Diabetic nephropathy is the major cause of severe renal impairment and even chronic terminal renal failure requiring dialysis. Blood viscosity is clearly modified in diabetic patients, and particularly in those with severe renal impairment The purpose of this study is to highlight blood viscosity values at different shear rates in patients with diabetic nephropathy compared to the control group. There is a significant increase in blood viscosity in patients with definite renal impairment.

The use of biological therapies may have positive impact on chronic renal disease associated with rheumatoid arthritis. The study evaluates retrospectively renal function in 57 patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with different types of biological therapy, comparative with 62 RA patients treated conservatively with DMARDs. Patients treated with biological therapies presented a lower mean value for serum creatinine measured both at baseline and after 6 months of treatment, statistically significant compared with the subgroup treated with DMARDs (0.69 ± 0.17 mg/dL vs. 1.18 ± 1.01 mg/dL, p = 0.003). Results for estimated filtration rate were significantly increased in biologically treated cohort (100.36 ± 16.76 mL/min/1.73 m2 vs. 63.49 ± 21.60 mL/min/1.73 m2, p < 0.00001). Rituximab presented a better estimated filtration rate compared with other biological tharapies (eGFR 97.037 mL/min/1.73 m2 vs. 90.933 mL/min/1.73 m2). The positive effect of potent biological anti-inflammatory therapies sustains the need of further exploring the risk of reduced kidney function in immune-mediated diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis.

some machine learning algorithms for sex identification based on linear mandibular measurements derived from CT scans .

Introduction. Psoriatic arthritis (PA) is a multi-system inflammatory disorder that involves both musculoskeletal structures (joints, enthesis, tendons) and the skin and nails (psoriasis). Clinical manifestations can be varied from clinically asymptomatic disease to arthritis mutilans and invalidating forms. Purpose. Identification of renal disease in patients with psoriatic arthritis depending on the degree of activity and severity of skin and joint disease. Material and Methods. We conducted a retrospective study of 89 patients diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in the Rheumatology Department of Clinical Emergency Hospital “Sf. Andrei” in Constanta. We collected demographic and behavioural data (age, sex, ethnicity, smoking), clinical and biological elements of joint and skin disease activity (number of painful and swollen joints, joint pain score - VAS, PASI score, ESR, CRP) and evaluation of renal function (serum creatinine, serum uric acid, urinalysis examination for proteinuria and hematuria). Chronic kidney disease was staged by calculating the value of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) with CKD-EPI 2009 equation. Results. 49 patients have full screening of renal function, especially in disease onset or in case of therapy switch. Proteinuria was found in a significant percentage of patients (32.65%), vary widely between 10-500 mg/dL. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) was commonly found in our patients (42.85%), mostly in women (66.6%). Most cases of CKD were in stage 2 (12.4%). We observed a significant correlation between age and levels of serum creatinine (p = 0.041), caucasians developing more frequently CKD (p <0.0001). The presence of skin psoriasis did not interfere with renal function decline in PA patients, but its severity, measured with PASI score, was correlated with cronic kidney failure stages (p = 0.05) and proteinuria (p = 0.044). The severity of joint pain (TJC, VAS) is directly related to kidney disease (p <0.0001, respectively p = 0.05). The majority of patients with extensive joint erosions also had renal impairment (p = NS) and it can be seen a direct correlation between erosive joint disease and serum creatinine (p = 0.029). Conclusions: Both the severity of psoriasis and articular disease may be involved in worsening of renal function, probably due to the chronic systemic inflammation and to an aggressive therapy imposed by the disease evolution.

Smoking is the environmental factor involved in rheumatoid arthritis etiopathology. The data from the literature show that the smoking influence both the appearance and the development of rheumatoid arthritis. The study aims to analyzes how smoking affects disease activity. A prospective study was conducted on a sample of 264 rheumatoid arthritis patients who were registered with the Department of Rheumatology at the Medical Clinic II, Clinical Emergency Hospital “St. Andrew “, Constanta. We performed demographic variables, clinical and biological. We specifically inquiring smoking status and parameters of disease activity variables expressed by DAS28 and its variables. Smoking status was correlated with high and moderate active disease and ESR values and pacient global assessment. No statistically significantly correlated with CRP, tender joint count, swollen joint count. In conclusion, smoking influences disease activity.