title: The association of Tyro3/Axl/Mer signaling with inflammatory response, disease activity in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Defects in Tyro3/Axl/Mer signaling may lead to impaired phagocytosis of apoptotic cells, eventually contributing to the development of autoimmune disease. The association of TAM signaling with several autoimmune disease has been investigated, but it remains unclear in primary Sjögren's syndrome. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the level of TAM signaling in primary Sjögren's syndrome with its clinical significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction was used to determine the mRNA expression of Mer, Tyro-3, Axl, Gas6, and Protein S in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell from 43 pSS and 46 control. The Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay method was used to test plasma levels of soluble TAM signaling from those individuals, and the relationship of their levels with clinical characteristic was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mRNA expression levels of Tyro-3, Axl were decreased in pSS patients. When considering the plasma level, increased levels of soluble Mer was observed with statistically significant difference. Soluble Mer levels were positively correlated with IgG levels (r=0.53, P<0.01), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate levels (r=0.44, P<0.01) and Sjögren's Syndrome Disease Activity Index (r=0.48, P<0.01). And the levels of soluble Mer in patients with the presence of SSA/SSB were higher than those without SSA/SSB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The plasma levels of sMer were increased in pSS patients, which was associated with inflammatory response and disease activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Baodong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: Department of stomatology, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jiaqi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Fenglou
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: yangzaixingdiyi@163.com.
authors.forename: Zaixing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: 13901628473@163.com.
authors.forename: Renqian
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000076202:c-Mer Tyrosine Kinase; D000094963:Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C097072:MERTK protein, human; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C084944:TYRO3 protein, human; D000076202:c-Mer Tyrosine Kinase; D000094963:Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase; C000722289:AXL protein, human
keywords: Peripheral blood mononuclear cell; Plasma; Primary Sjögren's syndrome; TAM receptors