Clinical Phenotype of HLA B*44 Patients in a Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic Favors Peripheral Arthropathies.

The genetic background of HLA-B*27 in spondyloarthritis is known, and the search for another gene with similar role is ongoing. We wanted to investigate clinical presentations of HLA-B*44 patients in rheumatology practice. A cross-sectional retrospective study of 303 HLA-B*44 adult patients from the outpatient rheumatology clinic from 5/2018-5/2024.

The Odds of One-Year Mortality in Bedridden Geriatric Patients Discharged from Acute Rehabilitation Ward Are Increased Eightfold If the Patients Have Three or More Complications.

Low muscle strength, functional score at discharge, and complications during a ten-day rehabilitation hospital stay can affect mortality rates in bedridden geriatric patients. This was a prospective observational study in a cohort of 105 bedridden geriatric patients admitted to the Rehabilitation ward after a major illness or surgery. All participants had a severe dependency on another person (Barthel's Index < 60).

Neck Disability Index Detects Higher Neck-Related Disability Levels among Physiotherapists and Family Medicine Specialists than among Dentists.

Background: Healthcare workers who are in physical contact with patients are prone to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Much is known about the prevalence of neck pain, but the extent of disability associated with neck pain among physical therapists (PTs), dentists, and family medicine specialists (FMs) is unknown.

Methods: The prevalence of neck pain and Neck Disability Index (NDI) data were collected from 239 PTs, 103 FMs, 113 dentists, and 112 controls from June to August 2022.

Association of HLA-DRB1 alleles with rheumatoid arthritis in Split-Dalmatia County in southern Croatia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the Sinj Region (SR) and the rest of the Split-Dalmatia County (SDC) in Croatia and to determine their relationship with disease severity.

Methods: A total of 74 RA patients and 80 healthy controls from the SR, and 74 RA patients and 80 healthy controls from the rest of the SDC were genotyped using sequence-specific oligonucleotide primed PCR. High-resolution typing of HLA-DRB1*04 alleles was performed using the single specific primed polymerase chain reaction (PCR-SSP) method.

Croatian version of the neck disability index can distinguish between acute, chronic and no neck pain : Results of a validation study.

Objective: Longitudinal study to test the validity and reliability of the Croatian version of the neck disability index (NDI-CRO) for use in patients.

Methods: Three groups were given NDI-CRO on two occasions, 48 h apart: acute whiplash neck injury group (n = 30), hospital physiotherapists-professional chronic neck pain group (n = 56) and control group (n = 65). To test validity, correlation between NDI-CRO and the pain VAS and PHQ‑9 questionnaire for depression was analyzed.

Ultrasound-Verified Peripheral Arthritis in Patients with Positive Spondyloarthritis.

Background: We aimed to investigate possible association between the allele and peripheral arthritis, tenosynovitis and enthesitis.

Methods: Ultrasound of peripheral joints and tendons was performed in 72 positive patients with preliminary diagnosis of undifferentiated axial form of spondyloarthitis and joint and tendon pain. Patients with other known types of axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis were excluded as well as patients with other known types of arthritis.

The occurrence of sacroiliitis in HLA-B*35-positive patients with undifferentiated spondyloarthritis. A cross sectional MRI study.

Objective: To investigate possible association between sacroiliitis and HLA-B*35 positivity.

Method: After excluding patients with axial spondyloarthritis and HLA-B*27 positivity, psoriasis inflammatory bowel disease, preceding infections, or juvenile type of spondyloarthritis, 110 patients were recruited with a diagnosis of undifferentiated axial spondyloarthritis. All of them had inflammatory back pain of short duration (3 months to 2 years) and 72 were HLA-B*35 positive.

The Role of Platelet Function Analyzer Testing in Cardiac Surgery Transfusion Management.

Background: Identifying high-risk patients for transfusion after cardiac operations would alter postoperative management. The aim of this study was to investigate closure time (CT) measured by platelet function analyzer (PFA) for prediction of bleeding and transfusions.

Methods: 66 patients were scheduled for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and 30 patients for valve repair and replacement (non-CABG).

[Sex hormones, immune disorders, and inflammatory rheumatic diseases].

It is a well-documented fact that sex hormones are implicated in the immune response and that androgens and estrogens modulate susceptibility and progression of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Estrogens are considered to stimulate cell proliferation and humoral immune responses while androgens exert suppressive effects on both humoral and cellular immune responses. Autoimmune diseases are common in females, especially during the generative period, the most representative of estrogen-related autoimmune diseases being systemic lupus erythematosus.

Extremely rare coincidence of non-radiographic axial spondyloarthropathy HLA-B27 positive and Stiff Person Syndrome--rheumatologist point of view.

Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder characterized by progressive stiffness and rigidity of truncal muscles accompanied with co-contraction of agonist-antagonist muscles. Our 51-year-old female patient was presented for the first time to physiatrists in 2006 and diagnosed with axial-spondyloarthropathy (SpA) HLA-B27 positive. SPS was diagnosed 7 years after initial symptoms.

Does tocilizumab contribute to elevation of rheumatoid factor and induction of paradoxical syaloadenitis in rheumatoid arthritis patients?

A 56-year-old woman, treated with tocilizumab (TCZ) for 8 months for severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), was admitted to the hospital due to the swelling and tenderness of parotid glands. The patient was diagnosed with seropositive erosive RA in 1988, and treated with different disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) that were used together with a low dosage of glucocorticoides, followed by biologic therapy with infliximab and adalimumab which also proved to be inefficient. The patient had an excellent initial response on TCZ therapy.

[The existence of geographical clusters of rheumatiod arhritis according to their origin in a tertiary care based register].

The objective was to analyse epidemiological tendencies of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Dalmatia County in order to identify possible spatial clusters of RA. Patient-interviewers were trained to administer telephone surveys. 197 RA patients controlled at Rheumatology and immunology department of Clinical hospital of Split were mapped to place of residence by telephone survey.

[Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) associated vasculitides].

The anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitides are a group of uncommon diseases characterised by inflammatory cell infiltration and necrosis of blood vessel walls. ANCA there has been considerable progress towards understanding their pathogenesis. This results in endothelial activation with increased transmigration and adherence of neutrophils to vessel walls.