Association of Leptin Levels and Disease Activity in Patients with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: Previous studies have reported a link between metabolic parameters and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), although the evidence is limited in early RA. We aimed to investigate the relationship between disease activity and adipocytokine levels in subjects with early RA.

Methods: Forty-seven patients with early RA (symptom duration ≤12 months) were enrolled.

Glomerulonephritis and Coombs-positive hemolytic anemia mimicking scleroderma renal crisis in an overlap of systemic lupus erythematosus and diffuse systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) may overlap frequently with other rheumatic diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which can require high-dose steroids depending on the clinical presentation. We present a case involving this overlap in which the patient concomitantly developed lupus nephritis and Coombs (+) hemolytic anemia, which was confused with scleroderma renal crisis. In this condition, assessing for lupus nephritis with timely renal biopsy and lupus serology can aid in guiding the appropriate treatment.