Relationship of Circulating Anti-C3b and Anti-C1q IgG to Lupus Nephritis and Its Flare.

Background And Objectives: Autoantibodies to complement C1q (anti-C1q) are associated with the diagnosis of lupus nephritis. In this study, we compare anti-C1q IgG with another complement autoantibody, anti-C3b IgG, as a biomarker of lupus nephritis and lupus nephritis flare.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Our investigation involved the Ohio SLE Study, a prospective observational cohort of patients with recurrently active lupus who were followed bimonthly.

Primary care capacity as insurance coverage expands: examining the role of health information technology.

Objectives: Under the Affordable Care Act, many newly insured Americans have the challenge of establishing care with a primary care physician (PCP). We sought to examine whether health information technology (HIT) use in primary care practices was associated with anticipated capacity to accept new patients.

Study Design: Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey of Michigan PCPs from the specialties of pediatrics, internal medicine, and family medicine, conducted from October to December 2012.

Knowledge and perspectives of breast and cervical cancer screening among female African immigrants in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

Black women in the USA have both a higher percentage of late-stage diagnoses as well as the highest rates of mortality from breast cancer when compared to women of other ethnic subgroups. Additionally, Black women have the second highest prevalence of cervical cancer. Many reports evaluating the cancer outcomes of Black women combine data on African-born immigrants and US-born Blacks.