Inflammatory criteria

Laboratory investigation reveals highly pathological inflammatory criteria , which probably point to a consuming or malignant process. Alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin rise in the further course of disease (in about 80% of cases). Lymphopenia and eosinophilia are often in evidence. (36, 38, 41) (s. tab. 38.2)... 

Non-specific inflammatory criteria (or indicators of a consuming process) ... 

Tab. 38.2 Non-sp>ecific inflammatory criteria (or indicators of a consuming process) (s. tabs. 37.6, 37.11, 37.12)...

Women suffer far more frequently than men. Clinically, there is arthralgia of varying intensity and symptoms of chronic proliferative inflammation of the synovial fluid in the diseased joints. Systemic manifestations can be recognized on the basis of haematological, neurological, pulmonary, renal, cardiovascular and hepatic symptoms. Laboratory parameters show marked inflammatory criteria (s. tab. 38.2) as well as a rise in y-globulins and immunoglobulins M and G. The rheumatoid factor is often detectable, (s. p. 118) Alkaline phosphatase may be elevated. (lOO)... 

Polymyositis can occur as a primary disease or a paraneoplastic syndrome. Clinically, there is weakness and pain in the shoulder and hip musculature, with muscular atrophy. Laboratory parameters show greatly elevated inflammatory criteria (s. tab. 38.2) as well as a rise in myosin AB. Liver involvement is characterized by hepatomegaly, inflammatory infiltration of the portal fields, fatty changes in the liver cells and single-cell necrosis as well as necrotic foci. 

CEA levels are elevated in benign diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer, cirrhosis, and hepatitis. CEA testing is recommended primarily to monitor patients after surgery for recurrent colorectal carcinoma. Twenty percent of colorectal carcinomas do not express CEA therefore, immunohistochemical methods are recommended to identify the negative cases. If a 5.0 ng/ml cutoff is used as the detection criterion, approximately 60 to 90 percent of the clinical cases will be detected for recurrences 2 to 10 months prior to clinical symptoms (37, 38). 

An important criterion for the accurate diagnosis of PAD is the exclusion of other conditions that possess similar signs and symptoms. A differential diagnosis should rule out other neurologic conditions (e.g., peripheral neuropathy), inflammatory conditions (e.g., arthritis) and vascular conditions (e.g., deep venous thrombosis) which may mimic PAD. ... 

Ibuprofen was developed by researchers at the Boots Company, a British drug manufacturer, in the early 1960s. Those researchers had found that the anti-inflammatory property of aspirin was due to the presence of a carboxylic acid (-COOH) group in the compound. They searched for other carboxylic acids that might have similar properties and, after testing more than 600 compounds, discovered that ibuprofen met that criterion. It was twice as effective as... 

Special caution must be taken when evaluating cutaneous lymphoid lesions, as TCR clonal rearrangements may appear in different benign inflammatory cutaneous lesions, such as chronic dermatitis and many other reactive skin lymphoid infiltrate consequently T-cell clonality cannot be taken as an absolute criterion for cutaneous lymphoma. Nevertheless benign monoclonal cutaneous lymphocytic infiltrates are more likely to develop cutaneous lymphoma than polyclonal infiltrates, which usually continue to have a benign clinical course. 

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