Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the association between antiphospholipid antibodies and non-thrombotic and non-gestational manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus. Methods Systemic lupus erythematosus patients with persistently positive antiphospholipid antibodies or lupus anticoagulant were identified and grouped as systemic lupus erythematosus with antiphospholipid syndrome (SLE-APS), systemic lupus erythematosus with positive antiphospholipid antibodies/lupus anticoagulant without antiphospholipid syndrome (SLE-aPL), and systemic lupus erythematosus with negative aPLs (SLE-No aPL). Groups were compared in terms of non-thrombotic systemic lupus erythematosus manifestations and laboratory features retrospectively. Results A total of 150 systemic lupus erythematosus patients, 26 with SLE-APS, 25 with SLE-aPL, and 99 with SLE-No aPL, were identified. Livedo reticularis, neurologic involvement, and thrombocytopenia were more common in antiphospholipid antibody positive systemic lupus erythematosus cases. Malar rash, arthritis, and pleuritis were more common in the SLE-No aPL, SLE-APS, and SLE-aPL groups, respectively. Positivity rates and titers of specific antiphospholipid antibodies did not differ between the SLE-APS and SLE-aPL groups. Conclusions Presence of antiphospholipid syndrome or persistent antiphospholipid antibodies may be related to non-thrombotic and non-gestational systemic lupus erythematosus manifestations. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus plus antiphospholipid syndrome and persistent antiphospholipid antibodies without antiphospholipid syndrome also differ in terms of systemic lupus erythematosus manifestations.

Objective: Behçet syndrome (BS) is a multisystemic chronic vasculitic disease. Among previous studies, although there are some that showed increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in BS, there are also others that showed the opposite. The objective of this study is to evaluate subclinical atherosclerosis in BS by using the cutoff value for intima-media thickness in the 2013 European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension guideline. Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 100 BS patients and 30 healthy volunteers at a single center in a 4-month period. All ultrasound scans were performed in a blind manner to the clinical assessment, and they were carried out by the same researcher by a B-mode ultrasonography.Result: When we grouped the patients based on the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis, the frequency of subclinical atherosclerosis in the BS patients was found to be higher than that in the healthy controls (32% and 7%, respectively; p = 0.006). When a cutoff is used for carotid intima-media thickness, increased atherosclerosis risk is observed in BS patients with vascular involvement (p = 0.043).Conclusions: Although higher inflammation and increased atherosclerosis in vascular BS patients were expected, this situation was not supported much in previous studies. We think that this may have been caused by mere comparison of numerical data, and usage of a cutoff value could be more significant in distinguishing what is normal and what is abnormal as in several medical parameters.

ObjectivesBehcet's syndrome (BS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. There are only a few studies examining the relationship between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and BS. The aim of this study was to determine NLR, PLR and MPV levels and their association with disease activation in BS patients with mucocutaneous, ocular and vascular involvement.MethodsThe study included 259 patients with BS and 41 healthy individuals. Age, sex, total white blood counts, neutrophil, platelet, mean platelet volume and lymphocyte counts of the patients were recorded. Patients with inflammatory bowel, hematological, infectious, cardiovascular diseases, hyperlipidemia, chronic liver, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, malignancy and corticosteroid use were excluded from the study. Of 259 patients, 163 had active disease (75 active mucocutaneous (MC), 40 active ocular, 48 active vascular involvement) and 96 had inactive disease. MPV, NLR and PLR values of the patients were compared between the groups. P value <0.05 was considered significant.ResultsAge and sex were similar between the groups. We compared the MPV, NLR and PLR values of patients with active and inactive disease. NLR and PLR were significantly higher while MPV was lower in the active group than the inactive and control groups (Table 1). Statistically significant higher PLR and NLR were found in the active MC and vascular groups, significantly lower MPV was seen only in vascular active group. This significance was not seen in active ocular group (Table 2). We also evaluated the same patient's active and inactive periods of the disease, lower MPV, higher NLR and PLR values were seen MC and vascular groups (for all groups p<0,05). When the active 3 groups were compared within themselves, the MPV value was significantly lower and NLR and PLR values were significantly higher in vascular group than active ocular and active mucocutaneous groups (p=0.033, <0.001, 0.001, respectively).Table 1.Demografic and laboratoary, characteristicsBaseline characteristicsActive BDInactive BDControlp n=163n=96n=41 Age, y (IQR)35,7 (16,2)31,3 (13,2)38,4 (11,8)0,143Male, n (%)69 (%42,3)36 (%37,5)10 (%24,4)0,105CRP, mg/L (IQR)4,8 (20,9)2,7 (5,1)1 (2,9) <0,001 ESR, mm/h (IQR)24 (30)12 (16)11,5 (9) <0,001 MPV (f/L)8,5±1,18,9±18,8±0,9 0,011 NLR (IQR)2,4 (1,7)1,9 (1,0)1,8 (0,8) <0,001 PLR (IQR)134 (63)116 (44)130 (65) 0,012 Table 2.MPV, NLR and PLR valuesMPVNLRPLR Mucocutaneous Involvementactive (n=75)8,6±1,02,4 (1,4)134 (54)inactive (n=96)8,8±1,11,9 (0,9)118 (51)P0,168 0,009 0,006 Ocular Involvementactive (n=40)8,8±1,51,9 (1,3)117 (43)inactive (n=96)8,8±1,11,9 (0,9)118 (51)P0,8070,7160,386Vascular Involvementactive (n=48)8,1±0,93,2 (2)161 (98)inactive (n=96)8,9±1,11,9 (1,0)116 (44)P <0,001 <0,001 <0,001 ConclusionsThe low MPV and the high NLR and PLR are found in the active disease, which is especially significant in...

Background/Objective Interleukin (IL) 35 is a member of the IL-12 family. Studies show that IL-35 is an important anti-inflammatory cytokine and suppresses effector T-cell activity. In this study, we aimed to evaluate serum IL-35 levels in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and its potential relation with clinical findings. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 70 SSc patients and 29 healthy volunteers in a single center in 5 months' period. Extension of skin fibrosis was evaluated by using modified Rodnan skin score. Disease severity was assessed by Medsger disease severity scores. Serum IL-35 was measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit (Cloud-Clone Corp, Wuhan, China). The relationship between IL-35 levels and clinical and laboratory parameters was investigated. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare parameters among the groups. Correlation was tested by Spearsman correlation coefficient. Results Serum IL-35 levels was significantly higher in SSc patients (8.69 [interquartile range, 29.33] pg/mL) than in healthy controls (7.11 [interquartile range 7.53] pg/mL; p < 0.001). There was no significant relationship between serum IL-35 levels and organ involvement. There was a negative correlation between serum IL-35 levels and Medsger disease severity score (Rho, −0.333; p = 0.006), modified Rodnan skin score (Rho, −0.307; p = 0.010), and C-reactive protein (Rho, −0.294; p = 0.015). There was no relationship between IL-35 and disease duration and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Conclusions Our study revealed that IL-35 levels were higher in SSc patients, and in contrast to previous studies, it was the first study that showed that IL-35 levels did not increase in SSc patients with pulmonary fibrosis.

BackgroundNeutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), eosinophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (ELR), basophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (BLR), and mean platelet volume (MPV) may potentially reflect inflammatory status in systemic autoimmune diseases.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to investigate the association of NLR, MLR, ELR, BLR and MPV with disease manifestations, activity and severity in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).Methods59 patients with SSc and 50 healthy controls were included in the study. All patients were diagnosed according to the 2013 ACR/EULAR systemic sclerosis classification criteria. Adult patients with SSc and healthy controls were compared in terms of NLR, MLR, ELR, BLR and MPV.ResultsSSc and control groups had similar ages and genders. Lymphocyte number was lower in SSc group compared to controls (p<0.001). SSc group also have higher NLR and MLR (table 1). There were no significant differences in ELR and BLR ratios between SSc patients and controls. Patients with active disease (2.9 [IQR 2.13], p=0.042), pulmonary hypertension (PHT), digital ulcers, and tendon friction rubs (TFR) had higher NLRs (table 2). MLR was also higher in dcSSc patients (0.28 [IQR 0.73]) compared to lcSSc (0.2 [IQR 0.48] (p=0.045), and there were also significant associations with disease manifestations like digital ulcers, tendon friction rubs (table 2). MLR was positively correlated with mRSS (rho=0.35 p=0.009), Valentini (rho=0.453 p=0.001) and Medsger (rho=0.283 p=0.036) scores. According to capillaroscopy images, patients with late stage findings had higher MLRs compared to patients with normal findings (0.27 [IQR 0.3] vs 0.15 [IQR 0.04], p<0.001). Patients with digital ulcers (p=0.02) and arthritis (p=0.013) had higher ELRs and patients with tendon friction rubs has higher ELRs (p=0.014) and BLRs (0.036) compared to those without. There was no significant relation between MPV and disease manifestations (table 2). There were no relationships between dysmotility and haematological parameters.Abstract AB0733 – Table 1Comparison of laboratory features of disease and control groupsSSc n= 59Control n= 50p value Neutrophil*4.13 (11.88)3.57 (5.19)0.150Lymphocyte*1.67 (3.04)2.08 (2.75)<0.001Monocyte*0.34 (1.21)0.35 (0.73)0.959CRP, mg/L2.3 (29.9)1.2 (8.1)0.031ESR, mm/hour19 (58)13 (30)0.092MPV, fl9 (4.8)8.7 (5.3)0.557NLR2.47 (7.82)1.73 (2.29)<0.001MLR0.20 (0.79)0.16 (0.34)<0.001* x109/L (IQR)Abstract AB0733 – Table 2Association of disease manifestations with NLR, MLR and MPVn=59*MPVNLRMLR ILD+ (n=17)- (n=42)P8.9 (2.8)9 (4.8)0.4122.71 (7.82)2.43 (3.92)0.4310.21 (0.77)0.2 (0.32)0.738PHT+(n=3)- (n=56)P9.2 (1.3)9 (4.8)0.8563.2 (1.78)2.43 (7.82)0.0440.26 (0.11)0.2 (0.82)0.276Digital Ulcer+(n=12)- (n=47)P9.1 (3.4)8.9 (4.8)0.9712.75 (3.05)2.43 (4.31)0.0490.27 (0.74)0.19 (0.48)0.009TFR+(n=5)- (n=54) p9.1 (1.6)9 (4.8)0.9113.62 (1.26)2.41 (4.31)0.0030.28 (0.27)0.2 (0.48)0.030MPV, NLR and MLR are given as medians (interquartile ranges).+and – denote presence and absence, respectively.ConclusionsAccording t...