The endothelial CXC chemokines, KC and MIP-2, contribute to infiltration of neutrophils in MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis involving glomerulonephritis. The activation of glomerular endothelial cells by anti-MPO IgG appeared to directly involve a signaling through moesin.

The severity and diversity of the histopathology of lupus nephritis are partially associated with the expression of vascular endothelial adhesion molecules in glomeruli.

These findings indicate that neutrophils are activated and contribute to the development of the active crescentic lesion in SCG/Kj mice.

The mechanism of inhibition of cell growth by deoxyspergualin was studied using mouse mammary carcinoma FM3A cells. Results of studies using deoxyspergualin analogues showed that both the guanidinoheptanate amide and glyoxyspermidine moieties of deoxyspergualin were necessary to cause inhibition of cell growth. When deoxyspergualin was added to the medium, there was a strong inhibition of cell growth and formation of active eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) at the third day of culture. There was also a marked decrease in cellular putrescine content and a small decrease in spermidine content. Accumulation of decapped mRNA, which is typically associated with eIF5A deficiency in yeast, was also observed. The inhibition of cell growth and the formation of active eIF5A was not reversed by addition of spermidine. The activity of deoxyhypusine synthase, the first enzyme in the formation of active eIF5A, was inhibited by deoxyspergualin in a cell-free system. These results, taken together, indicate that inhibition of active eIF5A formation is strongly involved in the inhibition of cell growth by deoxyspergualin.

Small-vessel vasculitis is a life-threatening autoimmune disease that is frequently associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs). Conventional immunotherapy including steroids and cyclophosphamide can cause serious adverse events, limiting the efficacy and safety of treatment. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), a key component of fish oil, is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid widely known to be cardioprotective and beneficial for vascular function. We report two elderly patients with systemic ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) in whom the administration of EPA in concert with steroids safely induced and maintained remission, without the use of additioal immunosuppressants. To explore the mechanisms by which EPA enhances the treatment of AAV, we employed SCG/Kj mice as a spontaneous murine model of AAV. Dietary enrichment with EPA significantly delayed the onset of crescentic glomerulonephritis and prolonged the overall survival. EPA-derived anti-inflammatory lipid mediators and their precursors were present in the kidney, plasma, spleen, and lungs in the EPA-treated mice. Furthermore, a decrease in ANCA production and CD4/CD8-double negative T cells, and an increase in Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in the lymph nodes of the kidney were observed in the EPA-treated mice. These clinical and experimental observations suggest that EPA can safely support and augment conventional therapy for treating autoimmune small-vessel vasculitis.