A Case of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Presenting with Acute Pancreatitis / 대한류마티스학회지

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder mediated by autoantibodies and immune complexes that exhibit a range of symptoms. Although thirty-five to forty percent of patients with SLE show signs or symptoms of gastrointestinal involvement, acute pancreatitis is an uncommon complication of SLE, and SLE presenting with acute pancreatitis is extremely rare. We report a case of a 28-year-old female SLE patient who initially presented with acute abdominal pain and elevated pancreatic enzyme levels. The patient was diagnosed clinically with acute pancreatitis and then with SLE after further investigations. Her condition improved after high dose steroid therapy.

Nephron Numbers in Patients with Minimal Change Nephrotic Syndrome (MCNS) and Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) / 대한신장학회지

PURPOSE: It has been proposed that a decreased nephron number may be associated with the increased risk of glomerulosclerosis. In order to test the hypothesis that a reduced number and an increased volume of glomeruli may contribute to the pathogenesis of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), we compared the number and volume of glomeruli between 9 patients with FSGS and 8 with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). METHODS: Mean glomerular volume was measured using the method of Weibel and Gomez. An estimate of glomerular number (index) was obtained by multiplying the cortical volume of a kidney by the fraction of renal cortex made up of glomeruli and dividing this by the mean glomerular volume for that kidney x 10(6). We determined kidney volume from ultrasonographic measurement. RESULTS: Patients with FSGS had significantly greater glomerular volume than patients with MCNS [2.02+/-0.36 (x10(6) micrometer3) vs. 1.57+/-0.27 (x10(6) micrometer3)] (p<0.025). However, there was no significant difference in the index of glomerular number (estimated glomerular number) between FSGS & MCNS patients (2.8+/-1.4 vs. 3.0+/-0.8). CONCLUSION: The glomerular volume was greater in FSGS patients than MCNS patients. But there was no significant difference in the index of glomerular number between patients with FSGS and MCNS.