Mesalamine dose escalation reduces fecal calprotectin in patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis.

Background & Aims: Among patients with quiescent ulcerative colitis (UC), lower fecal concentrations of calprotectin are associated with lower rates of relapse. We performed an open-label, randomized controlled trial to investigate whether increasing doses of mesalamine reduce concentrations of fecal calprotectin (FC) in patients with quiescent UC.

Methods: We screened 119 patients with UC in remission on the basis of Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index scores, FC >50 μg/g, and intake of no more than 3 g/day mesalamine.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism and target organs in chronic kidney disease.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a common disorder in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is characterized by excessive serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, parathyroid hyperplasia and an imbalance in calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Secondary hyperparathyroidism develops early in the course of CKD and becomes more prominent as kidney function declines.PTH is a major uremic toxin and may be responsible for long-term consequences that include renal osteodystrophy, severe vascular calcifications, alterations in cardiovascular structure and function, immune dysfunction, and anemia.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura associated with rapidly progressive lupus nephritis: report of two cases.

There are a few reported cases in the literature of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We describe two cases of TTP which have been presented during rapidly progressive lupus nephritis, with grand-mal seizures, thrombocytopenia and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia. Both cases were treated with hemodialysis, plasma exchange, corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide and intravenous gamma-globulin.