Thrombocytopenia and disease outcomes in a cohort of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. A post hoc analysis of the COMOSLE-EGYPT study.

Background: Thrombocytopenia ranges from 20% to 40% in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is usually associated with severe disease manifestations and worse disease outcomes.

Aim Of The Study: To identify the frequency of thrombocytopenia in a cohort of Egyptian patients with SLE and to examine the relationship of thrombocytopenia with various disease manifestations and disease outcomes.

Mortality in a cohort of Egyptian systemic lupus erythematosus patients: A comparison with African, Arabic, and Mediterranean studies.

Objectives: The study aimed to examine the frequency, causes, and predictors of mortality in a cohort of Egyptian systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and compare mortality causes and the survival rate in our cohort to African, Arabic, and Mediterranean studies.

Patients And Methods: In this retrospective study, a review of medical records of 563 SLE patients (516 females, 47 males; median of age: 32 [IQR: 26-38 years]; range, 14 to 63 years) fulfilling the 1997 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria between January 2015 and December 2019 was done. The data extracted included demographic, clinical, and laboratory features, treatments used, disease activity as measured by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), and damage index as measured by Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) damage index.

Lupus-related vasculitis in a cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Objectives: This study aims to examine the frequency and clinical association of lupus-related vasculitis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of a total of 565 SLE patients (42 males, 523 females; mean age: 32.7±9.

Vasculitis damage index in Behçet's disease.

Background: Vasculitis damage index (VDI) is a validated damage index for systemic vasculitis, and as Behçet's disease is considered one of systemic vascular disease we aimed to study the relationship of the vasculitis damage index to clinical manifestations and comorbidity in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) to determine if VDI could be used to assess damage in patients with BD.

Methods: A total of 109 patients with BD were recruited from the Rheumatology Department (outpatient and inpatient clinic), Cairo University Hospitals. All patients were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination, and routine laboratory investigations.

Klotho (rs1207568 and rs564481) gene variants and colorectal cancer risk.

Background/aims: Whereas colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide, klotho gene has been reported as a tumor suppressor gene. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between klotho (rs1207568 and rs564481) variants and CRC in Egyptian patients.

Materials And Methods: A case-control study comprising 100 patients with CRC and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy controls was conducted.

Association of vascular endothelial growth factor -634G/C and receptor for advanced glycation end products G82S gene polymorphisms with diabetic retinopathy.

Aim: To investigate the association of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) G82S and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -634 G/C gene polymorphisms with diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Our cross-sectional study included 61 diabetic patients, 12 of them had proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), 15 had non proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), 34 had no diabetic retinopathy (NDR) and 61 healthy controls. Participants were tested for RAGE G82S and VEGF -634 G/C polymorphisms by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Association of VDR ApaI and TaqI Gene Polymorphisms with the Risk of Scleroderma and Behçet's Disease.

Vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms have been reported in autoimmune diseases. However, their role in Behçet's disease (BD) and scleroderma remains inconclusive. Our aim was to evaluate vitamin D receptor (ApaI, TaqI) gene polymorphisms in relation to Behçet's disease and scleroderma in Egyptians.

Autoantibodies against complement C1q in patients with Behcet's disease: association with vascular involvement.

Aim: The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of anti-C1q antibodies and their possible association with clinical presentation in Behcet's disease (BD) patients with special emphasis for patients with vascular involvement.

Methods: Plasma anti-C1q Abs levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 51 BD patients and 25 age- and gender-matched healthy controls.

Results: We found elevated concentrations of anti-C1q more frequently in patients with BD (18 %) than in healthy controls (8 %).

Autoantibodies against complement C1q in patients with Behcet's disease: association with vascular involvement.

AIM: The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of anti-C1q antibodies and their possible association with clinical presentation in Behcet's disease (BD) patients with special emphasis for patients with vascular involvement. METHODS: Plasma anti-C1q Abs levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 51 BD patients and 25 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. RESULTS: We found elevated concentrations of anti-C1q more frequently in patients with BD (18 %) than in healthy controls (8 %).

Chronic hepatitis c genotype-4 infection: role of insulin resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and different HCV genotypes show characteristic variations in their pathological properties. Insulin resistance (IR) occurs early in HCV infection and may synergize with viral hepatitis in HCC development. Egypt has the highest reported rates of HCV infection (predominantly genotype 4) in the world; this study investigated effects of HCV genotype-4 (HCV-4) on prevalence of insulin resistance in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and HCC in Egyptian patients.

Malondialdehyde and coenzyme Q10 in platelets and serum in type 2 diabetes mellitus: correlation with glycemic control.

This study investigated the level of platelet malondialdehyde (MDA) as a marker of oxidative stress and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) as an index of antioxidant capacity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and their relation to glycemic control. The study group consisted of 28 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (10 men and 18 women) with mean age of 48 +/- 2 years. Ten healthy individuals, age and sex matched with the patients, were used as a control group.