RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Negative Relationship Between Expression of Glucocorticoid Receptor α and Disease Activity: Glucocorticoid Treatment of Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP jrheum.090191
DO 10.3899/jrheum.090191
A1 Xiu Li
A1 Feng-Shan Zhang
A1 Ji-Hui Zhang
A1 Jing-Yuan Wang
YR 2009
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2009/12/21/jrheum.090191.abstract
AB Objective Glucocorticoid receptor α (GRα) is crucial for glucocorticoids (GC) to carry out their physiological and pharmacological roles. Studies have shown the disorder of GR-GC systems in autoimmune diseases. Our study was performed to test the relationship between GRα expression and disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods The responses of 55 patients with SLE to GC were screened. We examined GRα mRNA and protein expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from SLE patients and healthy volunteers by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Results Expression of GRα in patients with SLE was lower than that in controls (p < 0.05). Expression of GRα obviously decreased after administration of GC in the steroid-sensitive group with SLE (p < 0.05). Expression of GRα was negatively correlated with SLE DiseaseActivity Index scores in the steroid-sensitive group with SLE. Conclusion The expression of GRα in patients with SLE was low and there was a negative correlation between GRα expression and disease activity; these findings might provide insight into the pathogenesis of SLE and help to screen whether the patient is sensitive to GC treatment. (Heilungkiang Provincial Health Department Guiding Projects Funding. Trial registration No. 2006-094.)