural specificity was evident in the ability of spermidine homologues to induce Z-DNA. Inorganic cations, Co(NH3)6(3+) and Ru(NH3)6(3+), were ineffective. Our experiments also showed increased binding of anti-DNA autoantibodies from lupus patients as well as autoimmune MRL-lpr/lpr mice to pDHf2 and pDHf14 in the presence of polyamines. These data demonstrate that small blocks of (dA-dC)n.(dG-dT)n sequences could assume the Z-DNA conformation in the presence of natural polyamines. Increased concentrations of polyamines in the sera of lupus patients might facilitate immune complex-formation involving circulating DNA and anti-Z-DNA antibodies.
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PMID:Polyamine-induced Z-DNA conformation in plasmids containing (dA-dC)n.(dG-dT)n inserts and increased binding of lupus autoantibodies to the Z-DNA form of plasmids. 813 59

We measured serum levels of SP-D in collagen diseases (110 cases) such as systemic scleroderma (SSc), scleroderma spectrum disorders (SSD), systemic lupus erythematodes (SLE), Sjogren syndrome (Sjs), dermatomyositis (DM), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and dermatitis (DE) (109 cases) as a control. Additionally, we performad a correlation analysis to determine how these levels were related to pulmonary fibrosis and function test (vital capacity, %DLco). The serum levels of SP-D increased in SSc patients with Barnett type III more than in SSc patients with Barnett type I or II, while they increased slightly in SSD (incomplete type of SSc) patients. The differences in these figures were statistically significant between the SSc (SSc & SSD) and non-SSc (SLE, DM, Sjs & RA) groups (p<0.005). The serum levels of SP-D in SSc patients with anti-topoisomerase I antibodies were statistically higher than those in SSc patients with other types of anti-nuclear antibodies. There was a statistically significant correlation between the severity of pulmonary fibrosis and the serum levels of SP-D, and a statistically negative correlation between SP-D levels and vital capacity or %DLco, but there was no proportional correlation with the forced expiatory volume (FEV1.0%). There was no statistical relationship between pre- and post-therapy with photopheresis; however, there was a statistical correlation between the serum levels of SPD and KL-6. In the group of collagen diseases, plasma levels of SP-D were higher than serum levels of SP-D. Patients with SSc possess higher levels of SP-D than do those with other collagen diseases and dermatitis, which may correspond to the severity of pulmonary fibrosis.
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PMID:Surfactant protein D (SP-D) and systemic scleroderma (SSc). 1160 86