Functional rare and low frequency variants in BLK and BANK1 contribute to human lupus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototypic systemic autoimmune disease. It is thought that many common variant gene loci of weak effect act additively to predispose to common autoimmune diseases, while the contribution of rare variants remains unclear. Here we describe that rare coding variants in lupus-risk genes are present in most SLE patients and healthy controls.

The impact of custom semirigid foot orthotics on pain and disability for individuals with plantar fasciitis.

Study Design: Single-group, pre-, and postintervention repeated measures design.

Objective: To determine the impact of custom semirigid foot orthotics on pain and disability for individuals with plantar fasciitis.

Background: Few studies have examined the efficacy of foot orthotics for plantar fasciitis, and no single study has yet examined the effects of semirigid foot orthotics on an established quality-of-life instrument.