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Cureus 2019 Feb 7;11(2):e4028. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Internal Hospital, Civil Hospital Karachi, Karachi, PAK.

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic inflammatory large-vessel vasculitis of the aorta and its major branches. It is a relatively rare disease, which presents with a wide spectrum of clinical features. Back pain is, however, rarely described to be a presenting symptom of TA. Read More

Heart Views 2018 Jul-Sep;19(3):102-105

Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Korea.

We report the case of a 54-year-old female patient with a history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who presented with dyspnea on exertion. Her pulsation on both arms was weak. Magnetic resonance (MR) angiography revealed Takayasu's arteritis (TA) characterized by multiple stenosis involving innominate, left common carotid, and left subclavian arteries. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 Apr 11. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milano, Italy. Electronic address:

BMC Nephrol 2019 Apr 18;20(1):131. Epub 2019 Apr 18.

Division of Nephrology, Japanese Red Cross Medical Center, 4-1-22 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-8935, Japan.

Background: Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic vasculitis of unknown etiology that primarily affects large vessels. Although renal involvement is frequent in TA, patients with TA undergoing renal replacement therapy, especially long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD) and kidney transplantation (KTx), are rarely reported. We herein present the case of an elderly patient with TA treated by PD for more than 5 years and underwent KTx thereafter. Read More

Coron Artery Dis 2019 Apr 16. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.

Intern Med 2019 Apr 17. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan.

The number of Takayasu arteritis (TAK) cases being diagnosed at an advanced age has increased, including some who develop ischemic lesions without inflammation of the involved arteries long after the onset of TAK. However, few histopathological analyses of such patients without immunosuppressive therapy have been reported. We herein report a 92-year-old woman with atypical aortic coarctation complicating TAK who underwent bypass graft surgery and survived for 23 years without immunosuppressive therapy. Read More

Aging Clin Exp Res 2019 Apr 16. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Department of Internal Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Ann Rheum Dis 2019 Apr 16. Epub 2019 Apr 16.

Unit of Rheumatology, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.

BMJ Case Rep 2019 Apr 15;12(4). Epub 2019 Apr 15.

Department of Internal Medicine, Okinawa Chubu Hospital, Uruma, Japan.

Nephrotic range proteinuria and metabolic alkalosis are unusual findings in large vessel vasculitis. In this case, renovascular hypertension with unilateral renal artery stenosis in Takayasu arteritis was complicated by nephrotic range proteinuria. Symptoms resolved after angioplasty, although non-nephrotic proteinuria persisted. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Apr;98(15):e15143

Department of Cardiology, Zigong First People's Hospital, Zigong, Sichuan, PR China.

Rationale: Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the aorta and its major branches. Initial diagnosis is usually difficult due to the highly variable symptoms. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a very rare presentation in patients with TA. Read More

An Pediatr (Barc) 2019 Apr 10. Epub 2019 Apr 10.

Unidad de Reumatología Pediátrica, Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España; Departamento de Pediatría, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España.

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2019 Apr 2;19(1):79. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan.

Background: Takayasu arteritis is a rare systemic vasculitis, which affects the aorta and its major branches, especially in young females. Diagnosis and treatment for Takayasu arteritis with coronary stenosis are important to prevent fatal complications. Immunosuppressive treatment such as corticosteroid is a common treatment for this condition. Read More

Immunol Med 2018 Mar 3;41(1):39-42. Epub 2018 Apr 3.

a Department of Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Nephrology , Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University , Sapporo , Japan.

Pulmonary hypertension associated with large vessel pulmonary arteritis (LVPA) has been reported in the course of Takayasu arteritis (TAK). Biologic therapies targeting inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin-6, have recently been successful to treat refractory TAK. Infliximab (IFX), an anti-TNF-α antibody and tocilizumab (TCZ), an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody may have similar efficacy and safety profile in the treatment of TAK. Read More

J Assoc Physicians India 2019 Jan;67(1):80-81

5HOD and Professor of Ophthalmology, Department of Medicine, Coimbatore Medical College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Presse Med 2019 Mar 26. Epub 2019 Mar 26.

Heart Center Leipzig, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Leipzig, Germany.

Case Rep Neurol Med 2019 18;2019:7942825. Epub 2019 Feb 18.

Department of Internal Medicine, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.

Takayasu arteritis is a rare chronic progressive granulomatous necrotizing large vessel panvasculitis mainly involving aorta and its main branches. It commonly affects the female in second to third decades. Common clinical features of Takayasu arteritis are hypertension, claudication, dizziness, headache, or fever. Read More

BMC Rheumatol 2018 12;2:20. Epub 2018 Jul 12.

1Professorial Unit in Medicine, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Background: Takayasu arteritis is a rare large vessel vasculitis which predominantly affects young Asian females. Aortic regurgitation and heart failure are well described manifestations which are usually preceded by constitutional symptoms, limb claudication, pulse and blood pressure discrepancies, vascular bruits and features of organ ischaemia.

Case Presentation: A 25-year- old Sri Lankan female presented with a three days history of acute shortness of breath, cough and orthopnoea. Read More

J Card Surg 2019 Mar 14. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Department of Cardiac Sciences, Section of Cardiac Surgery, Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Following aortic surgery for vasculitis, the incidence and duration of onset of anastomotic breakdown is unclear. A case is presented of a young female patient with Takayasu's arteritis (TA) who was found to have frank dehiscence of a modified Bentall repair 7 years after surgery. The case highlights (i) the lack of normal healing following aortic surgery in TA, and (ii) need to differentiate imaging protocols for patients with defined vasculitis as opposed to degenerative aortic conditions. Read More

Int J Rheum Dis 2019 Mar 12. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Systemic Autoimmune Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Virgen de las Nieves¨ University Hospital, Granada, Spain.

AJR Am J Roentgenol 2019 Mar 5:1-6. Epub 2019 Mar 5.

1 Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Research Institute of Radiological Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Korea.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the safety of uterine artery embolization (UAE) for symptomatic leiomyomas in patients with autoimmune disease.

Materials And Methods: Of 1183 patients who underwent UAE for symptomatic leiomyomas, nine patients (mean age, 42.6 years; range, 34-49 years) with autoimmune disease were included in this study. Read More

J Nucl Cardiol 2019 Mar 4. Epub 2019 Mar 4.

Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, 830-0011, Japan.

BMC Neurol 2019 Mar 2;19(1):34. Epub 2019 Mar 2.

Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Nagoya Medical Center, 4-1-1 Sannomaru, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.

Background: Moyamoya vasculopathy (MMV) associated with Graves' disease (GD) is a rare condition resulting in ischemic stroke accompanied by thyrotoxicity. Radiological findings of vasculitis have been reported in the walls of distal internal carotid arteries (ICAs) in these patients; however, no reports have described in detail the processes of progression of the lesions in the proximal ICA. Moreover, treatments to prevent recurrence of ischemic stroke and progression of MMV have not yet been sufficiently elucidated. Read More

J Rheumatol 2019 Mar 1. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

From the Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Rheumatism and Immunity, PLA, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China. This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2015CB553704) and the National Nature Science Foundation Key Research Project of China (2017YFC0909002). Z.Q. Li, MS, Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Rheumatism and Immunity, PLA, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University; Z.H. Zheng, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Rheumatism and Immunity, PLA, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University; J. Ding, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Rheumatism and Immunity, PLA, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University; X.F. Li, MS, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University; Y.F. Zhao, MS, Department of Ultrasound, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University; F. Kang, MD, PhD, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University; Y. Li, MS, Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Rheumatism and Immunity, PLA, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University; L.X. Pang, MS, Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Rheumatism and Immunity, PLA, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University; W.L. Du, MS, Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Rheumatism and Immunity, PLA, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University; Z.B. Wu, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Rheumatism and Immunity, PLA, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University; P. Zhu, MD, PhD, Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Rheumatism and Immunity, PLA, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University. ZhiQin Li and ZhaoHui Zheng contributed equally to this work. Address correspondence to Dr. P. Zhu, Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Rheumatism and Immunity, PLA, Branch of Immune Cell Biology, State Key Discipline of Cell Biology, XijingHospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 127 WestChangle Road, Xi'an 710032, Shaanxi Province, China. E-mail: Accepted for publication October 29, 2018.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) compared with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in assessing vessel inflammation of Takayasu arteritis (TA).

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 71 patients with TA who had undergone carotid CEUS. Twenty-two of 71 patients underwent FDG-PET after CEUS. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2019 Feb 20. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan, College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Background: To investigate the effect of statins on relapse of Takayasu arteritis (TAK), which frequently occurs after achievement of remission.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on TAK patients with active disease, diagnosed between 2012 and 2017. Relapse was defined as recurrence of active disease after achieving remission. Read More

Mod Rheumatol 2019 Feb 22:1-5. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

a Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine , Keio University School of Medicine , Tokyo , Japan.

Med Sci Monit 2019 Feb 22;25:1401-1409. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Kahramanmaras, Turkey.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the ratio of C-reactive protein (CRP) to albumin, inflammatory markers, and parameters from the complete blood count (CBC) in patients with Takayasu arteritis and the association with disease activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective study included thirty-two patients with Takayasu arteritis and 32 healthy controls. Clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with Takayasu arteritis were recorded at baseline, before medication and on remission. Read More

An Pediatr (Barc) 2019 Feb 15. Epub 2019 Feb 15.

Unidad de Cardiología Pediátrica, Unidad de Gestión Clínica de Pediatría, Hospital Materno Infantil, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, España.

Clin Immunol 2019 Feb 14. Epub 2019 Feb 14.

Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, USA.

Giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis are autoimmune vasculitides that cause aneurysm formation and tissue infarction. Extravascular inflammation consists of an intense acute phase response. Deeper understanding of pathogenic events in the vessel wall has highlighted the loss of tissue protective mechanisms, the intrusion of immune cells into "forbidden territory", and the autonomy of self-renewing vasculitic infiltrates. Read More

J Neurosci Rural Pract 2019 Jan-Mar;10(1):170-171

Department of CTVS, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.

Clin Rheumatol 2019 Feb 9. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.

Objectives: The frequency of different vasculitides and their characteristics vary among different regions. The identification of geographic disparities of disease phenotypes helps the development of international criteria, allowing the classification of patients of different ethnicities. This study aimed to describe the frequency, characteristics, course, response to treatment, and outcome of the different adulthood vasculitides in Egypt. Read More

Joint Bone Spine 2019 Feb 6. Epub 2019 Feb 6.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Gazi University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.

Objectives: Takayasu arteritis and Spondyloarthritis are two distinct inflammatory diseases that affect the same age periods. Increasing number of reports on co-incident Takayasu arteritis-spondyloarthritis cases in literature raised the hypotheses about their association. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence of spondyloarthropathy spectrum diseases in Takayasu arteritis patients. Read More

Gastroenterol Res Pract 2019 13;2019:3012509. Epub 2019 Jan 13.

Department of Internal Medicine, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi 700111, Romania.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) refers to a group of chronic inflammatory diseases that targets mainly the gastrointestinal tract. The clinical presentation of IBD includes both gastrointestinal manifestations and extraintestinal manifestations (EIM). The reported cardiovascular manifestations in IBD patients include pericarditis, myocarditis, venous and arterial thromboembolism, arrhythmias, atrioventricular block, heart failure, endocarditis, valvulopathies, and Takayasu arteritis. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Feb;98(6):e14493

Center for Hypertension of People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Hypertension Institute of Xinjiang, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a kind of proinflammatory mediator that acts as an alarmin when released by dying, injured or activated cells. Previous studies have reported that HMGB1 are closely linked to antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV). The present study aimed to evaluate whether serum HMGB1 levels were associated with systemic vasculitis (VAs). Read More

Arthritis Rheumatol 2019 Feb 4. Epub 2019 Feb 4.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.

Am J Med 2019 Jan 31. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.

Ter Arkh 2018 Feb;90(1):76-85

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia.

Systemic vasculitis is a heterogeneous group of inflammatory diseases, which are classified according to the diameter of the affected vessels. The treatment of systemic vasculitis is no longer empirical, because of increasing number of randomized clinical trials in this field. In recent years, there was a trend to limit the cumulative dose of glucocorticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs, partially through biological drugs usage. Read More

Int J Rheum Dis 2019 Jan;22 Suppl 1:60-68

Department of Clinical Immunology & Rheumatology, Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, India.

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a challenging large vessel vasculitis to treat. Distinguishing disease activity from vascular damage is difficult, often relying on clinician judgement aided by composite clinical disease activity indices with angiographic evidence of vessel wall thickening or vessel wall hypermetabolism demonstrable on positron emission tomography computerized tomography (PET CT). Glucocorticoids form the mainstay of remission induction. Read More

Int J Rheum Dis 2019 Jan;22 Suppl 1:49-52

Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India.

Takayasu arteritis (TA), despite being classified as a large vessel vasculitis, has distinct genetic, pathological and clinical features as compared to giant cell arteritis. It is a rare disease seen more commonly in Asian countries. The challenge lies in assessing the degree of inflammation in a narrowed vessel and immunosuppressive therapy improves inflammatory features but is unable to open up an occluded vessel. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 Jan 24;9(1):688. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.

Takayasu arteritis (TAK) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) are two major variants of large vessel vasculitis, and age is a major factor in their differential diagnosis. We sought to determine whether the two diseases exist on the same spectrum. We compared the serum levels of multiple cytokines and chemokines in 25 patients with TAK, 20 patients with GCA, and sex- and age-matched healthy donors for either condition (HD-TAK and HD-GCA). Read More

Ultraschall Med 2019 Jan 23. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Division of Vascular Medicine, Medical Clinic and Policlinic IV, Hospital of the Ludwigs-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.

Purpose:  To assess the diagnostic value of intima media thickness measurements and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) of the supraaortic arteries in the assessment of disease activity in Takayasu arteritis (TA).

Materials And Methods:  Patients with TA and involvement of the carotid and/or subclavian/axillary arteries underwent CEUS imaging in addition to B-mode and color duplex ultrasound. The maximum IMT (mIMT) was measured and high-resolution CEUS of the most prominently thickened vessel segment was performed. Read More

Arthritis Res Ther 2019 Jan 22;21(1):31. Epub 2019 Jan 22.

State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Background: Childhood Takayasu's arteritis (c-TA) is scarcely reported but is characterized by devastating morbidity and mortality. This study aims to investigate the clinical course of c-TA and prognostic factors associated with rehospitalization and events including vascular complications, flares, and death.

Methods: An ambispective study of 101 c-TA patients satisfying the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria and/or the European League against Rheumatism (EULAR)/Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization (PRINTO)/Pediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS) criteria was conducted from January 2002 to December 2017. Read More

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Jan 21. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1, Hondoh, Akita 010-8543, Japan.

Mod Rheumatol 2019 Jan 21:1-10. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

a Department of Molecular Pathology , Tokyo Medical University , Tokyo , Japan.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare Takayasu arteritis (TAK) with giant cell arteritis (GCA) through immunohistochemistry principally of inflammatory cells; these two disorders may be on the spectrum within a single disease state.

Methods: Nine TAK and 5 GCA surgically resected vessel specimens were selected. TAK specimen was divided into each three acute-, chronic-, and healed-phase samples based on intimal and adventitial thickening. Read More

Arthritis Res Ther 2019 Jan 16;21(1):24. Epub 2019 Jan 16.

Department of Rheumatology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, 180 Fenglin Road, Shanghai, 200032, People's Republic of China.

Aims: To assess the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) for monitoring disease activity of Takayasu arteritis (TA).

Methods: TA patients were recruited in a Chinese TA clinical center from January 2016 to September 2017. The physician global assessment was used as the referential standard for disease activity. Read More

Circ Genom Precis Med 2019 Jan;12(1):e002080

Hypertension Center, Fuwai Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases (X.C., F.Q., L.S., B.G., W.Z., L.J., W.W., S.L., H.Z., J.C.), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China.

Background: Establishing the diagnosis and determining disease activity of Takayasu arteritis (TA) remains challenging. Novel biomarkers might help to solve this problem.

Methods: In the screening phase, by using large-scale protein arrays detecting samples from 90 subjects (TA active, 29; TA inactive 31; and controls, 30). Read More

J Clin Rheumatol 2018 Nov 29. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Department of Radio diagnosis, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.

J Bras Nefrol 2019 Jan 10. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Hospital Geral de Fortaleza, Departamento de Nefrologia, Fortaleza, CE, Brasil.

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory condition of unknown cause that involves large vessels - particularly the aorta and its branches - such as the carotid, coronary, pulmonary, and renal arteries. The left subclavian artery is the most frequently involved vessel. Stenosis of the renal artery has been reported in 23-31% of the cases and may result in malignant hypertension, ischemic renal disease, decompensated heart failure, and premature death. Read More

Pan Afr Med J 2018 20;30:281. Epub 2018 Aug 20.

Department of Surgery, University of Botswana, Botswana.

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a rare chronic inflammatory disease affecting mainly the aorta and its main branches. We report a case of a 24-year-old primigravida, an African patient, with TA planned for caesarean section at 37 weeks of gestation. Clinically, she has involvement of aortic arch and its branches and abdominal aorta. Read More

Intern Med 2019 Jan 10. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Department of Clinical Research, National Hospital Organization Osaka Minami Medical Center, Japan.

A 26-year-old woman with Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) experienced back and neck pain during tocilizumab (TCZ) treatment. The levels of C-reactive protein were normal, and ultrasonography revealed no significant changes. Diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) showed signal enhancement in the walls of several arteries. Read More