Clinical significance of CCN2/connective tissue growth factor in Behçet's disease patients.

Aim: Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic autoimmune vasculitic disorder of unclear pathogenesis. CCN2/CTGF (connective tissue growth factor) is one of the CCN family members which carry out pro-angiogenic biological functions and play an important role in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The aim of the present study was to assess CCN2 plasma concentrations in BD patients and to analyze their association with clinical features of the disease, activity and laboratory parameters.

Relationship between nailfold capillary abnormalities and vestibular dysfunction in systemic sclerosis.

Objective: To investigate the vestibular dysfunction in a cohort of patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and to correlate the findings with disease parameters and microvascular involvement.

Methods: Vestibular affection was assessed in 30 female SSc patients and 29 age-matched healthy females subjects by using the computerized dynamic platform posturography (CDP). Assessment of microvasculature was done by nailfold videocapillaroscopy (NVC).