title: Expression of VSTM1-v2 Is Increased in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Is Correlated with Disease Activity.
abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systematic autoimmune disease that mainly affects joints and bones. Although the precise etiology is still unknown, Th17 cell is being recognized as an important mediator in pathogenesis of RA. VSTM1-v2 is a novel cytokine which has recently been reported to promote the differentiation of Th17 cells. This study is performed to study whether VSTM1-v2 can be recognized as a biomarker of RA, and is correlated to IL-17 expression. We obtained peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 40 patients with RA and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls by standard Ficoll-Paque Plus density centrifugation. The mRNA expression levels of VSTM1-v2 and IL-17A in PBMCs were detected by real time-PCR. Disease activity parameters of RA were measured by routine methods. Our results showed that VSTM1-v2 mRNA expression in PBMCs from RA patients was significantly increased in comparison of that in healthy individuals. The VSTM1-v2 mRNA expression level was positively correlated with IL-17A mRNA expression level, DAS28, CRP and ESR, but was not correlated to RF, Anti-CCP or ANA. VSTM1-v2 might be a biomarker of RA and a novel factor in the pathogenesis of RA.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Research Center, Key Medical Health Laboratory for Laboratory Medicine of Shandong Province, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shandong Medical College, Linyi, Shandong 276000, China.
authors.forename: Dashan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361003,China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361003,China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361003,China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361003,China.
authors.forename: Guixiu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000097:blood*; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; C508717:IL17A protein, human; D020381:Interleukin-17; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; C550469:VSTM1 protein, human; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor