Objective

The aim of this study was to determine if there are racial disparities in regard to the age at which SLE patients experience CVD and CVD associated death.

Methods

Using the 2003–2006 National Inpatient Sample, we calculated the age difference between SLE patients and their race and gender-matched controls at the time of hospitalization for a cardiovascular (CVD) event and for CVD-associated death. In addition, we also calculated the age difference for the same outcomes between White SLE patients and gender-matched controls for each minority group.

Results

The mean age difference at the time of CVD event between women with and without SLE was 10.5 years. All age differences between women with SLE (n=3,625) and women without SLE admitted for CVD were significant (p<0.0001). Black women were the youngest female SLE racial group to be admitted with CVD (53.9 years) and have a CVD associated inhospital mortality (52.8 years; n=218). Black SLE women were 19.8 years younger than race and gender-matched controls at the time of CVD associated death. Admission trends for CVD were reversed for Black women such that the highest proportions of these patients were admitted before age 55 and then steadily decreased across age categories. There were 805 men with SLE admitted with a CVD event, with Black and Hispanic groups being the youngest.

Conclusions

There are significant racial disparities with regard to age at the time of hospital admission for CVD events and a CVD-related hospitalization resulting in death in patients with SLE.

Objective

Racial differences are known to account for a higher incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as well as increased disease severity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are any race-specific risk factors that affect measures of subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE patients.

Methods

Traditional and SLE-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors were assessed in 106 female SLE patients. Carotid medial intimal medial thickness (mIMT) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) were measured on all subjects. Differences were evaluated between races for all clinical, serologic, and CVD risk factors and the racial interactions with all covariables. Outcomes included mIMT and CAC.

Results

There were no significant differences between races with regard to mIMT or CAC. Significant covariables in the final model for mIMT included age, triglycerides, glucose, and race-age and race-smoking interactions. A prediction model with fixed significant covariables demonstrated that Black subjects with a smoking history had a significantly higher mIMT than Blacks who had never smoked, an effect not seen in Whites. There were no differences between having CAC or with the CAC scores between the races. In the final model for CAC, age and SLE disease duration were significant covariables impacting CAC.

Conclusion

When controlling for other significant CVD covariables and interactions, Black women, but not White, with SLE with a history of smoking have higher mIMT measurements than those who have never smoked. This is the first report documenting the race-specific effect of smoking on subclinical measures of CVD in SLE.

Objective

To assess CD154 expression in pediatric lupus and explore a transcriptional mechanism explaining dysregulated CD154 expression.

Methods

Cell surface CD154 expression was examined, pre- and post-activation, on peripheral blood CD4 T cells from 29 children with lupus and matched controls by flow cytometry. CD154 expression was correlated with clinical features, laboratory parameters, and treatments received. Increased CD154 expression on lupus CD4 T cells was correlated with CD154 message and transcription rates by real-time RT-PCR and nuclear run-on assays, respectively. NFAT transcriptional activity and NFAT mRNA levels in lupus CD4 T cells were explored by reporter gene analysis and real-time RT-PCR, respectively.

Results

CD154 surface protein levels were increased 1.44-fold on lupus CD4 T cells compared to controls at one day post-activation ex vivo. This increase correlated clinically with the presence of nephritis and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Increased CD154 protein also correlated with increased CD154 mRNA levels and rates of CD154 transcription, particularly at later time-points post-T cell activation. Reporter gene analyses revealed a trend for increased NFAT, but decreased AP-1 and similar NFκB, activity in lupus CD4 T cell compared to controls. Moreover, NFAT1 and, in particular, NFAT2 mRNA levels were notably increased in lupus CD4 T cells compared to controls.

Conclusion

Following activation, cell surface CD154 is increased on pediatric lupus CD4 T cells compared to controls, and this correlates with the presence of nephritis, increased CD154 transcription rates, and NFAT activity. These results suggest that NFAT/calcineurin inhibitors, such as tacrolimus and cyclosporine, may be beneficial in treating lupus nephritis.