Lupus
-
Review Meta Analysis
Associations between the p53 codon 72 polymorphisms and susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis.
The aim of this study was to determine whether the p53 codon 72 polymorphism confers susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ This meta-analysis demonstrates that the p53 codon 72 polymorphism may confer susceptibility to SLE in Asians, but not in Europeans.
-
Comparative Study
Comparison of QuantiFERON-TB Gold test and tuberculin skin test for the identification of latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in lupus patients.
The tuberculin skin test (TST) has low sensitivity for the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT-G) is an IFN-gamma-release assay that measures the release of interferon-gamma after stimulation in vitro by Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens using ELISA. The main advantage of this assay compared with TST is the lack of cross-reaction with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) as well as most of non-tuberculous mycobacteria. The aim of our study is to compare QFT-G with TST for the detection of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). ⋯ In a TB-endemic and BCG vaccinated population, the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay seemed to be a more accurate test for the detection of LTBI in SLE patients. Although 5 mm is usually accepted to be the standard cut-off for TST in immunocompromised patients such as SLE, the level of agreement between QTF-G and TST was better with a 10 mm cut-off in our population.