Correlation between inflammatory markers of atherosclerosis and carotid intima-media thickness in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis. Systemic inflammation plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular complications in OSA patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and inflammatory markers plasma levels in OSA patients.

Anti-skin specific autoantibodies detected by a new immunofluorescence multiplex biochip method in patients with autoimmune bullous diseases.

Background: Autoimmune blistering skin diseases are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by autoantibodies against structural components of the skin. In pemphigus vulgaris (PV) autoantibodies react mainly with desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) alone and/or in combination with desmoglein 1 (Dsg1). In bullous pemphigoid (BP) autoantibodies target two hemidesmosomal proteins, BP180 and BP230.

Autoantibodies to parietal cells as predictors of atrophic body gastritis: a five-year prospective study in patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) can be associated with autoimmune gastritis (AIG), but the frequency of this association is poorly characterized. We performed a prospective study to: a) characterize the frequency of parietal cell (PCA) and intrinsic factor (IFA) autoantibodies in AITD patients; b) evaluate the development of histologically- and functionally-proven AIG after five years and to assess the predictive role of PCA for AIG at baseline; and c) analyze the trend of PCA levels in the course of the disease. We studied 208 consecutive adult patients affected by AITD (166 Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 42 Graves' disease).

Evaluation of a new ELISA assay for detection of BP230 autoantibodies in bullous pemphigoid.

The diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid is based on clinical observations and on the presence of autoantibodies directed against proteins of the dermoepidermal junction. Human recombinant BP180 and BP230 peptides have been used to develop new quantitative enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for the detection of specific antibodies. This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of a new immunoassay for the detection of BP230 autoantibodies and clinical correlations.

Application of a combined protocol for rational request and utilization of antibody assays improves clinical diagnostic efficacy in autoimmune rheumatic disease.

Context: Because of a marked increase in the number of requests for antinuclear antibodies, anti-extractable nuclear antigen antibodies, and anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies for the diagnosis of autoimmune rheumatic disease, guidelines have been proposed for their appropriate use.

Objective: To evaluate in terms of clinical efficacy and cost-benefit ratio the outcome of applying a protocol for the diagnosis of autoimmune rheumatic disease.

Design: A diagnostic protocol for the rational utilization of second-level tests (anti-extractable nuclear antigen antibodies and anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies) was applied at Hospital Polyclinic beginning January 2004.