blood and immune - de lorenzo

Hair loss

Erythema is caused by vasodilation due to endothelial inflammation.

Antinuclear antibodies. If they are positive they direct you towards an autoimmune disease

Indicates anaemia, low white blood cell count, and low platelets.

Very specific antibodies for lupus but not sensitive at all, so they are not frequently present but when present they are very specific.

Monitor kidney involvement in lupus patients.

Used to treat active inflammatory diseases like lupus.

Measure proteinuria in urine over 24 hours to quantify kidney damage.

A score that helps understand how active the disease of the patient is.

Diagnosis of lupus nephritis, tells you if there is lupus nephritis and also what class of lupus nephritis it is

Targets B cells (similar to rituximab, which is an anti T 20). Belimumab actually targets the BAFF receptor (B cell activating factor), which is a receptor that activates B cell.

Stable vasculitic lesions, increased proteinuria, urinary sediment contains less RBCs and WBCs

Autoimmune-related inflammation of the brain.

When a patient has positivity to antiphospholipid antibodies

A heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by an autoimmune attack against the skeletal muscle.

Chronic inflammation of the skeletal muscle leading to muscle cell lysis and weakness, marked by increased muscle enzyme levels.

These may include viral infections. They increase the risk of autoimmune diseases.

Rarely, drugs, such as statins or corticosteroids, can induce myopathy.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies are rare diseases affecting people of all ages, with a slight female predominance, except for inclusion body myositis.

Myofibers are grouped into fascicles, surrounded by connective tissue (perimysium) and wrapped by epimysium.

Produce chemokines, recruit immune cells, and produce cytokines, leading to myofiber death and regeneration.

Adaptive immunity leads to specific antibody production and chronic inflammation, preventing resolution and causing more damage.

These commonly used criteria recognize subtypes of myositis but are not perfect due to overlapping features.

Characterized by muscle weakness, myalgias, and potential extramuscular manifestations like myocarditis.

Muscle weakness in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies typically involves proximal muscles, starts in the lower limbs, and can affect upper limbs and pharynx.

Subacute onset of symmetrical weakness in proximal muscles, primarily affecting lower limbs initially.

Levels are very high, especially in necrotizing myopathy, potentially causing toxic renal failure.

Muscle biopsy shows endomysial inflammation, while dermatomyositis shows perimysial inflammation. Common features include central nuclei, type 2 myofiber prevalence, and MHC I overexpression.

Involves proximal and symmetrical muscle weakness and high CK levels; commonly associated with statins.