Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with rheumatic diseases and abnormal liver function, as well as determine the proportion and severity of liver function abnormalities.Methods:Cross-sectional study. Data were collected from patients registered in the Chinese Rheumatism Date Center from 2011 to 2021. The rheumatic diseases analyzed in this study were rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjogren syndrome (SS), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and gout. Patient data, including demographic characteristics [ such as age, sex, body mass index,(BMI), and smoking history], liver function test results [including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase(ALP), and total bilirubin], and use of anti-rheumatic immune drugs and liver-protective drugs, were collected and compared between groups with normal and abnormal liver functions. In addition, the proportions of abnormal liver function were compared between sex and age groups.Results:A total of 116 308 patients were included in this study, including 49 659 with RA, 17 597 with SLE, 9 039 with SS, 11 321 with AS, and 28 692 with gout. The lowest proportion of liver function abnormalities was observed in patients with RA[11.02% (5 470/49 659)], followed by those with SS[17.97% (1 624/9 039)] and AS [18.22% (2 063/11 321) ], whereas patients with SLE [21.14% (3 720/17 597) ] and gout [28.73% (8 242/28 692)] exhibited the highest proportion of these abnormalities. Elevated ALT, mostly classified as grade 1, was the most commonly noted liver function abnormality, whereas elevated ALP was the least common. Some patients who took liver-protective drugs had normal liver function, with the lowest percentage observed in patients with gout [7.45% (36/483) ] and ranging from 21.7% to 30.34% in patients with RA, SLE, SS, and AS. The proportion of liver function abnormalities was higher in males than in females for all disease types [RA: 13.8%(1 368/9 906) vs. 10.3%(4 102/39 753); SLE: 33.6% (479/1 424) vs. 20.0% (3 241/16 173); SS: 25.4%(111/437) vs. 17.6%(1 513/8 602); AS: 20.1%(1 629/8 119) vs. 13.6% (434/3 202); and gout: 29.3% (8 033/27 394) vs. 16.1% (209/1 298)]. In RA, SLE, and AS, the proportions of liver function abnormalities were similar across all age groups. In SS, the proportion of liver function abnormalities increased with age [<40 years: 14.9%(294/1 979); 40-59 years: 18.1%(858/4 741); ≥60 years: 20.4%(472/2 319)], whereas a reversal of this trend was observed in gout [<40 years: 34.9%(4 294/12 320); 40-59 years: 25.5%(2 905/11 398);≥60 years: 21.0%(1 042/4 971)].Conclusions:The proportions of combined liver function abnormalities in patients with rheumatologic diseases were high, and the utilization rates of liver-protective drugs were low. It is necessary to pay more attention to monitoring patients′ liver function, timely administer liver-protective drugs, and optimize liver-protective regimens during the treatment of rheumatic diseases.

BACKGROUND: The clinical features of enthesitis in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have been reported in some Western countries, but data in China are very limited. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of enthesitis in Chinese patients with PsA and compared them with those in other cohorts. METHODS: Patients with PsA enrolled in the Chinese Registry of Psoriatic Arthritis (CREPAR) (December 2018 to June 2021) were included. Data including demographics, clinical characteristics, disease activity measures, and treatment were collected at enrollment. Enthesitis was assessed by the Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC), Maastricht ankylosing spondylitis enthesitis score (MASES), and Leeds enthesitis index (LEI) indices. A multivariable logistic model was used to identify factors related to enthesitis. We also compared our results with those of other cohorts. RESULTS: In total, 1074 PsA patients were included, 308 (28.7%) of whom had enthesitis. The average number of enthesitis was 3.3 ± 2.8 (range: 1.0-18.0). More than half of the patients (165, 53.6%) had one or two tender entheseal sites. Patients with enthesitis had an earlier age of onset for both psoriasis and arthritis, reported a higher proportion of PsA duration over 5 years, and had a higher percentage of axial involvement and greater disease activity. Multivariable logistic regression showed that axial involvement (odds ratio [OR] 2.21, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59-3.08; P <0.001), psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.04; P = 0.002), and disease activity score 28-C reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.01-1.55; P = 0.037) were associated with enthesitis. Compared with the results of other studies, Chinese patients with enthesitis had a younger age, lower body mass index (BMI), a higher rate of positive human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27, more frequent dactylitis, and a higher proportion of conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs' (csDMARDs) use. CONCLUSIONS Enthesitis is a common condition among Chinese patients with PsA. It is important to evaluate entheses in both peripheral and axial sites.
Humans ; Arthritis, Psoriatic/drug therapy* ; East Asian People ; Enthesopathy/complications* ; Registries ; Severity of Illness Index ; Spondylarthritis/epidemiology*

【Objective】 To provide a new idea for the treatment of depression by summarizing the antidepressant effect and mechanism of active ingredients in functional food, and medicine and food homologous products. 【Methods】 The literature related to the antidepressant of functional food or medicine and food homologous products from September 25, 1996 to September 5, 2022 was collected through PubMed, Google Academic, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. After that, their antidepressant active ingredients and mechanism of action were systematically summarized and analyzed. 【Results】 A total of 146 pieces of literature were involved in the study, including 67 plant-derived functional foods or medicine and food homologous products, 32 antidepressant extracts (including 8 flavonoid extracts), and 87 antidepressant active ingredients. The 87 antidepressant active ingredients include 7 terpenes, 22 saponins, 15 flavonoids, 11 phenylpropanoids, 7 phenols, 6 sugars, 8 alkaloids, and 11 others. 【Conclusion】 The study summarized and analyzed the active ingredients and mechanisms of antidepressants in functional foods and medicine and food homologous products, which provides a new vision for the development of new antidepressants and a potential alternative treatment for patients with depression.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease with high prevalence and possible poor prognosis. Though the pathogenesis of pSS has not been fully elucidated, B cell hyperactivity is considered as one of the fundamental abnormalities in pSS patients. It has long been identified that Janus kinases-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway contributes to rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Recently, increasing numbers of studies have provided evidence that JAK-STAT pathway also has an important role in the pathogenesis of pSS via direct or indirect activation of B cells. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), STAT3, and STAT5 activated by various cytokines and ribonucleic acid contribute to pSS development, respectively or synergically. These results reveal the potential application of Janus kinase inhibitors for treatment of pSS, which may fundamentally improve the quality of life and prognosis of patients with pSS.

BACKGROUND: The impact of sex on the clinical manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were diversely reported in the literature. The Chinese Registry of rhEumatoiD arthrITis provides a platform for the investigation of this issue in Chinese patients. METHODS: Demographic and clinical parameters were collected from all enrolled patients with RA and from patients with early RA (disease duration ≤6 months). The differences in data regarding disease activity, comorbidities, and medications for RA were compared between men and women. The proportions of patients who achieved remission and low disease activity were compared at enrollment and during 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up visits. RESULTS: A total of 11,564 patients were enrolled, 83.6% of whom were female. In all the enrolled patients and patients with early RA, C-reactive protein (CRP, 12.0 vs . 6.7 mg/L), pain visual analogue scale (4.8 vs . 4.5), patient's and physician's global assessment (4.9 vs . 4.5 and 4.9 vs . 4.5), 28-joint disease activity score using DAS28-CRP (4.3 vs . 4.0) simplified disease activity index (21.9 vs . 19.9), and clinical disease activity index (19.3 vs . 18.0) were significantly higher in men than in women. Additionally, the swollen joint count/tender joint count and DAS28 using erythrocyte sedimentation rate were higher in male patients than in female patients with early RA. More female patients with early RA reached the treatment target at baseline than male patients (23.4% vs . 18.2%, assessed by CDAI). At 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months, the proportion of remission and treatment target achievement was similar in both sexes. Coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke were more frequent in men than in women. CONCLUSIONS In Chinese patients with RA, men were found to have more active disease, as well as more cases of CAD and stroke. Therefore, sex should be carefully considered during the personalization of RA treatment.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; East Asian People ; Severity of Illness Index ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Registries ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use*

BACKGROUND: The onset and clinical presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are sex-related. Few studies have investigated the distinctions in clinical characteristics and treatment preferences in male and female SLE patients in the initial cohort. This study aimed to improve the understanding of Chinese SLE patients by characterizing the different sexes of SLE patients in the inception cohort. METHODS: Based on the initial patient cohort established by the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research Group, a total of 8713 patients (795 men and 7918 women) with newly diagnosed SLE were enrolled between April 2009 and March 2021. Of these, 2900 patients (347 men and 2553 women) were eligible for lupus nephritis (LN). A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters, organ damage, initial treatment regimens, and renal pathology classification was performed according to sex. RESULTS: In the SLE group, as compared to female patients, male patients had a later age of onset (male vs. female: 37.0 ± 15.8 years vs. 35.1 ± 13.7 years, P  = 0.006) and a higher SLE International Collaborative Clinic/American College of Rheumatology damage index score (male vs. female: 0.47 ± 1.13 vs. 0.34 ± 0.81, P  = 0.015), LN (male vs. female: 43.6% vs. 32.2%, P < 0.001), fever (male vs. female: 18.0% vs. 14.6%, P  = 0.010), thrombocytopenia (male vs. female: 21.4% vs. 18.5%, P  = 0.050), serositis (male vs. female: 14.7% vs. 11.7%, P  = 0.013), renal damage (male vs. female: 11.1% vs. 7.4%, P < 0.001), and treatment with cyclophosphamide (CYC) (P < 0.001). The frequency of leukopenia (male vs. female: 20.5% vs. 25.4%, P  = 0.002) and arthritis (male vs. female: 22.0% vs. 29.9%, P < 0.001) was less in male patients with SLE. In LN, no differences were observed in disease duration, SLE Disease Activity Index score, renal biopsy pathological typing, or 24-h urine protein quantification among the sexes. In comparisons with female patients with LN, male patients had later onset ages (P  = 0.026), high serum creatinine (P < 0.001), higher end-stage renal failure rates (P  = 0.002), musculoskeletal damage (P  = 0.023), cardiovascular impairment (P  = 0.009), and CYC use (P  = 0.001); while leukopenia (P  = 0.017), arthritis (P  = 0.014), and mycophenolate usage (P  = 0.013) rates were lower. CONCLUSIONS Male SLE patients had more severe organ damage and a higher LN incidence compared with female SLE patients; therefore, they may require more aggressive initial treatment compared to female patients.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Sex Characteristics ; East Asian People ; Severity of Illness Index ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/diagnosis* ; Lupus Nephritis/pathology* ; Registries ; Cyclophosphamide/therapeutic use* ; Thrombocytopenia ; Leukopenia/drug therapy* ; Arthritis

Objective To investigate the value of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) in clinical phenotype of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA).Methods The clinical data of 64 patients with EGPA from Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2007 to 2016 were retrospectively analyzed,and the patients were followed up.Characteristics of patients with ANCA positive and ANCA negative were compared by independent-samples t test,Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test.Results Among 64 patients with EGPA,12(19％) were serum ANCA positive and 52(81％) were negative.The incidence of fever (77％ vs 35％,x2=9.403,P=0.002) and renal involvement,including proteinuria (67％ vs 25％,x2=7.678,P=0.006),hematuria (58％ vs 8％,x2=17.57,P＜0.01),renal inadequacy (33％ vs 4％,x2=9.978,P=0.002),and the BVAS score higher than 15 (92％ vs 60％,x2=4.440,P=0.035) in ANCA positive group were higher than ANCA negative group,while the presence of allergic rhinitis (17％ vs 56％,x2=5.969,P=0.015),mucocutaneous lesion (33％ vs 65％,x2=4.152,P=0.042) and cardiac involvement (8％ vs 44％,x2=3.361,P=0.021) in the ANCA-positive group was lower when compared with ANCA-negative patients.The positive ratio of rheumatoid factor (RF) (100％ vs 42％,x2=7.723,P=0.006),and the level of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (50 vs 35.5 mm/1 h,P=0.034) in ANCA-positive group were higher than in ANCA negative group.There was no significant difference in pathological characteristics between the two groups.According to the treatment and prognosis,there were no significant differences between the two groups in the usage and dosage of steroids and immunosuppressant,the remission rate and recurrence rate of the disease,and the death rate due to the primary disease.Conclusion The clinical manifestations of EGPA are complicate.Whether ANCA is positive or not may be related to the clinical phenotypes.More attention should be paid to renal involvement in ANCA positive patients while cardiac involvement in ANCA negative patients.

CD146 Antigen ; immunology ; Fibroblasts ; immunology ; pathology ; Humans ; Scleroderma, Systemic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; pathology

Objective To carry out the surveillance with sentinel mice in the key water areas of schistosomiasis endemic re-gions in Yunnan Province,so as to establish and perfect the surveillance and forecast system of schistosomiasis. Methods Six villages of three counties with schistosomiasis heavy endemic status were selected as the survey points. Then ,the surveillance and forecast with the sentinel mice were carried out in the key water areas in the survey points. The recovered sentinel mice were dissected in laboratory,and their serum antibodies against schistosome were detected. Meanwhile,the suspicious infested water contacts of the residents and livestock in the surveillance sites were investigated,and the endemic data of schistosomiasis in the survey points in recent 3 years were collected and analyzed. Results Totally 282 sentinel mice were placed in the water area, 252 were recovered,with a recovery rate of 90.78%,and 8 mice were dead,with a mortality rate of 3.13%. The number of mice with schistosome egg granuloma and adult worm detected were both 0,and the worm burden and the positive rate of serum anti-bodies against schistosome were both 0,too. The persons who contacted with the suspicious infested water were mainly villagers and students by harvesting and playing. The Oncomelania hupensis snail areas,the infection rates of residents and livestock were obviously declined in recent 3 years. Conclusions There are no positive sentinel mice found in the key water areas of the surveillance sites in Yunnan Province,which suggests that the schistosome infection risk of residents and livestock is low. How-ever,the comprehensive control measures,surveillance and forecast with sentinel mice in the key water areas of schistosomiasis endemic regions still should be strengthened.

A 54-year-old man was admitted to the Department of Rheumatology in Peking Union Medic.al College Hospital due to polyarthritis.back pain and multiple subcutaneous masses.He had symmetrical polyarthritis at onset.which was diagnosed as theumatoid arthritis.His follow-up and treatment were irregular.Back pain and multiple subcutaneous masses developed 2 year ago.Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reac.tive protein were elevated.Rheumatoid fac.tor and Anti-cylic citrullinated peptide antibody were positive.No evidence of infection or malignancy was detected.Chest CT suggested pulmonary fibrosis and osteolytic lesions of stemum.Spinal MRI showed paravertebral soft tissue.Biopsy of the soft tissue suggested the pathologic.al finding of a theumatoid nodule.The patient was diagnosed as theumatoid arthritis complic.ated with multiple theumatoid bursal cysts.Combination therapy of methylprednisolone (40mg/d) and cyclophosphamide (0.4g/w) lead to a rapid improvement of clinical symptoms and laboratory parameters.The patient was still in remission at 6-month follow-up.