Psychological profiles in patients with Sjögren's syndrome related to fatigue: a cluster analysis.

Objective: Fatigue is a highly prevalent and debilitating symptom in the autoimmune disease SS. Although the disease process plays a role in fatigue, psychological factors may influence fatigue and the ability to deal with its consequences. Profiles of co-occurring psychological factors may suggest potential targets for the treatment of fatigue.

Non-typeable pneumococci circulating in Portugal are of cps type NCC2 and have genomic features typical of encapsulated isolates.

Background: Pneumococcus is a major human pathogen and the polysaccharide capsule is considered its main virulence factor. Nevertheless, strains lacking a capsule, named non-typeable pneumococcus (NT), are maintained in nature and frequently colonise the human nasopharynx. Interest in these strains, not targeted by any of the currently available pneumococcal vaccines, has been rising as they seem to play an important role in the evolution of the species.

Nearshore energy subsidies support Lake Michigan fishes and invertebrates following major changes in food web structure.

Aquatic food webs that incorporate multiple energy channels (e.g., nearshore benthic and pelagic) with varying productivity and turnover rates convey stability to biological communities by providing independent energy sources.

Higher bone turnover is related to spinal radiographic damage and low bone mineral density in ankylosing spondylitis patients with active disease: a cross-sectional analysis.

Introduction: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is characterized by excessive bone formation and bone loss. Our aim was to investigate the association of bone turnover markers (BTM) with spinal radiographic damage and bone mineral density (BMD) in AS patients with active disease.

Methods: 201 consecutive AS outpatients of the Groningen Leeuwarden AS (GLAS) cohort were included.

Xerostomia.

Xerostomia is the subjective feeling of oral dryness. The major causes are Sjögren's syndrome (SS), medication and radiotherapy to the head and neck. SS is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by infiltration of the exocrine glands, the salivary and lacrimal ones in particular.

Treat-to-target in systemic lupus erythematosus: recommendations from an international task force.

The principle of treating-to-target has been successfully applied to many diseases outside rheumatology and more recently to rheumatoid arthritis. Identifying appropriate therapeutic targets and pursuing these systematically has led to improved care for patients with these diseases and useful guidance for healthcare providers and administrators. Thus, an initiative to evaluate possible therapeutic targets and develop treat-to-target guidance was believed to be highly appropriate in the management of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients as well.

Genome-wide identification of genes essential for the survival of Streptococcus pneumoniae in human saliva.

Since Streptococcus pneumoniae transmits through droplet spread, this respiratory tract pathogen may be able to survive in saliva. Here, we show that saliva supports survival of clinically relevant S. pneumoniae strains for more than 24 h in a capsule-independent manner.

B-cell hyperactivity in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is characterized by mononuclear inflammatory infiltrates and IgG plasma cells in salivary and lacrimal glands which lead to irreversible destruction of the glandular tissue and is accompanied by sensation of dryness of mouth and eyes. B cells play a central role in the immunopathogenesis and exhibit signs of hyperactivity. Hyperactivity of B cells is the consequence of the coordinated and integrated action of stimulation of the B-cell receptor, CD40 and toll-like receptors in the presence of appropriate cytokines.

Abatacept treatment reduces disease activity in early primary Sjögren's syndrome (open-label proof of concept ASAP study).

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of abatacept in patients with early and active primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS).

Methods: All 15 patients (12 women, three men) included in the open-label Active Sjögren Abatacept Pilot study met the revised American-European Consensus Group criteria for pSS and were biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drug-naive. Patients were treated with eight intravenous abatacept infusions on days 1, 15 and 29 and every 4 weeks thereafter.

Validation of EULAR primary Sjögren's syndrome disease activity (ESSDAI) and patient indexes (ESSPRI).

Objectives: To validate the two recently developed disease activity indexes for assessment of primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS): the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) SS Patient Reported Index (ESSPRI) and the EULAR SS Disease Activity Index (ESSDAI).

Methods: A prospective international 6-month duration validation study was conducted in 15 countries. At each visit, physicians completed ESSDAI, SS disease activity index (SSDAI), Sjögren's Systemic Clinical Activity Index (SCAI) and physician global assessment (PhGA); and patients completed ESSPRI, Sicca Symptoms Inventory (SSI), Profile of Fatigue and Discomfort (PROFAD) and patient global assessment (PGA).

Differentially expressed genes in Bordetella pertussis strains belonging to a lineage which recently spread globally.

Pertussis is a highly contagious, acute respiratory disease in humans caused by the Gram-negative pathogen Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis has resurged in the face of intensive vaccination and this has coincided with the emergence of strains carrying a particular allele for the pertussis toxin promoter, ptxP3, which is associated with higher levels of pertussis toxin (Ptx) production. Within 10 to 20 years, ptxP3 strains have nearly completely replaced the previously dominant ptxP1 strains resulting in a worldwide selective sweep.

Outcome measures for primary Sjögren's syndrome: a comprehensive review.

Lymphocytic infiltration of different exocrine and non-exocrine epithelia is the pathological hallmark of primary Sjögren's syndrome, whereas involvement of salivary and lachrymal glands with the clinical counterpart of dry eye and dry mouth are the predominant features of the disease, together with fatigue and musculoskeletal pain. In addition, systemic manifestations, like arthritis, skin vasculitis, peripheral neuropathy, glomerulonephritis, may also be present in a consistent number of patients. As result, clinical features in SS can be divided into two facets: the benign subjective but disabling manifestations such as dryness, pain and fatigue, and the systemic manifestations.

Deciphering the genetic basis of Moraxella catarrhalis complement resistance: a critical role for the disulphide bond formation system.

The complement system is an important innate defence mechanism, and the ability to resist complement-mediated killing is considered a key virulence trait of the respiratory tract pathogen M. catarrhalis. We studied the molecular basis of complement resistance by transcriptional profiling and Tn-seq, a genome-wide negative-selection screenings technology.

Streptococcus pneumoniae serine protease HtrA, but not SFP or PrtA, is a major virulence factor in pneumonia.

Streptococcus (S.) pneumoniae is a common causative pathogen in pneumonia. Serine protease orthologs expressed by a variety of bacteria have been found of importance for virulence.

Natural genetic transformation generates a population of merodiploids in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Partial duplication of genetic material is prevalent in eukaryotes and provides potential for evolution of new traits. Prokaryotes, which are generally haploid in nature, can evolve new genes by partial chromosome duplication, known as merodiploidy. Little is known about merodiploid formation during genetic exchange processes, although merodiploids have been serendipitously observed in early studies of bacterial transformation.

Characterization of the molecular interplay between Moraxella catarrhalis and human respiratory tract epithelial cells.

Moraxella catarrhalis is a mucosal pathogen that causes childhood otitis media and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults. During the course of infection, M. catarrhalis needs to adhere to epithelial cells of different host niches such as the nasopharynx and lungs, and consequently, efficient adhesion to epithelial cells is considered an important virulence trait of M.

Sjögren's syndrome in older patients: aetiology, diagnosis and management.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease, characterized by chronic inflammation of exocrine glands that results in development of xerostomia and keratoconjunctivitis sicca. The disease activity of SS is not restricted to exocrine glands, and many other organs and organ systems can be involved. Diagnosis of SS in the elderly population can be challenging because xerostomia, dry eyes, symptoms of fatigue, weight loss and muscle pain are also common features of old age.

Classification criteria for Sjogren's syndrome: we actually need to definitively resolve the long debate on the issue.

A new approach for the classification of patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) has been recently proposed. Although these new criteria substantially differ from the American European Consensus Group criteria, which have represented the gold standard for the last decade, when compared with each other the two sets show a high statistical degree of agreement. However, the fact that two different criteria to classify patient with SS could be available may introduce some additional difficulties in the scientific communication, making cohorts of patients selected by using different methods less than completely equivalent, and the results of epidemiological studies and therapeutic trials not entirely comparable.

Genome sequence of Moraxella catarrhalis RH4, an isolate of seroresistant lineage.

Here we report the annotated genome sequence of Moraxella catarrhalis strain RH4, a seroresistant-lineage strain isolated from the blood of an infected patient. This genome sequence will allow us to gain further insight into the genetic diversity of clinical M. catarrhalis isolates and will facilitate study of M.

Genetic requirements for Moraxella catarrhalis growth under iron-limiting conditions.

Iron sequestration by the human host is a first line defence against respiratory pathogens like Moraxella catarrhalis, which consequently experiences a period of iron starvation during colonization. We determined the genetic requirements for M. catarrhalis BBH18 growth during iron starvation using the high-throughput genome-wide screening technology genomic array footprinting (GAF).

Systems analysis of primary Sjögren's syndrome pathogenesis in salivary glands identifies shared pathways in human and a mouse model.

Introduction: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a chronic autoimmune disease with complex etiopathogenesis. Despite extensive studies to understand the disease process utilizing human and mouse models, the intersection between these species remains elusive. To address this gap, we utilized a novel systems biology approach to identify disease-related gene modules and signaling pathways that overlap between humans and mice.