A Phase II, Randomized, Safety and Immunogenicity Trial of a Re-Derived, Live-Attenuated Dengue Virus Vaccine in Healthy Children and Adults Living in Puerto Rico.

This was a double-blind, randomized, controlled, phase II clinical trial, two dose study of re-derived, live-attenuated, tetravalent dengue virus (TDEN) vaccine (two formulations) or placebo in subjects 1-50 years of age. Among the 636 subjects enrolled, 331 (52%) were primed, that is, baseline seropositive to at least one dengue virus (DENV) type. Baseline seropositivity prevalence increased with age (10% [< 2 years], 26% [2-4 years], 60% [5-20 years], and 93% [21-50 years]). Safety profiles of TDEN vaccines were similar to placebo regardless of priming status. No vaccine-related serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported. Among unprimed subjects, immunogenicity (geometric mean antibody titers [GMT] and seropositivity rates) for each DENV increased substantially in both TDEN vaccine groups with at least 74.6% seropositive for four DENV types. The TDEN vaccine candidate showed an acceptable safety and immunogenicity profile in children and adults ranging from 1 to 50 years of age, regardless of priming status. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00468858.

The bio-energetic theory of carcinogenesis.

The altered energy metabolism of tumor cells provides a viable target for a non toxic chemotherapeutic approach. An increased glucose consumption rate has been observed in malignant cells. Warburg (Nobel Laureate in medicine) postulated that the respiratory process of malignant cells was impaired and that the transformation of a normal cell to malignant was due to defects in the aerobic respiratory pathways. Szent-Györgyi (Nobel Laureate in medicine) also viewed cancer as originating from insufficient availability of oxygen. Oxygen by itself has an inhibitory action on malignant cell proliferation by interfering with anaerobic respiration (fermentation and lactic acid production). Interestingly, during cell differentiation (where cell energy level is high) there is an increased cellular production of oxidants that appear to provide one type of physiological stimulation for changes in gene expression that may lead to a terminal differentiated state. The failure to maintain high ATP production (high cell energy levels) may be a consequence of inactivation of key enzymes, especially those related to the Krebs cycle and the electron transport system. A distorted mitochondrial function (transmembrane potential) may result. This aspect could be suggestive of an important mitochondrial involvement in the carcinogenic process in addition to presenting it as a possible therapeutic target for cancer. Intermediate metabolic correction of the mitochondria is postulated as a possible non-toxic therapeutic approach for cancer.

Consensus treatment plans for induction therapy of newly diagnosed proliferative lupus nephritis in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To formulate consensus treatment plans (CTPs) for induction therapy of newly diagnosed proliferative lupus nephritis (LN) in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: A structured consensus formation process was employed by the members of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance after considering the existing medical evidence and current treatment approaches. RESULTS: After an initial Delphi survey (response rate = 70%), a 2-day consensus conference, and 2 followup Delphi surveys (response rates = 63-79%), consensus was achieved for a limited set of CTPs addressing the induction therapy of proliferative LN. These CTPs were developed for prototypical patients defined by eligibility characteristics, and included immunosuppressive therapy with either mycophenolic acid orally twice per day, or intravenous cyclophosphamide once per month at standardized dosages for 6 months. Additionally, the CTPs describe 3 options for standardized use of glucocorticoids, including a primarily oral, a mixed oral/intravenous, and a primarily intravenous regimen. There was consensus on measures of effectiveness and safety of the CTPs. The CTPs were well accepted by the pediatric rheumatology providers treating children with LN, and up to 300 children per year in North America are expected to be candidates for the treatment with the CTPs. CONCLUSION: CTPs for induction therapy of proliferative LN in juvenile SLE based on the available scientific evidence and pediatric rheumatology group experience have been developed. Consistent use of the CTPs may improve the prognosis of proliferative LN, and support the conduct of comparative effectiveness studies aimed at optimizing therapeutic strategies for proliferative LN in juvenile SLE.

The lupus family registry and repository.

The Lupus Family Registry and Repository (LFRR) was established with the goal of assembling and distributing materials and data from families with one or more living members diagnosed with SLE, in order to address SLE genetics. In the present article, we describe the problems and solutions of the registry design and biometric data gathering; the protocols implemented to guarantee data quality and protection of participant privacy and consent; and the establishment of a local and international network of collaborators. At the same time, we illustrate how the LFRR has enabled progress in lupus genetics research, answering old scientific questions while laying out new challenges in the elucidation of the biologic mechanisms that underlie disease pathogenesis. Trained staff ascertain SLE cases, unaffected family members and population-based controls, proceeding in compliance with the relevant laws and standards; participant consent and privacy are central to the LFRR's effort. Data, DNA, serum, plasma, peripheral blood and transformed B-cell lines are collected and stored, and subject to strict quality control and safety measures. Coded data and materials derived from the registry are available for approved scientific users. The LFRR has contributed to the discovery of most of the 37 genetic associations now known to contribute to lupus through 104 publications. The LFRR contains 2618 lupus cases from 1954 pedigrees that are being studied by 76 approved users and their collaborators. The registry includes difficult to obtain populations, such as multiplex pedigrees, minority patients and affected males, and constitutes the largest collection of lupus pedigrees in the world. The LFRR is a useful resource for the discovery and characterization of genetic associations in SLE.

Linkage at 12q24 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is established and confirmed in Hispanic and European American families.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, complex, and systemic human autoimmune disease, with both an environmental component and a heritable predisposition. Clinical studies, reinforced by epidemiology and genetics, show impressive variation in disease severity, expression, prevalence, and incidence by ethnicity and sex. To identify the novel SLE susceptibility loci, we performed a genomewide scan with 318 markers on 37 multiplex Hispanic families, using a nonparametric penetrance-independent affected-only allele-sharing method. Three chromosomal regions (12q24, 16p13, and 16q12-21) exceeded our predetermined threshold (Zlr>2.32; nominal P<.01) for further evaluation. Suspected linkages at 12q24, 16p13, and 16q12-21 were tested in an independent data set consisting of 92 European American (EA-1) and 55 African American (AA) families. The linkage at 12q24 was replicated in EA-1 (Zlr=3.06; P=.001) but not in AA (Zlr=0.37; P=.35). Although neither the 16p13 nor the 16q12-21 was confirmed in EA-1 or AA, the suggestive linkage (Zlr=3.06; P=.001) at 16q12-21 is sufficient to confirm the significant linkage, reported elsewhere, at this location. The evidence for linkage at 12q24 in the 129 combined (Hispanic and EA-1) families exceeded the threshold for genomewide significance (Zlr=4.39; P=5.7x10-6; nonparametric LOD=4.19). Parametric linkage analyses suggested a low-penetrance, dominant model (LOD=3.72). To confirm the linkage effect at 12q24, we performed linkage analysis in another set of 82 independent European American families (EA-2). The evidence for linkage was confirmed (Zlr=2.11; P=.017). Therefore, our results have detected, established, and confirmed the existence of a novel SLE susceptibility locus at 12q24 (designated "SLEB4") that may cause lupus, especially in Hispanic and European American families.

Autoantibodies to lipoprotein lipase and dyslipidemia in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the binding of bovine lipoprotein lipase (LPL) by IgG from sera obtained from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other rheumatic diseases, and the relationship of anti-LPL to triglyceride levels in SLE. METHOD: Binding of LPL by IgG from sera obtained from patients with SLE and other rheumatic diseases was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Lipid profiles for fasting blood samples obtained from SLE patients and control subjects were determined. RESULTS: Sera obtained from 105 patients with SLE were assessed for reactivity with LPL, and 49 (47%) of the results were positive. Sera obtained from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n = 80), Sjögren's syndrome (n = 30), polymyositis and dermatomyositis (n = 30), and progressive systemic sclerosis (n = 31) were also studied, and 10 (13%), 3 (10%), 12 (40%), and 13 (42%), respectively, were positive for reactivity with LPL. It was determined that all affinity-purified anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies and 4 of 5 monoclonal anti-dsDNA antibodies bound to LPL. The binding of IgG depleted of anti-dsDNA to LPL indicates a second anti-LPL activity in SLE. Measurements of fasting lipid levels in SLE patients with anti-LPL revealed a strong positive correlation of antibody levels and total serum triglycerides, apolipoprotein B, and apolipoprotein E concentrations. CONCLUSION: Antibodies to LPL occurred in 47% of SLE patients and in a similar percentage of patients with polymyositis or systemic sclerosis. The prevalence of these antibodies was less in patients with RA or Sjögren's syndrome. It is hypothesized that the elevated triglyceride levels in SLE patients are in part attributable to anti-LPL, and this lipid abnormality could contribute to the premature atherosclerosis known to be present in patients with SLE.

Antiphospholipid antibodies in pediatrics.

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome has been associated with vascular thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, livedo reticularis, neurologic disorders, and recurrent fetal loss. The diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome is given in the presence of an elevated anticardiolipin antibody lupus anticoagulant in addition to a thrombotic event. Antiphospholipid antibodies are responsible for a majority of thrombotic events in children. These antibodies can present as a primary syndrome or secondary to other diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus. Anticoagulation therapy with heparin and low-dose aspirin is the recommended treatment in pediatric patients.

Faces of eosinophilic fasciitis in childhood.

Eosinophilic fasciitis is a rare connective tissue disease in children characterized by hardening and thickening of the skin and soft tissues, peripheral eosinophilia, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and hypergammaglobulinemia. In this study, we report three pediatric patients with eosinophilic fasciitis whose clinical presentation and response to therapy differed from those reported in the literature. All three patients were female. Two of them had Raynaud's phenomenon as an initial feature, and the third had hepatosplenomegaly. Muscle involvement with weakness was present in two patients, as documented not only by increased aldolase levels at the time of presentation but also by inflammatory changes in the muscle biopsy. Serum immunoglobulin G levels were increased only in the most severely involved patient. Peripheral eosinophilia was present in all three cases. All three patients responded well to prednisone therapy. Two patients had a uni-phasic course, and one required further therapy to control a postinfection relapse. In summary, we found that Raynaud's phenomenon and hepatosplenomegaly can be part of the spectrum of clinical manifestations of childhood eosinophilic fasciitis. Identification as eosinophilic fasciitis and not scleroderma, despite hand involvement and Raynaud's phenomenon, can suggest that the illness may be steroid responsive.