BACKGROUND Acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are a major cause of hospital admission and mortality. They contribute to long-term decline in lung function, physical capacity and quality of life. The most common causes are infective, and treatment includes antibiotics, bronchodilators and systemic corticosteroids as anti-inflammatory agents. OBJECTIVES To asses...

OBJECTIVE To examine associations between serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and disease-related variables and corticosteroid use in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS Serum MIF concentration was measured by ELISA in 90 female patients with SLE and 279 healthy controls. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to examine the associations...

abstract cytomegalovirus (cmv) is a virus that can be consider as invasive infection after transplantation or chemotherapy, long-term corticosteroid users or in immunodeficient patients such as hiv. different complications were seen in immunocompetent patients but colitis rarely occurs. the diagnosis of cmv was based on pathology by colonoscopy, positive cmv antigen and high cmv-igm titer serum...

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition. The age of onset, chronicity, physical, and psychosocial consequences of the disease cause psoriasis to have a significant impact on patient quality of life. Scalp psoriasis is no different, and effective treatment results in an improvement in quality of life. Successful management of scalp psoriasis includes topical therapies that are acceptable t...

The tetrad of bronchial asthma, severe sinusitis, nasal polyp, eosinophilia, and systemic vasculitis is the main feature of allergic granulomatosis and angitis (Churg- Strauss Syndrome). This vasculitis is usually seen idiopathic in patients with a long history of asthma; oral steroids using steroid inhalers, vaccination and desensitization might be triggering factors. Drugs such as leukotriene...

OBJECTIVE To report the clinico-histopathologic features, management and outcome of Rosai-Dorfman disease of the orbit. DESIGN Non-comparative case series. RESULTS Rosai-Dorfman disease of the orbit constituted 0.09% of all ocular specimens received at our Institute, presenting with a firm rubbery mass causing proptosis; bilateral in 4 (57%) cases. The median age at presentation was 13 year...

Severe asthma is defined as either refractory to traditional therapies or controlled only with that have intolerable side effects. Biological agents are known offer treatment alternatives patients type 2 inflammation severe asthma. We describe the case of a woman long history asthma, uncontrolled symptoms and need systemic corticosteroid therapy prevailing features, respiratory failure differen...

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is a systemic vasculitis involving small vessels with deposition of immunoglobulin A (IgA) complexes, usually affecting children. Compared with children, HSP in adults is more severe and frequently associated with cancer. We report the case of a 49-year-old woman with medical history of kidney transplantation for segmental glomerular hyalinosis. Eight years after ...

PURPOSE To understand the pathophysiology of central serous chorioretinopathy or bullous retinal detachment in patients under systemic corticosteroid treatment. Little is understood about the mechanism of the development of serous retinal detachment. METHODS Three patients who had developed central serous chorioretinopathy or bullous retinal detachment during systemic corticosteroid administr...

OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of treatment with belimumab on corticosteroid dose in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) over 52 weeks in 2 randomized, controlled trials. METHODS Data on patients who were taking corticosteroids at baseline in the Study of Belimumab in Subjects with SLE trials were pooled post hoc to compare patients who received belimumab 10 mg/kg plus standard...