Acromegaly and joint pain: is there something more? A cross-sectional study to evaluate rheumatic disorders in growth hormone secreting tumor patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the rheumatic profile in acromegalic patients to better characterize joint pain. METHODS: The immunological pattern (rheumatoid factor; antinuclear antibodies-ANA, extractable nuclear antigens-ENA-Ab; anti-citrullinated protein antibodies; erythrocyte sedimentation rate) was evaluated in 20 acromegaly subjects (AS) and 20 control subjects (CS). Bilateral joint ultrasound of hands/wrists and nail capillaroscopy were also performed. RESULTS: Articular pain was more frequent in AS than in CS (p = 0.027). No difference was detected in immunological parameters. ANA and ENA-Ab were positive in only 10% of AS and in 5% of CS, while no difference was found in anti-citrullinated protein antibodies. No difference was detected between rheumatoid factor positivity, but threefold higher IgG were detected in AS compared to CS. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was significantly higher in AS than CS (p = 0.040), while in AS, there was a trend in increased Power Doppler (PWD) articular uptake. The capillaroscopic evaluation showed a significant difference in almost each parameter (presence and number of tortuous capillaries, capillary enlargements, and hemorrhages), showing a moderate-to-severe microangiopathy in AS. CONCLUSION: The results of our study suggest that joint damage in acromegaly has not an autoimmune etiology. Increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels and PWD alteration in acromegalic population reflect a possible inflammatory nature, while the capillaroscopic findings suggest a moderate-to-severe microangiopathy that could help to identify patients with a greater macroangiopathic risk.

[Instrument applications of three new Bio-Rad kits for HIV, HCV, HBSAG screening: Combo Genscreen Plus HIV 1/2 AG-AB, Monolisa anti HCV Plus V2, Monolisa HBSAG Plus, with the fully authomatic system Plato 3300]. / Applicazioni strumentali di tre nuovi kit bio-rad per lo screening dell'HIV, HCV, HBSAG: Combo Genscreen Plus HIV 1/2 Ag-Ab, Monolisa anti HCV Plus V2, Monolisa HBSAG Plus, con il sistema automatico Plato 3300.

One of the most common technical problems of the virological laboratories is the tests applications on the open microplates systems. Immunoenzymatic methods can present difficulties in terms of results when are apply on several instruments. We have evaluated three different new virological kits from Bio-Rad: Genscreen Plus HIV 1/2 AG-AB, Monolisa anti HCV Plus V.2 and Monolisa AgHBs Plus on the automatic system Plato 3300. The purpose of this article was to present and summarize some data on these new Bio-Rad kits designed for the screening in the Blood Banks and Virological laboratories. We followed a protocol studied for working on automatic machine with different steps using negative fresh donors sera for: - study of edge effect, - study of specificity, and using also positive high value sera and seroconversion Bio-Rad panels for: - study of contamination, - study of sensitivity. The studies showed that the Bio-Rad kits and instrument were releable, flexible, easy to use and ready for each kind of routine in Blood Banks and Virological-Microbiological centres.