The anti-thrombotic effects of vitamin D and their possible relationship with antiphospholipid syndrome.

The importance of the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D has recently been associated with autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to the development of autoimmune conditions. Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disease characterized by thrombotic events and obstetric complications in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies. Current data show that patients with antiphospholipid syndrome have a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency even without classic risk factors. Several studies have suggested vitamin D may have anti-thrombotic functions. In antiphospholipid syndrome, low vitamin D serum levels have been associated with thrombotic manifestations, suggesting a possible protective role of vitamin D in antiphospholipid syndrome. This literature review presents current evidence on the haemostatic functions of vitamin D and their possible relationship with the clinical manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome.

Factors of the epidemiological triad that influence the persistence of human papilloma virus infection in women with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We studied the epidemiologic triad-related factors influencing human papilloma virus (HPV) persistence in Mexican women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Patients aged ≥18 years with SLE (American College of Rheumatology criteria), with and without HPV persistence, were selected. Groups were analyzed by (1) host: clinical disease characteristics; (2) agent: (I) infectious (prevalence, incidence, HPV genotype and co-infections (≥2 HPV genotypes or mycoplasmas)), (II) chemical (contraceptives and immunosuppressive drugs) and (III) physical (vitamin D deficiency) and (3) environment. A total of 121 SLE patients were selected over a two-year period. (1) Host: mean age 45.8 years and disease duration 12.7 years. (2) Agent: (I) infectious. HPV infection prevalence in the second sample was 26.4%, high-risk HPV genotypes 21.5% and co-infections 7.4%. HPV infection incidence was 13.2%, persistence 13.2% and clearance 15.7%. (II) Chemical: use of oral hormonal contraceptives 5% and immunosuppressive treatment 97.5%. (III) Physical: Vitamin D levels were similar in both groups. (3) Environment: (I) natural. A total of 60.6% of patients were residents of Puebla City. (II) Social: The mean education level was 10.9. Poverty levels were: III degree 52.4%, IV degree 28% and II degree 17%. (III) Cultural behavioral: Onset of sexual life was 20.5 years, 10% had ≥3 sexual partners and 51.2% were postmenopausal. In conclusion, no factor of the epidemiologic triad was associated with HPV infection prevalence.

Prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in adults with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective (a) to assess the prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in female Mexican systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients using the Rome III criteria and (b) to examine the effect of disease duration on FGID prevalence. Methods Female SLE outpatients aged ≥18 years with no organic gastrointestinal disorder were included. Participants were invited to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy screening and a faecal immunochemical test. FGID symptoms were evaluated using the Rome III questionnaire. Results Eighty-six SLE patients with median age of 45 (interquartile range 34-54) years were included. At least one FGID was found in 76.7% (66/88) of patients with SLE. The most prevalent domains of FGID diagnosed were functional oesophageal, gastroduodenal disorders and bowel disorders, of which functional dyspepsia (72.7%), functional heartburn (68.1%) and bloating (63.8%) were the most frequent. Fifty-nine per cent of patients had overlapping FGIDs. The most prevalent overlap was the combination of functional dyspepsia and functional heartburn. Patients with longer disease duration had a higher prevalence of FGID than those with shorter disease duration. Conclusions There was a high prevalence of FGIDs in Mexican SLE women with low disease activity. Overlapping FGIDs were frequent. Longer disease duration may be associated with FGIDs in SLE patients.

Factors Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life in Mexican Lupus Patients Using the LupusQol.

INTRODUCTION: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is affected by numerous clinical variables, including disease activity, damage, fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety. However, these associations have not yet been described in Mexican patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between disease activity, damage, depression and fibromyalgia and HRQOL measured by the LupusQoL-instrument in Mexican patients with SLE. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in women fulfilling the 1997 ACR classification criteria for SLE. HRQOL was evaluated using a disease-specific instrument for SLE, the LupusQoL (validated for the Spanish-speaking population). Patients were evaluated clinically to determine the degree of disease activity and damage using the Mexican Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (Mex-SLEDAI) and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics-Damage Index (SLICC), respectively. Fibromyalgia and depression were assessed using the ACR criteria and the CES-D scale, respectively. The relationship between HRQOL and these variables was measured using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 138 women with SLE, age 40.3±11 years, disease duration 8.8±6.4 years, with disease activity in 51.4%, depression in 50%, damage in 43% and fibromyalgia in 19.6% were included. Poorer HRQOL correlated with depression (r = -0.61; p< 0.005), fibromyalgia (r = -0.42; p< 0.005), disease activity (r = -0.37; p < 0.005) and damage (r = -0.31; p < 0.005). In the multivariate linear regression analysis, damage (ß = -3.756, p<0.005), fibromyalgia (ß = -0.920, p<0.005), depression (ß = -0.911, p<0.005) and disease activity (ß = -0.911, p<0.005) were associated with poor HRQOL. CONCLUSION: SLE disease activity, damage, fibromyalgia and depression were associated with poor HRQOL in our sample of Mexican SLE patients.

Incidence of cervical human papillomavirus infection in systemic lupus erythematosus women.

Objectives Our objective was to study the incidence, persistence and clearance of human papillomavirus infection in systemic lupus erythematosus women and assess risk factors for persistence of human papillomavirus infection. Methods We carried out a prospective, observational cohort study of 127 systemic lupus erythematosus women. Patients were evaluated at baseline and at three years. Traditional and systemic lupus erythematosus women-related disease risk factors were collected. Gynaecological evaluations and cervical cytology screening were made. Human papillomavirus detection and genotyping were made by polymerase chain reaction and linear array. Results The cumulative prevalence of human papillomavirus infection increased from 22.8% at baseline to 33.8% at three years; p = < 0.001: 20.1% of patients experienced 43 incident infections. The risk of any human papillomavirus infection was 10.1 per 1000 patient-months. At three years, 47 (88.6%) prevalent infections were cleared. Independent risk factors associated with incident human papillomavirus infection included more lifetime sexual partners (odds ratio = 1.8, 95% confidence interval = 1.11-3.0) and cumulative cyclophosphamide dose (odds ratio = 3.9, 95% confidence interval = 1.2-12.8). Conclusions In systemic lupus erythematosus women, the cumulative prevalence of human papillomavirus infection, including high risk-human papillomavirus and multiple human papillomavirus infections, may increase over time. Most persistent infections were low risk-human papillomavirus. The number of lifetime sexual partners and the cumulative cyclophosphamide dose were independently associated with incident human papillomavirus infection.

The role of infectious diseases in the catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome.

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS), also called "Asherson syndrome", is a variant of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) that occurs in less than 1% of APS cases. The etiology of CAPS is uncertain; however, several triggering factors have been recognized. The most common of these are infectious diseases, particularly those of the respiratory tract. CAPS pathogenesis is incompletely understood, but several theories have been proposed, such as the molecular mimicry theory, which describes the production of anti-ß2-glycoprotein I (GP1) antibody in response to infection. The process is complex and involves the activation of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4), which triggers a cytokine storm, followed by endothelial alterations that induce a procoagulant state.

Bone mineral density in systemic lupus erythematosus women one year after rituximab therapy.

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of rituximab on bone mineral density (BMD) in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) 1 year after treatment. Thirty active female SLE patients treated with rituximab were compared with 43 SLE women not treated with rituximab. BMD was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) before initiating biologic therapy and after 1 year. The mean age was 38.5 ± 2.1 years; median disease duration was 7 years. In the rituximab group, after 1 year of follow-up, BMD at the femoral neck (FN) decreased from 0.980 ± 0.130 g/cm(2) to 0.809 ± 0.139 g/cm(2) (-17.4%; p=0.001). Similarly, BMD at the lumbar spine (LS) decreased from 1.062 ± 0.137 g/cm(2) to 0.893 ± 0.194 g/cm(2) (-15.8%; p=0.001). In control subjects, BMD at the FN decreased from 0.914 ± 0.193 g/cm(2) to 0.890 ± 0.135 g/cm(2) (-2.6%; p=0.001), and BMD at the LS decreased from 0.926 ± 0.128 g/cm(2) to 0.867 ± 0.139 g/cm(2) (-6.2%; p=0.09). After 1 year, SLE patients had lower BMD at both the FN and LS, but the loss was greater in postmenopausal patients who had received rituximab therapy.