@article{JessbergerHoeggerGenestetal.2017,
  author    = {Jessberger, Steffen and H{\"o}gger, Petra and Genest, Franca and Salter, Donald M. and Seefried, Lothar},
  title     = {Cellular pharmacodynamic effects of Pycnogenol\(^{®}\) in patients with severe osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled pilot study},
  series = {BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine},
  volume    = {17},
  journal   = {BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine},
  number    = {537},
  doi       = {10.1186/s12906-017-2044-1},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-159532},
  year      = {2017},
  abstract  = {Background: The standardized maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol\(^{®}\)) has previously shown symptom alleviating effects in patients suffering from moderate forms of knee osteoarthritis (OA). The cellular mechanisms for this positive impact are so far unknown. The purpose of the present randomized pilot controlled study was to span the knowledge gap between the reported clinical effects of Pycnogenol\(^{®}\) and its in vivo mechanism of action in OA patients. Methods: Thirty three patients with severe OA scheduled for a knee arthroplasty either received 100 mg of Pycnogenol\(^{®}\) twice daily or no treatment (control group) three weeks before surgery. Cartilage, synovial fluid and serum samples were collected during surgical intervention. Relative gene expression of cartilage homeostasis markers were analyzed in the patients' chondrocytes. Inflammatory and cartilage metabolism mediators were investigated in serum and synovial fluid samples. Results: The oral intake of Pycnogenol\(^{®}\) downregulated the gene expression of various cartilage degradation markers in the patients' chondrocytes, the decrease of MMP3, MMP13 and the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL1B were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). Additionally, protein concentrations of ADAMTS-5 in serum were reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.05) after three weeks intake of the pine bark extract. Conclusions: This is the first report about positive cellular effects of a dietary supplement on key catabolic and inflammatory markers in patients with severe OA. The results provide a rational basis for understanding previously reported clinical effects of Pycnogenol\(^{®}\) on symptom scores of patients suffering from OA.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DirksFischerHaaseetal.2021,
  author    = {Dirks, Johannes and Fischer, Jonas and Haase, Gabriele and Holl-Wieden, Annette and Hofmann, Christine and Girschick, Hermann and Morbach, Henner},
  title     = {CD21\(^{lo/-}\)CD27\(^-\)IgM\(^-\) Double-Negative B Cells Accumulate in the Joints of Patients With Antinuclear Antibody-Positive Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis},
  series = {Frontiers in Pediatrics},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Pediatrics},
  issn      = {2296-2360},
  doi       = {10.3389/fped.2021.635815},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-236286},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) encompasses a heterogeneous group of diseases. The appearance of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) in almost half of the patients suggests B cell dysregulation as a distinct pathomechanism in these patients. Additionally, ANAs were considered potential biomarkers encompassing a clinically homogenous subgroup of JIA patients. However, in ANA+ JIA patients, the site of dysregulated B cell activation as well as the B cell subsets involved in this process is still unknown. Hence, in this cross-sectional study, we aimed in an explorative approach at characterizing potential divergences in B cell differentiation in ANA+ JIA patients by assessing the distribution of peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) B cell subpopulations using flow cytometry. The frequency of transitional as well as switched-memory B cells was higher in PB of JIA patients than in healthy controls. There were no differences in the distribution of B cell subsets between ANA- and ANA+ patients in PB. However, the composition of SF B cells was different between ANA- and ANA+ patients with increased frequencies of CD21\(^{lo/-}\)CD27\(^-\)IgM\(^-\) "double negative" (DN) B cells in the latter. DN B cells might be a characteristic subset expanding in the joints of ANA+ JIA patients and are potentially involved in the antinuclear immune response in these patients. The results of our explorative study might foster further research dissecting the pathogenesis of ANA+ JIA patients.},
  language  = {en}
}