Ultrasound Classification of Finger Pulp Blood Flow in Patients With Systemic Sclerosis: A Pilot Study.

Objective: To define a semiquantitative classification of finger pulp blood flow (FPBF) and to evaluate whether this classification could be used to assess FPBF in healthy controls and in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.

Methods: Thirty controls and 86 SSc patients were consecutively included. A classification of FPBF including 5 grades (from grade 0 [no signal] to 4 [signal detected on the entire finger pulp, including the subepidermal vascular network]) was evaluated.

[Troponin T cardiac analysis: clinical cases of the limits of its cardiospecificity].

Introduction: Myositis are systemic diseases, in which heart damage is possible. Cardiac troponin T is often found to be defective to detect cardiac involvement.

Observation: We report cases of two patients with a myositis.

Prognostic value of involved/uninvolved free light chain ratio determined by Freelite and N Latex FLC assays for identification of high-risk smoldering myeloma patients.

Background Smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) is an asymptomatic plasma cell disorder with a high risk of progression to symptomatic multiple myeloma (MM). The serum free light chain (sFLC) ratio is a powerful prognostic factor for SMM: an sFLC ratio ≥8 has been reported to be associated with a high risk of progression to MM, and an sFLC ratio ≥100 has been described as a criterion for ultra-high-risk SMM, and has been integrated into the definition criteria for MM since 2014. However, all recommendations were based on sFLC measured using the first commercialized assay, Freelite™, while other assays are now available.

Evaluation of the Impact of Renal Failure on Correlation and Concordance Between 2 Free Light Chain Assays.

Background: Free light chain (FLC) assays are essential for diagnosis and follow-up of plasma cell dyscrasia. Two assays are available: Freelite (Binding Site) and N Latex FLC (Siemens). The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of renal failure on concordance and correlation between the 2 FLC assays.

Heavy/light chain specific immunoglobulin ratios provides no additional information than serum proteins electrophoresis and immunofixation for the diagnosis and the follow-up of intact immunoglobulin multiple myeloma patients.

Background: Serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) and immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) are used for diagnosis and follow-up of patients with intact immunoglobulin multiple myeloma. However, the numerous limitations of these methods led to the development of a nephelometric immunoassay (Hevylite™) for the specific measurement of serum IgGκ, IgGλ, IgAκ and IgAλ concentrations.

Methods: In this study, we evaluated the correlation between this assay and SPE and IFE in 114 sera of 15 patients (12 IgG and 3 IgA patients) and its impact on the clinical care of patients, especially for diagnosis, for the evaluation of residual disease and for early detection of relapse.

[Quick diagnostic and therapeutic assistance unit: activity and impact on relationship between internal medicine and general practitioners].

Introduction: General practitioners report difficulties to work efficiently with hospital physicians. We created a phone number dedicated to general practitioners to contact directly a hospital physician in the general internal medicine department entitled "quick diagnostic and therapeutic assistance". The aim of this study was to assess the first year activity of this professional support and its impact on general practitioners.

LRP overexpression in monocytic lineage.

The failure to chemotherapy is a multi factorial phenomenon and lung resistance protein (LRP) overexpression has already been discussed as implicated in drug resistance. But its role is still discussed. In 1996, we studied the expression of LRP and P170 (MDR) in a series of leukemias, at the time of diagnosis, by immunocytochemical (ICC) method.

Localized epidural and bone amyloidosis, rare cause of paraplegia in multiple myeloma.

We report two cases of spinal cord compression by AL amyloid deposits in the setting of multiple myeloma. The first patient, a 57 year old man, had a surgical procedure late in his course, when his neurological status worsened despite medical treatment. The second patient, a 61 year old man, had surgical treatment as soon as vertebral body collapse and epiduritis were diagnosed and spinal amyloidosis revealed a non secretory myeloma.

[Follow-up of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance in a population of 51 patients older than 70 years ].

Unlabelled: Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) are very frequent in the elderly. Its incidence is about 3% after 70 years. We have performed a retrospective study of patients aged of more than 70 years who were examined until 1995 for a MGUS.