Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease and affecting approximately 1% of the population. Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) were recently found to suppress effector T cell and inflammatory responses and, thus, to have beneficial effects in various autoimmune diseases. In this study, we examined whether hASCs could play a protective and/or therapeutic role in coll...

OBJECTIVE To observe the effects of Kangfengshi Granules (KFSG) on expressions of the mRNAs of osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL) and macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) in bone tissues of rats with collagen-induced arthritis. METHODS Forty SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group, untreated group, cyclosporin...

Immunization of DBA/1 mice with native chick type II collagen resulted in development of polyarthritis 4-5 wk later. Sera of these mice contained high levels of anticollagen antibodies, and immunoglobulin concentrates of their sera transferred arthritis to unimmunized recipients. Histopathologically, this passively transferred arthritis resembled the early disease of immunized donors. Immunoflu...

An oriental herbal combination (BDX-1) was isolated from Achyranthes bidentata and Atractylodes japonica. We previously tested the clinical effectiveness of BDX-1 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and found that it has a beneficial therapeutic effect. Here, we provide experimental evidence for the effectiveness of BDX-1 on RA in murine models. The oral administration of BDX-1 was found to m...

OBJECTIVES To assess the human complement inhibitor C4b-binding protein (C4BP) for treatment of arthritis. METHODS We have used two mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to assess the therapeutic effect of C4BP on different phases of arthritis, the collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA), an acute antibody-induced disease and the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), which carries the full...

Background IL-21 is secreted by activated T cells and modulates immune cell functions with both proinflammatory and anti-inflam-matory effects. IL-21 receptor (IL-21R), homologous to IL-2Rβ and IL-4Rα, associates with the gamma common chain upon ligand binding. It was recently described that IL-21R is overexpressed in the inflamed synovial membrane and on leucocytes of rheumatoid arthritis pati...

OBJECTIVE We have shown in vitro and in vivo that osteoclast maturation requires calcium-release activated calcium (CRAC) channels. In inflammatory arthritis, osteoclasts mediate severe and debilitating bone erosion. In the current study, we assess the value of CRAC channels as a therapeutic target to suppress bone erosion in acute inflammatory arthritis. METHODS Collagen-induced arthritis (C...

Current animal models of arthritis only partially reflect the complexity of rheumatoid arthritis and typically lack either chronicity or autoantibody formation. Here we describe a model that combines features of antigen-induced arthritis and collagen-induced arthritis, which can be efficiently induced in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. However, BALB/c mice generate significantly higher titres of antic...

Abbreviations: RA: Rheumatoid Arthritis; CIA: Collagen-Induced Arthritis; IL-1β: Interleukin-1β; IL-6: Interleukin-6; IL-17A: Interleukin17A; IFN-γ: Interferon-γ; TNF-α: Tumor; Necrosis Factor-α; GM-CSF: Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; IL-8: Interleukin-8; MTX: Methotrexate; CSA: Cyclosporine; AZA: Azathioprine; LEF: Leflunomide; CFA: Complete Freund’s Adjuvant; ELISA: Enzyme ...