Expression of VSTM1-v2 Is Increased in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Is Correlated with Disease Activity

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 1; p. e0146805
• Main Authors: Wang, Dashan, Li, Yan, Liu, Yuan, He, Yan, Shi, Guixiu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 13.01.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Antibodies, Antinuclear - blood; Arthritis; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - blood; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - genetics; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - immunology; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - pathology; Autoimmune diseases; Biomarkers; Blood; Blood cells; Blood Sedimentation; Bones; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Case-Control Studies; Centrifugation; Correlation; Cytokines; Demography; Development and progression; Etiology; Female; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genomics; Glycoproteins; Health aspects; Helper cells; Hospitals; Humans; Immunology; Interleukin 17; Interleukin-17 - blood; Interleukin-17 - genetics; Joint diseases; Laboratories; Leukocytes (mononuclear); Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Lymphocytes T; Male; Measurement methods; Middle Aged; Pathogenesis; Patients; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Proteins; Receptors, Immunologic - blood; Rheumatoid arthritis; Rheumatoid Factor - blood; Rheumatology; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; United States > US; China
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146805

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.