Neurofilament light in plasma is a potential biomarker of central nervous system involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: Neuropsychiatric manifestations (NP) are common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the pathophysiological mechanisms are not completely understood. Neurofilament light protein (NfL) is part of the neuronal cytoskeleton.

Neurofilament light is a biomarker of brain involvement in lupus and primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Background: To test the hypothesis that neurofilament light (NfL) in CSF is a biomarker of CNS involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), we measured NfL in CSF from 52 patients with lupus and 54 with pSS and explored associations with clinical, structural, immunological and biochemical abnormalities.

Methods: In CSF, we measured NfL, anti-P antibodies, protein S100B and TWEAK by ELISA and anti-NR2 antibodies by electrochemiluminescence. Anti-phospholipid antibodies and routine immunological tests were performed in blood.

Identification of a Sjögren's syndrome susceptibility locus at OAS1 that influences isoform switching, protein expression, and responsiveness to type I interferons.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a common, autoimmune exocrinopathy distinguished by keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia. Patients frequently develop serious complications including lymphoma, pulmonary dysfunction, neuropathy, vasculitis, and debilitating fatigue. Dysregulation of type I interferon (IFN) pathway is a prominent feature of SS and is correlated with increased autoantibody titers and disease severity.

Fatigue in Newly Diagnosed Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Background And Aims: The present study investigated the prevalence and severity of fatigue in patients with newly diagnosed and untreated ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) and examined relevant disease variables that may influence the severity of fatigue.

Methods: Eighty-one patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (60 with UC and 21 with CD) were assessed for fatigue using two fatigue instruments: the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and a fatigue visual analogue scale (fVAS). Cut-off for fatigue was defined as ≥4 for FSS and ≥50 for fVAS.

The IRF5-TNPO3 association with systemic lupus erythematosus has two components that other autoimmune disorders variably share.

Exploiting genotyping, DNA sequencing, imputation and trans-ancestral mapping, we used Bayesian and frequentist approaches to model the IRF5-TNPO3 locus association, now implicated in two immunotherapies and seven autoimmune diseases. Specifically, in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we resolved separate associations in the IRF5 promoter (all ancestries) and with an extended European haplotype. We captured 3230 IRF5-TNPO3 high-quality, common variants across 5 ethnicities in 8395 SLE cases and 7367 controls.

Association of hippocampal atrophy with cerebrospinal fluid antibodies against the NR2 subtype of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Objective: Cognitive dysfunction is common in both systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Antibodies against the NR2 subtype of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NR2 antibodies) cause hippocampal atrophy and cognitive impairment in mice and have been associated with memory impairment in both patients with SLE and patients with primary SS. In addition, a reduced volume of hippocampal gray matter has been demonstrated in both SLE and primary SS.

Variants at multiple loci implicated in both innate and adaptive immune responses are associated with Sjögren's syndrome.

Sjögren's syndrome is a common autoimmune disease (affecting ∼0.7% of European Americans) that typically presents as keratoconjunctivitis sicca and xerostomia. Here we report results of a large-scale association study of Sjögren's syndrome.

A possible genetic association with chronic fatigue in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a candidate gene study.

Fatigue is prevalent and disabling in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Results from studies in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) indicate that genetic variation may influence fatigue. The aim of this study was to investigate single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variations in pSS patients with high and low fatigue.

Memory dysfunction in primary Sjögren's syndrome is associated with anti-NR2 antibodies.

Objective: Our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric involvement in primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is incomplete. In systemic lupus erythematosus, it has been reported that antibodies directed against N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subtype NR2 (anti-NR2) interfere with memory and learning function, as well as mood. This has not been investigated in primary SS; however, the present study was undertaken to advance our understanding of neuropsychiatric involvement in this disease.

Risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a population-based study.

Objective: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is associated with an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), but the reported prevalence and risk vary considerably. The objective of this study was to determine the risk of NHL in a well-defined population-based primary SS cohort in Norway.

Methods: The authors examined all patients fulfilling the American-European Consensus Group criteria for primary SS from 2 Norwegian counties and compared the data to the Cancer Registry of Norway to identify the primary SS patients who had lymphoma.

[Risk of infection through use of selective immunomodulating drugs for rheumatoid arthritis].

Background: New drugs for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have resulted in an improvement in patients' functioning and morbidity, but are linked with increased risk of infections. Traditional immunosuppressant drugs are often used in combination with anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors or anti-CD20 (rituximab).

Method: The review is based on a search in PubMed and on the authors' own experience of treating infections in patients who receive immunosuppressant treatment.

Interleukin-1 inhibition and fatigue in primary Sjögren's syndrome--a double blind, randomised clinical trial.

Objectives: Fatigue is a major cause of disability in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Fatigue has similarities with sickness behaviour in animals; the latter mediated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, in particular interleukin (IL)-1, acting on neuronal brain cells. We hypothesised that IL-1 inhibition might improve fatigue in pSS patients; thus, we examined the effects and safety of an IL-1 receptor antagonist (anakinra) on fatigue.

Oxidative stress, as measured by protein oxidation, is increased in primary Sjøgren's syndrome.

Objective: Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and physiological antioxidant defences. It occurs frequently in conditions characterized by immune activation and inflammation. Plasma levels of oxidized end products have never been evaluated in primary Sjøgren's syndrome (pSS).

Migraine is frequent in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a case-control study.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of primary headaches in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) versus healthy subjects, and to determine whether headaches in SLE are associated with MRI- or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) abnormalities.

Patients And Methods: The case-control study included MRI- and CSF investigations. Headache was classified according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders.

Fatigue in primary Sjögren's syndrome--a link to sickness behaviour in animals?

Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) is involved in the regulation of sickness behaviour in response to infection and inflammation in animals. Human fatigue can be considered an element of sickness behaviour and is a prominent and often disabling phenomenon in autoimmune diseases such as primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS). The role of the IL-1 system in the fatigue of patients with PSS was explored.

Peripheral neuropathy in primary sjogren syndrome: a population-based study.

Background: Neurological manifestations appear to be frequently involved in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (PSS).

Objective: To investigate the involvement of the peripheral nervous system, including small-diameter nerve fibers, in an unselected cohort of patients who fulfilled the new international criteria for PSS.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Intraepidermal nerve fiber densities in chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases.

Background: Some patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have selective loss of small-diameter nerve fibers, while larger nerve fibers are unaffected.

Objective: To determine intraepidermal nerve fiber densities in patients with different chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

[Mycophenolate mofetil--a new therapeutic agent for chronic autoimmune diseases].

Background: Mycophenolate mofetil is an immunosuppressive agent frequently used in regimens to prevent allograft rejection. In this review we focus on mycophenolate mofetil as a potential drug for chronic autoimmune diseases.

Materials And Methods: We searched PubMed for relevant literature and present two case histories.