Hypomethylation of Notch1 DNA is associated with the occurrence of uveitis

Uveitis is a serious intra-ocular inflammatory disease that can lead to visual impairment even blindness worldwide. Notch signaling can regulate the differentiation of naive CD4⁺ T cells, influencing the development of uveitis. DNA methylation is closely related to the autoimmune diseases. In this study, we measured the Notch1 DNA methylation level, determined the Notch1 and related DNA methylases mRNA expression and evaluated the ratio of T helper type 17 regulatory T cell (Th17/T_reg ) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from uveitis patients and normal control subjects; we also tested the levels of relevant inflammatory cytokines in serum from the participants. Results indicated that compared with those in normal control individuals, the expression of ten-eleven translocation 2 (TET2) and Notch1 mRNA is elevated in uveitis patients, whereas the methylation level in Notch1 DNA promotor region [-842 ~ -646 base pairs (bp)] is down-regulated, and is unrelated to anatomical location. Moreover, the Th17/T_reg ratio is up-regulated in PBMCs from uveitis patients, accompanied by the elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines [e.g. interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-17 and interferon (IFN)-γ] in serum from uveitis patients. These findings suggest that the over-expression of TET2 DNA demethylase may lead to hypomethylation of Notch1, activate the Notch1 signaling, induce naive CD4⁺ T cells to differentiate theTh17 subset and thus disturb the balance of the Th17/T_reg ratio in uveitis patients. Overall, hypomethylation of Notch1 DNA is closely associated with the occurrence of uveitis. Our study preliminarily reveals the underlying mechanism for the occurrence of uveitis related to the hypomethylation of Notch1 DNA, providing a novel therapeutic strategy against uveitis in clinical practice.

OP0093 FREQUENCIES AND PREDICTORS OF THE LUPUS LOW DISEASE ACTIVITY STATE AND REMISSION IN TREATMENT-NAÏVE PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS -- A REAL-WORLD COHORT STUDY

Background:

After the introduction of treat-to-target strategy in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS) and definitions of remission in SLE (DORIS) were developed and validated. Several studies had demonstrated that the achievement and maintenance of LLDAS or DORIS was associated with good prognosis.

Objectives:

To evaluate the attainability of LLDAS and DORIS in a treatment-naïve cohort of SLE.

Methods:

LDAS5 was defined as LLDAS with a prednisone dose ≤5 mg/d. There were 4 definitions in DORIS: clinical remission on treatment (RONT), complete RONT, clinical remission off treatment (ROFT) and complete ROFT. The treatment-naïve patients from Peking University First Hospital SLE cohort were enrolled. The time to each state and their annual cumulative probabilities were estimated by Kaplan-Meier approach. The frequencies of patients who achieved each component of LLDAS or DORIS during follow-up were determined.

Results:

A total of 218 treatment-naïve patients were included, with a median follow-up of 4.48 years. Respectively, 190 (87.2%), 160 (73.4%), 148 (67.9%), 94 (43.1%), 23 (10.6%) and 18 (8.3%) patients achieved LLDAS, LLDAS5, clinical RONT, complete RONT, clinical ROFT and complete ROFT at least once during the follow-up time. The median time to LLDAS, LLDAS5, clinical RONT and complete RONT were 1.4, 2.3, 2.6 and 4.7 years, respectively.

Table 1.

Frequencies, time to achieve and annual cumulative probabilities of each state by Kaplan-Meier approach

StatesAchieved patientsNumber (%)Time to achieve(years)Cumulative probabilities of achievement (%)Year 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5LLDAS190 (87.2)1.418.869.786.789.192.6LLDAS5160 (73.4)2.36.940.763.376.082.3Clinical RONT148 (67.9)2.65.536.156.168.876.6Complete RONT94 (43.1)4.74.122.637.545.350.4Clinical ROFT23 (10.6)NA1.42.95.46.710.6Complete ROFT18 (8.3)NA0.92.54.84.88.8Table 2.

Patients who achieved each component of LLDAS or DORIS during follow-up

ComponentsNumber (%)SLEDAI-2K ≤4, with no activity in major organ systems (renal, central nervous system, cardiopulmonary, vasculitis, fever), and no haemolytic anaemia or gastrointestinal active213 (97.7)Clinical SLEDAI-2K =0210 (96.3)PGA ≤1217 (99.5)PGA <0.5199 (91.3)Serology (anti-dsDNA and complement) negative148 (67.9)Prednisone dose ≤7.5 mg/day201 (92.2)Prednisone dose ≤5 mg/day171 (78.4)No prednisone dose40 (18.3)No prednisone dose and Immunosuppressants32 (14.7)

Conclusion:

Our data confirmed that LLDAS is an attainable early treatment target for SLE. Though with more difficulty, RONT can be achieved in two-thirds of our patients. ROFT may not be an ideal treatment target at present as it is only attained in few patients.

References:

[1]Franklyn, K. et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2016 Sep;75(9):1615-21.

[2]van Vollenhoven, R. et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017 Mar;76(3):554-561.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

AB0376 DETERMINANTS AND PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF A LOW DISEASE ACTIVITY STATE IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS: RESULTS FROM A PROSPECTIVE CHINESE COHORT

Background:

The concept of treat to target in systemic lupus erythematosus has moved forward in recent years. The Lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) defined by the Asia-Pacific Lupus Collaboration (APLC) in 2016 has been validated prospectively in the APLC cohort itself and retrospectively in multiple other cohorts.

Objectives:

The concept of treat to target in systemic lupus erythematosus has moved forward in recent years. The Lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) defined by the Asia-Pacific Lupus Collaboration (APLC) in 2016 has been validated prospectively in the APLC cohort itself and retrospectively in multiple other cohorts. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and determinants of achieving LLDAS, and the influence of LLDAS on short term outcomes including disease flare and damage accrual in Chinese lupus patients.

Methods:

The baseline and follow-up data of all consecutive patients in a longitudinal lupus cohort from January 2017 to December 2018 were collected prospectively. SLEDAI-2K, PGA and disease flare were assessed at each follow-up visit, and further compared to the previous routine clinical visits. Irreversible disease damage was captured using the SLICC damage index and the short form (36) health survey for health-related quality of life was completed annually.

Results:

One hundred and forty-nine patients were enrolled, with the median disease duration at recruitment of 2.4 (0.9–8.2) years, and median follow-up of 15.4 (10.1-18.2) months. By the end of the study, 104 (69.8%) patients achieved LLDAS at least once; 59 patients achieved LLDAS for≥50% of observations. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age at disease onset< 30 years (OR=0.05, 95%CI [0.01-0.59], p=0.017), 24-hour urine total protein (UTP) level at recruitment (OR=0.9992, 95%CI [0.9987-0.9998], p=0.007), and C3 level (OR=1.004, 95%CI [1.001-1.008], p=0.024) had independent associations with achieving LLDAS for≥50% of all observations (Table 1). During follow-up, 56 (37.6%) patients experienced disease flare including 14 (9.4%) patients with severe flare. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed significant differences in flare rates according to whether LLDAS was achieved and the percentage follow-up time in LLDAS (Figure 1). Multivariate cox analysis revealed that the percentage time of time in LLDAS was an independent negative determinant of disease flare (HR=0.18, 95% CI [0.07-0.48], p=0.001) (Table 2). There were 16 (15.0%)/107 patients who had damage accrual after one year of follow-up. Multivariate logistic analysis showed a tendency for achieving LLDAS during follow-up being protective for damage accrual (OR=0.27, 95%CI [0.07-1.00], p=0.050).

Conclusion:

In this Chinese early disease cohort, LLDAS was an attainable goal in clinical practice. Age at onset, UTP and C3 level at recruitment influenced achievement of LLDAS. LLDAS was negatively associated with disease flare and damage accrual; this needs to be confirmed by future longer follow-up.

Acknowledgments:

The data in this cohort was collected and recorded using the framework of the lupus low disease activity status (LLDAS) study from the Asia-Pacific Lupus Collaboration (APLC).

Disclosure of Interests:

Yanjie Hao: None declared, Lanlan Ji: None declared, Dai Gao: None declared, Yong Fan: None declared, Eric F. Morand Grant/research support from: AstraZeneca, Consultant of: AstraZeneca, Speakers bureau: AstraZeneca, Mandana Nikpour: None declared, Zhuoli Zhang: None declared

AB0627 PROGNOSIS AND MORTALITY OF DERMATOMYOSITIS AND POLYMYOSITIS PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANCY

Background:

Previous studies indicate that cancers in DM/PM patients are associated with increased mortality. Hence, identifying predictors of malignancy in PM and DM is crucial. However, few large series studies have reported prognostic and predictive factors of malignancy in patients with PM and DM. Moreover, in recent years, several published studies also allow us to better understand the clinical characteristics of malignancy in PM and in DM.

Objectives:

To analyze the mortality and identify the major independent risk factors for death in patients with dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM) complicated with malignant tumor.

Methods:

The clinical data of all patients with DM/PM in Peking University First Hospital from January 2007 to Jan 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients were followed up to confirm whether they had malignant tumors. According to the statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the standard mortality (SMR) and life lost years (YLL) of patients with DM/PM were combined with malignant tumors. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the 10-year survival of DM/PM patients with malignant tumors. Cox multivariate regression was used to predict independent risk factors for DM/PM patients with malignant tumors.

Results:

A total of 334 patients with dermatomyositis and 69 patients with polymyositis were enrolled in the study. The mean age of onset was 50.5 ± 14.8 years and 48.9 ± 16.1 years, with a median follow-up of 40.6 (11.6-77.6) months. Among them, 320 patients were successfully followed up, including 69 patients with death, 46 DM/PM with malignant tumors (38 with dermatomyositis and 8 with polymyositis). The average age of onset of DM/PM patients with malignant tumors was 55.4 ± 15.1 years and 59.5 ± 4.7 years, respectively, of which 17 died. The age-sex adjusted SMR of DM/PM patients without malignant tumors was 9.0 (95% CI 6.8-11.2). The age-sex adjusted SMR of DM/PM with malignant tumors was 12.3 (95% CI 9.0-14.7). The life loss of male patients with dermatomyositis complicated with malignant tumors was 30.1 years, and that of females was 38.6 years; the life loss of male patients with polymyositis was 27.6 years, and that of females was 22.1 years. A 10-year survival analysis showed that DM/PM patients with malignant tumor had significantly worse prognosis than patients without malignancy (p=0.001 Log-rank). The 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates of DM/PM patients who did not have malignant tumors were 87.9%, 81.9%, and 78.4%, respectively. DM/PM Patients with malignant tumors 1, 5, and 10 years The survival rates were 73.3%, 56.0%, and 45.7%, respectively. The independent risk factors for death in DM/PM patients with malignant tumors were advanced age (HR=1.11 95% CI 1.02-1.20, p=0.014) and infection (HR=17.07 95% CI 1.66-175.75, p= 0.017).

Conclusion:

Malignant tumor is a common in patients with DM/PM, and the mortality of DM/PM patients with malignant tumors is high. The independent predictors of mortality for PM/DM patients with malignant tumors were age at disease onset and infection.

Acknowledgments:

We thank our patients with PM/DM participating in this study.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

AB0380 THERAPEUTIC CHOICES AND OUTCOMES IN CHINESE PATIENTS WITH SEROLOGICALLY ACTIVE CLINICALLY QUIESCENT SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Background:

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who achieved the clinical state as serologically active clinically quiescent (SACQ). It appears to account for 6–12% of all patients with SLE, but there is disagreement about whether such patients are indeed clinically stable [1-3], especially in Chinese patients. And there is no conclusion as to what kind of treatment should be taken for such patients.

Objectives:

To clarify the frequency and outcome of SACQ patients in lupus. And to identify factors associated with the flare of disease.

Methods:

Clinical data of patients diagnosed as SLE and followed in Peking University First Hospital from 2009 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. 682 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who were followed up for more than 6 months at Peking University First Hospital from January 2007 to December 2015 were summarized. SACQ was defined as an at least a 6-month period with persistent serologic activity and without clinical activity and could be taking a daily dose of prednisone or equivalent less than 7.5 mg. Serologically quiescent clinically quiescent (SQCQ) patients and serologically active clinically active (SACA) patients served as control groups. Data including demographics, initial symptoms, duration to SACQ, treatments before and after SACQ, and characteristics of the flare group were analyzed.

Results:

Of the 682 patients, 170 were SACQ patients (24.9%), 187 were SQCQ patients, and 325 were SACA patients (47.7%). SQCQ patients (38.61±15.08 years old) were older at study start than SACQ patients (38.61±15.08 years vs. 32.09±14.35 years, p<0.001), but there was no significant difference between that of SACQ and SACA patients. 56 of the 170 SACQ patients (32.9%) experienced flare. Corticosteroids (OR 1.317, 95% CI 1.131 to 1.534; p<0.001) was an independent risk factor for flare, while antimalarials (OR 0.265, 95% CI 0.118 to 0.599; p=0.001) and immunosuppressants (OR 0.316, 95% CI 0.149 to 0.670; p=0.003) were protective factors.

Conclusion:

About one third of SLE patients with SACQ experience flare, more than that of patients with SQCQ. Thus, approach to prevent relapse in SACQ patient is required. Maintenance therapy of hydroxychloroquine and immunosuppressant agents may be protective and beneficial treatment strategy in these patients need further investigation.

References:

[1]Gladman DD, Urowitz MB, Keystone EC. Serologically active clinically quiescent systemic lupus erythematosus: a discordance between clinical and serologic features. Am J Med 1979; 66:210-5.

[2]Huang WN, Tso TK, Wu HC, Yang HF, Tsay GJ. Impaired phagocytosis of apoptotic cell material in serologically active clinically quiescent patients with systemic lupus erythematosis. Int J Rheum Dis 2016; 19:1310-6.

[3]Steiman AJ, Gladman DD, Ibañez D, Urowitz MB. Prolonged serologically active clinically quiescent systemic lupus erythematosus: frequency and outcome. J Rheumatol 2010; 37:1822-7.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

AB0384 MEDICATION USE IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS – DATA FROM A MULTICENTRE COHORT STUDY

Background:

In the absence of evidence-based treatment guidelines, medication use in SLE is highly variable. Low rates of remission and lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) suggest that suboptimal responses to standard medications, which include glucocorticoids (GC), anti-malarial (AM) drugs and immunosuppressive (IS) agents, are common. Understanding the utility of current medications will facilitate the selection of patients for advanced therapies as they emerge.

Objectives:

To examine medication use patterns in a large multicentre SLE cohort.

Methods:

We used 2013-18 data from the Asia Pacific Lupus Collaboration (APLC) cohort in which disease activity (SLEDAI-2K) and medication details were captured at every visit. LLDAS was defined as in Golderet al., 2019 (1). We examined the use of medication (med) categories (GC &/or AM &/or IS) by SLE disease activity and LLDAS at the visit level. Additionally, we performed Cox regression analyses to determine the time-to-discontinuation of meds stratified by SLE disease activity, ranked by time-adjusted mean SLEDAI-2K, and by percent-time spent in LLDAS.

Results:

We analysed data from 19,804 visits of 2,860 patients. We observed 8 med categories: no meds; GC, AM or IS only; GC+AM; GC+IS; AM+IS and GC+AM+IS (triple therapy). Triple therapy was the most frequent med pattern (32%); single agents were used in 21% of visits and biologicals in only 3%. Among visits where SLEDAI-2K was ≥10, triple therapy was used in 46%, with median [IQR] GC dose 10 [6, 24] mg/day; in contrast, among visits with SLEDAI-2K≤4 triple therapy was used in 28% (p<0.01). Patients in LLDAS received less combination therapy than those who were not in LLDAS.

Med persistence (survival analysis) varied widely, with lowest survivals for IS. Patients with time-adjusted mean SLEDAI-2K ≥10 had lower discontinuation of GC and higher discontinuation of IS including azathioprine, leflunomide and cyclosporine (Table 1). In contrast, increased time in LLDAS was associated with reduced discontinuation of AM and azathioprine.

GCAMISMPhMPhAAZAMTXCyALEFOverall med survival, days to 25% discontinuation (95%CI)1048(938, 1197)1267(1113, 1428)175(175, 182)387(252, 756)409(350, 476)525(219, 686)268(182, 350)329(190, 524)Univariable associations,HR (95% CI) p-valueDisease activity≤41.001.001.001.001.001.001.001.00>4 & <100.69 (0.56,0.84)p<0.0011.15 (0.92,1.44)0.20.92 (0.80,1.05)0.21.37 (0.78,2.42)0.31.16 (0.97,1.39)0.111.11 (0.72,1.71)0.61.26 (0.90,1.77) 0.181.88 (1.07,3.30) 0.03≥100.65 (0.35,1.21) 0.181.56 (0.94,2.59) 0.080.84 (0.45,1.57)0.61.92 (0.80,4.63)0.142.69 (1.86,3.91) p<0.0011.85 (0.92,3.71) 0.082.66 (1.36,5.21) 0.0041.62 (1.13,2.32)0.009LLDAS<50%1.001.001.001.001.001.001.001.00≥50%1.30 (1.09, 1.55)0.0030.67 (0.54, 0.84)<0.0011.22 (1.08, 1.40)0.0020.83 (0.44,1.57)0.60.83 (0.69, 1.00)0.0540.70 (0.46, 1.07)0.101.29 (0.92, 1.83)0.140.43 (1.5, 1.25)0.12

Conclusion:

In a large multicentre SLE cohort, most patients were receiving combination treatment. AM treatment survival was high and associated with low disease activity, GC survival was high and associated with high disease activity, while IS survival was low. Patients with high disease activity received more medication combinations but had reduced IS survival. These data suggest ongoing unmet need for improved medications for treatment of SLE.

Reference:

Golder, V., et al Lancet Rheum. 2019 1(2):e95-102

Disclosure of Interests:

Rangi Kandane-Rathnayake Grant/research support from: The APLC has received financial (non-restricted educational) grants from AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, EMD Serono, Eli Lilly and UCB for the LLDAS Validation Study., Worawit Louthrenoo: None declared, Shue Fen Luo: None declared, Yeong-Jian Wu Consultant of: Pfizer, Lilly, Novartis, Abbvie, Roche, Speakers bureau: Lilly, Novartis, Yi-Hsing Chen Grant/research support from: Taiwan Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan Department of Health, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, National Yang-Ming University, GSK, Pfizer, BMS., Consultant of: Pfizer, Novartis, Abbvie, Johnson & Johnson, BMS, Roche, Lilly, GSK, Astra& Zeneca, Sanofi, MSD, Guigai, Astellas, Inova Diagnostics, UCB, Agnitio Science Technology, United Biopharma, Thermo Fisher, Gilead., Paid instructor for: Pfizer, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Lilly, Astra& Zeneca, Sanofi, Astellas, Agnitio Science Technology, United Biopharma., Speakers bureau: Pfizer, Novartis, Abbvie, Johnson & Johnson, BMS, Roche, Lilly, GSK, Astra& Zeneca, Sanofi, MSD, Guigai, Astellas, Inova Diagnostics, UCB, Agnitio Science Technology, United Biopharma, Thermo Fisher, Gilead., Vera Golder: None declared, Aisha Lateef: None declared, Jiacai Cho: None declared, Sandra Navarra Speakers bureau: Astellas, Novartis, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Abbvie, Leonid Zamora: None declared, Laniyati Hamijoyo Speakers bureau: Pfizer, Novartis, Tanabe, Abbot, Dexa Medica, Roche, Sargunan Sockalingam: None declared, Yuan An: None declared, Zhanguo Li: None declared, Yasuhiro Katsumata: None declared, masayoshi harigai Grant/research support from: AbbVie Japan GK, Ayumi Pharmaceutical Co., Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Co., Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd., and Teijin Pharma Ltd. MH has received speaker’s fee from AbbVie Japan GK, Ayumi Pharmaceutical Co., Boehringer Ingelheim Japan, Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Ltd., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., GlaxoSmithKline K.K., Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Oxford Immuotec, Pfizer Japan Inc., and Teijin Pharma Ltd. MH is a consultant for AbbVie, Boehringer-ingelheim, Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Teijin Pharma., Yanjie Hao: None declared, Zhuoli Zhang: None declared, Madelynn Chan: None declared, Jun Kikuchi: None declared, Tsutomu Takeuchi Grant/research support from: Eisai Co., Ltd, Astellas Pharma Inc., AbbVie GK, Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, Nippon Kayaku Co., Ltd, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, UCB Pharma, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma Corp., Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Consultant of: Chugai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Astellas Pharma Inc., Eli Lilly Japan KK, Speakers bureau: AbbVie GK, Eisai Co., Ltd, Mitsubishi-Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AYUMI Pharmaceutical Corp., Eisai Co., Ltd, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Gilead Sciences, Inc., Novartis Pharma K.K., Pfizer Japan Inc., Sanofi K.K., Dainippon Sumitomo Co., Ltd., Fiona Goldblatt: None declared, Sean O’Neill: None declared, Chetan Karyekar Shareholder of: Johnson & Johnson, Consultant of: Janssen, Employee of: Janssen Global Services, LLC. Previously, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Abbott Labs., Jennifer H. Lofland Employee of: Janssen, Sang-Cheol Bae: None declared, Chak Sing Lau: None declared, Alberta Hoi: None declared, Mandana Nikpour: None declared, Eric F. Morand Grant/research support from: AstraZeneca, Consultant of: AstraZeneca, Speakers bureau: AstraZeneca

THU0247 FREQUENCY AND PREDICTORS OF THE LUPUS LOW DISEASE ACTIVITY STATE IN CHINESE PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS: AN OBSERVATIONAL COHORT STUDY

Background:

As a consensus-based definition of minimally acceptable disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS) has been well-validated and widely accepted. However, no data about the time to LLDAS in Asian ethnicity has been reported so far.

Objectives:

To estimate the time to LLDAS and the predictors of time to LLDAS in our prospective observational cohort of Chinese patients with SLE.

Methods:

Patients were from Peking University First Hospital SLE cohort and those having not fulfilled LLDAS at enrolment were included in this study. The time to LLDAS and annual cumulative probabilities of LLDAS achievement were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier approach. The predictors of time to LLDAS were identified by univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards.

Results:

A total of 574 patients with SLE were included and 435 (75.8%) of them achieved LLDAS during a median 4.2 years of follow-up. The median time to LLDAS was 19.0 months and the cumulative probabilities at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 years were 19.8%, 57.6%, 72.0%, 85.1% and 98.0%, respectively. In multivariable Cox models, older age at disease onset, treatment-naïve and hydroxychloroquine prescription were found to be independent predictors of shorter time to LLDAS, after adjusted by daily prednisone dose, SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 and physician’s global assessment. Finally, we developed a matrix model based on the identified independent predictors to present the time to LLDAS in patients with respective characteristics.

Conclusion:

Our study proved that LLDAS is attainable as an early treatment target for SLE in Chinese patients. The older age at disease onset, treatment-naïve and hydroxychloroquine prescription were independent predictors of shorter time to LLDAS.

References:

[1]Franklyn K, Lau CS, Navarra SV, Louthrenoo W, Lateef A, Hamijoyo L, Wahono CS, Chen SL, Jin O, Morton S, Hoi A, Huq M, Nikpour M, Morand EF; Asia-Pacific Lupus Collaboration. Ann Rheum Dis. 2016 Sep;75(9):1615-21.

Table 1

Baseline variables associated with LLDAS achievement based on multivariable Cox models

CharacteristicsModel 1Model 2Model 3HR (95% CI)pvalueHR (95% CI)pvalueHR (95% CI)pvalueAge at disease onset, years1.010 (1.003-1.016)0.0051.009 (1.002-1.016)0.0101.010 (1.003-1.017)0.004Treatment-naïve1.346 (1.105-1.641)0.0031.425 (1.161-1.749)0.0011.484 (1.204-1.830)<0.001Nephritis0.776 (0.641-0.939)0.0091.066 (0.820-1.385)0.6340.925 (0.737-1.160)0.498SLEDAI0.968 (0.950-0.987)0.001PGA0.685 (0.551-0.853)0.001Daily prednisone (or equivalent) dose, mg/d1.003 (0.998-1.007)0.2661.005 (0.999-1.010)0.093HCQ1.638 (1.263-2.123)<0.0011.713 (1.318-2.225)<0.0011.664 (1.284-2.157)<0.001

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

[Menopausal symptoms and quality of life of hormone receptor positive breast cancer patients at different endocrine therapy time]

Objective: To explore the menopausal symptoms and quality of life of hormone receptor positive (HR+ ) breast cancer patients at different endocrine therapy time. Methods: The HR+ breast cancer patients who were pathologically confirmed from 2011 to 2017 in the Sichuan Cancer Hospital were divided into three groups according to endocrine therapy time (<12 months, 12~36 months, >36 months) and analyzed by a cross-sectional study. The Menopausal symptoms and quality of life of these patients were measured using the modified Kupperman scale and the functional assessment of cancer therapy-breast cancer (FACT-B) scale. The differences of menopausal symptoms among different time groups and drug groups were analyzed by Chi-square test. The differences of quality of life and the effects of menopausal symptoms on quality of life were tested by covariance and multiple linear regression analyses. Results: The average score of menopausal symptom of 167 patients was 14.5±7.6 and the prevalence rate was 87.4% (146/167). Among all of the menopausal symptoms, the prevalence rate of insomnia was the highest (73.7%, 123/167). Besides insomnia and excitement, hot flashes was more prevalent in selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) users (64.8%, 79/122) , while osteoarthritis was more prevalent in aromatase inhibitor (AI) users (62.2%, 28/45). The total score of FACT-B of Patients was 104.5±15.5, and the compliance rate was up to 89.8% (150/167). However, the condition of each dimension was different, the compliance rates of social/ family and functional dimension were lowest, which were 73.0% (122/167) and 50.9% (85/167), respectively. The menopausal symptoms of patients at different time groups were 15.0±1.3, 14.0±6.9, 14.5±7.4, respectively, and the total score of FACT-B of patients at different time groups were 102.7±17.8, 105.0±12.9, 105.6±16.7, respectively, without significant differences (both P>0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that menopausal symptoms impaired the quality of life of SERM users during the endocrine therapeutic period. The standardized regression coefficients of three time groups were -0.67, -0.30, -0.50, respectively, with the lowest effect on 12~36 months group. Conclusion: HR+ breast cancer patients will have a poor function recovery and social/ family return, who need more attention. Menopausal symptoms are common problems during endocrine therapy, and active measures should be taken to improve patients' quality of life.

All-optical inhibitory dynamics in photonic neuron based on polarization mode competition in a VCSEL with an embedded saturable absorber

An all-optical spike inhibition scheme based on polarization-mode competition (PMC) in a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with an embedded saturable absorber is proposed and investigated numerically. The inhibitory dynamics is characterized by spike amplitude and first-spike latency (FSL) for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The effects of time differences between inhibitory and excitatory inputs, inputs strengths, bias current, as well as noise on the spike amplitude and FSL are examined. The results show that a spike can be triggered in the y-polarization mode by excitatory input and can be inhibited in the presence of inhibitory input due to PMC.

Primary vs myocutaneous flap closure of perineal defects following abdominoperineal resection for colorectal disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

Perineal wound complications after abdominoperineal resection (APR) have become a major clinical challenge. Myocutaneous flap closure has been proposed in place of primary closure to improve wound healing. We conducted this comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate the current scientific evidence of primary closure vs myocutaneous flap closure of perineal defects following APR for colorectal disease.

METHODS

We systematically searched the MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases to identify all relevant studies. After data extraction from the included studies, meta-analysis was performed to compare perioperative outcomes of primary closure and myocutaneous flap closure.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies with a total of 17 913 patients (16 346 primary closure vs 1567 myocutaneous flap closure) were included. We found that primary closure was significantly associated with higher total perineal wound complications (P = 0.007), major perineal wound complications (P < 0.001) and perineal wound infection (P = 0.001). On the other hand, myocutaneous flap closure takes more operation time (P < 0.001) and increases the risk of perineal wound dehiscence (P = 0.01), deep surgical site infection (P < 0.001), enterocutaneous fistulas (P = 0.03) and return to the operating room (P = 0.0005). There were no significant differences between the two groups for other outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first systematic review with meta-analysis comparing primary closure with myocutaneous flap closure of perineal defects after APR for colorectal disease. Although taking more operation time and an increased risk of specific complications, the pooled results have validated the use of myocutaneous flaps for reducing total/major perineal wound complications. More investigations are needed to draw definitive conclusions on this dilemma.

The influence of obesity on clinical outcomes of fixed-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of obesity on the clinical outcomes and survivorship ten years postoperatively in patients who underwent a fixed-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA).

Patients and Methods

We prospectively followed 184 patients who underwent UKA between 2003 and 2007 for a minimum of ten years. A total of 142 patients with preoperative body mass index (BMI) of < 30 kg/m2 were in the control group (32 male, 110 female) and 42 patients with BMI of ≥ 30 kg/m2 were in the obese group (five male, 37 female). Pre- and postoperative range of movement (ROM), Knee Society Score (KSS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and survivorship were analyzed.

Results

Patients in the obese group underwent UKA at a significantly younger mean age (56.5 years (sd 6.4)) than those in the control group (62.4 years (sd 7.8); p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in preoperative functional scores. However, those in the obese group had a significantly lower ROM (116° (sd 15°) vs 123° (sd 17°); p = 0.003). Both groups achieved significant improvement in outcome scores regardless of BMI, ten years postoperatively. All patients achieved the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for OKS and KSS. Both groups also had high rates of satisfaction (96.3% in the control group and 97.5% in the obese group) and the fulfilment of expectations (94.9% in the control group and 95.0% in the obese group). Multiple linear regression showed a clear association between obesity and a lower OKS two years postoperatively and Knee Society Function Score (KSFS) ten years postoperatively. After applying propensity matching, obese patients had a significantly lower KSFS, OKS, and physical component score (PCS) ten years postoperatively. Seven patients underwent revision to total knee arthroplasty (TKA), two in the control group and five in the obese group, resulting in a mean rate of survival at ten years of 98.6% and 88.1%, respectively (p = 0.012).

Conclusion

Both groups had significant improvements in functional and quality-of-life scores postoperatively. However, obesity was a significant predictor of poorer improvement in clinical outcome and an increased rate of revision ten years postoperatively.

CCR6 defines a subset of activated memory T cells of Th17 potential in immune thrombocytopenia

Current researches have determined the significance of C-C chemokine receptor (CCR)6 expression as either a marker of T helper cells (Th) or an effector and regulator of T cell function. However, the roles of CCR6 in the pathogenesis of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) are unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the phenotype and functional characteristics of circulating CCR6⁺ T cells in blood from chronic ITP patients and healthy controls. We found that the frequency of CCR6⁺ CD4⁺ cells was higher in ITP patients than in healthy controls. Anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulation induced rapid expansion of CCR6⁺ CD4⁺ cells in ITP patients. CCR6⁺ CD4⁺ cells had a phenotype of activated cells and predominantly expressed CD45RO. Forkhead box protein P3 (FoxP3) and CD25-positive cells were exclusively detected within the CCR6⁺ CD4⁺ cells. In ITP patients, CCR6⁺ regulatory T cells (T_reg ) were decreased and positively correlated with platelet counts and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β plasma levels. In contrast to CCR6^- counterparts, CCR6⁺ CD4⁺ cells produced higher levels of interleukin (IL)-17A. The frequency of CCR6⁺ Th17 was higher in ITP patients and positively correlated with IL-17A levels in supernatant. Most importantly, CCR6⁺ CD4⁺ cell subpopulations, but not CCR6^- CD4⁺ , were closely correlated to treatment response of ITP patients. These findings suggest that circulating CCR6⁺ CD4⁺ cells in ITP patients have characteristics of activated memory Th17 phenotype and could be used to monitor disease activity and treatment response.