Development and evaluation of a Register-Based Organ Damage Index in systemic lupus erythematosus: a nationwide, population-based study from Sweden.

Objective: To develop a Register-Based Organ Damage Index (RBODI) in SLE, and evaluate its accuracy in estimating Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) Damage Index (SDI) scores. Additionally, to describe organ damage accrual and associations with mortality in a Swedish population-based nationwide cohort.

Methods: SDI items were translated into diagnosis, treatment and procedural codes retrieved from Swedish health registers.

Child mental health predictors among camp Tamil refugees: Utilizing linear and XGBOOST models.

While the association between migration and deteriorated refugee mental health is well-documented, existing research overwhelmingly centers on adult populations, leaving a discernible gap in our understanding of the factors influencing mental health for forcibly displaced children. This focus is particularly noteworthy considering the estimated 43.3 million children who are forcibly displaced globally.

Embodiment of structural vulnerability: illness experiences among Somali refugee women in urban displacement.

Objectives: Forced migration and its subsequent sequelae have caused refugees to face significant adversities throughout the displacement process, making them susceptible to significant health issues. Refugees displaced in Africa are a group especially vulnerable to poor health outcomes, experiencing a documented decline in overall physical and mental health status and rise in mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Despite the heightened health risks experienced by Somali refugees, particularly women, research into their complex illness experiences and co-/multimorbid health conditions is scarce, leaving a gap in our understanding of the multifaceted health challenges of this population.

Plasma interferon-alpha protein levels during pregnancy are associated with lower birth weight in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: Adverse pregnancy outcomes are more common in women with SLE compared with healthy women, but we lack prognostic biomarkers. Plasma IFN-α protein levels are elevated in a subgroup of pregnant women with SLE, but whether this is associated with pregnancy outcomes is unknown. We investigated the relationship between IFN-α, adverse pregnancy outcomes and the presence of autoantibodies in SLE pregnancy.

The prevalence of neutropenia and association with infections in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a Swedish single-center study conducted over 14 years.

Hematologic abnormalities are common manifestations of SLE, although neutropenia is observed less frequently and is not included in the classification criteria. Nonetheless, neutropenia is a risk factor for infections, especially those caused by bacteria or fungi. We aimed to evaluate the impact of neutropenia in SLE through a systematic investigation of all infections in a large cohort of well-characterized patients, focusing on neutropenia, lymphopenia, and hypocomplementemia.

Low CD4 + T cell count is related to specific anti-nuclear antibodies, IFNα protein positivity and disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus pregnancy.

Background: Lymphopenia, autoantibodies and activation of the type I interferon (IFN) system are common features in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We speculate whether lymphocyte subset counts are affected by pregnancy and if they relate to autoantibody profiles and/or IFNα protein in SLE pregnancy.

Methods: Repeated blood samples were collected during pregnancy from 80 women with SLE and 51 healthy controls (HC).

Epidemiology and Damage Accrual of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Central Sweden: A Single-Center Population-Based Cohort Study Over 14 Years From Östergötland County.

Objective: Variations in prevalence and incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) within a geographically defined area of central Sweden over a time period of 14 years were examined. Longitudinal differences in disease activity, laboratory test results, and damage accrual were investigated.

Methods: Adults (aged ≥18 years) residing in Östergötland County between 2008 and 2021 (mean adult population: 357,000 citizens) with confirmed SLE were identified and followed prospectively until death, December 31, 2021, or emigration.

Doubtful Clinical Value of Subtyping Anti-U1-RNP Antibodies Regarding the RNP-70 kDa Antigen in Sera of Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

The detection of antinuclear antibodies is central to the diagnosis and prognosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Anti-U1-RNP and anti-RNP70 antibodies were assayed in the sera of patients with SLE ( = 114), pSS ( = 54) and MCTD ( = 12). In the SLE group, 34/114 (30%) were anti-U1-RNP positive, and 21/114 (18%) were both anti-RNP70 positive and anti-U1-RNP positive.

Low-density granulocytes are related to shorter pregnancy duration but not to interferon alpha protein blood levels in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: An increased risk of pregnancy complications is seen in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but the specific immunopathological drivers are still unclear. Hallmarks of SLE are granulocyte activation, type I interferon (IFN) overproduction, and autoantibodies. Here we examined whether low-density granulocytes (LDG) and granulocyte activation increase during pregnancy, and related the results to IFNα protein levels, autoantibody profile, and gestational age at birth.

Variation of Complement Protein Levels in Maternal Plasma and Umbilical Cord Blood during Normal Pregnancy: An Observational Study.

The complement system constitutes a crucial part of the innate immunity, mediating opsonization, lysis, inflammation, and elimination of potential pathogens. In general, there is an increased activity of the complement system during pregnancy, which is essential for maintaining the host's defense and fetal survival. Unbalanced or excessive activation of the complement system in the placenta is associated with pregnancy complications, such as miscarriage, preeclampsia, and premature birth.

Plasma C-Reactive Protein and Pentraxin-3 Reference Intervals During Normal Pregnancy.

Although several biomarkers are available to monitor the acute phase response, the short pentraxin C-reactive protein (CRP) is dominating in clinical practice. The long pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is structurally and functionally related to CRP, but not liver-derived. In addition, increased levels of PTX3 have been linked to preeclampsia.

Plasma osteopontin versus intima media thickness of the common carotid arteries in well-characterised patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: The progress of accelerated atherosclerosis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is incompletely understood. Circulating osteopontin (OPN) is increased in autoimmune conditions, e.g.

Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes after Multi-Professional Follow-Up of Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: An Observational Study from a Single Centre in Sweden.

While the management of pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has improved over the last decades, the risk of maternal, foetal, and neonatal complications is still substantial. We evaluated the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) occurring in 2002-2018 among patients with SLE from the catchment area of the Department of Rheumatology in Lund, Sweden. Longitudinal clinical and laboratory data were collected and analysed.

Visual Complications in Patients with Biopsy-proven Giant Cell Arteritis: A Population-based Study.

Objective: To study the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis (GCA) with visual complications, and to evaluate the incidence rate of visual complications in GCA compared to the background population.

Methods: Data from 840 patients with GCA in the county of Skåne, Sweden, diagnosed between 1997 and 2010, were used for this analysis. Cases with visual complications were identified from a diagnosis registry and confirmed by a review of medical records.