VIROLOGIC STUDIES IN CHILDHOOD CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISEASES (CTD)

Pulmonary function in childhood connective tissue diseases.

The term connective tissue diseases (CTD) defines a group of illnesses characterized by the presence of immune abnormalities and by widespread inflammation involving various organs and tissues including the lung. These diseases are not frequent in the paediatric age group. Very few data on pulmonary function are available in paediatric CTD. We investigated possible early lung function abnormali...

Autoantibodies in childhood connective tissue diseases and in normal children.

The prevalence of nine serum autoantibodies has been studied in 117 children with various connective tissue disorders and in 134 normal controls. In juvenile rheumatoid arthritis rheumatoid factor was present in 5%, and antinuclear factor in 4%, compared with an incidence of 4% and 0% respectively in controls. In Henoch-Schönlein purpura there was little evidence of associated autoimmune disord...

Manifestation of connective tissue diseases (CTD) in pediatrics patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH)

Background Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a progressive inflammatory fribrosing disease of the liver of unknown etiology, which in its normal progress leads to cirrhosis. It is characterized by the increase in aminotranferases and hypergammaglobulinemia, and the presence of nonorgan and specific liver autoantibodies in serum, which allow for its classification. Two subtypes are differentiated: T...

Connective tissue diseases.

Undiagnosed connective tissue diseases

Among different subgroups of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), those associated with connective tissue diseases (CTDs) have distinct hemodynamic and prognostic features; a correct etiologic diagnosis is thus mandatory.To estimate frequency and prognosis of previously undiagnosed CTDs in a suspect idiopathic (i) PAH cohort.Consecutive patients with PAH confirmed by right heart catheterizati...