J Rheumatol
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Case Reports
Persistent cryoglobulinemic vasculitis following successful treatment of hepatitis C virus.
There is a well established link between type II mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and HCV is believed to be the cause of cryoprotein formation and tissue deposition. Successful treatment of HCV infection has resulted in resolution of cryoglobulinemia and vasculitis. We describe 4 patients who had persistent MC and vasculitis despite successful eradication of HCV with antiviral therapy.
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. To describe the 3 year disease course in early juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and juvenile spondyloarthropathy (JSpA), to compare the health status after 3 years of followup with that of normal controls, and to investigate the relationship between physical function at followup and disease characteristics recorded during the first 6 months. ⋯ Health status and disease activity improved over time in patients under medical treatment. The patients with JAS/SEA and RF positive polyarthritis had poorer health than the patients in other subtypes. A high disability index and a poor well-being at baseline predicted reduced physical function after 3 years.
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Urine microscopic examination is an important component of the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). We investigated whether the urine dipstick test can reduce the need for microscopy for the assessment of SLEDAI. ⋯ In patients with SLE, a combination of Albustix and Hemastix urine tests showed reasonable sensitivity to detect abnormalities in urine sediment. Based on these results, routine urine microscopy can be limited to SLE patients with abnormal Albustix or Hemastix tests. Rarer causes of abnormal renal function in lupus, such as tubulointerstitial nephritis or drug induced interstitial nephritis, would be manifested by pyuria and therefore would not necessarily be detected by changes in the blood and protein detectors on the urine dipstick.
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To describe the frequency of abnormal bone mineralization in a population of children with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE), juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), and systemic vasculitis; and to investigate the relationship of bone mineral density (BMD) to cumulative corticosteroid dose, disease duration, Tanner stage, calcium intake, and exercise in these patients. ⋯ Decreased bone density is common in children with SLE and other systemic rheumatic diseases. Age, corticosteroid dose, and pubertal stage all appear to have some influence on bone mass in these children.