Autoantibodies in Systemic Sclerosis: Unanswered Questions

Autoantibodies in Systemic Sclerosis: Unanswered Questions

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by vascular abnormalities, and cutaneous and visceral fibrosis. Serum autoantibodies directed to multiple intracellular antigens are present in more than 95% of patients and are considered a hallmark of SSc. They are helpful biomarkers for the early diagnosis of SSc and are associated with distinctive clinical manifestations. With ...

E-Learning: some unanswered questions

Anti-IgE autoantibodies in systemic sclerosis (scleroderma).

An enzyme immunoassay was used to determine the prevalence of anti-IgE auto-antibodies in 66 patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) stratified according to extent and duration of disease. Serum IgG anti-IgE antibodies were detected in 14 (21%) patients and IgM anti-IgE antibodies in nine (14%) patients. The overall prevalence of IgG or IgM isotypes was 21/66, (32%). Anti-IgE autoantibod...

Yoga: Some Unanswered Questions

Grover et al (1994) have provided an excellent and thought provoking analysis of the usefulness of yoga in treating neurotic disorders. Some questions however remain. One criticism of psychotherapy is that the criteria for the selection of suitable candidates usually identify patients with good prognostic features-patients who may improve even without any therapeutic intervention. Another criti...

Pregnancy- Some Unanswered Questions

The definition of pregnancy as the state of a female in the time interval between fertilization of her ova and the expulsion of the foetuses at term, lays focus on the maternal organism and casual thinking tends to emphasize maternal physiology and welfare. In part, this is due to the fact that the maternal organism is reasonably accessible for day to day observations and measurements which do ...