| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Lertratanakul, Apinya, et al.
(author)
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25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Cardiovascular Disease in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Data From a Large International Inception Cohort
- 2014
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In: Arthritis Care and Research. - : Wiley. - 2151-4658 .- 2151-464X. ; 66:8, s. 1167-1176
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective. An association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[ OH] D; vitamin D) deficiency and increased cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and CV disease (CVD) has been shown in general population studies. Vitamin D deficiency has been noted in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and CVD is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in SLE. The objectives of this study were to estimate the associations of 25(OH) D levels with CV risk factors and to determine whether low baseline 25(OH) D levels predict future CV events in patients participating in an international inception cohort. Methods. Data were collected on 890 participants, including demographics, SLE activity and damage assessments, CV risk factors and events, medications, laboratory assessments of 25(OH) D levels, and inflammatory markers. Multiple logistic and Cox regressions were used to estimate the associations of baseline 25(OH) D levels with baseline CV risk factors and CVD events. The models were adjusted for age, sex, race, season, and country, with and without body mass index. Results. Patients in the higher quartiles of 25(OH) D were less likely to have hypertension and hyperlipidemia and were more likely to have lower C-reactive protein levels and lower Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 scores at baseline when compared with the first quartile. Vitamin D levels were not independently associated with CVD event incidence; however, hazard ratios for CVD event incidence decreased with successively higher quartiles. Conclusion. Lower baseline 25(OH) D levels are associated with higher risk for CV risk factors and more active SLE at baseline. There may be a trend toward a lower likelihood of CVD events in those with higher baseline 25(OH) D levels.
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| 13. |
- Lu, Mary, et al.
(author)
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Non-Lymphoma Hematological Malignancies in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
- 2013
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In: Oncology. - : S. Karger AG. - 1423-0232 .- 0030-2414. ; 85:4, s. 235-240
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To describe non-lymphoma hematological malignancies in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: A large SLE cohort was linked to cancer registries. We examined the types of non-lymphoma hematological cancers. Results: In 16,409 patients, 115 hematological cancers [including myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)] occurred. Among these, 33 were non-lymphoma. Of the 33 non-lymphoma cases, 13 were of lymphoid lineage: multiple myeloma (n = 5), plasmacytoma (n = 3), B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL; n = 3), precursor cell lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 1) and unspecified lymphoid leukemia (n = 1). The remaining 20 cases were of myeloid lineage: MDS (n = 7), acute myeloid leukemia (AML; n = 7), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML; n = 2) and 4 unspecified leukemias. Most of these malignancies occurred in female Caucasians, except for plasma cell neoplasms (4/5 multiple myeloma and 1/3 plasmacytoma cases occurred in blacks). Conclusions: In this large SLE cohort, the most common non-lymphoma hematological malignancies were myeloid types (MDS and AML). This is in contrast to the general population, where lymphoid types are 1.7 times more common than myeloid non-lymphoma hematological malignancies. Most (80%) multiple myeloma cases occurred in blacks; this requires further investigation. (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel
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| 14. |
- Parker, Ben, et al.
(author)
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Clinical associations of the metabolic syndrome in systemic lupus erythematosus: data from an international inception cohort
- 2013
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In: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. - : BMJ. - 1468-2060 .- 0003-4967. ; 72:8, s. 1308-1314
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background The metabolic syndrome (MetS) may contribute to increased cardiovascular risk in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We aimed to examine the association of demographic factors, lupus phenotype and therapy exposure with the presence of MetS. Methods The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics Registry for Atherosclerosis inception cohort enrolled recently diagnosed (<15months) SLE patients from 30 centres across 11 countries from 2000. Clinical, laboratory and therapeutic data were collected according to a standardised protocol. MetS was defined according to the 2009 consensus statement from the International Diabetes Federation. Univariate and backward stepwise multivariate logistic regression were used to assess the relationship of individual variables with MetS. Results We studied 1686 patients, of whom 1494 (86.6%) had sufficient data to determine their MetS status. The mean (SD) age at enrolment and disease duration was 35.2years (13.4) and 24.1weeks (18.0), respectively. MetS was present at the enrolment visit in 239 (16%). In backward stepwise multivariable regression analysis, higher daily average prednisolone dose (mg) (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.03), older age (years) (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.06), Korean (OR 6.33, 95% CI 3.68 to 10.86) and Hispanic (OR 6.2, 95% CI 3.78 to 10.12) ethnicity, current renal disease (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.80) and immunosuppressant use (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.78) were associated with MetS. Conclusions Renal lupus, higher corticosteroid doses, Korean and Hispanic ethnicity are associated with MetS in SLE patients. Balancing disease control and minimising corticosteroid exposure should therefore be at the forefront of personalised treatment decisions in SLE patients.
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| 15. |
- Petri, Michelle, et al.
(author)
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Derivation and validation of the systemic lupus international collaborating clinics classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus
- 2012
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In: Arthritis and Rheumatism. - : Wiley. - 1529-0131 .- 0004-3591. ; 64:8, s. 2677-2686
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) group revised and validated the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) classification criteria in order to improve clinical relevance, meet stringent methodology requirements, and incorporate new knowledge regarding the immunology of SLE. Methods The classification criteria were derived from a set of 702 expert-rated patient scenarios. Recursive partitioning was used to derive an initial rule that was simplified and refined based on SLICC physician consensus. The SLICC group validated the classification criteria in a new validation sample of 690 new expert-rated patient scenarios. Results Seventeen criteria were identified. In the derivation set, the SLICC classification criteria resulted in fewer misclassifications compared with the current ACR classification criteria (49 versus 70; P = 0.0082) and had greater sensitivity (94% versus 86%; P < 0.0001) and equal specificity (92% versus 93%; P = 0.39). In the validation set, the SLICC classification criteria resulted in fewer misclassifications compared with the current ACR classification criteria (62 versus 74; P = 0.24) and had greater sensitivity (97% versus 83%; P < 0.0001) but lower specificity (84% versus 96%; P < 0.0001). Conclusion The new SLICC classification criteria performed well in a large set of patient scenarios rated by experts. According to the SLICC rule for the classification of SLE, the patient must satisfy at least 4 criteria, including at least one clinical criterion and one immunologic criterion OR the patient must have biopsy-proven lupus nephritis in the presence of antinuclear antibodies or antidouble-stranded DNA antibodies.
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| 16. |
- Pinto, Dalila, et al.
(author)
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Convergence of Genes and Cellular Pathways Dysregulated in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- 2014
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In: American journal of human genetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1537-6605 .- 0002-9297. ; 94:5, s. 677-694
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Rare copy-number variation (CNV) is an important source of risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). We analyzed 2,446 ASD-affected families and confirmed an excess of genic deletions and duplications in affected versus control groups (1.41-fold, p = 1.0× 10(-5)) and an increase in affected subjects carrying exonic pathogenic CNVs overlapping known loci associated with dominant or X-linked ASD and intellectual disability (odds ratio = 12.62, p = 2.7× 10(-15), ∼3% of ASD subjects). Pathogenic CNVs, often showing variable expressivity, included rare de novo and inherited events at 36 loci, implicating ASD-associated genes (CHD2, HDAC4, and GDI1) previously linked to other neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as other genes such as SETD5, MIR137, and HDAC9. Consistent with hypothesized gender-specific modulators, females with ASD were more likely to have highly penetrant CNVs (p = 0.017) and were also overrepresented among subjects with fragile X syndrome protein targets (p = 0.02). Genes affected by de novo CNVs and/or loss-of-function single-nucleotide variants converged on networks related to neuronal signaling and development, synapse function, and chromatin regulation.
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| 17. |
- Pinto, Dalila, et al.
(author)
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Functional impact of global rare copy number variation in autism spectrum disorders.
- 2010
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 466:7304, s. 368-372
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of conditions characterized by impairments in reciprocal social interaction and communication, and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviours. Individuals with an ASD vary greatly in cognitive development, which can range from above average to intellectual disability. Although ASDs are known to be highly heritable ( approximately 90%), the underlying genetic determinants are still largely unknown. Here we analysed the genome-wide characteristics of rare (<1% frequency) copy number variation in ASD using dense genotyping arrays. When comparing 996 ASD individuals of European ancestry to 1,287 matched controls, cases were found to carry a higher global burden of rare, genic copy number variants (CNVs) (1.19 fold, P = 0.012), especially so for loci previously implicated in either ASD and/or intellectual disability (1.69 fold, P = 3.4 x 10(-4)). Among the CNVs there were numerous de novo and inherited events, sometimes in combination in a given family, implicating many novel ASD genes such as SHANK2, SYNGAP1, DLGAP2 and the X-linked DDX53-PTCHD1 locus. We also discovered an enrichment of CNVs disrupting functional gene sets involved in cellular proliferation, projection and motility, and GTPase/Ras signalling. Our results reveal many new genetic and functional targets in ASD that may lead to final connected pathways.
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| 18. |
- Silander, Daniel, 1972-, et al.
(author)
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Benchmarking Homeland Security Education
- 2011
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In: the Euro-American Conference for Academic Disciplines, 21-24 June 2011, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract: Researchers from the University of Central Missouri, Virginia Commonwealth University, Northumbria University (United Kingdom) and Linnaeus University (Sweden) joined for a policy oriented measures project funded by a grant from the EU-US Atlantis Program. This project has been examining Homeland Security academic provision within the US and EU. The study’s goals focus on developing benchmarks and assessing core areas within the Homeland Security related curricula. This paper will present preliminary findings that examine definitional and conceptual differences on Homeland Security provision both between the EU and US and within these two regions. Amidst frequent calls for closing the gap between security services and academia, these findings could have an impact on establishing specific benchmarks for “homeland security” specific academic programs. In the US context these academic programs reflect a post 9-11 government restructuring that has not occurred to the same extent in either the governmental or academic institutions within the EU.
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| 19. |
- Silander, Daniel, 1972-, et al.
(author)
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Benchmarking Homeland Security Education in the EU and the US
- 2011
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In: The Fifth Annual Homeland Defense and Security Education.
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract: Researchers from the University of Central Missouri, Virginia Commonwealth University, Northumbria University (United Kingdom) and Linnaeus University (Sweden) joined for a policy oriented measures project funded by a grant from the EU-US Atlantis Program. This project has been examining Homeland Security academic provision within the US and EU. The study’s goals focus on developing benchmarks and assessing core areas within the Homeland Security related curricula. This paper will present preliminary findings that examine definitional and conceptual differences on Homeland Security provision both between the EU and US and within these two regions. Amidst frequent calls for closing the gap between security services and academia, these findings could have an impact on establishing specific benchmarks for “homeland security” specific academic programs. In the US context these academic programs reflect a post 9-11 government restructuring that has not occurred to the same extent in either the governmental or academic institutions within the EU.
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| 20. |
- Silander, Daniel, 1972-, et al.
(author)
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Developing a Transatlantic Understanding in Homeland Security Academic Education Provision
- 2011
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In: ISA Annual Convention 16 mars 2011.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract: At the dawn of the 21st century it is widely recognised that transnational terrorism can pose a major challenge to the security of nation-state. To manage this challenge, multi-agency collective efforts, beyond those at the domestic level, are needed. Though since 2001 there has been an invigoration of national security efforts, any multinational security efforts will be successful only if there is a shared understanding of the domestic and multilateral institutional architectures, both existing and needed, to combat terrorism and respond to man-made or natural catastrophic events The academic communities on both sides of the Atlantic have taken notice of the need for academic research and instruction in a Homeland Security (HS) based curriculum, but have responded differently to how this might best be achieved. US universities have largely developed entire HS academic programmes, but this has not been replicated in the European Union. Building upon a paper delivered at the 2010 ISA annual convention, this paper will examine the data that has been generated for a research project funded by the EU/US Atlantis Programme. This project analyses HS education provision in the US and EU, and will compare curricular coverage of comparative and international issues in homeland security.
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