Clinical rheumatology
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Clinical rheumatology · Jul 2014
ReviewAcute rheumatic fever and streptococci: the quintessential pathogenic trigger of autoimmunity.
Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is a non-suppurative complication of pharyngeal infection with group A streptococcus. Signs and symptoms of ARF develop 2 to 3 weeks following pharyngitis and include arthritis, carditis, chorea, subcutaneous nodules, and erythema marginatum. ⋯ ARF still represents one of the quintessential examples of a pathogenic trigger culminating in autoimmune manifestations. In this review, we will focus on the pathogenesis and etiology of ARF and its complications, along with diagnostic and treatment approaches to both ameliorate and prevent long-term sequelae of this potentially debilitating disease.
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Clinical rheumatology · Jul 2014
Primary Sjögren's syndrome and risk of ischemic stroke: a nationwide study.
Few studies are available on the risk of ischemic stroke after a diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS). This study investigated whether PSS increased the risk of ischemic stroke in a large, nationwide cohort. Data for 4,276 patients who were newly diagnosed with PSS from 2000 to 2006 and who did not have a stroke prior to diagnosis of PSS were obtained from the Registry of Catastrophic Illness in Taiwan. ⋯ Patients with PSS and controls had a similar incidence of ischemic stroke occurrence (3.17/1,000 vs. 3.90/1,000 person years). Multivariate analysis adjusted for baseline covariates indicated that PSS did not increase the risk of ischemic stroke (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.84, 95 % confidence interval: 0.63-1.12, P = 0.244). PSS is not associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke subsequent to diagnosis.