Outcomes of retroperitoneal fibrosis-related hydronephrosis and its risk factors for poor prognosis: a multi-center retrospective cohort study in Chinese patients.

Objective: Retroperitoneal fibrosis (RPF) is a rare disease characterized by the presence of fibroinflammatory tissue that surrounds the abdominal aorta and the iliac arteries and often entraps the ureters. Hydronephrosis is a common complication of RPF, however, its clinical features and outcomes have not been well elucidated.

Methods: A total of 115 RPF-related hydronephrosis patients have been recruited from 9 clinical centers in China since March 2010.

Effect of IL-17 on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells and connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Objective: To explore the role of interleukin (IL)-17 in connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (CTD-PAH) and to investigate its possible mechanism on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs).

Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to compare levels of serum IL-17 in patients with CTD-PAH and healthy controls (HCs). After treatment for 3 months, the serum IL-17 levels were tested in CTD-PAH.

Sex Differences in Clinical Manifestations of Hospitalized Patients With Eosinophilic Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To investigate the effect of sex on the clinical characteristics, prognoses, and therapeutic selection of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA).

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 170 hospitalized patients with EGPA who were managed at our hospital between 2007 and 2020. Detailed clinical data were reviewed.

Associations between sarcoidosis, autoimmune diseases, and autoantibodies: a single-center retrospective study in China.

To describe the clinical manifestations, immunological features, and risk factors in patients with sarcoidosis complicated with autoimmune diseases (ADs) as well as determine the frequency of autoantibodies and possible correlation between autoantibodies and laboratory data. Patients with pathologically confirmed sarcoidosis at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital (China) between January 2017 and October 2020 were included. Age- and sex-matched patients who visited the rheumatology outpatient clinic without systemic or ADs were included as controls.

Pulmonary amyloidosis and cystic lung disease in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a case report and literature review.

This study presents a rare case of pulmonary amyloidosis and cystic lung disease associated with primary Sjögren's syndrome. In February 2019, a 76-year-old woman with primary Sjögren's syndrome presented to our rheumatology department for lung problems. Four years before presentation, the patient underwent chest computed tomography that revealed multiple nodules with numerous thin-walled lumen in both lungs.

Risk factors for progression and prognosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease in a Chinese population.

Objective: This study explored differences between primary Sjögren's syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease (pSS-ILD) patients with and without ILD progression, and analyzed the factors affecting the progression and prognosis of pSS-ILD.

Methods: This study is a retrospective cohort study which enrolled 113 pSS-ILD patients hospitalized between 2011 and 2017.

Results: The 3-year survival rate of the pSS-ILD patients was 91.

Switching from allopurinol to febuxostat: efficacy and safety in the treatment of hyperuricemia in renal transplant recipients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of febuxostat in renal transplant recipients who were previously treated with allopurinol (the daily oral dose is 100 mg). A 6-month cohort study was conducted with 46 renal transplant recipients who had hyperuricemia. In 22 patients, treatment was changed from allopurinol to febuxostat (febuxostat was given at an oral dose of 20 mg once a day), and the other 24 patients continued the allopurinol treatment (the daily oral dose is 100 mg).

Thymic epithelial tumor complicated by immunological abnormalities: results from a single-center retrospective study in China.

Background: To describe the clinical manifestations, immunological features, treatments, and outcomes of patients with thymic epithelial tumor (TET) complicated by immunological abnormalities, and to improve knowledge on immunological abnormalities in this rare disease.

Methods: Patients with pathologically confirmed TET at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital between January 2013 and May 2018 were included in this study, and clinical data were analyzed retrospectively. Immunological abnormalities were classified into two groups as follows: Good syndrome (GS) and autoimmune disease (AD).

Breast panniculitis with liquefactive fat necrosis: A case report.

Panniculitis is a group of heterogeneous disorders characterized by inflammation of the subcutaneous adipose tissue. Panniculitis of breast tissue as the initial manifestation has rarely been reported and is often misdiagnosed. Breast panniculitis may cause substantial morbidity and early diagnosis and treatment are important for the prognosis of the disease.

Risk factors and treatment of pneumothorax secondary to granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a clinical analysis of 25 cases.

Objectives: To investigate the risk factors and treatment strategies for pneumothorax secondary to granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA).

Method: Retrospective analysis of cases with pneumothorax secondary to GPA from our own practice and published on literature.

Results: A total of 25 patients, 18 males and 7 females, mean age 44 ± 15.

A rare case of meningoencephalitis by Listeria monocytogenes in systemic lupus erythematosus: case report and review.

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a high risk of infection. Central nervous system infection and neuropsychiatric SLE are both major causes of death. It is vital to distinguish between these two conditions to improve prognosis due to the treatment paradigms required for each condition.

Successful treatment of granulomatosis with polyangiitis with hydropneumothorax using corticosteroids and immunosuppressant.

Pneumothorax and pleural effusion is a rare and serious complication of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). The present study reported a case with a history of sinusitis for 20 years, dry cough for three years and exacerbated purulent nasal discharge and recurrent skin ulcers for two years. The patient experienced sudden difficulty in breathing two months prior to presentation.

Evaluating osteoporotic fracture risk with the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool in Chinese patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

This study aims to evaluate the discriminative and predictive capacity of the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) to determine the 10-year risk of osteoporotic fracture in Chinese rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.This study included 168 RA patients and 168 healthy individuals as controls. The Chinese mainland FRAX model was applied to calculate the 10-year risk of osteoporotic fractures, defined as fracture of the spine, forearm, hip, or shoulder.

Effects of febuxostat on insulin resistance and expression of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in patients with primary gout.

We aimed to investigate the effects of febuxostat on IR and the expression of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with primary gout. Forty-two cases of primary gout patients without uric acid-lowering therapy were included in this study. After a physical examination, 20 age- and sex-matched patients were included as normal controls.

[Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Rituximab Combined with Fludarabine and Cyclophosphamide for Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia].

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of rituximab combined with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide for the treatment of the chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Methods: Forty cases of CLL patients treated in our hospital from March 2010 to March 2014 years were selected and divided into the observation group (20 cases) and control group (20 cases) by random number table method. The patients in control group were treated with CHOP chemotherapy, the patients in observation group were treated with rituximab combined with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide treatment.

[Long-term effects of hydroxychloroquine on metabolism of serum lipids and left ventricular structure and function in patients of systemic lupus erythematosus].

Objective: To observe the long-term effects of hydroxychloroquine treatment on blood lipids and left ventricular function of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

Methods: A total of 72 SLE patients were randomly divided into 2 groups of hydroxychloroquine treatment (n = 36) and non-hydroxychloroquine (n = 36). The serum level of lipids, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), interventricular septum thickness (IVST), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT), fractional shortening rate (FS), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and E/A ratio were measured before, 6 month, 12 month and 2 years after treatment.

A study on clinical and pathologic features in lupus nephritis with mainly IgA deposits and a literature review.

Objective: To study the clinical and pathologic features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that has atypical lupus nephritis (LN) with mainly IgA deposits.

Methods: We searched the SLE patients who had nephritis with mainly IgA deposits in our hospital and selected the information including clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, treatments, and prognosis.

Results: From January 2009 to June 2012, 5 patients were definitely diagnosed as SLE according to both 1982 and 2009 ACR classification criteria.