Ali Deeb; Said Hamdoun; Khaled Dababo
Volume 6, Issue 3 , September 2009, , Pages 154-159
Abstract
Background: Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are a heterogeneous family of anti-bodies associated with thrombosis and other complications. Objective: To study the prevalence of aPL in patients with thrombosis at Aleppo University Hospitals, Syria. Methods: One hundred and fifty-seven patients with venous ...
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Background: Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) are a heterogeneous family of anti-bodies associated with thrombosis and other complications. Objective: To study the prevalence of aPL in patients with thrombosis at Aleppo University Hospitals, Syria. Methods: One hundred and fifty-seven patients with venous and arterial thrombosis and 63 healthy controls were studied. Anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) and Lupus antico-agulant (LA) were determined. Results: Thirty-four out of 157 (21.7%) patients with thrombosis had some type of aPL. aPL was also found in four healthy subjects (4/63=6.3%). Eighteen patients (11.5%) were positive for LA, 20 (12.7%) for aCL anti-bodies and 4 (2.6%) were positive for more than one aPL. Patients without risk factors for thrombosis and having positive aPL were 23/34 (67.7%). Fourteen out of 78 (17.9%) patients with arterial thrombosis, and 20/79 (25.3%) with venous thrombosis were positive for at least one aPL. Conclusion: Our study showed a significant preva-lence of aPL in patients with thrombosis. It seems that aPL is a risk factor for venous and arterial thrombosis, especially in patients with no conventional risk factors.
Sara Kashef; Farid Ghazizadeh; Ali Derakhshan; Shirin Farjadian; Soheila Alyasin
Volume 5, Issue 3 , September 2008, , Pages 181-184
Abstract
Background: Infection is now the most common cause of morbidity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). There is lack of information regarding the specific antibody forma-tion in response to vaccines in young SLE patients. Objective: To determine the efficacy of anti-tetanus antibody response in young ...
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Background: Infection is now the most common cause of morbidity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). There is lack of information regarding the specific antibody forma-tion in response to vaccines in young SLE patients. Objective: To determine the efficacy of anti-tetanus antibody response in young patients with SLE. Methods: Forty SLE pa-tients with mean age of 14.1 years (range: 7-21) and 60 age and sex matched normal con-trols were enrolled in this study over a period of one year. Diagnosis was made according to the ACR criteria and disease activity was determined based on SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). All patients and controls had received the complete schedule of tetanus vaccinations consisting of three primary doses and two boosters by the age of six. Serum immunoglobulins and anti-tetanus antibody titers were determined by Nephelometry and ELISA. Anti-tetanus antibody levels greater than 0.1 IU/ml have been suggested as pro-tective. Results: In all of the patients and controls anti-tetanus antibody titer was > 0.1 IU/ml. IgG, IgA, and IgM levels were in the normal range for their age. Mean disease ac-tivity score was 4.9 (range: 0-16). There was no association between SLEDAI score and anti-tetanus antibody response. Conclusion: School age onset and immunosuppressive therapy does not seem to interfere with development of consistent immunity to tetanus vaccine in young SLE patients.
Maryam Rastin; Mohammad Reza Hatef; Nafise Tabasi; Akram Sheikh; Javid Morad Abbasi; Mahmoud Mahmoudi
Volume 4, Issue 2 , June 2007, , Pages 110-115
Abstract
Background: Systemic Lupus Eyrythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease charac-terized by antibodies to nuclear antigens, particularly anti-dsDNA. Imbalance between production and destruction of immune cells causes cytopenia. Sex hormones have im-munomodulatory effects; estrogen increases the production ...
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Background: Systemic Lupus Eyrythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease charac-terized by antibodies to nuclear antigens, particularly anti-dsDNA. Imbalance between production and destruction of immune cells causes cytopenia. Sex hormones have im-munomodulatory effects; estrogen increases the production of autoantibodies in SLE prone NZB/NZW mice. Objective: To investigate the relationship between sex hor-mones, anti-dsDNA, and lymphocyte subsets in Iranian patients with SLE. Methods: 38 SLE patients (28 females and 10 males) meeting 4 of 11 ACR revised criteria for SLE classification, and 20 age and sex matched healthy individuals (10 females and 10 males) participated in this study. Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed using flow cy-tometric analysis. Serum anti-dsDNA levels and sex hormones concentrations were de-termined using commercial ELISA and RIA kits, respectively. Results: The absolute count of white blood cells, lymphocytes, T lymphocytes (CD3+), T helper cells (CD3+CD4+), B cells (CD19+) and Nk cells (CD3- CD16+CD56+) in SLE patients di-minished significantly in comparison to control group (p<0.05). IgG anti-dsDNA anti-body levels were significantly higher in patients compared to controls as expected (p<0.05). Prolactin increased significantly, while DHEAS showed a significant decrease in SLE patients compared with the controls (p<0.05), however the level of estrogen did not have any significant difference in SLE patients in comparison to controls. Conclusion: Increased concentration of prolactin together with a simultaneous decrease in serum DHEAS in SLE patients are associated with anti-dsDNA elevation and a decrease in almost all lymphocyte subsets.