Department Of Immunology Research Articles

Analysis of clinical features and risk factors of peripheral neuropathy in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical features and efficacy of immunosuppressive therapy in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS) combined with peripheral neuropathy (PN) syndrome and to explore the risk factors for PN in patients with PSS.MethodsSixty consecutive patients with PSS admitted to the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Wuhan No. 1 Hospital, from January 2014 to June 2020 were analysed retrospectively. Patients were divided into a PN group (N = 15) and a non-PN group (N = 45). The clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared, and the independent risk factors for PN combined with PSS were analysed by multivariate logistic regression. The patients with PSS combined with PN were followed up to observe the effect of immunosuppressive therapy.ResultsThe patients with PN had a longer course of disease than those without PN (z = − 3.225, P = 0.001), and the incidence of Raynaud's phenomenon, anti-SSB antibody, rheumatoid factor and hyperglobulinaemia was higher (all P < 0.05) in patients with PN than in those without PN. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hyperglobulinaemia, RF and anti-SSB antibodies were independent risk factors for PN with PSS (P < 0.05). Fourteen patients with PSS-PN were treated with immunosuppressants. The clinical symptoms of 10 patients were relieved, and mRS scores of 10 patients were decreased.ConclusionPN is a common complication in PSS patients. Patients with PSS combined with PN have a longer course of disease and a significantly higher percentage of Raynaud's phenomenon, positive anti-SSB antibody, positive RF and hyperglobulinaemia. Immunosuppressive therapy was effective for partial remission of PN with PSS.

Design and application of path-based health education form for inpatients in rheumatology and immunology department

Design and application of path-based health education form for inpatients in rheumatology and immunology department

Quality of life among patients with chronic urticaria disease at E Hospital in 2022

Objective: To describe of quality of life among patients with chronic urticaria at the Department of Allergy, Immunology and Dermatology at E Hospital in 2022. Participants and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 95 patients with chronic urticaria at the Department of Allergy, Immunology and Dermatology, Hospital E. The questionnaire to assess the quality of life of patients with chronic urticaria was developed by the researcher based on the CU - Q2oL questionnaire. Results: The overall mean score on quality of life of the patients was calculated as 64.36 ± 12.44 (37-102) points. The average score of problems affecting the quality of life of patients with chronic urticaria were itching 1.95/4 points; swelling 1.97/4 points; daily activities 1.9/4 points; sleep 2.01/4 points; limitation 1.85/4 points and appearance 2.0/4 points. Conclusion: The quality of life of patients with chronic urticaria is significantly low. Nurses need to provide health education about nutrition, exercise, and choose appropriate cosmetics and clothing.

Clinical and ultrasonic characteristics of male gout patients with normal serum uric acid

The clinical data and joint ultrasound characteristics of 140 male patients aged from 18 to 70 years who were diagnosed with acute gout from June 2017 to June 2021 in Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University were selected for the retrospective analysis. According to the serum uric acid levels, the patients were divided into normal uric acid group (sUA≤420 μmol/L, 38 cases) and hyperuric acid group (sUA>420 μmol/L, 102 cases).The results suggested that the lower limb joints were the most affected in gout patients. The deposition of MSU crystal were still found in male gout patients with normal serum uric acid, and the standard urate-lowering therapy should also be carried out. Ultrasound can be used as an important supplementary tool for the diagnosis of gout. Group with high level serum uric acid may be more serious.

Information overload and the ossification of immunological research

Information overload and the ossification of immunological research Looking at how universities fund science and appoint faculty, as well as evaluating papers for publication – there comes an issue with the exploration and dissemination of the most innovative ideas and findings, argues Peter Bretscher, Faculty in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Saskatchewan. Addressing two foundational questions as to how immune responses are regulated and how answers may guide the prevention and treatment of clinical conditions associated with infectious diseases, autoimmunity, and cancer, Bretscher explores potential medical use in model systems for the prevention and treatment of disease, which still sit outside of mainstream immunology. In order to foster resilience in immunological research, he employs contemporary immunology as a case study, and proposes two parallel panels: a conventional one, and an alternative panel, also consisting of eminent researchers, but in neighbouring fields. The alternative panel would then fund more truly innovative proposals that challenge dominant frameworks, resulting in more impactful research.

Clinical and laboratory features of childhood-onset primary Sjögren's syndrome: A retrospective study from China.

The initial presentations of childhood-onset primary Sjögren's syndrome (C-pSS) vary, making diagnosis challenging. We aimed to improve the diagnosis and evaluation of C-pSS by summarizing its clinical and laboratory features. A total of 49 patients with C-pSS between July 2015 and August 2022 in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of Shanghai Children's Medical Centre were enrolled in this study. Their clinical manifestations and laboratory examinations of these patients were compared based on the presence or absence of thrombocytopenia and parotitis and whether the immunological markers, including anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-Ro52/SSA antibodies (anti-SSA/Ro52), anti-Ro60/SSA antibodies (anti-SSA/Ro60), and anti-Ro/SSB antibodies (anti-SSB), were positive. The mean age at C-pSS diagnosis was 10.34 ± 3.45years, and the ratio of boys to girls was 1:6. In the thrombocytopenia group, parotitis (P = 0.044), organ involvement except for hematology (P = 0.002), positive anti-SSB (P = 0.004), and positive RF (P = 0.001) were less frequently observed. Complement C4 (P = 0.038) and white blood cells (P = 0.002) levels decreased and increased significantly, respectively. Anti-SSB (P = 0.010) and RF (P = 0.004) positivity were independent potential protective factors against thrombocytopenia in patients with C-pSS. In the parotitis group, higher ANA titers (P = 0.027), higher focus scores on labial gland biopsy (P = 0.024), and positive RF (P = 0.001), anti-SSA/Ro60 (P = 0.003), and anti-SSB (P = 0.001) were observed more frequently. Furthermore, positive anti-SSB (P = 0.012) and positive RF (P = 0.028) were independent risk factors for parotitis in patients with C-pSS. The hemoglobin level was significantly lower in patients with positive anti-SSA/Ro52 and positive anti-SSA/Ro60 results (P = 0.022 and P = 0.029, respectively), while immunoglobulin G level was significantly higher in patients in the same group (P = 0.048 and P = 0.007, respectively). Positive anti-SSB and positive RF values may be independent potential protective factors of thrombocytopenia in patients with C-pSS. In contrast, positive anti-SSB and positive RF were independent risk factors of parotitis in patients with C-pSS. More studies are needed to reveal the diagnostic role and pathogenic mechanism of immunological markers in C-pSS.

“The History of the Linear No-Threshold Model” video series

Centre for Haematology, Department of Immunology and Inflammation Imperial College London, UK London and Department of Haematological Oncology Sun Yat-sen Cancer Centre Guangzhou, China Oak Ridge Center for Risk AnalysisOak Ridge, TN 37830 The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Analysis of differentially expressed microRNA and protein expression profiles carried by exosomes in the plasma of patients with Takayasu's arteritis

Objective: To detect the microRNAs (miRNAs) and proteins carried by exosomes in the plasma of patients with newly diagnosed Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) and analyze their possible roles in the pathogenesis of TAK. Methods: Ten patients with newly diagnosed TAK from the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital were selected during June-November 2020. Five healthy controls were matched with five patients by age and sex. RNA sequencing and protein mass spectrometry were used to detect miRNAs and proteins, respectively, carried by exosomes in the plasma. Differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) and proteins (DEPs) were screened. Thereafter, hierarchical cluster analysis, function, signal pathway, and protein domain enrichment analysis of DE-miRNAs and DEPs were performed. Finally, miRNAs and proteins related to vasculitis and autoimmunity were identified. The possible roles of the miRNAs and proteins in the pathogenesis of TAK were explored. Enumeration data were compared using Fisher's exact probability test or Chi-square test, and a P-value<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Compared with the healthy controls, patients with TAK had 29 DE-miRNAs on their plasma exosomes. Among these DE-miRNAs, miR-101-3p, miR-122-5p, miR-143-3p, miR-185-3p, miR-192-5p, miR-194-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-19b-3p, miR-20b-5p, miR-21-5p, miR-22-3p, miR-335-5p, miR-34a-5p, miR-3613-5p, miR-548ad-5p, miR-590-3p, and miR-7-5p were upregulated; whereas miR-1249-3p, miR-141-3p, miR-199a-5p, miR-199b-5p, miR-200a-3p, miR-200c-3p, miR-204-5p, miR-29c-5p, miR-335-3p, miR-381-3p, miR-4433b-5p, and miR-584-5p were downregulated. Finally, miR-34a-5p, miR-200c-3p, miR-143-3p, miR-22-3p, and miR-21-5p were identified. Among the 357 DEPs screened, 236 DEPs were upregulated, whereas 121 DEPs were downregulated. Finally, kallikrein B1 (KLKB1), kininogen 1 (KNG1), desmoplakin (DSP) were identified. Conclusion: MiR-34a-5p, miR-200c-3p, miR-143-3p, miR-22-3p, miR-21-5p, KLKB1, KNG1, and DSP carried by exosomes in plasma might participate in the pathogenesis of TAK by regulating vascular physiology, inflammation, autoimmunity, and other processes. They may be biomarkers and therapeutic targets of TAK.

Efficacy and safety of half-dose rituximab in the treatment of 23 cases with lupus nephritis

The study aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of rituximab in the treatment of 23 cases of lupus nephritis and explore the prospect of half-dose rituximab in lupus nephritis treatment. Twenty-three patients with lupus nephritis hospitalized in the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at the First Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from May 2013 to December 2021 were selected. Eighteen patients received rituximab 375 mg/m2 on the first and 14th days, 5 patients received 500 mg of rituximab on the first and 14th days, and rituximab was used as needed 6 months later. Methylprednisolone (80-120 mg) was given together with rituximab. Afterward, 1 mg/kg prednisone was used for 4 weeks, which was progressively tapered to maintenance doses or discontinued. B lymphocyte level, renal function, 24-h urine protein level, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease activity index 2000 (SLEDAI2K) score before and after treatment were recorded. The efficacy and adverse reactions were analyzed. The results showed that 11 patients suffered from renal insufficiency [creatinine (162.7±58.6) μmol/L ] at baseline, while the creatinine level of 9 patients returned to normal 12 months after the treatment [ (66.3±10.1)μmol/L ]. Normal renal function of the other 12 patients was maintained during treatment. After 12 months, the 24-h urine protein level decreased from 4.00 (2.00,6.80) g in the baseline period to 0.10 (0.08,0.40) g. SLEDAI2K score decreased from 22 (18,26) in the baseline period to 3 (0,6) 12 months after the treatment. The B lymphocyte level reached 0.00 (0.00,0.01)% at 3 months. Of 23 patients, 13 patients achieved complete remission, and 7 patients achieved partial remission after 6 months of rituximab treatment. Five patients experienced adverse reactions related to rituximab, including 1 case of transfusion reaction, 1 case of perioral herpes with pulmonary infection, and 3 cases of decreased IgG levels. Therefore, rituximab regimen used in this study can be an effective treatment strategy for lupus nephritis.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Compound Preparations Are Associated with Low Disease-Related Complication Rates in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 11,074 Patients.

To evaluate whether traditional Chinese medicine compound preparations (TCMCPs) are associated with rheumatoid arthritis- (RA-) related complications (including readmission, Sjogren's syndrome, surgical treatment, and all-cause death) in patients with RA. Clinical outcome data were retrospectively collected from patients with RA discharged from the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from January 2009 to June 2021. The propensity score matching method was used to match baseline data. Multivariate analysis was conducted to analyze sex, age, the incidence of hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia and identify the risk of readmission, Sjogren's syndrome, surgical treatment, and all-cause death. Users of TCMCP and nonusers of TCMCP were defined as the TCMCP and non-TCMCP groups, respectively. A total of 11,074 patients with RA were included in the study. The median follow-up time was 54.85 months. After propensity score matching, the baseline data of TCMCP users corresponded with those of non-TCMCP users, with 3517 cases in each group. Retrospective analysis revealed that TCMCP significantly reduced clinical, immune, and inflammatory indices in patients with RA, and these indices were highly correlated. Notably, the composite endpoint prognosis for treatment failure in TCMCP users was better than that in non-TCMCP users (HR = 0.75 (0.71-0.80)). The risk of RA-related complications in TCMCP users with high-exposure intensity (HR = 0.669 (0.650-0.751)) and medium-exposure intensity (HR = 0.796 (0.691-0.918)) was significantly lower than those in non-TCMCP users. An increase in exposure intensity was associated with a concomitant decrease in the risk of RA-related complications. The use of TCMCPs, as well as long-term exposure to TCMCPs, may lower RA-related complications, including readmission, Sjogren's syndrome, surgical treatment, and all-cause death, in patients with RA.

Application of Wax Therapy in Pain Care of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: To investigate the effect of wax therapy in pain care of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Convenience sampling method was used to select inpatients with rheumatoid arthritis admitted to the rheumatology and immunology department of a 3A hospital in Jingzhou City. 75 patients from January 2021 to June 2021 were selected as the control group, and 75 patients from January 2022 to June 2022 were selected as the observation group. The control group was given routine nursing, and the observation group was implemented wax therapy nursing on the basis of the control group. The relief of clinical symptoms (morning stiffness time, pain score) and quality of life score of the two groups were observed. Results: After intervention, there was statistical significance between the two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Wax therapy can improve the time of morning stiffness, the degree of pain and the quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Evaluating Functional and Non-Functional Distractors and Their Relationship with Difficulty and Discrimination Indices in Four-Option Multiple-Choice Questions

Multiple-choice questions-one best answer (MCQ-OBA) is the most frequently accepted assessment tool in Iran’s medical universities. Writing functional distractors (FDs) is an important aspect of framing MCQ-OBA. This study aimed to assess FDs and non-functional distractors (NFDs) in MCQ-OBA and the association of distractor efficiency with difficulty and discrimination indices. This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Immunology, the Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. A total of 734 MCQ-OBA were reviewed, including 2,936 options (2,202 distractors and 734 correct responses). NFDs were defined as options chosen by &lt;5% of examinees. Of the 734 MCQ-OBAs, 265 (36.1%) had 0 NFDs, 231 (31.5%) had 1 NFD, 146 (19.9%) had 2 NFDs, and 92 (12.5%) had 3 NFDs. The Pearson’s correlation showed a significant relationship between the difficulty index and the number of NFDs (r = 0.453; P &lt; 0.0001). However, the correlation between the discrimination index and the number of NFDs was insignificant (r = 0.055; P = 0.135). The findings revealed that NFDs inversely affected the test quality of items. Items with more NFDs were easier and had poorer discriminatory power. The distractor function analysis and revision of NFDs serve as an important method to improve the quality of MCQ-OBA.

Efficacy and safety of belimumab treatment in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of belimumab in children with systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE). Methods: The clinical data of 49 cSLE patients admitted into the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Children's Hospital affiliated to the Capital Institute of Pediatrics, from August 2018 to December 2021 were collected. They were divided into the belimumab treatment group (18 cases) and the traditional treatment group (31 cases) according to whether they received belimumab treatment. The cSLE patients in the traditional group had similar baseline SLEDAI scores with the belimumab group and were treated with traditional immunosuppressive drugs. The clinical symptoms and improvements before and after treatment, as well as the differences in adverse events during follow-up were compared between the two groups. Results: In belimumab group, the age was (11.9±1.8) years old, the median (Q1, Q3) of disease duration was 7.5 (2.0, 16.8) months, 3 patients were male, and 15 patients completed 24 weeks of treatment. In the traditional treatment group, 31 patients with cSLE were enrolled, with an average age of (11.3±2.4) years, a median (Q1, Q3) of disease duration of 7.0 (2.5, 10.5) months, among whom 6 patients were male, and 25 patients completed 24 weeks of treatment. At baseline, the belimumab treatment group had a significantly lower oral prednisone dose than the conventional treatment group [(29.58±12.43) mg/d vs (38.20±14.11) mg/d, P=0.037]. After 24 weeks of treatment, the dosage of prednisone in both groups was reduced, and the dosage of prednisone in the belimumab group was (14.12±5.86) mg/d, which was lower than that in the traditional treatment group [(23.51±9.79) mg/d] (P=0.002). After 24 weeks of treatment, the levels of complement C3 and C4 increased, the dsDNA levels and SLEDAI score decreased in both groups (all P>0.05). The incidence of adverse events in belimumab group (3/15, 3 cases) was lower than that in traditional treatment group (32.0%, 8/25) (P>0.05). Conclusions: Belimumab in the treatment of cSLE can reduce the initial dose of prednisone and facilitate the reduction of prednisone dose, significantly improve the clinical symptoms and organ involvement, and reduce the disease activity. The incidence of adverse events was low during belimumab treatment.

ANA-specific antibodies, ANA patterns, anti-ds-DNA results, and clinical diagnosis: a laboratory and clinical audit.

The diagnosis of systemic autoimmune diseases (SAID) is challenging, due to overlapping features with other non-immune disorders. Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA)/anti-cellular antibodies are the sensitive screening tests but anti-double-stranded-deoxyribonucleic acid-antibody (anti-ds-DNA) and ANA-specific antibodies are specific for SAID. We aimed to look at ANA-specific antibodies in our patients and correlated them with ANA patterns, anti-ds-DNA, and clinical diagnosis for proper interpretation and better patient management cost-effectively. A retrospective data analysis of 641 patients was done (1st of February 2019 to 31st of July 2021) who were tested for ANA-specific antibodies at the Immunology Department of Indus Hospital and Health Network. ANA and anti-ds-DNA results and clinical diagnosis were also analyzed for ANA-specific antibody-positive patients. Descriptive data were presented in mean ± standard deviation and frequency percentages whereas inferential data were analyzed with a chi-square test for association between ANA-specific antibodies status, ANA, anti-ds-DNA, and clinical features. ANA-specific antibodies test revealed positivity for at least one autoantibody in 245 (38.2%) patients. Of these, ANA was tested in 206 patients reactive for ANA-specific antibodies and found positive in 195 (95%) as compared to negative (< 0.001). Speckled and homogenous were predominant ANA patterns in ANA-specific antibody-positives (56% and 42% respectively). Multiple ANA patterns were found in 18 patients most commonly with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and mixed connective tissue disorder (MCTD). Anti-SSA were the most common ANA-specific antibodies (50%) and were mostly found in sera with speckled (61/97) and homogenous (38/97) patterns and associated mostly with SLE (48%) and Sjogren's syndrome (86%). Among ANA-negative patients, anti-SSA were the most common antibodies (n = 5). Anti-ds-DNA was found in 66% of SLE patients along with another ANA-specific antibody. This study showed that testing for ANA-specific antibodies cannot be gated on ANA patterns. Also, there is a redundancy of these antibodies with various clinical diagnoses. Moreover, they are useful in making a diagnosis in ANA-negative patients as well with clinical suspicion.

Borderline or Weak Positive Autoantibodies in Line Immunoblots.

Department of Clinical Immunology & Allergy, Westmead Hospital; Department of Immunopathology, ICPMR & Westmead Hospital; and Centre for Immunology and Allergy Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia [email protected]. The author declares no conflict of interest.

What are the predictive factors of body image disturbance in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus? A cross-sectional study in China

ObjectivesPatients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may experience body image disorders, which can adversely affect their physical and mental health. We aimed to assess the body-image-related quality of life of...

Evaluation of hematologic parameters in children with Down syndrome

Objective: Congenital hematological disorders are frequently observed in Down syndrome (DS). In this study, we aimed to investigate peripheral blood-derived inflammation biomarkers such as neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, platelet/lymphocyte ratio, and eosinophil/monocyte ratio in patients with Down syndrome. Material and Methods: Ninety-eight patients with karyotypically ascertained DS and 103 healthy controls were included. All subjects were divided into three age groups: 0-2 years (34 patients, 34 controls), 2-6 years (32 patients, 33 controls), and &gt;6 years (32 patients, 36 controls). Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data between June 2010 and December 2021 were written from the file records from the pediatric allergy and immunology department. Results: Lymphocyte, eosinophil, and EMR were found to be significantly lower in children with DS compared to controls in group 2 (2-6 years) and group 3 (&gt;6 years). PLR was found to be higher in children with DS in group 2 and group 3. There was no statistically significant difference between DS and controls in group 1 (6 years), there was a statistically significant difference between DS and controls in terms of lymphocyte, eosinophil, PLR, and EMR variables (P&gt;0.05). Conclusion: We found significant differences among lymphocyte, eosinophil, PLR, and EMR in patients with DS. As a result, these parameters should be evaluated carefully for clinical outcomes.

Association of the clinicopathological characteristics and proteinuria remission of pediatric IgAV with nephrotic-range proteinuria: A retrospective cohort study.

IgA vasculitis (IgAV) combined with nephrotic-range proteinuria is uncommon, and nephrotic-range proteinuria is considered a risk factor for poor prognosis in children with IgAV. There are few clinical studies with large samples. Children with IgAV and nephrotic-range proteinuria who were hospitalized at the Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology and Immunology, Hunan Children's Hospital, from March 2008 to January 2020 were retrospectively studied; the patients were aged ≤18 years and were followed up for ≥12 months. We analyzed clinical characteristics, pathological changes, treatment responses, and their relationships in patients with IgAV combined with nephrotic-range proteinuria. Two hundred seventy-seven children with an average age at onset of IgAV with nephritis (IgAVN) of 8.0 years (interquartile range (IQR), 6.0-10.0) were enrolled; 65.7% were aged 6-10 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.35:1. All children had both nephrotic-range proteinuria and hematuria, 49 (17.7%) had hypoalbuminemia, and 9 (3.2%) had estimated glomerular filtration rate < 90 (mL/min/1.73 m2). All included children were followed up for at least 1 year. At 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up, the remission rates of proteinuria in children with IgAV combined with nephrotic-range proteinuria were 27.8%, 62.1%, and 83.0%, respectively, and the remission rates of hematuria were 1.4%, 8.7%, and 35.7%, respectively. In addition, children with age at onset of IgAV with nephrotic-range proteinuria ≥10 years, who were female, who had proteinuria ≥100 mg/kg/24 h, and who had a pathological grade III or above had lower remission rates of hematuria and proteinuria (P < 0.05). Multivariate factor analysis was performed by logistic regression and showed age at onset of IgAVN ≥ 10 years and crescents to be risk factors for nonremission of proteinuria at 12 months of follow-up (P < 0.05). Age at onset of IgAVN, sex, proteinuria level, pathological grade, and crescents significantly affect proteinuria remission in children with IgAV combined with nephrotic-range proteinuria.

Short-term clinical observations of belimumab in the treatment of recently diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus.

ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effectiveness and safety of belimumab in the treatment of recently diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).MethodsBetween January 2019 and February 2022, a total of 30 patients who had been recently diagnosed with SLE were selected for 6 months of belimumab treatment at the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Tianjin First Central Hospital. Laboratory test results and related adverse reactions were recorded at baseline and after treatment.ResultsParticipants' white blood cell counts and complement 3, complement 4, and hemoglobin levels were higher after treatment than at baseline. Participants' immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M levels, SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 scores, glucocorticoid doses, erythrocyte sedimentation rates, and serum albumin/globulin ratios were lower after treatment. These differences were all statistically significant (p < .05).ConclusionBelimumab was safe and effective in patients recently diagnosed with SLE and might help to reduce the use of glucocorticoids and to improve anemia with few adverse reactions. Belimumab might be applied in the treatment of patients recently diagnosed with SLE with high disease activity.

On the frontier of immunogerontology—an interview with Prof. Graham Pawelec

The article is an interview with Prof. Graham Pawelec of the Department of Immunology at the University of Tübingen, conducted by Xiaodong Li of the Mayo Clinic African Hepatobiliary Cancer Consortium (AHPBCC), on behalf of Aging Pathobiology and Therapeutics.