The prevalence of non organ specific and thyroid autoimmunity in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is commonly associated with endocrine, metabolic, cardiovascular and other morbidities. However its association with autoimmune diseases is still controversial.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of non organ-specific and antithyroid, antibodies in PCOS women compared to healthy controls.

Serum concentrations of 25-OH vitamin D in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are inversely related to disease activity: is it time to routinely supplement patients with SLE with vitamin D?

Background: Low serum vitamin D concentrations have been reported in several autoimmune disorders.

Objective: To assess whether low serum vitamin D concentrations are related to disease activity of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: 378 patients from several European and Israeli cohorts were pooled and their disease activity was measured by two different methods: 278 patients had SLE disease activity-2000 (SLEDAI-2K) scores and 100 patients had European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement (ECLAM) scores.

[Prevalence of rheumatic manifestations and non-organ specific autoimmunity in patients with autoimmune thyreopathy].

Introduction: A variety of rheumatic manifestations (RM) has been described in association with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT). In the past, most of these manifestations were attributed to the underlying thyroid dysfunction, in particular hypothyroidism. AIT is often associated with non-organ specific autoimmunity.

Autoimmune thyroid disease and autoimmune rheumatic disorders: a two-sided analysis.

Unlabelled: Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (ATD) frequently overlaps with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of various non-organ-specific autoantibodies in patients with ATD, as well as the presence of ATD in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Subjects And Methods: Group 1 comprised 80 patients with ATD, and group 2 contained 80 patients with SLE or RA.

Primary B-cell pituitary lymphoma of the Burkitt type: case report of the rare clinic entity with typical clinical presentation.

Primary CNS lymphomas (PCNSLs) constitute 3% of all intracranial neoplasms. From these, primary pituitary lymphomas (PPLs) represent extremely rare clinical entity. Nearly all of PCNSLs are non-Hodgkin diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Clinical and laboratory features of the catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome.

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS, Asherson's syndrome) is an unusual form of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) characterized by multi-organ failure and high mortality. Fortunately, CAPS accounts for less than 1% of APS cases. Due to the rarity of the condition, an international registry of CAPS patients was created in 2000 supported by the European Forum on Antiphospholipid Antibodies held in Taormina, Italy at the Tenth International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies.

[Systemic lupus erythematodes].

Systemic lupus erythematodes (SLE) is chronic autoimmune disease, characteristic by production of autoantibodies against different autoantigens. Etiopathogenesis in not precise determinated, but genetic, immunologic, hormonal factors or influence of environment are assumed. It manifests by various symptoms and it can affect whichever organ or system in the body.

Prolactin levels and autoantibodies in female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

We investigated the relationships between prolactin (PRL) levels and antibody occurrence in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). No significant association between PRL levels and the majority of the autoantibodies studied (anti-U1 RNP, anti-rRNP, anti-Sm, anti-dsDNA, anti-DNP, auto-LCA, anti-EACA) could be confirmed (P > 0.05), anti-Ro/SSA antibodies being an exception.

Identification of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato tick isolates from Slovakia by PCR typing with 16S rRNA primers.

The first four strains of Borrelia burgdorferi isolated in Slovakia from ticks and mice were studied using monoclonal antibodies, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with 16S rRNA specific primers and plasmid profiles. Two tick isolates were typed as Borrelia garinii, one strain isolated from Apodemus flavicollis was found to be B. afzelii and the fourth tick isolate reacted as a mixed culture of B.

[Preliminary identification of Borrelia burgdorferi isolated from Ixodes ricinus ticks in eastern Slovakia].

The first finding of spirochetes Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in eastern Slovakia pertains to ticks Ixodes ricinus collected in the Kosice park forest in September 1995. The authors tested 7 strains using immunoblotting with 4 monoclonal antibodies (Mab): H9724--specific to the genus Borrelia, identifying 41 kDa flagellar protein, H5332--specific to OspA protein of B. burgdorferi, J 8.

[Detection of antibodies to submitochondrial particles, F1-ATPase complex and liver specific lipoprotein in liver diseases using ELISA].

ELISA was elaborated for the determination of antibodies against liver antigen complexes--submitochondrial particles, F1-ATPase and liver specific lipoprotein. The parameters achieved so far allow to use the assay as an undemanding complementary laboratory technique in diagnosing and monitoring hepatopathies of autoimmune origin. Cross reactivity between individual antigen complexes was recorded in the majority of sera from positively reacting patients.

[Antibodies to Klebsiella pneumoniae in ankylosing spondylitis].

The authors investigated the incidence of antibodies against Klebsiella pneumoniae and E. coli in a group of patients with ankylosing spondylitis and in a group of healthy controls in all main immunoglobulin classes. The results revealed that in patients with ankylosing spondylitis there is a significantly higher incidence of specific antibodies of class IgA against Klebsiella pneumoniae and E.