Ankylosing spondylitis and risk of venous thromboembolism: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Several immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus have been linked to an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the data on ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are limited. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies that reported odds ratio, relative risk, hazard ratio, or standardized incidence ratio comparing the risk of VTE and possible pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with AS versus non-AS participants. Pooled risk ratio and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a random-effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird. Results: Of 423 potentially relevant articles, three studies met our inclusion criteria and thus, were included in the data analysis. The pooled risk ratio of VTE in patients with AS was 1.60 (95% confidence interval: 1.05–2.44). The statistical heterogeneity of this study was high with an I2 of 93%. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated a statistically significant increased VTE risk among patients with AS

Risk of Parkinson's disease among patients with psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Patients with psoriasis might be at a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD) as a result of the detrimental effect of chronic inflammation on the neuronal tissue. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate this risk by comprehensively reviewing all available data. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort and case–control studies that reported relative risk, hazard ratio, odds ratio, or standardized incidence ratio comparing the risk of PD in patients with psoriasis versus subjects without psoriasis. Pooled risk ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using random-effect, generic inverse variance methods of DerSimonian and Laird. Results: Three retrospective studies and one case–control study met our eligibility criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled risk ratio of PD in patients with psoriasis versus participants without psoriasis was 1.38 (95% CI, 1.15–1.66). The statistical heterogeneity was low with an I2of 35%. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significant increased risk of PD among patients with psoriasis

Psoriasis and risk of celiac disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and Objectives: The possible association between psoriasis and celiac disease (CD) has long been observed, but epidemiologic studies attempting to characterize this association have yielded inconclusive results. This meta-analysis was conducted with the aims to summarize all available data. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies that reported relative risk, hazard ratio, odds ratio (OR), or standardized incidence ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) comparing the risk of CD in patients with psoriasis versus participants without psoriasis. Pooled risk ratio and 95% CI were calculated using random-effect, generic inverse-variance methods of DerSimonian and Laird. Results: Four retrospective cohort studies with 12,912 cases of psoriasis and 24,739 comparators were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled analysis demonstrated a significantly higher risk of CD among patients with psoriasis compared with participants without psoriasis with the pooled OR of 3.09 (95% CI, 1.92–4.97). Limitations: Most primary studies reported unadjusted estimated effect, raising a concern over confounders. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis demonstrated an approximately 3-fold increased risk of CD among patients with psoriasis

Systemic sclerosis and risk of venous thromboembolism: A systematic review and meta-analysis

<p><i>Background</i>. Several chronic inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory myositis, and systemic vasculitides, have been linked to an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, the data on systemic sclerosis (SSc) remains unclear.</p> <p><i>Methods</i>. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies that reported odds ratio, relative risk, hazard ratio, or standardized incidence ratio comparing risk of VTE in patients with SSc versus non-SSc participants. Pooled risk ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird.</p> <p><i>Results</i>. Out of 776 potentially relevant articles, five eligible studies were identified and included in the data analysis. The pooled risk ratio of VTE in patients with SSc was 2.51 (95% CI, 1.79–3.54). The statistical heterogeneity of this study was high with an I² of 90%.</p> <p><i>Conclusions</i>. Our study demonstrated a statistically significant increased VTE risk among patients with SSc.</p

The association between renal recovery after acute kidney injury and long-term mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

This study aimed to examine the association between renal recovery status at hospital discharge after acute kidney injury (AKI) and long-term mortality following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).We screened all adult patients who survived to hospital discharge after TAVR for aortic stenosis at a quaternary referral medical center from January 1, 2008, through June 30, 2014. An AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine level of 0.3 mg/dL or a relative increase of 50% from baseline. Renal outcome at the time of discharge was evaluated by comparing the discharge serum creatinine level to the baseline level. Complete renal recovery was defined as no AKI at discharge, whereas partial renal recovery was defined as AKI without a need for renal replacement therapy at discharge. No renal recovery was defined as a need for renal replacement therapy at discharge.The study included 374 patients. Ninty-eight (26%) patients developed AKI during hospitalization: 55 (56%) had complete recovery; 39 (40%), partial recovery; and 4 (4%), no recovery. AKI development was significantly associated with increased risk of 2-year mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 2.20 [95% CI, 1.37-3.49]). For patients with AKI, the 2-year mortality rate for complete recovery was 34%; for partial recovery, 43%; and for no recovery, 75%; compared with 20% for patients without AKI (P < .001). In adjusted analysis, complete recovery (HR, 1.87 [95% CI, 1.03-3.23]); partial recovery (HR, 2.65 [95% CI, 1.40-4.71]) and no recovery (HR, 10.95 [95% CI, 2.59-31.49]) after AKI vs no AKI were significantly associated with increased risk of 2-year mortality.The mortality rate increased for all patients with AKI undergoing TAVR. A reverse correlation existed for progressively higher risk of death and the extent of AKI recovery

Immunogenicity of the third and fourth BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 boosters and factors associated with immune response in patients with SLE and rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of third and fourth BNT162b2 boosters in patients with SLE and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods Patients with SLE and RA aged 18–65 years who completed a series of inactivated, adenoviral vector, or heterogenous adenoviral vector/mRNA vaccines for at least 28 days were enrolled. Immunogenicity assessment was done before and day 15 after each booster vaccination. The third BNT162b2 booster was administered on day 1. Patients with suboptimal humoral response to the third booster dose (antireceptor-binding domain (RBD) IgG on day 15 &lt;2360 BAU/mL) were given a fourth BNT162b2 booster on day 22.Results Seventy-one patients with SLE and 29 patients with RA were enrolled. The third booster raised anti-RBD IgG by 15-fold, and patients with positive neutralising activity against the Omicron variant increased from 0% to 42%. Patients with positive cellular immune response also increased from 55% to 94%. High immunosuppressive load and initial inactivated vaccine were associated with lower anti-RBD IgG titre. Fifty-four patients had suboptimal humoral responses to the third booster and 28 received a fourth booster dose. Although anti-RBD IgG increased further by sevenfold, no significant change in neutralising activity against the Omicron variant was observed. There were two severe SLE flares that occurred shortly after the fourth booster dose.Conclusions The third BNT162b2 booster significantly improved humoral and cellular immunogenicity in patients with SLE and RA. The benefit of a short-interval fourth booster in patients with suboptimal humoral response was unclear.Trial registration number TCTR20211220004

Interferon-Inducible Protein 10 and Disease Activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Lupus Nephritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

There is increasing evidence of a correlation between interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) and disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN). We conducted a comprehensive search on IP-10 using MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane electronic databases from the beginning to the end of December 2017. All studies that compared serum and/or urine IP-10 between active SLE/LN patients and any control groups were identified and included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The mean difference (MD) of IP-10 level among active SLE and LN patients, as well as the correlation of IP-10 with disease activity, were meta-analyzed using a random-effects model. From 23 eligible studies, 15 provided adequate data for meta-analysis. Serum IP-10 was significantly elevated in patients with active SLE compared to non-active SLE patients (MD 356.5 pg/mL, 95% CI 59.6 to 653.4, p = 0.019). On the other hand, the levels of serum IP-10 was not different between active LN and non-active LN. However, serum IP-10 was positively correlated with disease activity like SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) (pooled r = 0.29, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.35, p &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, urine IP-10 tended to be higher in patients with active LN compared to non-active LN patients but this did not reach statistical significance (MD 3.47 pg/mgCr &times; 100, 95% CI &minus;0.18 to 7.12, p = 0.06). Nevertheless, urine IP-10 was positively correlated with renal SLEDAI (pooled r = 0.29, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.50, p = 0.019). In conclusion, serum and urine IP-10 levels may be useful in monitoring the disease activity of SLE and LN. Serum IP-10 was correlated with systemic disease whereas urine IP-10 was a useful biomarker for detecting active LN

Association of frailty status with acute kidney injury and mortality after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Frailty is a common condition in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The aim of this systematic review was to assess the impact of frailty status on acute kidney injury (AKI) and mortality after TAVR.A systematic literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases from the inception through November 2016. The protocol for this study is registered with PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews; no. CRD42016052350). Studies that reported odds ratios, relative risks or hazard ratios comparing the risk of AKI after TAVR in frail vs. non-frail patients were included. Mortality risk was evaluated among the studies that reported AKI-related outcomes. Pooled risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effect, generic inverse variance method.Eight cohort studies with a total of 10,498 patients were identified and included in the meta-analysis. The pooled RR of AKI after TAVR among the frail patients was 1.19 (95% CI 0.97-1.46, I2 = 0), compared with non-frail patients. When the meta-analysis was restricted only to studies with standardized AKI diagnosis according to Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 criteria, the pooled RRs of AKI in frail patients was 1.16 (95% CI 0.91-1.47, I2 = 0). Within the selected studies, frailty status was significantly associated with increased mortality (RR 2.01; 95% CI 1.44-2.80, I2 = 58).The findings from our study suggest no significant association between frailty status and AKI after TAVR. However, frailty status is associated with mortality after TAVR and may aid appropriate patient selection for TAVR