A Case of Primary idiopathic Polymyositis with Hypoalbuminemia and Thrombocytopenia / 대한내과학회지

Primary idiopathic polymyositis is a condition of presumed autoimmune etiology in which the skeletal muscle is damaged by a nonsuppurative inflammatory process dominated by lymphocytic infiltration. We recently experienced a patient with primary idiopathic Polymyositis associated with hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia. About 4 months prior to admission, he was diagnosed as primary idiopathic polymyositis, and improved by treatment with prednisolone 60 mg/day. During steroid tapering, muscle weakness was recurred and accompanied by hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia. Despite retreatment with prednisolone 60 mg/day, muscle weakness, hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia persisted. He was then started to administer methotrexate(MTX) 15 mg/week which resulted in prompt improvement of muscle weakness, hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia. These findnigs suggest that primary idiopathic polymyositis is one of the cause of hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia, and that the hypoalbuminemia and thrombocytopenia can be improved promptly by methotrexate treatment.

Change of Soluble RANTES Levels in Serum from Pateints with Atopic Bronchial Asthma / 결핵

BACKGROUND: RANTES is associated with chemotaxis and activation of eosinophils. RANTES is up-regulated in allegic inflammation and play a critical role in the pathogenesis of allegic inflammation. Recently, circulating form of RANTES have been identified in the peripheral blood. METHOD: In the present study, we measured soluble RANTES levels in 17 patients with atopic brochial asthma (8 patients: early response to allegen challenge, 8 patients: early and late response to allergen challenge) on 30mins, 2hrs and 8 hrs after allergen challenge with house dust mite, prechallenge period. RESULT: RANTES levels in sera from patients with bronchial astma in prechallenge conditions were higher than in normal control subjects. But, RANTES levels in sera from patients with bronchial asthma in 30mins, 2hrs and 8hrs after challenge were no significantly higher than prechallenge conditions. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that RANTES plays a role in the pathogenesis of patients with atopic bronchial asthma and may be related to persistence of subclinical allergic inflammation.