Intestinal Behcet's disease: A case report

WOS: 00024945460064

Ankylosing spondylitis-related secondary amyloidosis responded well to etanercept: a report of three patients

WOS: 000250833300034PubMed ID: 17611708Secondary (AA) amyloidosis is one of the most significant complications of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) that frequently leads to proteinuria and renal dysfunction. Anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF) agents are promising in inducing clinical remission by suppressing systemic inflammation in AA amyloidosis. We report three cases with AS-related AA amyloidosis that responded well to etanercept therapy. Despite treatment with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, all three patients had active AS, marked proteinuria, impaired renal function, and low serum albumin level. During 1-year treatment with etanercept, all patients experienced gradual improvement in all of these parameters

Sjogren's syndrome in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

WOS: 000243032300006PubMed ID: 16547690There are few reports about the coexistence of Sjogren's syndrome (SS) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). To evaluate the frequency of SS in patients with AS. We studied 70 patients with AS presenting to the university outpatient clinic between January 2002 and November 2003. All the patients were asked about sicca symptoms by using sicca questionnaire. Rheumatoid factor, anti-nuclear antibody, anti-Ro, and anti-La antibodies were examined for each of the patients. Salivary flowmetry for the existence of xerostomia, Schirmer's test, and break-up time for the existence of xerophtalmia were performed in all patients with AS. Minor salivary gland biopsy was performed on the patients with at least three positive responses to the sicca questionnaire and positive xerostomia/xerophtalmia tests. Biopsies were regarded as pathological when they showed focal grade III and grade IV sialoadenitis according to Chisholm grading criteria. Among 70 AS cases, 56 (80%) were men, 14 (20%) were women, and the mean age was 42 years old. Minor salivary gland biopsy was performed on the 16 patients. Of 16 minor salivary gland biopsies, 7 were assessed as pathological-5 of them showed grade III, and 2 of them showed grade IV sialoadenitis. Of these seven patients, one was anti-Ro-positive, and two were anti-La-positive. There was no patient with normal salivary gland biopsy and antiRo and/or anti-La positivity. In our study group, 7 (10%) of 70 AS patients had concomitant SS. Therefore, it seems likely that AS may have pathogenetic association with SS

Serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid nitric oxide levels in diffuse systemic sclerosis

WOS: 000263781500023PubMed ID: 1882092

Hodgkin's lymphoma following treatment with etanercept in ankylosing spondylitis

WOS: 000250841700014PubMed ID: 17622534It has been well known that anti-TNF drugs might increase lymphoma risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), where the rate of lymphoma has already been increased. However, unlike RA, an increased rate of lymphoma has not been reported in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Hereby, we present a case with AS developing Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) following 6 months of etanercept treatment. Pathological analysis revealed mixed cellular type of HL. Although we report a single case, it should be kept in mind that anti-TNF drugs might cause lymphoma development not only in RA, but also in AS