CAN is common in lupus and JIA patients, even in absence of relevant symptoms. Thus, assessments of cardiac autonomic function, by AFTs and serum autonomic neuropeptides (NPY and VIP), and the therapeutic effects of NPY and VIP are recommended in these patients.

Continuum equations governing thermal non-equilibrium modeling of steady natural convection inside wavy enclosures with the effect of thermal radiation are developed. These equations account for such effects as the inter-phase heat transfer coefficient effect, the thermal radiation effect, the modified conductivity ratio effect and the Rayleigh number effect. Finite difference method is employed to solve these equations and comparisons between previous published works are presented. Numerical results for the flow and heat transfer for the fluid and solid phases are obtained for various combinations of the physical parameters. Graphical and tabular results illustrating interesting features of the physics of the problem are presented and discussed.

Sputum NKA is up-regulated during acute asthma exacerbation and it positively correlates to its severity. Thus, NKA may aid in objective classification of the exacerbation severity. In addition, NKA may be a target for new asthma therapy.

Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) is one of the most difficult manifestations of lupus to diagnose. Measurement of serum brain autoantibodies and assessment of cognitive function by electroneurophysiological studies (electroencephalogram (EEG) and P300) have contributed to an earlier and a more specific diagnosis of NPSLE. Thus, we were stimulated to assess the value of serum antineuronal antibodies and electroneurophysiological studies in diagnosis and early prediction of NPSLE. To investigate this, assessment of serum antineuronal antibodies and cognitive function (clinically and by electroneurophysiological studies) was done in 30 lupus patients [14 (46.7%) with and 16 (53.3%) without clinical evidence of NPSLE] in comparison with 30 healthy matched subjects. Patients without clinical evidence of NPSLE were followed-up clinically by monthly neuropsychiatric evaluation for 18 months. Seropositivity for antineuronal antibodies and abnormalities of EEG and P300 (prolonged latency and/or low amplitude) were found in 60%, 50% and 70%, respectively of lupus patients. During follow-up, 8 out of the 16 patients without clinical evidence of NPSLE developed such evidence [six (75%) had antineuronal seropositivity, five (62.5%) had abnormal EEG, six (75%) had P300 abnormalities and all had at least one abnormal result of these parameters at the time of initial evaluation before clinical presentation of NPSLE]. In conclusion, serum antineuronal antibodies and electroneurophysiological studies may be reliable parameters for diagnosis and early prediction of NPSLE, especially when combined together, before clinical manifestations ensue. Further studies on a large scale are warranted to evaluate the predictive value of these parameters in NPSLE.

Autoimmunity to brain could play an etiopathogenic role in a subgroup of autistic patients. The frequency of serum anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein antibodies, as an index for autoimmunity to brain, and their relation to family history of autoimmunity were investigated in 32 autistic and 32 healthy matched children. Autistic children had significantly higher serum anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein antibodies than healthy children (2100 [1995] and 1138 [87.5] Buhlmann titre unit, P < .001). Anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein positivity was elicited in 62.5% of autistic children. Family history of autoimmunity in autistic children (50%) was significantly higher than controls (9.4%). Anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein serum levels were significantly higher in autistic children with than those without such history (P < .05). In conclusion, autism could be, in part, one of the pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders. Further studies are warranted to shed light on the etiopathogenic role of anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein antibodies and the role of immunotherapy in autism.