Molecular analyses of MEFV gene mutation variants in Turkish population.

Background: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive autoinflammatory disease primarily affecting individuals of Turkish, Armenian, Arab, and non-Ashkenazi Jewish descent, caused by mutations in the MEFV gene. The aim of this study was to review the common genotype distributions of MEFV variants and mutations in the Turkish population and evaluate rare mutations.

Methods And Results: The study included 2984 patients who applied to Ankara University Ibni Sina Hospital Immunology Laboratory with clinical suspicion of FMF between 2004 and 2014.

Serum leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) levels in patients with Takayasu's and Giant cell arteritis: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction And Objectives: In this study, we aimed to evaluate LIF levels and its possible relationship with disease activity in patients with Takayasu's (TAK) and Giant cell arteritis (GCA) patients.

Materials And Methods: 23 Takayasu's arteritis, 9 Giant cell arteritis patients and 25 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Serum LIF levels were measured ELISA.

Rheumatoid Arthritis-Related Lung Disease and Its Association With Mortality.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the association of rheumatoid arthritis-related lung disease (RA-LD) and its subtypes with all-cause mortality.

Materials And Methods: For the present analyses, patients with RA who underwent computed tomography of the chest (chest-CT) were evaluated. RA-LD was defined in 4 subtypes as follows: interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), airway disease (RA-AD), rheumatoid pulmonary nodules (RA-PN), and RA-related pleural disease (RA-PD).

Causes of severe infections in patients with systemic sclerosis and associated factors.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic systemic disease characterized by vascular damage, autoimmunity, and fibrosis in the skin and internal organs. In this study, we tried to determine the causes of severe infection in patients with SSc and to reveal the factors associated with severe infection.

Methods: We retrospectively examined 214 SSc patients between January 2010 and August 2020.

Rituximab experience from a single centre for patients with rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease.

Objective: To demonstrate the effects of rituximab (RTX) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).

Methods: A total of 165 patients who used RTX for the management of rheumatoid arthritis were retrospectively scrutinised. Among these, 26 patients diagnosed with RA-ILD were analysed (61.

Indications and risk factors for hospitalization in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome: experience from a tertiary center in Turkey.

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to reveal the hospitalization reasons for patients diagnosed with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) and potentially associated factors in a tertiary health center.

Method: One hundred and sixty-three pSS patients who regularly attended their follow-ups between January 2010 and May 2021 were included in the study. These patients' reasons for hospitalization, duration of hospitalization, and numbers of presenting to the hospital were recorded.

The association of anti-CD74 antibody with spondyloarthropathies.

Objective: The etiopathogenesis of spondyloarthropathies (SpA) is still unclear. Recently, anti-CD74 antibody has been suspected to play a role in SpA etiopathogenesis. This study aimed to examine the levels of anti-CD74 antibody in patients with SpA and investigate their association with disease activity.

Interstitial Lung Disease in Systemic Sclerosis: A Single-center Retrospective Analysis.

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by microangiopathy, inflammation, fibrosis. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is common among SSc patients.

Objective: This study aims to define the clinical, laboratory, and serologic characteristics of SSc patients with ILD and to present the frequency of chest computed tomography features.

Serum Calprotectin is Indicating Clinical and Ultrasonographic Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis, even with Normal C-Reactive Protein Levels.

Objective: Calprotectin is an inflammatory biomarker which assesses disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The objective of this study was to test whether serum calprotectin is associated with clinical and ultrasonographic disease activity in patients with RA, and to analyse its predicting value for disease activity evaluation despite normal C-Reactive protein (CRP) levels.

Methods: We included 80 patients with RA and 30 healthy subjects.

High mobility group box-1 levels may be associated with disease activity of Behcet's disease.

Background: High mobility group box- 1 (HMGB- 1) is a nuclear protein acting as a proinflammatory molecule. The serum HMGB- 1 levels were found elevated in chronic inflammatory diseases. In this cross-sectional study, serum HMGB- 1 levels in Behcet's disease (BD) patients and healthy controls (HC) were studied.

Can Subclinical Atherosclerosis Be Assessed More Precisely in Behçet Syndrome Patients by Using a Particular Cutoff Value for Carotid Intima Media Thickness?

Objective: Behçet syndrome (BS) is a multisystemic chronic vasculitic disease. Among previous studies, although there are some that showed increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in BS, there are also others that showed the opposite. The objective of this study is to evaluate subclinical atherosclerosis in BS by using the cutoff value for intima-media thickness in the 2013 European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension guideline.

Clinical characteristics of pulmonary artery involvement in patients with Behçet's syndrome: single-centre experience of 61 patients.

Objective: To report the clinical characteristics of pulmonary artery involvement (PAI) in patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS) and to define the predictors of relapses.

Methods: We performed retrospective analysis of BS patients with PAI who fulfilled international study group criteria. Among 460 patients with vascular Behçet's syndrome (VBS), 66 were diagnosed with PAI.

Early onset primary Sjögren syndrome, clinical and laboratory characteristics.

Introduction/objectives: Primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) is usually encountered between the fourth and sixth decades. It is known that the age of onset in autoimmune diseases may affect the clinical features. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of early onset pSS patients.

Association of simple hematological parameters with disease manifestations, activity, and severity in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Introduction/objectives: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), mean platelet volume (MPV), and red cell distribution width (RDW) may potentially reflect inflammatory status in systemic autoimmune diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between these proposed markers and disease manifestations, activity, and severity in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 69 systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and 50 healthy volunteers in a single center.

Serum Interleukin 35 Levels in Systemic Sclerosis and Relationship With Clinical Features.

Background/objective: Interleukin (IL) 35 is a member of the IL-12 family. Studies show that IL-35 is an important anti-inflammatory cytokine and suppresses effector T-cell activity. In this study, we aimed to evaluate serum IL-35 levels in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and its potential relation with clinical findings.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis after certolizumab treatment in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare and life-threatening syndrome that may be triggered by hereditary factors, autoimmune and immunologic disorders, infectious diseases, malignancies and medications. Suspicion of the disease and early treatment is of paramount importance. Since the presentation of HLH with only skin involvement is rare, early diagnosis may be difficult.