Stroke-complicated endocarditis with positive lupus anticoagulant--a case report.

Twenty to 40% of patients with infective endocarditis (IE) suffer from neurologic complications. Also many and various markers of immunologic activation have been reported in patients with IE and no history of autoimmune or other rheumatologic diseases. The authors present a case of a patient suffering from IE complicated with major cerebrovascular event with concomitant appearance of lupus anticoagulant (LAC).

Resistance to activated protein C, factor V leiden and the prothrombin G20210A variant in patients with colorectal cancer.

Objective: The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of resistance to activated protein C (APC), factor V Leiden (FVL) and the prothrombin G20210A variant in patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods: 74 patients with colorectal cancer and 192 colonoscopically selected controls were prospectively investigated for the presence of APC resistance, FVL and the prothrombin G20210A variant. APC resistance was measured as the ratio of activated partial thromboplastin times with and without APC (APC sensitivity ratio, APC-SR).

Q fever in the Greek Island of Crete: epidemiologic, clinical, and therapeutic data from 98 cases.

A retrospective study was undertaken in Crete, Greece, to investigate the epidemiologic, clinical, and therapeutic aspects of Q fever. Over a period of 5 years (1989-1993), 1,298 patients were examined and 98 cases were identified. Individuals who were aged 20-29 years and 30-39 years appeared to have an increased risk of infection.