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Background and objectives Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory condition that causing disability and affection of patient’s quality of life (QoL). Self-efficacy investigation helps us to detect the requirements of chronically affected patients and evaluation of self-care management programs. The aim of our study was to test validity and reliability of Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease (SEMCD-Arabic) in RA patients. Method This study included 248 RA patients, carried out at Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department. The SEMCD-Arabic Validity was assessed by correlating the SEMCD-Arabic scale with the validated Arabic version of the modified Health Assessment Questionnaire HAQ (MHAQ), the Arabic version of the Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF) scale, and the Arabic version of Short Form 36 version 2 for quality of life (SF QoL). Internal consistency, test–retest reliability was assessed. Results Convergent validity was confirmed by a positive correlation between (physical, mental) component of SF QoL and SEMCD-Arabic (r = 0.918, r = 0.925) respectively, and negative correlation between MAF and SEMCD-Arabic (r =  − 0.657) and MHAQ with SEMCD-Arabic (r =  − 0.595). Discriminant validity confirmed by a significant negative correlation between visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, disease activity scale (DAS28), Morning stiffness, patient health, physician health, age, duration, and SEMCD-Arabic (r =  − 0.1–0.7) (P < 0.001). Test–retest reliability was estimated which revealed a high interclass correlation coefficient (ICC = 0.87–0.997) indicating excellent agreement and internal consistency is acceptable as the Cronbach’s alpha value (0.660 to 0.78). Conclusion The SEMCD-Arabic questionnaire can be used as a valid and reliable measure for assessment of patient’s self-efficacy in RA. Key Points• The SEMCD-Arabic questionnaire has a statistically significant validity in correlation with different clinical manifestations MHAQ, SF QoL, and MAF.• The Arabic SEMCD is highly reliable with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.660 to 0.78.

Background: Lower extremity venous thrombosis (LEVT) is the most frequent form of vascular involvement in Behcet's disease. Up to 17% of the mortality in Behcet's disease is reported to be associated with venous involvement such as pulmonary embolism or Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS). Early recognition and appropriate management of vascular involvement in BD is essential to reduce associated morbidity and mortality. Homocysteine (hcy) may play a role in BD patient with venous affection. Objectives: To find out the role of homocysteine and venous Doppler ultrasonography in detection of venous insufficiency (VI) in BD patients. Subjects and Methods: A case control study, 50 patients with Behcet's diseaseand 50 age and sex matched healthy controls were included. Serum homocysteine (by ng/l) was determined by ELISA. Also measurement of VI by venous Doppler ultrasonography in lower limbs of Behcet's patients and controls. Results: In this study there was statistically significant difference between serum homocysteine level among BD patients and controls (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference between serum homocystiene levels in BD patients with venous versus non venous affections, p<0.05. There was a significal positive correlation between serum hcy levels and VI grades by Doppler US. Conclusions: Behcet's disease patients with hyperhomocysteinaemia and VI diagnosed by Power Doppler US should be considered as a strong indicator of pathological venous involvement.

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most widespread autoimmune disorders and it has a genetic background with a variety of genes affecting the degradation of the immune system. Along these lines, we assessed the relationship between the BsmI, and FokI VDR polymorphisms and inflammable records identified with infections activity. Such as interleukins (IL-6, IL-8), hypoxia inducible factor-alpha (HIF-a), soluble receptor of advanced glycation end product (sRAGE), oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (oxLDL), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and procollagen N-propeptide of type III collagen (P3NP) and the allelic frequencies of BsmI VDR rs1544410 and FokI VDR rs2228570 polymorphism on the RA. Total of 131 subjects [70 RA patients and 61 age and sex matched apparently healthy controls (HC)] were monitored for inflammatory biomarkers using ELISA. All patients were screened for the BsmI and FokI using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The all biomarkers were significantly higher in RA patients in comparison with HC. There were positive correlations between NGAL, oxLDL and s-RAGE, oxLDL. On BsmI, 'GG' and ' AG' genotypes were significantly associated with high RA activity as well as the frequency of genotypes ' AG & GG" were higher in high activity RA as compared to low RA activity. However on FokI, was observed that in high activity patients the frequency of 'CC' & 'CT' was more prevalent as compared to low activity ones. These outcomes support the immunoregulatory role of vitamin D which is associated with several inflammatory diseases, signifying a credible anti-inflammatory role in perturbation of the RA.