Recent advances in the diagnosis and therapy of large vessel vasculitis.

Large vessel vasculitis (LVV), including Takayasu arteritis (TAK) and giant cell arteritis (GCA), causes granulomatous vascular inflammation mainly in large vessels, and is the most common primary vasculitis in adults. Vascular inflammation may evoke many clinical features including vision impairment, stroke, limb ischemia, and aortic aneurysms. The best way to diagnose LVV is to combine medical history, physical examination, various laboratory tests, and imaging modalities.

Interleukin-1 Inhibitors and Vaccination Including COVID-19 in Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases: A Nonsystematic Review.

Newly emerging variants of coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) raise concerns about the spread of the disease, and with the rising case numbers, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a challenging medical emergency towards the end of the year 2021. Swiftly developed novel vaccines aid in the prevention of the spread, and it seems that a specific cure will not be at hand soon. The prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with autoimmune/autoinflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD) is more severe when compared to the otherwise healthy population, and vaccination is essential.

Pathogenesis and treatment of cytokine storm in COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a viral infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that killed a large number of patients around the world. A hyperinflammatory state resulting in a cytokine storm and adult respiratory distress syndrome seems to be the major cause of the death. Many mechanisms have been suggested in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 associated cytokine storm (COVID-CS).

A practical approach for vaccinations including COVID-19 in autoimmune/autoinflammatory rheumatic diseases: a non-systematic review.

The COVID-19 pandemic has occupied the world agenda since December 2019. With no effective treatment yet, vaccination seems to be the most effective method of prevention. Recently developed vaccines have been approved for emergency use only and are currently applied to large populations.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: a review inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) or hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is an acute and rapidly progressive systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by cytopenia, excessive cytokine production, and hyperferritinemia. Common clinical manifestations of HLH are acute unremitting fever, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and multiorgan failure. Due to a massive cytokine release, this clinical condition is considered as a cytokine storm syndrome.

Cytokine storm in COVID-19: pathogenesis and overview of anti-inflammatory agents used in treatment.

COVID-19 infection has a heterogenous disease course; it may be asymptomatic or causes only mild symptoms in the majority of the cases, while immunologic complications such as macrophage activation syndrome also known as secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, resulting in cytokine storm syndrome and acute respiratory distress syndrome, may also occur in some patients. According to current literature, impairment of SARS-CoV-2 clearance due to genetic and viral features, lower levels of interferons, increased neutrophil extracellular traps, and increased pyroptosis and probable other unknown mechanisms create a background for severe disease course complicated by macrophage activation syndrome and cytokine storm. Various genetic mutations may also constitute a risk factor for severe disease course and occurrence of cytokine storm in COVID-19.

Current antiviral practice and course of Hepatitis B virus infection in inflammatory arthritis: a multicentric observational study (A + HBV study).

Objective: The reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a well-known event in hepatitis B surface antigen (HbsAg)-positive patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy. The objective of this study was to assess the antiviral practice and course of HBV infection in inflammatory arthritis.

Material And Methods: Nineteen rheumatology centers participated in this retrospective study.

Response rate of initial conventional treatments, disease course, and related factors of patients with adult-onset Still's disease: Data from a large multicenter cohort.

Background: Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare condition, and treatment choices are frequently dependent on expert opinions. The objectives of the present study were to assess treatment modalities, disease course, and the factors influencing the outcome of patients with AOSD.

Methods: A multicenter study was used to reach sufficient patient numbers.

Serum levels of visfatin, resistin and adiponectin in patients with psoriatic arthritis and associations with disease severity.

Aim: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory form of arthritis typically associated with psoriasis and/or psoriatic nail disease. Adipocytokines were once thought to influence development of (only) insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. However, it is now clear that adipocytokines play important roles in development of the inflammation associated with either autoimmune or auto-inflammatory disorders.

Diagnostic dilemma of paraneoplastic arthritis: case series.

Objectives: Paraneoplastic arthritis (PA) may mimic rheumatic diseases. While presenting the demographic and laboratory features of the patients diagnosed with PA, this study also aims to provide possible appropriate tools to differentiate the PA cases from early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA).

Methods: Sixty-five patients with PA (male/female: 43/22) from 15 different rheumatology clinics and 50 consecutive patients with ERA (male/female: 13/37) fulfilling the 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for the diagnosis if the RA from Gaziantep Rheumatology Early Arthritis Trial (GREAT) as controls who were diagnosed at least 12 months before, were enrolled into study.

Intermediate to long-term follow-up results of INH chemoprophylaxis prior to anti-TNF-alpha therapy in a high-risk area for tuberculosis.

Background: The use of anti-TNF drugs for rheumatic diseases has increased in recent years. Several studies have reported an increased risk of reactivation of tuberculosis (TB) with anti-TNF agents.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to present the follow-up results of a single center from Turkey, a country with a high rate of active and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), for INH chemoprophylaxis in patients receiving anti-TNF-α therapy for rheumatic diseases infection.

The effect of TNF-alpha blockers on psychometric measures in ankylosing spondylitis patients: a preliminary observation.

There is a high co-morbidity between chronic inflammatory disorders and depression. Proinflammatory cytokines like TNF-α seem to play a central role in the pathogenesis of these disorders, and its neutralization provides a potent treatment for inflammatory disorders. Few studies showed that TNF-α blockers also caused an improvement in depressive symptoms associated with these chronic inflammatory disorders.

Monoclonal anti-TNF antibodies can elevate hemoglobin level in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Unlabelled: Anemia is one of the extra-articular findings of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and anti-TNF therapy has been shown benefit in patients with anemia associated AS. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare the effects of biological and non-biological agents on hemoglobin levels in AS patients. One hundred consecutive patients who fulfilled ASAS criteria for AS were included in the study.

The cost of care of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis patients in tertiary care rheumatology units in Turkey.

Objectives: To determine the direct and indirect costs due to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients in Turkey.

Methods: An expert panel was convened to estimate the direct and indirect costs of care of patients with RA and AS in Turkey. The panel was composed of 22 experts chosen from all national tertiary care rheumatology units (n=53).

Can bone quality be predicted accurately by Singh index in patients with rheumatoid arthritis?

The aim of this study was to evaluate Singh index as a simple and inexpensive means of estimation of bone quality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Singh index evaluation was made on digital pelvis radiographs in 50 consecutive patients by three observers. Bone mineral density T scores of the spine and left proximal femur were assessed using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Bronchocentric granulomatosis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

Bronchocentric granulomatosis is an uncommon entity which has no specific clinical, radiological and immunological features. It is usually diagnosed at morphological examination of biopsy or resected lung material. Aetiology of bronchocentric granulomatosis is unclear.

Serious menstrual bleeding associated with use of TNF alpha blocker: two cases.

Menstrual disorders associated with the use of TNF alpha blocker have been rarely reported. Herein, we reported two cases aged 31 and 41, presenting with excessive menstrual bleeding occured after adalimumab administration which was subsequently discontinued.

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

It is known that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in comparison with the general population. Although increased risk of lymphoma is attributed to the disease activity, the drugs used in the therapy of RA may also cause increased risk of malignancy. Herein, we report on an RA patient who developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after methotrexate therapy and review the literature about it.

Pseudo-pseudo Meigs syndrome developed under the leflunomide therapy.

Pseudo-pseudo Meigs syndrome or Tjalma syndrome is characterized by increased CA-125 level, pleural effusion and ascites in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients without over tumor. The disorder is relatively rare and it has been reported usually in SLE patients with impaired renal functions. Herein, we present a case of a 47-year-old female patient who developed Tjalma syndrome after administration of leflunomide for rheumatoid arthritis.

Erythema nodosum associated with granulomatous mastitis: report of two cases.

Granulomatous mastitis is a rare breast disease characterized by chronic inflammation. Clinical presentation of granulomatous mastitis usually mimics malignancy or infection. Coincidence of granulomatous mastitis and erythema nodosum is a quite rare feature.

Werner's syndrome: a quite rare disease for differential diagnosis of scleroderma.

Werner's syndrome (WS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by premature aging. The main features of the disease are scleroderma-like skin appearance, premature atherosclerosis, short stature, diabetes mellitus, early osteoporosis and early aging. Herein, we describe a patient with WS, who has scleroderma-like skin changes and discuss the literature about WS as a disease in the differential diagnosis of systemic sclerosis.