Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) ist eine chronische, rezidivierende Erkrankung des Haarfollikels, d... more Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) ist eine chronische, rezidivierende Erkrankung des Haarfollikels, die sich mit druckdolenten Knoten, Abszessen und Fisteln manifestiert. Die Pathophysiologie der Erkrankung umfasst neben zahlreichen Faktoren auch dermatoendokrinologische Aspekte: Die Korrelation mit dem metabolischen Syndrom, mit Geschlechtshormonen, das Ansprechen auf Antiandrogene sind einige von den Punkten, die in diesem Review zusammengefasst und präsentiert werden. Die hormonelle Behandlung kann eine effektive und günstige Alternative oder Zusatztherapie zu den klassischen Therapieoptionen sein, insbesondere bei Fällen, in denen Antibiotika und/oder Biologika unwirksam oder kontraindiziert sind.
Οι κακοήθεις του γαστρεντερικού συστήματος αποτελούν κύρια αιτία θανάτου παγκοσμίως. Η διασπορά τ... more Οι κακοήθεις του γαστρεντερικού συστήματος αποτελούν κύρια αιτία θανάτου παγκοσμίως. Η διασπορά της νόσου και η ανάπτυξη μεταστάσεων επιδεινώνουν την πρόγνωση των ασθενών και δυσχεραίνουν τη δυνατότητα θεραπευτικής παρέμβασης καθιστώντας αναγκαία την ανάπτυξη μεθόδου πρώιμης ανίχνευσης μεταστάσεων. Κεντρικό ρόλο στην διασπορά της νόσου διαδραματίζουν τα κυκλοφορούντα καρκινικά κύτταρα (circulating cancer cells, CTCs) τα οποία διαφεύγουν από την πρωτοπαθή εστία και διασπείρονται μέσω του αίματος σε απομακρυσμένους ιστούς.. Σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης ήταν η ανάπτυξη μίας όσο το δυνατόν ευαίσθητης και ειδικής μεθόδου απομόνωσης κυκλοφορούντων καρκινικών κυττάρων. Στην κατεύθυνση αυτή αναπτύχθηκε μία Multiplex PCRη οποία θα ανίχνευε ταυτόχρονα την έκφραση των δεικτών επιθηλιακής προέλευσης CK19, CK20 και EGFR. Η πειραματική διαδικασία ξεκίνησε με τον προσδιορισμό των συνθηκών της αντίδρασης και διάφορες δοκιμές εύρεσης των βέλτιστων συνθηκών. Ακολούθως εφαρμόστηκε η μέθοδος σε 102 ασθενείς με κακοήθειες του γαστρεντερικού συστήματος καθώς και σε 38 φυσιολογικούς δότες. Συμπερασματικά προτείνεται η χρήση της μεθόδου στην διάγνωση και τον αποκλεισμό του καρκίνου του στομάχου, στον αποκλεισμό του καρκίνου του παχέος εντέρου και στον αποκλεισμό της παρουσίας μεταστάσεων σε ασθενείς με ήδη διαγνωσμένο καρκίνο παχέος εντέρου. Η διενέργεια επιπρόσθετων μελετών θα συμβάλει στον καθορισμό μίας καθολικά αποδεκτής μεθόδου ανίχνευσης κυκλοφορούντων καρκινικών κυττάρων, η εφαρμογή της οποίας στην κλινική πράξη θα συμβάλλει στη βελτίωση της διάγνωσης, παρακολούθησης και θεραπευτικής αντιμετώπισης ασθενών με κακοήθειες του γαστρεντερικού συστήματος, μέσω της έγκαιρης ανίχνευσης υπολειπόμενης νόσου και της εφαρμογής εξατομικευμένης θεραπείας.
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) ist eine chronische, rezidivierende Erkrankung des Haarfollikels, d... more Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) ist eine chronische, rezidivierende Erkrankung des Haarfollikels, die sich mit druckdolenten Knoten, Abszessen und Fisteln manifestiert. Die Pathophysiologie der Erkrankung umfasst neben zahlreichen Faktoren auch dermatoendokrinologische Aspekte: Die Korrelation mit dem metabolischen Syndrom, mit Geschlechtshormonen, das Ansprechen auf Antiandrogene sind einige von den Punkten, die in diesem Review zusammengefasst und präsentiert werden. Die hormonelle Behandlung kann eine effektive und günstige Alternative oder Zusatztherapie zu den klassischen Therapieoptionen sein, insbesondere bei Fällen, in denen Antibiotika und/oder Biologika unwirksam oder kontraindiziert sind.
Background The mesencymal cadherin-11 is a cell-cell adhesion molecule also involved in cellular ... more Background The mesencymal cadherin-11 is a cell-cell adhesion molecule also involved in cellular migration and invasion. Experimental studies have implicated a pathogenetic role of this molecule in inflammatory arthritis and in fibrosing conditions. Moreover, in the skin of patients with the prototypic human fibrotic disease, namely systemic sclerosis (SSc), cadherin-11 is hyper-expressed on dermal fibroblasts and resident macrophages, whereas the increased respective mRNA levels correlate with the modified Rodnan skin thickness scores (1). Objectives To examine whether cadherin-11 gene expression can be also identified in cells that circulate in SSc peripheral blood. Methods Cadherin-11 mRNA was quantified by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction as previously described (2), in 3 ml blood samples obtained from 71 SSc patients (aged 53±2 years, 65 women) and 35 control non-SSc patients with Raynaud's phenomenon, without active synovitis at the time of sampling. Results Cadherin-11 mRNA transcripts were detected in blood samples from 39% of patients with diffuse SSc, versus 16% in those with limited SSc, versus 6% and 16% in patients with idiopathic or associated with other connective tissue diseases Raynaud's phenomenon, respectively (p=0.049). Cadherin-11 mRNA levels in SSc patients were increased by 3.74-fold comparing to controls (p=0.036). By multivariate logistic regression analysis we found that diffuse skin involvement correlated with cadherin-11 mRNA positivity (p=0.028), independently of age, gender, disease duration, lung involvement, digital ulcers, inflammatory indices or anti-Scl-70 autoantibody presence. A similar independent correlation of diffuse SSc was also observed with increased (considered arbitrarily as ≥3-fold of average non-SSc levels) individual levels of cadherin-11 mRNA (p=0.011). Conclusions Cadherin-11 is hyper-expressed at the mRNA level in the peripheral blood of patients with diffuse SSc, further supporting the notion that cadherin-11 may be a legitimate therapeutic target. Studies on the origin and possible pathogenic function of these circulating cells may shed light into the complex pathogenesis of SSc. References Wu M, et al. Identification of cadherin-11 as a mediator of dermal fibrosis and possible role in systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Rheum 2014;66(4):1010-21. Sfikakis PP, et al. Cadherin-11 mRNA transcripts are frequently found in rheumatoid arthritis peripheral blood and correlate with established polyarthritis. Clin Immunol. 2014;155(1):33-41. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Journal of B.U.ON. : official journal of the Balkan Union of Oncology, 2018
PURPOSE To study the diagnostic and/or prognostic role of preoperative blood tests in colorectal ... more PURPOSE To study the diagnostic and/or prognostic role of preoperative blood tests in colorectal cancer. METHODS Preoperative complete blood count tests and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) serum levels of 167 patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma were examined for associations with clinicopathological parameters, disease-specific survival (DSS) and relapse-free survival (RFS). RESULTS The following parameters showed high sensitivity (≥85%) in detecting these features: platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for T4 tumors, white blood cell count (WBC) and neutrophil count (NC) for distant metastases and lymphocyte count (LC) for high-grade tumors. The following parameters showed high specificity (≥85%) in excluding these features: lymphocyte percentage (LP) for tumors larger than 5 cm, LP, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), neutrophil to monocyte ratio (NMR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) and LDH for T4 tumors, platelet to monocyte ratio (PMR) for T2-T4 tumors, LDH for more than thr...
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2018
Background/ObjectivesMusculoskeletal manifestations are frequent in Adamantiades‐Behçet's dis... more Background/ObjectivesMusculoskeletal manifestations are frequent in Adamantiades‐Behçet's disease (ABD) but only represent non‐specific clinical findings. They have not been included in the two commonly used sets of classification criteria. The occurrence of musculoskeletal manifestations at ABD onset may even delay or obscure the diagnosis; therefore, detailed knowledge of the different musculoskeletal manifestations is essential. Our objective was to describe musculoskeletal signs and their clinical course in Greek ABD patients.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study, which included all patients with ABD, who had been examined in our Rheumatology Outpatient Division from 1995 to 2010. The study included 224 ABD patients (140 male, 84 female) that fulfilled the International Criteria for the diagnosis of BD. For statistical analysis, we have used chi‐square and Fisher's exact tests.ResultsArthritis as a presenting sign was seen in 10.2% of our patients. During the ...
Aim: The aim of this study was the development of a multiplex-PCR assay for the detection of circ... more Aim: The aim of this study was the development of a multiplex-PCR assay for the detection of circulating tumor cells in patients with colorectal and gastric cancer. Patients and methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 81 patients with colorectal cancer, 16 with gastric cancer and 38 healthy blood donors, as controls. The samples were processed for RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis and were subsequently analyzed for the expression of cytokeratin 19 (CK19), cytokeratin 20(CK20) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with multiplex PCR. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that the combination of CK19 and CK20 could be useful in the exclusion of colorectal cancer, as well as the diagnosis and exclusion of gastric cancer. Furthermore, the expression of EGFR was correlated with the presence of systemic disease in patients with colorectal cancer. Conclusion: Multiplex-PCR-based detection of circulating tumor cells could serve as a useful tool for the diagnosis, and monitoring of patients with colorectal and gastric cancer.
The invasive procedures amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling are routinely applied in preg... more The invasive procedures amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling are routinely applied in pregnancies at risk for fetal genetic disorders and the results obtained are the gold standard for prenatal diagnosis. These procedures have an approximately 0.5-1% risk for fetal loss and are mainly used in cases at risk for fetal chromosomal abnormalities and single-gene disorders. Identification of cell-free fetal nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) in maternal plasma and the recognition that they represent a useful source of fetal genetic material for prenatal diagnosis has led to intensive efforts to develop non-invasive prenatal testing. This review summarizes recent developments in the field of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis through the use of cell-free fetal nucleic acids in maternal circulation during pregnancy and provides an overview of the possibilities for future clinical applications. Cell-free Nucleic Acids in Maternal Plasma The year 1997 is a landmark for non-invasive prenatal diag...
Giornale italiano di dermatologia e venereologia : organo ufficiale, Società italiana di dermatologia e sifilografia, 2015
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a category of receptors that recognize and activate their signalin... more Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a category of receptors that recognize and activate their signaling pathways to defend against the pathogen factors. However, an alteration in the proper activation might occurr, resulting in the production of proinflammatory cytokines. This improper activation is the beginning of an autoimmune disease. The inhibition of the implicated receptors or their pathways may prevent the induction of autoimmunity. This paper describes in detail new therapeutic opportunities based on the alteration of the TLR activation for rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome may develop various lung manifestations. The lung complic... more Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome may develop various lung manifestations. The lung complications that have been described so far are pulmonary thromboembolic disease, pulmonary hypertension, acute respiratory distress syndrome, primary thrombosis of large and small lung vessels, diffuse alveolar haemorrhage, fibrosing alveolitis and postpartum syndrome. Clinicians should be aware of these conditions as in most of these cases, timely diagnosis and treatment is needed.
Behçet's disease is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory disorder characterized by orogenital u... more Behçet's disease is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory disorder characterized by orogenital ulcers and skin lesions; serious manifestations also include ocular, large vessel, gastrointestinal and neurological involvement. Genetic and unknown environmental factors customise the wide clinical expression of the disease. Gastrointestinal involvement is not unusual, albeit with a highly variable frequency among different ethnic populations. However, given the fact that gastrointestinal symptoms such as reflux, bleeding, diarrhoea are common in the general population, their clinical significance needs to be carefully interpreted. Apart from mouth the ileocecal area is typically involved, but inflammatory and/or vasculitic lesions may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Complications such as perforation carry high morbidity rates and even mortality. Herein, we review all available information pertinent to gastrointestinal involvement of Behçet's disease and discuss the p...
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) ist eine chronische, rezidivierende Erkrankung des Haarfollikels, d... more Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) ist eine chronische, rezidivierende Erkrankung des Haarfollikels, die sich mit druckdolenten Knoten, Abszessen und Fisteln manifestiert. Die Pathophysiologie der Erkrankung umfasst neben zahlreichen Faktoren auch dermatoendokrinologische Aspekte: Die Korrelation mit dem metabolischen Syndrom, mit Geschlechtshormonen, das Ansprechen auf Antiandrogene sind einige von den Punkten, die in diesem Review zusammengefasst und präsentiert werden. Die hormonelle Behandlung kann eine effektive und günstige Alternative oder Zusatztherapie zu den klassischen Therapieoptionen sein, insbesondere bei Fällen, in denen Antibiotika und/oder Biologika unwirksam oder kontraindiziert sind.
Οι κακοήθεις του γαστρεντερικού συστήματος αποτελούν κύρια αιτία θανάτου παγκοσμίως. Η διασπορά τ... more Οι κακοήθεις του γαστρεντερικού συστήματος αποτελούν κύρια αιτία θανάτου παγκοσμίως. Η διασπορά της νόσου και η ανάπτυξη μεταστάσεων επιδεινώνουν την πρόγνωση των ασθενών και δυσχεραίνουν τη δυνατότητα θεραπευτικής παρέμβασης καθιστώντας αναγκαία την ανάπτυξη μεθόδου πρώιμης ανίχνευσης μεταστάσεων. Κεντρικό ρόλο στην διασπορά της νόσου διαδραματίζουν τα κυκλοφορούντα καρκινικά κύτταρα (circulating cancer cells, CTCs) τα οποία διαφεύγουν από την πρωτοπαθή εστία και διασπείρονται μέσω του αίματος σε απομακρυσμένους ιστούς.. Σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης ήταν η ανάπτυξη μίας όσο το δυνατόν ευαίσθητης και ειδικής μεθόδου απομόνωσης κυκλοφορούντων καρκινικών κυττάρων. Στην κατεύθυνση αυτή αναπτύχθηκε μία Multiplex PCRη οποία θα ανίχνευε ταυτόχρονα την έκφραση των δεικτών επιθηλιακής προέλευσης CK19, CK20 και EGFR. Η πειραματική διαδικασία ξεκίνησε με τον προσδιορισμό των συνθηκών της αντίδρασης και διάφορες δοκιμές εύρεσης των βέλτιστων συνθηκών. Ακολούθως εφαρμόστηκε η μέθοδος σε 102 ασθενείς με κακοήθειες του γαστρεντερικού συστήματος καθώς και σε 38 φυσιολογικούς δότες. Συμπερασματικά προτείνεται η χρήση της μεθόδου στην διάγνωση και τον αποκλεισμό του καρκίνου του στομάχου, στον αποκλεισμό του καρκίνου του παχέος εντέρου και στον αποκλεισμό της παρουσίας μεταστάσεων σε ασθενείς με ήδη διαγνωσμένο καρκίνο παχέος εντέρου. Η διενέργεια επιπρόσθετων μελετών θα συμβάλει στον καθορισμό μίας καθολικά αποδεκτής μεθόδου ανίχνευσης κυκλοφορούντων καρκινικών κυττάρων, η εφαρμογή της οποίας στην κλινική πράξη θα συμβάλλει στη βελτίωση της διάγνωσης, παρακολούθησης και θεραπευτικής αντιμετώπισης ασθενών με κακοήθειες του γαστρεντερικού συστήματος, μέσω της έγκαιρης ανίχνευσης υπολειπόμενης νόσου και της εφαρμογής εξατομικευμένης θεραπείας.
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) ist eine chronische, rezidivierende Erkrankung des Haarfollikels, d... more Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) ist eine chronische, rezidivierende Erkrankung des Haarfollikels, die sich mit druckdolenten Knoten, Abszessen und Fisteln manifestiert. Die Pathophysiologie der Erkrankung umfasst neben zahlreichen Faktoren auch dermatoendokrinologische Aspekte: Die Korrelation mit dem metabolischen Syndrom, mit Geschlechtshormonen, das Ansprechen auf Antiandrogene sind einige von den Punkten, die in diesem Review zusammengefasst und präsentiert werden. Die hormonelle Behandlung kann eine effektive und günstige Alternative oder Zusatztherapie zu den klassischen Therapieoptionen sein, insbesondere bei Fällen, in denen Antibiotika und/oder Biologika unwirksam oder kontraindiziert sind.
Background The mesencymal cadherin-11 is a cell-cell adhesion molecule also involved in cellular ... more Background The mesencymal cadherin-11 is a cell-cell adhesion molecule also involved in cellular migration and invasion. Experimental studies have implicated a pathogenetic role of this molecule in inflammatory arthritis and in fibrosing conditions. Moreover, in the skin of patients with the prototypic human fibrotic disease, namely systemic sclerosis (SSc), cadherin-11 is hyper-expressed on dermal fibroblasts and resident macrophages, whereas the increased respective mRNA levels correlate with the modified Rodnan skin thickness scores (1). Objectives To examine whether cadherin-11 gene expression can be also identified in cells that circulate in SSc peripheral blood. Methods Cadherin-11 mRNA was quantified by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction as previously described (2), in 3 ml blood samples obtained from 71 SSc patients (aged 53±2 years, 65 women) and 35 control non-SSc patients with Raynaud's phenomenon, without active synovitis at the time of sampling. Results Cadherin-11 mRNA transcripts were detected in blood samples from 39% of patients with diffuse SSc, versus 16% in those with limited SSc, versus 6% and 16% in patients with idiopathic or associated with other connective tissue diseases Raynaud's phenomenon, respectively (p=0.049). Cadherin-11 mRNA levels in SSc patients were increased by 3.74-fold comparing to controls (p=0.036). By multivariate logistic regression analysis we found that diffuse skin involvement correlated with cadherin-11 mRNA positivity (p=0.028), independently of age, gender, disease duration, lung involvement, digital ulcers, inflammatory indices or anti-Scl-70 autoantibody presence. A similar independent correlation of diffuse SSc was also observed with increased (considered arbitrarily as ≥3-fold of average non-SSc levels) individual levels of cadherin-11 mRNA (p=0.011). Conclusions Cadherin-11 is hyper-expressed at the mRNA level in the peripheral blood of patients with diffuse SSc, further supporting the notion that cadherin-11 may be a legitimate therapeutic target. Studies on the origin and possible pathogenic function of these circulating cells may shed light into the complex pathogenesis of SSc. References Wu M, et al. Identification of cadherin-11 as a mediator of dermal fibrosis and possible role in systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Rheum 2014;66(4):1010-21. Sfikakis PP, et al. Cadherin-11 mRNA transcripts are frequently found in rheumatoid arthritis peripheral blood and correlate with established polyarthritis. Clin Immunol. 2014;155(1):33-41. Disclosure of Interest None declared
Journal of B.U.ON. : official journal of the Balkan Union of Oncology, 2018
PURPOSE To study the diagnostic and/or prognostic role of preoperative blood tests in colorectal ... more PURPOSE To study the diagnostic and/or prognostic role of preoperative blood tests in colorectal cancer. METHODS Preoperative complete blood count tests and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) serum levels of 167 patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma were examined for associations with clinicopathological parameters, disease-specific survival (DSS) and relapse-free survival (RFS). RESULTS The following parameters showed high sensitivity (≥85%) in detecting these features: platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for T4 tumors, white blood cell count (WBC) and neutrophil count (NC) for distant metastases and lymphocyte count (LC) for high-grade tumors. The following parameters showed high specificity (≥85%) in excluding these features: lymphocyte percentage (LP) for tumors larger than 5 cm, LP, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), neutrophil to monocyte ratio (NMR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) and LDH for T4 tumors, platelet to monocyte ratio (PMR) for T2-T4 tumors, LDH for more than thr...
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2018
Background/ObjectivesMusculoskeletal manifestations are frequent in Adamantiades‐Behçet's dis... more Background/ObjectivesMusculoskeletal manifestations are frequent in Adamantiades‐Behçet's disease (ABD) but only represent non‐specific clinical findings. They have not been included in the two commonly used sets of classification criteria. The occurrence of musculoskeletal manifestations at ABD onset may even delay or obscure the diagnosis; therefore, detailed knowledge of the different musculoskeletal manifestations is essential. Our objective was to describe musculoskeletal signs and their clinical course in Greek ABD patients.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study, which included all patients with ABD, who had been examined in our Rheumatology Outpatient Division from 1995 to 2010. The study included 224 ABD patients (140 male, 84 female) that fulfilled the International Criteria for the diagnosis of BD. For statistical analysis, we have used chi‐square and Fisher's exact tests.ResultsArthritis as a presenting sign was seen in 10.2% of our patients. During the ...
Aim: The aim of this study was the development of a multiplex-PCR assay for the detection of circ... more Aim: The aim of this study was the development of a multiplex-PCR assay for the detection of circulating tumor cells in patients with colorectal and gastric cancer. Patients and methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 81 patients with colorectal cancer, 16 with gastric cancer and 38 healthy blood donors, as controls. The samples were processed for RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis and were subsequently analyzed for the expression of cytokeratin 19 (CK19), cytokeratin 20(CK20) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with multiplex PCR. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that the combination of CK19 and CK20 could be useful in the exclusion of colorectal cancer, as well as the diagnosis and exclusion of gastric cancer. Furthermore, the expression of EGFR was correlated with the presence of systemic disease in patients with colorectal cancer. Conclusion: Multiplex-PCR-based detection of circulating tumor cells could serve as a useful tool for the diagnosis, and monitoring of patients with colorectal and gastric cancer.
The invasive procedures amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling are routinely applied in preg... more The invasive procedures amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling are routinely applied in pregnancies at risk for fetal genetic disorders and the results obtained are the gold standard for prenatal diagnosis. These procedures have an approximately 0.5-1% risk for fetal loss and are mainly used in cases at risk for fetal chromosomal abnormalities and single-gene disorders. Identification of cell-free fetal nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) in maternal plasma and the recognition that they represent a useful source of fetal genetic material for prenatal diagnosis has led to intensive efforts to develop non-invasive prenatal testing. This review summarizes recent developments in the field of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis through the use of cell-free fetal nucleic acids in maternal circulation during pregnancy and provides an overview of the possibilities for future clinical applications. Cell-free Nucleic Acids in Maternal Plasma The year 1997 is a landmark for non-invasive prenatal diag...
Giornale italiano di dermatologia e venereologia : organo ufficiale, Società italiana di dermatologia e sifilografia, 2015
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a category of receptors that recognize and activate their signalin... more Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a category of receptors that recognize and activate their signaling pathways to defend against the pathogen factors. However, an alteration in the proper activation might occurr, resulting in the production of proinflammatory cytokines. This improper activation is the beginning of an autoimmune disease. The inhibition of the implicated receptors or their pathways may prevent the induction of autoimmunity. This paper describes in detail new therapeutic opportunities based on the alteration of the TLR activation for rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.
Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome may develop various lung manifestations. The lung complic... more Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome may develop various lung manifestations. The lung complications that have been described so far are pulmonary thromboembolic disease, pulmonary hypertension, acute respiratory distress syndrome, primary thrombosis of large and small lung vessels, diffuse alveolar haemorrhage, fibrosing alveolitis and postpartum syndrome. Clinicians should be aware of these conditions as in most of these cases, timely diagnosis and treatment is needed.
Behçet's disease is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory disorder characterized by orogenital u... more Behçet's disease is a chronic, recurrent, inflammatory disorder characterized by orogenital ulcers and skin lesions; serious manifestations also include ocular, large vessel, gastrointestinal and neurological involvement. Genetic and unknown environmental factors customise the wide clinical expression of the disease. Gastrointestinal involvement is not unusual, albeit with a highly variable frequency among different ethnic populations. However, given the fact that gastrointestinal symptoms such as reflux, bleeding, diarrhoea are common in the general population, their clinical significance needs to be carefully interpreted. Apart from mouth the ileocecal area is typically involved, but inflammatory and/or vasculitic lesions may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Complications such as perforation carry high morbidity rates and even mortality. Herein, we review all available information pertinent to gastrointestinal involvement of Behçet's disease and discuss the p...
Uploads