Alexandra Balbir-Gurman

..PCI is characterised by the appearance of intramural clusters of gas in the small and large bowel wall on X-ray or computed tomography and often is accompanied by free air in the peritoneal cavity...

..We present a woman with limited SSc who developed toe necrosis and acute coronary events as a complication of a previously undiagnosed pheochromocytoma...

..A combined pathology has impact on the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment...

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..Pomegranate extract (POMx) consumption has been shown to reduce the incidence and severity of collagen-induced arthritis in mice...

..IVIG seems to be an efficient alternative therapy in PAN limited to the calf muscles especially for patients with limitations to conventional cytotoxic treatment...

..We found that IL, in addition to its vasoactive properties, has a potential to activate inner antioxidant system. Activation of inner antioxidant activity may explain long-term effect of IL instead of its very short half-life time...

..To describe the clinical and laboratory features of rheumatoid pleural effusion (RPE) and the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to this condition...

..Vasculitides may be a clinical feature of FMF with a higher familiar prevalence. MEFV mutations may act as a genetic susceptibility factor for vasculitides in FMF patients...

..For other indications (e.g., vasculitis), anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy is given on a "compassionate" basis in severe refractory disease...

..CONCLUSION: Anti-CCP titer and IL-6 levels might be early predictors of the efficacy of anti-TNF therapy in patients with RA...

..Vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) have a crucial role in bone metabolism and resorption and may affect AO and calcinosis. We assessed vitamin D and PTH in patients with SSc...

..Our results indicate that B-cell depletion therapy modifies the cytokine-autoantibody network by reducing the levels of anti-cytokine autoantibodies and, consequentially, the formation of antibody-cytokine immune complexes...

..To review pulmonary arteritis (PA) complicated by pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in Takayasu's arteritis (TA)...

..We observed fasciitis due to the protein supplement Pure Whey, which has not been reported previously...

..Development and increase of peripheral rheumatoid nodules in typical sites of RA patients following LEF therapy has been recently reported...

..To report 3 cases ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) that developed in patients suffering from systemic sclerosis (SSc) and to review previously reported cases...

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..Large leg ulcers (LLU) may complicate autoimmune diseases. They pose a therapeutic challenge and are often resistant to treatment. To report three cases of autoimmune diseases complicated with LLU...

..The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) therapy on the clinical and immunologic parameters of the periodontium...

..Patients with longstanding RA conserve long-term immunity to common viruses despite the use of immunosuppressive drugs. Levels of antiviral antibodies against measles, rubella and polio remain stable under treatment with infliximab...

..Responsiveness of skin vasculitis to colchicine therapy was restored after a two-month colchicine withdrawal period and therefore corticosteroid and immunosuppressive therapy was postponed...

..We propose that acid-base and ionic-protein gradient may lead to instability of subsaturated urate solution, thereby predisposing to MSUM deposits within synovial membrane and inducing inflammation...

..A certain position of the shoulder and good knowledge of the normal anterior joint cavity parameters enabled us to diagnose synovitis by anterior shoulder sonography, with the patients experiencing minimal pain during movements...

..We considered a rationale of complex therapy for the leg ulcer on a basis of pathogenesis and complications of MCTD...

..The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of autoimmune diseases (AIs), as well as anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) therapy on the clinical and immunologic parameters of the periodontium...

..Subjects The study included 106 patients who were consecutively referred and a control group of 170 healthy subjects or patients with unrelated skin disorders...

..Until now, prostacyclin was the only drug of this type available for the treatment of PHT. ET blockade seems to be a reasonable and potential therapeutic option...

..Presence of WP in women almost doubled the delay in the diagnosis of SpA. No other differences in disease presentation or burden were demonstrated to correlate with delay in diagnosis...

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..Future research will be directed at genetic factors, diagnostic and prognostic markers for fibrosis and microangiopathy, and development of drugs directed to pathogenic key cells and mediators...

..To assess the effect of rituximab on the efficacy and safety of influenza virus vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

..CONCLUSION: BTC-2000 is a sensitive tool for clinical evaluation of skin involvement in SSc and may be a valuable adjunct to skin sclerosis score in disease monitoring...

..If the clinical condition requires the urgent use of TNFalpha blockers, these may be initiated one month after starting treatment for latent tuberculosis...

..The rationale and the early beneficial results of this new approach in spondyloarthropathies are reviewed...