scholarly journals Mental health of patients suffering from inflammatory diseases of the connective tissue. Negative and positive concept and selected correlates

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 377-396
Author(s):  
Lidia Zabłocka-Żytka ◽  
Michał Wiśniewski
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Positive Concept

scholarly journals Antimalarial drugs—are they beneficial in rheumatic and viral diseases?—considerations in COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bogna Grygiel-Górniak
Keyword(s):  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Antiviral Drugs ◽  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Viral Diseases ◽  
Cardiac Complications

AbstractThe majority of the medical fraternity is continuously involved in finding new therapeutic schemes, including antimalarial medications (AMDs), which can be useful in combating the 2019-nCoV: coronavirus disease (COVID-19). For many decades, AMDs have been widely used in the treatment of malaria and various other anti-inflammatory diseases, particularly to treat autoimmune disorders of the connective tissue. The review comprises in vitro and in vivo studies, original studies, clinical trials, and consensus reports for the analysis, which were available in medical databases (e.g., PubMed). This manuscript summarizes the current knowledge about chloroquine (CQ)/hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and shows the difference between their use, activity, recommendation, doses, and adverse effects on two groups of patients: those with rheumatic and viral diseases (including COVID-19). In the case of connective tissue disorders, AMDs are prescribed for a prolonged duration in small doses, and their effect is observed after few weeks, whereas in the case of viral infections, they are prescribed in larger doses for a short duration to achieve a quick saturation effect. In rheumatic diseases, AMDs are well tolerated, and their side effects are rare. However, in some viral diseases, the effect of AMDs is questionable or not so noticeable as suggested during the initial prognosis. They are mainly used as an additive therapy to antiviral drugs, but recent studies have shown that AMDs can diminish the efficacy of some antiviral drugs and may cause respiratory, kidney, liver, and cardiac complications.

scholarly journals Predictors of outcome in a large retrospective cohort of patients with transverse myelitis

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (13) ◽  
pp. 1743-1752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Gastaldi ◽  
Enrico Marchioni ◽  
Paola Banfi ◽  
Valeria Mariani ◽  
Laura Di Lodovico ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Autoimmune Diseases ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Transverse Myelitis ◽  
Inflammatory Disorder ◽  
Prognostic Assessment ◽  
Lumbar Mri ◽  
Post Infectious

Background: Transverse myelitis (TM) is an inflammatory disorder that can be idiopathic or associated with central nervous system autoimmune/dysimmune inflammatory diseases, connective tissue autoimmune diseases, or post-infectious neurological syndromes. Prognosis of initial TM presentations is uncertain. Objective: To identify outcome predictors in TM. Methods: Retrospective study on isolated TM at onset. Scores ⩾3 on the modified Rankin scale (mRS) marked high disability. Results: A total of 159 patients were identified. TM was classified as follows: idiopathic (I-TM, n = 53), post-infectious (PI-TM, n = 48), associated with multiple sclerosis (MS-TM, n = 51), or neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders/connective tissue autoimmune diseases/neurosarcoidosis ( n = 7). At follow-up (median, 55 months; interquartile range, 32–80), 42 patients were severely disabled, and patients with I-TM or PI-TM showed the worst outcomes. Predictors of disability were infectious antecedents, sphincter and pyramidal symptoms, high mRS scores, blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier damage, lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions on univariate analysis, and older age (odds ratio (OR), 1.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0–1.1), overt/subclinical involvement of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) (OR, 9.4; 95% CI, 2.2–41.0), complete TM (OR, 10.8; 95% CI, 3.4–34.5) on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Our findings help define prognosis and therapies in TM at onset. Infectious antecedents and PNS involvement associate with severe prognosis. Nerve conduction studies and lumbar MRI could improve the prognostic assessment of this condition.

The Association Between Mental Health Disorders and Non-Infectious Scleritis: A Prevalence Study and Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
pp. 112067212110676
Author(s):  
Ahmad Abdel-Aty ◽  
Ninani Kombo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Inflammatory Disease ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Systemic Disease ◽  
Mental Health Disorders ◽  
Mental Health Disorder ◽  
Psychological Effects ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Ocular Inflammatory Disease ◽  
Health Disorders

Chronic inflammatory diseases can cause significant psychosocial stress in affected patients. Few studies have examined the psychological effects of ocular inflammatory disease and no studies have examined the psychological effects of scleritis. In this study we evaluate the prevalence of mental health disorders in scleritis patients and we conduct a comprehensive review of the literature on the mental health effects of ocular inflammatory diseases. 162 patients (195 eyes) presenting to a tertiary care center with scleritis were identified. At least one comorbid mental health disorder was diagnosed in 35 patients (21.6%), most commonly major depression in 11.7%, generalized anxiety disorder in 9.3%, and substance use disorder in 6.2%. There were no significant differences in the length of an episode of scleritis or in the probability of symptom resolution between patients with a mental health disorder and other patients. In a review of the literature, 30 manuscripts met the inclusion criteria. The majority of manuscripts (83.3%) were focused on uveitis patients. Eight of these studies were focused on patients with uveitis in the context of systemic disease. The most commonly reported mental health disorders reported were anxiety and depression. An average of 31.3% of patients with ocular inflammatory disease had depression and 35.0% had anxiety. Similar to other chronic illnesses, ocular inflammatory disease may be a significant psychosocial stressor. Future studies will further elucidate the relationship between these diseases and mental health.

scholarly journals Reconciling VEGF With VPF: The Importance of Increased Vascular Permeability for Stroma Formation in Tumors, Healing Wounds, and Chronic Inflammation

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold F. Dvorak
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cells ◽  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Vascular Permeability ◽  
Vascular Endothelial Cells ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
Vascular Permeability Factor ◽  
Healing Wounds

It is widely believed that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induces angiogenesis by its direct mitogenic and motogenic actions on vascular endothelial cells. However, these activities are only detected when endothelial cells are cultured at very low (0.1%) serum concentrations and would not be expected to take place at the much higher serum levels found in angiogenic sites in vivo. This conundrum can be resolved by recalling VEGF’s original function, that of an extremely potent vascular permeability factor (VPF). In vivo VPF/VEGF increases microvascular permeability such that whole plasma leaks into the tissues where it undergoes clotting by tissue factor that is expressed on tumor and host connective tissue cells to deposit fibrin and generate serum. By providing tissue support and by reprogramming the gene expression patterns of cells locally, fibrin and serum can together account for the formation of vascular connective tissue stroma. In sum, by increasing vascular permeability, VPF/VEGF triggers the “wound healing response,” setting in motion a fundamental pathophysiological process that induces the mature stroma that is found not only in healing wounds but also in solid tumors and chronic inflammatory diseases. Once initiated by increased vascular permeability, this response may be difficult to impede, perhaps contributing to the limited success of anti-VEGF therapies in treating cancer.

Diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis

2020 ◽  
pp. 29-36
Author(s):  
Lev Shlopak
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Autoimmune Disease ◽  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Primary Lesion ◽  
Systemic Autoimmune Disease ◽  
Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease of the connective tissue, accompanied by a primary lesion of peripheral joints with the development of erosive-destructive changes and ankylosis. It is one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases in humans. Early diagnosis of this pathology contributes to the timely start of therapy, which allows to reduce the level of disability and improve the prognosis for this group of patients.

scholarly journals Lymphocyte-Fibroblast Interactions

1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Murakami ◽  
H. Okada
Keyword(s):  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Fibroblast Cell ◽  
Intercellular Adhesion Molecule ◽  
Lymphocyte Function ◽  
Tissue Destruction ◽  
Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 ◽  
Inflammatory Reactions ◽  
Adhesive Interactions

Chronic inflammatory reactions are usually characterized by inflammatory cell accumulation in the extravascular connective tissue. In such sites, inappropriate activation of circulating or resident lymphocytes becomes self-perpetuating and can lead to chronic tissue destruction. In addition to that, the locally infiltrated lymphocytes should have an opportunity to interact directly with fibroblasts composing the connective tissue. The direct interactions of those different cell types seem to play important roles in lymphocyte lodging and retention in such sites. Thus, for clarification of the immunopathogenesis of the chronic inflammatory diseases, including periodontitis, it is important that the molecular mechanisms involved in the heterotypic cell-cell interactions be revealed. In fact, it has been demonstrated that lymphocytes interact with various non-hematopoietic cells, such as epithelial cells and endothelial cells. Regarding interactions with fibroblasts, it has been shown that IFNγ-stimulated fibroblasts can regulate the proliferative responses of T-lymphocytes both positively and negatively. Furthermore, activated lymphocytes have demonstrated strong binding ability to various fibroblast cell lines. Blocking experiments utilizing monoclonal antibodies specific to various cell adhesion molecules revealed that very late antigen (VLA) integrins, lymphocyte-function-associated antigen (LFA-1)/intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), CD44/hyarulonate are, at least in part, involved in lymphocyte-fibroblast interactions. In addition, recent findings raised the possibility that the adhesive interactions between lymphocytes and fibroblasts influenced the various cellular functions of each cell type. In fact, it was recently demonstrated that the adhesive interactions stimulated fibroblasts to increase expression of inflammatory cytokine mRNA. These results strongly suggest that fibroblasts are not merely innocent bystanders but actively participate in local inflammatory reactions by directly interacting with locally infiltrated lymphocytes.

Cutting the edge of idiopathic recurrent orbital myositis

Open Medicine ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 732-735 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Ariatti ◽  
Giuliana Galassi ◽  
Raffaella Rovati ◽  
Annalisa Chiari
Keyword(s):  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Connective Tissue Diseases ◽  
Orbital Myositis ◽  
Main Complaint ◽  
Multiple Structures ◽  
Mri Scans ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
Intravenous Steroids ◽  
Thyroid Ophthalmopathy

AbstractThe spectrum of orbital inflammatory diseases ranges broadly from specific diseases as connective tissue disorders, thyroid ophthalmopathy to non-specific inflammations, which may involve one or multiple structures of the orbit and/ or the surrounding sinus. Idiopathic orbital myositis (IOM) may be a localized process or it can be secondary to systemic diseases. We report 4 patients affected by IOM; in all relapsing diplopia was the main complaint, associated with orbital pain in 3 and with abnormal visual evoked responses in 2. Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) supported the diagnosis revealing enlargement, altered signal intensity of affected muscles. Repeated MRI scans and extensive laboratory examinations comprising of the search for a remote malignacy, lymproliferative, connective tissue diseases, thyroid ophthalmopathy were necessary to confirm the diagnosis. Oral or/and intravenous steroids were main treatments; relapses often occurred when steroid was tapered down. Intravenous immuneglobulins and azathioprine was used in one refractory case

scholarly journals The Roles of Tenascins in Cardiovascular, Inflammatory, and Heritable Connective Tissue Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken-ichi Matsumoto ◽  
Hiroki Aoki
Keyword(s):  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Connective Tissue Diseases ◽  
Connective Tissue Disorder ◽  
Tissue Homeostasis ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome ◽  
Tenascin C

Tenascins are a family of multifunctional extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoproteins with time- and tissue specific expression patterns during development, tissue homeostasis, and diseases. There are four family members (tenascin-C, -R, -X, -W) in vertebrates. Among them, tenascin-X (TNX) and tenascin-C (TNC) play important roles in human pathologies. TNX is expressed widely in loose connective tissues. TNX contributes to the stability and maintenance of the collagen network, and its absence causes classical-like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (clEDS), a heritable connective tissue disorder. In contrast, TNC is specifically and transiently expressed upon pathological conditions such as inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer. There is growing evidence that TNC is involved in inflammatory processes with proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory activity in a context-dependent manner. In this review, we summarize the roles of these two tenascins, TNX and TNC, in cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases and in clEDS, and we discuss the functional consequences of the expression of these tenascins for tissue homeostasis.

scholarly journals Clinical Features of Neuropsychiatric Syndromes in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Other Connective Tissue Diseases

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. CMAMD.S37477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsuyoshi Kasama ◽  
Airi Maeoka ◽  
Nao Oguro
Keyword(s):  
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Connective Tissue ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Lupus Erythematosus ◽  
Inflammatory Diseases ◽  
Connective Tissue Diseases ◽  
Systemic Lupus ◽  
Complete Failure ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Underlying Pathology

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and related disorders are chronic inflammatory diseases characterized by abnormalities and, in some cases, even complete failure of immune responses as the underlying pathology. Although almost all connective tissue diseases and related disorders can be complicated by various neuropsychiatric syndromes, SLE is a typical connective tissue disease that can cause neurological and psychiatric syndromes. In this review, neuropsychiatric syndromes complicating connective tissue diseases, especially SLE are outlined, and pathological and other conditions that should be considered in the differential diagnosis are also discussed.

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