International journal of rheumatic diseases
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Review Comparative Study
Opportunistic infections in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.
To describe the prevalence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of opportunistic infection (OI) in a cohort of patients with inflammatory myopathies, and compare mortality rates between those with and without OIs. ⋯ The prevalence of OI was 6.4% in our myositis cohort, higher than the rest of the inpatients of our hospital (1.7%; P < 0.01). High-dose glucocorticoids at disease onset and severe immunosuppression are the main factors implicated.
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Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) comprise a unique form of non-apoptotic cell death exhibited by neutrophils, which occurs in a stepwise process termed NETosis. It has been postulated that NETosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum levels of NET remnants in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as well as potential associations between NET remnants and indicators of RA. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that the disease status of RA is associated with increased NETosis. In particular, evaluation of serum MPO-DNA levels may comprise a useful complementary tool for discriminating RA patients from healthy individuals.
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Comparative Study
Differences between adult and pediatric onset Henoch-Schonlein purpura from North India.
Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP), a primary vasculitis, characterized by purpura, abdominal pain, arthritis and renal involvement, is predominantly a disease of childhood. However, rarely it can occur in adults in whom it is believed to be a more severe form with poor renal outcomes. We aimed to answer if the age of onset affected the clinical spectrum and renal outcomes of the disease in a north Indian population. Hence, we studied the differences in clinical spectrum and renal outcomes between adult-onset HSP and childhood-onset HSP. ⋯ Compared to children, adults with HSP seldom have abdominal pain as the first clinical manifestation while joint involvement is seen more commonly in them during the disease course.
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Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis of medium-sized arteries. High levels of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and the dominance of Th2 cytokines seem to be a key feature in the acute phase of KD. In this study, the role of IL-4 and IL-4R gene polymorphisms were investigated in Iranian children with KD. ⋯ IL-4 polymorphisms might be associated with KD in an Iranian population.
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Biography Historical Article
Professor Tomisaku Kawasaki, my teacher and a friend : a tribute.