Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become increasingly recognized as a cause of mortality, especially in patients with long-standing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Aim of the work To detect subclinical cardiac involvement and its relation to clinical characteristics, disease activity and damage. Patients and methods Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed in 36 SLE patients. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) sections were obtained. T1-weighted inversion recovery scout images were obtained after injection of gadolinium. Results Thirty-six patients were included with a mean age of 32.4 ± 8.5 years; 35 females and 1 male; with disease duration of 7.9 ± 5 years. The frequent cardiac presentations on TTE were tricuspid regurgitation (TR) (41.6%), mitral regurgitation (MR) (36.1%), mitral thickening (25%), early diastolic mitral flow/mitral flow during atrial contraction (E/A) 1 (19.4%). The most frequent cardiac presentations by CMR were MR (25%), pericarditis (25%), mitral thickening (13.9%), TR (13.9%), myocarditis (8.3). Neither SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) nor Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) damage index, high- sensitivity-C reactive protein (hsCRP), C3 and C4 levels were significantly correlated with the ejection fraction (EF) by CMR. There was significant negative correlation between disease duration and EF by CMR (r = −0.36, p = 0.03). Using multiple regression, EF by CMR was strongly predicted by disease duration (p = 0.025). The analysis of EF and MR fraction by CMR and TTE showed acceptable moderate agreement. CMR and TTE showed 83.3% agreement in the detection of pericarditis. Conclusion CMR is superior to echocardiography in detection of subclinical abnormalities in SLE.

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become increasingly recognized as a cause of mortality, especially in patients with long-standing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Aim of the work To detect subclinical cardiac involvement and its relation to clinical characteristics, disease activity and damage. Patients and methods Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed in 36 SLE patients. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) sections were obtained. T1-weighted inversion recovery scout images were obtained after injection of gadolinium. Results Thirty-six patients were included with a mean age of 32.4 ± 8.5 years; 35 females and 1 male; with disease duration of 7.9 ± 5 years. The frequent cardiac presentations on TTE were tricuspid regurgitation (TR) (41.6%), mitral regurgitation (MR) (36.1%), mitral thickening (25%), early diastolic mitral flow/mitral flow during atrial contraction (E/A) 1 (19.4%). The most frequent cardiac presentations by CMR were MR (25%), pericarditis (25%), mitral thickening (13.9%), TR (13.9%), myocarditis (8.3). Neither SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) nor Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) damage index, high- sensitivity-C reactive protein (hsCRP), C3 and C4 levels were significantly correlated with the ejection fraction (EF) by CMR. There was significant negative correlation between disease duration and EF by CMR (r = −0.36, p = 0.03). Using multiple regression, EF by CMR was strongly predicted by disease duration (p = 0.025). The analysis of EF and MR fraction by CMR and TTE showed acceptable moderate agreement. CMR and TTE showed 83.3% agreement in the detection of pericarditis. Conclusion CMR is superior to echocardiography in detection of subclinical abnormalities in SLE.

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become increasingly recognized as a cause of mortality, especially in patients with long-standing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Aim of the work To detect subclinical cardiac involvement and its relation to clinical characteristics, disease activity and damage. Patients and methods Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed in 36 SLE patients. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) sections were obtained. T1-weighted inversion recovery scout images were obtained after injection of gadolinium. Results Thirty-six patients were included with a mean age of 32.4 ± 8.5 years; 35 females and 1 male; with disease duration of 7.9 ± 5 years. The frequent cardiac presentations on TTE were tricuspid regurgitation (TR) (41.6%), mitral regurgitation (MR) (36.1%), mitral thickening (25%), early diastolic mitral flow/mitral flow during atrial contraction (E/A) 1 (19.4%). The most frequent cardiac presentations by CMR were MR (25%), pericarditis (25%), mitral thickening (13.9%), TR (13.9%), myocarditis (8.3). Neither SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) nor Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) damage index, high- sensitivity-C reactive protein (hsCRP), C3 and C4 levels were significantly correlated with the ejection fraction (EF) by CMR. There was significant negative correlation between disease duration and EF by CMR (r = −0.36, p = 0.03). Using multiple regression, EF by CMR was strongly predicted by disease duration (p = 0.025). The analysis of EF and MR fraction by CMR and TTE showed acceptable moderate agreement. CMR and TTE showed 83.3% agreement in the detection of pericarditis. Conclusion CMR is superior to echocardiography in detection of subclinical abnormalities in SLE.

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become increasingly recognized as a cause of mortality, especially in patients with long-standing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Aim of the work To detect subclinical cardiac involvement and its relation to clinical characteristics, disease activity and damage. Patients and methods Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed in 36 SLE patients. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) sections were obtained. T1-weighted inversion recovery scout images were obtained after injection of gadolinium. Results Thirty-six patients were included with a mean age of 32.4 ± 8.5 years; 35 females and 1 male; with disease duration of 7.9 ± 5 years. The frequent cardiac presentations on TTE were tricuspid regurgitation (TR) (41.6%), mitral regurgitation (MR) (36.1%), mitral thickening (25%), early diastolic mitral flow/mitral flow during atrial contraction (E/A) 1 (19.4%). The most frequent cardiac presentations by CMR were MR (25%), pericarditis (25%), mitral thickening (13.9%), TR (13.9%), myocarditis (8.3). Neither SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) nor Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) damage index, high- sensitivity-C reactive protein (hsCRP), C3 and C4 levels were significantly correlated with the ejection fraction (EF) by CMR. There was significant negative correlation between disease duration and EF by CMR (r = −0.36, p = 0.03). Using multiple regression, EF by CMR was strongly predicted by disease duration (p = 0.025). The analysis of EF and MR fraction by CMR and TTE showed acceptable moderate agreement. CMR and TTE showed 83.3% agreement in the detection of pericarditis. Conclusion CMR is superior to echocardiography in detection of subclinical abnormalities in SLE.

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become increasingly recognized as a cause of mortality, especially in patients with long-standing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Aim of the work To detect subclinical cardiac involvement and its relation to clinical characteristics, disease activity and damage. Patients and methods Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed in 36 SLE patients. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) sections were obtained. T1-weighted inversion recovery scout images were obtained after injection of gadolinium. Results Thirty-six patients were included with a mean age of 32.4 ± 8.5 years; 35 females and 1 male; with disease duration of 7.9 ± 5 years. The frequent cardiac presentations on TTE were tricuspid regurgitation (TR) (41.6%), mitral regurgitation (MR) (36.1%), mitral thickening (25%), early diastolic mitral flow/mitral flow during atrial contraction (E/A) 1 (19.4%). The most frequent cardiac presentations by CMR were MR (25%), pericarditis (25%), mitral thickening (13.9%), TR (13.9%), myocarditis (8.3). Neither SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) nor Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) damage index, high- sensitivity-C reactive protein (hsCRP), C3 and C4 levels were significantly correlated with the ejection fraction (EF) by CMR. There was significant negative correlation between disease duration and EF by CMR (r = −0.36, p = 0.03). Using multiple regression, EF by CMR was strongly predicted by disease duration (p = 0.025). The analysis of EF and MR fraction by CMR and TTE showed acceptable moderate agreement. CMR and TTE showed 83.3% agreement in the detection of pericarditis. Conclusion CMR is superior to echocardiography in detection of subclinical abnormalities in SLE.

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become increasingly recognized as a cause of mortality, especially in patients with long-standing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Aim of the work To detect subclinical cardiac involvement and its relation to clinical characteristics, disease activity and damage. Patients and methods Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed in 36 SLE patients. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) sections were obtained. T1-weighted inversion recovery scout images were obtained after injection of gadolinium. Results Thirty-six patients were included with a mean age of 32.4 ± 8.5 years; 35 females and 1 male; with disease duration of 7.9 ± 5 years. The frequent cardiac presentations on TTE were tricuspid regurgitation (TR) (41.6%), mitral regurgitation (MR) (36.1%), mitral thickening (25%), early diastolic mitral flow/mitral flow during atrial contraction (E/A) 1 (19.4%). The most frequent cardiac presentations by CMR were MR (25%), pericarditis (25%), mitral thickening (13.9%), TR (13.9%), myocarditis (8.3). Neither SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) nor Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) damage index, high- sensitivity-C reactive protein (hsCRP), C3 and C4 levels were significantly correlated with the ejection fraction (EF) by CMR. There was significant negative correlation between disease duration and EF by CMR (r = −0.36, p = 0.03). Using multiple regression, EF by CMR was strongly predicted by disease duration (p = 0.025). The analysis of EF and MR fraction by CMR and TTE showed acceptable moderate agreement. CMR and TTE showed 83.3% agreement in the detection of pericarditis. Conclusion CMR is superior to echocardiography in detection of subclinical abnormalities in SLE.

Background and aim: The prognostic role of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown in many solid tumors included in a recent meta-analysis of one hundred studies. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in treatment outcomes; response and survival of patients with different stages of rectal cancers. Patients and methods: All patients with pathologically confirmed cancer rectum presented to our department during the period from January 2012 to the end of 2014 were included in this retrospective study, these recruited patients were evaluated through their files to determine different objectives of our study. Results: The median overall survival was 31 ± 4.676 months while disease free survival was 40 ± 2.346 for the whole study group; neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was negatively correlated with overall survival with r = −0.743, P 0.001, also with disease free survival with r = −0.717, P 0.0001. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was positively correlated with the number of positive lymph nodes dissected to total number of lymph nodes dissected ratio with r = +0.254, P = 0.028. Roc curve was used to find the accurate cut point of NLR for these patients and was found to be of 4.5. Conclusion: Elevated pre-treatment NLR is an independent predictor of shorter survival in patients with rectal cancer. This parameter is a simple, easily accessible laboratory test for identifying patients with poorer prognosis.

Background and aim: The prognostic role of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown in many solid tumors included in a recent meta-analysis of one hundred studies. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in treatment outcomes; response and survival of patients with different stages of rectal cancers. Patients and methods: All patients with pathologically confirmed cancer rectum presented to our department during the period from January 2012 to the end of 2014 were included in this retrospective study, these recruited patients were evaluated through their files to determine different objectives of our study. Results: The median overall survival was 31 ± 4.676 months while disease free survival was 40 ± 2.346 for the whole study group; neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was negatively correlated with overall survival with r = −0.743, P 0.001, also with disease free survival with r = −0.717, P 0.0001. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was positively correlated with the number of positive lymph nodes dissected to total number of lymph nodes dissected ratio with r = +0.254, P = 0.028. Roc curve was used to find the accurate cut point of NLR for these patients and was found to be of 4.5. Conclusion: Elevated pre-treatment NLR is an independent predictor of shorter survival in patients with rectal cancer. This parameter is a simple, easily accessible laboratory test for identifying patients with poorer prognosis.

Background and aim: The prognostic role of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown in many solid tumors included in a recent meta-analysis of one hundred studies. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in treatment outcomes; response and survival of patients with different stages of rectal cancers. Patients and methods: All patients with pathologically confirmed cancer rectum presented to our department during the period from January 2012 to the end of 2014 were included in this retrospective study, these recruited patients were evaluated through their files to determine different objectives of our study. Results: The median overall survival was 31 ± 4.676 months while disease free survival was 40 ± 2.346 for the whole study group; neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was negatively correlated with overall survival with r = −0.743, P 0.001, also with disease free survival with r = −0.717, P 0.0001. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was positively correlated with the number of positive lymph nodes dissected to total number of lymph nodes dissected ratio with r = +0.254, P = 0.028. Roc curve was used to find the accurate cut point of NLR for these patients and was found to be of 4.5. Conclusion: Elevated pre-treatment NLR is an independent predictor of shorter survival in patients with rectal cancer. This parameter is a simple, easily accessible laboratory test for identifying patients with poorer prognosis.

Background and aim: The prognostic role of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown in many solid tumors included in a recent meta-analysis of one hundred studies. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in treatment outcomes; response and survival of patients with different stages of rectal cancers. Patients and methods: All patients with pathologically confirmed cancer rectum presented to our department during the period from January 2012 to the end of 2014 were included in this retrospective study, these recruited patients were evaluated through their files to determine different objectives of our study. Results: The median overall survival was 31 ± 4.676 months while disease free survival was 40 ± 2.346 for the whole study group; neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was negatively correlated with overall survival with r = −0.743, P 0.001, also with disease free survival with r = −0.717, P 0.0001. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was positively correlated with the number of positive lymph nodes dissected to total number of lymph nodes dissected ratio with r = +0.254, P = 0.028. Roc curve was used to find the accurate cut point of NLR for these patients and was found to be of 4.5. Conclusion: Elevated pre-treatment NLR is an independent predictor of shorter survival in patients with rectal cancer. This parameter is a simple, easily accessible laboratory test for identifying patients with poorer prognosis.