title: Current status of Takayasu arteritis in India.
abstract: The clinical features of 106 patients of Takayasu arteritis (TA) seen over a period of 16 years are documented (65 females and 41 males). The mean age was 27.3 +/- 9.2 years. Hypertension was the commonest mode of presentation (51.3%) and was detected in 82 patients (77.4%) at the time of presentation. Vascular bruits were heard in 72 patients (67.9%) and 13 patients (12.3%) were in congestive heart failure. Aortography was performed in 95 patients. Based on the extent of involvement, Type I (branches of aortic arch) was seen in 7 (6.6%) patients, Type II (aortic arch, its branches and descending thoracic aorta) in 7 (6.6%) patients, Type III (descending thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta) in 4 (3.8%) patients, Type IV (abdominal aorta only) in 29 (27.3%) patients and Type V (aortic arch, descending thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta) in 59 (55.7%) patients. Therapeutic modalities included antihypertensive drug therapy in 81 patients, antitubercular drugs in 8 patients, steroids in 16 patients and cyclophosphamide in one patient. Response to steroids was satisfactory in 5 of these 16 patients while the lesions of vasculitis healed in the patient who was treated with cyclophosphamide. Surgical interventions included nephrectomy and autotransplantation of kidney in 3 patients each and revascularization in 4 patients and angioplasty in 4 patients. In the area of pathogenesis of this disease, a high activity of protein kinase C(PKC), an increased intracellular calcium and inositol 1,4,5 triphosphate in both unstimulated and stimulated T cells of TA was observed. These findings suggest an activation of PKC-calcium pathway in TA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumari
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Ganguly
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013625:Takayasu Arteritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones