The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the interleukin 22 (IL-22) gene and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a Chinese population. Three IL-22 SNPs (rs2227485, rs2227513 and rs2227491) were genotyped using SNaPshot SNP genotyping assays and identified by sequencing in 314 SLE patients and 411 healthy controls. The IL-22 level of serum was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Data were analysed by spss version 17.0 software. We found that rs2227513 was associated with an increased risk of SLE [AG versus AA: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2·24, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1·22-4·12, P = 0·010; G versus· A: adjusted OR = 2·18, 95% CI = 1·20-3·97, P = 0·011]. Further analysis in patients with SLE showed that the AG genotype and G allele were associated with an increased risk of renal disorder in SLE (G versus A: aOR = 3·09, 95% CI = 1·30-7·33, P = 0·011; AG versus· AA: aOR = 3·25, 95% CI = 1·35-7·85, P = 0·009). In addition, the concentration of IL-22 was significantly lower in the rs2227513 AG genotype compared with AA genotype (P = 0·028). These results suggest that rs2227513 polymorphism might contribute to SLE susceptibility, probably by decreasing the expression of IL-22.

We report a novel shell technique to prepare controllable core-shell nanoparticles. In this technique, the shell is formed when the core reacts with metal ions and Na(2)S(2)O(3) and the size of the core and thickness of the shell can be controlled. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction reveal that the shell consists of insoluble complex salts comprising Au(2)S, AuAgS, and Ag(3)AuS(2). The resulting core-shell nanoparticles obtained at different reaction stages demonstrate that the formation of Au(2)S, AuAgS, and Ag(3)AuS(2) shell proceeds from the outside. The morphological evolution of the particles changes significantly with reaction time demonstrating that formation of the shell results from diffusion in the solid shell. The core-shell nanoparticles produced by this technique can be used as nanosensors to detect Ag(+) in aqueous media with high selectivity and sensitivity. The excellent selectivity for Ag(+) is demonstrated by comparing the response to other metal ions. In addition, our evaluation indicates that gold nanorods offer higher sensitivity than gold nanospheres.

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The aim of this study was to investigate whether the S100B polymorphisms are associated with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) in a Chinese population. A total of 313 SLE patients and 396 control subjects were enrolled in the present study. The genotypes of three SNPs (rs9722, rs881827 and rs1051169) in S100B gene were detected by single base extension polymerase chain reaction (SBE-PCR). Serum S100B levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Rs1051169 was associated with an increased risk of SLE (C vs. G: adjusted OR=1.46, 95% CI, 1.18-1.80, p =0.001; CC vs. GG: adjusted OR=1.99, 95% CI, 1.32-3.02, p =0.001; CC+GC vs. GG: adjusted OR=1.54, 95% CI, 1.13-2.11, p =0.007; CC vs. GC+GG: adjusted OR=1.67, 95% CI, 1.16-2.42, p =0.006). Haplotype analysis showed that the G-G-C haplotype was associated with an increased risk of SLE (OR=1.50, 95% CI, 1.14-1.98, p =0.004). Stratified analyses showed that the rs1051169 polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of neurologic disorder in SLE patients (C vs. G: OR=1.78, 95% CI, 1.22-2.59, p =0.003; GC vs. GG: OR=2.33, 95% CI, 1.14-4.77, P=0.019; CC vs. GG: OR=3.02, 95% CI, 1.39-6.53, p =0.004; CC+GC vs. GG: OR=2.57, 95% CI=1.31-5.04, p =0.005). In addition, SLE patients with neurologic disorder carrying the rs1051169 GC/CC genotypes present a higher serum S100B levels compared with that carrying the GG genotype ( p < 0.05). Our results indicate that the rs1051169 polymorphism may be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE.

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