All-cause and cause-specific mortality in systemic lupus erythematosus: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate all-cause and cause-specific mortality in SLE patients between two time periods, 1997-2005 and 2006-14. METHODS: We used an administrative health database from the province of British Columbia, Canada to match all incident SLE patients to 10 non-SLE individuals on sex, age and index date. Cohorts were divided into two subgroups, according to diagnosis year: early cohort 1997-2005 and late cohort 2006-14. The outcome was death [all-cause, renal disease, cancer, infection, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other]. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% CIs were estimated using univariate and multivariable Cox models. RESULTS: Among 6092 SLE patients and 60 920 non-SLE individuals, there were 451 and 1910 deaths, respectively. The fully adjusted all-cause mortality HR (95% CI) in the overall SLE cohort was 1.85 (1.66, 2.06), with no statistically significant improvement between early and late cohorts [1.95 (1.69, 2.26) vs 1.74 (1.49, 2.04)]. There was excess mortality from renal disease [3.04 (2.29, 4.05)], infections [2.74 (2.19, 3.43)] and CVD [2.05 (1.77, 2.38)], but not cancer [1.18 (0.96, 1.46)], in the overall SLE cohort. There was no statistically significant improvement in cause-specific mortality between early and late cohorts for renal disease [3.57 (2.37, 5.36) vs 2.65 (1.78, 3.93)], infection [2.94 (2.17, 3.98) vs 2.54 (1.84, 3.51)] and CVD [1.95 (1.60, 2.38) vs 2.18 (1.76, 2.71)]. There was no increase in cancer-related mortality in either cohort [1.27 (0.96, 1.69) vs 1.10 (0.82, 1.48)]. CONCLUSION: This population-based study demonstrates a persisting mortality gap in all-cause and cause-specific deaths in SLE patients, compared with the general population.

Endpoints for extraintestinal manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease trials: the EXTRA consensus from the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Extraintestinal manifestations occur frequently in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and remain a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The aim of the Endpoints for Extraintestinal Manifestations in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Trials (EXTRA) initiative was to achieve international expert consensus on how to assess these manifestations in IBD trials. A systematic literature review was done to identify methods to diagnose extraintestinal manifestations in patients with IBD and measure treatment outcomes. A consensus meeting involving a panel of 41 attendees, including gastroenterologists and referral specialists, was held on March 31, 2021, as part of an International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases initiative. The panel agreed that a specialist's expertise is needed to confirm the diagnosis of extraintestinal manifestations before the inclusion of a patient in IBD trials, except for axial spondyloarthritis, for which typical symptoms and MRI can be sufficient. Easy-to-measure endpoints were identified to assess the response of extraintestinal manifestations to treatment without needing specialist involvement. For uveitis, peripheral spondyloarthritis, and arthralgia, endpoint measurements need specialist expertise. The timing of endpoint measurements was discussed for individual extraintestinal manifestations. The EXTRA consensus proposes guidelines on how to thoroughly evaluate extraintestinal manifestations within IBD trials, and recommends that these guidelines are implemented in future trials to enable prospective assessment of these manifestations and comparison between studies.

Cognitive Function Trajectories in Association With the Depressive Symptoms Trajectories in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Over Time.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive function may change over time in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and cognitive function trajectories have not been well studied. We aimed to identify cognitive function trajectories in SLE and describe them with depressive symptoms trajectories, and we also aimed to identify baseline factors associated with class membership in the dual trajectories. METHODS: Longitudinal data from the University of California San Francisco Lupus Outcomes Study were analyzed. Two outcome trajectories were studied jointly, the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) (administered annually). Univariate/multivariable logistic regression analyses examined baseline factors associated with class memberships. RESULTS: A total of 755 patients were studied, and 4 latent classes were identified: 1) low CES-D scores and low cognitive scores (no depression plus cognitive impairment; 20%), 2) lowest CES-D scores and highest normal cognitive scores (no depression plus normal cognition; 48%), 3) highest CES-D scores and lowest cognitive scores (depression plus cognitive impairment; 9%), and 4) high CES-D scores and cognitive score at borderline (depression plus borderline cognition; 23%). CONCLUSION: In all, 4 distinct classes of dual cognitive function and depressive symptoms were identified. Persistently low cognitive performance in 28% of patients (classes 1 and 3) did not significantly improve over 7 years. Cognitive impairment was associated with depression status in 9% of patients (class 3). Other factors also predicted latent class membership: ethnicity, education, disease activity, physical functioning, and bodily pain. These results highlight the importance of periodic assessment of cognitive function and of different aspects relevant for assessing and managing cognitive function over time in SLE.

Isolated large vessel pulmonary vasculitis leading to pulmonary artery aneurysm formation: a case report and literature review.

Pulmonary artery (PA) vasculitis occurs in association with primary vasculitides-in particular, giant cell arteritis, Takayasu's arteritis, or Behçet's disease-or secondary vasculitis as a result of infections or malignancy. However, PA vasculitis in isolation and with concomitant aneurysmal dilation is an unusual finding. We present a rare case of PA aneurysm secondary to isolated PA vasculitis in an asymptomatic patient with no features of systemic vasculitis. This case highlights one of the first cases of PA vasculitis managed with surgical resection alone.