Myocardial Infarction in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus - the Sex-Specific Risk Profile.

Background: Accelerated atherosclerosis is widely present in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: The aim of this review was to analyze the relationship between systemic lupus erythematosus and cardiovascular diseases, with the emphasis on acute myocardial infarction.

Methods: We conducted a literature review through PubMed and Cochrane, using keywords: SLE, atherosclerosis, atherothrombosis, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, prognosis, sex specifics.

Myocardial Perfusion Abnormalities in Young and Premenopausal Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Detected with 99MTC MIBI Myocardial Perfusion Scintigraphy - Prevalence and Correlation with Proatherogenic Factors.

Introduction: Atherosclerosis in young and premenopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is frequent, premature and progressive. Although asymptomatic or with atypical clinical presentation, the patients are at high risk of cardiac events. Aim of this study is to estimate the risk profile for atherogenesis and the prevalence of myocardial perfusion abnormalities with 99mTc myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) in young and premenopausal women.

Frequency and characteristics of pleural effusions in pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is the fourth cause of pleural effusions, after pneumonia, neoinfiltrates and tuberculosis. Several questions are yet unanswered: are the pleural effusions in PE exudates or transudates, what is their size, are they unilateral or bilateral, are they only haemorrhagic, etc. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency, side, size, biochemical and cytological characteristics of pleural effusions in PE.

Diagnostic value of brush border enzymes of the proximal renal tubules in rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Proximal tubules of the kidney have a dominant function in the excretion of different enzymes in the urine. These enzymes can be used as markers for secondary renal damage under the action of different diseases, medicines, and toxins. The aim of this study was to evaluate the values of alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma-GT), and beta2 microglobulin (beta2m) in urine of patients with untreated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to define the possible association between untreated rheumatoid arthritis and tubular function at the brush border region.

Association of cytokine gene polymorphisms with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Macedonians.

The aim of this study was to examine the association of 22 cytokine gene polymorphism in Macedonians with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The sample of the population comprised of 301 normal respondents and 62 patients with COPD. Cytokine genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific priming (PCR-SSP).