Of the 41 non-infectious aortitis cases, 29, six and six had idiopathic aortitis, Takayasu’s arteritis and Behcet’s aortitis, respectively. Of the 29 idiopathic aortitis cases, three had IgG4-related aortitis. All were male and > 65 years of age. Two had thoracic aortic aneurysms and one had an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Their IgG4-positive plasma cell counts were 60/HPF or higher; lymphoplasmacytic

infiltration and/or fibrosis, but not obliterative phlebitis, were observed. The IgG4-related aortitis cases were older (67 [range, 65–69] years) than the Takayasu’s arteritis (47.5 [38–58] years) or Behcet’s aortitis (47 [31–56] years) cases and more likely to be male than the Takayasu’s arteritis cases (100% vs. 17%). In patients with chronic aortic inflammation, 7% had IgG4-related aortitis. This disease may be more common in older male patients than in other demographic groups. “
“Background:  High body selleck mass index (BMI) may have modulatory effects on the immune system. Objectives:  To determine the association between BMI and polymyalgia rheumatica BIBF 1120 mouse (PMR) as well as the influence of BMI on glucocorticoid treatment duration and development of giant-cell arteritis (GCA) in patients with PMR. Methods:  The BMI of 364 patients with PMR from a population-based incidence cohort was compared

to the BMI of non-PMR subjects from the same population. High and low BMI were defined as ≥ 25 and < 18.5 kg/m2, respectively. The association between BMI and case status was determined. The association between BMI and the duration of tuclazepam glucocorticoid therapy, as well as the development of GCA after accounting for relevant variables, were also examined. Results:  The mean BMI at index was similar in both groups (PMR: 26 ± 5.4 kg/m2; non-PMR: 25.9 ± 4.0 kg/m2, P = 0.83). There was no association between BMI and the duration of glucocorticoid therapy. No significant association was found between BMI and the development of GCA in patients with PMR. Conclusion:  Patients with high BMI (≥ 25 kg/m2) are not more likely to develop

PMR. BMI did not influence the duration of glucocorticoid therapy or the occurrence of GCA in patients with PMR. “
“Glucose metabolism not only provides energy for physical activity but also mediates a variety of physiological processes through the formation of complex signalling networks. Recent studies have indicated that glucose metabolism plays an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease involving the inflammation of joints. Herein, we review recent progress in this area. Evidence indicates that RA synovial tissues have increased glycolytic activity, which leads to an acidic microenvironment that further induced the transformation of normal synovial cells. Enhanced glycolysis activity is related to hypoxia in RA synovial membranes.