Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multi-systemic disorder with various clinical manifestations. Lupus is a multifactorial autoimmune disease resulting from complex gene-environment interactions. IL-17 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine secreted by Th-17 cells, and IL-17A and IL-17F are two predominant members of this family. The present study assessed the association of IL-17F (rs763780) gene polymorphism with SLE. A total of 102 SLE patients and 141 healthy subjects were enrolled in this case-control study. Genotyping was done using the PCR-RFLP technique. The results were analyzed using SPSS software. Results showed a borderline relationship between the heterozygote genotype (AG) and a reduced risk of SLE (OR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.09-1.0, P=0.05). The A allele was also shown as having a protective effect on SLE susceptibility (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.46-1.0, P=0.05). No association was observed between the genotypes of the IL-17F gene polymorphism and the risk of SLE (P>0.05). In conclusion, it seems that the IL-17A gene may be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Background:Using the same cutoff points for whole-body measurements as for site-specific measurements will result in underestimation of osteoporosis.Objectives:We assessed the correlation between densitometry measurements for the whole body with those for the femur, lumbar spine, and forearm to evaluate the possibility of replacing site-specific values with whole-body measurements.Patients and Methods:In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated all patients referred to a single rheumatology clinic for bone mineral density measurements from 2009 to 2010. All patients who had bone mineral density measurements taken from the hip, lumbar spine, forearm, and whole body were enrolled in the study. Standard bone mineral density measurements were performed using a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry device (Hologic Delphi A; Hologic, Bedford, MA, USA). Bone mineral density, Z-score, and T-score were measured for all patients and all body regions.Results:The mean age of the 152 participating patients was 56.7 ± 12.6 years, and 97.4% were female. Pearson correlation coefficients of the whole-body bone mineral density values compared with site-specific values in patients over age 50 were 0.66 – 0.75. Using T-score cutoff points of -1 and -2.5 for osteopenia and osteoporosis, whole-body measurements underestimated the percentage of abnormal patients compared with the site-specific measurements (all P < 0.001). Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the whole-body bone mineral density showed respective areas under the curve of 0.96 and 0.84 for the diagnosis of abnormal hip bone mineral density and osteoporosis.Conclusion:Using the same cutoff points for whole-body measurements as for site-specific measurements will result in overestimation or especially underestimation of osteopenia and osteoporosis diagnosis. Choosing new and appropriate cutoff points for whole-body densitometric measurements when we want to substitutes this assessment instead of site specific measurements seems mandatory and will decrease the rate of false diagnoses of densitometric deficiencies in these anatomical sites.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with unknown etiology. G-protein-coupled receptor 65 (GPR65) candidates as an SLE-locus for functioning in T cell receptor-mediated self-reactive T cell death in the thymus. This is also involved in anti-inflammatory actions and apoptosis as remarkable features of autoimmune diseases. This study investigated the relationship between the rs10139328 polymorphism at the 5´UTR of a GPR65 gene and SLE. This casecontrol study consisted of 102 SLE patients (98 females, 4 males) and 118 age-and gender-matched healthy controls (113 females, 5 males). Genotyping of the rs10139328 polymorphism was determined using an amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR). Data was analyzed using SPSS software. The Pearson chi-square was the test of choice for assessing the association between the rs10139328 polymorphism and SLE. The probable influences of sunlight and family history on SLE were evaluated by performing logistic regression. Except for one heterozygote subject among the control group, the study population was homozygote for the selected polymorphism. No statistical difference was seen in genotype distribution between the cases and the controls (P> 0.05). Statistical analysis revealed that sun exposure directly increased SLE susceptibility (P < 0.001). Having a family history of SLE increased the risk of disease occurrence by more than two times (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.28-4.41, P= 0.006). The results of the current study do not support the importance of the studied polymorphism in a GPR65 gene in the pathogenesis of SLE among southwestern Iranian patients.

Introduction:Ramadan fasting has several advantages in regards to different diseases. However, its role in chronic diseases and patients who are under treatment with specific medications remains unknown. The general objective of this study was to determine the effect of Ramadan fasting on liver function tests in patients using methotrexate attending Shahid Mohammadi Hospital in 2015.Methods: This cohort study was conducted on patients under treatment with methotrexate in the Rheumatology Center, Bandar Abbas, Iran. Fifty patients were placed in fasting group and 50 in a non-fasting group. Patients were evaluated for liver function tests, including aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and total bilirubin before and after Ramadan fasting. For data analysis, IBM SPSS version 22.0 and descriptive tests, independent samples T-test and paired samples T-test were used. Results: Liver function tests were similar in two groups before Ramadan fasting (p>0.05). Also, liver function tests were not statistically different between two groups after Ramadan fasting (p>0.05). In the fasting and nonfasting group, there was no statistically significant difference between liver function tests before and after Ramadan fasting (p>0.05). Conclusion:The effect of Ramadan fasting on liver function tests in rheumatologic patients using methotrexate is not statistically and clinically significant. However, we recommend nutritional instructions for patients using methotrexate for Ramadan fasting.