Article
Immunology
Chenxi Liu, Songxin Yan, Haizhen Chen, Ziyan Wu, Liubing Li, Linlin Cheng, Haolong Li, Yongzhe Li
Summary: This study found that the GTF2I rs117026326 and rs73366469 SNPs were strongly associated with SSc in the Chinese Han population, while NFKB1 rs1599961 showed a suggestive association with SSc. However, TYK2 rs2304256 was not significantly associated with SSc in this particular population.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Chloe Bost, Marina I. Arleevskaya, Wesley H. Brooks, Samuel Plaza, Jean-Charles Guery, Yves Renaudineau
Summary: Growing evidence suggests that the long non-coding RNA Xist expressed in female cells plays a significant role in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Xist controls transcription and sequesters miRNAs, leading to alterations in key inflammatory and proliferative pathways.
CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mariana Harris, Nandita R. Garud
Summary: We investigated the differences in adaptation between the X chromosome and autosomes in Drosophila melanogaster. Due to the male hemizygosity and unique inheritance pattern of the X chromosome, it is exposed to natural selection differently from autosomes. Our findings confirm that the proportion of hard sweeps is greater on the X chromosome compared to autosomes, as predicted by simulations.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Inmaculada Rodriguez-Martin, Gonzalo Villanueva-Martin, Alfredo Guillen-Del-Castillo, Norberto Ortego-Centeno, Jose L. Callejas, Carmen P. Simeon-Aznar, Javier Martin, Marialbert Acosta-Herrera
Summary: By using the two-sample Mendelian randomization approach, this study reveals a causal relationship between telomere length in leukocytes and systemic sclerosis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Chun Yang, Huajie Ba, Huihui Zou, Xianju Zhou
Summary: Polymorphisms in the D13S317 and D5S818 loci may be predisposing factors for schizophrenia.
BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
(2022)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Yong Qin, David H. Livingston, Zoltan Spolarics
Summary: Sex-related outcome differences in trauma remain controversial. This study aimed to elucidate the contribution of biological sex and the common X-linked IRAK1 haplotype to posttrauma clinical complications, inflammatory cytokine and chemokine production, and polymorphonuclear cell and monocyte activation. Males showed a three- to fivefold greater frequency of posttrauma sepsis, but similar mortality compared to females.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Nick Keur, Isis Ricano-Ponce, Vinod Kumar, Vasiliki Matzaraki
Summary: This review provides an overview of practical approaches to incorporate the X-chromosome in association analysis, including Genome-Wide Association Studies and Expression Quantitative Trait Loci Analysis. It emphasizes the need to use a combination of different association tests for the analysis of the X-chromosome.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Allergy
Gemma Lepri, Martina Catalano, Silvia Bellando-Randone, Serena Pillozzi, Elisa Giommoni, Roberta Giorgione, Cristina Botteri, Marco Matucci-Cerinic, Lorenzo Antonuzzo, Serena Guiducci
Summary: There is a well-known association between systemic sclerosis (SSc) and cancer, suggesting shared genetic and environmental risk factors. The use of immunosuppressive drugs in SSc may increase the risk of cancer occurrence, and certain serological features such as anti-RNA polymerase III and anti-topoisomerase I autoantibodies appear to be associated with increased cancer frequency in SSc patients. Additionally, lung fibrosis, long-standing SSc pulmonary involvement, and specific medication exposures have been linked to different types of cancer.
CLINICAL REVIEWS IN ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kuang-Tsu Yang, James Cheng-Chung Wei, Renin Chang, Chi-Chien Lin, Hsin-Hua Chen
Summary: This nationwide study revealed an association between newly diagnosed systemic sclerosis and previous history of appendicitis. Furthermore, the risk of developing SSc was also significantly associated with Charlson comorbidity index >=1 and periodontal disease.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jhemerson Paes, George A. Silva, Andrea M. Tarrago, Lucivana P. de Souza Mourao
Summary: The GGCC haplotype 46/1 is strongly associated with the development of BCR-ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). It is also a factor that increases the risk of familial MPNs by more than five times. The haplotype is associated with inflammatory dysregulation, splenomegaly, and other characteristics of MPNs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Elnaz Naderi, Diana M. M. Cornejo-Sanchez, Guangyou Li, Isabelle Schrauwen, Gao T. T. Wang, Andrew T. T. Dewan, Suzanne M. M. Leal
Summary: This study identified genetic variants on the X chromosome associated with age-related hearing loss (ARHL) through data analysis from the UK Biobank. Three loci were found to be significantly associated with ARHL, with two loci showing significance in both males and females and one locus showing significance in males only. The study suggests that the contribution of the X chromosome to the etiology of ARHL may be limited.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mayank N. K. Choudhary, Kara Quaid, Xiaoyun Xing, Heather Schmidt, Ting Wang
Summary: Transposable elements (TEs), previously considered as junk DNA, contribute to species-specific 3D-genome structure by providing binding sites for CTCF protein. These elements play a role in gene regulation during mammalian evolution.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Sabrina Hoa, Selma Lazizi, Murray Baron, Mianbo Wang, Marvin J. Fritzler, Marie Hudson
Summary: There is an association between cancer and specific autoantibodies in SSc patients, with increased cancer risk in patients positive for anti-topoisomerase I and anti-U1-RNP antibodies. However, synchronous cancer is rare in this cohort of Canadian SSc patients.
Article
Dermatology
Zhixing Jiang, Chen Chen, Sen Yang, Hang He, Xiaoxia Zhu, Minrui Liang
Summary: The chemokine CXCL4 is associated with anti-angiogenic properties and plays a role in systemic sclerosis (SSc) related pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Elevated levels of circulating CXCL4 were found in SSc patients and correlated with peripheral vasculopathy, with potential effects on endothelial cell dysfunction and angiogenesis. The study suggests that CXCL4 may contribute to peripheral vasculopathy in SSc through downregulating Fli-1 via c-Abl signaling in endothelial cells.
JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Liticia Chikhoune, Thierry Brousseau, Sandrine Morell-Dubois, Meryem Maud Farhat, Helene Maillard, Emmanuel Ledoult, Marc Lambert, Cecile Yelnik, Sebastien Sanges, Vincent Sobanski, Eric Hachulla, David Launay
Summary: This study aimed to assess the association of routine laboratory parameters with the severity and progression of systemic sclerosis (SSc). The results showed that certain routine laboratory parameters were associated with different clinical presentations and outcomes of SSc.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Michael Hughes, Suiyuan Huang, Juan Jose Alegre-Sancho, Patricia E. Carreira, Merete Engelhart, Eric Hachulla, Joerg Henes, Eduardo Kerzberg, Maria Rosa Pozzi, Gabriela Riemekasten, Vanessa Smith, Gabriella Szucs, Marie Vanthuyne, Elisabetta Zanatta, Oliver Distler, Armando G. Gabrielli, Anna-Maria Hoffmann-Vold, Virginia D. Steen, Dinesh Khanna
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of late skin fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The study found that late skin fibrosis is not uncommon in SSc, and different patterns of development exist among patients. Patients with lower baseline mRSS and lcSSc are more likely to develop late skin fibrosis. Anti-Scl-70 is associated with progression from lcSSc to dcSSc, while anticentromere antibodies have a protective effect.
Article
Rheumatology
Cosimo Bruni, Mariaelena Occhipinti, Michael Pienn, Gianna Camiciottoli, Maurizio Bartolucci, Silvia Laura Bosello, Christian Payer, Zoltan Balint, Anna Rita Larici, Alessandra Tottoli, Lorenzo Tofani, Enrico De Lorenzis, Gemma Lepri, Silvia Bellando-Randone, Amelia Spinella, Dilia Giuggioli, Francesco Masini, Giovanna Cuomo, Federico Lavorini, Stefano Colagrande, Horst Olschewski, Marco Matucci-Cerinic
Summary: Recent advancements have made it possible to quantitatively assess lung vascular and parenchymal changes in thoracic CT images using automated software tools. In this study, the researchers investigated the vessel parameters of patients with SSc and correlated them with interstitial lung disease (ILD) features. The results showed that the CT vessel parameters increased in parallel with ILD extent and functional impairment, suggesting that they may serve as a biomarker of SSc-ILD severity.
Article
Rheumatology
Yann Nguyen, Cecile M. Yelnik, Nathalie Morel, Romain Paule, Romain Stammler, Leo Placais, Karim Sacre, Bertrand Godeau, Helene Maillard, David Launay, Sandrine Morell-Dubois, Anastasia Dupre, Guillaume Lefevre, Cecile Devloo, Virginie Dufrost, Ygal Benhamou, Herve Levesque, Gaelle Leroux, Jean-Charles Piette, Luc Mouthon, Eric Hachulla, Marc Lambert, Veronique Le Guern, Nathalie Costedoat-Chalumeau
Summary: This study used unsupervised clustering analysis to identify four homogeneous phenotypic subgroups among APS patients, primarily involving venous, arterial, SLE or other autoimmune disease-associated, and arterial microthrombotic phenotypes. These findings may be explained by heterogeneous pathophysiological mechanisms.
Article
Rheumatology
Michele Iudici, Denis Mongin, Elise Siegert, Patricia E. Carreira, Joerg Distler, Joerg Henes, Elisabetta Zanatta, Eric Hachulla, Giacomo De Luca, Carolina de Souza Mueller, Tania Santiago, Jose-Luis Tandaipan, Breno Valdetaro Bianchi, Maria De Santis, Anna-Maria Hoffmann-Vold, Armando Gabrielli, Oliver Distler, Delphine Sophie Courvoisier
Summary: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of long-term exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) among SSc patients and identify factors associated with prescribing practices over time and across countries. The results showed that the utilization of GCs is widespread and long-term in SSc patients, with significant variations between countries and within-country. However, there has been a gradual decrease in their utilization.
Article
Rheumatology
Alain Lescoat, Doerte Huscher, Nils Schoof, Paolo Airo, Jeska De Vries-Bouwstra, Gabriela Riemekasten, Eric Hachulla, Andrea Doria, Edoardo Rosato, Nicolas Hunzelmann, Carlomaurizio Montecucco, Armando Gabrielli, Anna-Maria Hoffmann-Vold, Oliver Distler, Jennifer Ben Shimol, Maurizio Cutolo, Yannick Allanore
Summary: The prevalence and characteristics of SSc-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) vary between geographical regions. This study aimed to explore the differences in prevalence, phenotype, treatment, and prognosis in patients with SSc-ILD from different regions in the EUSTAR database. The results showed significant variations in clinical characteristics, survival rates, and treatment approaches among different regions.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Mirna Andelic, Erika Salvi, Stefania Marcuzzo, Margherita Marchi, Raffaella Lombardi, Daniele Cartelli, Daniele Cazzato, Elkadia Mehmeti, Andrea Gelemanovic, Matilde Paolini, Carlotta Pardo, Ilaria D'Amato, Janneke G. J. Hoeijmakers, Sulayman Dib-Hajj, Stephen G. Waxman, Catharina G. Faber, Giuseppe Lauria
Summary: Personalized management of neuropathic pain is a clinical need that has not been fulfilled due to various factors. Recent studies on microRNA have provided insights into pain-related mechanisms and identified potential drug candidates. By generating a molecular profile of the epidermis in patients with sodium channel-related painful neuropathy, the researchers identified specific miRNAs and mRNA targets that are involved in peripheral sensory transduction and modulation. The findings suggest a complex interaction between epidermal cells and axons in neuropathy pain. This targeted molecular profiling could advance personalized medicine for neuropathic pain.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Betul Toprak, Stephanie Brandt, Jan Brederecke, Francesco Gianfagna, Julie K. K. Vishram-Nielsen, Francisco M. Ojeda, Simona Costanzo, Christin S. Borschel, Stefan Soderberg, Ioannis Katsoularis, Stephan Camen, Erkki Vartiainen, Maria Benedetta Donati, Jukka Kontto, Martin Bobak, Ellisiv B. Mathiesen, Allan Linneberg, Wolfgang Koenig, Maja-Lisa Lochen, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Stefan Blankenberg, Giovanni de Gaetano, Kari Kuulasmaa, Veikko Salomaa, Licia Iacoviello, Teemu Niiranen, Tanja Zeller, Renate B. Schnabel
Summary: The study aims to find reliable circulating predictors for incident atrial fibrillation (AF) using classical regressions and machine learning techniques. Fourteen routinely available biomarkers reflecting different pathophysiological pathways were examined in relation to incident AF. NT-proBNP was identified as the strongest blood-based predictor of incident AF.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Kausik K. Ray, Frederick J. Raal, David G. Kallend, Mark J. Jaros, Wolfgang Koenig, Lawrence A. Leiter, Ulf Landmesser, Gregory G. Schwartz, David Lawrence, Andrew Friedman, Lorena Garcia Conde, R. Scott Wright
Summary: Exploratory findings from the ORION trials suggest that treatment with inclisiran is associated with reductions in major cardiovascular events, providing potential cardiovascular benefits.
EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qiuling Dong, Sidra Sidra, Christian Gieger, Rui Wang-Sattler, Wolfgang Rathmann, Cornelia Prehn, Jerzy Adamski, Wolfgang Koenig, Annette Peters, Harald Grallert, Sapna Sharma
Summary: Obesity is closely related to insulin resistance and diabetes, but the specific molecular mechanism that links these conditions remains unclear. This study analyzed the metabolomic profiles of a cohort of 1715 participants and found significant associations between certain metabolites and both obesity and type 2 diabetes. Further analysis suggested that lipids such as sphingomyelin and diacylphosphatidylcholine may mediate the effect of obesity on diabetes. Additionally, genetic research and experiments with mice supported the hypothesis that changes in sphingolipid and phosphatidylcholine metabolism contribute to the development of early-stage type 2 diabetes.
Article
Immunology
Cloe Comarmond, Elodie Drumez, Julien Labreuche, Eric Hachulla, Thierry Thomas, Rene-Marc Flipo, Raphaelle Seror, Jerome Avouac, Nathalie Balandraud, Renaud Desbarbieux, Renaud Felten, Melanie Gilson, Marie-Hlene Guyot, Ambre Hittinger-Roux, Thao Pham, Myriam Renard, Nicolas Roux, Vincent Sobanski, Anne Tournadre, Christophe Richez, Patrice Cacoub
Summary: This study investigated whether RMD patients receiving anti-IL6 therapy have less severe forms of COVID-19 and better outcomes. Retrospective analysis of the French RMD COVID-19 cohort data showed that the severity of COVID-19 was lower in the anti-IL6 group, but there were no significant differences in the evolution of COVID-19 between the groups.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL AUTOIMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Anesthesiology
Margherita Marchi, Erika Salvi, Mirna Andelic, Elkadia Mehmeti, Ilaria D'Amato, Daniele Cazzato, Federica Chiappori, Raffaella Lombardi, Daniele Cartelli, Grazia Devigili, Eleonora Dalla Bella, Monique Gerrits, Rowida Almomani, Rayaz A. Malik, Milena Sleczkowska, Anna Mazzeo, Luca Gentile, Sulayman Dib-Hajj, Stephen G. Waxman, Catharina G. Faber, Eleonora Vecchio, Marina de Tommaso, Giuseppe Lauria
Summary: This study aimed to identify rare variants associated with chronic neuropathic pain and nociplastic pain by conducting next-generation sequencing and gene-wise aggregation analysis. TRPA1 was found to be the most significant gene, with the frequency of rare variants significantly differentiating chronic pain patients from healthy controls. The study expands the understanding of channelopathy-related chronic pain disorders and contributes to personalized therapies based on patients' molecular profiles.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Paul M. Haller, Alina Gossling, Christina Magnussen, Hermann Brenner, Ben Schoettker, Licia Iacoviello, Simona Costanzo, Frank Kee, Wolfgang Koenig, Allan Linneberg, Chaterina Sujana, Barbara Thorand, Veikko Salomaa, Teemu J. Niiranen, Stefan Soederberg, Henry Voelzke, Marcus Doerr, Susana Sans, Teresa Padro, Stephan B. Felix, Matthias Nauck, Astrid Petersmann, Luigi Palmieri, Chiara Donfrancesco, Roberto De Ponti, Giovanni Veronesi, Marco M. Ferrario, Kari Kuulasmaa, Tanja Zeller, Francisco M. Ojeda, Stefan Blankenberg, Dirk Westermann
Summary: This study demonstrates the role of cardiac biomarkers in predicting cardiovascular events and death in both general population and individuals with known diabetes. The findings suggest that these biomarkers can help identify individuals at highest risk for cardiovascular events and improve early identification of high-risk individuals. Therefore, they should be considered for routine risk assessment and can enhance the initiation of preventive therapies.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Anna -Maria Hoffmann-Vold, Cathrine Brunborg, Paolo Airo, Lidia P. Ananyeva, Laszlo Czirjak, Serena Guiducci, Eric Hachulla, Mengtao Li, Carina Mihai, Gabriela Riemekasten, Petros P. Sfikakis, Gabriele Valentini, Otylia Kowal-Bielecka, Yannick Allanore, Oliver Distler
Summary: This study aimed to test whether enrichment strategies from clinical trials for progressive systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) affect efficacy, representativeness, and feasibility. The researchers applied the inclusion criteria of major recent SSc-ILD trials to patients with SSc-ILD from the European Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) database. The results showed that patient populations that fulfilled different study inclusion criteria significantly differed in various clinical parameters, and the application of enrichment criteria did not have a significant impact on ILD progression.
Meeting Abstract
Rheumatology
Louai Zaidan, Noemie Le Gouellec, Eric Hachulla, Luc Mouthon, Francois Jerome Authier
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
E. Gremese, Francesco Ciccia, Carlo Selmi, Giovanna Cuomo, Rosario Foti, Marco Matucci-Cerinic, Fabrizio Conti, Enrico Fusaro, Giuliana Guggino, Florenzo Iannone, Andrea Delle Sedie, Roberto Perricone, Luca Idolazzi, Paolo Moscato, Elke Theander, Wim Noel, Paul Bergmans, Silvia Marelli, Laure Gossec, Josef S. Smolen
Summary: This study compared the real-world persistence, effectiveness, and tolerability of ustekinumab and TNFi in PsA patients. The results showed that ustekinumab had better persistence than TNFi, overall and in specific subgroups. After one year of treatment, both ustekinumab and TNFi showed similar effectiveness.
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)