Non-surgical periodontal treatment may prove beneficial in reducing RA severity as measured by ESR, CRP, TNF-α levels in serum and DAS28 in low or moderate to highly active RA patients with chronic periodontitis.

Kikuchi-Fujimoto's disease (KFD), or histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, is a benign and self-limited lymphadenitis commonly found in young women. It often shares clinical features with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), such as arthralgias, fever and leukopenia. The etiology of KFD remains unknown and controversial. Clinical course is favorable, with spontaneous remission in less than four months in almost all cases. Herein, we present two cases. The former is a 53-year old woman presenting with cervical lymphadenopathy, arthralgia, pancytopenia and positive antinuclear antibody (ANA). Lymph node biopsy revealed histopathological features compatible with Kikuchi-Fujimoto histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis. The latter patient was a 20-year old woman presenting with left cervical lympadenopathy, a butterfly rash that was reminiscent of SLE, and a positive antinuclear antibody. Based upon clinical, histological and laboratory findings, the diagnosis of SLE was excluded. Careful attention should be paid to differentiating between KFD and SLE, because of their similar presentations, yet different clinical courses and therapeutic requirements.

There is morphologic evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis in Behçet's disease (BD) patients obtained by high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography (US). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenetic factor and a marker for endothelial dysfunction. VEGF could contribute to the pathological events in BD. VEGF could also be an important factor in the progression of atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated whether there is correlation between intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid arteries and serum VEGF levels in BD patients and healthy controls. Twenty-one patients with BD (male/female: 15/6, mean age: 35.8 +/- 8.6 years) were individually matched to control subjects on the basis of age (within 3 years) and sex. Carotid IMT of the subjects was measured by high-resolution B-mode US. Mean IMT values of common carotid arteries were 0.86 +/- 0.18 mm for patients with BD, and 0.57 +/- 0.14 mm for healthy controls (p < 0.001). Mean VEGF levels were 130.41 +/- 58.28 pg/ml for patients with BD and 82.69 +/- 25.03 pg/ml for healthy controls (p < 0.001). There was no correlation between VEGF levels in the control group and in the BD group, but there was a significant correlation between VEGF levels and mean carotid IMT in the whole group (r = 0.317, p < 0.05). In conclusion, elevation of VEGF appears as a feature of the inflammatory reaction during the course of BD, not a direct determinant of subclinical atherosclerosis. On the other hand, the significant correlation between carotid IMT and serum VEGF levels in the whole group suggests that association between VEGF levels and carotid IMT warrants further investigation with larger sample sizes.

Subclinical atherosclerosis can be demonstrated by measuring the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid arteries by high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography (US). Endothelial injury appears a key event in the atherogenesis. Endothelial cell activation and/or injury are the characteristic features of Behçet's disease (BD). In this study, we investigated morphologic evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis in the BD patients by using high-resolution B-mode US. Thirty-four patients with BD without arterial involvement (male/female 21/13; mean age 34.6+/-8.5 years) were individually matched to control subjects on the basis of age (within 2 years) and sex. Subjects with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, evidence of myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular disease, and patients on long-term steroids (i.e., >6 months) were excluded from the study. Mean IMT values of the right carotid arteries were 0.81+/-0.17 mm for patients with BD, and 0.54+/-0.13 mm for healthy controls (P<0.001). Mean IMT values of the left carotid arteries were 0.82+/-0.16 mm for patients with BD, and 0.55+/-0.12 mm for healthy controls (P<0.001). The overall prevalence of carotid atherosclerotic plaques was higher among the patients than the controls [prevalence of plaques were 17.6% (6/34) in BD patients and 0% in healthy controls, P<0.05]. In conclusion, our data indicate morphologic evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with BD.

The results of present study suggest that bleeding on probing was the only different periodontal parameter between the AS and the control group, and the periodontal status of patients with AS may be affected by IL-6 levels.