Levels of interleukin-17 and vitamin-D binding protein (VDBP) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay could distinctly demarcate active disease 5-FU cell line versus remission. Our study provides potential protein markers of active disease versus remission in GPA. “
“Consideration of the safety of liver transaminases monitoring every 12 weeks in patients with inflammatory connective tissue disorders who are treated with methotrexate (MTX). In a retrospective study, the data from rheumatic patients receiving MTX were analyzed. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured every 12 weeks. Based
on the physician’s final decision about the continuation of MTX, the patients were classified into one of the following groups: continuation of MTX without MTX dose reduction, MTX dose reduction, MTX discontinuation High Content Screening due to liver complication and MTX discontinuation due to other reasons. A total of 809 patients who
were on MTX were included in the study. The mean follow-up duration and the mean duration of treatment with MTX were 31.22 and 19.76 months, respectively. The mean accumulation dose of MTX was 865.85 mg. Due to the increase in the level of transaminases in 3.2% of the patients, MTX dose was reduced; and in 1.1% of the cases it was temporarily discontinued. In the follow-up of the patients with elevated transaminases, they returned to normal limits in 99.5% of patients; and only in four cases (0.5%) they remained elevated and MTX was discontinued. The probability of the patients remaining on MTX for 5 years without discontinuation for liver complications was 98.5% Liver transaminase monitoring every 12 weeks for MTX-treated patients is safe. “
“To evaluates the pregnancy outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in South Korea and determine the predictive factors for adverse fetal and
maternal outcomes. All pregnancies in SLE patients who were seen at the Samsung Medical Center between November 1994 and December 2010 were included and retrospectively analyzed. SPTBN5 SLE flares were determined by the Lupus Activity Index-Pregnancy (LAI-P) score. Sixty-two pregnancies were observed in 50 patients. Fifty-one (82.3%) live births and 11 (17.7%) fetal losses were observed. Thirty-eight of the live births (74.5%) were full-term and 13 (25.5%) were preterm births. Fetal losses included three spontaneous abortions, two stillbirths and six therapeutic abortions. Proteinuria during pregnancy was a predictive factor for adverse fetal outcomes (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 12.50; P = 0.032). An LAI-P score was obtained in 36 pregnancies, and SLE flares occurred in 12 pregnancies (33.3%), primarily during the second trimester (46.2%). Renal involvement (69.2%) was the most common SLE flare during pregnancy.