Objective: This work aimed to report our observations on idiopathic or immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in elderly patients. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a cohort of 41 consecutive elderly ITP patients (≥65 years old) in two ITP reference centers, namely the university hospital groups of Strasbourg and Reims, France. We particularly analyzed patient clinical characteri...

Macrophage Fcgamma receptors (FcgammaRs) play an important role in the host defense against infection and in the pathophysiology of immune cytopenias. Modulation of macrophage FcgammaR expression is a potential therapeutic approach to immune disorders. Glucocorticoids and progesterones decrease macrophage FcgammaR expression. We assessed the effect of treatment with androgens and antiandrogens ...

Irregular menstrual bleeding in users of hormonal contraception represents the single major reason for discontinuation of these contraceptive methods. The mechanisms which underlie these bleeding disturbances are poorly understood, but appear to be associated with changes in the endometrial microvasculature following abnormal patterns of sex steroid exposure. Endometrial microvascular density i...

OBJECTIVES To analyze the clinical data of four patients with a diagnosis of tracheobronchial endometriosis, and to reappraise the diagnostic value of bronchoscopy and bronchial brush cytology in these patients. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of four patients with documented tracheobronchial endometriosis treated at National Taiwan University Hospital from 1994 to 1998. The comple...

We initiated this study to investigate whether combining Helicobacter pylori eradication with immunosuppressive therapy provides an additional benefit to patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) that has relapsed or has not responded to steroid and/or danazol therapy in patients who have H. pylori infection. Thirty- four patients with chronic ITP that had relapsed or failed to st...

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) results from a congenital deficiency of C1 inhibitor and is characterized by submucosal and subcutaneous edema of skin, larynx and abdomen. Occasional reports have appeared linking HAE with autoimmune diseases. We report a case of HAE presenting recurrent nondeforming polyarthritis, erythema marginatum-like rash and chest pain. There were no significant radiographic ...

BACKGROUND No systematic study has been published yet on the long-term efficacy of attenuated androgens in hereditary angioedema (HAE). Our aim was to conduct a follow-up study in two (German and Hungarian) cohorts of HAE patients (45 and 39 patients, respectively) undergoing uninterrupted treatment for 6 years with similar (starting dose 128 ± 78 mg per day and 136 ± 70 mg per day, respectivel...

Macrophage Fcg receptors (FcgRs) play an important role in the host defense against infection and in the pathophysiology of immune cytopenias. Modulation of macrophage FcgR expression is a potential therapeutic approach to immune disorders. Glucocorticoids and progesterones decrease macrophage FcgR expression. We assessed the effect of treatment with androgens and antiandrogens on the expressio...