The pustular skin lesions in Behcet's syndrome are not sterile.

Background: The pustular skin lesions of Behcet's syndrome (BS) are clinically and histopathologically similar to ordinary acne, but BS patients get lesions at sites not commonly involved in acne, such as the legs and arms. The microbiology of these lesions has not been studied adequately.

Objective: To make a detailed study of the microbiology of BS lesions.

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.

Carotid atherosclerosis is a predictor of coronary calcification in chronic haemodialysis patients.

Background: Coronary artery calcification scores (CACS) calculated by electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) have been correlated with atherosclerotic burden in the non-uraemic population. However, the validity of this test in chronic haemodialysis patients (HD) is currently uncertain. In the present cross-sectional study, associations between carotid atherosclerosis and coronary calcification in HD patients are investigated.

Behçet syndrome.

Purpose Of Review: Interest in Behçet syndrome (BS), although the condition is rare in many parts of the world, is increasing as judged by the growing number of related publications and scientific meetings.

Recent Findings: Recent work reconfirmed the following without further insight into their meaning in pathogenesis: males have a more severe course; one third of the patients have a thrombophilia; papulopustular lesions and arthritis go together; gammadelta T are increased; and HLA B51 is still the main genetic association. Presence of increased levels of antibodies to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the proposal of alpha-enolase as the target antigen of antiendothelial cell antibodies, known to be present also in BS, are observations that might help in delineating the unknown pathogenesis.

p53 gene mutations are rare in human papillomavirus-associated colon cancer.

Recent studies suggest that infection with high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common event in colon tumors. Infection by oncogenic HPV may result in functional inactivation of the p53 protein in absence of mutations. Thus far no studies have been made to examine the frequency of p53 mutations in HPV-associated colon cancer.

Angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism and development of post-transplant erythrocytosis.

Background: An increased activation of the renin-angiotensin system probably plays a major role in the development of post-transplant erythrocytosis (PTE). It is known that deletion type polymorphism (DD) in the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene is associated with higher circulating angiotensin II (AII) levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ACE gene polymorphism on development of PTE.

Behçet's syndrome: an update.

The pathogenic mechanisms in Behçet's syndrome are largely unknown. An autoantigen role for human leukocyte antigen B51 has been proposed. The reasons behind the thrombophilia are also not clear.

Enteroclysis findings of intestinal Behcet disease: a comparative study with Crohn disease.

Background: The aim of this study was threefold; to define the enteroclysis (EC) findings of intestinal involvement in Behcet disease (BD), to compare these findings with those seen in Crohn disease (CD), and to determine the relation between the duration of BD and severity of the EC findings.

Methods: From 1997 to 2000, 17 BD and 50 CD cases were examined by EC examination. EC was performed with a 13-F balloon catheter via transnasal entubation.

The long-term mortality and morbidity of Behçet syndrome: a 2-decade outcome survey of 387 patients followed at a dedicated center.

We surveyed the 20-year outcome of a cohort of patients with Behçet syndrome with emphasis on both mortality and morbidity. During 1999 and 2000, we collected outcome information on 387/428 (90.4%) of a cohort of patients (262 male, 125 female) who had registered in a dedicated outpatient clinic between July 1977 and December 1983.

Interferon alfa combined with azathioprine for the uveitis of Behçet's disease: an open study.

Background: Eye involvement is the main cause of morbidity in Behçet's syndrome. The efficacy of the combined use of azathioprine and interferon alfa in treating this condition has not been studied.

Methods: Ten male BD patients with retinal involvement but no irreversible structural changes were treated with azathioprine 2.

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.

Successful treatment of familial Mediterranean fever attacks with thalidomide in a colchicine resistant patient.

Colchicine is the treatment of choice in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) both for attacks and for prevention of secondary amyloidosis. The overall non-responder rate varies from 5-10 to 40%. Thalidomide is known to blunt the acute phase response.

Investigation of microsatellite instability in Turkish breast cancer patients.

Multiple somatic and inherited genetic changes that lead to loss of growth control may contribute to the development of breast cancer. Microsatellites are tandem repeats of simple sequences that occur abundantly and at random throughout most eucaryotic genomes. Microsatellite instability (MI), characterized by the presence of random contractions or expansions in the length of simple sequence repeats or microsatellites, is observed in a variety of tumors.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in Turkish familial and non-familial ovarian cancer patients: a high incidence of mutations in non-familial cases.

Ovarian cancer is a clinically important cancer in Turkey. The contribution of BRCA1 and BRCA2 to ovarian cancer in Turkish patients has not previously been described. In this study we investigated the presence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in 102 consecutively ascertained, hospital-based, ovarian cancer cases.

Reporting consistency in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: how reliable are patient histories?

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients are frequently seen by multiple physicians and at multiple times. In each instance, most of the information important in clinical decision-making is gathered from the patient. There are no studies looking at reporting consistency of certain aspects of SLE patients' history.