Chronic peripheral edema in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

Chronic peripheral edema is a very common yet underestimated problem. It is of utmost importance to investigate various possible causes and understand the pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic peripheral edema in order to determine the optimal treatment. This case report presents the case of a polymorbid patient with a deformity-causing type of rheumatoid arthritis and a 1-year history of progressive symmetrical peripheral edema.

Increased Levels of STAT1 Protein in Blood CD4 T Cells from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients Are Associated with Perturbed Homeostasis of Activated CD45RAFOXP3 Regulatory Subset and Follow-Up Disease Severity.

In murine systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), aberrant regulation of interferon (IFN)-alpha-STAT1 signaling and perturbed homeostasis of CD4FOXP3 regulatory T cells (Tregs) were described. In the present study, STAT1 signaling and circulating Treg subsets were assessed by flow cytometry in 39 SLE patients and their potential association with disease course was examined during long-term follow-up. Levels of STAT1 protein as measured by median fluorescence intensity (MFI) were significantly increased in SLE CD4 T cells when compared with rheumatoid arthritis patients and healthy controls and were positively correlated with disease activity.

STAT5 phosphorylation in CD4 T cells from patients with SLE is related to changes in their subsets and follow-up disease severity.

Activation of the STAT5 signaling pathway up-regulates antiapoptotic protein Bcl2 and drives proliferation of autoreactive conventional CD4 T cells (T). In systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an increased T cell Bcl2 content and perturbed homeostasis of CD45RAFOXP3 activated regulatory T cells (aT) were described. We assessed T/T subsets and phosphorylation of STAT5 (pSTAT5) in blood T cells from patients with SLE by using conventional and imaging flow cytometry.

Rare manifestation of the thrombotic microangiopathy in a patient with sarcoidosis, common variable immunodeficiency and large B-cell non-hodgkin lymphoma: case report.

58-year old Caucasian woman was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. Low immunoglobulin levels were found and common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) was diagnosed 1year later. Laboratory tests and clinical course at this time revealed thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA).