AbstractBackground Vasculitis presents significant health challenges due to its complex clinical manifestations and the variability in its prevalence and severity across different regions and demographics. Understanding these patterns is crucial for developing targeted medical interventions and health policies, especially during global health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods Using the Futang Updating Medical Regulations (FUTURE) database, we conducted an exhaustive analysis of the prevalence, complications, and healthcare impacts of vasculitis across mainland China from January 2016 to August 2023. The study assessed demographic distributions, regional variations, and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on disease diagnosis rates.Results The study found that conditions such as Takayasu arteritis (TAK), ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), and immune complex vasculitis were more prevalent in females, while diseases like polyarteritis nodosa and Behçet's disease (BD) showed a gender-neutral distribution. A significant decrease in vasculitis diagnoses was noted during the pandemic. Geographical analysis indicated a higher incidence of various types of vasculitis in the northern and eastern regions of China. Complications varied, with BD showing significant digestive system involvement and TAK associated with high rates of hypertension and vascular complications. Critical cases required intensive care, highlighting the severity of these conditions.Conclusions The analysis underscores the need for region-specific healthcare strategies and more robust disease monitoring frameworks, particularly in the face of global health emergencies. The financial and clinical burden of vasculitis is considerable, emphasizing the necessity for efficient diagnostic and treatment modalities to manage and mitigate the impacts of this disease group effectively.
<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The role of tea consumption on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been studied in recent years, but no clear conclusion has been drawn as a result of small sample size of the studies or the fact that only in vitro studies have been performed. <b><i>Objectives:</i></b> The aim of this study was to explore the possible association of tea consumption with RA through a large-scale, real-world study. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A total of 733 RA patients were investigated from June to December, 2016. The disease activity of RA was assessed according to disease activity score 28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The amount and types of tea consumption were recorded by on-site self-administered questionnaires. Logistic regression models were applied to analyze the correlation between tea consumption and disease activity, adjusting for demographics, clinical and laboratory factors. <b><i>Results:</i></b> There was an inverse association between tea consumption and disease activity in RA patients (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.46–0.94). Compared with non-tea drinkers, a higher-intake of tea (>750 mL/day) was associated with lower disease activity of RA (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.19–0.79), but not low-intake (≤750 mL/day; OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.42–1.63). A significant dose-response association was found between the amount of tea consumption and disease activity (<i>p</i> for trend <0.01). Further hierarchical regression analysis showed that such inverse associations were mainly present in female patients (<i>p</i> = 0.004), non-smokers (<i>p</i> = 0.01) or elders (≥60 years; <i>p</i> = 0.01). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Tea consumption is associated with decreased disease activity of RA, suggesting the potential beneficial effect of tea in the disease.
Abstract Accumulating evidence has implicated dietary factors as important risks for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) development, but analyses of the effects of red meat consumption on RA have yielded diverging results. The aim of this study was to explore the association between red meat and RA in a large-scale, cross-sectional study. From June to December 2016, a total of 733 patients were investigated, from which 707 participants were included in the analysis. These patients were divided into two groups according to their consumption of red meat (< 100 g/day; ≥ 100 g/day). The intake of red meat was assessed via physician-administered questionnaire. Generalized linear models were used to analyze relationships between the red meat intake and RA, adjusting for potential confounders including demographic, clinical, laboratory, and other dietary factors. Compared with low-intake red meat RA patients, high-intake red meat patients had an earlier onset age ( p = 0.02) and had higher BMI ( p = 0.003). The age at disease onset for the high-intake patients was 6.46 years earlier than for low-intake patients, after adjustment for demographic and other possible confounders ( β = − 6.46, 95% CI − 9.77, − 3.15; p = 0.0001). Further, stratified analyses showed that this inverse association of red meat intake with RA onset age was especially evident in smokers and overweight patients (BMI ≥ 24 kg/m 2 ). In conclusion , high-intake red meat is associated with early onset of RA, especially in smokers or overweight patients. The findings indicate that eating less red meat could be a recommendation given to patients at risk for RA development.
An IgG1 SNP enhances autoimmunity One common feature of autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the presence of high titers of self-reactive antibodies. These result in immune complexes, inflammation, and tissue pathology. Consequently, the checkpoints that normally keep immunoglobulin G (IgG)–positive autoreactive B cells in check are of intense interest. Chen et al. report the presence of a common IgG1 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in East Asian populations (hIgG1-G396R). This SNP was enriched in SLE patients and associated with increased disease severity. Humans with this SNP, as well as knockin mice, showed enhanced plasma cell accumulation and antibody production. This SNP enhanced IgG1 immunoglobulin tail tyrosine motif phosphorylation, triggering longer adaptor protein Grb2 dwell times in immunological synapses and hyper–Grb2–Bruton's tyrosine kinase signaling after antigen binding. Science , this issue p. 700
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