PURPOSE OF REVIEW To determine the advances made in the genetics of scleroderma in candidate gene association studies. RECENT FINDINGS Over the past 18 months, a number of candidate gene studies using large case-control series in scleroderma have been reported. The studies have identified multiple genes involved in immune regulation including BANK1, C8orf13-BLK, IL-23R, IRF5, STAT4, TBX21, an...

The data herein is related to the research article entitled "Functional analyses of the interaction of chicken interleukin 23 subunit p19 with IL-12 subunit p40 to form the IL-23 complex" [1] where we demonstrated that the chicken interleukin (IL)-23α, IL-12p40, and IL-23 complex regulates Th1, Th17, and Treg cytokine production through heterodimer receptors as well as a homodimer receptor cons...

Our previously conducted pharmacological investigations led us to discovery of the strong local anesthetic activity of the compound KP-23RS. The following studies revealed that its R- and S-diasteroisomers had different activity in the local anesthetic, anti-aggregating, anti-arrhythmic and spasmolytic tests. Also the influence of KP-23RS and its diastereoisomers on the cyclic adenosine monopho...

An uncontrolled exaggerated Th17 response can drive the onset of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we show that, in T cells, Foxo1 is a negative regulator of the Th17 program. Using mixed bone marrow chimeras and Foxo1-deficient mice, we demonstrate that this control is effective in vivo, as well as in vitro during differentiation assays of naive T cells with specific inhibit...

Four new furostanol saponins 1-4, along with two known furostanol saponins 5 and 6 and one known spirostanol saponin 7 were isolated from the rhizomes and roots of Smilax scobinicaulis. The structures of the new saponins were elucidated as 26-O-β-D-glucopyranoside-3β,26-dihydroxy-(25R)-5α-furostan-22-methoxyl-6-one-3-O-α-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), 26-O-β-D-glucopyranoside...

IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 3 plays a key role in innate responses against viruses. Herein we assessed its contribution to T-cell activation. We observed that poly(I:C)-induced IRF3 activation in CD8 T cells represses IL-17 expression in a type I IFN-independent fashion. Even in the absence of poly(I:C), polyclonally activated naïve IRF3(-/-) CD8 T cells expressed high levels of IL-17 and IL-23...