Obstructive sleep apnoea and right ventricular function: A combined assessment by speckle tracking and three-dimensional echocardiography.

Background: Little is known on right ventricular (RV) involvement in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). This study aimed at evaluating early RV dysfunction by standard and advanced echocardiography in OSA.

Methods: Fifty-nine OSA patients without heart failure and 29 age-matched controls underwent standard, speckle tracking and real time 3D echocardiography of right ventricle.

The use of TNF-α blockers in psoriatic arthritis patients with latent tuberculosis infection.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory arthropathy associated with skin and/or nail psoriasis. TNF-α is an essential cytokine for the host defense, and its depletion by treatment may facilitate the risk of infections or their reactivation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TNF-α blockers in patients with PsA and concomitant latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) comparing their outcome with non-infected PsA patients.