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Biomedical subjects

Doruk Erkan

Publications and source records attributed to Doruk Erkan.

28 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

New insights into pregnancy-related complications in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Pregnancy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presents an additional risk to an already complex clinical situation--overlap in symptoms between changes of pregnancy and SLE, presence of antiphospholipid antibodies, and need for potentially teratogenic medications can all complicate the management of pregnant patients with SLE. Studies demonstrate that, with careful planning, the majority of patients with lupus can complete pregnancy without serious complications. Recent developments are modified instruments to measure disease activity in pregnancy, increasingly common continuation of hydroxychloroquine during pregnancy, more frequent use of in vitro fertilization, and more aggressive fetal monitoring in patients positive for anti-Sjögren's syndrome (SS)-A/Ro or anti- SS-B/La antibody.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed2003

Pregnancy outcomes following total hip arthroplasty: a preliminary study and review of the literature.

Pregnancy outcomes among patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) during their reproductive years were retrospectively evaluated. Twenty-one patients reported pregnancies after THA and 20 had live births. No prosthesis-related problems were reported. This is the first study that provides a patient-based assessment of pregnancy outcomes and delivery in women who underwent THA. The preliminary data suggest THA had no adverse effect on subsequent childbearing.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Physician treatment preferences in rheumatoid arthritis of differing disease severity and activity: the impact of cost on first-line therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a pilot study to identify rheumatologists' treatment preferences for first-line rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapy and determine whether pharmacoeconomic variables modify physician choice(s). METHODS: A questionnaire describing 3 different RA scenarios was mailed to American College of Rheumatology members within 4 geographic regions of the US. Physicians were asked to identify their choice(s) of first-line therapy for each of the cases, first taking cost into consideration, second without considering the influence of cost, and third identifying the therapy that would be chosen for either themselves or a family member. RESULTS: Three hundred seventy-five questionnaires out of a total of 994 (37.7%) were returned between 3/12/00 and 4/25/00. Hydroxychloroquine was the most commonly cited medication for a mild disease activity/severity presentation, and methotrexate for a moderate-to-severe disease activity/severity presentation. For the severe disease activity/severity presentation, when cost was not considered, 217 (65%) rheumatologists included new disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (leflunomide, etanercept, and infliximab) in their choice of first-line agents; this number decreased to 47 (14%) when cost was a consideration. CONCLUSION: Pharmacoeconomics appear to play a dominant role in rheumatologists' choice of treatment regimens, at times contrary to the physician's perception of the effectiveness of a drug. Future studies should address physician preferences in more depth with respect to cost and its various components.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed2002

The relation between antiphospholipid syndrome-related pregnancy morbidity and non-gravid vascular thrombosis: a review of the literature and management strategies.

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is associated with pregnancy morbidity and vascular thrombosis in the presence of circulating antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies. Clinical manifestations of aPL antibodies represent a spectrum (asymptomatic, pregnancy events, vascular events, or both pregnancy and vascular events), and APS should not be considered a single disease with a predictable outcome. Patients with aPL antibodies are at increased risk of vascular thrombotic events during pregnancy, the postpartum period, and even during long-term follow-up after an APS-related pregnancy event. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the relation between APS-related pregnancy morbidity and vascular thrombosis, and to address the importance of prophylactic therapy during and after APS pregnancies to prevent maternal thrombotic complications. During pregnancy, low-dose aspirin (LDA) should be considered for all patients with aPL antibodies and heparin should be added to LDA in patients fulfilling the Sapporo criteria for definite APS. During delivery, especially with caesarian section, periods without anticoagulation should be kept to an absolute minimum. Some data suggest that LDA might be effective against future non-gravid vascular thrombosis in patients with APS and a history of only pregnancy morbidity.

Antibodies, Antiphospholipid↗
PubMed2002

Perioperative medical management of antiphospholipid syndrome: hospital for special surgery experience, review of literature, and recommendations.

UNLABELLED: Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), who are predisposed to vascular thrombotic events, are at additional risk for thrombosis when they undergo surgery. Serious perioperative complications (recurrent thrombosis, catastrophic exacerbation, or bleeding) occur despite prophylaxis. We describe our perioperative experience with APS patients who underwent a variety of surgeries, review the literature, and discuss strategies that may guide other physicians in their perioperative evaluation and management of patients with APS. RECOMMENDATIONS: perioperative strategies should be clearly identified before surgical procedure; pharmacological and physical antithrombosis interventions vigorously employed; periods without anticoagulation kept to a minimum; and any deviation from a normal course should be considered a potential disease related event.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Treatment of catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome with defibrotide, a proposed vascular endothelial cell modulator.

OBJECTIVE: To define at the molecular level the vascular endothelial cell (VEC) injury characteristics of catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) and to report successful therapeutic use of a VEC modulator, defibrotide. METHODS: We describe a 55-year-old man with primary APS with an intractable prothrombotic state (CAPS) resistant to combined therapy with heparin, warfarin, aspirin, and dipyridamole. Treatment with defibrotide was conducted in the context of an investigational phase II protocol where the dose was regulated and individualized by disease/patient-specific molecular and clinical markers. RESULTS: The patient entered complete remission with defibrotide treatment. During treatment, dose dependent pharmacological actions of defibrotide and key stress markers for VEC injury were identified. Evidence of defibrotide's polypharmacology included downregulation of cytokines, notably tumor necrosis factor-alpha, as the earliest effect, cellular differentiation of VEC, possibly with direct regulatory effect over cellular genes, and the reversal of platelet consumption and prothrombotic state. Von Willebrand antigen levels were used as the sole marker to guide therapy. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates effective remission of CAPS with defibrotide treatment. In contrast to theories that CAPS is triggered by ischemic and thrombotic tissue damage, these data present VEC injury as the primary and representative lesion of CAPS. The pathogenesis may involve concurrent impairment of different VEC functions. Achieving remission may require a polypharmacologic approach, represented here by use of defibrotide.

Antibodies, Antiphospholipid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome.

Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome is a rapidly progressive life-threatening disease that causes multiple organ thromboses and dysfunction in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. A high index of clinical suspicion and careful investigation are required to make an early diagnosis so that treatment with anticoagulation and corticosteroids can be initiated; plasma exchange and/or intravenous immunoglobulins can be added if the life-threatening condition persists. Despite aggressive treatment and intensive care unit management, patients with catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome have a 48% mortality rate, primarily attributable to cardiopulmonary failure. This article reviews the current information on the etiopathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome.

Algorithms↗