-
Davenport Fuglsang posted an update 6 hours, 11 minutes ago
OBJECTIVES Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is frequently associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and has a large impact on the prognosis of RA, particularly among females, with an increased prevalence and severity compared with that of males. Here, we aimed to investigate the lncRNA profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from middle-aged female patients with RA-ILD to determine whether they could help diagnose RA-ILD. METHOD We collected PBMCs from middle-aged female healthy controls, and RA and RA-ILD patients, excluding those with known risk factors of RA-ILD, such as being elderly or male, smoking, and having a history of other diseases. Then, a microarray analysis was applied to profile the lncRNA and mRNA levels in 3 pairs of samples. qPCR was performed to evaluate the candidate lncRNAs from 20 participants of each group. RESULTS The expression levels of NR_002819, NR_038935, and ENST00000603415 were significantly increased in the RA-ILD group, while the expression level of ENST00000560199 was significantly decreased. As risk factors for RA-ILD, the area under the curve (AUC) values of NR_002819, NR_038935, and ENST00000603415 were 0.858, 0.704 (medium diagnostic accuracy), and 0.976 (high diagnostic accuracy), respectively. As a protective factor for RA-ILD, the AUC of ENST00000560199 was 0.853(medium diagnostic accuracy). CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of lncRNA profiles in RA-ILD. The expression levels of NR_002819 (MALAT1), NR_038935, ENST00000603415, and ENST00000560199 were significantly different in the RA-ILD group and could be potential biomarkers for the assessment and diagnosis of middle-aged female RA-ILD patients.Key Points• The expression profile of lncRNAs in PBMCs from RA-ILD patients was evaluated.• NR_002819, NR_038935, and ENST00000603415 increased in RA-ILD patients.•ENST00000560199 decreased in RA-ILD patients.• The 4 lncRNAs might be potential biomarkers for diagnosis of RA-ILD.OBJECTIVES Fatigue is a common symptom in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). However, fatigue of AS patients has not been well elucidated in China. This study aimed to evaluate the predictors of fatigue and the effects of fatigue on health-related quality of life among patients with AS. METHOD A total of 150 AS patients were involved in the study. A series of questionnaires included the following Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), the 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), and the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Independent samples t test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square analysis, Pearson/Spearman correlation, and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the data. RESULTS The results demonstrated that 48.7% individuals with AS suffered from fatigue. Binary logistic regression indicated that waist-to-hip ratio, BASDAI, and sleep disturbance were independent predictors of fatigue in AS patients. Meanwhile, severe fatigue led to lower quality of life. CONCLUSION These findings suggested that medical personnel should pay more attention to AS patients with fatigue and take effective measures to relieve fatigue.Key Points• Incidence of fatigue in AS patients is 48.7% according to this cross-sectional study.• The occurrence of fatigue was associated with higher WHR, higher BASDAI, and sleep disturbance.• We also found that the occurrence of fatigue significantly reduced the quality of life in AS patients both physically and psychologically.INTRODUCTION Ramadan intermittent fasting is observed by Muslims from sunrise to sunset and alternated with moments of re-feeding. The aims of this study were to assess the impact of Ramadan fasting on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) activity and to assess its impact on chronic medications intake in patients with rheumatic diseases. METHODS This prospective monocentric study included patients with RA or SpA who fasted during Ramadan of 2019. learn more The disease activity and the managing of chronic medications were assessed and compared between two visits the first one 6 months before starting Ramadan fasting and the second after fasting at least 7 days. RESULTS Fifty-six patients were included 36 with RA (average age 57.5 ± 10.9 years) and 20 with SpA (average age 47 ± 12.6 years). In the RA group, the Disease Activity Scores (DAS) 28 ESR, and DAS 28 CRP decreased after fasting respectively from 4.3 ± 1.3 to 3.5 ± 1.4 (p less then 0.001) and from 3.4 ± 1.2 to 2.9 ± 1.3 (p = 0.001). In the SpA group, Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Scores (ASDAS) ESR and ASDAS CRP decreased respectively from 2.3 ± 0.5 to 1.9 ± 0.7 (p = 0.039) and from 1.9 ± 0.5 to 1.8 ± 0.8 (p = 0.388). Fasting did not affect significantly either compliance with chronic medications or tolerance. CONCLUSIONS Fasting can be a possible way to induce rapid improvement of rheumatic diseases activity. In addition, patients with a specific fear of drug intake during this period can be reassured, which will enhance the adherence to treatment.Key Points• Fasting during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, consists of intermittent fasting observed from sunrise to sunset.• In this set of patients, beneficial effects of intermittent fasting were demonstrated on RA activity, but were less evident in patients with SpA despite a general trend towards improvement.• Fasting did not affect significantly either compliance with chronic medications or tolerance.People affected by mental illness often come from families with patterns of mental illness that span across generations. Hence, child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) likely provide treatment to many children with parents who also experience mental illness. The aim of this scoping review was to (1) identify the prevalence of mental illness among parents of children in CAMHS; (2) identify and appraise the methodologies that have been implemented to assess the prevalence of parental mental illness in CAMHS; (3) identify additional circumstances associated with families where both parent and child experience mental illness; and (4) present recommendations that have been made for CAMHS practice based on these findings. English language, peer-reviewed studies (2010-2018) that had investigated the mental health of parents in CAMHS were included in the review. Literature searching yielded 18 studies which were found to have utilised diverse methodologies to assess parental mental health. Overall, reported prevalence of parental mental illness ranged from 16 to 79%; however, a single study that was deemed to be comprehensive reported prevalence rates of 36% for mothers and 33% for fathers.