Antiphospholipid syndromes in infectious diseases.

Antiphospholipid antibodies are essential in the diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), or the classic "Hughes syndrome," which is a systemic disorder that is autoimmune in nature. They are also found in various infections in low titers without any evidence of thrombotic manifestations of APS. However, in a few infections, when antiphospholipid antibodies are associated with protein cofactor, there can be associated thrombosis.

Effect of pioglitazone treatment in a patient with secondary multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Ligands of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) induce apoptosis in activated T-lymphocytes and exert anti-inflammatory effects in glial cells. Preclinical studies have shown that the thiazolidinedione pioglitazone, an FDA-approved PPARgamma agonist used to treat type 2 diabetes, delays the onset and reduces the severity of clinical symptoms in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS). We therefore tested the safety and therapeutic potential of oral pioglitazone in a patient with secondary MS.

Tuberculin skin testing.

Preview The incidence of tuberculosis in the United States is escalating at an alarming rate. Thus, it is imperative to detect the infection early so that chemoprophylaxis can be given before active disease has a chance to develop. The tuberculin skin test is simple, cheap, and effective and should be an integral part of evaluating not only high-risk groups but also the population at large.