THU0010 GENES ASSOCIATED WITH NUCLEOTIDE OLIGOMERIZATION DOMAIN-LIKE RECEPTOR SIGNALING PATHWAY ARE UPREGULATED IN CUTANEOUS LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS

Background:

Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (CLE) is a disfiguring autoimmune skin disorder with several subtypes: discoid lupus, subacute cutaneous lupus, and acute cutaneous lupus. CLE is associated with defects in the adaptive immune system, and, at times, systemic involvement. The innate immune system is likely involved as seen in the presence of interface dermatitis, which is observed in viral exanthems, and improvement of CLE using inhibitors to membrane-bound Pattern Recognition Receptors.

Objectives:

Compare the expression of genes associated with the innate immune system in active CLE skin lesions of different subtypes compared to normal skin controls.

Methods:

Five datasets selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were analyzed using GEO2R to compare the gene expressions between different subtypes of CLE. Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database, Gene Card, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Pathway analysis were used to identify the interaction and function of specific genes.

Results:

There were a total of 147 CLE skin samples and 52 normal controls. Genes associated with the Nucleotide-Binding Oligomerization Domain-Like Receptor (NLR) signaling pathway were upregulated in CLE skin samples (adjusted p-value < 0.001). Five genes associated with the NLR signaling pathway, STAT1, OAS1, OAS2, OAS3, and AIM2, were found to be upregulated in skin samples of CLE patients in all datasets, regardless of type, compared to normal controls in all datasets. These five genes are associated with transcription activation, regulation of viral infection, and interferon response.

Conclusion:

Genes associated with the NLR signaling pathway are upregulated in the skin lesions of CLE patients compared to normal controls, supporting the role of the innate immune system in CLE. Further validation studies using experimental methods are needed.

References:

[1]Enhanced inflammasome activity in systemic lupus erythematosus is mediated via type I interferon upregulation of interferon regulatory factor 1. Liu J, et al. Arth Rheum. 2017; 69(9): 1840-1849.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Effects of obesity on health-related quality of life in juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the effects of obesity on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures in juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE).

METHODS

Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 95 th percentile according to the Sex-specific Center for Disease Control BMI-For-Age Charts and determined in a multicenter cohort of jSLE patients. In this secondary analysis, the domain and summary scores of the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) Inventory and the Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ) of obese jSLE patients were compared to those of non-obese jSLE patients as well as historical obese and non-obese healthy controls. Mixed-effects modeling was performed to evaluate the relationship between obesity and HRQOL measures.

RESULTS

Among the 202 jSLE patients, 25% (n = 51) were obese. Obesity had a significant negative impact on HRQOL in jSLE, even after adjusting for differences in current corticosteroid use, disease activity, disease damage, gender and race between groups. Obese jSLE patients had lower physical functioning compared to non-obese jSLE patients, and to non-obese and obese healthy controls. Compared to their non-obese counterparts, obese jSLE patients also had worse school functioning, more pain, worse social functioning and emotional functioning. Parents of obese jSLE patients worry more. The CHQ scores for obese jSLE patients were also worse compared to non-obese jSLE patients in several other domains.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates the detrimental effects of obesity on patient-reported outcomes in jSLE. This supports the importance of weight management for the therapeutic plan of jSLE.

The Australian National Standard for rail workers five years on

BACKGROUND

Following the introduction of the National Standard for Health Assessment of Rail Safety Workers, RailCorp train drivers were found to have levels of obesity and hypertension greater than the Australian population prevalence. Cardiovascular risk factors and conditions were the most prevalent health issue and had the greatest impact on fitness for duty.

AIMS

To determine whether there has been a change in the prevalence of health conditions in train drivers 5 years after the introduction of the Standard.

METHODS

A file review was conducted of all RailCorp drivers and driver recruits assessed between 1 February 2009 and 31 January 2010.

RESULTS

The files of 1094 subjects were reviewed. The proportions of drivers with systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg (35% in 2004/05; 22% in 2009/10, P < 0.001), total cholesterol ≥5.5 mmol/L (39%; 32%, P < 0.001) and who smoked (25%; 20%, P < 0.01) all decreased significantly. The proportions of drivers who were obese (40% in 2004/05; 47% in 2009/10, P < 0.001) and who had diabetes (7%; 11%, P < 0.01) and pre-diabetes (2%; 5%, P < 0.001) all increased significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of increase of obesity in drivers is similar to the general population and is also observed in recruits. Increases in the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes are likely to reflect the increased prevalence of obesity and the impact of regular screening. These were offset by improvements in systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and smoking status, with a neutral overall effect on cardiac risk score.

Predicting survival in malignant mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) of the pleura or peritoneum is a universally fatal disease attracting an increasing range of medical interventions and escalating healthcare costs. Changes in survival and the factors affecting survival of all patients ever diagnosed with MM in Western Australia over the past five decades and confirmed by the Western Australian Mesothelioma Registry to December 2005 were examined. Sex, age, date and method of diagnosis, site of disease and histological type were recorded. Date of onset of symptoms and performance status were obtained from clinical notes for a sample of cases. Cox regression was used to examine the association of the clinical variables and the 10-yr periods of disease onset with survival after diagnosis. Survival was inversely related to age, being worse for males (hazard ratio (HR) 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.6), and those with peritoneal mesothelioma (HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.7). Patients with sarcomatoid histology had worse prognosis than patients with epithelioid and biphasic histological subtypes. Survival improved after the 1970s and has made incremental improvements since then. Median (interquartile range) survival by decade, from 1960 until 2005, was 64 (0-198), 177 (48-350), 221 (97-504), 238 (108-502) and 301 (134-611) days; ~4 weeks of this apparent improvement can be attributed to earlier diagnosis. With increasing resources and treatment costs for MM over the past 40 yrs, there have been modest improvements in survival but no complete remissions.