KEYWORDSPoly(ethylene oxide) Macromonomer I Semi-Flexible Polymer I Polymacromonomer I Solution Properties / Over the past decade, we have systematically studied the radical homo-and copolymerization of poly( ethylene oxide) (PEO) macromonomers (I) in homogenous and heterogeneous solutions as well as in organized self assemblies. 1 -4 Regular amphiphilic comb-shaped polymers (2) were prepared by organized, micellar homopolymerization of (I) in water. 3 -5 From structural point of view, a key characteristic of the polymacromonomer is that they have a much higher chain density around the main chain than ordinary linear polymers. Their conformational properties should thus be markedly different from linear chains due to the steric interaction between the adjacent branches. 6 In 1992, we investigated molecular weight (MW) dependence of limiting viscosity for regular polymacromonomers (2) and found that at least in the MW range investigated, the exponent in the Mark-Houwink-Sakurada equation steeply approaches zero, when the degree of polymerization (n) of the side chain is higher than 44. 7 The very low values of the exponent suggest that polymacromonomers (2) hydrodynamically behave as a non-draining sphere and/or constant segment density particles in tetrahydrofuran.In remarkable contrast, in 1994, Tsukahara, Schmidt et a!. 8 -11 reported that polymacromonomers prepared from methacrylate-terminated polystyrene macromonomer behave as semi-flexible polymers in dilute toluene solution 9 and form lyotropic liquid crystals at a concentrated solution. 10 ' 11 Kuhn statistical segment length increases monotonously up to ca. 300 nm with branch chain length. They termed them, therefore, "molecular bottlebrushes". Subsequently, diffusion and sedimentation experiments by Nemoto et a/. 12 showed that their MW dependence is quantitatively described by the plolate ellipsoid model. These results motivated us to investigate the MW dependence of radius of gyration, (S 2 ) 112 , of polymacromonomers (2). 13 Here we report the dimensional properties of water soluble bottlebrush polymers (2) prepared from palkylstyrene end-capped PEO macromonomers (1). These polymers were prepared in aqueous solution by free-radical micellar polymerization. PEO macromonomers with a sufficiently hydrophobic alkylstyrene end group self-assemble in water, 14 and polymerization in these aggregates proceeds rapidly to high conversion and affords very high molecular weight regular amphiphilic polymers (2) having the unique structure of a hydrophobic backbone surrounded by a shell of hydrophilic PEO chains.PEO macromonomers (C 1 -PEO-C 4 -S-50) (I) were prepared by reacting hydroxy-ended PEO with five-fold excess of sodium hydride and p-bromobutylstyrenes. 5 The degree of polymerization of PEO and functionality of double bond are 50 and 0.9 3 , respectively, determined from 1 H NMR spectrum, and the M,vf M" is 1.10 from size exclusion chromatography (SEC) measurement. The homopolymerization of the macromonomer was carried out in water at 60oC with 4,4'-a...

BackgroundSystemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by elevated interferon (IFN) signature genes. Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a β-galactoside-binding lectin that is reportedly useful as a biomarker for IFN gene signatures. In a cross-sectional study of Japanese patients with recent-onset SLE, we aimed to determine whether raised serum Gal-9 levels were associated with the disease activity or organ damage seen in SLE patients. OPEN ACCESS Citation: Matsuoka N, Fujita Y, Temmoku J, Furuya MY, Asano T, Sato S, et al. (2020) Galectin-9 as a biomarker for disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus. PLoS ONE 15(1): e0227069. Methods Patients and clinical evaluationsA total of 58 Japanese patients with recent-onset SLE were included in the study. SLE patients were enrolled within 32 months (mean 18 month, range 0-32) of SLE diagnosis, which was Galectin-9 and lupus disease activity PLOS ONE | https://doi.

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Background: Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is involved in the regulatory process of immune responses or inflammation. The aim of the present study is to characterize circulating Gal-9 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its relationship with RA disease activity and phenotype. Methods: A total of 116 RA patients and 31 age-matched healthy controls were included in this study. Disease activity of RA patients was determined by Disease Activity Score of 28 joint scoring system (DAS28-ESR). Levels of Gal-9 in serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Serum levels of Gal-9 were significantly higher in patients with RA compared to those in controls (median 7577 pg/ml [interquartile range (IQR) 5570-10,201] versus 4738 pg/ml [IQR 4267-5630], p = 0.001). There were significant differences in serum Gal-9 between RA patients with and without RA-ILD (9606 pg/ml 167] versus 7078 pg/ ml [IQR 5225-9447], p < 0.001) or those with and without advanced joint damage (stage II-IV, 9606 pg/ml 167] versus 7078 pg/ml [IQR 5225-9447], p < 0.001). Although serum levels of Gal-9 correlated with the titers of ACPA (r = 0.275, p = 0.002), levels of ACPA titers conferred the different relationship, between serum Gal-9 and inflammatory mediators or RA disease activity. Although Gal-9 was correlated with ACPA titers (r = 0.508, p = 0.002), there was no correlation between Gal-9 levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), or DAS28-ESR in RA patients with high titers of ACPA (> 200 U/ml). Conversely, Gal-9 was correlated with MMP-3 (r = 0.300, p = 0.007) or DAS28-ESR (r = 0.331, p = 0.004) but not with ACPA titer in RA patients with low titers of ACPA titers (< 200 U/ml). Conclusions: Serum levels of Gal-9 were increased in RA patients and associated with RA disease activity in RA patients without high titers of ACPA. The levels of ACPA titers may influence the values of circulating Gal-9 in RA patients with various clinical phenotypes. These data suggest that Gal-9 possessed the properties of pro-inflammatory or arthropathic biomarker under the status of ACPA titers.