Mediterranean diet and incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in women.

Objective: We examined the association between a Mediterranean dietary pattern, as measured by the Alternate Mediterranean Diet Score (aMed), and risk of incident rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in US women.

Methods: We prospectively followed 83,245 participants from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS; 1980-2008) and 91,393 participants from NHS II (1991-2009) who were initially free of baseline connective tissue diseases. Dietary information was obtained via validated food frequency questionnaires at baseline and approximately every 4 years during followup.

Personalized Risk Estimator for Rheumatoid Arthritis (PRE-RA) Family Study: rationale and design for a randomized controlled trial evaluating rheumatoid arthritis risk education to first-degree relatives.

We present the rationale, design features, and protocol of the Personalized Risk Estimator for Rheumatoid Arthritis (PRE-RA) Family Study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02046005). The PRE-RA Family Study is an NIH-funded prospective, randomized controlled trial designed to compare the willingness to change behaviors in first-degree relatives of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients without RA after exposure to RA risk educational programs.

Contributions of familial rheumatoid arthritis or lupus and environmental factors to risk of rheumatoid arthritis in women: a prospective cohort study.

Objective: We assessed the contributions of familial rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or lupus and environmental factors to the risk of RA.

Methods: Among 121,700 women in the Nurses' Health Study, 65,457 provided data on familial RA/lupus. Among these, 493 RA cases (301 seropositive and 192 seronegative) were validated.

Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between preclinical circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and RA in two nested case-control studies within the prospective cohort Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and NHS II (NHSII).

Methods: We included 166 women with RA and blood specimens collected 3 months to 16 years prior to the first RA symptom and 490 matched controls (3:1, matched on age, date of blood draw, hormonal factors). We calculated the odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI for incident RA using conditional logistic regression multivariable adjusted models, including additional covariates for smoking status, parity and breastfeeding, alcohol consumption, BMI, median income and region of residence in the USA.

Being overweight or obese and risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis among women: a prospective cohort study.

Objectives: To examine the relationship between being overweight or obese and developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in two large prospective cohorts, the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII).

Methods: We followed 109 896 women enrolled in NHS and 108 727 in NHSII who provided lifestyle, environmental exposure and anthropometric information through biennial questionnaires. We assessed the association between time-varying and cumulative Body Mass Index (BMI) in WHO categories of normal, overweight and obese (18.

Sugar-sweetened soda consumption and risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in women.

Background: Sugar-sweetened soda consumption is consistently associated with an increased risk of several chronic inflammatory diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Whether it plays a role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a common autoimmune inflammatory disease, remains unclear.

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the association between sugar-sweetened soda consumption and risk of RA in US women.

Development of SLE among "potential SLE" patients seen in consultation: long-term follow-up.

Objective: To identify factors associated with development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) among patients evaluated at a tertiary care Lupus Center for potential SLE.

Methods: We identified patients first seen at the Brigham and Women's Hospital Lupus Center between 1 January 1992 and 31 December 2012 and thought to have potential SLE by a board-certified rheumatologist. All had 1-3 SLE ACR criteria at initial visit and > 2 follow-up visits ≥ 3 months apart.

Ultraviolet radiation and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is among the environmental factors that have been proposed and studied in association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). While it is known that UV radiation exposure may exacerbate pre-existing lupus, it remains unclear whether UV exposure is a risk factor for the development of SLE. Experimental studies show a significant immunomodulatory role for UV radiation, but strong epidemiologic data regarding its role in triggering SLE onset are lacking.

Cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and risk of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex multisystem autoimmune disease whose pathogenesis is thought to involve both genetic and environmental factors. It is possible that common environmental exposures, such as cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, might modify risk of disease development in certain individuals. Here we aim to review the epidemiologic evidence related to the association of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and the risk of developing SLE.

Alcohol consumption and risk of incident rheumatoid arthritis in women: a prospective study.

Objective: To evaluate the association of alcohol consumption with the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 2 large prospective cohorts, the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) and NHSII.

Methods: The NHS was established in 1976 and enrolled 121,701 female registered nurses in the US. The NHSII began in 1989, enrolling 116,430 female nurses.

Improved performance of epidemiologic and genetic risk models for rheumatoid arthritis serologic phenotypes using family history.

Objective: To develop and validate rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk models based on family history, epidemiologic factors and known genetic risk factors.

Methods: We developed and validated models for RA based on known RA risk factors, among women in two cohorts: the Nurses' Health Study (NHS, 381 RA cases and 410 controls) and the Epidemiological Investigation of RA (EIRA, 1244 RA cases and 971 controls). Model discrimination was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) in logistic regression models for the study population and for those with positive family history.

Erythropoiesis-stimulating Agent Use among Patients with Lupus Nephritis Approaching End-stage Renal Disease.

Objectives: Little is known about erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) utilization among lupus nephritis (LN) patients with incipient ESRD. We aimed to identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with ESA use among incident LN ESRD patients.

Methods: Among all individuals age ≥18 with incident ESRD from 1995-2008 in the U.

Clinical manifestations and survival among adults with (SLE) according to age at diagnosis.

Objectives: The objective of this paper is to determine the effect of clinical and laboratory manifestations, and medication prescribing, on survival according to patient age at diagnosis in a large academic systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cohort.

Methods: We identified SLE patients with a diagnosis at age ≥18, seen between 1970 through 2011, and with more than two visits to our lupus center. Data collection included SLE manifestations, serologies, other laboratory tests, medications, dates, and causes of death.

End-stage renal disease in African Americans with lupus nephritis is associated with APOL1.

Objective: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that exhibits familial aggregation and may progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). LN is more prevalent among African Americans than among European Americans. This study was undertaken to investigate the hypothesis that the apolipoprotein L1 gene (APOL1) nephropathy risk alleles G1/G2, common in African Americans and rare in European Americans, contribute to the ethnic disparity in risk.

Altered expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 22 isoforms in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Introduction: A C-to-T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located at position 1858 of human protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 22 (PTPN22) complementary DNA (cDNA) is associated with an increased risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). How the overall activity of PTPN22 is regulated and how the expression of PTPN22 differs between healthy individuals and patients with lupus are poorly understood. Our objectives were to identify novel alternatively spliced forms of PTPN22 and to examine the expression of PTPN22 isoforms in healthy donors and patients with lupus.

Outcomes in hospitalized pediatric patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: Disparities in outcomes among adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been documented. We investigated associations between sociodemographic factors and volume of annual inpatient hospital admissions with hospitalization characteristics and poor outcomes among patients with childhood-onset SLE.

Methods: By using the Pediatric Health Information System, we analyzed admissions for patients aged 3 to <18 years at index admission with ≥ 1 International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code for SLE from January 2006 to September 2011.

Anti-citrullinated peptide autoantibodies, human leukocyte antigen shared epitope and risk of future rheumatoid arthritis: a nested case-control study.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to characterize anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) serostatus in pre-clinical rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with and without Human Leukocyte Antigen-Shared Epitope (HLA-SE) alleles.

Methods: We identified 192 women in the Nurses' Health Study cohorts with blood samples obtained 4 months to 17 years prior to medical record-confirmed RA diagnosis. Three controls were selected matched on age, cohort, menopausal status and post-menopausal hormone use.

Quality of care for incident lupus nephritis among Medicaid beneficiaries in the United States.

Objective: We investigated the quality of care and factors associated with variations in care among a national cohort of Medicaid enrollees with incident lupus nephritis.

Methods: Using Medicaid Analytic eXtract files from 47 US states and the District of Columbia for 2000-2006, we identified a cohort of individuals with incident lupus nephritis. We assessed performance on 3 measures of health care quality: receipt of immunosuppressive, renal-protective antihypertensive, and antimalarial medications.

Comparison of the 1987 American College of Rheumatology and the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League against Rheumatism criteria for classification of rheumatoid arthritis in the Nurses' Health Study cohorts.

Performance of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) classification by the 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) criteria, compared to the 1987 ACR criteria, has not been assessed in population-based cohorts in which disease identification is by mailed questionnaire. Women followed in the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II cohorts self-reported new doctor-diagnosed RA on biennial questionnaires. Two RA experts reviewed medical records of 128 new RA self-reports to obtain individual 1987 and 2010 criteria and arrived at a consensus opinion.

The association between silica exposure and development of ANCA-associated vasculitis: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Crystalline silica is among the environmental exposures associated with increased risk of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Silica exposure has also been related to the development of ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV), but past studies appear to conflict as to the presence and magnitude of the associated risks of disease. We aimed to conduct a systematic review of the existing studies and meta-analysis of their results.

Regional differences regarding risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in Stockholm County, Sweden: results from the Swedish Epidemiological Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis (EIRA) study.

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex disease that is associated with genetic and environmental factors. We have investigated geospatial variation in the risk of developing RA within Stockholm County, Sweden, with respect to established environmental risk factors for RA, as well as serologically defined subgroups of RA.

Method: Information regarding geographical location for 1432 cases and 2529 controls from the Epidemiological Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis (EIRA) study, living in Stockholm County at RA symptom onset, or matched date for controls, was used to estimate geospatial variation in risk.

Sexual disparities in the incidence and course of SLE and RA.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disproportionately affect females compared to males, with female to male prevalence ratios of 7-9:1 for SLE and 2-3:1 for RA. Interestingly, epidemiologic studies indicate that men that develop SLE may have more morbidity than women, but the same is not true for RA. Given the sex and age bias of SLE and RA, sex hormones may influence the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Association of discoid lupus erythematosus with other clinical manifestations among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: Cutaneous discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may be associated with less severe disease and with low frequency of nephritis and end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Objective: We sought to investigate associations between confirmed DLE and other SLE manifestations, adjusting for confounders.

Methods: We identified patients with rheumatologist confirmation, according to 1997 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) SLE classification criteria, more than 2 visits, longer than 3 months of follow-up, and documented year of SLE diagnosis.

Sex-specific environmental influences on the development of autoimmune diseases.

Sex differences in autoimmune diseases are evolutionarily tied to the fact that the female immune system is confronted with intense alterations during menstrual cycles, pregnancy and childbirth. These events may be associated with breaches in the mucosal epithelial layers that are shielding us from environmental factors. Associations between environmental agents and autoimmune diseases have been described extensively in prior studies.