BACKGROUND Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has various presentations in children. Hematologic abnormalities is common in childhood onset of SLE, however, isolated thrombocytopenia is relatively rare. Thus, we present a child with isolated thrombocytopenia as a rare presentation of SLE. CASE PRESENTATION A 12-year-old boy with chief complaints of loss of appetite, weight loss, decreased pla...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate NOVA View with focus on reading archived images versus microscope based manual interpretation of ANA HEp-2 slides by an experienced, certified medical technologist. METHODS 369 well defined sera from: 44 rheumatoid arthritis, 50 systemic lupus erythematosus, 35 scleroderma, 19 Sjögren's syndrome, and 10 polymyositis patients as well as 99 healthy controls were examined. ...

The second son of consanguineous parents was repeatedly evaluated for failure to thrive, intermittent vomiting, diarrhea, hepatosplenomegaly and panzytopenia since his first year of life. Specific diets had no effect. Bone marrow aspiration showed hemophagocytosis, but no signs of malignancy. At the age of 6 years he developed a hemolytic uremic syndrome-like disease. Renal biopsy revealed mesa...

Rowells syndrome is a rare disease, combining Lupus Erythematosus (LE) and Erythema Multiforme (EM) like lesions with characteristic immunological pattern, including speckled pattern of Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA), positive anti Ro SSA or La SSB antibodies Rheumatoid Factor (RF)

PURPOSE The effects of maternal systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) on neonatal prognosis were examined by comparing clinical features of full-term babies born to lupus mothers and age- and parity-matched controls. PATIENTS AND METHODS From January 2000 to December 2005, 39 singletons were born to 37 SLE women. Excluding 11 cases of prematurity and preeclampsia, 28 full-term neonates formed th...

OBJECTIVE To determine positivity and clinical correlation of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), taking into account the interference of antinuclear antibodies (ANA). MATERIAL AND METHODS A prospective study was conducted in the Laboratory of Immunology of the National Cuban Center of Medical Genetic during one year. Two hounded sixty-seven patients with indication for ANCA determ...

Background. Differentiating Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from other autoimmune rheumatic diseases and undifferentiated connective tissue diseases may be difficult. Diagnosing SLE early and more accurately is important for patient education and for the institution of appropriate treatment to reduce morbidity. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence and diagnostic significanc...

A 58 year old woman developed systemic symptoms, interstitial lung disease, splenomegaly, leukopenia and anti-histone and anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), while treated with hydralazine for hypertension. Five months after presentation she was admitted with high fever, skin rash and atypical lymphocytosis due to acute cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Worsening leukopenia and increased ANA were fou...

The levels of antibodies to cardiolipin and β2-glycoprotein I and polymorphic variants G1691A of Factor V (factor V Leiden, FVL) and G20210A of prothrombin gene (G20210A) were studied in 16 patients with upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT). Most of patients with this syndrome have elevated values of these antibodies. Two of these patients are heterozygous carriers for G20210A and 1 - f...

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a severe rheumatic autoimmune disease with various clinical manifestations. Anti-dsDNA antibodies are an important immunological hallmark of SLE and their occurrence represents a major criterion for the diagnosis. Among the commonly applied test systems for determination of anti-dsDNA antibodies, the indirect immunofluorescence test (IIFT) using the flagell...