Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.)
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Arthritis Rheumatol · May 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialEffects of Lowering Glycemic Index of Dietary Carbohydrate on Plasma Uric Acid Levels: The OmniCarb Randomized Clinical Trial.
The effects of carbohydrates on plasma uric acid levels are a subject of controversy. We determined the individual and combined effects of carbohydrate quality (the glycemic index) and quantity (the proportion of total daily energy [percentage of carbohydrates]) on uric acid levels. ⋯ Reducing the glycemic index lowers uric acid levels. Future studies should examine whether reducing the glycemic index can prevent gout onset or flares.
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Arthritis Rheumatol · May 2016
Netrin-1 Regulates Fibrocyte Accumulation in the Decellularized Fibrotic Sclerodermatous Lung Microenvironment and in Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Fibrocytes are collagen-producing leukocytes that accumulate in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma)-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) via unknown mechanisms that have been associated with altered expression of neuroimmune proteins. The extracellular matrix (ECM) influences cellular phenotypes. However, a relationship between the lung ECM and fibrocytes in SSc has not been explored. The aim of this study was to use a novel translational platform based on decellularized human lungs to determine whether the lung ECM of patients with scleroderma controls the development of fibrocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. ⋯ Factors present in the lung matrices of patients with scleroderma regulate fibrocyte accumulation via a netrin-1-dependent pathway. Netrin-1 regulates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Netrin-1 might be a novel therapeutic target in SSc-related ILD.