The first case of alveolar echinococcosis from southern Croatia: progressive course of the disease in an immunocompromised patient.

Introduction: Alveolar echinococcosis is one of the most pathogenic zoonoses caused by the larval forms of . It is endemic in central Europe, but from 2001 to 2018, eight European countries reported their first cases of alveolar echinococcosis. These numbers testify to unprecedented spread of the infection.

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.

Is Th17-Targeted Therapy Effective in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus?

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. The proposed pathophysiological hypotheses of SLE are numerous, involving both innate and adaptive abnormal immune responses. SLE is characterized by the overproduction of different autoantibodies that form immune complexes, which cause damage in different organs.

The Levels of Serum Serotonin Can Be Related to Skin and Pulmonary Manifestations of Systemic Sclerosis.

: The most prominent feature of systemic sclerosis (SSc), besides vasculopathy and autoimmune disorders, is excessive fibrosis. Serotonin affects hemostasis and can induce vasoconstriction, which is presumed to be one of the pathophysiological patterns in SSc that leads to fibrosis. Our aim was to explore the possible association of serotonin with some of the clinical features of SSc in our cohort of patients.

Adropin Serum Levels in Patients with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients have higher prevalence of endothelial dysfunction and premature atherosclerosis. Recent studies investigated adropin, a secretory protein that can regulate lipid metabolism and insulin resistance and protect endothelial cells' function and that has an anti-inflammatory effect. The aim of this study was to determine adropin levels in pSS patients compared to healthy controls.

Low dose intravenous immunoglobulin in addition to cyclophosphamide in systemic sclerosis : Single centre experience.

Aim: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare chronic disease characterized by pathologic collagen deposits in the skin and internal organs. Although it is considered to be an autoimmune disease, immunosuppressants have a limited effect on severe SSc. Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) have shown favorable effects in patients with SSc by suppressing the action of profibrotic cytokines, so they could have additional effect on standard treatment such as cyclophosphamide (CYC).

Dietary Habits in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are often interested in which diets to follow. Our aim was to investigate which dietary habits were common among our patients, and which of them were in correlation with laboratory parameters of disease activity, such as complement values and 24-h proteinuria. This study included 76 patients with SLE in clinical remission with a 6-month flare free period.

Biomarkers of skin and lung fibrosis in systemic sclerosis.

: Excessive fibrosis is the hallmark of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and numerous experts are investing efforts into identifying parameters that could predict disease course and prognosis. Here, we review the available and potential biomarkers of lung and skin fibrosis in SSc.: Specific autoantibodies are important for the determination of clinical subsets of SSc, making them routine in clinical practice.

Prediabetes awareness among Southeastern European physicians.

Aims/introduction: Prediabetes (PD) represents a transitional state where the glucose levels are higher than normal, but not enough for diabetes mellitus diagnosis. As there is a growing number of the population with PD, its early detection and treatment could prevent the development of diabetes mellitus and its complications. We aimed to assess the overall knowledge of PD among medical professionals of different varieties.

[Long-term glucocorticoid therapy and the rapid development of squamous cell carcinoma in systemic sclerosis: Is there a connection?].

Systemic sclerosis (SSC) is an autoimmune disease associated with the risk of malignancies, especially lung cancer, among which adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the most frequent. A 63-year-old female patient with SSC was hospitalized due to blackouts, poor general condition, and changes in her fingers. Because of subsequent epileptic seizures resulting in weakness of the left side of her body, computerized tomography (CT) of the neurocranium was performed which showed metastatic lesions.

[Polymyositis and systemic sclerosis overlap - A case report and a review of the literature].

Polymyositis (PM) is an autoimmune disease which affects skeletal muscles. In young age, it usually occurs as an idiopathic disorder associated with specific autoantibodies (anti-Jo), while in older age it is often associated with neoplasms. It can present with symptoms of other autoimmune diseases, such as systemic sclerosis (SSc), a rare progressive disease characterized by collagen deposits in various tissues and organs.