The overlap syndrome of urticaria and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background: One-quarter of systemic symptoms associated with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) are related to gastrointestinal complaints (GICs).

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and features of urticaria-overlapping GICs.

Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional survey, 1426 consecutive outpatients were observed at our University Department.

Natural history of autoimmune primary ovarian insufficiency in patients with Addison's disease: from normal ovarian function to overt ovarian dysfunction.

Context: Women with autoimmune Addison's disease with normal ovulatory cycles but positive for steroid cell antibodies (StCA) have been considered at risk of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI).

Design: Thirty-three women younger than 40 years, with subclinical-clinical autoimmune Addison's disease but with normally ovulatory menses, were followed up for 10 years to evaluate the long-term time-related variations of StCA, ovarian function and follicular reserve. All patients and 27 control women were investigated at the start and every year for the presence and titre of StCA (by indirect immunofluorescence), serum concentrations of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and ovarian function at four consecutive menses every year.

Longitudinal behavior of autoimmune GH deficiency: from childhood to transition age.

Background: Some cases of apparently idiopathic GH deficiency (GHD) may be caused by pituitary autoimmunity.

Objective: To study the variations in pituitary function and antipituitary antibodies (APA) from childhood to transition age in patients with apparently idiopathic GHD.

Design: We conducted a longitudinal study.

Telaprevir may induce adverse cutaneous reactions by a T cell immune-mediated mechanism.

The HCV protease inhibitor telaprevir associated with peginterferon-alpha and ribavirin, was widely used in the recent past as standard treatment in HCV genotype-1 infected patients. Telaprevir improves the sustained virology response rates, but at the same time increases the frequency of adverse cutaneous reactions. However, mechanisms through which telaprevir induces cutaneous lesions are not yet defined.

Pregnancy may favour the development of severe autoimmune central diabetes insipidus in women with vasopressin cell antibodies: description of two cases.

Recently, an increased incidence of central diabetes insipidus (CDI) in pregnancy, and less frequently in the post partum period, has been reported, most probably favoured by some conditions occurring in pregnancy. This study was aimed at investigating the influence of pregnancy on a pre-existing potential/subclinical hypothalamic autoimmunity. We studied the longitudinal behaviour of arginine-vasopressin cell antibodies (AVPcAbs) and post-pituitary function in two young women with a positive history of autoimmune disease and presence of AVPcAbs, but without clinical CDI, and who became pregnant 5 and 7 months after our first observation.