Extended Antiphospholipid Antibodies Screening in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients.

BACKGROUND: The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is one of the most encountered autoimmunity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and pathogenesis of these two seems to be intricate. AIM: To investigate the association of antiphospholipid antibodies (APLAs) titer with the presence of secondary APS diagnosis in SLE patients. METHODS: 65 patients fulfilling the 2012 Systemic Lupus Collaborating International Clinics (SLICC) SLE's criteria were included. The APS diagnosis was sustained according to the 2006 Sydney APS's criteria. Three groups of patients were defined: SLE patients with secondary APS, SLE with history of positive "criteria" APLAs but without APS clinical features, respectively SLE patients without positive APLAs or clinical APS criteria. An extended APLAs panel was searched in all cases: both IgM and IgG of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL), anti-P2 glycoprotein I antibodies (aß2GPI), antiphosphatidylethanolamine antibodies (aPE), antiphosphatidylserine antibodies (aPS), respectively antiprothrombin antibodies (aPT). Results. Only the aß2GPI, both IgM and IgG serotypes, had significantly higher titers in patients with SLE and secondary APS compared to no APS (with/ without positive APLAs): median (min; max) 7.0 (0.0-300.0) vs. 1.0 (0.0-28.0) vs. 1.0 (0.0-12.0), respectively 3.0 (0.0-79.0) vs. 1.0 (0.0-3.0) vs. 1.0 (0.0-12.0) (p<0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test)]. Also, in regression logistic models, only the aß2 GPI (IgG and IgM ) were identified as risk factors for secondary APS diagnosis in the SLE patients: OR(95%CI) 5.9 (2.2-15.7), respectively 1.3 (1.1-1.5). In regard with the SLE markers, the IgG serotypes of the "non-criteria" APLAs analyzed (aPS, aPT, aPE) were correlated with the antiDNA titers while the IgM serotypes inversely associated with the complement C3 levels. CONCLUSIONS: IgG aß2 GPI are accompanied by almost 6-fold increase risk of secondary APS when screening SLE patients. On the contrary, the "non-criteria" APLAs do not seem associated with the APS diagnosis in SLE patients. Some correlates of the "non-criteria" APLAs with the antiDNA and complement C3 levels were also observed.

Traditional and nontraditional risk factors for atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Premature atherosclerosis (ATS) in SLE patients is an important clinical problem. It is explained not only by excess of traditional risk factors, but also by specific factors linked to disease activity and therapy. Such specific factors include the following: antioxLDL and anti CRP antibodies, immune complexes, mannose-binding lectin, disturbances of metabolism of annexin A5, antiphospholipid syndrome, immunologically determined dyslipidemia, influence of medication. As a conclusion,atherosclerosis in SLE patients results from an interplay between traditional and nontraditional risk factors. Therapeutic influences suggest antiatherogenic effects for hydroxychloroquine and immunosuppressants and a doubtful proatherogenic influence of cortisone.

Clinical particularities in a Romanian series of Behcet's disease patients.

Behcet's disease (BD) is characterized by a great geographic diversity of clinico-evolutive features. We identify the main clinical characteristics in our series as compared to other data in international literature. We studied 36 patients (16 women and 20 men) with BD fulfilling International Study Group for Behcet's Disease (ISGBD) criteria. We recorded the clinical features and compared the data with other recent statistics. The incidence of clinical manifestations in our group was the following: oral ulcerations -97.4%, genital ulcerations - 55.5%, vascular disease - 50%, antiphospholipid antibodies - 55%, digestive tract lesions - 28.5%, eye disease - 27.7%, pulmonary disease - 8.3%, arthritis - 5.4%, CNS lesions - 2.7%. The clinical course was generally mild. Our patients had a higher incidence of vasculo-thrombotic events, of APLAs and of oral aphthosis, as compared to other statistics. Eye disease, CNS, articular involvement and pathergy were encountered rarer than in other groups. Two cases had atypical onsets: one with a pyoderma gangrenosum-like lesion and the other with severe pulmonary hypertension. BD has protean clinical aspects, with important geographic particularities. Our patients ran a relatively mild course of the disease, more like the Western European than the Asian patients. Vasculothrombotic disease was an important feature, with a subsequent risk for mortality.

Limited Wegener's disease presenting as pharyngolaryngeal tumor.

Wegener's disease (WD) which is mostly a systemic illness rarely presents as isolated, monoorganic, limited disease. Limited pharyngolaryngeal WD is thus a very rare occurrence. We report the case of a 29 years old man who developed a pharyngolaryngeal tumor with clinically benign evolution, histologically showing granulomatous inflammation and small vessel vasculitis, with no signs of: tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, fungal disease, Hodgkin's disease or foreign body aspiration. p-ANCA's were positive. He was considered a limited form of WD and treated with moderate doses of corticoids and cotrimoxazole. One month later, the lesion diminished significantly. The finding of a pharyngolaryngeal tumor with granulomatous inflammation and vasculitis, in the context of p-ANCA positivity and without any evidence for another systemic granulomatous disease, suggested the diagnosis of limited WD. The response to treatment favoured this presumption. Limited pharyngolaryngeal WD is a rare disease, with a potential for life-threatening (even fatal) complications. It should be recognized early and treated promptly. Remissions can be achieved (even without the use of cyclophosphamide).

Psychologic investigation in the estimation of the effects of hypotensive therapy in hypertensive patients working in the railway and highway traffic security.

Sixty four hypertensive patients working in railway and highway traffic security (engine operators, drivers, switchmen, etc.) were studied clinically and paraclinically and were also submitted to psychologic tests since the characteristics of their work requires a normal psychophysical state. The patients investigated, mostly males (93%), mean age 45.2 years, had essential arterial hypertension (AH) stages I (36 patients) and II (28 patients). After 3-4 days of low salt diet, therapy with propranolol (8 to 360 mg/day) and diuretics was started in most of the patients. In 8 patients with AH stage II, hydralazine (50-100 mg/days) was added to the treatment. The psychologic tests used were: the pencil-paper test "Labyrinth", "Barrage" and "A.D. Praga" and a motor test "Piorkowsky" used 2 times, i.e., before and after treatment. After 15 days of treatment the blood pressure values decreased: systolic from a mean value of 155 +/- 25 mmHg to 136 +/- 81 mmHg; diastolic from 102 + 18 mmHg to 84 +/- 11 mmHg. The marks for the psychologic test were: very poor, poor, medium, good, very good. The post-therapeutic changes obtained were noted in percentages. Improvements obtained: for the "Praga" test in 54% of the patients, for the "Barrage" in 44% of the patients and for the "Labyrinth" in 66% of the patients. Improvements for the first "Piorkowsky" test (slow rate stimuli) were obtained in 54% of the patients and for the second (faster rate stimuli) in 69%. No decrease of psychologic performance was observed in any of the patients. Therefore the psychologic tests used may contribute to the follow-up of the effectiveness and of the side effects of modern hypotensive therapy especially in patients working in traffic security in whom the psychophysical state should be at its best.