Prevalence Of Connective Tissue Diseases Research Articles

Myocardial infarction with non obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA): clinical profile and prognosis

Abstract Background MINOCA is a clinical condition that has grown interest in the last few years. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical profile, treatment and prognosis of MINOCA patients and those with myocardial infarction (MI) with obstructive coronary artery disease (MICAD). Methods We analyzed all consecutive patients with MI who underwent coronary angiography admitted in our Hospital. The database and all the patient's angiographies were revised by a group of experts in order to adequate MINOCA definition to 2020 ESC Guidelines definition and American Heart Association consensus statement. Results We included 915 patients, of whom 108 (12%) were MINOCA, with a median follow-up of 45 [21-65] months (see table 1). The underlying mechanism in MINOCA was coronary spasm (15%), plaque rupture (9.3%), coronary embolism (4.7%), coronary dissection (5.6%), type II infarction (17.8%) or unknown (43.8%). A total of 58.3% had angiographically smooth coronary arteries and 38.9% had plaques <50%. MINOCA patients in our study were younger and mostly female, with higher prevalence of connective tissue diseases, migraine or patient-reported stress and less smoking, diabetes and chronic kidney disease compared to patients with obstructive coronary artery disease. Symptoms at admission did not differ between both groups, although MINOCA had EKG with fewer alterations, most had a diagnosis of non-ST-elevation MI (NSTEMI) and significantly lower myocardial injury biomarkers’ levels (Troponine T hs peak 176 [37.25-430] vs 860 [187.50- 2640.50] ng/L, p<0.001 and CK 179 [86.75-342.75] vs 435 [159.50-1090] U/L, p<0.001). They had fewer cardiovascular complications during hospitalization such as inotropic requirements (0% vs 8%, P=0.003), cardiogenic shock (0% vs 6.4%, P=0.007) or left ventricular dysfunction (11.1% vs 29.6%, P<0.001). There were no significant differences in MACE (25.3% vs 34.7%, p=0,086): death (10.7% vs 15.5%, p=0.25), readmission (19% vs 28.7%, p=0.06), AMI (8.3 % vs 7.3%, p=0.74) and stroke (2.4% vs 3.4%, p=0.61) in both groups at follow-up. Conclusions 1) MINOCA is frequent (12% of MI), 2) the clinical profile of MINOCA patients is different than MICAD (lower cardiovascular risk factors burden, younger and more females), 3) the severity of myocardial infarction is lower (more diagnosis of NSTEMI, lower myocardial injury biomarkers’ levels, fewer complications during hospitalization and less left ventricular dysfunction), 4) we found no differences in prognosis in both groups.Table 1

Pneumoconiosis combined with connective tissue disease in China: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo describe the prevalence, clinical features and potential risk factors of pneumoconiosis in combination with connective tissue disease (CTD) or positive autoantibodies.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingA retrospective study of adults recruited in China...

Analysis of Predictive Risk Factors in Aquaporin-4-IgG Positive Highly Active Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) are inflammatory diseases with a high risk of recurrence and progressive disability, and it is crucial to find sensitive and reliable biomarkers for prognosis and the early prediction of relapse. Highly active NMOSD is defined as two or more clinical relapses within a 12-month period. In this study, we analyzed independent risk factors among patients with aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-IgG positive highly active NMOSD. In this retrospective study, we analyzed the data of 94 AQP4-IgG positive patients with highly active NMOSD and 105 AQP4-IgG positive controls with non-highly active NMOSD. In order to rule out possible effects of previous treatments (such as glucocorticoids, immunoglobulin, and immunosuppressants), we focused on the first-attack NMOSD patients admitted to our hospital. Clinical data, including the age of onset, gender, comorbidities, and serum analysis and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis results, were collected, after which logistic regression models were used to determine the associations between the clinical factors and relapse outcomes. The prevalence of connective tissue disease and the proportion of antinuclear antibody (ANA)-positivity were higher in the highly active NMOSD group than in the control group. The leukocyte counts, homocysteine (Hcy) levels, CSF leukocyte counts, protein concentrations, IgG indexes, and 24h IgG synthesis rates were also higher in the highly active NMOSD group. The results of multivariate analysis indicated that connective tissue disease comorbidity (OR = 5.953, 95% CI: 1.221–29.034, P = 0.027), Hcy levels (OR = 1.063, 95% CI: 1.003–1.126, P = 0.04), and 24h IgG synthesis rate (OR = 1.038, 95% CI: 1.003–1.075, P = 0.034) may be independent risk factors for AQP4-IgG positive highly active NMOSD relapse after adjusting for various variables. Comorbidity of connective tissue disease, Hcy levels, and 24h IgG synthesis rate may be independent risk factors for AQP4-IgG positive highly active NMOSD.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes and subsequent development of connective tissue disease in the UK: an epidemiological study.

This study assessed prevalence of connective tissue disease (CTDs), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in women with previous adverse pregnancy outcome compared with uncomplicated livebirths. Retrospective case-control study. UK Primary Care. Records of women, 18years and older, within the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) (1January 2000-31 December 2013). Clinical Practice Research Datalink was searched for pregnancy terms to identify adverse pregnancy outcome. Each identified case was matched to five livebirths. Diagnosis of SLE, CTD, APS or autoimmune antibodies. Poisson regression was performed to calculate relative risk ratios (RR), comparing adverse pregnancy outcome with livebirth cohorts. Clinical Practice Research Datalink identified 20123 adverse pregnancy outcomes matched to 97323 livebirths, with a total of 875590 person-years follow up. Median follow up from study entry was 7.29years (SD 4.39). Compared with women with an uncomplicated livebirth, women with adverse pregnancy outcome had an increased risk of developing CTD or autoimmune antibodies (RR 3.20, 95%CI 2.90-3.51). Risk was greatest following a stillbirth (RR 5.82, 95% CI 4.97-6.81). For CTD and SLE, the risk was greatest within the first 5years of adverse pregnancy outcome. Risk for aPL and APS diagnosis was highest≥5years from adverse pregnancy outcome. Adverse pregnancy outcome is associated with increased risk of developing maternal CTD, including SLE. Either immunological factors predispose women to adverse pregnancy outcome and subsequent CTD diagnosis or, alternatively, adverse pregnancy outcome initiates autoimmune events which culminate in CTD in later life. Stillbirth is associated with increased maternal risk of developing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

A severe case of neuro-Sj\xf6gren\u2019s syndrome induced by pembrolizumab

BackgroundThe prevalence of connective tissue disease (CTD) induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) in the absence of pre-existing autoimmunity is unknown.Case presentationWe report the case of a melanoma patient treated for 8 months with pembrolizumab who developed a subacute ataxic sensory neuronopathy (SNN), including a right trigeminal neuropathy. Salivary gland biopsy showed inflammatory changes suggestive of Sjögren’s syndrome, while brain MRI revealed enhancement of the right trigeminal ganglia. A high level of protein and pleocytosis was found in the cerebrospinal fluid, with negative cultures. Nerve conduction studies revealed the absence of sensory nerve action potentials in the upper and lower limbs and reduced motor responses in the upper limbs, fulfilling criteria for SNN. Blood tests revealed an important inflammatory syndrome, hemolytic anemia, elevation of total IgG levels and the presence of ANA autoantibodies specific to anti-SSA (52 and 60 kd). All these elements were absent before the initiation of the treatment with pembrolizumab. Initially, there was a clinical response following intravenous frontline methylprednisone, but the subacute relapse required the introduction of second-line treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins and then rituximab, which led to a quick clinical improvement.ConclusionsHerein, we describe the first case of a patient who developed a typical SNN as a complication of severe neuro-Sjögren’s syndrome induced by pembrolizumab treatment.

Connective tissue diseases, multimorbidity and the ageing lung.

Connective tissue diseases encompass a wide range of heterogeneous disorders characterised by immune-mediated chronic inflammation often leading to tissue damage, collagen deposition and possible loss of function of the target organ. Lung involvement is a common complication of connective tissue diseases. Depending on the underlying disease, various thoracic compartments can be involved but interstitial lung disease is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality. Interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension or both are found most commonly in systemic sclerosis. In the elderly, the prevalence of connective tissue diseases continues to rise due to both longer life expectancy and more effective and better-tolerated treatments. In the geriatric population, connective tissue diseases are almost invariably accompanied by age-related comorbidities, and disease- and treatment-related complications, which contribute to the significant morbidity and mortality associated with these conditions, and complicate treatment decision-making. Connective tissue diseases in the elderly represent a growing concern for healthcare providers and an increasing burden of global health resources worldwide. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of the immune functions in the elderly and evidence-based guidelines specifically designed for this patient population are instrumental to improving the management of connective tissue diseases in elderly patients.

Clinical Characteristics of Connective Tissue Disease-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease in 1,044 Chinese Patients

Because the prevalence of connective tissue disease (CTD)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD; CTD-ILD) in China is unknown, we wanted to analyze the clinical characteristics of this disease in Chinese patients. The medical records of patients who received a diagnosis of ILD and treated in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from January 1999 to January 2013 were reviewed. Based on the records, patients who also received a diagnosis of CTD were identified, and their records of follow-up examinations for a minimum of 12months until the end of December 2013 were reviewed. Of the 2,678 patients who received a diagnosis of ILD, 1,798 (67%) were identified as having CTD-ILD; 299 (11.2%) had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Complete clinical data were available for 1,044 patients with CTD-ILD and 178 with IPF. We found that 332 of the 1,044 patients with CTD-ILD (32%) did not receive an accurate diagnosis at the initial hospital admission, 195 (18.7%) of the 1,044 patientsshowed persistent negative test results for autoantibodies, and 262 (25.1%) of the 1,044 patientshad negative autoantibodies at the initial hospital admission and then became positive at follow-up examinations. Of the 288 patients who had confirmed CTD-ILD, 41 (14%) showed pulmonary symptoms as the initial clinical manifestation (PSIM) and 247 (86%) showed extrapulmonary symptoms as the initial clinical manifestation (EPSIM). For the 756 patients who had undifferentiated CTD-ILD, the proportion of PSIM and EPSIM was 44%and 56%, respectively. For patients who presented with PSIM, 23 who had confirmed CTD-ILD (56%) and 216 who had unconfirmed CTD-ILD (65%) did not receive an accurate diagnosis at the initial visit but were ultimately diagnosed at subsequent follow-up examinations. Patients with CTD-ILD do not receive an accurate diagnosis at the initial hospital admission possibly because of negative serologic test results for autoantibodies and the absence of obvious extrapulmonary symptoms. Thus, patients with ILD should be examined for extrapulmonary symptoms and tested for autoantibodies at follow-up examinations.

Thrombophilia Associated with Anti-DFS70 Autoantibodies.

ContextAnti-DFS70 antibodies are the most frequent antinuclear antibodies (ANA) found in healthy individuals. We assessed the clinical significance of the presence of anti-DFS70 antibodies.MethodsWe defined a group of patients (n = 421) with anti-DFS70 antibodies and a group of patients (n = 63) with a history of idiopathic arterial and/or venous thrombotic disease and/or obstetric complication (i.e. ≥3 miscarriages, fetal death or premature birth with eclampsia). Anti-DFS70 antibodies prevalence was also assessed in a cohort of 300 healthy blood donors.ResultsThe prevalence of thrombotic disease and/or obstetric complication in the 421 patients with anti-DFS70 antibodies was 13.1% (n = 55) and the prevalence of connective tissue disease was 19% (n = 80). Among the 63 patients with a history of thrombosis and/or obstetric complications, 7 (11.1%) had anti-DFS70 antibodies and among the latter, 5 had no common thrombophilic factor. In contrast, the prevalence of anti-DFS70 antibodies was of 3.0% (9 out of 300) in healthy donors. Finally, the Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) ratio of patients with a history of thrombosis and anti-DFS70 antibodies was lower than the aPTT ratio of other patients, suggesting that thrombotic patients with anti-DFS70 antibodies may have a hypercoagulable state.ConclusionWe described here for the first time an immune procoagulant state involving anti-DFS70 antibodies.

Prevalence of Connective Tissue Diseases in Egyptian Patients Presenting with Fever of Unknown Origin

Objective:To estimate the prevalence of connective tissue diseases in patients presenting with fever of unknown origin (FUO).Patients and methods:In this study thirty patients diagnosed as FUO (Group 1), in 2008, were included in an observational study and diagnostic workup. Additionally, retrospective analysis of seventy patients’ files (Group 2), for patients who presented with prolonged unexplained pyrexia to the same hospital in the previous two years, was performed. Patients were subjected to: full clinical assessment including full history taking, thorough clinical examination, laboratory investigations including the basic investigations for patients with prolonged fever, complete blood count, erythrocytes sedimentation rate, urine analysis and culture, blood culture, sputum culture and plain chest X ray. Further diagnostic work up and/or procedures were requested according to the potential diagnostic clues (PDC) present in every patient.Results:Out of 100 FUO patients, 50% were found to have infectious diseases, 24% were found to have connective tissue diseases, 8% miscellaneous causes and 7% neoplastic diseases (P < 0.05). In 11 patients no definite cause for FUO could be identified. Connective tissue patients were: eight systemic lupus patients (33.3%), five patients with familial mediterranean fever (20.8%), four patients with rheumatoid arthritis (16.6%), three patients (12.5%) with Still’s disease and Rheumatic fever and one patient with Behçet syndrome/Crohn’s disease (4.3%), (P < 0.05).Conclusions:Despite the advanced technology, FUO remains a challenging medical problem. Infections were the most common cause of FUO in Egypt, confirming the trends found in other parts of the world. There was an increased prevalence of connective tissue patients presented with prolonged unexplained fever. A keen clinical eye, meticulous history taking and repeated physical examination remained the most important diagnostic tools in FUO patients.

Increased risk for coronary heart disease, asthma, and connective tissue diseases in inflammatory bowel disease

Background and aims Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) show increased risk for other immune-mediated diseases such as arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and some pulmonary diseases. Less is known about the prevalence of other chronic diseases in IBD, and the impact of comorbidity on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods The study population comprised 2831 IBD patients recruited from the National Health Insurance register and from a patient-association register. Study subjects completed generic 15D and disease-specific IBDQ questionnaires. The Social Insurance Institution of Finland provided data on other chronic diseases entitling patients to reimbursed medication. For each study subject, two controls, matched for age, sex, and hospital district, were chosen. Results A significant increase existed in prevalence of connective tissue diseases, pernicious anemia and asthma. Furthermore, coronary heart disease (CHD) occurred significantly more frequently in IBD patients than in their peers ( p = 0.004). The difference was, however, more clearly seen in females ( p = 0.014 versus 0.046 in males). Active and long-lasting IBD were risk factors. Concomitant other chronic diseases appeared to impair HRQoL. Asthma, hypertension and psychological disorders had an especially strong negative impact on HRQoL, as observed with both the generic and disease-specific HRQoL tools. Conclusions In addition to many immune-mediated diseases, CHD appeared to be more common in IBD than in control patients, especially in females. The reason is unknown, but chronic inflammation may predispose to atherosclerosis. This finding should encourage more efficacious management of underlying cardiovascular risk factors, and probably also inflammatory activity in IBD.

Prevalence of connective tissue disease in silicosis (1985–2006)—a report from the state of michigan surveillance system for silicosis

The risk of developing clinical connective tissue disease (CTD) has been reported to be increased among individuals with silica exposure. We reviewed the medical records of individuals reported to the Michigan Silicosis Surveillance system from 1985 to 2006 to confirm the diagnosis of silicosis and determine the presence of CTDs. From 1985 to 2006, 1,022 cases were confirmed to have silicosis. Medical records of 790 cases were available. Thirty-three individuals had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) [prevalence 4.2% (prevalence ratio (RR) ranged from 2.26, 95% CI: 1.57-3.25 to 6.96, 95% CI: 2.93-16.53) depending on the reference rate used], two had scleroderma [prevalence 0.3% (RR 28.3, 95% CI: 6.09-129.98)], one had systemic lupus erythematosus [prevalence 0.1% (RR 2.53, 95% CI: 0.30-21.64)], two had Sjogrens syndrome [prevalence 0.3% (RR 0.42, 95% CI: 0.09-2.08)], and six had anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA) vasculitis [prevalence 0.8% (RR 25.3, 95% CI: 6.34-101.04)]. There was no difference between those with and without CTD with respect to age, race, industry type, history of tuberculosis, application for workers' compensation, or severity of fibrotic changes on chest X-ray. A two- to eightfold risk for RA and systemic lupus erythematosus, with a greater than 24-fold risk for scleroderma and ANCA vasculitis was found in individuals with silicosis. The most common CTD among silicotics in the Michigan disease registry was RA. Though not classically included in the category of CTD, ANCA-associated vasculitis was found to have a much greater prevalence amongst silicosis patients than the general population.

Novel aspects in the epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment of connective tissue diseases

The past decade has been marked by rapid advances in molecular biology techniques, which are now routinely and commercially available for research groups around the world. Examples include the microarray technique and methods for gene silencing such as small interference RNA (siRNA) and cell transfection with antisense constructs. For research groups interested in the pathogenesis of certain diseases, these novel techniques allow a rapid high throughput screening for genes which are differentially expressed in health and disease, and might thus be of functional importance for disease development or disease progression [1]. In this context, there has been major progress in our understanding of the pathophysiology of connective tissue diseases. Connective tissue diseases form a wide spectrum of disorders including, among others, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, dermato-polymyositis, mixed connective tissue disease and Sjogren’s syndrome. The pathophysiology and clinical presentation of these diseases are diverse. However, the discovery of key molecules as well as key mechanisms in the specific pathogenesis have significantly increased the options to treat their organ-based complications. While the conventional non-selective therapies are still of importance in daily clinical life, most of the new agents target specific molecules or mechanisms that have been shown to play a functional role in the pathogenesis of the overall disease or certain organ manifestations [2, 3]. To provide a comprehensive background for these new therapeutic options and to summarize novel developments, this supplement of Rheumatology has gathered experts in the fields of rheumatology, dermatology and nephrology to cover different aspects in the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features and their pathophysiology, and treatment of patients with connective tissue diseases. Regarding epidemiology, it is shown in this supplement that the incidence and prevalence of connective tissue diseases are low compared with other inflammatory rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or spondarthropathies; however, they are potentially life-threatening. As connective tissue diseases often occur in younger women during the childbearing period, treatment and clinical care during pregnancy is a major challenge for clinicians. Classification criteria used in clinical studies to obtain well-defined study populations frequently underestimate the prevalence of the disease by excluding patients with early disease or incomplete disease manifestations. Since novel

The Development of Connective Tissue Diseases in Patients with Autoimmune Hepatitis: A Case Series

To study the prevalence of connective tissue diseases (CTD) in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). We identified 11 cases of AIH over the past 7 years at our institution, through a systematic chart review of patients with this diagnosis. Their charts were reviewed for the development of systemic CTD. Three of the 11 patients with a definitive diagnosis of AIH developed systemic CTD. All were white: 2 women and 1 man, with an age range of 33 to 62 years, and with disease duration of 1 to 7 years. One patient developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with vasculitis and peripheral neuropathy. The second developed limited scleroderma and the third developed undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) and interstitial lung disease. There appear to be shared susceptibility alleles for AIH and CTD in addition to the shared positive autoantibodies. Patients with AIH may be at increased risk for developing systemic CTD. Conversely, a review of the literature reveals that patients with systemic CTD may be at increased risk of developing AIH. Patients with either AIH or CTD should be monitored for further development of concurrent autoimmune diseases.

Connective tissue disease and silicosis

Background: To determine the prevalence of connective tissue disease in a cohort of individuals with silicosis, we reviewed the medical records and questionnaires from individuals reported from 1987 to 1995 to a state surveillance system for silicosis. Reporting of individuals with silicosis is required by state law. Cases were reported by hospitals, physicians, the state workers' compensation bureau, or from death certificates. Only individuals who met the criteria for silicosis developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) were included in the analysis. Results: A questionnaire was completed for all 583 cases. Medical records were available for 463. There were 24 people with rheumatoid arthritis, one with scleroderma, and one with systemic lupus erythematosus. All were men. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis was 5.2% (relative risk (RR) 2.73, 95% confidence limit (CL) 1.75–4.06). The prevalence of scleroderma was 0.2% (RR 15.65, 95% CL 0.21–87.03) and the prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus was 0.2% (RR 11.37, 95% CL 0.15–63.23). This is an approximately 2.5–15-fold increased risk for these connective tissue diseases compared to estimated prevalences in the general population. Individuals with silicosis and connective tissue disease did not differ from individuals with silicosis but without connective tissue disease by race, age, type of industry where exposed to silica, history of tuberculosis, whether or not they had applied for workers' compensation, and whether or not they had progressive massive fibrosis on chest x-ray. Conclusion: Although the association between scleroderma and silicosis has been more widely reported in the literature, the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis was greater than the prevalence of scleroderma or systemic lupus erythematosus among a cohort of individuals with silicosis. Am. J. Ind. Med. 35:375–381, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Connective tissue disease and silicosis.

To determine the prevalence of connective tissue disease in a cohort of individuals with silicosis, we reviewed the medical records and questionnaires from individuals reported from 1987 to 1995 to a state surveillance system for silicosis. Reporting of individuals with silicosis is required by state law. Cases were reported by hospitals, physicians, the state workers' compensation bureau, or from death certificates. Only individuals who met the criteria for silicosis developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) were included in the analysis. A questionnaire was completed for all 583 cases. Medical records were available for 463. There were 24 people with rheumatoid arthritis, one with scleroderma, and one with systemic lupus erythematosus. All were men. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis was 5.2% (relative risk (RR) 2.73, 95% confidence limit (CL) 1.75-4.06). The prevalence of scleroderma was 0.2% (RR 15.65, 95% CL 0.21-87.03) and the prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus was 0.2% (RR 11.37, 95% CL 0.15-63.23). This is an approximately 2.5-15-fold increased risk for these connective tissue diseases compared to estimated prevalences in the general population. Individuals with silicosis and connective tissue disease did not differ from individuals with silicosis but without connective tissue disease by race, age, type of industry where exposed to silica, history of tuberculosis, whether or not they had applied for workers' compensation, and whether or not they had progressive massive fibrosis on chest x-ray. Although the association between scleroderma and silicosis has been more widely reported in the literature, the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis was greater than the prevalence of scleroderma or systemic lupus erythematosus among a cohort of individuals with silicosis.

Silicone gel-filled breast implants and connective tissue diseases.

Recent worldwide press and media speculation that silicone implants may be linked to an increased incidence of breast cancer, other cancers, and connective tissue diseases-particularly systemic sclerosis-is a current cause for concern to the medical profession and public alike. We conducted a cross-sectional study of the prevalence of connective tissue diseases, as well as signs and symptoms associated with these conditions, in women who had received a silicone gel-filled breast implant for either breast augmentation or breast reconstruction following mastectomy for breast cancer compared with women without implants in South East Scotland. We compared 317 patients who had had a silicone gel-filled breast implant inserted with matched controls. We found no increased incidence of antinuclear antibodies or rheumatoid factor in the study groups. We detected one case of rheumatoid arthritis in the reconstruction group and one in matched controls, but no cases of any other connective tissue disease. No cases were found among the augmentation patients or their controls. No differences were found in symptoms or physical signs of connective tissue diseases between the study patients and their controls. This study has failed to find any case for a link between silicone gel-filled breast implants and connective tissue diseases.

Prévalence des maladies dysimmunitaires systémiques: utilisation d'un réseau de médecins généralistes

The aim of this study is to appreciate the prevalence of connective tissue diseases in a french district (Loire-Atlantique). We used a network (RESOMED 44) which gathers a sample of 50 randomized G.P. The most frequent was rheumatoid arthritis (35,29 %) followed par polymyalgia rheumatica (18,56 %) and temporal arteritis (18,18 %).