Conclusive data about the prevalence of endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerotic process in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients with respect to the general population are lacking. Elevated plasma levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, have been reported in clinical conditions associated with endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerotic disease. We performed a cross-sectional study to evaluate plasma ADMA levels and atherosclerotic disease in AS patients. Seventeen consecutive AS patients free of any cardiovascular disease and 17 healthy controls [strictly matched for sex, age (±5 years) and atherosclerotic risk factors] were recruited. Plasma ADMA levels were assessed by capillary electrophoresis. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT), flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and arterial stiffness (aS) were registered as surrogate markers of atherosclerotic disease. Plasma ADMA levels appeared significantly (p = 0.001) higher in AS patients (0.65 ± 0.10 μmoli/L) than in the control subjects (0.54 ± 0.07 μmoli/L) while no statistically significant differences between AS and controls were demonstrated in CCA-IMT, FMD, and aS. AS patients showed increased plasma ADMA levels with respect to control subjects. On the contrary, we were not able to document a significant difference in atherosclerotic process between patients and controls.

No abstract

Data about clinical-laboratory features and outcome of antiphospholipid syndrome nephropathy (APSN) in the course of lupus nephritis (LN) are scarce. To determine prevalence, clinical correlations and outcome of APSN in patients with LN, retrospective analysis of renal specimens and review of medical records from 48 LN patients were performed. APSN was found in 12/48 (25 %) of LN. Positivity for lupus anticoagulant (LAC) and double antiphospholipids positivity [LAC plus anticardiolipin (aCL)] were significantly more frequent in APSN-LN (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively) than in LN, while single aCL positivity was not. Overt antiphospholipid syndrome appeared more frequent in patients with APSN-LN (p = 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between APSN-LN and LN in the proportion of each World Health Organization class of LN (with the exception of a trend toward fewer Class III LN in APS-LN) and in the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease duration and severity. At the time of renal biopsy, patients with APSN-LN had median serum creatinine levels significantly higher than patients with LN [1.45 (0.6-6.6) vs. 1.00 (0.7-3.0), p = 0.02]. Double antiphospholipid positivity was the only variable significantly associated with APSN-LN at multivariate regression analysis (OR 8, 95 % CI 1.7-37, p = 0,008). APSN-LN and LN did not differ significantly as regards the rate of complete (25 vs. 19.4 %, p = 0.72) and partial treatment response (25 vs. 29 %, p = 0.82) at 6 months and the progression to end-stage renal disease after a median follow-up of 8.1 ± 3.6 years (16.6 vs. 13.8 %, p = 0.82). APSN was demonstrated in a quart of LN, appeared to be independent from underlying LN class and SLE severity, and did not seem to confer a worse prognosis to LN. The findings of higher creatinine and more interstitial fibrosis in APSN should be confirmed in future prospective larger studies.

No abstract

Early warning scores (EWS) are clinical rules, based on physiological variables, designed to identify patients at risk of clinical deterioration and death [1,2]. The most popular is the modified early warning score (MEWS) [3], comprised of five items (heart and respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure, fever and state of consciousness); the higher the derangements, the higher the risk of deterioration.We and others [4][5][6] tested the hypothesis that a single MEWS, computed at admission, can serve to stratify unselected medical patients admitted to ordinary wards, regarding the risk of in-hospital mortality or transfer to units at a higher level of care.