Widespread Necrotizing Purpura and Lucio Phenomenon as the First Diagnostic Presentation of Diffuse Nonnodular Lepromatous Leprosy.

Lucio phenomenon, or Lucio leprosy, is a rare severe lepra reaction that develops exclusively in patients with diffuse nonnodular lepromatous leprosy. It is characterized by irregular, angulated, or stellar necrotizing purpuric lesions that develop ulcerations. It mainly involves the extremities and develops as a result of massive invasion of vascular endothelial cells with lepra bacilli and secondary thrombotic vascular occlusion.

Magnetic resonance sialography of the parotid glands in chronic hepatitis C virus patients with and without vasculitis.

Aim: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is sialotropic. The pathogenesis of sicca manifestations in patients with chronic HCV infection is not fully understood. We aimed to detect changes in magnetic resonance sialography (MRS) of HCV patients with and without vasculitis.

The effect of leflunomide on the eye dryness in secondary Sjögren's syndrome associated with rheumatoid arthritis and in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

The aim of this work was to clarify the effect of leflunomide (LEF) on the eye dryness in patients with secondary Sjögren's syndrome associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA-sSS) and in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Seventy-five female patients, 45 with RA-sSS (group A) and 30 with RA (group B), taking methotrexate at a dose of 20 mg/week for more than 6 months were enrolled in this study. They all had a loading dose of leflunomide then were maintained at a dose of 20 mg/day in addition to methotrexate for another 3 months.

A retrospective analysis of treatment outcomes in patients with hepatitis C related systemic vasculitis receiving intravenous methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide.

The aim of this work is to describe the outcome of a series of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related vasculitis who were treated with corticosteroids and I.V. cyclophosphamide without receiving any antiviral therapy.

Clinical significance of serum anti-annexin V antibodies in Egyptian patients with scleroderma.

The pathogenesis of scleroderma encompasses vascular, immunological, and fibrotic processes, which contribute to clinical manifestations. We investigated the prevalence of anti-annexin V IgG and IgM antibodies in sera of scleroderma patients and their relation to the presence of other antibodies and development of disease morbidity. Sera of 40 scleroderma patients and 15 healthy controls were examined for IgG and IgM anti-annexin V antibodies by ELISA and anticentromere antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence.

Serum levels of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 2 in patients with systemic sclerosis with duration more than 2 years: correlation with cardiac and pulmonary abnormalities.

In this study, we measured the serum concentration of TIMP-2 in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and explored its possible correlation with cardiac and pulmonary lesions. We studied 42 patients with SSc, with duration equal to or more than 2 years. CT chest, ECG, echocardiography, and serum TIMP-2 concentration measurement using ELISA technique were performed in all patients and in 25 normal controls.

Pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis.

Scleroderma, also known as progressive systemic sclerosis (SSc), is a multisystem autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation and fibrosis involving the skin as well as internal organs such as the vasculature, esophagus, and the respiratory tract. Pulmonary involvement consists most often of interstitial fibrosis and pulmonary vascular disease leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Bronchiectasis is an uncommon pulmonary manifestation of systemic sclerosis.

Cardiac involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and correlation of valvular lesions with anti-Ro/SS-A and anti-La/SS-B antibody levels.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of morphologic and functional cardiac abnormalities in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to correlate the findings with levels of anti-Ro/SS-A, anti-La/SS-B, and anti-cardiolipin antibody (aCL). Sixty-two patients with SLE were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent complete history taking, clinical assessment, and standard two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and neuropsychiatric lupus erythematosus: relation to single photon emission computed tomography findings.

Abstract This study was designed to highlight the relation of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) to neuropsychiatric lupus (NPLE) manifestations. The relation of TNF-α to the type of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) findings in this context was also studied. Twenty-one systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) females, mean age 27.

Circulating interleukin-6, soluble interleukin-2 receptors, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin-10 levels in juvenile chronic arthritis: correlations with soft tissue vascularity assessed by power Doppler sonography.

Nineteen patients with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA), ten with systemic (s)-JCA, and nine with polyarticular-onset (p)-JCA were examined for interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, IL-2R, and IL-10 levels. Power Doppler sonography (PDS) for the more affected knee was used in all of them to evaluate soft tissue vascularity. Serum levels of IL-6 were significantly higher in JCA patients than in controls (P<0.