Subclinical synovitis impact on the progression of lupus joint disease: A 10-year longitudinal multicenter study.

Objective: To determine the effect of subclinical synovitis on the progression of joint disease in a cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus over a mean follow-up of 10 years.

Methods: A longitudinal follow-up of 96 patients diagnosed with lupus was performed. All patients were considered clinically free of joint disease or with minimal joint impairment at baseline and were studied through ultrasound study of their dominant hand to assess the prevalence of subclinical synovitis.

New targets in systemic lupus (part 2/2).

Glucocorticoids, aspirin, conventional antimalarials and immunosuppressants are the mainstay of treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Until recently, the first three were the only agents approved for treatment. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of the immune system has identified new therapeutic targets.

New therapeutic targets in systemic lupus.

Glucocorticoids, aspirin, antimalarials and conventional immunosuppressants are the mainstay of treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Until recently, the first three were the only agents approved for treatment. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of the immune system has identified new therapeutic targets.

Enhanced phosphoinositide 3-kinase δ activity is a frequent event in systemic lupus erythematosus that confers resistance to activation-induced T cell death.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a human chronic inflammatory disease caused by the action of autoreactive T and B cells. Class I phosphoinositide-3-kinases (PI3K) are enzymes that trigger formation of 3-poly-phosphoinositides that induce cell survival. Enhanced PI3K activation is a frequent event in human cancer.

[Cystic lesion of the calcaneus. Intraosseous lipoma].

We report two cases of intraosseous lipoma in the calcaneus of a 38 year old man, complaining about heel pain and a 27 year old woman with no pain. Plain radiographs showed a well-defined cystic lesion in the calcaneus with sclerotic margins. Computed tomography (CT) detected a well-defined, low-density lesion with attenuation values equal to adipose tissue.