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Background and aim: In patients with scleroderma, physical changes, musculoskeletal and organ involvement lead to emotional problems. This study was planned to determine the level of hopelessness and social support, as well as influencing factors, in scleroderma patients. Methodology: The study was conducted as a descriptive study in 97 scleroderma patients. The study data were collected using the “Perceived Family/Friend Support Scale (PFSS)” and the “Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS)”. Results: The mean BHS score of the participants was 6.9±5.6. The level of PFSS-friends was found to be higher in males and in those with a family history of rheumatological diseases (p<0.05). The level of PFSS-family was lower in those with a family history of miscarriage/stillbirth (p<0.05). A positive correlation was found between functional score and hopelessness, whereas a negative correlation was found with the social support scores (p<0.05). Moreover, it was determined that scores of hopelessness were decreased as the scores of social support were increased (p<0.05). Conclusion: Patients need more social support as their functional status is impaired and they are driven more to hopelessness due to a sense of dependence and role loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behcet's disease (BD) is accepted as a systemic vasculitis. Vasculitis is observed predominantly on the venous system. Vessel involvement is frequently seen in males. This study was planned retrospectively evaluate demographic features, clinical features, vessel involvements in BD. Furthermore, we aimed to prospectively compare consecutively chosen patients with and without thrombosis and healthy volunteers in terms of their biochemical, immunological, coagulation parameters. One hundred fifty-two Behcet's patients were retrospectively evaluated. Blood samples were collected from 52 consecutively chosen patients and 41 healthy subjects. Papulopustular skin lesions, eye involvement and venous lesions were detected frequent in males. In terms of evaluated parameters (biochemical parameters, coagulation parameters, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anticardiolipin antibodies, antinuclear antibody positivity) was not found a significant difference among groups (patients without thrombosis, healthy control subjects, patients with thrombosis). We detected statistically significant difference in terms of factor V levels between patient and control group. The tendency to thrombosis in patients with BD is well known. The endothelial lesion, increased procoagulant activity, hypofibrinolysis were found to be responsible from these events. In our study, there was no significant difference in terms of coagulation parameters between the patients without and with thrombosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behcet´s disease (BD) is accepted as a systemic vasculitis. Vasculitis is observed  predominantly on the venous system. Vessel involvement is frequently seen in males. This study was planned retrospectively evaluate demographic features, clinical features, vessel involvements in BD. Furthermore, we aimed to prospectively compare consecutively chosen patients with and without thrombosis and healthy volunteers in terms of their biochemical, immunological, coagulation parameters. One hundred fifty-two Behcet´s patients were retrospectively evaluated. Blood samples were collected from 52 consecutively chosen patients and 41 healthy subjects. Papulopustular skin lesions, eye involvement and venous lesions were detected frequent in males. In terms of evaluated parameters (biochemical parameters, coagulation parameters, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anticardiolipin antibodies, antinuclear antibody positivity) was not found a significant difference among groups (patients without thrombosis, healthy control subjects, patients with thrombosis). We detected statistically significant difference in terms of factor V levels between patient and control group. The tendency to thrombosis in patients with BD is well known. The endothelial lesion, increased procoagulant activity, hypofibrinolysis were found to be responsible from these events. In our study, there was no significant difference in terms of coagulation parameters between the patients without and with thrombosis.