This study aimed to investigate the function of the cannabinoid receptor in the neuromuscular junction of the frog (Rana pipiens). Miniature end-plate potentials were recorded using the intracellular electrode recording technique in the cutaneous pectoris muscle in the presence of the cannabinoid agonists WIN55212-2 (WIN; R-(+)-[2,3-dihydro-5-methyl-3-[(morpholinyl)]-pyrolol[1,2,3de]-1,4-benzox...

INTRODUCTION This study aimed to investigate rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) status and levels as predictors of mortality in two large cohorts of patients with early inflammatory arthritis (EIA). METHODS Data from the Norfolk Arthritis Register (NOAR) and Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic (EAC) cohorts were used. At baseline, patients had demographic data and...

The poly-d-glutamic acid capsule of Bacillus anthracis is essential for virulence. Control of capsule synthesis occurs at the level of transcription and involves positive regulation of the capsule biosynthetic operon capBCAD by a CO2/bicarbonate signal and three plasmid-borne regulators: atxA, acpA, and acpB. Although the molecular mechanism for control of cap transcription is unknown, atxA aff...

We read with great interest the article about the relationship between anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), rheumatoid factor (RF) and systemic bone loss in 155 patients with early untreated rheumatoid arthritis (RA), published recently in Arthritis Research & Therapy [1]. The work is really interesting since it shows the association of ACPA with low bone mass in both lumbar spine and ...

INTRODUCTION Although the prognostic value of rheumatoid factor (RF) and autoantibodies against citrullinated proteins (ACPAs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is well established, their association with RA disease activity remains unclear. Here, we investigate this association in a large study using data from clinical trials. METHODS We used baseline data from four recent randomize...

INTRODUCTION A deletion polymorphism in glutathione S-transferase Mu-1 (GSTM1-null) has previously been implicated to play a role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk and progression, although no prior investigations have examined its associations with anticitrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) positivity. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of GSTM1-null with ACPA positivity ...

BACKGROUND Multiple factors, including interactions between genetic and environmental risks, are important in susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. This study was undertaken to evaluate whether DNA methylation can mediate the interaction between genotype and smoking in the development of anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA)...

INTRODUCTION In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), several genetic risk factors and smoking are strongly associated with the presence of anticitrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), while much less is known about risk factors for ACPA-negative RA. Antibodies against carbamylated proteins (anti-CarP) have been described in both ACPA-positive and ACPA-negative RA patients. In this study, we have analysed...

objective The protective effect of HLA-DRB1 alleles on the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is poorly understood. We performed a meta-analysis of four European populations to investigate which HLA-DRB1 alleles are associated with protection in anticitrullinated protein antibody (ACPA)-positive and ACPA-negative RA. methods More than 2800 patients and 3000 controls with information on HL...

BACKGROUND The anti-inflammatory effect of abatacept is most pronounced in patients with high-titer autoantibodies (including anticitrullinated protein antibodies [ACPA] and rheumatoid factor [RF]). Considering that autoantibodies trigger inflammatory cytokine production by monocytes and that abatacept binds to monocytes, influencing their functional state, we hypothesized that abatacept may ef...