5 ng/mL), which can explain the low sensitivity of the test. PCT levels were not significantly affected by renal function abnormalities or immunosuppressive agents.
this website Although high PCT levels commonly occurred with infection, elevated levels of PCT could be found in patients with vasculitis without evidence of infection, often correlated with high disease activity scores.
Conclusions: Significantly elevated PCT levels offer good specificity and sensitivity for systemic infection in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases, regardless of the use of corticosteroids or immunosuppressive agents. PCT measurement may add to diagnostic accuracy in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases who present with a febrile illness, especially when highly sensitive PCT assays and specific PCT cutoff ranges are used in a predefined clinical setting (reflecting the likelihood of infection versus an autoimmune disease flare). However, there are limitations when using this biomarker in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases. PCT levels should not replace the necessary extensive diagnostic workup, which should include a thorough history and physical examination,
combined with appropriate immunological, microbiological, radiological, and histological data. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Semin ALK inhibitor Arthritis Rheum 40:176-183″
“BACKGROUND: Intravenous contrast-induced thrombocytopenia is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication in pregnancy.
CASE: A 22-year-old woman, gravida 2 para 1, at 33 2/7 weeks of gestation
presented with chest pain, shortness of breath, and tachycardia. A computed tomography angiogram was pursued to evaluate for pulmonary embolus. During contrast infusion the woman experienced facial flushing, throat tightening, and worsening dyspnea. Her platelet count was noted to decrease precipitously to 4,000/microliter several hours after the imaging study. With medical management and observation, the woman’s platelet count steadily recovered without further exacerbation of thrombocytopenia during gestation.
CONCLUSION: Prompt recognition and therapy for intravenous contrast-induced thrombocytopenia during pregnancy www.selleckchem.com/products/mcc950-sodium-salt.html are essential to optimize maternal-fetal outcome.”
“Introduction: There is general consensus that hepatitis C virus is efficiently transmitted by the parenteral route, whereas data on viral transmission by sexual or non-sexual intrafamilial contact are conflicting. Objective and Method: The aim of this study was to investigate the transmission of hepatitis C virus in nine heterosexual couples. Result: The mean age of the couples was 43.7 years. When interviewed, all of the women denied the presence of risk factors for acquisition of the infection, whereas the cause of infection in the nine husbands could be attributed to blood transfusions in two of them (22.2%), use of intravenous and inhaled drugs in six (66.