Racial/ethnic differences in autoimmune disease prevalence in US claims/EHR data.

Objectives: Few studies have evaluated racial and ethnic differences in several immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) or overlap syndrome (the co-occurrence of ≥ 2 IMIDs). We assessed associations between race and ethnicity and prevalence of IMIDs and overlap syndrome using US claims and electronic health records from 2021.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study of 10.

Racial ethnic differences in type 2 diabetes treatment patterns and glycaemic control in the Boston Area Community Health Survey.

Objectives: Numerous studies continue to report poorer glycaemic control, and a higher incidence of diabetes-related complications among African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans as compared with non-Hispanic Caucasians with type 2 diabetes. We examined racial/ethnic differences in receipt of hypoglycaemic medications and glycaemic control in a highly insured Massachusetts community sample of individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Setting: Community-based sample from Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Biogeographic ancestry is associated with higher total body adiposity among African-American females: the Boston Area Community Health Survey.

Objectives: The prevalence of obesity is disproportionately higher among African-Americans and Hispanics as compared to whites. We investigated the role of biogeographic ancestry (BGA) on adiposity and changes in adiposity in the Boston Area Community Health Survey.

Methods: We evaluated associations between BGA, assessed via Ancestry Informative Markers, and adiposity (body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF), and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) and changes in adiposity over 7 years for BMI and WHR and 2.

Polymorphisms in the gene that encodes the iron transport protein ferroportin 1 influence susceptibility to tuberculosis.

Background: We studied the association between iron intake and polymorphisms in the iron transporter gene SLC40A1 and the risk of tuberculosis.

Methods: We compared iron intake, the frequency of SLC40A1 mutations, and interactions among these variables among 98 tuberculosis patients and 125 controls in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

Results: Four SLC40A1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis and 1 SNP with reduced risk.

The impact of diabetes on tuberculosis treatment outcomes: a systematic review.

Background: Multiple studies of tuberculosis treatment have indicated that patients with diabetes mellitus may experience poor outcomes.We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantitatively summarize evidence for the impact of diabetes on tuberculosis outcomes.

Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE and the World Health Organization Regional Indexes from 1 January 1980 to 31 December 2010 and references of relevant articles for reports of observational studies that included people with diabetes treated for tuberculosis.

The transcriptional regulator Rv0485 modulates the expression of a pe and ppe gene pair and is required for Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulence.

The pe and ppe genes are unique to mycobacteria and are widely speculated to play a role in tuberculosis pathogenesis. However, little is known about how expression of these genes is controlled. Elucidating the regulatory control of genes found exclusively in mycobacteria, such as the pe and ppe gene families, may be key to understanding the success of this pathogen.