Retrospective analysis of pemphigoid gestationis in 32 Saudi patients - Clinicopathological features and a literature review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pemphigoid gestationis (PG) is a rare autoimmune-mediated blistering disease that mainly affects pregnant women in their 2nd or 3rd trimester and immediate postpartum period. In addition to the clinical assessment, the diagnosis of PG is usually confirmed by histological and immunological studies. PG usually flares up at the time of delivery and spontaneously improves postpartum. Prompt recognition and appropriate management may reduce morbidity associated with this disorder. This study aimed to determine the clinical, histopathological features and treatment of PG of Saudi patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of 32 patients with pemphigoid gestationis (PG) was conducted from 1990 to 2014 at King Khalid University Hospital and Derma Medical Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data regarding epidemiology, medical histories, clinical course, diagnostic test results and management were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 32 patients with PG were analyzed. The mean age was 31.9 years. Seventy-four percent of the patients were multigravidas, and 2 patients were primigravidas. One hundred percent of the cases were singleton pregnancies. Eighty-four percent of the cases had the onset of PG during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. One hundred percent of patients complained of pruritus, and 94% reported this as the first symptom. Erythematous plaques and vesiculobullous eruption were the most common skin presentation. The primary sites of involvement were the abdomen, trunk, lower (mainly thighs) and upper limbs. The face and mucus membranes were rarely involved. Fifty percent of patients had recurrent symptoms with their next pregnancy. Direct immunofluorescence revealed a linear deposition of the third component of the complement along the basement membrane zone in all cases (C3),while most of the cases showed positive linear deposition of IgG. Seventy five percent of our patients had a good response to oral corticosteroids, and only one patient needed IVIG. The vast majority of the patients (61%) became free of symptoms within 1-2 months of treatment. In 53% of the patients, maternal and fetal outcomes were good with no complications. Six pregnancies were complicated by preterm labor, 2 experienced IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction), and 2 had an abortion or stillbirth. CONCLUSION: Our study does not differ dramatically when comparing the onset of PG, the high frequency of multigravida women, the clinical course and good patient outcomes but we observed that the first attack extended from primigravida to 11th pregnancy and slight increase in recurrence rate. Finally the timely diagnosis and appropriate management of PG may improve both maternal and neonatal outcome.

Impact of Geographic Region on Benefit of Approved Anticancer Drugs Evaluated in International Phase III Clinical Trials.

AIMS: International collaboration allows for enhanced accrual and more generalisable results of phase III randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The impact of geographic region on the outcomes of new anticancer agents is unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: International RCTs evaluating approved systemic therapy for advanced solid tumours that reported efficacy of new anticancer drugs based on geographic regions were eligible. Data for overall (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS) were pooled in a meta-analysis. The primary analysis was the comparison of developed versus developing countries. A meta-regression analysis explored the impact of differences in gross national income (GNI) per capita on the hazard ratio comparing developed and developing countries. Secondary analyses compared geographic regions irrespective of GNI. RESULTS: Of the 63 identified studies, 12 independent RCTs were eligible; five reported data for OS and nine for PFS. Improvements in overall survival were greater in developed as compared with developing countries (hazard ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.68-0.99, P = 0.04). This effect was seen only among studies of cytotoxic chemotherapy and not among those of targeted agents. No difference was seen for PFS (hazard ratio 0.93, 95% confidence interval 0.79-1.09, P = 0.36). Meta-regression showed a significant negative association between GNI per capita and overall survival, but a non-significant negative association with PFS (ß = -0.774, P = 0.05 and ß = -0.211, P = 0.29, respectively). No differences were observed in PFS between Asian and non-Asian countries or North America and Western Europe. CONCLUSION: Compared with patients from developing countries, those from developed countries derive greater improvement in overall survival from cytotoxic chemotherapy, but similar benefit from targeted drugs.

[Mechanical resistance of erythrocytes in hypertension]. / Mekhanicheskaia rezistentnost' éritrotsitov pri gipertonicheskoi bolezni.

Mechanical resistance of red cell membranes was assessed in 97 patients with Stages I-III essential hypertension and in 20 normal subjects by the ultrasonic method. Parallel with these studies red cell cholesterol and phospholipid levels were measured and these cells' deformability assessed by the viscosimetric technique. The findings evidence that red cell mechanical resistance increases with the patient's age and depends on the disease stage and duration. Red cell deformability was found decreased in essential hypertension patients vs. the norm. A direct correlation was revealed between red cell mechanical resistance (from the time of hemolysis) and the value of arterial pressure in essential hypertension (r = 0.505, p less than 0.001).

Course of cerebral lesions in a patient with periarteritis nodosa studied by magnetic resonance imaging.

The course is reported of a patient with periarteritis nodosa who initially presented with neurological symptoms. Multiple cerebral lesions were documented by the first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigation. The majority of these had disappeared completely in the follow-up MRI studies. In contrast to neurological improvement the patient eventually died due to multiorgan failure. Postmortem histological examination revealed no pathological findings in the brain except one single necrotic area already known from MRI. Remissions of histological and angiographic alterations in periarteritis nodosa have been described as "local healing" leading to fibrosis and scarring. Our findings suggest that restitutio ad integrum may occur, at least in cerebral lesions.

[Rheological properties of the blood in hypertension patients]. / Reologicheskie svoistva krovi u bol'nkyh gipertonicheskoi bolezn'iu.

Blood rheologic properties, and serum and erythrocyte membrane lipids were studied in 65 patients with essential hypertension, stage II-III, and 20 normal subjects. Essential hypertension was shown to be associated with marked rheologic disorders, such as increased packed cell volume and plasma viscosity. A greater rigidity of the erythrocyte membranes was also demonstrated.