The absence of standardization in antiphospholipid antibody testing may favor the use of 99th percentile cutoffs in antiphospholipid syndrome classification.

Background: Classification criteria for antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) issued by the American College of Rheumatology/European Alliance of Associations for Rhuematology necessitate a positivity for any of the 3 molecular targets: lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin (aCL) immunoglobulin G, or anti-β2 glycoprotein I (aβ2GPI) immunoglobulin G, with the latter 2 requiring concentrations > 40 units. This specification implies having standardized and comparable calibration strategies to achieve proper patient classification. In the past, calibrator tests suffered from poor standardization; thus, the 99th percentile was established as the cutoff point.

Sequential central retinal artery occlusion in two brothers: a fight to prevent blindness.

Importance: Central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is typically associated with older patients with cardiovascular risk factors. However, its occurrence in younger patients without these risk factors suggests the need to explore rare genetic conditions. Identifying genetic disorders like adenosine deaminase 2 deficiency (DADA2), a vasculitic disease, can be critical in such cases to prevent further complications.

Bilateral juvenile temporal arteritis: a case-based review.

Juvenile Temporal Arteritis (JTA) is a rare non-granulomatous vasculitis affecting the superficial temporal arteries, mostly in individuals under 45 years old. It is often misdiagnosed due to its benign nature and the absence of systemic symptoms. Herein, we present a case report of a 40-year-old woman who initially presented with painless nodules in the left temporal area.

Pituitary-Adrenal Axis and Peripheral Immune Cell Profile in Long COVID.

In Long COVID, dysfunction in the pituitary-adrenal axis and alterations in immune cells and inflammatory status are warned against. We performed a prospective study in a cohort of 42 patients who suffered COVID-19 at least 6 months before attending the Long COVID unit at Althaia Hospital. Based on Post-COVID Functional Status, 29 patients were diagnosed with Long COVID, while 13 were deemed as recovered.

Severe bleeding diathesis as onset of light-chain amyloidosis: combined excessive fibrinolysis and acquired von Willebrand disease in a young patient.

Our report shows a case of primary light-chain amyloidosis in a young patient that reflects the potential severity of bleeding diathesis associated with this plasma cell dyscrasia and the difficulty of diagnosis when only hemorrhagic manifestations are present at the onset of disease. The patient presented with recurrent and severe muscular bleeding secondary to associated acquired von Willebrand disease and fibrinolysis dysfunction. Treatment with bortezomib-cyclophosphamide and sequential hematopoietic stem cell transplantation solved coagulation alterations.

Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Management of Obstetric Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review.

Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disorder characterized by vascular thrombosis and/or pregnancy morbidity associated with persistent antiphospholipid antibody positivity. Cases fulfilling the Sydney criteria for obstetric morbidity with no previous thrombosis are known as obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS). OAPS is the most identified cause of recurrent pregnancy loss and late-pregnancy morbidity related to placental injury.

Proteomics and enriched biological processes in Antiphospholipid syndrome: A systematic review.

Identification of differentially expressed proteins in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a developing area of research for unique profiles of this pathology. Advances in technologies of mass spectrometry brings improvements in proteomics and results in assessment of soluble or cellular proteins which could be candidates for clinical biomarkers of primary APS. The use of blood as a source of proteins ease the acquisition of samples for proteomics analyses and later for disease diagnosis.