Transient neutropenia induced by intravenous immune globulin.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to E Ben-Chetrit.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Flare in disease activity occurred in four out of 73 patients (5%) under the age of 45 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who were immunized against poliomyelitis in a nationwide campaign following the Israeli outbreak of 1988. The flare appeared within 3 months of the immunization, whereas in 37 matched SLE patients who were not immunized, the disease remained stable in the same period. Both oral live-attenuated (OPV) and injected killed poliovaccines (IPV) were implicated in the flares (1/24 and 3/49 patients, respectively). The study was based on detailed questionnaires and confirmed by telephone calls and examination of the patients' hospital medical records. Poliovaccines, including IPV, should not be administered to SLE patients without careful consideration and a further prospective study should be undertaken to determine their safety in SLE.
Rheumatoid nodulosis is a term used to describe adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis with little or no clinical joint inflammation who have numerous subcutaneous nodules indistinguishable from those of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. This paper reports the case of a woman with quiescent rheumatoid arthritis who developed palmar nodulosis three weeks after the strenuous activity of painting her apartment. This case illustrates the direct association between the appearance of nodulosis and physical pressure despite inactive disease.
A 46-year-old man with cirrhosis and portal hypertension complained of lower pelvic pain. CT of the rectum raised a strong suspicion of a rectal tumor. However, rectal examination, anoscopy, direct rectoscopy, and, unfortunately, post-mortem dissection, failed to confirm its existence. Nevertheless, large flat hemorrhoids were evident. Review of the patient's chart disclosed the presence of large thrombosed hemorrhoids detected by rectal examination prior to the CT examination. It is suggested that rectal hemorrhoids be included in the differential diagnosis of rectal tumor shown by CT in patients with portal hypertension.
A 29-year-old patient with familial Mediterranean fever and amyloidosis involving the kidney, liver, and gastrointestinal tract received longterm colchicine, 1 mg daily. In the last year she developed diarrhea and abdominal pain, that coincided with toxic colchicine blood levels. After 2 weeks of oral erythromycin therapy she was hospitalized for acute, life threatening colchicine toxicity, with fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, myalgia and lower extremity parasthesias and later convulsions and alopecia. Pancytopenia evolved into rebound leukocytosis, disturbed liver function and hypoglycemia. After a long stormy course she improved. Colchicine toxicity with combined liver and renal impairment and the role of erythromycin in her colchicine toxicity are discussed.
Erythema nodosum (EN) is a hypersensitivity reaction associated with many diseases. We describe a family in which 4 sisters had acute or recurrent EN. HLA typing showed a common haplotype in the affected members of the family. A review of familial EN and HLA distribution in EN is presented.
A 27-year-old woman experienced hemorrhagic shock after delivery. One week later she was seen in an obtunded state of consciousness. The results of laboratory evaluation were consistent with the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion caused by hypopituitarism. Hydrocortisone rapidly corrected sodium levels. Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone caused by Sheehan's syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of postpartum hyponatremia.
The use of colchicine for acute gouty arthritis dates to ancient times. In recent years, colchicine also has been used successfully for various other rheumatic and nonrheumatic conditions. Colchicine is a safe drug when used according to established therapeutic guidelines. However, toxicity can be considerable if ingested intentionally or if the recommended doses are exceeded. Colchicine intoxication is characterized by multi-organ involvement and by the poor prognosis associated with administration of large amounts of the drug. Therapy is basically supportive and symptomatic because of the rapid distribution and binding of colchicine to the affected tissues. Use of anticolchicine antibodies is a novel approach that has shown promise in experimental models. Important research questions pertain to the effect of liver and kidney disease on colchicine metabolism, use of colchicine levels in the diagnosis of intoxication and for prognostication, and application of immunotoxicotherapy for colchicine poisoning in humans.
As determined in this study of 45 patients, the prolonged use of colchicine therapy in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is safe and effective in preventing flares of FMF and amyloidosis. It has acceptable adverse effect profile and can be used in children and pregnant women. Its discontinuation predisposes patients to acute FMF attacks and the development of amyloidosis. Articular involvement is less responsive to colchicine and may require therapy with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs.
During the last 20 years, only a few studies have been published concerning large pericardial effusion. We recently reviewed 34 patients who presented with large pericardial effusion not associated with trauma. Our analysis revealed that half of the patients (52 percent) had pericardial effusion of unknown origin. Four patients had postmyocardial infarction pericardial effusion, three had associated malignant neoplasms, three suffered from collagen diseases, and two had infectious agents. Uremia and irradiation accounted for a single case each. Twenty-seven (79 percent) of the patients underwent pericardiocentesis and two (5.8 percent) had a pericardial window operation. The overall prognosis of the patients was excellent.
One hundred and 15 hospitalized patients with acute pericarditis were analyzed retrospectively for their etiology, management and long-term prognosis. It was found that most of the patients had either idiopathic or viral etiologies (60%), collagen disease (16.4%) or malignancy (6.9%). Most of the patients were treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). Twenty-six patients (22%) required corticosteroids following NSAID treatment failure. Only one patient underwent pericardiocentesis for tuberculous pericarditis. The long-term prognosis was good, although 21.9% of the patients suffered from recurrent episodes of pericarditis. It is concluded that in hospitalized patients with pericarditis, an extensive workup may not reveal the major etiologies, and the disease may be more complicated than previously thought.
A patient with systemic lupus erythematosus complicated by refractory bilateral pleural effusions is described. High dose corticosteroids with azathioprine, as well as intrapleural instillation of corticosteroids, proved ineffective in management. As our patient remained severely symptomatic and required repeated thoracocentesis, a therapeutic trial of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) was attempted. IVIG had a beneficial effect, although of a transient and partial nature. Despite the results achieved, it seems that IVIG has limited value in treating lupus pleural effusion.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The cellular RNA particle SS-A (Ro) is a target of autoimmune response in many patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Recent immunologic, biochemical, and DNA cloning studies have shown that the SS-A particle consists of at least 2 polypeptide components, of 52 kd and 60 kd. Immunodiffusion analysis of 60 sera from patients with primary SS revealed 47 (78%) to be SS-A precipitin positive. Western blotting studies of the sera showed 3 groups of reactivities: 22 (47%) possessed autoantibodies against both the 60-kd and the 52-kd polypeptides, 19 (40%) reacted only with the 52-kd protein, and 6 (13%) were nonreactive in Western blots although positive in immunodiffusion. Fifty-one of 90 SLE sera (57%) were SS-A precipitin positive by immunodiffusion. In Western blots, 24 (47%) possessed antibodies against both the 60-kd and the 52-kd antigens, while 9 (18%) reacted only with the 60-kd protein. Eighteen (35%) were nonreactive by Western blot, although positive by immunodiffusion. Antibody to the 52-kd antigen without concomitant antibody to the 60-kd antigen was seen only in patients with primary SS, whereas antibody to the 60-kd antigen without concomitant antibody to the 52-kd antigen was seen only in SLE patients. Although antibodies to SS-A are detected in both SS and SLE, our findings show that there is dissociation of immune responses to the 2 component antigens of the particle, which may be evidence of different events initiating the autoimmune process in these diseases.
The presence of autoantibodies in our familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) patients was investigated using various immunological techniques. Immunofluorescence screening of 50 FMF sera revealed only one positive for antinuclear antibodies. ELISA assay and nitrocellulose filter assay revealed no difference between FMF sera and healthy controls with regard to the presence of anti-dsDNA antibodies. In Western blotting using HeLa cell extract, FMF patients' sera neither detected anti-Sm, RNP, SSA/Ro, SSB/La antibodies nor any new common band. These findings suggest that it is unlikely that FMF belongs to the family of the autoimmune 'collagen' diseases.
Idiopathic sclerosing peritonitis is a rare disease described in young adolescent women, characterized by fibrosis and adhesions of the peritoneum to loops of the small bowel. Here we describe a 35-year-old man who underwent exploratory laparotomy for repeated small bowel obstruction. Only partial resection of the terminal ileum was possible because of adhesions; recurrent abdominal infections and leakage from anastomosis required further resection, which ultimately resulted in short bowel syndrome and malabsorption. The clinical and pathological findings were characteristic for idiopathic sclerosing peritonitis. We review the relevant literature, to confirm, to the best of our knowledge, that this is the first report of a male patient who has developed this rare disease.