Recent research has recognised new populations of non-hematopoïetic cells in the blood.
One of these, circulating endothelial cells (CECs), often defined by the expression of …

Objective To compare intervention with fluorinated glucocorticoids to the natural history of
untreated congenital heart block (CHB) with respect to conduction abnormalities, associated …

Autoimmune congenital heart block (CHB) is an immune-mediated acquired disease that is
associated with the placental transference of maternal antibodies specific for Ro and La …

Abstract Objective The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) group
revised and validated the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) systemic lupus …

Background Oral contraceptives are rarely prescribed for women with systemic lupus
erythematosus, because of concern about potential negative side effects. In this double …

Background Since anecdotal series and small, prospective, controlled trials suggest that
mycophenolate mofetil may be effective for treating lupus nephritis, larger trials are …

Objectives. The present study describes the demographics, mortality, morbidity and
recurrence rates of autoimmune-associated congenital heart block (CHB) using information …

Background: There is concern that exogenous female hormones may worsen disease
activity in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Objective: To evaluate the effect …

Lupus nephritis is a potentially fatal autoimmune disease for which the current treatment is
ineffective and often toxic. To develop mechanistic hypotheses of disease, we analyzed …

Objective: Nitric oxide, a potent vasodilator released by endothelial cells, inhibits platelet
aggregation and adhesion to vascular endothelial surfaces. Because endothelial cell …