Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Infection: .

The clinical significance of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in the context of infections has attracted attention since their first discovery in patients with syphilis. In fact, the recognition of aPL in patients with infections has been described in parallel to the understating of the syndrome. Since the first description of aPL-positive tests in three patients with COVID-19 diagnosed in January 2020 in Wuhan, China, a large number of studies took part in the ongoing debate on SARS-2-Cov 2 induced coagulopathy, and many following reports speculated a potential role for aPL.

A 3-Year Observational Study of Patients with Progressive Systemic Sclerosis Treated with an Intensified B Lymphocyte Depletion Protocol: Clinical and Immunological Response.

Background: B-cells have been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc), representing, therefore, a potential therapeutic target.

Objectives: We aimed at investigating the 36-month outcomes of 20 SSc patients who underwent an intensified B-depletion therapy (IBCDT) scheme, including both Rituximab (RTX) and cyclophosphamide (CYC).

Methods: Data from 20 severe patients (18 females and 2 males, mean age 66.

Iloprost use and medical management of systemic sclerosis-related vasculopathy in Italian tertiary referral centers: results from the PROSIT study.

Vasculopathy is a crucial feature of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and digital ulcers (DU) have a deep impact on the quality of patients' life. The management of vascular disease can be challenging for the clinician because of the suboptimal tolerability of the treatments and lack of consensus on the best therapeutic approach. Intravenous iloprost, a synthetic analogue of prostacyclin, is broadly used for the treatment of RP and ischemic ulcers secondary to SSc.

Semi-quantitative analysis of salivary gland scintigraphy in Sjögren's syndrome diagnosis: a first-line tool.

Objective: The aim of this study was the assessment of semi-quantified salivary gland dynamic scintigraphy (SGdS) parameters independently and in an integrated way in order to predict primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS).

Materials And Methods: Forty-six consecutive patients (41 females; age 61 ± 11 years) with sicca syndrome were studied by SGdS after injection of 200 MBq of pertechnetate. In sixteen patients, pSS was diagnosed, according to American-European Consensus Group criteria (AECGc).

Circulating osteoprotegerin and soluble RANK ligand in systemic sclerosis.

Objective: .Microvascular damage is an early pathogenetic event in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL)/RANK/osteoprotegerin (OPG) system is involved in vascular biology.