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Abstract Background Invasive Aspergillus infections are frequently seen in immunocompromised patients but arthritis is a rare complication of Aspergillus infections in the absence of immune suppressive therapy, trauma or surgical intervention. Case presentation A 17 years old male patient with arthritis and patellar osteomyelitis of the left knee whose further investigations revealed chronic granulomatous disease as the underlying disease is followed. Aspergillus fumigatus was isolated from the synovial fluid and the tissue samples cultures. He was treated with Amphotericin B deoxicolate 0.7 mg/kg/day. Also surgical debridement was performed our patient. Amphotericin B nephrotoxicity developed and the therapy switched to itraconazole 400 mg/day. Itraconazole therapy were discontinued at the 6th month. He can perform all the activities of daily living including. Conclusion We think that, chronic granulomatous disease should be investigated in patients who have aspergillar arthritis and osteomyelitis.

The aim of this study was to determine clinical and US factors associated with pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The study included 143 patients. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1 consisted of 94 patients with unilateral or bilateral knee pain ≥3 cm during physical activity for at least 48 h prior to inclusion, measured by the visual analog scale from 0 to 10 cm. Group 2 consisted of 49 patients with knee OA without knee pain at least 1 month prior to inclusion. In both knees, range of motion was measured by goniometry and anteroposterior, and lateral knee radiographs were taken during weight-bearing. OA grading was performed in accordance with the Kellgren-Lawrence criteria by a specialist in radiology experienced in this field. A knee ultrasound (US) examination was performed in all patients by a blinded radiologist. Women were more often symptomatic than men (p < 0.005). Patients in group 1 tended to have a higher body mass index (BMI; p<0.001). Radiographic grades III (52.1%) and II (37.2%) were most frequently found in group 1, whereas I (30.6%), II (46.9%), and III (22.4%) were found in group 2. When radiographic grades in both groups were compared, group 1 had greater radiographic grades than group 2 (p<0.001). US findings in group 1 were effusion of the suprapatellar pouch (72.3%), Baker's cyst (42.6%), protrusion of the anterior horn of the medial meniscus associated with medial collateral ligament displacement (9.6%), and loose body (9.6%). In group 2, the only US finding was Baker's cyst (6.1%). Regression analysis revealed that BMI, degree of knee flexion, and thickness of the quadriceps tendon were factors that were related with pain in the knee. Increased BMI, decrease in the degree of knee flexion, and decreased quadriceps tendon thickness are factors that increase the risk of pain in knee OA.

The objective of the present study was to compare two radiographic scoring methods (the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Index-spine (BASRI-spine)) in terms of reliability, construct validity, and feasibility in Turkish ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. The study involved seventy-four patients. The patients were evaluated with 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, global assessment of patient, and global assessment of doctor. The laboratory evaluations of patients comprised erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum C-reactive protein. Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), Bath AS Metrology Index (BASMI), and Bath AS Radiology Index (BASRI) were calculated. Bilateral cervical, lumbar spine, and anteroposterior pelvis radiographs of all patients were obtained and evaluated by two radiologists. Each radiograph was scored by two scoring methods, mSASSS and BASRI-spine, and these methods were tested according to the aspects of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials filter: reliability, construct validity, and feasibility. The BASRI-spine reached intra- and interobserver intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.726 and 0.689, respectively. The mSASSS scores more reliable, with ICC of 0.831 and 0.840, respectively. The BASMI and BASFI correlated significantly with the two scoring systems, respectively (mSASSS r: 0.557, r: 0.319; BASRI-spine r: 0.605, r: 0.285). For the two methods, the magnitude of the correlation with disease duration was similar (mSASSS p < 0.01 and BASRI p < 0.01), but no significant correlation was observed when compared to the BASDAI. It is known that the BASRI-spine is a feasible method that reliably detects damage in patients with AS. However, the present authors believe that, in AS patients, mSASSS should be the radiological scoring method to choose because of less radiation exposure, along with excellent intra- and interobserver reliability.

In this study, the relation between osteoporosis and vitamin D and the disease activity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) was investigated. A hundred patients with AS and 58 healthy individuals were included in the study. In addition to the routine blood and urine tests, serum 25-(OH)D3, parathormone (PTH), C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), total calcium, ionized calcium, and phosphorous levels of all participants were also measured. Bone mineral density (BMD) measurements were performed at the anterior-posterior and lateral lumbar and femur regions. Anterior-posterior and lateral thoracic and lumbosacral radiography was performed on all participants. The disease activity was evaluated by Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), functional status by Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), and mobility by Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI). In the patient group, BMD values obtained from the lateral lumbar and femur regions and serum vitamin D levels were lower than the control group. A negative relation was determined between the lateral lumbar BMD values and ESR, CRP, and BASDAI scores of patients with AS. The ESR, CRP levels, and BASMI scores of the AS patients with osteoporosis were significantly higher, when compared to patients without osteoporosis. The negative correlation between serum 25-(OH)D3 level and ESR, CRP levels did not reach a statistically significant level in patients with AS; the positive correlation between PTH levels and ESR, and the negative correlation between CRP and BASDAI also did not reach a statistically significant level. Vitamin D deficiency in AS may indirectly lead to osteoporosis by causing an increase in the inflammatory activity. The present authors believe that it would be beneficial to monitorize vitamin D levels together with BMD measurements in order to determine the patients under osteoporosis risk.

In this study serum homocystein (Hcy) level was measured and its relationship with disease activity criteria and treatment protocols was investigated in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. Ninety-two AS patients and 58 healthy individuals were recruited. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum C-reactive protein were determined. Bath AS disease activity index and Bath AS functional index were calculated. Serum Hcy levels >15 micromol/l were considered as hyperhomocysteinemia. The mean serum homocysteine levels were 14.40 and 12.60 micromol/l in patients with AS and the control group, respectively, and the difference between two groups was significant. While there was no significant difference between the sulfasalazine (SSZ) group with 14.25 micromol/l mean Hcy level and the methotrexate (MTX)/SSZ group with 16.05 micromol/l, there was a statistically significant difference between the Hcy levels of these two groups and Hcy level of 12.15 micromol/l of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs group, and 12.60 micromol/l Hcy level of the control group. Mean serum Hcy level was 13.65 micromol/l in patients with active AS and 14.60 micromol/l in patients with inactive AS, and there was no significant difference between the groups. In our study serum Hcy level was found to be significantly higher in patients with AS than in healthy control subjects. Especially for the AS patients receiving MTX and SSZ treatment without folic acid supplementation, addition of folic acid to their therapy may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease which in turn decreases the mortality in these patients, but further prospective studies are needed for supporting these results.

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of mutated allele CYP2D6*4 in the Turkish ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and healthy controls. Hundred unrelated AS patients who were diagnosed and treated in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic of Ankara Numune Research and Training Hospital and 52 healthy control subjects were included in the study. The wild-type allele of CYP2D6 and the mutated allele CYP2D6*4 were detected by polymerase chain reaction and a subsequent hybridization reaction. CYP2D6*4 allele was not detected in 72 subjects (72%) of the AS patients. Among the remaining 28 patients, 7 (7%) were carriers of two *4 alleles, being homozygous for CYP2D6. Twenty-one patients (21%) were carriers of one *4 allele, being heterozygous for CYP2D6*4. Among the healthy control subjects (n = 52), 23% were heterozygous and 2% were homozygous for CYP2D6*4 polymorphism. The frequency of the CYP2D6*4 allele was 0.175 in the AS patients (100 patients; 200 alleles). The frequency of the CYP2D6*4 allele was 0.134 in control group (52 control subjects; 104 alleles). The odds ratios for development of the AS for the presence of one or two CYP2D6*4 alleles with no CYP2D6*4 alleles as baseline were calculated. No significant risk of AS development was observed for individuals with one or two CYP2D6*4 alleles. Findings of this study showed no significant association between CYP2D6*4 allele and AS in our population. Further studies with larger scaled groups should be performed.

The effect of the serum lipid levels on vertebral fractures and bone mineral density is not clear. A total of 107 postmenopausal women aged 45-79 examined by lumbar spine, hip and radius bone mineral density (BMD) measurements, lateral dorsal and lumbar spine radiographies, routine blood tests and serum lipids [total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HDL-C, LDL-C, VLDL-C]. Demographic and lifestyle characteristics were collected. Eighty-nine radiographies with good technical properties were scored by the Kleerekoper method. Patients with vertebrae fractures had lower levels of TC, TG, LDL-C than the patients without vertebrae fractures. Total cholesterol level was the most prominent factor affecting the vertebral fracture existence. An increase of 1 mg/dl total cholesterol decreases the risk of vertebrae fracture by 2.2%. The existence of osteoporosis due to T score was not influencing the lipid values. TC and LDL-C were weakly associated with BMD at the forearm UD region after the adjustment for the possible confounders. This study shows that the serum lipids have impact on vertebrae fracture existence rather than BMD alterations.

In this study, patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were assessed both by patient and physician using two enthesitis indices and the relationship between these indices and disease activity parameters was investigated. The study involved 100 AS patients. The patients were evaluated with 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) for spinal pain (VAS-S), peripheral joint pain (VAS-P), global assessment of patient, and global assessment of doctor. In the laboratory evaluations, the erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR) and serum C-reactive protein levels of the patients were determined. Bath AS disease activity index (BASDAI), Bath AS functional index (BASFI), Bath AS metrology index, and Bath AS radiology index were calculated. The severity of enthesitis was evaluated according to Mander enthesitis index (MEI) and Maastricht ankylosing spondylitis enthesitis score applied by both the patient (MASES-P) him/herself and the physician (MASES-D). There was a correlation between BASDAI and BASFI as well as MEI, MASES-D, and MASES-P indices (r = 0.447, r = 0.342, r = 0.663, r = 0.530, r = 0.464, and r = 0.435, respectively). No correlation between the laboratory parameters and enthesitis indices were detected. In multiple linear regression analysis, BASFI, VAS-S, and female gender (41.3%) were the best predictors of MEI-D, whereas BASFI, VAS-S, female gender, and ESR (32.5%) were the best predictors for MASES-D and BASFI (18.9%) was the best predictor of MASES-P. The assessment of simple and easily applicable MASES score by a patient may be expected to help the physician in clinical practice. When the disease activity of the patients with AS are evaluated, both BASDAI, the clinical importance of which has been confirmed in numerous studies and which is recommended by ASAS, and BASFI, which is valued by patients, should be considered.

Aim: Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most important risk factors in the development of osteoporosis. Recently, vitamin D deficiency is more frequently encountered than expected in Mediterranean countries, which are sunny most of the time. Our country is one of these sunny countries and here, we investigated the effect of outfitting style on bone mineral density (BMD) and plasma vitamin D levels in women aged between 30-40 years., Method: Eighty women, aged between 30 and 40 years, were included in the study. They were divided into two groups, depending on their dress selection. Group-1 consisted of 40 cases with an open clothing style, while the 40 women in group-2, preferred the covered clothing style. Women were questioned in terms of the risk factors for osteoporosis. Levels of plasma 25(OH)2 vitamin D3 and parathormone (PTH) were tested along with routine blood analyses. BMD of Lumbar 1-4, femur neck, trochanter, and Ward's triangle were measured., Results: In group-2, number of pregnancies and body mass index (BMI) was statistically significantly higher (p < 0.05). When the laboratory parameters were compared, in group-2, only levels of plasma 25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 was significantly lower than group-1 (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference among groups in terms of BMD. In group-2, there was a positive correlation between BMI and BMD at L1-4, hip, femur neck, and trochanter regions (p < 0.01, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.05, respectively)., Conclusion: Traditional clothing style leads to vitamin D deficiency in women. In order to meet vitamin D need, the face, arm and leg regions of the body should be exposed to one minimal erythemal dose (MED; i.e., slight redness of the skin) of sunlight, at least two or three times a week. We believe that these cases should be more closely monitored for bone loss, especially during postmenopausal period, which is considered as a risky term in terms of osteoporosis development.

Non-prescribed antacid drugs that contain magnesium and aluminum are widely used in the treatment of gastritis and peptic ulcer. One of the side effects of these antacid drugs is that they bind phosphate in the gut and result in its malabsorption. In this paper, a 42-year-old female patient who used magnesium hydroxide (Magnesie calcinee powder 100 g) to benefit from its laxative feature, and developed osteomalacia after losing 90 kg in 2 years will be presented by going through the related literature. She had widespread joint pain and could hardly walk without the help. Ca, P and vitamin D were at lower limit of normal, ALP, Mg and PTH were increased in her laboratory tests. There were stress fractures at the femur neck and at the upper part of the tibia in plane radiographies. The patient was hospitalized with the diagnosis of osteomalacia and she was treated successfully.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of vertebral deformities developed as a result of osteoporosis in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with bone mineral density (BMD) and disease activity parameters. In the study, 100 female patients with the diagnosis of RA and 56 healthy subjects were recruited. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and rheumatoid factor (RF) tests were performed and the number of swollen and tender joints, level of pain and health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) were recorded in order to evaluate disease activity. Anteroposterior and lateral thoracic and lumbosacral roentgenograms of all patients were taken for radiological examination and deformities of vertebrae were assessed. BMD measurements of patients were performed on vertebrae L1-4 of lumbar region and on total hip, femur neck, trochanter and Ward's triangle of the right side. Vertebral deformity was established in 30% of RA patient group and 7.1% of control group and this was statistically significant. In the statistical analysis, no statistically significant difference was found between BMD measurements of RA and control groups. Patients with RA were divided into two subgroups with regard to using corticosteroids (CS) or not. Vertebral deformity was 32.4% in the subgroup using CS and 24.1% in the subgroup not using CS, and the difference was not statistically significant. There was a correlation between number of deformed joint and age and vertebral deformity incidence. RA is a risk factor on its own for the development of osteoporosis and vertebral deformity and this risk increases by age, excess number of deformed joints and severe course of disease. We think that precautions should be taken immediately to suppress the disease activity as well as to protect the quality and density of bone and to prevent the development of vertebral deformity and fracture while planning the treatment of patients with RA.

The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between joint erosion and osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Fifty-one patients with RA were included for the study. Hand radiograms of all patients were evaluated by the Larsen modified Sharp and carpometacarpal ratio methods. Bone mineral density (BMD) measurements were performed at the femur, lumbar, and forearm regions. Disease activity was assessed clinically by the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ), visual analog scale, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein (CRP), and the rheumatoid factor (RF). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of the BMD values at L1-4 between the patients with RA and the control group. The BMD measurements at the right forearm and the right hip were statistically significantly lower in the patient group. For radiological scoring, hand radiograms were evaluated by three different methods. There was a significant correlation between the duration of disease and the radiological evaluation methods. HAQ scores, Larsen and Sharp methods 1/3 distal and mid-distal (MID), and BMD measurements of the forearm were correlated. Moreover, 1/3 distal, MID, and ultra-distal BMD showed significant correlations with CRP levels. Radiogram continues to have an important role in determining and following-up the joint erosion seen in patients with RA. However, we believe that as establishing periarticular osteoporosis in the early term by performing BMD measurements on the forearm is correlated with disease activity, it may be useful in the early diagnosis of RA and its objective results will be efficient in predicting the progression of disease.

We investigated the effects of continuous lumbar traction in patients with lumbar disc herniation on clinical findings, and size of the herniated disc measured by computed tomography (CT). In this prospective, randomized, controlled study, 46 patients with lumbar disc herniation were included, and randomized into two groups as the traction group (24 patients), and the control group (22 patients). The traction group was given a physical therapy program and continuous lumbar traction. The control group was given the same physical therapy program without traction, for the same duration of time. Data for the clinical symptoms and signs were collected before and after the treatment together with calculation of a herniation index, from the CT images that showed the size of the herniated disc material. In the traction group, most of the clinical findings significantly improved with treatment. Size of the herniated disc material in CT decreased significantly only in the traction group. In the traction group the herniation index decreased from 276.6+/-129.6 to 212.5+/-84.3 with treatment (p<0.01). In the control group, pretreatment value was 293.4+/-112.1, and it decreased to 285.4+/-115.4 after the treatment (p>0.05). Patients with greater herniations tended to respond better to traction. In conclusion, lumbar traction is both effective in improving symptoms and clinical findings in patients with lumbar disc herniation and also in decreasing the size of the herniated disc material as measured by CT.

Seventy post-menopausal women with osteoporosis were randomized into two groups: 40 patients received calcitriol (0.5 microg/day) and calcium (1000 mg/day); and 30 control patients received calcium (1000 mg/day) alone. Thirty healthy women formed the healthy control group. Bone mineral density (BMD) and serum interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) concentrations were measured at baseline and after 6 months of treatment. Calcitriol treatment for 6 months significantly increased BMD and reduced serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha concentrations compared with no significant changes in patients treated with calcium alone. Both treatments increased serum calcium and decreased parathyroid hormone concentrations. The healthy control group had a significantly lower IL-6 concentration than the post-menopausal women with osteoporosis. We have shown that calcitriol was an effective treatment for osteoporosis. Significant reductions in serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha concentrations suggest that, in addition to increasing the absorption of calcium, calcitriol may directly affect bone metabolism via cytokines.

Objective: The overall effect of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on general health status has drawn attention in recent years. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical relevance of the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) in RA patients and the relationship between conventional clinical measures, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) METHOD: One hundred RA patients (mean age 48.9+/-12.1 years, mean disease duration 101.3+/-85.5 months) were included in the study. Quality of life, health status, and psychological mood of the patients were assessed using NHP, HAQ, and BDI. The Ritchie Articular Index (RAI), visual analog scale, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor, and modified Larsen Scale were used to assess clinical, laboratory, and radiological changes., Results: All subgroups of the NHP significantly correlated to VAS, RAI, BDI, and HAQ scores (P<0.001). Except in the social isolation subgroup, there were significant correlations with ESR (P<0.05, P<0.001, and P<0.0001, respectively). There were no correlations between CRP levels and health status measures (P>0.05)., Conclusion: The NHP reflects the clinical and psychological status of RA patients and can be used as a sensitive health status measure for clinical evaluation.

Background: Invasive Aspergillus infections are frequently seen in immunocompromised patients but arthritis is a rare complication of Aspergillus infections in the absence of immune suppressive therapy, trauma or surgical intervention., Case Presentation: A 17 years old male patient with arthritis and patellar osteomyelitis of the left knee whose further investigations revealed chronic granulomatous disease as the underlying disease is followed. Aspergillus fumigatus was isolated from the synovial fluid and the tissue samples cultures. He was treated with Amphotericin B deoxicolate 0.7 mg/kg/day. Also surgical debridement was performed our patient. Amphotericin B nephrotoxicity developed and the therapy switched to itraconazole 400 mg/day. Itraconazole therapy were discontinued at the 6th month. He can perform all the activities of daily living including., Conclusion: We think that, chronic granulomatous disease should be investigated in patients who have aspergillar arthritis and osteomyelitis.

Osteopoikilosis is an uncommon benign sclerosing bone dysplasia. Herein we present a case of osteopoikilosis with characteristic roentgenographic findings and clinical findings of cervical myelopathy. The importance of the differential diagnosis in symptomatic cases of osteopoikilosis is emphasized with the review of the literature.

Objective: Stroke is an acute neurologic dysfunction of vascular origin, characterized by loss of voluntary movement, sensory disturbances, and neurologic findings in the contralateral half of the body. Acute and long-term complications because of immobilization are seen in all organ systems. The aim of this study was to determine any differences between the affected and unaffected sides' bone mineral densities of acute and chronic stroke patients., Design: In this study, we determined the bone mineral densities (BMD) of 30 male patients with acute (0-20 days) and 30 male patients with chronic (6 months or longer) stroke and compared the densities with the normal side. Upper and lower limb BMDs were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Additionally, patients were evaluated for the degree of spasticity, the phases of motor improvement, and the activities of daily living., Results: In acute-phase stroke patients, BMD of the affected side was not significantly different from BMD of the normal side. BMD of both upper limbs of acute stroke patients was not different from normal side upper limb BMD of chronic stroke patients. In both acute and chronic stroke patients, affected and unaffected side lower limb BMDs (femur total BMD scores) were not significantly different. However, in chronic stroke patients, affected side BMD of Ward's region was significantly higher compared with the normal side. There is no correlation between BMD and Brunnstrom phases, Ashworth scales, and the degree of activities of daily living., Conclusions: Higher BMD of the affected side Ward's region in chronic cerebrovascular accident patients may be related to spasticity and changes in walking pattern, which increase the mechanical stress loading of the Ward's region.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory disease. Along with synovial joint inflammation, extra-articular involvement is a common feature of RA. Periarticular and generalized osteoporosis are seen both as an extra-articular feature of the disease itself and due to various medications like glucocorticoids and methotrexate (MTX). In this study, we investigated the effects of oral alendronate in RA patients treated with MTX and prednisolone by comparing the effects of "alendronate+calcium" and "only calcium" on bone mineral density (BMD). Fifty RA patients classified according to American Rheumatism Association (ARA) criteria were included in the study. The control group consisted of 20 postmenopausal osteoporotic patients. The RA patients were divided randomly into two groups. All patients were started on MTX 7.5 mg/week, 2.5-mg daily folic acid, and 7.5-mg daily prednisolone. The first group, consisting of 25 female RA patients, was also given 10-mg daily alendronate and 1000-mg daily calcium. The second group also consisted of 25 female patients and was given only 1000-mg calcium per day. The postmenopausal control group was given daily 10-mg alendronate and 1000-mg calcium. Bone mineral densities were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and again at the end of the sixth month. At the end of the study, RA patients given only calcium had reduced mean BMD, and patients treated with alendronate and calcium showed increased mean BMD almost in all regions. This increase was significant in the L2 and L1-4 total regions. In postmenopausal osteoporotic patients, we saw statistically significant increases in BMD in all regions. The increase in BMD values in RA patients treated with alendronate was smaller than in those of the control group of postmenopausal osteoporosis patients. In conclusion, RA itself has a risk factor for osteoporosis in addition to the risks of the medications like corticosteroids and MTX. In the prevention and treatment of RA-associated osteoporosis, alendronate and calcium therapy is effective and well tolerated.

We report a case of reversible sensorineural hearing loss due to hydroxychloroquine (HQ) treatment. The patient was a 34-year-old woman with 1 year of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). She developed reversible hearing loss after 5 months of HQ treatment. Sensorineural deafness has previously been reported with chloroquine treatment, but this is the first report of ototoxicity associated with HQ in RA.

In this case report, we describe a patient with the diagnosis of Thiemann's disease, which is a genetically determined rare form of idiopathic avascular necrosis of the proximal interphalangeal joints of the hands.

Circulating sICAM-1 is known to be elevated in various inflammatory disorders. It is further suggested that elevated levels correlate well with disease activity in several autoimmune disorders. The objectives of this study are to determine the serum sICAM-1 levels in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and correlate sICAM-1 levels with clinical and laboratory (ESR, CRP, anti-dsDNA) measures of disease activity. Forty-one patients (34 female, 7 male) all fulfilling 1982 ARA classification criteria for SLE and 16 healthy controls (8 female, 8 male) were included in the study. Disease activity was measured according to SLEDAI. sICAM-1 was determined by ELISA. Mean sICAM-1 in SLE patients (339 +/- 161 ng/ml) were significantly higher than in the controls (216 +/- 85 ng/ml) (p < 0.005). Although slightly elevated in active patients, there was no statistically significant difference between mean sICAM-1 levels of active and inactive SLE patients (349 +/- 183 ng/ml and 316 +/- 103 ng/ml respectively) (p > 0.05). We could not find a correlation between sICAM-1 levels and any organ involvements. Similarly, no significant correlation was found between ESR, CRP, anti-ds-DNA and sICAM-1. These results suggest that although higher than normal, sICAM-1 levels in SLE do not provide additional information over conventional activity markers.

Being a high-molecular-weight adhesive glycoprotein, fibronectin (Fn) is suggested to be a component of immune complexes and may participate in the clearance of immune complexes. In Behçet's disease (BD), a multisystem disorder of unknown etiology, immune complexes have been shown to be deposited in affected tissue during disease activity, suggesting an immune mechanism. This study investigates the relationship between Fn and circulating immune complexes (CIC) and evaluates the changes in the levels of Fn and CIC along with disease activity. In 63 patients (31 active, 32 inactive) with BD, plasma Fn and serum CIC, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the third and fourth components of the complement system (C3, C4) were studied. The mean ESR, CRP, C3 and C4 levels of active BD patients were found to be significantly higher than those of the inactive BD patient group. Although the mean Fn and CIC levels of BD patients were not significantly different from those of the healthy control group, Fn and CIC values of active BD patients were significantly lower than in the inactive group. Moreover, no significant correlation was observed among Fn levels and ESR, CRP, C3, C4 and CIC levels in BD patients. The result of this study suggest that the variation in Fn concentration is independent of the acute-phase response. The lack of relationship between the CIC and Fn concentrations indicates that IC deposition in the vessel wall is independent of the CIC levels. In order to determine the exact roles of Fn and IC, further studies in tissue specimens are required.

The objective of this study was to measure soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) and to analyse the relationship of sICAM-1 levels with clinical and some laboratory measures of disease activity. Forty patients with BD fulfilling the International Study Group Criteria for the diagnosis of BD and 20 healthy controls were studied. Twenty patients had active, and 20 patients had inactive disease. Serum sICAM-1 was determined by a sandwich ELISA. The mean (+/- SD) sICAM-1 level was significantly higher in the whole BD group (297.3 +/- 86.6 ng/ml) than in the healthy controls (213 +/- 83.5 ng/ml; P < 0.05). The mean sICAM-1 levels in active and inactive BD patients were 315.7 +/- 76.3 ng/ml and 258.3 +/- 73.3 ng/ml, respectively. The mean sICAM-1 level in active patients was significantly higher than in inactive patients and healthy controls (P < 0.02 and P < 0.001, respectively). No statistically significant difference in mean sICAM-1 levels was found between inactive BD patients and healthy controls (P > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the mean sICAM-1 levels of active patients with (351.3 +/- 77.2 ng/ml) or without vascular lesions (292 +/- 68.8; P > 0.05). In spite of a positive correlation between disease activity and both erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein (CRP; P < 0.01), we found no correlation between sICAM-1 and either of them (P > 0.05). The elevated levels of sICAM-1 may be due to endothelial cell activation and/or damage or may be the result of inflammation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sixty-three patients with Behçet's disease (BD), 30 patients with recurrent oral ulcer and 30 healthy individuals as control group were included in the study. ISG criteria was used for the diagnosis of BD and patients were classified as active and inactive and evaluated accordingly. In the patient and control groups, von Willebrand factor (vWF), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) levels were determined using ELISA method and antithrombin III (AT-III) by nephelometric methods. High levels of endothelial product, vWF in the active Behçet patient group (p < 0.005) supports endothelial destruction due to vasculitis related with BD. In the active patient group tPA levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the inactive and control groups with higher levels of PAI (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) respectively. In Behçet disease, besides the decrease in tPA synthesis, high PAI levels also can affect tPA decrease and lead to inhibition of fibrinolytic activity. In active Behçet group, levels of AT-III were low and no significant difference was observed in recurrent oral ulcer and control groups. This situation may arise from the excessive use of AT-III in active disease. In conclusion, high levels of vWF in Behçet patients is thought to arise from vasculitis and high levels of PAI from the accumulation of thrombocytes on the damaged surface of endothelium leading to a decrease in tPA levels and inhibition of fibrinolytic activity.

Calcitonin is a hormone produced by the parafollicular cells of the thyroid gland. Like calcium salts, calcitonin acts by reducing bone resorption. In this study, 26 osteoporotic patients were given 100 IU salmon calcitonin for 10 days and, thereafter, 100 IU calcitonin every other day for 80 days combined with 1000 mg/day calcium salts. Prior to and after the combined therapy, the mean trabecular bone densities from the levels of thoracic 12 and lumbar 1 and 2 were obtained and routine thoracic and lumbar radiography performed. Combined calcitonin and calcium therapy for 3 months produced significant increases in vertebra trabecular bone density. The evaluation of the trabecular bone density and the number of non-traumatic compression fractures in 26 osteoporotic patients prior to the therapy did not indicate any close relationship between them. It is concluded that, in addition to other factors reported previously, microtraumas during daily activities have some effect on the incidence of fractures.