Serum calprotectin as an inflammatory marker in psoriatic arthritis patients: Relation to disease activity and musculoskeletal ultrasound findings.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis associated with psoriasis. The use of inflammatory markers can be disappointing in PsA since they are elevated in only about half of the patients. This study aimed to measure serum calprotectin level in PsA patients and to assess its association with disease activity in PsA (DAPSA) and musculoskeletal ultrasound findings.

Dysregulation of angiogenic homeostasis in systemic sclerosis.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by tissue hypoxia and excessive fibrosis of skin and internal organs.

Objective: To evaluate the possible role of angiogenesis imbalance in the pathogenesis of SSc.

Subjects And Methods: Twenty-five SSc patients and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in systemic sclerosis: new insights.

Objective: To identify the relation between serum levels of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro BNP) and severity of systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Subject And Methods: 25 SSc patients and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included. Assay of serum NT-pro BNP was done for all patients and controls.

Autonomic dysfunction predicts early cardiac affection in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Objective: To detect the early preclinical alterations in cardiac autonomic control as well as altered cardiac function in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and their relevance to the clinical features of the disease using noninvasive methods.

Methods: 30 SSc patients and 15 healthy controls matched for age and sex underwent clinical examination, serological analysis, and echocardiographic assessment including Doppler flow imaging to evaluate cardiac function, and 24-hour Holter monitoring analyzed for arrhythmia and heart rate variability (HRV) in the time and frequency domains.

Results: The trans-mitral Doppler of early to atrial wave (E/A) ratio was reversed in five patients (16.

Value of entheseal ultrasonography and serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in the preclinical diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of entheseal ultrasonography and serum COMP in the preclinical diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis.

Methods: 60 psoriatic patients were divided into: 30 patients with psoriasis (group I) and 30 patients with psoriatic arthritis as control (group II). They underwent independent clinical and ultrasonographic examination of both lower limbs at the calcaneal insertions of Achilles tendons.

The prognostic potential of bone marrow cyclin E and P27, in Egyptian patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Cyclin E and the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor P27 are two important regulators of the G1-S transition modulating the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases. Aberrations in the cell cycle control are often observed in tumors and might even be mandatory in tumor development. There are few molecular biologic determinants that may be prognostic for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Keratinocyte and lymphocyte apoptosis: relation to disease outcome in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with and without cutaneous manifestations.

Our aim was to assess the relationship of keratinocyte and lymphocyte apoptosis and macrophage function to disease outcome in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with and without cutaneous manifestations. 50 systemic lupus erythematosus patients [25 with cutaneous manifestations (group I), 25 without cutaneous manifestations (group II)] and 20 normal controls (group III) were studied. Assessments of disease activity, peripheral lymphocyte apoptosis, macrophage function and apoptotic cells in skin and renal biopsies were carried out.