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Backgrounds. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been reported to play a regulatory role in osteoclastogenesis. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathways induce osteoblastic differentiation and bone remodeling. Aims. To identify serum levels of HO-1, BMP-7, and Runt related-transcription factor 2 (Runx2) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to investigate the relationships between HO-1, BMP-7, Runx2, and other common biomarkers for bone metabolism. Results. Serum levels of HO-1 and BMP-7 were revealed to be significantly higher in patients with RA or AS than in healthy controls (p<0.01). In RA group, HO-1 was positively correlated with BMP-7, Runx2, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRAP-5b) (p<0.05, resp.), BMP-7 was positively correlated with Runx2 and TRAP-5b (p<0.05, resp.), and Runx2 was negatively correlated with N-terminal midfragment of osteocalcin (NMID) (p<0.05). In AS group, we observed identical correlation between HO-1 and BMP-7, but opposite correlations between BMP-7 and TRAP-5b and between Runx2 and NMID, when comparing with the RA cohort. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that HO-1 and BMP-7 are potential biomarkers for bone metabolism in patients with RA and AS. The different correlations between the bone markers point to distinct differences in bone remodeling pathways in the two types of arthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to explore the survival rate and risk factors of mortality in patients with late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a large cohort. Clinical presentations, disease activity, organ damage scores, autoantibody profile, and mortality data were obtained retrospectively from late-onset SLE patients (onset age ≥50 years) diagnosed between 1995 and 2009. The risk factors of organ damage were evaluated by the chi-square test and logistic regression. The cumulative rate of survival was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method, and factors predictive of mortality were studied by Cox proportion hazard regression model. A total of 158 patients (132 female and 26 male) were studied. The average onset age was 58.66 ± 6.38 years and mean disease duration was 63.85 ± 48.17 months. One hundred and four patients had organ damage at the time of data analysis. Hematological system and kidney involvement were most common. Central nervous system involvement was relatively rare. In univariate logistic analysis, associations were found between SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) at diagnosis (OR = 1.133, P = 0.001); renal involvement (OR = 2.441, P = 0.009) and edema (OR = 2.812, P = 0.003) were associated with organ damage. And SLEDAI at diagnosis (OR = 1.103, P = 0.034) was independent factor for organ damage in multivariate logistic regression. During the follow-up, 64 patients (51 female and 13 male) died. Five-, 10-, and 15-year survival rates were 80.4, 56.5, and 31.7 %, respectively. Median survival time was 123 months. The analysis of Cox proportion hazard regression model showed that age at disease onset (OR = 1.069, P = 0.002), compliance of medical care (OR = 3.282, P = 0.001), and SLEDAI at diagnosis (OR = 1.091, P = 0.003) were independent risk factors of mortality. Late-onset SLE has a poor long-term prognosis. Infection is the major cause of death in patients with late-onset lupus. Disease activity, medical care, and onset age are strongly related to death of late-onset SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]