Importance of hematological markers in familial Mediterranean fever in terms of disease severity and amyloidosis.

There are limited follow-up parameters for familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) related to disease severity and amyloidosis. Some hematological markers are emerging to assess inflammation. In this study, we hypothesized that some hematological parameters could be used to determine disease severity and amyloidosis in FMF.

Apical fibrosis was the most common incidental pulmonary finding in a familial Mediterranean fever cohort.

Introduction: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is one of the common autoinflammatory diseases with multisystemic manifestation. Pleuritis is the only known pulmonary involvement of FMF; however, as far as we know, thoracic involvements in pleural, parenchymal, bronchial, and vascular structures have not been evaluated yet.

Method: We included 243 consecutive FMF patients who applied to our clinic within the last 5 years and were requested to have a thorax CT for any reason and 122 trauma patients without any comorbidity.

Familial mediterranean fever patients may have unmet needs for the treatments of exertional leg pain and enthesitis.

Introduction: Exertional leg pain (ELP) and enthesitis are musculoskeletal findings in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). They are not accepted as principal treatment targets. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of treatments on ELP and enthesitis.

Budd-Chiari syndrome in Behçet's disease: a retrospective multicenter study.

Objective: To compare the clinical features, laboratory findings, and prognosis of Behçet's disease (BD) patients with and without Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS).

Methods: This multicenter retrospective study investigated 61 (M/F: 41/20) patients with BD, having coexistent BCS, and 169 (M/F:100/69) BD patients as the control group without BCS from 22 different centers of Turkey diagnosed between 1990 and 2017.

Results: Of the total 61 BD patients with BCS, the onset of the first symptom and the median age of diagnosis were earlier in contrast to BD patients without BCS (p = 0.

Familial Mediterranean Fever Patients may have Unmet Needs for the Treatments of Exertional Leg Pain and Enthesitis.

Introduction: Exertional leg pain (ELP) and enthesitis are musculoskeletal findings in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF). They are not accepted as principal treatment targets. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of treatments on ELP and enthesitis.

Predictors and the optimal duration of sustained remission in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To determine predictors and optimal duration of sustained remission (SR) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: A total of 428 consecutive patients with RA visiting our clinic routinely between 2012 and 2013 were evaluated. Seventy seven of these patients in DAS28 remission were enrolled and followed up for 62.

Demographic, clinical, and laboratory features of Turkish patients with gouty arthritis: A prospective cohort study.

Objective: We have conducted this study to evaluate clinical and laboratory findings and to gather and evaluate information that would be useful in clinical practice, such as demographics, joint involvement patterns, laboratory anomalies, treatments applied, and responses obtained in patients diagnosed with gout.

Methods: In our study, the demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of 94 patients diagnosed with gout were evaluated. The patients were re-evaluated with regard to their clinical and laboratory findings at the end of the 1 and 3 months, their responses to the treatment were observed, and where necessary, new treatment adjustments were made.

The distribution of MEFV mutations in Turkish FMF patients: multicenter study representing results of Anatolia.

Background/aim: The distribution of Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene mutations in Turkish familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) patients varies according to geographic area of Turkey. There is a need for highly representative data for Turkish FMF patients. The aim of our study was to investigate the distribution of the common MEFV mutations in Turkish FMF patients in a nationwide, multicenter study.

Cavitary pulmonary nodules in rheumatoid arthritis; case reports and review of the literature.

Rheumatoid nodules are the most common pulmonary manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and are usually asymptomatic. In rare cases, they progress cavitary formation and cause severe clinical symptoms because of disease activity, infectious diseases, and other etiologies. The determination of clinical and histopathological features may be helpful for differential diagnosis in patients with RA with cavitary pulmonary nodules.

Short report: correlates of functional disability with disease activity in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) prevalence increases with age and old people are special patient population. The recognition of functional disability related to RA could be challenging in elderly patients because aging itself and potential co-morbid disease may also cause functional disability. In this study, we aimed to look at the correlation between disease activity and functional disability in elderly RA patients.

Nationwide Experience With Off-Label Use of Interleukin-1 Targeting Treatment in Familial Mediterranean Fever Patients.

Objective: Approximately 30-45% of patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) have been reported to have attacks despite colchicine treatment. Currently, data on the treatment of colchicine-unresponsive or colchicine-intolerant FMF patients are limited; the most promising alternatives seem to be anti-interleukin-1 (anti-IL-1) agents. Here we report our experience with the off-label use of anti-IL-1 agents in a large group of FMF patients.

Single Gallstone Associated with High Fasting Insulin Level.

Gallstone (GS) formation is a multifactorial process and one of the associated factors is hyperinsulinemia. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the association between size and count of gallstones, and insulin levels and resistance. The study group composed of 84 patients who have ultrasonographically confirmed gallstone(s).

Fatigue in patients with Behçet's syndrome: relationship with quality of life, depression, anxiety, disability and disease activity.

Objectives: Fatigue is a common symptom of chronic inflammatory diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate fatigue in patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS) and to examine the relationship between fatigue and disease activity, quality of life, anxiety and depression.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 123 BS patients and 71 healthy controls in Turkey.

The rate and significance of type 1/type 2 serum amyloid A protein gene polymorphisms in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and amyloidosis.

A relationship between the presence of amyloidosis and SAA1 genotype has been shown in recent studies of (principally) familial Mediterranean fever patients. We found that the SAA1 rs12218 polymorphism was significantly more prevalent in ankylosing spondylitis patients with amyloidosis.

A severe case of systemic lupus erythematosus with increased pressure communicating hydrocephalus.

Normal/increased pressure hydrocephaly is an unusual manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and the pathogenesis is still unclear. We report the case of an 18-year-old white female with severe refractory renal and pulmonary involvement who developed stupor during intensive immunosuppressive treatment. Enlarged ventricles on imaging and increased intracranial pressure with the exclusion of infectious and hemorrhagic/thrombotic processes suggested increased pressure communicating hydrocephalus associated with SLE.

Health-related quality of life assessed by LupusQoL questionnaire and SF-36 in Turkish patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

The LupusQoL is a disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measure for patients with lupus. We conducted this study to compare the efficiency of LupusQoL-TR (validated Turkish version of the LupusQoL questionnaire) with the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), a generic quality of life (QoL) scale, in Turkish patients with lupus. Both questionnaires were conducted at a single visit to the clinic.

Anxiety and depression predict quality of life in Turkish patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate quality of life (QoL) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and assess the impact of disease activity and psychological distress on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Turkey.

Methods: The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF) -36 was used in a cohort of 113 consecutive patients with SLE and 123 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects to measure HRQoL. Patients' disease activity was assessed with SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and psychological distress was evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for all participants.

Serum leptin levels do not correlate with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Leptin, is a fat tissue hormone which effects energy expenditure, food intake , hematopoiesis, osteogenesis, angiogenesis, reproductive and immune systems. We aimed to determine serum leptin levels and investigate the association between disease activity and other parameters in RA patients.

Methods: Patients with RA (n=106) as the study group, healthy controls (n=52) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients (n=37) as a control group were enrolled to the study.

The role of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and fibromyalgia on the evaluation of the remission status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To investigate the effect of depression, anxiety, fatigue, and fibromyalgia (FM) on the remission status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), defined according to the 28-joint count Disease Activity Score (DAS28)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the Boolean-based new American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism remission criteria.

Methods: The subjects were patients with RA who participated in a hospital-based observational cohort. Patients who met the DAS28-ESR remission criteria at their latest visit were invited to participate in our study.