The aim of this cross-sectional study was to establish the frequency, phenotype and characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MS), as defined by the Adult Treatment Panel III, in a cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its possible association with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A total of 160 patients with SLE and 245 age, sex, educational level and ethnically matched controls were included. Association with cardiovascular risk factors, SLE features, treatment of SLE and history of CVD were assessed in patients with SLE and controls with and without MS. MS was non-significantly increased in patients with SLE (20%) compared with controls (13%; P = 0.083). It was more commonly observed in patients with SLE < or =40 years old (15.8%) than in controls of the same age group (4.2%; P < 0.001). The mean number of MS criteria was significantly higher among patients with SLE than in controls. The frequency of CVD was also 28-fold higher among patients with SLE (11.3%) than in controls (0.4%). SLE with MS presented higher levels of inflammatory markers than SLE without MS. In a multivariate analysis, educational level, serum triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol and C3 serum levels and hydroxychloroquine use were independently associated with MS.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential association of functional polymorphisms of macrophage migration inhibitory factor with systemic lupus erythematosus. Our study includes 711 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and 755 healthy controls. We genotyped the migration inhibitory factor (MIF) À173G/C using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system with predeveloped TaqMan allelic discrimination assay and the MIF À794 CATT n microsatellite polymorphism using a PCR-fluorescent method. A statistically significant difference in the distribution of the MIF À173*C allele between SLE patients and controls (P ¼ 0.004, OR ¼ 1.34, 95% CI ¼ 1.05-1.27) was observed. In addition, the frequency of the MIF À173 *C/C genotype was higher in SLE patient (P ¼ 0.002, OR ¼ 2.58, 95% CI ¼ 1.32-5.10). No differences in the distribution of CATT n were found. However, the haplotypes analyses showed that only the CATT 7 -MIF À173 *C haplotype was associated with a higher susceptibility to SLE (P ¼ 0.001, OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.35-2.79). No association with clinical features was detected in any case. These results suggest that both, MIF À173 *C allele and CATT 7 -MIF À173*C haplotype, confer susceptibility to SLE in our population.

QOL usually depends on multiple factors, some of which are stress and anxiety, which can be modified by a cognitive behavioural therapy, in order to obtain a significant improvement in the HRQOL, irrespective of the activity level of the disease. Frequent evaluations of the quality of life in patients with SLE and psychological treatment should also be considered.

Background: Infections are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Objective: To analyse urinary tract infection (UTI) risk factors in lupus patients; the influence of these factors on disease activity, organ damage, and disease development; the type and prevalence of UTI; and the micro-organisms involved. Method: 86 control subjects and 81 lupus patients were studied prospectively over a 12 month period and examined on five occasions. Epidemiological data and information on urinary symptoms, disease activity (SLEDAI), and organ damage (SLICC/ACR) data were collected. Autoantibodies, complement levels, urine culture, and antibiogram were determined; urological studies were also carried out. SPPS 10.0 and STATA 6.0. were used for statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of UTI in lupus patients was 36%. Lupus influences the onset of UTI (p = 0.001), regardless of other variables. UTI risk factors in lupus patients were age (p = 0.002), previous cases of UTI (p = 0.0001), antinuclear antibodies (ANA) .1/80 IU/ml (p = 0.022), thrombocytopenia (p = 0.02), and admission to hospital due to UTI (p = 0.002). Leucopenia (p = 0.09) and the weekly administration of methotrexate (p = 0.06) had a bearing on the onset of UTI; disease development (p = 0.99), lupus activity (p = 0.32), and organ damage (p = 0.36) do not. The uropathogen most frequently isolated was E coli (60%). Conclusions: Lupus patients are likely to have UTI, usually manifesting in the lower tract. They are community acquired, basically caused by E coli, and favoured by age, previous UTI, admissions to hospital due to UTI, thrombopenia, ANA, leucopenia, and methotrexate treatments.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and polymorphisms in the interleukin‐23 receptor (IL23R) gene, which have been previously found to be associated with two autoimmune diseases: inflammatory bowel disease and psoriasis. Our study includes 224 SLE patients and 342 healthy controls. The genotyping of IL23R variants was carried out using a polymerase chain reaction system with predeveloped TaqMan allelic discrimination assays. No statistically significant differences were observed between SLE patients and healthy controls with any of the IL23R genetic variants. In addition, we did not find any significant differences when we stratified SLE patients according to their clinical and demographic features. These results suggest that IL23R polymorphisms do not appear to play an important role in the susceptibility or severity of SLE in the Spanish population.