The hypercoagulable state in multiple myeloma: The contribution of thrombin generation test.

Background: Multiple myeloma is a hematologic malignancy which confers a high venous thromboembolic risk. This risk is linked to patient-related factors, disease-specific mechanisms, and antimyeloma therapy, especially immunomodulatory drugs. Some studies have suggested that the thrombin generation assay may be a predictive marker of thrombosis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus induced by interferon β1 therapy in a patient with multiple sclerosis.

Drug-induced lupus erythematosus is defined as a lupus-like syndrome temporally related to a drug exposure. We report a 34-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis who developed, while being treated with interferon β-1a, myalgia and associated with wrist synovitis. Clinical and immunologic investigations were in favor of systemic lupus erythematosus.

[Rheumatoid arthritis: current status of therapy].

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a frequent chronic inflammatory disease characterized by distal, bilateral and symmetrical lesions, leading to joint distortions and articular destructions. RA can also cause severe extra-articular manifestations associated with a poor prognosis. Recent advances in the field of immunopathology of RA have oriented treatment targeting the pro-inflammatory cytokines like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin (IL) and IL6.