Expression of fibronectin and MMP-3 and its significance in the patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Objective: To observe the expression and significance of fibronectin and metalloproteinase-3(MMP-3) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS). Methods: A total of 30 AS patients in our hospital and 30 healthy volunteers were selected in our study. Fibronectin and MMP-3 were measured and compared between these two groups. The AS group received sulfasalazine2 g daily for 3 months. Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index, bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index, bath ankylosing spondylitis metrology index, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were compared before and after treatment.Pearson's linear-correlation analysis was used to determine relationships between parameters.Results: Totally 28 patients in the AS group completed the study. Fibronectin and MMP-3 in peripheral blood of AS patients were evidently higher than that in the normal control group(P<0.05). After treated by sulfasalazine, the level of expressing Fibronectin and MMP-3 significantly decreased compared with baseline values(P<0.05). Pearson's linear-correlation analysis showed that serum fibronectin and MMP-3 level had a positive correlation with bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index global assessment, spine pain, night pain, general pain, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein(P<0.05). Conclusions: The expression of fibronectin and MMP-3 in AS patients were significantly higher than that in the normal control group, and they all decreased significantly after treatment. It indicated that both fibronectin and MMP-3 were correlated closely with the onset of AS.

Thermodynamic Resolution of Pharmaceutical Precursor Modafinil Acid on the Basis of Chiral-at-Metal Strategy

Chiral-at-metal strategy was developed to resolve the essential sulfoxide pharmaceutical intermediates R-modafinil acid and its ana-logues with high yields and ee values.The efficient resolution process was achieved based on the diastereoselective discrimination caused by hydrogen bond and intramolecular π-π interaction between chiral-at-metal center and the coordinated chiral sulfoxide ligands.Moreover,the chiral Ir(lll)receptor can be reused with complete retention of their configurations and without the loss of reaction activity and enantioselectivity.This work provides a new access to synthesize R-modafinil acid as well as its analogues and develops the application of chiral-at-metal strategy in chiral resolution.