Sex differences in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): an inception cohort of the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research Group (CSTAR) registry XVII.

BACKGROUND: The onset and clinical presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are sex-related. Few studies have investigated the distinctions in clinical characteristics and treatment preferences in male and female SLE patients in the initial cohort. This study aimed to improve the understanding of Chinese SLE patients by characterizing the different sexes of SLE patients in the inception cohort. METHODS: Based on the initial patient cohort established by the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research Group, a total of 8713 patients (795 men and 7918 women) with newly diagnosed SLE were enrolled between April 2009 and March 2021. Of these, 2900 patients (347 men and 2553 women) were eligible for lupus nephritis (LN). A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters, organ damage, initial treatment regimens, and renal pathology classification was performed according to sex. RESULTS: In the SLE group, as compared to female patients, male patients had a later age of onset (male vs. female: 37.0 ±â€Š15.8 years vs. 35.1 ±â€Š13.7 years, P  = 0.006) and a higher SLE International Collaborative Clinic/American College of Rheumatology damage index score (male vs. female: 0.47 ±â€Š1.13 vs. 0.34 ±â€Š0.81, P  = 0.015), LN (male vs. female: 43.6% vs. 32.2%, P < 0.001), fever (male vs. female: 18.0% vs. 14.6%, P  = 0.010), thrombocytopenia (male vs. female: 21.4% vs. 18.5%, P  = 0.050), serositis (male vs. female: 14.7% vs. 11.7%, P  = 0.013), renal damage (male vs. female: 11.1% vs. 7.4%, P < 0.001), and treatment with cyclophosphamide (CYC) (P < 0.001). The frequency of leukopenia (male vs. female: 20.5% vs. 25.4%, P  = 0.002) and arthritis (male vs. female: 22.0% vs. 29.9%, P < 0.001) was less in male patients with SLE. In LN, no differences were observed in disease duration, SLE Disease Activity Index score, renal biopsy pathological typing, or 24-h urine protein quantification among the sexes. In comparisons with female patients with LN, male patients had later onset ages (P  = 0.026), high serum creatinine (P < 0.001), higher end-stage renal failure rates (P  = 0.002), musculoskeletal damage (P  = 0.023), cardiovascular impairment (P  = 0.009), and CYC use (P  = 0.001); while leukopenia (P  = 0.017), arthritis (P  = 0.014), and mycophenolate usage (P  = 0.013) rates were lower. CONCLUSIONS: Male SLE patients had more severe organ damage and a higher LN incidence compared with female SLE patients; therefore, they may require more aggressive initial treatment compared to female patients.

[Human stool vimentin, oncostatin M receptor and tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 gene methylation analysis for the detection of colorectal neoplasms].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of detecting vimentin, oncostatin M receptor (OMSR) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor 2 (TFPI2) gene methylation status in stool samples as a noninvasive screening tool for colorectal cancer and precancerous lesions. METHODS: Stool samples were collected from 60 patients with colorectal cancer, 17 patients with adenoma and 30 normal volunteers. And fecal DNA was extracted and vimentin, OMSR and TFPI2 gene methylation status was analyzed by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). RESULTS: The methylated vimentin, OMSR and TFPI2 was detected in 53.3% (32/60), 68.3% (41/60) and 75.0% (45/60) of colorectal cancer, and 5, 7 and 11 cases of colorectal adenoma respectively. The sensitivities of combined study, using three markers for the detection of colorectal cancer and colorectal adenomas, were 86.7% (26/30) and 76.5% (13/17) respectively. And the specificity was 86.7% (52/60). CONCLUSION: As a feasible epigenetic marker, promoter hypermethylation for vimentin, OMSR and TFPI2 in stool samples is a sensitive, specific and noninvasive alternative for colorectal cancer screening.