Serum leptin, resistin, visfatin and adiponectin levels in tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS).

OBJECTIVES: The aims of our study were to evaluate serum leptin, resistin, visfatin and adiponectin levels in patients with tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), in comparison to healthy controls, and to correlate their levels to parameters of disease activity and/or severity. METHODS: Serum leptin, resistin, visfatin and adiponectin levels were obtained from 14 TRAPS patients carrying mutations involving cysteine residues, from 16 TRAPS patients carrying other mutations, and from 16 healthy controls. Demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters, including amyloidosis were entered for each patient. Comparisons between groups as well as reciprocal comparisons have been evaluated. RESULTS: Serum leptin, resistin, visfatin and adiponectin did not significantly differ among the 3 groups. Patients carrying cysteine residues mutations showed lower visfatin serum levels than patients carrying other mutations (p<0.02). Serum leptin significantly correlated with the number of attacks/year (multiple R=0.32, multiple adjusted R2= 0.19, p <0.03). Serum adiponectin levels significantly correlated with the presence of amyloidosis (multiple R=0.79, multiple adjusted R2=0.57, p<0.03). Adiponectin values were a significant predictor for amyloidosis (AUC 0.75, 95 CI: 0.56-0.94, p<0.03), with a predicting cut-off value set at 23.16 pg/ml, the predictive positive value was 53.8%. Visfatin serum levels resulted respectively related to leptin (rs=0.42, r2=0.18, p<0.02) and to resistin (rs=0.57, r2=0.32, p<0.01) serum levels; whilst leptin and resistin serum levels did not reciprocally correlate. CONCLUSIONS: Although a prospective design study and larger cohort are mandatory, adipokines serum levels and their correlations with parameters of disease activity and/or severity seem to show a baseline pattern in TRAPS patients.

Systemic lupus erythematosus in Europe at the change of the millennium: lessons from the "Euro-Lupus Project".

The "Euro-Lupus Cohort" is composed by 1000 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that have been followed prospectively since 1991. These patients have been gathered by a European consortium--the "Euro-Lupus Project Group". This consortium was originated as part of the network promoted by the "European Working Party on SLE", a working group created in 1990 in order to promote research in Europe on the different problems related to this disease. The "Euro-Lupus Cohort" provides an updated information on the SLE morbidity and mortality characteristics in the present decade as well as defines several clinical and immunological prognostic factors.

Comparison of different methods for the detection of anti-Ro/SSA antibodies in connective tissue diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the performance characteristics of various tests commonly used to detect anti-SSA/Ro autoantibodies in the sera of patients affected by connective tissue diseases (CTD). METHODS: Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) with HEp-2000 as substrate (ImmunoConcepts, USA), Ouchterlony's double immunodiffusion (ID) (home made), commercial Varelisa ReCombi anti-Ro kit (Pharmacia & Upjohn, Germany), research kits (60 kDa and 52 kDa) with human recombinant antigens (Pharmacia & Upjohn, Germany) and a commercial western blot (WB) kit (MarDx, USA) were evaluated in our study. Sixty-four sera from patients affected by CTD were tested: 15 had primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS), 34 only had sicca syndrome, and 15 had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Thirty sera from healthy subjects were selected as controls. RESULTS: 54 sera were positive by at least one method. The specificity of all tests was good. The prevalence of anti-SSA antibodies on 54 positive sera was 76% (ID), 89% (IIF), 89% (Varelisa), 89% (ELISA Ro-60 kDa), 67% (ELISA Ro-52 kDa) and 85% (WB). Some differences were found between WB and ELISA in the detection of anti-60 kDa SSA and anti-52 kDa SSA; in 3 SS sera only anti-52 kDa protein was found by WB. CONCLUSION: Our data confirm that, although IIF HEp 2000 (Immuno Concepts) and Varelisa anti-Ro (Pharmacia & Upjohn) both performed well, a combination of 2 or more methods must still be recommended for anti-SSA antibody detection.

[Anti-proteinase 3 antibodies in diffuse systemic sclerosis (SSc) with normotensive renal impairment: is it suggestive for an overlapping between SSc and idiopathic vasculitis? ] / Anticorpi anti proteinasi 3 nella sclerosi sistemica (ScS) diffusa con impegno renale normotensivo: possono essere suggestivi di una sovrapposizione tra ScS e vasculite idiopatica?

OBJECTIVE: To test the prevalence of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and to verify a possible association of ANCA with normotensive renal involvement in SSc. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 51 patients affected by SSc, 35 with diffuse scleroderma (dSSc) and 16 with limited scleroderma (lSSc), were tested for ANCA by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on human ethanol and formalin-acetone-fixed granulocytes (before and after DNase treatment), by conventional enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) and by capture-ELISA. RESULTS: Six out of 51 selected SSc patients had ANCA by IIF (11.7%) and five presented a perinuclear/nuclear atypical ANCA pattern. In all cases we only found anti-proteinase3 (aPR3) antibodies. All ANCA positive patients had diffuse form of SSc (17.1%), all were anti-Scl70 positive (aScl70), five patients had proteinuria, three had microscopic haematuria. All ANCA positive patients were normotensive with normal renin plasma levels, the mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was higher in this group compared to the other SSc patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that aPR3 is not rare in dSSc. According to the clinical and serological findings and to the recent literature, we can hypothesise that when ANCA are found in SSc, an overlapping of scleroderma with systemic necrotizing vasculitis should be suspected.

[Clinical report of a case of CREST syndrome]. / Osservazione clinica di un caso di sindrome CREST.

A case of CREST syndrome presenting with marked diffuse calcinosis and prevailing joint involvement is presented by the authors. Diffractometry revealed the presence of calcified hydroxy-apatite crystals within subcutaneous nodules. Scleroderma-like microcirculatory changes with blood flow alterations typical of Raynaud's syndrome were present on capillaroscopy. The authors feel the case to be of interest not only in view of the rare occurrence of the condition but also of the particular extent and severity of the signs and symptoms presented by this patient.

[Anti-ENA antibody determination in various connective tissue diseases: comparison of 2 detection techniques]. / Determinazione di anticorpi anti-ENA in alcune connettiviti: confronto di due tecniche di rilevazione.

The authors compared two different techniques for the detection of anti-ENA antibodies (anti-Sm, anti-RNP, anti-SSA, anti-SSB) in several different connective tissue diseases, using double immunodiffusion (ID) and a new membrane-based enzyme immunoassay. The aim of the work was to research the assay sensibility and specificity of the results obtained with the two different methods. Notwithstanding the fact that the two techniques are equivalent in their performance, the recombinant DNA appears to have greater sensibility and less specificity compared to ID. The former requires less time of execution although it presents difficulty in interpreting low scale positive results. Although the number of sera examined was low, the authors assert that the recombinant DNA technique will require further development.

[Plasma levels of apolipoprotein and HDL-cholesterol in patients with rheumatoid arthritis]. / Determinazione dei livelli plasmatici delle apolipoproteine e del C-HDL in pazienti con artrite reumatoide.

The authors have examined the levels of the plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, of the plasma lipoproteins (HDL, LDL, VLDL) and of their main apolipoproteins (apo-A and apo-B) in a group of 64 patients affected by RA and in a population of healthy subjects considered as a contrast group, trying to establish a plausible dislipidemic factor which could justify the major occurrence of coronary heart disease in those patients suffering from RA. Statistical analysis was done with the T-test. There are not differences in the lipoprotein pattern between the group of patients affected by RA and the population of healthy subjects. The obtained result seem to exclude that such a major occurrence of coronary heart disease in the patients suffering from RA may be linked to the alteration of lipidic metabolism.

[Determination of the rheumatoid factor in gouty patients]. / Determinazione del fattore reumatoide in pazienti gottosi.

The authors have examined the incidence of the rheumatoid factor in the serum of a group of 100 patients, 95 males and 5 females, suffering from gout, of whom only 6 suffered from chronic gout. The rheumatoid factor in the serum was measured by RA-test (1:40) and by Waaler-Rose test (1:32). The rheumatoid factor was not present in the examined subjects and so we can state that such serum parameter does not represent, for its negativity, a laboratory index of any evidence in the gout and it doesn't represent a reason for diagnostic doubts with other forms with the rheumatoid factor in the serum.

Lessons from the "Euro-Lupus Cohort".

The "Euro-Lupus Cohort" is composed by 1,000 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that have been followed prospectively since 1991. These patients have been gathered by a European consortium - the "Euro-Lupus Project Group". This consortium was originated as part of the network promoted by the "European Working Party on SLE", a working group created in 1990 in order to promote research in Europe on the different problems related to this disease. The "Euro-Lupus Cohort" provides an updated information on the SLE morbidity and mortality characteristics in the present decade as well as defines several clinical and immunological prognostic factors.