Lupus

In the Northern Rockies of the United States, predators like wolves (Canis lupus) and mountain lions (Puma concolor) have been implicated in fluctuations or declines in populations of game species like elk (Cervus canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). In particular, local distributions of these predators may affect ungulate behavior, use of space, and dynamics. Our goal was to develop generalizable predictions of habitat selection by wolves and mountain lions across western Montana. We hypothesized both predator species would select habitat that maximized their chances of encountering and killing ungulates and that minimized their chances of encountering humans...

BACKGROUND: We propose a novel clinically significant finding, de novo lupus-like glomerulonephritis (DNLLGN), in patients with autoantibodies and kidney abnormalities in pediatric liver transplant (LT) and intestinal inclusive transplants (ITx). METHODS: We describe the clinical, serologic, and histopathologic presentation and kidney outcomes in eight patients from our center found to have DNLLGN on kidney biopsy. RESULTS: Pediatric recipients of non-kidney solid organ transplants developed an unusual de novo immune complex glomerulonephritis with morphologic similarity to lupus nephritis...

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Primary Antiphospholipid Syndrome (PAPS) overlap clinical and immunological features. Therefore, misclassification of PAPS patients as SLE is a concern. The ACR/EULAR 2019 SLE classification has never been studied in PAPS. OBJECTIVE: To verify if the ACR/EULAR 2019 SLE classification can correctly classify a PAPS patient as not having SLE and compare its performance with the SLICC 2012 SLE classification. Methods: One-hundred thrombotic PAPS patients who fulfilled the Sidney criteria were consecutively screened and those who attended the inclusion criteria were submitted to ACR/EULAR 2019 and SLICC 2012 classifications...

The vertebrate skeleton is composed of articulated bones. Most of the articulations are classically described using mechanical joints, except the intervertebral joint. The aim of this study was to identify a joint model with the same mechanical features as the cervical joints. On the neck vertebrae, six articular surfaces participate in the joint: the cranial part of the centrum and the facets of the two prezygapophyses of a vertebra articulate on the caudal part of the centrum and the two articular facets of the postzygapophyses of the previous vertebra...

Macrophages, a major subset of innate immune cells, are main infiltrating cells in the kidney in lupus nephritis. Macrophages with different phenotypes exert diverse or even opposite effects on the development of lupus nephritis. Substantial evidence has shown that macrophage M2 polarization is beneficial to individuals with chronic kidney disease. Further, it has been reported that PD-1 ligands (PD-Ls) contribute to M2 polarization of macrophages and their immunosuppressive effects. Total glucosides of paeony (TGP), originally extracted from Radix Paeoniae Alba, has been approved in China to treat some autoimmune diseases...

Purpose: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial autoimmune inflammatory disease that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors and associated with dysregulation of type I interferon (INF) response. This study aimed to investigate the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IFIH1, TNFAIP3, and STAT4 genes in the type I INF system on SLE risk in Egyptian children and adolescents. Patients and Methods: We recruited 94 SLE individuals and 94 healthy subjects...

OBJECTIVE: Patients with SLE have increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Few studies have investigated the characteristics of SLE-related MIs. We compared characteristics of and risk factors for MI between SLE patients with MI (MI-SLE), MI patients without SLE (MI-non-SLE) and SLE patients without MI (non-MI-SLE) to understand underlying mechanisms. METHODS: We identified patients with a first-time MI in the Karolinska SLE cohort. These patients were individually matched for age and gender with MI-non-SLE and non-MI-SLE controls in a ratio of 1:1:1...

Retraction: "Upregulated microRNA-485 suppresses apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells in mice with lupus nephritis via regulating the TGF-β-MAPK signaling pathway by inhibiting RhoA expression," by Yu Tian, Yu-Xiang Han, Hui-Fang Guo, Hong-Tao Jin, Chao Sun, Xuan Qi, Li-Yan Ma, Shi-Wei Bo, J Cell Biochem. 2018; 9154-9167: The above article, published online on 26 August 2018 in Wiley Online Library (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcb.27178) has been retracted by agreement between the journal's Editor in Chief, Prof...

The sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin from Artemisia annua L. is well established for malaria therapy, but its bioactivity spectrum is much broader. In this review, we give a comprehensive and timely overview of the literature regarding the immunosuppressive activity of artemisinin-type compounds toward inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Numerous receptor-coupled signaling pathways are inhibited by artemisinins, including the receptors for interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), β3-integrin, or RANKL, toll-like receptors and growth factor receptors...

Monogenic lupus is a subset of lupus caused by single-gene disorders, integrating the paradoxical combination of autoimmunity and immunodeficiency. Pulmonary manifestations with recurrent pneumonia and bronchiectasis have rarely been described as the predominant presentation of juvenile lupus and may suggest an alternate differential like primary immunodeficiency, especially in early childhood. We describe a case of 10-year girl who presented with a history of recurrent pneumonia, arthritis, alopecia, and poor weight gain for the past 2 years...

BACKGROUND: Sjogren's syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands. It can be associated with other connective tissue diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the incidence of secondary SS (sSS) in patients diagnosed with SLE (SLE-SS) and compare the clinical and serological features of SLE-SS to SLE only. METHODS: A retrospective observational study including patients diagnosed with SLE (SLICC criteria) seen at the Rheumatology Department between 1990 and 2020 was performed...

Lupus retinopathy is a clinical manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus in the visual system. It is generally asymptomatic; however, it can become a threatening condition. It is closely associated with the inflammatory activity and higher mortality of systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus retinopathy has several different clinical presentations, such as lupus microangiopathy, vascular occlusion, vasculitis, hypertensive retinopathy associated with lupus nephritis, and autoimmune retinopathy. Although the prevalence and associated factors of lupus retinopathy have been well defined in some parts of the world, there are no data from Latin America, including Brazil...

We report a 38-year-old female patient affected with anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA)-positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who developed mild hemolytic anemia (Hb = 10.5 vs. >12 gr/dL), indolent oral ulceration, ANA (1:1280, homogeneous pattern), and anti-dsDNA antibody positivity following 8 months of therapy with an adalimumab biosimilar (GP2017). Rhupus syndrome was diagnosed. Replacing GP2017 with infliximab, anemia, oral ulcer, and anti-dsDNA antibodies quickly disappeared, while low-titers (1:80) ANA are still present after more than a year...

OBJECTIVE: Patient-provider discussions about functioning are often outside the scope of usual care for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and tools to facilitate such discussions are lacking. We assessed the comprehension, utility, and acceptability of a novel, individualized functioning report, the purpose of which is to facilitate patient-provider communication about functioning, in a predominantly Black SLE patient population. METHODS: Individualized reports (including sections with pictorial representations of participants' measured activities of daily living, falls, physical performance, perceived physical functioning, and community mobility from a previous pilot study visit) and surveys were emailed or mailed to 59 SLE patients...

Rheumatic inflammatory diseases include a diverse and heterogeneous group of multifaceted disorders in which clinical history and physical examination are essential to make treatment choices and for optimizing outcomes. Composite outcome measures have become very relevant in rheumatology to evaluate disease activity as they capture the most important dimensions of the disease into one single measure. Most outcome measures may include disease manifestations, laboratory data, physician examination as well as the patient perspective as different outcome dimensions of the disease into a simple index...

To compare lupus pathogenesis in disparate tissues, we analyzed gene expression profiles of human discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and lupus nephritis (LN). We found common increases in myeloid cell-defining gene sets and decreases in genes controlling glucose and lipid metabolism in lupus-affected skin and kidney. Regression models in DLE indicated increased glycolysis was correlated with keratinocyte, endothelial, and inflammatory cell transcripts, and decreased tricarboxylic (TCA) cycle genes were correlated with the keratinocyte signature...

BACKGROUND: The revision of International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS) classification guidelines for lupus nephritis (LN) was suggested by a working group, who recommended a modified National Institute of Health (NIH) activity and chronicity scoring system to evaluate active and chronic LN lesions. However, whether this approach was useful for estimating long-term prognosis for LN patients is unclear. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in Japanese subjects with biopsy-proven LN, between 1977 and 2018...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: Patients with SLE participating in a multi-center longitudinal cohort study in New York and Boston were invited to complete a supplemental web-based questionnaire in the summer of 2020. Participants completed standardized patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures and a combination of Likert scale and open-ended questions exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their health and access to health care...

OBJECTIVE: Hypomethylation of CD40-ligand (CD40L) in T-cells is associated with increased disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We therefore investigated possible associations of dietary methyl donors and products with CD40L methylation status in SLE. METHODS: Food frequency questionnaires were employed to calculate methyl donor micronutrients in 61 female SLE patients (age 45.7 ± 12.0 years, disease duration 16.2 ± 8.4 years) and compared to methylation levels of previously identified key DNA methylation sites (CpG17 and CpG22) within CD40L promotor of T-cells using quantitative DNA methylation analysis on the EpiTYPER mass spectrometry platform...

BACKGROUND: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by several clinical manifestations such as venous and arterial thrombosis associated with persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Several studies confirmed that retinal vein occlusion was the most common APS ocular manifestation. The purpose of this study was to identify ophthalmologic manifestations in a homogeneous cohort of well-defined persistently aPL-positive patients and to determine variables associated with these manifestations...