Anakinra in idiopathic recurrent pericarditis: a comprehensive case series and literature review.

OBJECTIVE: Idiopathic recurrent pericarditis (IRP) is defined by recurring episodes of pericardial inflammation without a known cause. This study investigates the safety and efficacy of anakinra, an interleukin­1 inhibitor, as a successful therapy for IRP in cases resistant to conventional treatment. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation of patients treated at our autoinflammatory center between 2011 and 2023 was conducted. Patient files were examined for demographic, clinical, and treatment response data, including nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, and colchicine. Monogenic autoinflammatory disease screening was performed for Mediterranean Fever (MEFV), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), mevalonate kinase (MVK), nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3), and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-containing protein 2 (NOD2). Patients who experienced multiple episodes of pericarditis were diagnosed with recurrent pericarditis. The study evaluated anakinra treatment in IRP patients unresponsive to conventional therapy. RESULTS: The study included 21 participants, 9 (42.9%) female and 12 (57.1%) male. The average age of the participants was 43.1 ± 16.5 years. The MEFV mutation analysis revealed that 2 (9.5%) had a mutation in exon 10 and 4 (19.0%) had one in exon 2. Out of the 16 cases, 15 successfully discontinued steroid treatment. Four patients (19.0%) experienced injection site reactions. C­reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured at an average of 196 ± 67.8 mg/l before and 2.6 ± 3.15 mg/l after anakinra treatment. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the study adds to the growing evidence for the efficacy of interleukin-1 inhibitors, such as anakinra, as a promising treatment modality for IRP in cases resistant to conventional treatment.

Internet Addiction and Social Media Addiction in Medical Faculty Students: Prevalence, Related Factors, and Association with Life Satisfaction.

Internet addiction is a growing behavioral health problem in modern societies. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of internet addiction (IA) and social media addiction (SMA) and their relationship with sociodemographic factors, lifestyle habits, and internet usage patterns among medical students. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 280 medical students in a medical faculty, in Istanbul. Self-report questionnaires comprised sociodemographic status, lifestyle habits, internet and social media usage behavior, the Young Internet Addiction Test-short form (s-IAT), and the Bergen Social media addiction scale. The total prevalence of IA was 16.1% (11.8-20.4%), 17.2% (12.8-21.7%) in males and 14.8% (10.7-19.0%) in females. The total prevalence of SMA was 6.1% (3.3-8.9%), 4.8% (2.3-7.3%) in males and 7.4% (4.3-10.5%) in females. No significant difference was found between the sexes in terms of IA and SMA. IA was higher in grade 3 students than in grade 6 students. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that reading books at least once per month, high life satisfaction, performing physical activity at least twice per week, and using the internet for communication purposes were independent preventive factors for IA. The current study shows that IA and SMA are common in medical school students. Moreover, IA is associated with socioeconomic characteristics and lifestyle habits such as reading books, life satisfaction, and physical activity. To protect medical school students from IA and develop healthy behaviors, it is necessary to develop prevention strategies and design and implement awareness and education programs.