RESUMO
Forty-four patients, 22 with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and 22 with Reiter's syndrome (RS) were studied to determine the reliability of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) as indicators of disease activity. CRP levels were significantly elevated in patients with active disease for both AS and RS while ESR values for active and inactive disease were not statistically different. Misdiagnosis was more likely when ESR rather than CRP was used as the variable for activity. CRP as measured by nephelometry is a more sensitive and specific indicator of disease activity in AS and RS than ESR.
Assuntos
Artrite Reativa/imunologia , Proteína C-Reativa/análise , Espondilite Anquilosante/imunologia , Artrite Reativa/diagnóstico , Sedimentação Sanguínea , Estudos de Avaliação como Assunto , Humanos , Nefelometria e Turbidimetria , Espondilite Anquilosante/diagnósticoRESUMO
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) may be particularly devastating to the adolescent female because of the marked changes in appearance which may result from the disease and by its treatment. Attention is drawn to the potential of the patient manipulating her medications in response to these changes. Other special considerations include the unique side-effects of corticosteroid and antimalarial drugs, the need to distinguish psychological reactions to SLE from true organic involvement and an added risk for a flare of disease activity in the sexually active patient. A case of a teenage female with SLE is used to illustrate some of the management problems which may be encountered.
