Fully Prime Semirings

Francisco E. Alarcó;n ... et al KYUNGPOOK UNIVERSITY 2000 Kyungpook mathematical journal Vol.40 No.2

We characterize semirings where every ideal is prime (fully prime semirings) as those having a totally ordered lattice with every ideal idempotents. We provide a characterizaton, in terms of the values of n and i, for the finite semirings B(n, i) that are fully prime. We also provide a characterization of the subtractive ideals in the semirings B(n, i).

Evaluation of <i>TRAF6</i> in a large multiancestral lupus cohort

Namjou, Bahram,Choi, Chan‐,Bum,Harley, Isaac T. W.,Alarcó,n‐,Riquelme, Marta E.,Kelly, Jennifer A.,Glenn, Stuart B.,Ojwang, Joshua O.,Adler, Adam,Kim, Kwangwoo,Gallant, Caroline J.,B Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 2012 Vol.64 No.6

<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P><B>Objective</B></P><P>Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease with significant immune system aberrations resulting from complex heritable genetics as well as environmental factors. We undertook to study the role of <I>TRAF6</I> as a candidate gene for SLE, since it plays a major role in several signaling pathways that are important for immunity and organ development.</P><P><B>Methods</B></P><P>Fifteen single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across <I>TRAF6</I> were evaluated in 7,490 SLE patients and 6,780 control subjects from different ancestries. Population‐based case–control association analyses and meta‐analyses were performed. <I>P</I> values, false discovery rate q values, and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated.</P><P><B>Results</B></P><P>Evidence of associations was detected in multiple SNPs. The best overall <I>P</I> values were obtained for SNPs rs5030437 and rs4755453 (<I>P</I> = 7.85 × 10<SUP>−5</SUP> and <I>P</I> = 4.73 × 10<SUP>−5</SUP>, respectively) without significant heterogeneity among populations (<I>P</I> = 0.67 and <I>P</I> = 0.50, respectively, in Q statistic). In addition, SNP rs540386, which was previously reported to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), was found to be in linkage disequilibrium with these 2 SNPs (r<SUP>2</SUP> = 0.95) and demonstrated evidence of association with SLE in the same direction (meta‐analysis <I>P</I> = 9.15 × 10<SUP>−4</SUP>, OR 0.89 [95% CI 0.83–0.95]). The presence of thrombocytopenia improved the overall results in different populations (meta‐analysis <I>P</I> = 1.99 × 10<SUP>−6</SUP>, OR 0.57 [95% CI 0.45–0.72], for rs5030470). Finally, evidence of family‐based association in 34 African American pedigrees with the presence of thrombocytopenia was detected in 1 available SNP (rs5030437) with a Z score magnitude of 2.28 (<I>P</I> = 0.02) under a dominant model.</P><P><B>Conclusion</B></P><P>Our data indicate the presence of association of <I>TRAF6</I> with SLE, consistent with the previous report of association with RA. These data provide further support for the involvement of <I>TRAF6</I> in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity.</P>

Neuropsychiatric events at the time of diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus: An international inception cohort study

Hanly, J. G.,Urowitz, M. B.,Sanchez-Guerrero, J.,Bae, S. C.,Gordon, C.,Wallace, D. J.,Isenberg, D.,Alarcó,n, G. S.,Clarke, A.,Bernatsky, S.,Merrill, J. T.,Petri, M.,Dooley, M. A.,Gladman, D.,For Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 2007 Vol.56 No.1

<B>Objective</B><P>To describe the prevalence, characteristics, attribution, and clinical significance of neuropsychiatric (NP) events in an international inception cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.</P><B>Methods</B><P>The study was conducted by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC). Patients were enrolled within 15 months of fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) SLE classification criteria. All NP events within a predefined enrollment window were identified using the ACR case definitions of 19 NP syndromes. Decision rules were derived to determine the proportion of NP disease attributable to SLE. Clinical significance was determined using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey and the SLICC/ACR Damage Index (SDI).</P><B>Results</B><P>A total of 572 patients (88% female) were recruited, with a mean ± SD age of 35 ± 14 years. The mean ± SD disease duration was 5.2 ± 4.2 months. Within the enrollment window, 158 of 572 patients (28%) had at least 1 NP event. In total, there were 242 NP events that encompassed 15 of 19 NP syndromes. The proportion of NP events attributed to SLE varied from 19% to 38% using alternate attribution models and occurred in 6.1–11.7% of patients. Those with NP events, regardless of attribution, had lower scores on the SF-36 and higher SDI scores compared with patients with no NP events.</P><B>Conclusion</B><P>Twenty-eight percent of SLE patients experienced at least 1 NP event around the time of diagnosis of SLE, of which only a minority were attributed to SLE. Regardless of attribution, the occurrence of NP events was associated with reduced quality of life and increased organ damage.</P>

Decreased <i>SMG7</i> expression associates with lupus-risk variants and elevated antinuclear antibody production

Deng, Yun,Zhao, Jian,Sakurai, Daisuke,Sestak, Andrea L,Osadchiy, Vadim,Langefeld, Carl D,Kaufman, Kenneth M,Kelly, Jennifer A,James, Judith A,Petri, Michelle A,Bae, Sang-Cheol,Alarcó,n-Riquelme, H. K. Lewis 2016 Annals of the rheumatic diseases Vol.75 No.11

<B>Objectives</B><P>Following up the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identification of <I>NMNAT2</I> at rs2022013, we fine-mapped its 150 kb flanking regions containing <I>NMNAT2</I> and <I>SMG7</I> in a 15 292 case-control multi-ancestry population and tested functions of identified variants.</P><B>Methods</B><P>We performed genotyping using custom array, imputation by IMPUTE 2.1.2 and allele specific functions using quantitative real-time PCR and luciferase reporter transfections. SLE peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultured with small interfering RNAs to measure antinuclear antibody (ANA) and cyto/chemokine levels in supernatants using ELISA.</P><B>Results</B><P>We confirmed association at <I>NMNAT2</I> in European American (EA) and Amerindian/Hispanic ancestries, and identified independent signal at <I>SMG7</I> tagged by rs2702178 in EA only (p=2.4×10<SUP>−8</SUP>, OR=1.23 (95% CI 1.14 to 1.32)). In complete linkage disequilibrium with rs2702178, rs2275675 in the promoter region robustly associated with <I>SMG7</I> mRNA levels in multiple expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) datasets. Its risk allele was dose-dependently associated with decreased <I>SMG7</I> mRNA levels in PBMCs of 86 patients with SLE and 119 controls (p=1.1×10<SUP>−3</SUP> and 6.8×10<SUP>−8</SUP>, respectively) and conferred reduced transcription activity in transfected HEK-293 (human embryonic kidney cell line) and Raji cells (p=0.0035 and 0.0037, respectively). As a critical component in the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway, SMG7 could regulate autoantigens including ribonucleoprotein (RNP) and Smith (Sm). We showed <I>SMG7</I> mRNA levels in PBMCs correlated inversely with ANA titres of patients with SLE (r=−0.31, p=0.01), and <I>SMG7</I> knockdown increased levels of ANA IgG and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 19 in SLE PBMCs (p=2.0×10<SUP>−5</SUP> and 2.0×10<SUP>−4</SUP>, respectively).</P><B>Conclusion</B><P>We confirmed <I>NMNAT2</I> and identified independent <I>SMG7</I> association with SLE. The inverse relationship between levels of the risk allele-associated <I>SMG7</I> mRNAs and ANA suggested the novel contribution of mRNA surveillance pathway to SLE pathogenesis.</P>

Accumulation of coronary artery disease risk factors over three years: Data from an international inception cohort

Urowitz, M. B.,Gladman, D.,Ibañ,ez, D.,Fortin, P.,Sanchez-Guerrero, J.,Bae, S.,Clarke, A.,Bernatsky, S.,Gordon, C.,Hanly, J.,Wallace, D.,Isenberg, D.,Ginzler, E.,Merrill, J.,Alarcó,n, G. S Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 2008 Vol.59 No.2

<B>Objective</B><P>To examine the accumulation of risk factors over 3 years in a multicenter, international inception cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).</P><B>Methods</B><P>The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics registry for atherosclerosis comprises 27 centers from 11 countries. An inception cohort of 935 patients with SLE was assembled, according to a standardized protocol, from 2000 to 2006 to study risk factors for atherosclerosis. Both classic and other coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors were collected at entry and through 3 years of followup. Therapy was documented over the 3 years. The Framingham 10-year risk factor profile was calculated for each patient at year 1 and year 3.</P><B>Results</B><P>A total of 278 patients from the inception cohort were followed for 3 years and constituted the population for this study. At enrollment a substantial number of patients already demonstrated several risk factors for CAD, both classic and other. All risk factors increased from enrollment over the 3 years of followup. Treatment of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia also increased over 3 years, but less so for hypercholesterolemia. The Framingham 10-year CAD risk profile was higher in men than in women both at entry and at 3 years, and remained unchanged over the 3 years. Corticosteroid use increased only slightly over 3 years, but use of antimalarials and immunosuppressive agents increased to a greater extent.</P><B>Conclusion</B><P>Patients with SLE should be monitored for CAD risk factors from the time of diagnosis and appropriate treatment should be instituted early.</P>