Nasal and paranasal involvement in primary Sjogren`s syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to investigate nasal and paranasal signs and symptoms of the primary Sjogren`s syndrome patients and compare them with healthy controls. METHODOLOGY: Seventy-seven (7 M, 70 F) primary Sjogren`s syndrome patients and 77 healthy controls were included in the study. Anterior rhinoscopy, nasal endoscopy, 5 component smell discrimination test, nasal clearance analysis with saccharin test and electrorhinomanometer were performed. RESULTS: Nasal crusting was present in 31 and 24 individuals in patient and control groups, respectively. Sinusitis was present in 2 and 1 individuals in patient and control groups, respectively. Nasal polyposis was present in 7 and 1 individuals in patient and control groups, respectively. These differences were not statistically different. CONCLUSION: Although there were some findings in a few patients, nasal findings were insignificant and mild even in patients with severe oral or ocular findings. Rhinomanometry, nasal clearance determination or smell discrimination tests have very little value in the diagnosis or management of primary Sjogren`s syndrome. Nasal polyposis was higher in the patient group, though it did not reach a significant level. Nasal glandular involvement is mild and insignificant in primary Sjogren`s syndrome.

FcgammaRIIa, IIIa and IIIb gene polymorphisms in Behçet's disease: do they have any clinical implications?

OBJECTIVE: Behçet's disease (BD) is a unique systemic vasculitis involving both arteries and veins of all sizes. Since Fcgamma receptors (FcgammaR) are important in mediating various immune effector functions, FcgammaR gene polymorphisms may affect the susceptibility to systemic inflammatory diseases such as BD. The aim of this study was to show the distribution of FcgammaRIIa, IIIa ve IIIb receptor gene polymorphisms in BD, and to investigate possible genotype-phenotype relationships. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, FcgammaRIIa (H/H131, H/R131, R/R131), IIIa (F/F158, F/V158, V/V158), and IIIb (NA1/NA1, NA1/NA2, and NA2/NA2) receptor gene polymorphisms were investigated in 216 unrelated Turkish BD patients (M/F: 130/86) and in 241 healthy subjects, using an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The FcgammaRIIa R/R131 (p=0.019) and FcgammaRIIIa F/F158 genotypes (p=0.001) were found to be significantly more frequent in BD compared with healthy controls, whereas the FcgammaRIIIb genotypes were not (p=0.108). Allele analysis showed that the FcgammaRIIIa 158 (p=0.001) and FcgammaRIIIb NA2 (p=0.016) alleles were more frequent in BD than in healthy controls. In BD patients the FcgammaRIIIa V/V158 genotype was significantly associated with the presence of arthritis (p=0.002) and with an earlier disease onset (p=0.008), while the FcgammaRIIIb NA2/NA2 genotype was significantly associated with disease severity (p=0.02), vascular involvement (p=0.014), and pathergy positivity (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: We found that the genotype frequencies and allelic distributions of the FcgammaRIIa, FcgammaRIIIa and FcgammaRIIIb gene polymorphisms were significantly different between BD patients and healthy controls. In addition, certain FcgammaRIIIa and FcgammaRIIIb gene polymorphisms appear to be associated with an early disease onset, disease severity, the presence of arthritis, and vascular involvement in BD.

Headache in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a prevalence study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of headache in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and to examine the relationship between headache types and clinical, serologic features of the disease. METHODS: The study enclosed 133 patients with the diagnoses of pSS and 97 healthy controls. A questionnaire designed to assess the presence of headache and if present to classify it according to the criteria of the International Headache Society was used. RESULTS: In 133 of the pSS patients evaluated, 104 had headache. No association was present between types of headache and the clinical and laboratory manifestations of the disease. Both migraine and tension-type headache were more common in patients with pSS when compared with healthy controls (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of migraine in pSS patients might be explained by a vascular headache triggered by immuno-mediated disease activity without an obvious clinic or laboratory marker.

Comparison of human papillomavirus testing and cervical cytology with colposcopic examination and biopsy in cervical cancer screening in a cohort of patients with Sjogren's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate women with Sjögren Syndrome by using cervical cytology, colposcopic examination and HPV-DNA testing and to compare these findings with those obtained from the control group. METHOD: A total of 100 women, who were referred to Ege University, School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology for cervical cytological screening between September 2004 and March 2005 and 33 of whom had Sjögren syndrome were included in this study. The patients were informed and subjected to cervical cytology, colposcopic examination and HPV-DNA testing. Colposcopic biopsy and endocervical canal curettage were carried out in cases of suspicious colposcopic examination and cytological findings. The findings obtained from 33 women with Sjögren syndrome and 67 subjects in the control group were compared. RESULTS: Normal cervical cytology was detected in five women (5.7%), while suspicious cervical cytology was reported in 62 women (92.5%) in the control group. The prevalence of normal cytology in patients with Sjögren syndrome was 93.9% (n = 31), where 6.1% (n = 2) of the women had suspicious cervical cytology findings. HPV-DNA findings were negative in 66 women (98.5%) in the control group, where the test result of one women (1.5%) was positive. HPV-DNA findings of patients with Sjögren syndrome were positive in one women (3%) and negative in 32 (97%). Colposcopic findings were normal in 63 women (94%) in the control group, where abnormal colposcopic findings were observed in four women (6%). Normal colposcopic findings were observed in 32 women (97%) with Sjögren syndrome, while pathological findings were recorded in one woman (3%). Suspicious cervical cytology, positive findings at colposcopic examination and biopsy and positive HPV-DNA tests were observed together in only one 40-year-old woman who was diagnosed with Sjögren syndrome for a period of four years. Prevalence of dyspareunia and vaginal dryness (atrophic vaginitis) symptoms were observed in Sjögren syndrome and control groups as 36.3% and 22.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: No significant differences were observed between Sjögren syndrome and the control group who were evaluated by using cervical cytology, colposcopic examination and HPV-DNA tests. A higher prevalence of dyspareunia and vaginal dryness were observed in patients with Sjögren syndrome, yet this difference was not considered as significant with respect to either colposcopic or histopathological findings.

Spinal abnormalities similar to ankylosing spondylitis in a 58-year-old woman with ochronosis.

Ochronotic arthropathy (spondylosis or peripheral arthropathy) is a late complication of alkaptonuria. There is a tendency for HLA-B27 positive patients with alkaptonuria to develop ochronotic spondylosis. A 58-year-old white woman, presented with ochronotic spondylosis. She was HLA-B27 positive. Her family history was positive for alkaptonuria. Ochronotic patients with HLA-B27 positivity develop spinal changes similar to ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

The prevalence of Sjögren's syndrome in adult women.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) according to European criteria (1993) and to the US-European Consensus Group (US-EU) criteria (2002) in adult women in Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study was designed as a two-phase cross-sectional survey consisting of a baseline questionnaire and collection of blood samples and clinical examination. In the initial phase, positivity for autoantibodies Ro(SS-A), La(SS-B), rheumatoid factor (RF), and anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) was determined, and in the clinical phase, clinical examination, salivary and ocular tests were performed. Minor salivary gland biopsy was performed for those who had at least three of these five criteria positive. RESULTS: In our sample the prevalence of SS was 1.56% [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.92-2.66] according to the European criteria and 0.72% (95% CI 0.33-1.57) according to the US-EU criteria. CONCLUSION: To prevent the loss in diagnosis of pSS, the addition of ANA, RF, and tear break-up time (BUT) tests to US-EU criteria would be appropriate.

The epidemiology of spondylodiscitis in ankylosing spondylitis--a controlled study.

UNLABELLED: Spondylodiscitis is well recognized in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), but little is known about its epidemiology. We therefore reviewed 147 consecutive patients with AS using lumbar and thoracic spine radiographs. For each patient with spondylodiscitis, two age- and sex-matched controls were selected. Twelve individuals (8%) had spondylodiscitis, affecting a total of 32 disc spaces: 10 thoracic, 22 lumbar. The mean age at onset was 21 +/- 4.1 yr, significantly younger than that of the controls (28.5 +/- 10.1 yr, P = 0.004). Half of the 12 patients had multiple lesions (between two and six levels). The most common site was the lower thoracic spine with additional lumbar spine involvement. Only two of the 12 patients (17%) had symptoms localized to the lesions. Neither trauma nor infection were considered to be causes of the spondylodiscitis. IN CONCLUSION: (1) spondylodiscitis occurs in approximately 8% of patients with AS; (2) these patients have early onset of disease; (3) multiple-level lesions in the spine are not uncommon among those with spondylodiscitis; (4) lesions are usually asymptomatic.

Quantitative nailfold capillaroscopy findings in a population with connective tissue disease and in normal healthy controls.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and quantify the morphological characteristics of nailfold capillaries that distinguish different forms of connective tissue disease from healthy controls. METHODS: A CCD video microscope with fibreoptic illumination and PC based image processing was used to visualise nailfold capillaries and to quantify findings in 23 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), 22 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 21 patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD), and 38 healthy controls. RESULTS: Capillary density was reduced in SSc (5.2 (SD 1.3) capillaries/mm) compared with other patient groups and controls. The average number of enlarged capillaries/finger was high in all disease groups (5.5-6.6) compared with controls (2). However, giant capillaries were most frequent in SSc (43%) and were not present in controls. Mild and moderate avascular areas were present in all groups (35%-68%), but severe avascularity was most frequent in SSc (44%) compared with other patients (18%-19%) and controls (0%). The greatest frequency of extensive haemorrhage was in SSc (35%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a range of abnormal capillary findings in patients with connective tissue disease and healthy controls. However, certain abnormalities such as a reduced number of capillaries, severe avascularity, giant capillaries, and haemorrhage are most commonly associated with SSc. Videomicroscopy with image processing offers many technical advantages that can be exploited in further studies of nailfold capillaries.

Prevalences of hepatitis A, B, C and E viruses in Behçet's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Behçet's disease (BD), being a systemic vasculitis of unknown aetiology, is associated with hepatitis viruses (HAV, HBV, HCV and HEV). METHODS: In addition to 124 patients [male:female (M/F): 73/51], all fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of the International Study Group for BD (1991), 14 patients with systemic necrotizing vasculitis (M/F: 7/7), 47 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (M/F: 36/11) and 51 healthy controls (M/F: 22/29) were also included in this study. Serological markers of four different types of hepatitis (anti-HAV IgM, total anti-HAV, HBsAg, anti-HBs, total anti-HBc, anti-HBc IgM, anti-HCV and anti-HEV) were studied in all cases. RESULTS: There was no difference between the groups with respect to HAV, HCV and HEV serologies. Anti-HBs positivity was observed less frequently in BD compared with healthy controls and systemic vasculitis (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Serological evidence of previous HAV, HCV and HEV infections was not significantly different between Behçet's patients and other groups. However, previous HBV infection was found in a significantly lower number of BD patients as compared with healthy controls and systemic vasculitic patients.

Pulmonary hypertension in rheumatoid arthritis.

Using Doppler echocardiography (DE), we measured pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients without coexisting cardiopulmonary diseases. Accepting the normal upper limit of PASP as 30 mmHg, we found elevated PASP in 11 out of 40 (27.5%) RA patients, values being mostly 30-40 mmHg, indicating mild pulmonary hypertension (PHT). Although estimation of PASP by DE is not as reliable as cardiac catheterisation, it is possible that mild elevations in PASP may contribute to the high incidence of cardiovascular events not explained by traditional cardiac risk factors in patients with RA. Long-term follow-up will be obviously necessary to ascertain the impact of mild PHT on the prognosis and mortality rate of RA patients.