Development of systemic autoimmune diseases in healthy subjects persistently positive for antiphospholipid antibodies. long-term follow-up study

We longitudinally followed a single-center cohort of anti-phospholipid (aPL) positive healthy subjects to evaluate the evolution to systemic autoimmune diseases (sAD) and to describe clinical and serological associated features. Since 2010, we have consecutively screened healthy subjects who were positive, in at least two consecutive determinations, for one or more aPL [anti-Cardiolipin (aCL) IgM/IgG, anti-Beta2Glycoprotein I (aB2GPI) IgM/IgG, Lupus Anticoagulant (LA)]. All subjects were evaluated every six months, or in accordance with the patient's clinical course, in order to record the development of clinical and laboratory features suggestive for sAD. Ninety-five subjects [M/F 20/75, median age at first determination 46 years, Interquartile Range (IQR) 19] were enrolled. Thirty-three subjects (34.7%) were positive for only one aPL [15 (15.8%) for aCL, 15 (15.8%) for LA, and 5 (5.3%) for aB2GPI]; 37 (38.9%) had double positivity [32 (33.6%) for aCL and aB2GPI; 5 (5.3%) for aCL and LA], 23 (24.2%) had triple positivity. We prospectively followed up our cohort for a median period of 72 months (IQR 84). During a total follow-up of 7692 person-months, we found an absolute risk for sAD development equal to 1.8%. Specifically, 14 (14.7%) patients developed a sAD: in four patients (4.2%), after developing a thrombotic event, an antiphospholipid syndrome was diagnosed, 7 (7.4%) patients developed an Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease after a median period of 76 months (IQR 75.5), and lastly, three (3.1%) patients could be classified as affected by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus according to the ACR/EULAR 2019 criteria. The presence of triple positivity status resulted in being significantly associated with the progression to sAD (p-value = 0.03). In conclusion, we observed the development of sAD in almost 15% of aPL positive subjects. Triple positivity was significantly associated with this progression, suggesting a possible role as biomarker for this condition. Thus, our results could suggest the need for periodic follow-up for such patients to assess early diagnosis and treatment

Capability of Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy to Predict Soil Water Retention and Related Soil Properties in an Irrigated Lowland District of Southern Italy

In this study, we examined the potential of vis-NIR reflectance spectroscopy, coupled with partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis, for the evaluation and prediction of soil water retention at field capacity (FC) and permanent wilting point (PWP) and related basic soil properties [organic carbon (OC), sand, silt, and clay contents] in an agricultural irrigated land of southern Italy. Soil properties were determined in the laboratory with reference to the Italian Official Methods for Soil Analysis. Vis-NIR reflectance spectra were measured in the laboratory, using a high-resolution spectroradiometer. All soil variables, with the exception of silt, evidently affected some specific spectral features. Multivariate calibrations were performed to predict the soil properties from reflectance spectra. PLSR was used to calibrate the spectral data using two-thirds of samples for calibration and one-third for validation. Spectroscopic data were pre-processed [multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), standard normal variance (SNV), wavelet detrending (WD), first and second derivative transformation, and filtering] prior to multivariate calibration. The results revealed very good models (2.0 < RPD < 2.5) for the prediction of FC, PWP and sand, and excellent (RPD > 2.5) models for the prediction of clay and OC, whereas a poor (RPD < 1.4) prediction model was obtained for silt

Capability of Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy to Predict Soil Water Retention and Related Soil Properties in an Irrigated Lowland District of Southern Italy

first_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Capability of Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy to Predict Soil Water Retention and Related Soil Properties in an Irrigated Lowland District of Southern Italy by Antonio Pasquale Leone 1,*ORCID,Guido Leone 2,Natalia Leone 3ORCID,Ciro Galeone 3ORCID,Eleonora Grilli 4,Nadia Orefice 1 andValeria Ancona 3 1 Institute for Mediterranean Agriculture and Forest System, National Research Council (ISAFoM-CNR), via Patacca, 85, 80056 Ercolano (NA), Italy 2 Department of Science and Technology (DST), University of Sannio, via dei Mulini, 82100 Benevento, Italy 3 Water Research Institute, National Research Council (IRSA-CNR), V.le F. De Blasio, 5, 70132 Bari, Italy 4 Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Campania University Luigi Vanvitelli, via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Water 2019, 11(8), 1712; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11081712 Received: 26 June 2019 / Revised: 9 August 2019 / Accepted: 11 August 2019 / Published: 17 August 2019 (This article belongs to the Special Issue Evapotranspiration and Plant Irrigation Strategies) Download Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract In this study, we examined the potential of vis-NIR reflectance spectroscopy, coupled with partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis, for the evaluation and prediction of soil water retention at field capacity (FC) and permanent wilting point (PWP) and related basic soil properties [organic carbon (OC), sand, silt, and clay contents] in an agricultural irrigated land of southern Italy. Soil properties were determined in the laboratory with reference to the Italian Official Methods for Soil Analysis. Vis-NIR reflectance spectra were measured in the laboratory, using a high-resolution spectroradiometer. All soil variables, with the exception of silt, evidently affected some specific spectral features. Multivariate calibrations were performed to predict the soil properties from reflectance spectra. PLSR was used to calibrate the spectral data using two-thirds of samples for calibration and one-third for validation. Spectroscopic data were pre-processed [multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), standard normal variance (SNV), wavelet detrending (WD), first and second derivative transformation, and filtering] prior to multivariate calibration. The results revealed very good models (2.0 < RPD < 2.5) for the prediction of FC, PWP and sand, and excellent (RPD > 2.5) models for the prediction of clay and OC, whereas a poor (RPD < 1.4) prediction model was obtained for silt

Breastfeeding in women affected by systemic lupus erythematosus. rate, duration and associated factors

Objective: Breastfeeding is a crucial moment for both mothers and child, providing a beneficial effect on child survival, nutrition, development and on maternal health. Despite the prevalent involvement of childbearing women in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), breastfeeding is still a neglected topic. The objective of this study was to evaluate breastfeeding frequency, duration and associated factors in SLE women. Methods: We consecutively enrolled SLE pregnant women reporting demographic, clinical, serological, gynaecological and obstetric data. Breastfeeding experience was evaluated by using a specific questionnaire. Disease activity was assessed before and during pregnancy as well as during postpartum. Results: A total of 57 pregnancies in 43 SLE women were included in the present study. In almost all the pregnancies, mothers planned to breastfeed their child (96.5%) and forty-one (71.9%) actually did breastfeed. The median time of breastfeeding was 3 months (IQR 7). Non-breastfeeding women showed a more frequent caesarean section (p ¼ 0.0001), IUGR occurrence (p ¼ 0.004) and disease relapse (p ¼ 0.0001) after pregnancy. When comparing patients according with breastfeeding duration (cut-off 6 months), we found a significant more frequent smoking habitus (p ¼ 0.02), caesarean section (p ¼ 0.009), and joint involvement during postpartum (p ¼ 0.0001) in women breastfeeding for less than or equal to 6 months, together with higher median BMI (p ¼ 0.0001). Moreover, breastfeeding duration was positively associated with disease duration and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) treatment during disease history, pregnancy and postpartum. Conclusions: SLE women didn’t show lower breastfeeding rate in comparison with general population but they presented higher prevalence of early discontinuation within three months. Early interruption was positively associated with smoking, BMI, joint involvement; meanwhile disease duration and HCQ treatment during postpartum were positively associated with a longer breastfeeding duration

Silencing of a Pseudo-nitzschia arenysensis lipoxygenase transcript leads to reduced oxylipin production and impaired growth

Because of their importance as chemical mediators, the presence of a rich and varied family of lipoxygenase (LOX) products, collectively named oxylipins, has been investigated thoroughly in diatoms, and the involvement of these products in important processes such as bloom regulation has been postulated. Nevertheless, little information is available on the enzymes and pathways operating in these protists. Exploiting transcriptome data, we identified and characterized a LOX gene, PaLOX, in Pseudo-nitzschia arenysensis, a marine diatom known to produce different species of oxylipins by stereo- and regio-selective oxidation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) at C12 and C15. PaLOX RNA interference correlated with a decrease of the lipid-peroxidizing activity and oxylipin synthesis, as well as with a reduction of growth of P. arenysensis. In addition, sequence analysis and structure models of the C-terminal part of the predicted protein closely fitted with the data for established LOXs from other organisms. The presence in the genome of a single LOX gene, whose downregulation impairs both 12- and 15-oxylipins synthesis, together with the in silico 3D protein modelling suggest that PaLOX encodes for a 12/15S-LOX with a dual specificity, and provides additional support to the correlation between cell growth and oxylipin biosynthesis in diatoms

Five-years drug survival of mycophenolate mofetil therapy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. comparison between renal and non-renal involvement

Objective: The EULAR recommendations underline the use of MMF for Lupus Nephritis (LN) but also for the treatment of moderate/severe non-renal manifestations (NLN). This study aims at evaluating the 5-years drug retention rate (DRR) of MMF in a SLE cohort in a real-life scenario. Secondly, we investigated the MMF influence to control chronic damage progression. Methods: We performed a longitudinal study including all the SLE patients starting MMF in our Lupus Clinic (from 2008 to 2020). The DRR was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: We evaluated 162 SLE patients (M/F 22/140). The most frequent indications for prescribing MMF were LN (101 patients, 62.3%) and musculoskeletal manifestations (39, 24.1%) followed by NPSLE (10, 6.2%) and other manifestations (12, 7.4%). We registered a median treatment duration of 30 months (IQR 55). At 60 months follow-up we observed a DRR of 61.1% for LN patients, which was similar to that registered for patients without renal involvement (60.5%). The DRR was higher in the subgroup of patients with joint involvement (75.4%, p non-significant). During the overall observation period, 92 patients (59.2%) discontinued MMF. The main cause of withdrawal was the achievement of remission, observed in 20 patients (21.7%). Moreover, MMF resulted able to control chronic damage progression, as demonstrated by the lack of significant increase in the median SDI values (baseline: 0.6, IQR 1; last: 0.93, IQR 1). Conclusions: Our finding suggested that MMF is a safe and effective drug for SLE manifestation other than LN, especially for joint involvement. Moreover, it was able to reduce the chronic damage progression

The role of musculoskeletal ultrasound in predicting the response to JAK inhibitors. results from a monocentric cohort

Objectives: In this longitudinal study, we assessed the role of musculoskeletal ultrasound (US) in predicting the efficacy of JAK inhibitors (JAKi) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods: We enrolled RA patients starting baricitinib or tofacitinib. All patients were evaluated at baseline and after 4, 12, 24, 48 weeks. Disease activity was calculated by Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28CRP); US examination in 22 joints (I-V MCPs and PIPs, wrists) aimed at evaluating inflammatory features (synovial effusion and hypertrophy, power Doppler-PD), scored through a semi-quantitative scale (0-3). The total US (0-198) and PD (0-66) scores were calculated. We scanned bilateral flexor (I-V fingers of hands) and extensor compartments (1-6) tendons: tenosynovitis was scored as absent/present (0/1), resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 22. Results: We studied 102 patients (M/F 15/87; median age 59.2 years, IQR 17.75; median disease duration 144 months, IQR 126), 61 treated with baricitinib and 41 with tofacitinib. At baseline, the median total US score was 18 (IQR 19) and the median PD score 2 (4). We observed a significant reduction in both total and PD US scores at all time-points (p<0.0001). At baseline, 75.4% of patients showed tenosynovitis involving at least one tendon, with a median score of 2 (IQR 3.5) significantly decreasing after 24 weeks (p=0.02). At multivariate analysis, PD and tenosynovitis score significantly correlated with changes in DAS28CRP. Conclusions: The present study confirmed the early efficacy of JAKi in RA patients by using US evaluation. Furthermore, we found that power Doppler and tenosynovitis scores could play a predictive role in response to treatment

CAFFEINE INTAKE MODULATES DISEASE ACTIVITY AND CYTOKINES LEVELS IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS PATIENTS

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease mainly affecting women of childbearing age. The interplay between genetic and environmental factors may contribute to disease pathogenesis1. At today, no robust data are available about the possible contribute of diet in SLE. Caffeine, one of the most widely consumed products in the world, seems to interact with multiple components of the immune system by acting as a non-specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor2. In vitro dose-dependent treatment with caffeine seems to down-regulate mRNA levels of key inflammation-related genes and similarly reduce levels of different pro-inflammatory cytokines3. Objectives: We evaluated the impact of caffeine consumption on SLE-related disease phenotype and activity, in terms of clinimetric assessment and cytokines levels. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study, enrolling consecutive patients and reporting their clinical and laboratory data. Disease activity was assessed by SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2k)4. Caffeine intake was evaluated by a 7-day food frequency questionnaire, including all the main sources of caffeine. As previously reported, patients were divided in four groups according to the daily caffeine intake: <29.1 mg/day (group 1), 29.2-153.7 mg/day (group 2), 153.8-376.5 mg/day (group 3) and >376.6 mg/day (group 4)5. At the end of questionnaire filling, blood samples were collected from each patient to assess cytokines levels. These were assessed by using a panel by Bio-Plex assays to measure the levels of IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, IL-27, IFN-γ, IFN-α and Blys. Results: We enrolled 89 SLE patients (F/M 87/2, median age 46 years, IQR 14; median disease duration 144 months, IQR 150). The median intake of caffeine was 195 mg/day (IQR 160.5). At the time of the enrollment, 8 patients (8.9%) referred a caffeine intake < 29.1 mg/day (group 1), 27 patients (30.3%) between 29.2 and 153.7 mg/day (group 2), 45 patients (51%) between 153.8 and 376.5 mg/day (group 3) and 9 patients (10.1%) >376.6 mg/day (group 4). A negative correlation between the levels of caffeine and disease activity, evaluated with SLEDAI-2K, was observed (p=0.01, r=-0.26). By comparing the four groups, a significant higher prevalence of lupus nephritis, neuropsychiatric involvement, haematological manifestations, hypocomplementemia and anti-dsDNA positivity was observed in patients with less intake of caffeine (figure 1 A-E). Furthermore, patients with less intake of caffeine showed a significant more frequent use of glucocorticoids [group 4: 22.2%, versus group 1 (50.0%, p=0.0001), group 2 (55.5%, p=0.0001), group 3 (40.0%, p=0.009)]. Moving on cytokines analysis, a negative correlation between daily caffeine consumption and serum level of IFNγ was found (p=0.03, r=-0.2) (figure 2A); furthermore, patients with more caffeine intake showed significant lower levels of IFNα (p=0.02, figure 2B), IL-17 (p=0.01, figure 2C) and IL-6 (p=0.003, figure 2D). Conclusion: This is the first report demonstrating the impact of caffeine on SLE disease activity status, as demonstrated by the inverse correlation between its intake and both SLEDAI-2k values and cytokines levels. Moreover, in our cohort, patients with less caffeine consumption seems to have a more severe disease phenotype, especially in terms of renal and neuropsychiatric involvement. Our results seem to suggest a possible immunoregulatory dose-dependent effect of caffeine, through the modulation of serum cytokine levels, as already suggested by in vitro analysis. References: [1]Kaul et al Nat. Rev. Dis. Prim. 2016; 2. Aronsen et al Europ Joul of Pharm 2014; 3. Iris et al Clin Immun. 2018; 4. Gladman et al J Rheumatol. 2002; 5. Mikuls et al Arth Rheum 200