Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Ann Nutr Metab 2018 19;73 Suppl 4:18-28. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Division on Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, First Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, Children's Hospital "Agia Sofia", Athens,

Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) comprise a group of chronic, inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, that are characterized, clinically, by symptoms related to the dysfunction of the involved segment(s) of the GI tract, and histologically, by dense eosinophilic inflammation, in the absence of an identifiable secondary cause. The group of EGIDs comprises eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), eosinophilic gastritis (EG), eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE), and eosinophilic colitis (EC). EoE is the most common and the best described EGID compared to EG, EGE, and EC. Read More

J Oral Maxillofac Surg 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Associate Professor, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Children's of Alabama, Birmingham, AL.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown etiology that commonly affects the lungs, lymph nodes, and skin. The disease often presents in patients between the third and sixth decade and its pathology is defined by the presence of noncaseating granulomas within organs throughout the body. Oral and neurologic involvement of sarcoid is extremely rare and occurs in approximately 1% and 5% of patients with the disease, respectively. Read More

Quintessence Int 2019 ;50(3):208-213

Acute myeloid leukemia is a bone marrow malignancy in which blasts count increases by more than 20% in the bone marrow. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHCT) is a treatment option for these patients with high risk of graft versus host disease (GVHD) development. Chronic GVHD (cGVHD) often mimics a variety of autoimmune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematous or systemic sclerosis. Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has an increasing role in medical decision-making. This review of the literature aims to provide an overview on HRQoL, costs, and work disability in SS, a disease characterized by focal lymphocytic infiltration of exocrine glands with no therapeutics of proven immunomodulatory potential. HRQoL is markedly reduced in SS in multiple studies across many countries when compared with HRQoL in healthy controls. Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2019 Jan 30. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Infection, Inflammation and Rheumatology Section, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK.

Objectives: Monogenic autoinflammatory disorders (AID) and primary immunodeficiencies can present early in life with features that may be mistaken for Behçet's disease (BD). We aimed to retrospectively describe the clinical and laboratory features of 11 paediatric cases referred for suspected BD who turned out to have an alternative, monogenic disease mimicking BD.

Methods: Retrospective, paediatric BD specialist multicentre case series. Read More

Dermatol Online J 2019 Jan 15;25(1). Epub 2019 Jan 15.

McGovern Medical School of University of Texas Houston Health Science Center, Houston, Texas.

The possible presentations of cytomegalovirus (CMV) are vast not only in its systemic manifestations, but also in the various cutaneous lesions that may result. Cutaneous cytomegalovirus is rarely reported in the literature because the clinical and pathologic features can be difficult to identify. Its identification, however, is vital as cutaneous human CMV infection can signal systemic disease and an unfavorable prognosis. Read More

Head Neck Pathol 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry, Richmond, VA, USA.

When faced with an uncertain clinical pathosis in the oral cavity, identifying the color of the mucosal lesion helps to narrow down a differential diagnosis. Although less common than red and white lesions, yellow lesions encompass a small group of distinct mucosal pathologic entities. Adipose tissue, lymphoid tissue, and sebaceous glands are naturally occurring yellow constituents of the oral cavity and become apparent with associated developmental or neoplastic lesions. Read More

J Indian Soc Periodontol 2019 Jan-Feb;23(1):12-20

Department of Periodontics, A B Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Nitte University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.

Background: Micronutrients play an important part in metabolism and maintenance of tissue function the maintenance of the integrity and vitality of the periodontal tissues depends on the availability of adequate nutrients, and it is possible that deficiencies can produce pathological alterations in the periodontal tissues. However, the association between nutritional factors and periodontal health is not fully understood. The essential micronutrients for maintaining health include zinc, copper, selenium, and iron. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2019 Jan 22;12(1). Epub 2019 Jan 22.

Oral Health Sciences Center, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.

Idiopathic gingival fibromatosis (GF), also known as gingivomatosis, is a rare condition in childhood, with an unknown aetiology. The oral manifestations of the condition are varied and depend on the severity and age of involvement. This paper describe the case of a 5-year-old male child with extensive gingival enlargement covering almost all the maxillary and mandibular teeth resulted in difficulty with speech, mastication and poor aesthetics. Read More

J Immunol Res 2018 20;2018:1246818. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA.

While the importance of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling is well established in many autoimmune diseases, the role of TLR activation in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is poorly understood. Studies in mice and humans reveal that TLRs are potent mediators of inflammation in SS. TLRs are expressed and functional in salivary tissue, and TLRs in peripheral blood cells of SS patients are also upregulated and hyperresponsive to ligation. Read More

Ned Tijdschr Tandheelkd 2019 Jan;126(1):23-28

Dental professionals will be confronted more frequently with medically compromised patients due to an increasing life expectancy in Western countries. The patients' systemic diseases and medication usage can both have consequences for oral health and dental treatment. It is often impossible to have all medical-dental interactions handy in the dental practice. Read More

J Indian Soc Periodontol 2018 Nov-Dec;22(6):551-554

Department of Periodontology, Mahatma Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Puducherry, India.

Pemphigus is an autoimmune disease affecting the skin and mucosae. Oral lesions are common and sometimes are the only manifestations of the disease. The clinical presentations of pemphigus might mimic other vesiculobullous lesions of the oral cavity. Read More

Curr Opin Rheumatol 2019 Mar;31(2):201-207

Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

Purpose Of Review: The resident bacterial communities and the host immune system have coevolved for millennia. However, recent changes in modern societies have disrupted this coevolutionary homeostasis and contributed to a rise in immune-mediated conditions. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of recently elucidated mechanisms of how certain taxa within the bacterial microbiome propagate autoimmunity. Read More

J Drugs Dermatol 2018 Dec;17(12):1328-1329

Behçet’s syndrome is an inflammatory disease characterized by aphthous oral ulcers and several systemic manifestations, which include genital ulcers, ocular disease, skin lesions, arthritis, and vascular disease Read More

J Clin Med 2018 Dec 25;8(1). Epub 2018 Dec 25.

Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Internal Medicine, IRCCS Fondazione Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milano, Italy.

Oral manifestations are frequent in patients with rheumatic diseases. The aim of this review is to offer readers practical advice concerning the onset, diagnosis and treatment of the main oral manifestations encountered in rheumatological and dental clinics. Signs and symptoms such as oral hyposalivation, xerostomia, temporomandibular joint disorders, periodontal disease, and dysphagia may be the first expression of a number of rheumatic diseases. Read More

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2018 Nov-Dec;36(6 Suppl 115):110-115. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Research Centre of Systemic Autoinflammatory Diseases, Behçet's Disease Clinic and Rheumatology-Ophthalmology Collaborative Uveitis Centre, Department of Medical Sciences, Surgery and Neurosciences, University of Siena, Italy.

Objectives: Behçet's disease (BD) is an autoinflammatory disorders mainly characterised by recurrent oral aphthosis, genital ulcers, and uveitis. The involvement of immunoglobulin D (IgD) in BD physiopathology is still unclear. The aim of our study was to assess the role of IgD in BD by comparing circulating levels of IgD in a cohort of BD patients and healthy controls (HC), as well as by correlating IgD levels with BD activity and different clinical presentations. Read More

Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal 2019 Jan 1;24(1):e1-e7. Epub 2019 Jan 1.

Bellvitge University Campus, Department of Dental Medicine - School of Dentistry, Pabellón de Gobierno, C/. Feixa LLarga s/n, 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona - Spain,

Background: Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the oral mucosa as well as the skin, genital mucosa and other sites.

Objective: to evaluate the correlation between oral, genital and cutaneous lichen planus, in a sample of LP patients.

Material And Methods: This descriptive study reviewed 274 clinical histories of patients, who all presented histological confirmation of lichen planus verified by a pathologist, attending research centers in Barcelona. Read More

J Rheumatol 2018 Dec 15. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

S.R. Johnson MD PhD FRCPC, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Toronto Western Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. D. Khanna MD MS, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Michigan, USA. R. Cervera MD PhD FRCP, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain. N. Costedoat-Chalumeau MD PhD AP-HP, Cochin Hospital, Internal Medicine Department, Centre de référence maladies auto-immunes et systémiques rares d'île de France, Paris, France ; Université Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France ; INSERM U 1153, Center for Epidemiology and Statistics Sorbonne Paris Cité (CRESS), Paris, France. D.D. Gladman MD FRCPC, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. B.H. Hahn MD, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA. F. Hiepe MD, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. J. Sánchez-Guerrero MD MSc, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Mount Sinai Hospital/University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico. E. Massarotti MD, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. D.T. Boumpas MD FACP FACR, National and Kapodestrian University of Athens, and Biomedical Research Foundation of the Athens Academy, Athens, Greece. K.H Costenbader MD MPH, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. D. Daikh MD, University of California, San Francisco, USA. D. Jayne MD FRCP FRCPE FMedSci, Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. T. Dörner MD, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany. D.L. Kamen MD MSCR, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA. M. Mosca MD PhD, University of Pisa, Italy. R. Ramsey-Goldman MD DrPH, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA. J.S. Smolen MD, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. D. Wofsy MD, University of California, San Francisco, USA. M. Aringer MD, University Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany. Address correspondence to Sindhu Johnson MD PhD, Division of Rheumatology, Ground Floor, East Wing, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 2S8. Phone 1-416-603-6417 Fax.1-416-603- 4348. Email:

Objective: Given the complexity and heterogeneity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), high performing classification criteria are critical to advancing research and clinical care. A collaborative effort by EULAR and ACR was undertaken to generate candidate criteria, and then to reduce them to a smaller set. The objective of the current study was to select a set of criteria that maximizes the likelihood of accurate classification of SLE, particularly early disease. Read More

Lupus 2018 Dec 6:961203318816820. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

1 Rheumatology, Clinical Immunology and Allergy, University of Crete School of Medicine, Iraklio, Greece.

Background: Examining urban-rural differences can provide insights into susceptibility or modifying factors of complex diseases, yet limited data exist on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Objective: To study SLE risk, manifestations and severity in relation to urban versus rural residence.

Methodology: Cross-sectional analysis of the Crete Lupus Registry. Read More

Arq Gastroenterol 2018 Jul-Sep;55(3):290-295

Universidade do Estado da Bahia, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Salvador, BA, Brasil.

Background: The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease is often delayed because of the lack of an ability to recognize its major clinical manifestations.

Objective: Our study aimed to describe the onset of clinical manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease patients.

Methods: A cross-sectional study. Read More

Case Rep Dermatol 2018 Sep-Dec;10(3):226-230. Epub 2018 Oct 18.

Department of Dermatology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, Kashihara, Japan.

We report the case of a 45-year-old female with generalized morphea (GM), who exhibited positivity for the anti-centromere antibody (Ab). She frequently developed multiple sclerotic skin lesions, whose histological findings were compatible with morphea. She demonstrated favorable responses to topical and oral steroids. Read More

Pediatr Dermatol 2019 Jan 26;36(1):e27-e30. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Drug-induced reactions are complications associated with high mortality and significant morbidity. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are examples of these conditions, which are characterized by skin and mucous lesions. Here, we report a case of a 9-year-old girl who presented with blisters associated with an extensive vesicular rash and multiple ulcerations on the lips and oral cavity. Read More

Joint Bone Spine 2018 Nov 22. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Centre national de référence des maladies auto-inflammatoires et de l'amylose inflammatoire (CEREMAIA), 94270 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France; Cellules souches, plasticité cellulaire, médecine régénératrice et immunothérapies, Inserm, Université de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France; Département de génétique médicale, maladies rares et médecine personnalisée, CHU de Montpellier, 34295 Montpellier, France.

The spectrum of factors known to mediate autoinflammation has broadened recently to include not only interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interferon, but also abnormalities that impair NF-κB pathway negative regulation. The NF-κB pathway is activated upon contact of a ligand with tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) and plays a pivotal role in triggering the inflammatory process by producing major cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, and TNF. Negative regulation of the NF-κB pathway, which is essential to stop the inflammatory process, depends on the level of ubiquitination of the proteins associated with TNFR1 and of other intermediate compounds. Read More

Ther Umsch 2018 Nov;75(4):235-239

1 Internistischer Dienst, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich.

Hemochromatosis related Arthropathy Abstract. Hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disease that is caused by an HFE gene mutation (High Iron Fe) in most patients. Pathophysiologically, the effect of the mutation is an increased iron absorption in the gut. Read More

J Craniofac Surg 2018 Nov 15. Epub 2018 Nov 15.

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery II, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka, Japan.

Gingival enlargement, although frequently encountered in clinical settings, is rarely associated with systemic diseases or syndromes. Among the diverse pathological conditions of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1), minor manifestations in the orofacial region are occasionally overlooked. Herein, the authors present an unusual case of gingival neurofibroma in a patient with NF-1 associated with characteristic osseous defects in the alveolus in the long-term course of 17 years from the first examination. Read More

J Prosthodont 2018 Oct 25. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Oral Medicine, Diagnosis, Radiology, and Periodontology Department, Faculty of Dentistry, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.

Purpose: To evaluate marginal bone loss (MBL) of dental implants inserted in active lichen planus patients.

Materials And Methods: The study included 59 subjects divided into 3 groups depending on their lichen planus diagnosis and administration of a low dose of corticosteroids: 17 healthy individuals, 20 controlled lichen planus patients controlled using low doses of systemic corticosteroids, and 22 noncontrolled lichen planus patients. During 4-year follow-up sessions MBL was evaluated, and biopsies were collected from lichen planus patients and examined. Read More

J Dent Child (Chic) 2018 May;85(2):75-78

ALYN Hospital Pediatric and Adolescent Rehabilitation Center, in Jerusalem, Israel.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease characterized by abnormal proliferation of bone marrow-derived histiocytes (Langerhans cells). LCH may manifest orally with single or multiple lesions of the alveolar or basal bone. Ulcerated mucosal lesions may be accompanied by periodontal lesions that present with gingival inflammation, bleeding, recession, necrosis, toothache, dental hypermobility, tooth development abnormalities, and premature tooth loss. Read More

Dtsch Arztebl Int 2018 Sep;155(37):599-605

Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Comprehensive Pneumology Center Munich, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany; Department of Medicine, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, University Hospitals of Gießen and Marburg, Marburg site, German Center for Lung Research (DZL); Department of Respiratory Medicine, Allergology and Sleep Medicine, General Hospital Nürnberg, Paracelsus Medical University, Nürnberg, Germany.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is common around the world and carries a high morbidity and mortality. Symptom- and risk-oriented drug treatment is recommended, both in Germany and in other countries. It is not yet known to what extent the treatment that is actually delivered in Germany corresponds to the current recommendations in the guidelines. Read More

Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Pannonica Adriat 2018 Sep;27(3):153-154

Department of Dermatology, Şırnak State Hospital, Şırnak, Turkey.

Behçet's disease is a rare disorder of unknown etiology that is classified as a systemic vasculitis. The prevalence of the disease is high in countries in the Far East, Mediterranean Basin, and East Asia. Thus, it is also known as the Silk Road Disease. Read More

J Gastrointestin Liver Dis 2018 Sep;27(3):331-336

Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, 'Nuovo Regina Margherita' Hospital, Rome, Italy.

Whipple's disease (WD) is known as an infrequent, systemic, chronic infection caused by the actinomycete Tropherima whipplei (T. whipplei). The disease is frequently characterized by a long prodromal and protean extra-intestinal phase, which often causes misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatments. Read More

Pediatr Clin North Am 2018 10;65(5):1007-1032

The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.

Oral health is integral to general health. The oral cavity may harbor manifestations of systemic disease and can be the harbinger of early onset. Primary care providers (PCPs) can therefore use the oral cavity to support working diagnoses. Read More

Spec Care Dentist 2018 Nov 12;38(6):426-433. Epub 2018 Sep 12.

Oral Diagnosis Department, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.

Aim: Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is an unusual proliferative disorder of bone marrow-derived histiocytes (Langerhans cells) that can produce focal or systemic manifestations. Oral manifestations of LCH can present as single or multiple lesions and can be a challenge in clinical practice. The aim of this paper is to present the clinicopathological features of a series of nine patients with oral involvement. Read More

Paediatr Int Child Health 2018 Sep 7:1-5. Epub 2018 Sep 7.

a Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital , Mahidol University , Bangkok , Thailand.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem, autoimmune inflammatory disease which can affect any organ, including the gastrointestinal tract. Lupus enteritis is one of the manifestations of gastrointestinal involvement in SLE patients. However, it is exceedingly rare that lupus enteritis is the sole initial presentation of SLE. Read More

Intern Med J 2018 09;48(9):1035-1040

Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Background: Oral health is an important predictor for general health, and poor oral health is interrelated with the manifestations of systemic disease.

Aim: To determine the extent of oral health education in medical schools across Australia.

Methods: A survey of Australian medical schools was conducted (September 2013 to June 2014). Read More

Open Access Maced J Med Sci 2018 Aug 15;6(8):1545-1553. Epub 2018 Aug 15.

College of Dentistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic disease, is a public health problem that affects 8.5% adult population worldwide. The number of adults with DM has risen sharply from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. Read More

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2018 May-Jun;36 Suppl 112(3):198-209. Epub 2018 Jul 25.

Sjögren's Syndrome Research Group (AGAUR), Laboratory of Autoimmune Diseases Josep Font, IDIBAPS-CELLEX, Department of Autoimmune Diseases, ICMiD, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona; and University of Barcelona, Spain.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease that mainly targets the exocrine glands. The disease overwhelmingly affects women around 30-60 years old, and more than 95% of patients present with oral and/or ocular dryness, although they may also develop a wide number of organ-specific systemic manifestations. The variable presentation is often linked to the influence of multiple personal determinants. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Aug 27;2018. Epub 2018 Aug 27.

University hospitals of Plymouth, Royal Eye Infirmary, Derriford, Plymouth, UK.

Chikungunya is a systemic viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes in endemic areas of Africa, Asia and more recently in the Americas. Chikungunya infection produces a sudden onset of fever, joint pains and erythematous skin eruption. A plethora of ocular manifestations have been described ranging from a non-specific conjunctivitis to exudative retinal detachment. Read More

Onco Targets Ther 2018 10;11:4733-4738. Epub 2018 Aug 10.

Department of Medical Oncology, Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Medical School, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, People's Republic of China,

Rationale: Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) is an important cause of mortality in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). As the symptoms of LM and its early clinical manifestations are nonspecific, early diagnosis of LM is difficult. However, there are few treatment options for LM, which leads to a poor prognosis; thus, increased clinical attention is necessary. Read More

Curr Opin Ophthalmol 2018 Nov;29(6):582-587

Emory Eye Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Purpose Of Review: To review the systemic and ocular complications of Bartonella spp. infections specifically cat scratch disease, encompassing epidemiology, laboratory diagnostics, ophthalmic imagining, and treatment.

Recent Findings: Recent studies have shown that ocular manifestations occur in approximately 4. Read More

Curr Vasc Pharmacol 2019 ;17(2):119-122

Division of Cardiology, Terrence Donnelly Heart Center, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada.

Clopidogrel remains a widely used antiplatelet agent for patients with established or high risk of atherothrombotic disease, particularly those treated with coronary, carotid or peripheral endovascular stenting. Clopidogrel hypersensitivity is an uncommon but well established adverse drug reaction presenting a challenge for patient management. The clinical presentation ranges from focal or diffuse cutaneous manifestations in most patients to angioedema in some and a systemic immune response in rare cases. Read More

Allergol Int 2018 Oct 10;67(4):448-454. Epub 2018 Aug 10.

Department of Dermatology, Course of Integrated Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita-shi, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. Electronic address:

We have reported characteristic cutaneous manifestations of Sjögren syndrome (SS) with special references to autoimmune anhidrosis or hypoidrosis and related mucocutaenous manifestations in addition to annular erythema or cutaneous vasculitis. Although significance of cutaneous manifestations of SS has been gradually recognized in rheumatologists, sudomotor function has not been fully evaluated and recognized in the diagnosis of SS except for dermatologists. SS is a relatively underestimated collagen disease in contrast to SLE, systemic sclerosis, or dermatomyositis, special care should be needed not to make misdiagnosis of SS when we see the patients with common skin disease such as, drug eruption, infections skin disease or xerosis in the daily practice. Read More

Adv Clin Exp Med 2018 Aug 6. Epub 2018 Aug 6.

Clinical Department of Internal Diseases, Dermatology and Allergology, School of Medicine with the Division of Dentistry in Zabrze, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.

Results: Read More

Rheumatology (Sunnyvale) 2018 30;8(1). Epub 2018 Mar 30.

Division of Rheumatology and Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine and Pathology, Hospitals Kings County Hospital Brooklyn, State University of New York, USA.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by fibroproliferative alterations of the microvasculature leading to fibrosis and loss of function of the skin and internal organs. Gastrointestinal manifestations of SSc are the most commonly encountered complications of the disease affecting nearly 90% of the SSc population. Among these complications, the esophagus and the anorectum are the most commonly affected. Read More

Lupus 2018 Sep 18;27(10):1712-1717. Epub 2018 Jul 18.

1 Pediatric Rheumatology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Objective The objective of this study was to compare demographic data, clinical/laboratorial features and disease activity at diagnosis in three different groups with distinct time intervals between onset of signs/symptoms and disease diagnosis. Methods A multicenter study was performed in 1555 childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (American College of Rheumatology criteria) patients from 27 pediatric rheumatology services. Patients were divided into three childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus groups: A: short time interval to diagnosis (<1 month); B: intermediate time interval (≥1 and <3 months); and C: long time interval (≥3 months). Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2018 Nov;57(11):1956-1963

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC.

Objective: We examined features of clinically amyopathic JDM (CAJDM), in which patients have characteristic rashes with little to no evidence of muscle involvement, to determine whether this is a distinct phenotype from JDM.

Methods: Demographic, clinical, laboratory and treatment data from 12 (9 hypomyopathic, 3 amyopathic) patients meeting modified Sontheimer criteria for CAJDM and from 60 matched JDM patients meeting Bohan and Peter criteria were examined. Differences were evaluated by Fisher's exact and Mann-Whitney tests, random forests and logistic regression analysis. Read More

J Craniofac Surg 2018 Sep;29(6):e555-e556

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Integrated Clinic, Araçatuba Dental School, UNESP, Araçatuba, Brazil.

Myiasis has been defined as a pathologic condition where dipterous larvae are lodged in mammalian hosts causing an infestation, which feeds on living or dead tissue for at least a certain period inside the host and develops itself as parasites. In humans, the most commonly affected sites are the nose, eyes, skin wounds, sinuses, lungs, ears, gut, gall bladder, vagina, nasal cavities, and rarely the mouth because the oral tissues are rarely exposed to the external environment. The etiology of oral myiasis is usually related to local factors such as poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease and labial incompetence, and systemic factors such as neurologic deficits. Read More

Autoimmun Rev 2018 Sep 10;17(9):866-872. Epub 2018 Jul 10.

Université Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité, France; AP-HP, Centre de référence maladies auto-immunes et systémiques rares de l'île de France, Service de médecine interne Pôle médecine, Hôpital Cochin, 27 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75679 Paris cedex 14, France; INSERM U 1153, Center for Epidemiology and Statistics Sorbonne Paris Cité (CRESS), Paris, France. Electronic address:

Objectives: To assess the limitations of the SLICC (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics) classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), in patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome (PAPS).

Methods: Retrospective study of a cohort of APS patients (Sydney criteria). We successively excluded patients with (1) at least one "SLE-specific" manifestation (biopsy-proven SLE nephropathy, arthritis, cutaneous, or neurologic SLE manifestations, pericarditis, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, oral and nasal ulcers, non-scarring alopecia, anti-dsDNA, and anti-Sm antibodies), (2) any other autoimmune connective tissue disease, and/or (3) antinuclear antibodies >1/320. Read More

Nat Rev Dis Primers 2018 Jul 12;4(1). Epub 2018 Jul 12.

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Weymouth, UK.

Vibrio is a genus of ubiquitous bacteria found in a wide variety of aquatic and marine habitats; of the >100 described Vibrio spp., ~12 cause infections in humans. Vibrio cholerae can cause cholera, a severe diarrhoeal disease that can be quickly fatal if untreated and is typically transmitted via contaminated water and person-to-person contact. Read More

Rheum Dis Clin North Am 2018 08;44(3):419-436

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.

Dry eye and dry mouth symptoms are each reported by up to 30% of persons more than 65 years of age, particularly in women. Medication side effects are the most common contributing factors. The evaluation of these symptoms requires measures of ocular and oral dryness. Read More

Arthritis Res Ther 2018 07 11;20(1):142. Epub 2018 Jul 11.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.

Background: Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a systemic disease characterized by large vessel involvement. Although the vascular characteristics of TAK are well characterized, there is no well-organized study demonstrating the extravascular manifestations of TAK. We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of extravascular manifestations of TAK, and to identify the association between vascular and extravascular manifestations of TAK. Read More