Prevalence and clinical significance of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody in Graves' patients treated with propylthiouracil.

Development of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) during therapy with propylthiouracil (PTU) is not uncommon and PTU-induced ANCA-positive vasculitis is also reported. The aim of this study was to assess the presence and clinical significance of ANCA positivity in Graves' patients treated with PTU. Newly diagnosed Graves' disease patients (prospective group, n = 58) were evaluated before and during therapy with PTU to investigate the development of ANCA positivity.

Thymidylate synthase genotype and serum concentrations of homocysteine and folate in Behçet's disease.

The aim of this study was to assess whether thymidylate synthase (TYMS) genotype, serum homocysteine, and folate concentrations were related to venous thrombosis in Behçet's disease (BD) patients. The study included 104 BD patients fulfilling the International Study Group Criteria for the diagnosis of BD and 121 healthy individuals-controls. Out of 104 patients, 50 (48%) had vascular involvement: 34 had active-history of venous thrombosis, 16 had arterial involvement (aneurysm), and 11 of these patients had both venous and arterial lesions as confirmed by Doppler ultrasound and/or angiography.

Recurrent optic disc and retinal vasculitis in a patient with drug-induced urticarial vasculitis.

The purpose of this study was to report recurrent optic disc and retinal vasculitis in a patient with drug-induced urticarial vasculitis. Complete ophthalmological examination including fluorescein angiography and visual field examination were done. A 53-year-old woman with recurrent painful urticarial skin lesions following trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole usage had the clinical and histopathological diagnosis of urticarial vasculitis.

Serum soluble Fas levels in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Objective: The role of the serum soluble Fas (sFAS) system is unclear in diagnosis of several autoimmune rheumatic diseases although there are present contradictory reports on the levels of serum sFas. We therefore assessed levels of sFAS in serum of patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases.

Patients And Methods: We analyzed sFas levels and their relationship to clinical and laboratory data in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, n=32), rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n=28), Sjögren's syndrome (SS, n=20) systemic sclerosis (SSc, n=21), polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM, n=15).

Characteristics of vascular involvement in Behçet's disease.

Objective: Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystemic inflammatory disorder classified among the vasculitides, which can affect all types and sizes of blood vessels. Vascular involvement may be seen in 25-50% of BD patients. In this study, we examined the characteristics of vascular involvement in patients with BD.