Temporomandibular joint involvement in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a retrospective chart review.

OBJECTIVE: To study the proportion of patients with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement among patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), as well as associated clinical characteristics and signs/symptoms. METHOD: We performed a retrospective chart review on consecutive patients followed in the Hamburg Centre for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology Eilbek between January 2010 and July 2012. TMJ involvement was diagnosed based on clinical examination; a subgroup of patients was also assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS: The study included 2413 patients with JIA (52.1% girls, mean age at JIA onset 9.5 years). The most frequent JIA category was oligoarthritis (46.6%), followed by enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA; 38.1%). TMJ involvement was diagnosed in 843/2413 patients (34.9%) (677 MRI-confirmed, four not MRI-confirmed, no MRI examination in 162). Female gender (p = 0.017), higher number of additional joints with active arthritis (p < 0.001), anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) positivity (p = 0.005), higher age (p = 0.020), and oligoarthritis (persistent and extended; p = 0.043) were significantly associated with TMJ involvement. Human leucocyte antigen-B27-positive patients were less likely to have TMJ involvement (p = 0.023). Pain on palpation and pain while chewing were statistically significantly associated with TMJ involvement (p = 0.008 and p = 0.020, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Based on our findings, to identify TMJ involvement special attention should be paid to JIA patients with female gender, ANA positivity, and oligoarthritis, as well as those with a higher number of additional joints with active arthritis; and regular examinations of the TMJ should be performed.

Statins may reduce disease recurrence in patients with ulcerated primary melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Statins may restrict the cellular functions required for melanoma growth and metastasis. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether long-term statin use commenced before diagnosis of a primary melanoma is associated with reduced risk of melanoma recurrence. METHODS: We prospectively followed a cohort of patients newly diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 with localized tumour-stage T1b to T4b melanoma in Queensland, Australia. We used Cox regression analyses to examine associations between long-term statin use and melanoma recurrence for the entire cohort, and then separately by sex and by presence of ulceration, due to evidence of effect modification. RESULTS: Among 700 patients diagnosed with stage T1b to T4b primary melanoma (mean age 62 years, 59% male, 28% with ulcerated tumours), 94 patients (13%) developed melanoma recurrence within 2 years. Long-term statin users (n = 204, 29%) had a significantly lower risk of disease recurrence than nonusers [adjusted hazard ratio (HRadj ) 0·55, 95% confidence Interval (CI) 0·32-0·97] regardless of statin subtype or potency. Compared with nonusers of statins, risk of recurrence was significantly decreased in male statin users (HRadj 0·39, 95% CI 0·19-0·79) but not in female statin users (HRadj 0·82, 95% CI 0·29-2·27) and in statin users with ulcerated (HRadj 0·17, 95% CI 0·05-0·52) but not nonulcerated (HRadj 0·91, 95% CI 0·46-1·81) primary melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: Statins commenced before melanoma diagnosis may reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence, especially in men and in those with ulcerated tumours. Clinical trial evaluation of the potential role of statins in improving the prognosis of high-risk melanoma is warranted.

Forearm hair density and risk of keratinocyte cancers in Australian adults.

Evidence suggests that progenitor cells of keratinocyte cancers (basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)) may originate from epidermal stem cells including hair follicle stem cells. We hypothesised that, therefore, a relatively higher density of hair follicles on human skin may increase keratinocyte cancer risk. To evaluate this, we assessed density of mid-forearm hair in Australian adults who were randomly selected participants in a community-based cohort study of skin cancer. Hair density was assessed clinically against a set of four standard photographs showing grades of hair density, and incidence data on histologically confirmed BCC and SCC across a 20-year period were collected. Incidence rate ratios were calculated for categories of forearm hair density using multivariable regression analysis with adjustment for age, sex, phenotypic characteristics and markers of chronic sun exposure. Among the 715 participants (43 % male, average age 61 years), 237 developed at least one BCC and 115 persons developed at least one SCC. Participants with dense forearm hair (n = 169, all male) had a higher incidence of BCC (IRR = 2.24, 95 % CI 1.20, 4.18, P = 0.01) and SCC (IRR = 2.80, 95 % CI 1.20, 6.57, P = 0.02) compared to individuals with sparse forearm hair after multivariable adjustment. Stratified analyses showed that among men, those with dense versus sparse hair developed SCC more commonly (IRR = 3.01, 95 % CI 1.03, 8.78, P = 0.04). Women with moderate versus sparse hair density were more likely affected by BCC (IRR = 2.29, 95 % CI 1.05, 5.00, P = 0.038). Thus, our study suggests that in both men and women, a higher density of body hair may be associated with increased BCC and SCC risk.