Association of focus score and extraglandular involvement in Sjögren's syndrome: A study on antinuclear antibodies and minor salivary gland pathology.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between patients with and without extraglandular involvement in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) by analyzing ANA (antinuclear antibody) and ENA (extractable nuclear antigen) results and minor salivary gland pathology findings.

Patients And Methods: A total of 265 (245 females; 20 males; mean age: 50.4±12.

Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index as a Potential Biomarker for Assessing Disease Activity and Predicting Proteinuria Development in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Background Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease with varied clinical manifestations affecting multiple organ systems. This study aimed to investigate the association between the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and disease activity, as well as proteinuria levels in patients with SLE. Methodology A total of 141 patients diagnosed with SLE and 99 control subjects were included in this retrospective study.

Thoracic Complications in Behçet's Disease: Imaging Findings.

Behçet's disease (BD) causes vascular inflammation and necrosis in a wide range of organs and tissues. In the thorax, it may cause vascular complications, affecting the aorta, brachiocephalic arteries, bronchial arteries, pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins, capillaries, and mediastinal and thoracic inlet veins. In BD, chest radiograph is commonly used for the initial assessment of pulmonary symptoms and complications and for follow-up and establishment of the response to treatment.

Prevalence of sicca symptoms and Sjögren's syndrome in coeliac patients and healthy controls.

: There has been no previous study comparing the frequency of sicca symptoms and Sjögren's syndrome (SS) in coeliac patients (CPs) and healthy controls (HCs) using a tight screening method. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of sicca symptoms and SS in HCs and CPs.: The study included 80 CPs and 100 HCs.

A glimpse at the intricate mosaic of ethnicities from Mesopotamia: Paternal lineages of the Northern Iraqi Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs, Turkmens and Yazidis.

Widely considered as one of the cradles of human civilization, Mesopotamia is largely situated in the Republic of Iraq, which is also the birthplace of the Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian civilizations. These lands were subsequently ruled by the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Mongolians, Ottomans and finally British prior to the independence. As a direct consequence of this rich history, the contemporary Iraqi population comprises a true mosaic of different ethnicities, which includes Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians, and Yazidis among others.

The evaluation of cochlear functions in Familial Mediterranean Fever.

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a progressive disease characterized by chronic inflammation, which also has negative effects on cochlear functions and hearing levels. We investigated whether the cochlear functions and hearing levels of FMF patients were different than healthy controls and also evaluated the relationship of hearing levels with the age at diagnosis, duration without treatment, and inflammation and lipid parameters in this study. A total of 60 patients diagnosed with FMF and 48 age, gender and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy controls were included in the study.

Apremilast for Behçet's syndrome--a phase 2, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Oral ulcers, the hallmark of Behçet's syndrome, can be resistant to conventional treatment; therefore, alternative agents are needed. Apremilast is an oral phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor that modulates several inflammatory pathways.

Methods: We conducted a phase 2, multicenter, placebo-controlled study in which 111 patients with Behçet's syndrome who had two or more oral ulcers were randomly assigned to receive 30 mg of apremilast twice daily or placebo for 12 weeks.

Mood, anxiety and personality disorders in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: This study presents the current prevalence of mood, anxiety and personality disorders and factors associated with the existence of psychiatric disorders in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: The study sample was comprised of 45 patients with SLE and 60 control subjects. Mood and anxiety disorders were ascertained by means of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition/Clinical Version.

HLA-B27 subtypes in Turkish patients with ankylosing spondylitis and healthy controls.

The aim of this study was to determine human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 subtypes frequency in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and related spondyloartropathy (SpA) patients. Therefore, we investigated the differences in HLA-B27 subtypes between HLA-B27-positive patients and controls. Sixty six patients were included in this study (51 AS and 15 SpA).

Remission and rheumatoid arthritis: data on patients receiving usual care in twenty-four countries.

Objective: To compare the performance of different definitions of remission in a large multinational cross-sectional cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: The Questionnaires in Standard Monitoring of Patients with RA (QUEST-RA) database, which (as of January 2008) included 5,848 patients receiving usual care at 67 sites in 24 countries, was used for this study. Patients were clinically assessed by rheumatologists and completed a 4-page self-report questionnaire.

Cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from the QUEST-RA study.

Introduction: We analyzed the prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its association with traditional CV risk factors, clinical features of RA, and the use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in a multinational cross-sectional cohort of nonselected consecutive outpatients with RA (The Questionnaires in Standard Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Program, or QUEST-RA) who were receiving regular clinical care.

Methods: The study involved a clinical assessment by a rheumatologist and a self-report questionnaire by patients. The clinical assessment included a review of clinical features of RA and exposure to DMARDs over the course of RA.

Intraobserver and interobserver agreements of leg circumference measurements by tape measure based on 3 reference points.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the intraobserver and interobserver agreements in tape measurements of the ankle and calf circumference with due emphasis on the 3 main reference points, the patella, the tibial tuberosity, and the medial malleolus. The leg circumference at 2 locations was measured in 66 patients in the mornings of 2 consecutive days by 6 observers. Finally, a blinded couple measured leg circumferences at a line created on calves with a ballpoint pen of 68 outpatients to calculate interobserver agreement for lined regions.

Systemic onset juvenile rheumatoid arthritis presenting with absence of B lymphocytes.

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) is a complex disease involving the interactions of several cell populations with different mediators. Herein, we report a five-year-old girl with systemic-onset JRA. At admission, peripheral blood flowcytometric analysis showed the percentages of CD19(+) and CD20(+) B cells were <1%.

Cerebral venous thrombosis is associated with major vessel disease in Behçet's syndrome.

Objective: To examine the association between the type of central nervous system (CNS) involvement (parenchymal disease and cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT)) and extra-cranial large vessel events, mainly venous thrombosis, in Behcet's syndrome (BS).

Methods: Conventional venous angiograms, Doppler ultrasonography, computed tomography, and MR angiography were used to study 88 patients with BS, with (n = 88) and without (n = 80) CNS disease for the presence of major vessel disease.

Results: Major vessel involvement among the male patients with and without CNS disease (21/73 (29%) v 18/80 (23%), respectively) showed no significant differences (p = 0.

Autoimmune thyroiditis and anti-thyroid antibodies in primary Sjogren's syndrome: a case-control study.

Objective: To determine the frequency of antithyroid antibodies and the presence of autoimmune thyroiditis among patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Design: A case-control study.

Methods: 53 consecutive patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome, 30 with rheumatoid arthritis, 12 with secondary Sjögren's syndrome associated with rheumatoid arthritis, 17 with autoimmune thyroiditis, and 53 apparently healthy controls were studied for anti-TG and anti-TPO antibodies as well as serum thyroid hormones and TSH levels.

Bone and calcium metabolism in subclinical autoimmune hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

Bone turnover is reported to increase in favour of resorption in overt hyperthyroidism and the rate of resorption is associated with the levels of thyroid hormones. Hypothyroidism, on the other hand, was shown to cause no disturbance of calcium kinetics and found to associate lower trabecular resorption surfaces and increased bone cortical thickness. Similar studies are very rare in subclinical thyroid disorders and consequently we aimed to examine calcium and bone metabolism in subclinical thyroid disorders.

Prevalence of Behçet's disease in Istanbul, Turkey.

Background: The prevalence of Behçet's disease (BD) is much higher in countries along the ancient Silk Route, extending from Japan to Mediterranean countries including Turkey, than in northern Europe and the USA. Three previous epidemiologic surveys have been carried out in different regions of Turkey.

Patients And Methods: This study investigated the cross-sectional prevalence of BD in individuals aged > 12 years in Istanbul, Turkey, in two stages.

Rhabdomyolysis in a patient with hypothyroidism.

We describe a case of rhabdomyolysis associating hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism frequently leads to myalgias, muscle stiffness, cramps and sometimes elevated levels of muscle enzymes, but rhabdomyolysis is quite rare. This report describes a case of rhabdomyolysis associating hypothyroidism in a 19-year old man.

Target organ associations in Turkish patients with Behçet's disease: a cross sectional study by exploratory factor analysis.

Objective: To look for target organ associations in Turkish patients with Behçet's disease (BD).

Methods: We studied target organ associations in 272 consecutive patients with BD. The occurrence of any of the clinical manifestations related to BD within the previous 3 months was sought by history questionnaire completed by a rheumatologist and by physical examination.

Glomerulonephritis in Behçet's disease: report of seven cases and review of the literature.

Despite being recognised much more frequently than in the past, renal involvement has not previously been regarded as a feature of Behcet's disease (BD). In this study we aimed to assess the frequency of renal involvement in BD by performing urinalyses of 674 consecutive BD patients; we also retrospectively evaluated the charts of 4212 BD patients for the incidence of glomerulonephritis (GN). Urinary abnormalities (proteinuria and/or haematuria) were present in 10.

N-acetyltransferase polymorphism in patients with Behçet's disease.

Objectives: The objective of our study was to investigate the possible role of human arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) polymorphism in susceptibility to Behçet's disease.

Methods: Eighty-five patients with Behçet's disease gave their written informed consent to participate in the study. Seven point mutations (G191A, C282T, T341C, C481T, A803G, G590A, G857A) in the NAT2 gene were analysed using polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques.