Biomedical subjects

A Ocmant

Publications and source records attributed to A Ocmant.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

[Usual interstitial pneumonia].

We report the case of a 49-year old woman with an idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) initially diagnosed as a systemic lupus erythematosus. The IPF is an uncommon clinical entity with an estimated prevalence from 3 to 6 cases per 100,000 in the general population of the United States. This disease is characterised by an insidious onset, a pejorative course and poor survival prognosis (median survival: 2.8 years). The diagnosis is often difficult and depends on the exclusion of other diseases associated with interstitial lung injury. It is generally established only after collegial coordination between the clinician, the radiologist and the pathologist. New consensuses are now published to establish a clear and explicit classification of the IPF. Moreover, because of the poor results obtained with conventional immunosuppressive drugs, new treatments are proposed.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

PubMed2002

[The immunology-hematology-transfusion department].

New immunotherapies derived from biotechnology offer fascinating perspectives in different fields of medicine including anti-infectious vaccines, cancer, organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases. In this paper, we illustrate how the Department of Immunology can contribute to the development of these new treatments within a academic hospital such as the Erasme Hospital at the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

Allergy and Immunology↗

PubMed2001

Comparison of ELISA for tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies with antiendomysium antibodies in pediatric and adult patients with celiac disease.

BACKGROUND: Tissue transglutaminase (t-TG) is the main autoantigen recognized by the endomysium antibodies (EMA) observed in patients with celiac disease (CD). The aim of the study was to assess an ELISA method for t-TG antibodies (t-TGA) with respect to EMA IF assay in pediatric and adult patients. METHODS: t-TGA were analyzed by ELISA in 220 sera samples: 82 patients with biopsy-proven untreated CD (23 adults and 59 children), 14 CD children on gluten-free diet, 18 asymptomatic relatives of CD patients, and 106 age-matched control patients with gluten-unrelated gastrointestinal diseases (58 adults and 48 children). Serum IgA EMA were tested on umbilical cord sections in all patients. RESULTS: The great majority (92.7%) of untreated CD patients (both adults and children) were t-TGA positive (values ranging from 20.1 to > 300 AU). None of the child control patients and only two out of 58 (3.4%) of the adults with unrelated gastrointestinal diseases had serum t-TGA positivity; two out of 18 first-degree relatives with biopsy-proved silent CD were t-TGA (as well as EMA) positive. Finally, two out of 14 CD children, assuming a gluten-free diet, had serum t-TGA (as well as EMA). A highly significant correlation (P < 0.001) was observed between t-TGA concentrations and EMA. t-TGA showed a sensitivity of 87% and 95%, a specificity of 97% and 100% for adults and children, respectively. CONCLUSION: The method is highly sensitive and specific in the diagnosis of CD and is promising as a tool for routine diagnostic use and population screening, especially in children.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Anti-pm/scl antibodies in connective tissue disease: Clinical and biological assessment of 14 patients.

INTRODUCTION: Anti-PM/Scl antibodies (Anti-PM/Scl) represent a rarely encountered type of antinuclear antibodies. They have mainly been reported in association with idiopathic inflammatory myositis - systemic sclerosis overlap syndromes (also called scleromyositis or sclerodermatomyositis) but also with polymyositis, dermatomyositis and systemic sclerosis without features of overlap syndromes. Studies concerning characteristics of patients with anti-PM/SCl are rare and include small numbers of patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of clinical and biological characteristics of 14 patients with anti-PM/Scl in two University Hospitals: one in Belgium (Erasme Hospital, Bruxelles) and one in France (Hautepierre Hospital, Strasbourg). RESULTS: Seven patients were identified in Erasme and 7 in Strasbourg: 5 with systemic sclerosis-(dermato)myositis overlap syndromes, 4 with dermatomyositis, 1 with polymyositis, 3 with systemic sclerosis, 1 with primary Sjögren's syndrome. The most frequently observed clinical characteristics (85% of patients) were: pulmonary interstitial disease and arthralgia or arthritis. No patient of our series died or developed cancer (mean follow-up:6.1 years). CONCLUSIONS: Our study failed to identify an homogeneous clinical pattern in patients with anti-PM/Scl, except for 2 characteristics shared by 85% of the patients. This lack of homogeneity is in agreement with preceding literature. We confirm the favourable prognosis associated with the presence of anti-PM/Scl, despite the high incidence of interstitial pulmonary disease. The absence of cancer associated with presence of anti-PM/Scl represents a partial explanation. Finally, we report herein the second case of primary Sjögren's syndrome associated with anti-PM/Scl.

Adult↗