“Estaria a Reforma dando sinais de exaustão?” Protagonista deste movimento desde seus pri mórdios, Ana Pitta pergunta com a autoridade de quem entrou para a psiquiatria nos tempos em que descrições fenomenológicas sutilíssimas se mesclavam a portas de ferro trancadas, aos banhos de sol em pátios de cimento nu, e ao chei ro insuportável e inesquecível dos hospícios. A Reforma mudou drasticamente...

AIM To analyse the pathogenic mechanism of HIV related thrombocytopenia. METHODS Forty one patients with thrombocytopenia and HIV-1 infection were investigated over two years. Anticardiolipin antibodies were measured using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and antiplatelet antibodies were measured using an immunocapture technique. Tests for VDRL, C3 and C4, antinuclear antibodies and rheum...

A 26 year old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus, including malar rash, photosensitivity, and arthritis, developed a cerebrovascular accident and acute myocardial infarction. High titres to antinuclear factor, anti-DNA antibodies, positive Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) test, and anticardiolipin antibodies were found in her serum. A possible association between the presence of...

The escape of anti-self B cells from tolerance mechanisms like clonal deletion, receptor editing, and anergy results in the production of autoantibodies, which is a hallmark of many autoimmune disorders. In this study, we demonstrate that both germline sequences and somatic mutations contribute to autospecificity of B cell clones. For this issue, we investigated the development of antinuclear a...

Rowell Syndrome is a rare presentation of lupus erythematosus manifesting as an eruption erythema multiforme-like papules and plaques with immunological findings positive rheumatoid factor, speckled antinuclear antibodies, and/or anti-Ro/La antibodies. This case highlights the unusual highly debated in 66-year-old woman newly-appearing erythematous, targetoid setting previously diagnosed system...

We examined sera submitted for autoantibody testing for thyroid microsome antibodies (TMA), elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and free thyroxine concentrations. The frequency of TMA in antinuclear antibody-positive sera was higher (19%) than that in antinuclear antibody-negative sera (12%). Elevated TSH concentrations in serum and subnormal thyroxine concentrations in serum were assoc...

It has been more than 50 years since antinuclear antibodies were first discovered and found to be associated with connective tissue diseases. Since then different methods have been described and used for their detection or confirmation. For many decades immunofluorescent antinuclear antibody test has been the "gold standard" in the diagnosis of these disorders. However to increase the sensitivi...