A new study found that measuring the presence of additional antibodies specific for Domain I (aDI) of β2-glycoprotein (β2GPI) may improve the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome. Based on their findings, researchers conclude that aDI tests may be a useful addition to, but not a replacement for, standard aβ2GPI tests…
Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer with a PhD in microbiology/immunology from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. As a medical writer she has covered topics as diverse as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and autism. Her favorite subject, however, is the role of the immune system in health and disease. Dr. Pullen is also the mother of three children, the youngest of whom has Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). She is an active member of the PWS community and a thought leader on the importance of the ketogenic diet for this patient population.
Articles by Lara C. Pullen, PhD
Dysbiosis of Gut, But Not Ocular Microbiome, Associated with Sjögren’s Syndrome
Research has explored the connection between Sjögren’s syndrome and intestinal dysbiosis associated with ocular mucosal disease. A recent study found that oral antibiotics and desiccating stress lead to extreme changes in the gut microbiota in mice. In patients with Sjögren’s syndrome, researchers found that patients with the most severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca and combined systemic and ocular disease had the lowest diversity of stool microbiota…
Periodontal Infection May Determine Best Treatment for Patients with RA
Past research has indicated that a periodontal pathogen that produces the peptidularginine deiminase (PPAD) enzyme may affect levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody. A new study suggests serum anti-PPAD IgG titers might be a useful biomarker for designing a personalized treatment strategy for RA…
The Gut Microbiome Influences Postmenopausal Bone Loss
Bone health has been successfully improved by using probiotics to influence the gut microbiome in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. New research has gained insight into this process, uncovering that sex steroid depletion increases gut permeability resulting in inflammation and pathology in mice. Treatment with probiotics also prevents this increase in gut permeability and bone loss associated with sex steroid depletion…
Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome Puts Pregnant Women at High Risk of Preeclampsia
A recent review investigated risk factors for preeclampsia in early pregnancy, finding that antiphospholipid antibody syndrome may be the strongest risk factor. As a result of these findings, researchers have compiled a list of risk factors to help clinicians determine which women are more likely to develop the condition and aid them in weighing treatment options…
Researchers Hone in on Defect in Autophagy that May Underlie Lupus
New research investigates the role of autophagy, specifically the cell digestion process called LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP), in inflammation and the pathology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Researchers found that defects in this process result in failure to digest dying cells, which increases inflammatory cytokine production and results in SLE-like disease in mice. Further exposure to dying cells accelerated disease development…
Patients with RA Who Respond to Treatment Experience Increased Cholesterol
New research confirms that patients with rheumatoid arthritis who respond to treatment experience an increase in cholesterol levels, including total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C levels. However, the use of triple therapy may be important for understanding this association and mitigating its risk…
Inflammation May Sensitize Patients with Osteoarthritis to Pain
A recent editorial in Arthritis & Rheumatology explored the role of sensitization, not nociception, as a key mechanism of pain for patients with knee OA, as well as inflammation’s role in pain perception. Recent research of synovitis and joint effusion supports the idea that early prevention or treatment of sensitization may be paramount to reducing long-term pain in patients with knee OA…
Running Barefoot May Protect Against Some Musculoskeletal Injuries
Running barefoot may conjure images of summer and childhood, but since Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia set a world record running barefoot in the marathon in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome (Olympic gold medal in a world-record 2:15:16.2), many runners have adopted the style. A recent study found that running barefoot may be associated with significantly fewer overall musculoskeletal injuries than running shod…
Autoantibodies in Pregnant Woman May Put Infant at Risk for Neonatal Lupus Erythematosus
A recent case study revealed that an infant from a donor egg developed neonatal lupus erythematosus (NLE) and a congenital heart block, which may have been due to the presence of antibodies to Ro and La in the birth mother—not the genetic mother. The results suggest that a gestational mother with a history of autoimmune disease is sufficient to trigger the pathology of NLE…
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