LFA- Lupus Research Report

General
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Dynamics of Lupus within First Five Years of Diagnosis

The severity of lupus is influenced by both disease activity and the possibility of organ damage over time. Organ damage in people with lupus is thought to arise slowly over time due to an interaction of disease processes, possible co-existing conditions, and drug treatments. Levels of autoantibodies circulating in the blood are a primary indicator of lupus disease activity and can change over time, but these dynamics around the time of lupus diagnosis have not been well studied. The results of this study reveal differences in autoantibody profiles over time in people with lupus, with important ethnicity-related differences, and their relationship to lupus-mediated organ damage over time. The potential relationship between organ damage and steroid use in people with lupus is discussed.
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Reduced Bone Density in Newly Diagnosed Children with Lupus

Sun avoidance, vitamin D deficiency, and steroid treatments are associated with thinning of the bones, or "osteoporosis." Children with lupus may be especially susceptible to osteoporosis because they are often being treated with steroids at a time when most of their initial bone development is still taking place. It would be useful for children with lupus (as well as their family members) to know whether they may be experiencing osteoporosis early on in their disease course due to steroid treatments or other factors. The results of this study highlight risk factors for developing osteoporosis, as well as the relative importance of lupus disease mechanisms and steroid treatments in the likelihood of a child newly diagnosed with lupus developing osteoporosis.
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Men Require More Lupus Genes to Develop Lupus

Lupus is thought to develop due to a combination of both genetic and environmental factors and is more common in women. Numerous studies have identified genes that increase the likelihood of developing lupus. The disparate incidence of lupus in women over men may be related to sex-specific genetic or hormonal factors. However, the degree to which these sex-specific factors favor the development of lupus in women over men has not been well established. The results of this study indicate that men require more lupus genes than women in order to develop lupus. The implications of these results are discussed in the context of possible sex- and hormone-related differences between men and women with lupus.
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Lupus Featured on Everyday Health(L-R) Taylor Kassel, Ethan Zohn, Halee Newby, Jenna Morasca

Fifteen year-old Halee Newby, who has lupus, and her family will be profiled as an Everyday Health Hero in an upcoming episode of Everyday Health. As long-time supporters of the LFA and LFA’s Wisconsin Chapter, the Newby’s are helping to raise lupus awareness and funds for lupus research through a volleyball tournament. The episode will also feature 14 year-old Taylor Kassel, who also has lupus and is a supporter of the LFA and LFA's Illinois Chapter. Check your local TV listings for more information and be sure to tune in on February 25th!

Support LFA’s National Advocacy Efforts

Earlier this month, the Lupus Foundation of America announced the formation of the Congressional Lupus Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Caucus will work in collaboration with the LFA to ensure all Members of Congress are armed with the understanding of the impact of lupus on individuals and their families, and actively support the advancement of lupus research and increased awareness of lupus among the public and health professionals. Help us continue to be the voice of the lupus community. Donate today and support the LFA’s national advocacy efforts.

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The Lupus Research Report, a free enewsletter from the Lupus Foundation of America, provides reviews of recently published papers from significant medical journals translated into understandable language, information about advances in lupus research and clinical studies, and other relevant news for individuals with an interest in lupus. The commentary aims to put research findings into perspective, explain the limits to the conclusions that can be drawn, and examine the possibilities for future research directions. This is an exciting time in lupus research, so it is important for everyone in the lupus community to be fully informed about ongoing studies and developments and what they might mean.

Mariana J. Kaplan, M.D., Medical Advisor
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
Division of Rheumatology
University of Michigan Medical School

The Lupus Foundation of America is the foremost national nonprofit health organization dedicated to finding the causes of and cure for lupus and providing support, services and hope to all people affected by lupus.

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GOOD INFO!! :0)

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Wow. Thanks for adding this! it was a great read.

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Wow all of this was very interesting and informative!!! Thank u for sharing this. What web site have u gotten this info from?

John “JC” Colyer said:


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June 22, 2012

Lupus Research Report


Revision of Classification Criteria for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) revised their criteria for the classification of system lupus erythematosus in 1982. These criteria were created in order to help physicians classify, but not diagnose, people with lupus. Since that time, significant new insights about the mechanisms and etiology of lupus pathogenesis have emerged. Accordingly, to incorporate new knowledge about lupus into the classification criteria, the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Collaborating Clinics (SLICC), an international group dedicated to clinical research on lupus, revised the ACR classification criteria for lupus. In a two-tier process, SLICC used expert-rated patient scenarios to derive and validate the new classification rule. This 8-year effort included 33 rheumatologists, with expertise in lupus, from around the world and represents the largest validation study to date since the release of ACR’s 1982 classification criteria for lupus. The new SLICC classification rule is more clinically relevant, includes updates and more inclusive definitions of lupus-related variables, and improves upon the ACR classification criteria in several important ways.
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New American College of Rheumatology Guidelines for Lupus Nephritis
Lupus-related inflammation of the kidney, or lupus nephritis, is one of the most serious complications of systemic lupus erythematosus. About half of people with lupus will develop lupus nephritis within a decade of a lupus diagnosis. In 1999, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) released guidelines for the management of lupus nephritis. Since that time, new treatments for and insights about lupus nephritis have emerged. To update the ACR guidelines for the management of lupus nephritis, a team of lupus experts from around the country collaborated with the ACR. The researchers utilized extensive literature searches and expert opinions to develop the updated guidelines. Based on these efforts, the researchers developed new and specific treatment guidelines for the different classes of lupus nephritis, based on disease severity utilizing criteria set forth by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN)/Renal Pathology Society (RPS). It should be noted that these ACR-endorsed guidelines are provided as guidance, but are considered voluntary.
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Interferon-Associated Risk for Premature Heart Disease Among People with Lupus
People with lupus are at increased risk for premature heart disease. Among lupus patients, lupus disease activity is even more important than traditional risk factors for heart disease. Type I interferon, a protein which plays a major role in the etiology of lupus, may have a significant role in the development of premature heart disease in people with lupus. The researchers examined the relationship between type I interferon and premature heart disease among people with lupus and also among women who do not have lupus or other related diseases. Three specific indicators of premature heart disease was studied in these populations. The researchers identify specific heart-related factors that lupus patients should work with their doctors to monitor over time.
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Lupus Organizations Unite to Stimulate Advances in Lupus Research
Lupus organizations have come together to launch a first-of-a-kind initiative to encourage scientific advances in lupus research. The Lupus Insight Prize, presented in a collaboration among the Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR), the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) , and the Lupus Research Institute (LRI), will recognize and honor an outstanding investigator with a documented record of creativity, innovation, and productivity in lupus research, and with a high likelihood of generating further advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Learn more about the Lupus Insight Prize at www.lupusinsightprize.org.

The Lupus Foundation of America Continues Cultivating Interest in Lupus Research Among Young Scientists
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) is pleased to announce the 2012 Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Fellowship Program grantees. This unique program, established more than 25 years ago by former LFA President Dr. Sergio Finzi in honor of his daughter Gina who passed away from lupus, seeks to cultivate an interest in lupus research among young scientists by funding basic, clinical, translational, epidemiological, and lupus behavioral research studies under the supervision of an established investigator.

The 2012 award recipients include:

Caroline Albert, Yale University School of Medicine (New Haven, CT)
“Can Hydroxychoroquine Prevent Adverse Pregnancy in Women with APS?”
Mentor: Vikki M. Abrahams, Ph.D.
Elizabeth Clarke, University of California at Irvine (Irvine, CA)
“Impact of C1q on Macrophage Modulation of T Cell Function in Autoimmunity”
Mentor: Andrea J. Tenner, Ph.D.
Christine Coquery, University of Virginia School of Medicine (Charlottesville, VA)
“The Role of Neutrophils in Controlling the Development of Plasma Cells in Autoimmune-Prone Mice”
Mentor: Loren D. Erickson, Ph.D.
Thomas J. Covey, State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Buffalo, NY)
“MRI, Electrophysiology and Working Memory Impairment in SLE”
Mentor: David W. Shucard, Ph.D.
Anne Song, Yale University School of Medicine (New Haven, CT)
“Competition between TLR7 and TLR9 for UNC93B in a Murine Model of Lupus”
Mentor: Mark J. Shlomchik, M.D., Ph.D.
Learn more about the Gina M. Finzi Memorial Student Fellowship

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Oh nice. U know I never did sign up for it. I have been meaning to, nut my plate has been let’s say quite full.

John “JC” Colyer said:

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