Correlation between chronic arthritis patients confirmed with questionnaire and serologic test of Lyme disease

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Rotan, H.; Ginting, Y.; Loesnihari, R.; Kembaren, T.; Marpaung, B.

2018-03-01

Lyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne disease, and frequency of arthritis complication later. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Lyme disease and to evaluate its correlation with chronic arthritis. This epidemiologic cross sectional study included 41 healthy individuals who had chronic arthritis and bitten by ticks underwent questionnaires, and laboratory tests consisted of a routine blood sample, serum uric acid, and IgG ELISA for Lyme. There was 7.32% presence of positive IgG for Lyme. Samples with positive IgG for Lyme were further evaluated for rheumatology marker. We found three samples with a positive rheumatoid factor, two samples had positive anti-MCV, and 1 sample had slightly increased CRP. Three Lyme positive samples had normal EULAR scoring. It was the first Lyme disease case found in Indonesia, particularly in 4 villages of Sibolangit, Deli Serdang, North Sumatera. The assessment made by analysis the questionnaire, evaluation the blood test, and confirmed positive Lyme disease, and at last, we found the correlation between chronic arthritis with positive test Lyme.

Cardiovascular disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naranjo, Antonio; Sokka, Tuulikki; Descalzo, Miguel

2008-01-01

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: We analyzed the prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its association with traditional CV risk factors, clinical features of RA, and the use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in a multinational cross...... by patients. The clinical assessment included a review of clinical features of RA and exposure to DMARDs over the course of RA. Comorbidities were recorded; CV morbidity included myocardial infarction, angina, coronary disease, coronary bypass surgery, and stroke. Traditional risk factors recorded were...... any CV event and age and male gender and between extra-articular disease and myocardial infarction. Prolonged exposure to methotrexate (HR 0.85; 95% CI 0.81 to 0.89), leflunomide (HR 0.59; 95% CI 0.43 to 0.79), sulfasalazine (HR 0.92; 95% CI 0.87 to 0.98), glucocorticoids (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.92 to 0...

Disease activity score in rheumatoid arthritis with or without secondary fibromyalgia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zammurrad, S.; Munir, W.; Farooqi, A.

2013-01-01

Objective: To correlate disease activity score (DAS-28) in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with and without secondary fibromyalgia. Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Rheumatology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, from November 2011 to April 2012. Methodology: Patients aged above 16 years diagnosed to have rheumatoid arthritis according to ACR/EULAR criteria 2010 were included in the study. Fibromyalgia (FM) was diagnosed by ACR 1990 criteria. Patients of other autoimmune diseases or psychiatric illnesses were excluded. DAS was determined and compared using t-test with significance at p < 0.05. Results: The mean age of study subjects was 42.9 years. Thirty one out of total 138 patients had fibromyalgia (22.4%). Female gender was predominant (92.0%); being 96.8% in patients with and in 88.2% without fibromyalgia. The average DAS score was high (5.3 + 1.5) in fibromyalgia patients compared to those without fibromyalgia (3.9 + 1.2); this difference in mean value was statistically significant (p = < 0.001). Conclusion: DAS-28 is a useful tool for assessing rheumatoid arthritis disease status in outpatient setting, however, increased disease activity must be assessed for possible co-existence of fibromyalgia which can spuriously give high DAS value and adversely affect treatment decision. (author)

Rheumatoid disease without arthritis; clinical case of pulmonary fibrosis, rheumatoid nodulosis and positive rheumatoid factor without arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ochoa Franco, Julian Andres; Canas Davila, Carlos Alberto

2003-01-01

We reported a case of a patient suffering pulmonary fibrosis rapidly progressive and a positive rheumatoid factor test with the presence of HLA DR11 y HLADR17, without arthritis, We discuss how rare is this clinical appearance, and remark the concept that rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease, with a wide clinical presentation, that some authors with a right criteria have called rheumatoid disease

Recommendations of the ESSR Arthritis Subcommittee for the Use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Musculoskeletal Rheumatic Diseases

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Sudoł-Szopińska, Iwona; Jurik, Anne Grethe; Eshed, Iris

2015-01-01

This article presents the recommendations of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology Arthritis Subcommittee regarding the standards of the use of MRI in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal rheumatic diseases. The recommendations discuss (1) the role of MRI in current classification criteria...... of musculoskeletal rheumatic diseases (including early diagnosis of inflammation, disease follow-up, and identification of disease complications); (2) the impact of MRI on the diagnosis of axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and juvenile spondyloarthritis; (3) MRI protocols for the axial...

TREATMENT FOR GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE AMONG CHILDREN, SUFFERING FROM JUVENILE ARTHRITIS

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T.M. Bzarova

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents the evaluation results of esomeprazol efficacy in the complex therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease among 152 children aged between 3 and 18, suffering from juvenile arthritis. The treatment scheme used in treatment induced the remission of gastro esophageal reflux disease among 45% of patients, conduced to considerable decrease of the esophagus affect intensity among 53% of patients, epithelized erosions of the mucous coat of esophagus among 30 of 32 children. The medication did not cause any clinically significant side responses among the cured children (even younger ones and may be applied to treat gastro esophageal reflux disease among the patients, suffering from juvenile arthritis.Key words: gastroesophageal reflux disease, children, treatment, reflux, esomeprazol, esophagitis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Using Big Data to Evaluate the Association between Periodontal Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

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Grasso, Michael A; Comer, Angela C; DiRenzo, Dana D; Yesha, Yelena; Rishe, Naphtali D

2015-01-01

An association between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis is believed to exist. Most investigations into a possible relationship have been case-control studies with relatively low sample sizes. The advent of very large clinical repositories has created new opportunities for data-driven research. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to measure the association between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis in a population of 25 million patients. We demonstrated that subjects with periodontal disease were roughly 1.4 times more likely to have rheumatoid arthritis. These results compare favorably with those of previous studies on smaller cohorts. Additional work is needed to identify the mechanisms behind this association and to determine if aggressive treatment of periodontal disease can alter the course of rheumatoid arthritis.

Periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis: the evidence accumulates for complex pathobiologic interactions

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Bingham, Clifton O.; Moni, Malini

2015-01-01

Purpose of review This review was conducted to focus on the recent clinical and translational research related to the associations between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Recent findings There is a growing interest in the associations between oral health and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. A number of epidemiologic studies have described associations between rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease. Recent clinical studies continue to support these reports, and are increasingly linked with biological assessments to better understand the nature of these relationships. A number of recent studies have evaluated the periopathogenic roles of Porphyromonas gingivalis, the oral microbiome, and mechanisms of site-specific and substrate-specific citrullination. These are helping to further elucidate the interactions between these two inflammatory disease processes. Summary Studies of clinical oral health parameters, the gingival microenvironment, autoantibodies and biomarkers, and rheumatoid arthritis disease activity measures are providing a better understanding of the potential mechanisms responsible for rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease associations. The cumulative results and ongoing studies have the promise to identify novel mechanisms and interventional strategies to improve patient outcomes for both conditions. PMID:23455329

Predictive Factors for Differentiating Between Septic Arthritis and Lyme Disease of the Knee in Children.

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Baldwin, Keith D; Brusalis, Christopher M; Nduaguba, Afamefuna M; Sankar, Wudbhav N

2016-05-04

Differentiating between septic arthritis and Lyme disease of the knee in endemic areas can be challenging and has major implications for patient management. The purpose of this study was to identify a prediction rule to differentiate septic arthritis from Lyme disease in children presenting with knee pain and effusion. We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients younger than 18 years of age with knee effusions who underwent arthrocentesis at our institution from 2005 to 2013. Patients with either septic arthritis (positive joint fluid culture or synovial white blood-cell count of >60,000 white blood cells/mm(3) with negative Lyme titer) or Lyme disease (positive Lyme immunoglobulin G on Western blot analysis) were included. To avoid misclassification bias, undiagnosed knee effusions and joints with both a positive culture and positive Lyme titers were excluded. Historical, clinical, and laboratory data were compared between groups to identify variables for comparison. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictive variables. One hundred and eighty-nine patients were studied: 23 with culture-positive septic arthritis, 26 with culture-negative septic arthritis, and 140 with Lyme disease. Multivariate binary logistic regression identified pain with short arc motion, history of fever reported by the patient or a family member, C-reactive protein of >4 mg/L, and age younger than 2 years as independent predictive factors for septic arthritis. A simpler model was developed that showed that the risk of septic arthritis with none of these factors was 2%, with 1 of these factors was 18%, with 2 of these factors was 45%, with 3 of these factors was 84%, or with all 4 of these factors was 100%. Although septic arthritis of the knee and Lyme monoarthritis share common features that can make them difficult to distinguish clinically, the presence of pain with short arc motion, C-reactive protein of >4.0 mg/L, patient-reported history of

Measures of rheumatoid arthritis disease activity in Australian clinical practice.

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Taylor, Andrew; Bagga, Hanish

2011-01-01

Objectives. To investigate which rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity measures are being collected in patients receiving glucocorticoids, non-biologic or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in Australian rheumatology practice. Methods. A retrospective audit of medical records was conducted from eight rheumatology practices around Australia. Each rheumatologist recruited 30 consecutive eligible patients into the review, 10 of whom must have been receiving a biological agent for rheumatoid arthritis. Disease activity measures and radiographic assessments were collected from each patient's last consultation. For biologic patients, disease activity measures were also collected from when the patient was first initiated on the biological agent. Results. At last consultation, the disease measures that were recorded most often were ESR (89.2%), haemoglobin (87.5%), and CRP (84.2%). DAS28 was infrequently recorded (16.3%). The rate of recording disease activity measures for patients receiving biologic DMARDs decreased over time (mean 27 months). Conclusion. This review has shown inconsistency of RA activity measures being recorded in Australian rheumatology clinical practice. An accurate assessment of the disease process is necessary to effectively target rheumatoid arthritis patients to treat in order to achieve optimal outcomes.

Is early rheumatoid arthritis the same disease process as late rheumatoid arthritis?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tak, P. P.

2001-01-01

Thoughts on treatment for the early control of synovitis have stimulated research on pathobiological events at the site of inflammation in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis. Several studies have thus been conducted to examine synovial biopsy samples at various stages of the disease. The most

EULAR definition of erosive disease in light of the 2010 ACR/EULAR rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria.

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van der Heijde, Désirée; van der Helm-van Mil, Annette H M; Aletaha, Daniel; Bingham, Clifton O; Burmester, Gerd R; Dougados, Maxime; Emery, Paul; Felson, David; Knevel, Rachel; Kvien, Tore K; Landewé, Robert B M; Lukas, Cédric; McInnes, Iain; Silman, Alan J; Smolen, Josef S; Stanislawska-Biernat, Ewa; Zink, Angela; Combe, Bernard

2013-04-01

The aim of this report was to propose a definition for erosive disease in the context of inflammatory arthritis in light of the 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) criteria for use in clinical practice and studies. A EULAR task force was formed including 16 rheumatologists and one rheumatology fellow. The process was both evidence based and consensus based, and included, between March 2010 and April 2012, analyses of data from two cohorts, two face-to-face meetings, one online voting and one teleconference. The Leiden Early Arthritis Cohort and the French ESPOIR cohort were used for the evidence-based part. The outcome measures, which were initiation of methotrexate therapy, or any disease-modifying antirheumatic drug therapy within the first year of disease and arthritis persistency over 5 years, were studied with the aim to give the best definition of erosive disease. A decision was made to select a definition with a high specificity and focus on patients who did not otherwise fulfil the 2010 ACR/EULAR RA criteria (definition was selected: erosive disease for use in the 2010 ACR/EULAR RA classification criteria is defined when an erosion (defined as a cortical break) is seen in at least three separate joints at any of the following sites: the proximal interphalangeal, the metacarpophalangeal, the wrist (counted as one joint) and the metatarsophalangeal joints on radiographs of both hands and feet. A highly specific definition for erosive disease has thus been formulated.

Rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease: lung inflammation evaluated with high resolution computed tomography scan is correlated to rheumatoid arthritis disease activity.

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Pérez-Dórame, Renzo; Mejía, Mayra; Mateos-Toledo, Heidegger; Rojas-Serrano, Jorge

2015-01-01

To describe the association between rheumatoid arthritis disease activity (RA) and interstitial lung damage (inflammation and fibrosis), in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). A retrospective study of RA patients with interstitial lung disease (restrictive pattern in lung function tests and evidence of interstitial lung disease in high resolution computed tomography (HRCT)). Patients were evaluated to exclude other causes of pulmonary disease. RA disease activity was measured with the CDAI index. Interstitial lung inflammation and fibrosis were determined by Kazerooni scale. We compared Kazerooni ground-glass score with the nearest CDAI score to HRCT date scan of the first medical evaluation at our institution. In nine patients, we compared the first ground-glass score with a second one after treatment with DMARDs and corticosteroids. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to evaluate association between RA disease activity and the Kazerooni ground-glass and fibrosis scores. Thirty-four patients were included. A positive correlation between CDAI and ground-glass scores was found (rs=0.3767, P<0.028). Fibrosis and CDAI scores were not associated (rs=-0.0747, P<0.6745). After treatment, a downward tendency in the ground-glass score was observed (median [IQR]): (2.33 [2,3] vs. 2 [1.33-2.16]), P<0.056, along with a lesser CDAI score (27 [8-43] vs. 9 [5-12]), P<0.063. There is a correlation between RA disease activity and ground-glass appearance in the HRCT of RA-ILD patients. These results suggest a positive association between RA disease activity and lung inflammation in RA-ILD. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Arthritis - resources

Science.gov (United States)

Resources - arthritis ... The following organizations provide more information on arthritis : American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons -- orthoinfo.aaos.org/menus/arthritis.cfm Arthritis Foundation -- www.arthritis.org Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- www. ...

Targeting IgG in Arthritis: Disease Pathways and Therapeutic Avenues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kutty Selva Nandakumar

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Rheumatoid arthritis (RA is a polygenic and multifactorial syndrome. Many complex immunological and genetic interactions are involved in the final outcome of the clinical disease. Autoantibodies (rheumatoid factors, anti-citrullinated peptide/protein antibodies are present in RA patients’ sera for a long time before the onset of clinical disease. Prior to arthritis onset, in the autoantibody response, epitope spreading, avidity maturation, and changes towards a pro-inflammatory Fc glycosylation phenotype occurs. Genetic association of epitope specific autoantibody responses and the induction of inflammation dependent and independent changes in the cartilage by pathogenic autoantibodies emphasize the crucial contribution of antibody-initiated inflammation in RA development. Targeting IgG by glyco-engineering, bacterial enzymes to specifically cleave IgG/alter N-linked Fc-glycans at Asn 297 or blocking the downstream effector pathways offers new avenues to develop novel therapeutics for arthritis treatment.

Changes in Soluble CD18 in Murine Autoimmune Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis Reflect Disease Establishment and Treatment Response.

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Tue Wenzel Kragstrup

Full Text Available In rheumatoid arthritis (RA immune activation and presence of autoantibodies may precede clinical onset of disease, and joint destruction can progress despite remission. However, the underlying temporal changes of such immune system abnormalities in the inflammatory response during treat-to-target strategies remain poorly understood. We have previously reported low levels of the soluble form of CD18 (sCD18 in plasma from patients with chronic RA and spondyloarthritis. Here, we study the changes of sCD18 before and during treatment of early RA and following arthritis induction in murine models of rheumatoid arthritis.The level of sCD18 was analyzed with a time-resolved immunoflourometric assay in 1 plasma from early treatment naïve RA patients during a treat-to-target strategy (the OPERA cohort, 2 plasma from chronic RA patients, 3 serum from SKG and CIA mice following arthritis induction, and 4 supernatants from synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SFMCs and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs from 6 RA patients cultured with TNFα or adalimumab.Plasma levels of sCD18 were decreased in chronic RA patients compared with early RA patients and in early RA patients compared with healthy controls. After 12 months of treatment the levels in early RA patients were similar to healthy controls. This normalization of plasma sCD18 levels was more pronounced in patients with very early disease who achieved an early ACR response. Plasma sCD18 levels were associated with radiographic progression. Correspondingly, the serum level of sCD18 was decreased in SKG mice 6 weeks after arthritis induction compared with healthy littermates. The sCD18 levels in both SKG and CIA mice exhibited a biphasic course after arthritis induction with an initial increase above baseline followed by a decline. Shedding of CD18 from RA SFMC and RA PBMC cultures was increased by TNFα and decreased by adalimumab.The plasma sCD18 levels were altered in patients with RA, in mice

Rheumatoid Arthritis and Incidence of Twelve Initial Presentations of Cardiovascular Disease: A Population Record-Linkage Cohort Study in England.

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Mar Pujades-Rodriguez

Full Text Available While rheumatoid arthritis is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD, our knowledge of how the pattern of risk varies for different cardiovascular phenotypes is incomplete. The association between rheumatoid arthritis and the initial presentation of 12 types of CVDs were examined in a contemporary population of men and women of a wide age range.CALIBER data, which links primary care, hospital and mortality data in England, was analysed. A cohort of people aged ≥18 years and without history of CVD was assembled and included all patients with prospectively recorded rheumatoid arthritis from January 1997, until March 2010, matched with up to ten people without rheumatoid arthritis by age, sex and general practice. The associations between rheumatoid arthritis and the initial presentation of 12 types of CVDs were estimated using multivariable random effects Poisson regression models.The analysis included 12,120 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis and 121,191 comparators. Of these, 2,525 patients with and 18,146 without rheumatoid arthritis developed CVDs during a median of 4.2 years of follow-up. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis had higher rates of myocardial infarction (adjusted incidence ratio [IRR] = 1.43, 95%CI 1.21-1.70, unheralded coronary death (IRR = 1.60, 95%CI 1.18-2.18, heart failure (IRR = 1.61, 95%CI 1.43-1.83, cardiac arrest (HR = 2.26, 95%CI 1.69-3.02 and peripheral arterial disease (HR = 1.36, 95%CI 1.14-1.62; and lower rates of stable angina (HR = 0.83, 95%CI 0.73-0.95. There was no evidence of association with cerebrovascular diseases, abdominal aortic aneurysm or unstable angina, or of interactions with sex or age.The observed associations with some but not all types of CVDs inform both clinical practice and the selection of cardiovascular endpoints for trials and for the development of prognostic models for patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Overlap of disease susceptibility loci for rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis

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Hinks, Anne; Eyre, Steve; Ke, Xiayi; Barton, Anne; Martin, Paul; Flynn, Edward; Packham, Jon; Worthington, Jane; Thomson, Wendy

2010-01-01

Background Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been extremely successful in the search for susceptibility risk factors for complex genetic autoimmune diseases. As more studies are published, evidence is emerging of considerable overlap of loci between these diseases. In juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), another complex genetic autoimmune disease, the strategy of using information from autoimmune disease GWAS or candidate gene studies to help in the search for novel JIA susceptibility loci has been successful, with confirmed association with two genes, PTPN22 and IL2RA. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that shares similar clinical and pathological features with JIA and, therefore, recently identified confirmed RA susceptibility loci are also excellent JIA candidate loci. Objective To determine the overlap of disease susceptibility loci for RA and JIA. Methods Fifteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at nine RA-associated loci were genotyped in Caucasian patients with JIA (n=1054) and controls (n=3531) and tested for association with JIA. Allele and genotype frequencies were compared between cases and controls using the genetic analysis software, PLINK. Results Two JIA susceptibility loci were identified, one of which was a novel JIA association (STAT4) and the second confirmed previously published associations of the TRAF1/C5 locus with JIA. Weak evidence of association of JIA with three additional loci (Chr6q23, KIF5A and PRKCQ) was also obtained, which warrants further investigation. Conclusion All these loci are good candidates in view of the known pathogenesis of JIA, as genes within these regions (TRAF1, STAT4, TNFAIP3, PRKCQ) are known to be involved in T-cell receptor signalling or activation pathways. PMID:19674979

Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series

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Full Text Available Appointments • Support Our Research Arthritis Information Disease Information Rheumatoid Arthritis Psoriatic Arthritis Ankylosing Spondylitis Osteoarthritis Gout Lyme Disease Osteoporosis News Rheumatoid Arthritis News ...

Development of Evidence-Based Disease Education Literature for Pakistani Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

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Atta Abbas Naqvi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Rheumatoid arthritis affects 0.5% to 1% of the population globally and is one of the most common causes of disability. Patient education plays a key role in improving treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to discuss the process involved in designing an evidence-based disease education literature for rheumatoid arthritis patients of Pakistan in Urdu language with culturally relevant illustrations. A study was conducted to develop disease education literature using Delphi consensus, content validity, and patient feedback. A panel of experts comprised of university professors and health care experts, including health practitioners and pharmacists as well as a social scientist, was set up to assess the need. Eight patients were randomly selected and were asked to give their feedback. Their feedback was incorporated in the development process. The entire process was carried out in eight steps. A disease education literature for patients of rheumatoid arthritis was developed and edited in the form of a booklet. The booklet contained evidence-based information that must be provided to patients in both Urdu and English languages with culturally relevant illustrations. The availability of such literature is significant, as it enables the patients to seek knowledge at home at their convenience. This home-based knowledge support is as helpful as any other means of medical care. The developed literature is planned to be used in further studies which will evaluate its impact in improving knowledge of RA patients.

Disparities in rheumatoid arthritis disease activity according to gross domestic product in 25 countries in the QUEST-RA database

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sokka, T; Kautiainen, H; Pincus, T

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To analyse associations between the clinical status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the gross domestic product (GDP) of their resident country. METHODS: The Quantitative Standard Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (QUEST-RA) cohort includes clinical....... CONCLUSIONS: The clinical status of patients with RA was correlated significantly with GDP among 25 mostly European countries according to all disease measures, associated only modestly with the current use of antirheumatic medications. The burden of arthritis appears substantially greater in "low GDP" than...

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use by Normal Weight, Overweight, and Obese Patients with Arthritis or Other Musculoskeletal Diseases.

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Mbizo, Justice; Okafor, Anthony; Sutton, Melanie A; Burkhart, Erica N; Stone, Leauna M

2016-03-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 50 million Americans have been diagnosed with arthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases. The purpose of the current study was to (1) estimate the prevalence of overall complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use and (2) examine the role of body mass index (BMI) on CAM use among normal weight, overweight, and obese persons with chronic lower back pain, chronic neck pain, chronic/rheumatoid arthritis, or musculoskeletal diseases, while controlling for other covariates. Cross-sectional design using secondary data for 9724 adults from the 2007 National Health Interview Survey. Data were weighted and analyzed by using Stata 12 for Windows (Stata Corp., College Station, TX). Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression statistics were computed. The participants were randomly surveyed from U.S. households. CAM use was measured as reported use of any modality within the five National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health domains. CAM use was statistically significantly associated with female sex; race/ethnicity; having chronic neck pain, lower back pain, or chronic/rheumatoid arthritis; having limitations due to chronic disease; and geographic region (p CAM use included age 50-64 years, income categorized as "other/missing," and having musculoskeletal diseases. Stratification by body mass index suggested increased odds of CAM use among normal/underweight persons with chronic neck pain but decreased odds for those with chronic musculoskeletal diseases. For overweight patients, increased odds of CAM use were significant for chronic lower back pain, musculoskeletal diseases, and chronic/rheumatoid arthritis. Musculoskeletal diseases and arthritis represent important public health problems with economic implications for the well-being of individuals and society. Identifying CAM use trends by patient weight can be used to improve strategies to increase awareness and access to CAM

Assessment of disease activity in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The number and the size of joints matter

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Berntson, Lillemor; Wernroth, Lisa; Fasth, Anders

2007-01-01

Variables for assessment of disease activity of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) were studied, in order to develop a disease activity score for children with JIA.......Variables for assessment of disease activity of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) were studied, in order to develop a disease activity score for children with JIA....

Alteration of fecal microbiota profiles in juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Associations with HLA-B27 allele and disease status.

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Monica Di Paola

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Alteration of gut microbiota is involved in several chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, and gut microbial pro-arthritogenic profiles have been hypothesized. Intestinal inflammation may be involved in spondyloarthropathies and in a subset of patients affected by Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA, the most common chronic rheumatic disease of childhood. We compared the fecal microbiota composition of JIA patients with healthy subjects (HS, evaluating differences in microbial profiles between sub-categories of JIA, such as enthesitis-related arthritis (JIA-ERA, in which inflammation of entheses occurs, and polyarticular JIA, non-enthesitis related arthritis (JIA-nERA. Through taxon-level analysis, we discovered alteration of fecal microbiota components that could be involved in subclinical gut inflammation, and promotion of joint inflammation. We observed abundance in Ruminococcaceae in both JIA categories, reduction in Clostridiaceae and Peptostreptococcaceae in JIA-ERA, and increase in Veillonellaceae in JIA-nERA, respectively compared with HS. Among the more relevant genera, we found an increase in Clostridium cluster XIVb, involved in colitis and arthritis, in JIA-ERA patients compared with HS, and a trend of decrease in Faecalibacterium, known for anti-inflammatory properties, in JIA-nERA compared with JIA-ERA and HS. Differential abundant taxa identified JIA patients for the HLA-B27 allele, including Bilophila, Clostridium cluster XIVb, Oscillibacter and Parvimonas. Prediction analysis of metabolic functions showed that JIA-ERA metagenome was differentially enriched in bacterial functions related to cell motility and chemotaxis, suggesting selection of potential virulence traits. We also discovered differential microbial profiles and intra-group variability among active disease and remission, suggesting instability of microbial ecosystem in autoimmune diseases with respect to healthy status. Similarly

Value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in rheumatoid arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zordo, Tobias de; Mlekusch, Sabine P.; Feuchtner, Gudrun M.; Mur, Erich; Schirmer, Michael; Klauser, Andrea S.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this review is to describe the spectrum of sonographic findings in rheumatic diseases with respect to the diagnostic potential using US contrast media which prove activity or inactivity in synovial tissue where new treatment regimes target. Synovial activity can be found in non-erosive and erosive forms of primary and secondary osteoarthritis, and in inflammatory forms of joint diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and peripheral manifestations of spondyloarthritis including, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, psoriatic arthritis and enteropathic arthritis. It can also be present in metabolic and endocrine forms of arthritis, in connective tissue arthropathies like systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma and in infectious arthritis. Ultrasound should be used as first-line imaging modality in suspected early cases of RA and other forms of arthritis, whereas contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can further enable for sensitive assessment of vascularity which correlates with disease activity

Value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in rheumatoid arthritis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zordo, Tobias de; Mlekusch, Sabine P.; Feuchtner, Gudrun M. [Department of Radiology II, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck (Austria); Mur, Erich [Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck (Austria); Schirmer, Michael [Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital of the Elisabethines Klagenfurt, Voelkermarkter Strasse 15-19, 9020 Klagenfurt (Austria); Klauser, Andrea S. [Department of Radiology II, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck (Austria)], E-mail: andrea.klauser@i-med.ac.at

2007-11-15

The purpose of this review is to describe the spectrum of sonographic findings in rheumatic diseases with respect to the diagnostic potential using US contrast media which prove activity or inactivity in synovial tissue where new treatment regimes target. Synovial activity can be found in non-erosive and erosive forms of primary and secondary osteoarthritis, and in inflammatory forms of joint diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and peripheral manifestations of spondyloarthritis including, ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter's syndrome, psoriatic arthritis and enteropathic arthritis. It can also be present in metabolic and endocrine forms of arthritis, in connective tissue arthropathies like systemic lupus erythematosus or scleroderma and in infectious arthritis. Ultrasound should be used as first-line imaging modality in suspected early cases of RA and other forms of arthritis, whereas contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can further enable for sensitive assessment of vascularity which correlates with disease activity.

Poncet's disease: Reactive arthritis accompanying tuberculosis. Two case reports and a review of the literature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.-J.A. Kroot (Eric-Jan); J.M.W. Hazes (Mieke); E.M. Colin (Edgar); R.J.E.M. Dolhain (Radboud)

2007-01-01

textabstractObjective. Reactive arthritis (ReA) in tuberculosis (TB) is known as Poncet's disease. It is a rare aseptic form of arthritis observed in patients with active TB. We present two such patients and review the literature on Poncet's disease. Methods. Two patients who were identified with

PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: CLASSIFICATION, CLINICAL PRESENTATION, DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT

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T. V. Korotaev

2018-01-01

Full Text Available soriatic arthritis (PsA is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints, spine and entheses from a group of spondyloarthritis (SpA, which is usually observed in patients with psoriasis (Ps. The diagnosis of PsA is based on the CASPAR criteria for psoriatic arthritis. The disease results from interactions between genetic, immunological and environmental factors. The main clinical manifestations of PsA include peripheral arthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis, and spondylitis. PsA must be differentiated from rheumatoid arthritis, gout, reactive arthritis, osteoarthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Due to the fact that PsA is a clinically heterogeneous disease, its activity is assessed using complex indices, by taking into account that the patient has arthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis, and spondylitis. The goal of treatment for PsA is to achieve remission or minimal activity of the main clinical manifestations of the disease, to slow down or prevent radiographic progression, to increase life expectancy and quality of life in the patients, and to reduce the risk of comorbidities, which is achieved through a wide range of drugs of different classes. Therapy should be chosen based on the clinical manifestations of PsA and comorbidities in the patients. 

Validity of the rheumatoid arthritis impact of disease (RAID) score and definition of cut-off points for disease activity states in a population-based European cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Salaffi, Fausto; Di Carlo, Marco; Vojinovic, Jelena; Tincani, Angela; Sulli, Alberto; Soldano, Stefano; Andreoli, Laura; Dall'Ara, Francesca; Ionescu, Ruxandra; Simić Pašalić, Katarina; Balčune, Ineta; Ferraz-Amaro, Iván; Tlustochowicz, Malgorzata; Butrimienė, Irena; Punceviciene, Egle; Toroptsova, Natalia; Grazio, Simeon; Morović-Vergles, Jadranka; Masaryk, Pavol; Otsa, Kati; Bernardes, Miguel; Boyadzhieva, Vladimira; Cutolo, Maurizio

2017-05-24

To assess the validity of the rheumatoid arthritis impact of disease (RAID) for measuring disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to determine cut-off values for defining the disease activity states. A total of 622 RA patients from an European database have been included. Cross-validation was based on assessment of convergent and discriminant validity. Optimal cut-offs were determined against external criteria by calculating the respective 25th and 75th percentiles mean values of RAID. External criteria included definitions for remission (REM), low disease activity (LDA), moderate disease activity (MDA) and high disease activity (HDA), cut-offs of the 28-joint disease activity score-C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) score. The RAID showed a moderate degree of correlation with respect to DAS28-CRP (rho=0.417; Pdisease was very good with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.847 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.816 to 0.878; Pdisease activity groups, we propose the following cut-off values for REM: RAID ≤3; for LDA: RAID >3 and ≤4; for MDA: RAID >4 and ≤6; for HDA: RAID >6. Mean RAID differed significantly between patients classified as REM, LDA, MDA or HDA (P=0.001). The cut-offs revealed good measurement characteristics in cross-validation analysis, had great discriminatory performance in distinguishing patients with different levels of disease activity and are suited for widespread use in everyday practice application and research. Copyright © 2017 Société française de rhumatologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Linkage Between Periodontal Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holmstrup, Palle; Nielsen, Claus Henrik

2016-01-01

The past decades have significantly widened the perspectives of the chronic oral infectious disease known as periodontitis. The disease is regarded as a bacterial infection resulting in low-grade inflammation of the periodontal tissues, and both the associated release of pro-inflammatory mediators...... and the presence of bacteria in the periodontal pockets, which, as the result of daily procedures, may spread after penetration of the vasculature, are possible mediators of systemic consequences. The present chapter deals with the possible association of periodontitis with rheumatoid arthritis, which may possess...

Assessing the effectiveness of synthetic and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in psoriatic arthritis – a systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kingsley GH

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Gabrielle H Kingsley, David L Scott Rheumatology Unit, Kings College London, London, UK Background: Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory arthritis the primary manifestations of which are locomotor and skin disease. Although a number of guidelines have been published citing strategies for reducing disease progression, the evidence base for disease-modifying agents is unclear. This forms the focus of this systematic review. Methods: The systematic review was undertaken according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2009 checklist. We selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs that looked at the impact of interventions with disease-modifying agents, either synthetic drugs or biologics on musculoskeletal outcomes, notably American College of Rheumatology 20 percent responders. Results were analyzed using Review Manager 5.1.6 (Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK. Whilst our primary focus was on published trials, we also looked at new trials presented in abstract form in 2013–2014 that were not yet published to avoid omitting important and up-to-date information on developing treatments. Results: Our in-depth analysis included 28 trials overall enrolling 5,177 patients published between the 1980s and now as well as limited analysis of some studies in abstract form as described earlier. The most frequently available locomotor outcome measure was the American College of Rheumatology 20 percent responders. The risk ratio for achieving an American College of Rheumatology 20 percent responders response was positive in favor of treatment (risk ratio 2.30; 95% confidence interval 1.78–2.96; however, there was evidence of considerable heterogeneity between trials. Overall randomized controlled trials of established synthetic disease-modifying agents were largely negative (methotrexate, ciclosporin and sulfasalazine though leflunomide showed a small positive effect. A new synthetic agent, apremilast, did show a

Radiographic manifestations of arthritis in AIDS patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenberg, Z.S.; Norman, A.; Solomon, G.

1988-01-01

The purpose of this study is to familiarize the radiologist with a newly discovered association between arthritis and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The authors retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiographic findings in 31 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection referred to their rheumatology clinic with musculoskeletal complaints. The patients carried a wide range of clinical diagnosis including Reiter syndrome, psoriatic arthritis, undifferentiated seronegative arthritis, isolated enthesopathies, rheumatoid arthritis and osteonecrosis. Radiographs were available in 24 of the 31 patients, and in 20 they showed radiographic features of arthritis, which included soft-tissue swelling periarticular osteoporosis, synovial effusions, sacroiliitis, periosteal reaction, joint space narrowing, marginal erosions, and osteonecrosis. Although the radiographic abnormalities were frequently mild, they were significant, given the short duration of disease in many of their patients (weeks to months) at the time radiographs were obtained. The range of radiographic findings in their series was varied and paralleled the wide range of clinical diagnoses. No findings were pathognomonic for HIV-associated arthritis. Nevertheless, HIV infection needs to be considered in any patient belonging to a recognized risk group who presents with musculoskeletal disease. This is particularly important since immunosupressive drugs used for the treatment of arthritis can be detrimental to patients with HIV infection

Minimal disease activity for rheumatoid arthritis: a preliminary definition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wells, George A.; Boers, Maarten; Shea, Beverley; Brooks, Peter M.; Simon, Lee S.; Strand, C. Vibeke; Aletaha, Daniel; Anderson, Jennifer J.; Bombardier, Claire; Dougados, Maxime; Emery, Paul; Felson, David T.; Fransen, Jaap; Furst, Dan E.; Hazes, Johanna M. W.; Johnson, Kent R.; Kirwan, John R.; Landewé, Robert B. M.; Lassere, Marissa N. D.; Michaud, Kaleb; Suarez-Almazor, Maria; Silman, Alan J.; Smolen, Josef S.; van der Heijde, Desiree M. F. M.; van Riel, Piet L. C. M.; Wolfe, Fred; Tugwell, Peter S.

2005-01-01

Agreement on response criteria in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has allowed better standardization and interpretation of clinical trial reports. With recent advances in therapy, the proportion of patients achieving a satisfactory state of minimal disease activity (MDA) is becoming a more important

Minimal disease activity for rheumatoid arthritis: a preliminary definition.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wells, G.A.; Boers, M.; Shea, B.; Brooks, P.M.; Simon, L.S.; Strand, C.V.; Aletaha, D.; Anderson, J.; Bombardier, C.; Dougados, M.; Emery, P.; Felson, D.T.; Fransen, J.; Furst, D.E.; Hazes, J.M.W.; Johnson, K.; Kirwan, J.; Landewe, R.B.; Lassere, M.N.; Michaud, K.; Suarez-Almazor, M.; Silman, A.J.; Smolen, J.S.; Heijde, D.M.F.M. van der; Riel, P.L.C.M. van; Wolfe, F.; Tugwell, P.S.

2005-01-01

Agreement on response criteria in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has allowed better standardization and interpretation of clinical trial reports. With recent advances in therapy, the proportion of patients achieving a satisfactory state of minimal disease activity (MDA) is becoming a more important

Automatic prediction of rheumatoid arthritis disease activity from the electronic medical records.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Lin

Full Text Available We aimed to mine the data in the Electronic Medical Record to automatically discover patients' Rheumatoid Arthritis disease activity at discrete rheumatology clinic visits. We cast the problem as a document classification task where the feature space includes concepts from the clinical narrative and lab values as stored in the Electronic Medical Record.The Training Set consisted of 2792 clinical notes and associated lab values. Test Set 1 included 1749 clinical notes and associated lab values. Test Set 2 included 344 clinical notes for which there were no associated lab values. The Apache clinical Text Analysis and Knowledge Extraction System was used to analyze the text and transform it into informative features to be combined with relevant lab values.Experiments over a range of machine learning algorithms and features were conducted. The best performing combination was linear kernel Support Vector Machines with Unified Medical Language System Concept Unique Identifier features with feature selection and lab values. The Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC is 0.831 (σ = 0.0317, statistically significant as compared to two baselines (AUC = 0.758, σ = 0.0291. Algorithms demonstrated superior performance on cases clinically defined as extreme categories of disease activity (Remission and High compared to those defined as intermediate categories (Moderate and Low and included laboratory data on inflammatory markers.Automatic Rheumatoid Arthritis disease activity discovery from Electronic Medical Record data is a learnable task approximating human performance. As a result, this approach might have several research applications, such as the identification of patients for genome-wide pharmacogenetic studies that require large sample sizes with precise definitions of disease activity and response to therapies.

Disparities in rheumatoid arthritis disease activity according to gross domestic product in 25 countries in the QUEST-RA database.

Science.gov (United States)

Sokka, T; Kautiainen, H; Pincus, T; Toloza, S; da Rocha Castelar Pinheiro, G; Lazovskis, J; Hetland, M L; Peets, T; Immonen, K; Maillefert, J F; Drosos, A A; Alten, R; Pohl, C; Rojkovich, B; Bresnihan, B; Minnock, P; Cazzato, M; Bombardieri, S; Rexhepi, S; Rexhepi, M; Andersone, D; Stropuviene, S; Huisman, M; Sierakowski, S; Karateev, D; Skakic, V; Naranjo, A; Baecklund, E; Henrohn, D; Gogus, F; Badsha, H; Mofti, A; Taylor, P; McClinton, C; Yazici, Y

2009-11-01

To analyse associations between the clinical status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the gross domestic product (GDP) of their resident country. The Quantitative Standard Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (QUEST-RA) cohort includes clinical and questionnaire data from 6004 patients who were seen in usual care at 70 rheumatology clinics in 25 countries as of April 2008, including 18 European countries. Demographic variables, clinical characteristics, RA disease activity measures, including the disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28), and treatment-related variables were analysed according to GDP per capita, including 14 "high GDP" countries with GDP per capita greater than US$24,000 and 11 "low GDP" countries with GDP per capita less than US$11,000. Disease activity DAS28 ranged between 3.1 and 6.0 among the 25 countries and was significantly associated with GDP (r = -0.78, 95% CI -0.56 to -0.90, r(2) = 61%). Disease activity levels differed substantially between "high GDP" and "low GDP" countries at much greater levels than according to whether patients were currently taking or not taking methotrexate, prednisone and/or biological agents. The clinical status of patients with RA was correlated significantly with GDP among 25 mostly European countries according to all disease measures, associated only modestly with the current use of antirheumatic medications. The burden of arthritis appears substantially greater in "low GDP" than in "high GDP" countries. These findings may alert healthcare professionals and designers of health policy towards improving the clinical status of patients with RA in all countries.

Role of erosions typical of rheumatoid arthritis in the 2010 ACR/EULAR rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria: results from a very early arthritis cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Brinkmann, Gina Hetland; Norli, Ellen S; Bøyesen, Pernille; van der Heijde, Désirée; Grøvle, Lars; Haugen, Anne J; Nygaard, Halvor; Bjørneboe, Olav; Thunem, Cathrine; Kvien, Tore K; Mjaavatten, Maria D; Lie, Elisabeth

2017-11-01

To determine how the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) definition of erosive disease (erosion criterion) contributes to the number of patients classified as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology/EULAR RA classification criteria (2010 RA criteria) in an early arthritis cohort. Patients from the observational study Norwegian Very Early Arthritis Clinic with joint swelling ≤16 weeks, a clinical diagnosis of RA or undifferentiated arthritis, and radiographs of hands and feet were included. Erosive disease was defined according to the EULAR definition accompanying the 2010 RA criteria. We calculated the additional number of patients being classified as RA based on the erosion criteria at baseline and during follow-up. Of the 289 included patients, 120 (41.5%) fulfilled the 2010 RA criteria, whereas 15 (5.2%) fulfilled only the erosion criterion at baseline. 118 patients had radiographic follow-up at 2 years, of whom 6.8% fulfilled the 2010 RA criteria and only one patient fulfilled solely the erosion criterion during follow-up. Few patients with early arthritis were classified as RA based on solely the erosion criteria, and of those who did almost all did so at baseline. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Rheumatoid arthritis (image)

Science.gov (United States)

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks itself. The pattern of joints ... other joints and is worse in the morning. Rheumatoid arthritis is also a systemic disease, involving other body ...

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: relation to growth and disease activity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørnhart, Birgitte; Juul, Anders; Nielsen, Susan

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) has been identified as a prognostic marker of progressive joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. In this population based study we evaluated associations between plasma concentrations of COMP, disease activity, and growth velocity...... in patients with recent-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). COMP levels in JIA and healthy children were compared with those in healthy adults. Plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1), which has been associated with COMP expression and growth velocity, were studied in parallel. METHODS......: 87 patients with JIA entered the study, including oligoarticular JIA (n = 34), enthesitis-related arthritis (n = 8), polyarticular rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive JIA (n = 2), polyarticular RF-negative JIA (n = 27), systemic JIA (n = 6), and undifferentiated JIA (n = 10). Plasma levels of COMP were...

Impact of hepatitis C virus infection on disease activity, functional status and ultrasonography findings in Egyptian rheumatoid arthritis patients

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Nabila Abd EI-Hamid Gohar

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV infection is one of the most frequently encountered public health problems in Egypt. It is associated with many autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Aim of the work: To assess the impact of HCV infection in rheumatoid arthritis (RA Egyptian patients; its relation to disease activity, functional status and ultrasonography findings. Patients and methods: The study included 155 RA patients further classified according to the presence of concomitant HCV infection into 2 groups; rheumatoid arthritis (RA and rheumatoid arthritis/hepatitis C virus (RA/HCV groups. All patients were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination, laboratory investigations, assessment of disease activity using the disease activity score 28 (DAS28 and assessment of functional status using the modified health assessment questionnaire (MHAQ. Ultrasonography (US assessment was done using the German US7 score. Results: Both DAS28 and MHAQ scores showed significant differences between both the RA and the RA/HCV groups (p < 0.001, with higher mean values observed in the RA/HCV group (5.4 ± 1.1 and 1.05 ± 0.79 respectively. Significantly higher US7 synovitis scores were found in the RA/HCV group compared to the RA group (p = 0.03. US7 synovitis tenosynovitis scores revealed significant correlations with DAS28 and US7 synovitis scores correlated with MHAQ in both groups. Conclusion: Concomitant HCV infection in RA patients had an impact on disease activity. RA patients with concomitant HCV infection (RA/HCV had higher DAS28 and MHAQ scores, with higher US7 synovitis scores compared to RA patients. US7 score is a valuable objective tool for the assessment of RA disease activity. Keywords: Rheumatoid arthritis, HCV infection, Ultrasonography, DAS28, MHAQ

Inter- relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajkarnikar, J; Thomas, B S; Rao, S K

2013-01-01

Periodontal medicine defines a rapidly emerging branch of Periodontology focusing on establishing a strong relationship between periodontal health and systemic health. It is speculated that the major common dysregulation which links Periodontitis with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is being played by the mediators of immune inflammatory response. To determine whether there is any relationship between periodontal disease and Rheumatoid arthritis. A total of 100 patients were included for the present study which was divided into two groups: one group (cases) included 50 patients attending the Department of Orthopedics, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal who were diagnosed of Rheumatoid arthritis. Another subject population included 50 patients as controls attending the Department of Oral Medicine, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal with age and gender matched with those of rheumatoid arthritis group. Specific measures for periodontitis included plaque index, gingival index, number of missing teeth, and radiographic alveolar bone loss scores. Measures of rheumatoid arthritis included health assessment questionaires, levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Various periodontal parameters were compared between the cases and controls. The average alveolar bone loss was statistically more severe in Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) group than in the controls although there were similar plaque index in both the groups. The gingival index was statistically higher in the RA group. The Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and C- Reactive Protein (CRP) levels of RA patients were also significantly associated with the severity of periodontal disease. There was a significant association between Rheumatoid arthritis and Periodontitis which may be due to a common underlying deregulation of the inflammatory response in these individuals.

Chronic kidney disease in rheumatoid arthritis at Kenyatta National ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To determine the prevalence of chronic kidney disease among patients with rheumatoid arthritis on follow up at the rheumatology outpatient clinic at Kenyatta National Hospital. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Setting: Rheumatology outpatient clinic at the Kenyatta National Hospital, a public national ...

Interleukin-23 in early disease development in rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Thomas; Hvid, M; Johansen, C

2015-01-01

randomized to methotrexate (MTX) plus adalimumab (ADA; n = 75) or MTX plus placebo-ADA (PLA; n = 76). Plasma samples were obtained at baseline and at months 3, 6, and 12 together with values for C-reactive protein (CRP), the 28-joint Disease Activity Score based on CRP (DAS28CRP), scores on the Clinical......OBJECTIVES: To investigate the levels of interleukin (IL)-23 in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (eRA) and the effect of anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF)-α treatment on IL-23 levels. METHOD: Treatment-naïve eRA patients from the OPERA cohort were included (n = 151). Patients were...... Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and the Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain/fatigue/physician global and total Sharp/van der Heijde score (TSS). IL-23 was measured at each time point. RESULTS: IL-23 levels decreased significantly in the ADA group from 20.6 pg...

Cachexia and adiposity in rheumatoid arthritis. Relevance for disease management and clinical outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Challal, Salima; Minichiello, Emeline; Boissier, Marie-Christophe; Semerano, Luca

2016-03-01

Altered body composition is a frequent finding in rheumatoid arthritis and is associated with the two major outcomes of the disease: disability and cardiovascular mortality. It is estimated that up to two thirds of patients may be affected by loss of lean mass, the so-called rheumatoid cachexia. Hence, body weight being equal, the relative amount of lean mass is lower and that of body fat is higher in rheumatoid arthritis patients vs. healthy controls. Both disease-related factors and other factors, like drug treatments, physical activity and nutrition contribute to modify body composition in rheumatoid arthritis. The effect of pharmacological treatments, and notably of anti-TNF drugs, on body composition is controversial. Conversely, training programs to stimulate muscle growth can restore lean mass and reduce adiposity. There is good evidence that amelioration of body composition ameliorates function and reduces disability. Currently, there is no evidence that interventions that modify body composition can reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier SAS.

Balancing the autonomic nervous system to reduce inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopman, F. A.; van Maanen, M. A.; Vervoordeldonk, M. J.; Tak, P. P.

2017-01-01

Imbalance in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) has been observed in many established chronic autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which is a prototypic immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID). We recently discovered that autonomic dysfunction precedes and predicts arthritis

MCID/Low Disease Activity State Workshop: low disease activity state in rheumatoid arthritis.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wells, G.A.; Boers, M.; Shea, B.; Anderson, J.; Felson, D.T.; Johnson, K.; Kirwan, J.; Lassere, M.N.; Robinson, V.; Simon, L.S.; Strand, V.; Riel, P.L.C.M. van; Tugwell, P.S.

2003-01-01

The MCID (minimal clinically important difference) module of OMERACT 5 developed a research agenda that led to the conclusion that a state of low disease activity for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) would need to be defined. To develop such a definition the various concepts and terminologies, the process

Antibiotic prophylaxis for haematogenous bacterial arthritis in patients with joint disease: a cost effectiveness analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P. Krijnen (Pieta); C.J. Kaandorp; E.W. Steyerberg (Ewout); D. van Schaardenburg (Dirkjan); H.J. Moens; J.D.F. Habbema (Dik)

2001-01-01

textabstractOBJECTIVE: To assess the cost effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis for haematogenous bacterial arthritis in patients with joint disease. METHODS: In a decision analysis, data from a prospective study on bacterial arthritis in 4907 patients with joint

Disparities in rheumatoid arthritis disease activity according to gross domestic product in 25 countries in the QUEST–RA database

Science.gov (United States)

Sokka, T; Kautiainen, H; Pincus, T; Toloza, S; da Rocha Castelar Pinheiro, G; Lazovskis, J; Hetland, M L; Peets, T; Immonen, K; Maillefert, J F; Drosos, A A; Alten, R; Pohl, C; Rojkovich, B; Bresnihan, B; Minnock, P; Cazzato, M; Bombardieri, S; Rexhepi, S; Rexhepi, M; Andersone, D; Stropuviene, S; Huisman, M; Sierakowski, S; Karateev, D; Skakic, V; Naranjo, A; Baecklund, E; Henrohn, D; Gogus, F; Badsha, H; Mofti, A; Taylor, P; McClinton, C; Yazici, Y

2009-01-01

Objective: To analyse associations between the clinical status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the gross domestic product (GDP) of their resident country. Methods: The Quantitative Standard Monitoring of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (QUEST–RA) cohort includes clinical and questionnaire data from 6004 patients who were seen in usual care at 70 rheumatology clinics in 25 countries as of April 2008, including 18 European countries. Demographic variables, clinical characteristics, RA disease activity measures, including the disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28), and treatment-related variables were analysed according to GDP per capita, including 14 “high GDP” countries with GDP per capita greater than US$24 000 and 11 “low GDP” countries with GDP per capita less than US$11 000. Results: Disease activity DAS28 ranged between 3.1 and 6.0 among the 25 countries and was significantly associated with GDP (r  =  −0.78, 95% CI −0.56 to −0.90, r2  =  61%). Disease activity levels differed substantially between “high GDP” and “low GDP” countries at much greater levels than according to whether patients were currently taking or not taking methotrexate, prednisone and/or biological agents. Conclusions: The clinical status of patients with RA was correlated significantly with GDP among 25 mostly European countries according to all disease measures, associated only modestly with the current use of antirheumatic medications. The burden of arthritis appears substantially greater in “low GDP” than in “high GDP” countries. These findings may alert healthcare professionals and designers of health policy towards improving the clinical status of patients with RA in all countries. PMID:19643759

Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Arthritis Managing Chronic Pain and Depression in Arthritis Nutrition & Rheumatoid Arthritis Arthritis and Health-related Quality of ... Hopkins Rheumatology Arthritis Center Lupus Center Lyme Disease Clinical Research Center Myositis Center Scleroderma Center Sjogren’s Syndrome ...

Comparing cardiovascular risk factors, disease and treatment in participants with rheumatoid arthritis and without arthritis in a population based study

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O’Driscoll, N

2017-05-01

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is associated with a significant increase in mortality compared to the general population, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) the leading cause of death. The aim of this study is to compare the prevalence and treatment of modifiable CV risk factors and history of CVD in those with RA and those without arthritis in Ireland. Data from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a population-representative cohort study of people in Ireland aged 50 or over, was used. Participants with RA (n=457) were twice as likely to be obese (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.99 to 2.06) compared to those without arthritis (n=4,063). Participants with RA were also more likely to be physically inactive (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.69 to 1.76) and taking antihypertensive medication than those without arthritis. Exercise can have a beneficial impact on CVD and specific interventions to increase physical activity in those with RA may be warranted

Heart Disease, Hypertension, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, and Preeclampsia/Eclampsia in Mothers With Juvenile Arthritis: A Nested Case-Control Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Feldman, Debbie E; Vinet, Évelyne; Bérard, Anick; Duffy, Ciarán; Hazel, Beth; Meshefedjian, Garbis; Sylvestre, Marie-Pierre; Bernatsky, Sasha

2017-02-01

To determine whether women with a history of juvenile arthritis are at higher risk for heart disease and hypertension and for developing adverse maternal outcomes: gestational diabetes mellitus, maternal hypertension, and preeclampsia/eclampsia. We designed a nested case-control study from a cohort of first-time mothers with prior physician billing codes suggesting juvenile arthritis, and a matched comparison group without juvenile arthritis. For the nested case-control design, we selected 3 controls for each case for the outcomes of heart disease (n = 403), prepregnancy hypertension (n = 66), gestational diabetes mellitus (n = 285), maternal hypertension (n = 561), and preeclampsia/eclampsia (n = 236). We used conditional logistic regression, adjusting for maternal age and education. Having juvenile arthritis was associated with heart disease (odds ratio [OR] 2.44 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.15-5.15]) but not with gestational hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or preeclampsia/eclampsia. All 66 cases of prepregnancy hypertension had juvenile arthritis. Having prepregnancy hypertension was strongly associated with preeclampsia/eclampsia (OR 8.05 [95% CI 2.69-24.07]). Women with a history of juvenile arthritis had a higher risk of heart disease. This risk signals the potential importance of cardiac prevention strategies in juvenile arthritis. As this was a retrospective study, it was not possible to correct for some relevant potential confounders. Further studies should assess the impact of medications, disease severity, and other factors (e.g., obesity) on cardiac outcomes in juvenile arthritis. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

[Reiter disease or reactive arthritis?].

Science.gov (United States)

Eppinger, S; Schmitt, J; Meurer, M

2006-04-01

There is an ongoing international discussion on whether the condition reactive arthritis should be named after a former Nazi functionary. The German dermatological community should participate in this debate. In 1916, Hans Reiter described a disease with the symptoms urethritis, conjunctivitis, and arthritis, which was later named after him. After becoming titular professor in May 1918, Reiter was appointed director of the regional public health department Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1926. At the same time he taught social hygiene at the University of Rostock, where he was appointed full professor in 1928. In 1931, Hans Reiter became a member of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). In July 1932 he was elected representative of the NSDAP to the seventh assembly of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. After becoming its acting director in July 1933, Reiter was appointed president of the Reich public health department in Berlin on October 1, 1933. Both his excellent professional qualifications, as well as his National Socialist attitudes, were considered key criteria for taking over this important position. As the president of the Reich public health department, Reiter was said to have known about the conduct of experiments with typhus-fever at the concentration camp Buchenwald in which 250 humans died. From the end of the Second World War until 1947, Reiter was imprisoned in the Nuremberg Prison for War Criminals, but never convicted of a crime.

Long term efficacy and safety of etanercept in the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kivelevitch D

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Dario Kivelevitch, Bobbak Mansouri, Alan Menter Department of Dermatology, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA Abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease affecting both the skin and joints. Approximately 20% of patients suffer a moderate to severe form of skin disease and up to 30% have joint involvement. Standard therapies for psoriasis include topical medications, phototherapy, and both oral systemic and biological therapies whereas therapies for psoriatic arthritis include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs followed by disease modifying antirheumatic drugs and/or tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α inhibitors and interleukin-12/23p40 inhibitors. Treatment of both diseases is typically driven by disease severity. In the past decade, major advances in the understanding of the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have led to the development of numerous biological therapies, which have revolutionized the treatment for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Anti-TNF-α agents are currently considered as first line biological therapies for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Currently approved anti-TNF-α agents include etanercept, adalimumab, and infliximab for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis as well as golimumab and certolizumab for psoriatic arthritis. In this article, we aim to evaluate the long term safety and efficacy of etanercept in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Keywords: psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, etanercept, biological therapy, tumor necrosis factor, safety

Nutritional status of Iranian women with rheumatoid arthritis: an assessment of dietary intake and disease activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Hejazi, Jalal; Mohtadinia, Javad; Kolahi, Soasan; Bakhtiyari, Mahmood; Delpisheh, Ali

2011-09-01

Long-standing chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis are known to be associated with impairment of nutritional status to some degree. The present study aimed to assess nutritional status of women with rheumatoid arthritis and compare their ingestion of certain micronutrients with dietary reference intakes. In this cross-sectional study, 90 eligible women were recruited. After examination, all patients were evaluated on the basis of disease activity score, calculated using the number of tender and swollen joints, patient global assessment of pain and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP). A three-day 24 h recall was completed and a 10 ml fasting blood sample was obtained to assess the plasma levels of malondialdehyde, total antioxidant and CRP. Despite normal BMI, intake of energy and micronutrients including calcium, folic acid, zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 were considerably lower compared with the dietary reference intakes. There was no significant relationship between intake of different nutrients or food groups and disease activity score and the biochemical markers including malondialdehyde, CRP and total antioxidant. Intake of energy and some micronutrients were significantly lower than the recommended values. However, no relationship was found between intake of different food groups or nutrients with disease activity or serum antioxidant capacity.

The Association of Anti-CCP and Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raouf Rahim Merza

2014-08-01

Conclusion: A highly significant correlation was found between Anti-CCP value and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis, smoker patients had higher value of Anti-CCP compared to non-smoker patients. Smokers demonstrated a more active and severe disease activity compared to non-smokers. [Cukurova Med J 2014; 39(4.000: 743-751

Measures of Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity in Australian Clinical Practice

OpenAIRE

Taylor, Andrew; Bagga, Hanish

2011-01-01

Objectives. To investigate which rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity measures are being collected in patients receiving glucocorticoids, non-biologic or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in Australian rheumatology practice. Methods. A retrospective audit of medical records was conducted from eight rheumatology practices around Australia. Each rheumatologist recruited 30 consecutive eligible patients into the review, 10 of whom must have been receiving a biological...

Bioboosters in the treatment of rheumatic diseases: a comprehensive review of currently available biologics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabrizio Cantini

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Fabrizio Cantini, Carlotta Nannini, Laura NiccoliSecond Division of Medicine, Rheumatology Unit, Hospital of Prato, ItalyAbstract: Immunologic research has clarified many aspects of the pathogenesis of inflammatory rheumatic disorders. Biologic drugs acting on different steps of the immune response, including cytokines, B- and T-cell lymphocytes, have been marketed over the past 10 years for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA, ankylosing spondylitis (AS, and psoriatic arthritis (PsA. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs of anti-cytokine agents in RA (including the anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα drugs infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, golimumab, certolizumab, anti-interleukin (IL-1 anakinra, and anti-IL-6 tocilizumab demonstrated a significant efficacy compared to traditional therapies, if combined with methotrexate (MTX, as measured by ACR 20, 50 and 70 response criteria. The new therapies have also been demonstrated to be superior to MTX in slowing or halting articular damage. RCTs have shown the efficacy of anti-TNFα in AS patients through significant improvement of symptoms and function. Trials of anti-TNFα in PsA patients showed marked improvement of articular symptoms for psoriasis and radiological disease progression. More recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of B-cell depletion with rituximab, and T-cell inactivation with abatacept. All these drugs have a satisfactory safety profile. This paper reviews the different aspects of efficacy and tolerability of biologics in the therapy of RA, AS, and PsA.Keywords: anti-TNF, anti-cytokine agents, rituximab, abatacept, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis

Cardiovascular diseases-related hospital admissions of patients with inflammatory arthritis.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ursum, J.; Nielen, M.M.J.; Twisk, J.W.R.; Peters, M.J.L.; Schellevis, F.G.; Nurmohamed, M.T.; Korevaar, J.C.

2015-01-01

Objective: Patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) have an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), suggesting a high rate of CVD-related hospitalizations, but data on this topic are limited. Our study addressed hospital admissions for CVD in a primary care-based population of patients

Estimation of patient knowledge on rheumatoid arthritis in the range of their own disease--preliminary study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pytel, Aleksandra; Wrzosek, Zdzisława

2012-01-01

Knowledge is an essential element of treatment which allows patients to take care of themselves, to undertake every day activities and to make decisions essential from the point of view of health. A patient suffering from rheumatoid arthritis needs support, assistance from his family and from medical staff. It depends on him how much the disease will change his life and how he will cope with all the problems related to the psychological, physical and social aspects of life. Each patient should know what his disease is. If he does not receive this information from the qualified staff, he will try to find some information from different sources and then the information may be incomplete and may provoke negative reactions which will make the process of treatment more difficult. Defining the source of the patient's knowledge about his disease and the role and tasks of health education in transferring knowledge to the patient and in building his attitude to the treatment. Increasing participation of a therapeutic team in health education in order to propagate the awareness and need of prevention and physical effort for bringing back normal state of health. The subject of studies included 270 people with rheumatoid arthritis. The patients examined were treated in the Clinic of Rheumatology and Internal Diseases of the University of Wroclaw since 1st February, 2010 till 15th February, 2011. A self-made questionnaire was used for studies, aimed at obtaining basic information about patients with a diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis. Statistical calculations were made with package Statistica 9 PL. Tests on essentiality of differences were calculated with T-Student test for quantitative data and chi2 test for qualitative data. Abroad, the level of significance was a value of 0.05. The examined patients were divided into 2 groups according to gender. These groups were similar in respect of age, place of residence, professional activity, working time and co-existing diseases

Minimal Disease Activity as a Treatment Target in Psoriatic Arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gossec, Laure; McGonagle, Dennis; Korotaeva, Tatiana

2018-01-01

As in other inflammatory rheumatic diseases, the objective of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment is the achievement of a defined target. Recent recommendations propose aiming for remission or low disease activity; however, a consensual definition of remission is lacking. A state of minimal disease....... Since its development, MDA has been used increasingly in studies and clinical trials. In this article, the potential use of MDA as a treatment target in PsA is reviewed. The frequencies of MDA achievement with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are summarized based on data from registries...

Early rheumatoid arthritis and its differentiation from other joint abnormalities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boutry, Nathalie; Carmo, Clarissa Canella Moraes do; Flipo, Rene-Marc; Cotten, Anne

2009-01-01

The introduction of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs has created new demands on imaging to early identify patients with rheumatoid arthritis and opened new prospects in therapeutic management of patients with aggressive disease. Therefore, new imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound have developed during the past few years in this field. In some cases, both magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound may be also useful in making the distinction between early rheumatoid arthritis and other joints abnormalities, including early psoriatic arthritis. This article will review key aspects of important advances in imaging in rheumatoid arthritis, particularly focusing on magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Can It Affect the Lungs?

Science.gov (United States)

Rheumatoid arthritis: Can it affect the lungs? Can rheumatoid arthritis affect your lungs? Answers from April Chang-Miller, ... know. Arthritis Foundation. http://www.arthritis.org/about-arthritis/types/rheumatoid-arthritis/articles/lung-disease-rheumatoid-arthritis.php. Accessed ...

Adalimumab-induced acute interstitial lung disease in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivia Meira Dias

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The use of immunobiological agents for the treatment of autoimmune diseases is increasing in medical practice. Anti-TNF therapies have been increasingly used in refractory autoimmune diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis, with promising results. However, the use of such therapies has been associated with an increased risk of developing other autoimmune diseases. In addition, the use of anti-TNF agents can cause pulmonary complications, such as reactivation of mycobacterial and fungal infections, as well as sarcoidosis and other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs. There is evidence of an association between ILD and the use of anti-TNF agents, etanercept and infliximab in particular. Adalimumab is the newest drug in this class, and some authors have suggested that its use might induce or exacerbate preexisting ILDs. In this study, we report the first case of acute ILD secondary to the use of adalimumab in Brazil, in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis and without a history of ILD.

Prevalence of chronic diseases at the onset of inflammatory arthritis.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ursum, J.; Korevaar, J.C.; Twisk, J.W.R.; Peters, M.J.L.; Schellevis, F.G.; Nurmohamed, M.T.; Nielen, M.M.J.

2012-01-01

Background: To explore the prevalence of chronic diseases at the onset of inflammatory arthritis (IA) in the general practice and compare this to a group of control patients without IA. Methods: In this nested-case-control study, data were used from the Netherlands Information Network of eneral

Effects of Oral Administration of Type II Collagen on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Science.gov (United States)

Trentham, David E.; Dynesius-Trentham, Roselynn A.; Orav, E. John; Combitchi, Daniel; Lorenzo, Carlos; Sewell, Kathryn Lea; Hafler, David A.; Weiner, Howard L.

1993-09-01

Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory synovial disease thought to involve T cells reacting to an antigen within the joint. Type II collagen is the major protein in articular cartilage and is a potential autoantigen in this disease. Oral tolerization to autoantigens suppresses animal models of T cell-mediated autoimmune disease, including two models of rheumatoid arthritis. In this randomized, double-blind trial involving 60 patients with severe, active rheumatoid arthritis, a decrease in the number of swollen joints and tender joints occurred in subjects fed chicken type II collagen for 3 months but not in those that received a placebo. Four patients in the collagen group had complete remission of the disease. No side effects were evident. These data demonstrate clinical efficacy of an oral tolerization approach for rheumatoid arthritis.

Temporomandibular Joint Involvement in Association With Quality of Life, Disability, and High Disease Activity in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Frid, Paula; Nordal, Ellen; Bovis, Francesca; Giancane, Gabriella; Larheim, Tore A; Rygg, Marite; Pires Marafon, Denise; De Angelis, Donato; Palmisani, Elena; Murray, Kevin J; Oliveira, Sheila; Simonini, Gabriele; Corona, Fabrizia; Davidson, Joyce; Foster, Helen; Steenks, Michel H; Flato, Berit; Zulian, Francesco; Baildam, Eileen; Saurenmann, Rotraud K; Lahdenne, Pekka; Ravelli, Angelo; Martini, Alberto; Pistorio, Angela; Ruperto, Nicolino

2017-05-01

To evaluate the demographic, disease activity, disability, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) differences between children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and their healthy peers, and between children with JIA with and without clinical temporomandibular joint (TMJ) involvement and its determinants. This study is based on a cross-sectional cohort of 3,343 children with JIA and 3,409 healthy peers, enrolled in the Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organisation HRQOL study or in the methotrexate trial. Potential determinants of TMJ involvement included demographic, disease activity, disability, and HRQOL measures selected through univariate and multivariable logistic regression. Clinical TMJ involvement was observed in 387 of 3,343 children with JIA (11.6%). Children with TMJ involvement, compared to those without, more often had polyarticular disease course (95% versus 70%), higher Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (odds ratio [OR] 4.6), more disability, and lower HRQOL. Children with TMJ involvement experienced clearly more disability and lower HRQOL compared to their healthy peers. The multivariable analysis showed that cervical spine involvement (OR 4.6), disease duration >4.4 years (OR 2.8), and having more disability (Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index >0.625) (OR 1.6) were the most important determinants for TMJ involvement. Clinical TMJ involvement in JIA is associated with higher disease activity, higher disability, and impaired HRQOL. Our findings indicate the need for dedicated clinical and imaging evaluation of TMJ arthritis, especially in children with cervical spine involvement, polyarticular course, and longer disease duration. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Psoriatic arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Espinoza, L.R.

1985-01-01

In the past 10 years, a number of well-controlled surveys of psoriatic patients selective for the presence of arthritis have been conducted. A Canadian group reported that of 100 patients admitted to the hospital for treatment of psoriasis, 32 had clinical or radiologic evidence of psoriatic arthritis, and 17 had both types of evidence. Eighty patients with radiologic evidence of spinal or sacroiliac involvement were asymptomatic, and seven had clinical evidence of peripheral arthritis but without radiologic evidence. The authors concluded that psoriatic arthritis is a common event in patients with severe psoriasis and that it is associated with more extensive skin disease than is found in patients without arthritis. The information gathered from these epidemiologic studies coupled with clinical, radiologic, and serologic characteristics have provided the basis for the current belief that psoriatic arthritis is indeed a distinct entity

Cytokine profiles in peripheral blood and whole blood cell cultures associated with aggressive periodontitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Anne Havemose; Sørensen, Lars Korsbaek; Stoltze, Kaj

2005-01-01

Cytokines play a key role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. An obvious question is whether patients with aggressive periodontitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis share blood cytokine profiles distinguishing them from individuals free of disease.......Cytokines play a key role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. An obvious question is whether patients with aggressive periodontitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis share blood cytokine profiles distinguishing them from individuals free of disease....

Risk of Incident Liver Disease in Patients with Psoriasis, Psoriatic Arthritis, and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Population-Based Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogdie, Alexis; Grewal, Sungat K; Noe, Megan H; Shin, Daniel B; Takeshita, Junko; Chiesa Fuxench, Zelma C; Carr, Rotonya M; Gelfand, Joel M

2018-04-01

Relatively little is known about the risk for incident liver disease in psoriasis (PsO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We performed a cohort study among patients with PsO, PsA, or RA and matched controls in The Health Improvement Network from 1994 to 2014. Outcomes of interest were any liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and cirrhosis (any etiology). Among patients with PsO (N = 197,130), PsA (N = 12,308), RA (N = 54,251), and matched controls (N = 1,279,754), the adjusted hazard ratios for any liver disease were elevated among patients with PsO (without systemic therapy [ST] 1.37; with ST 1.97), PsA (without ST 1.38; with ST 1.67), and RA without an ST (1.49) but not elevated in patients with RA prescribed an ST (0.96). Incident nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was highest in patients with PsO prescribed an ST (2.23) and PsA with an ST (2.11). The risk of cirrhosis was highest among patients with PsO with an ST (2.62) and PsA without an ST (3.15). Additionally, the prevalence of liver disease and cirrhosis increased in a stepwise fashion with increasing body surface area affected by PsO (P for trend <0.001). More so than RA, PsO and PsA are associated with liver disease, particularly nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cirrhosis, and this was true even among patients without ST exposure. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fetal Programming in Rheumatoid Arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

F.D.O. de Steenwinkel (Florentien)

2013-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease mainly affecting synovial tissues, which can lead to severe morbidity and progressive joint destruction resulting in deformations and disability. Other important outcomes include

Rheumatoid Arthritis | Ally | South African Family Practice

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Immune-mediated inflammatory disorders include a clinically diverse group of conditions sharing similar pathogenic mechanisms. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, spondyloarthropathy, inflammatory bowel disease and connective tissue diseases are characterised by immune dysregulation and chronic ...

M-ficolin levels reflect disease activity and predict remission in early rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ammitzbøll, Christian Gytz; Thiel, Steffen; Jensenius, Jens Christian

2013-01-01

To assess plasma M-ficolin concentrations in disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-naive patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), to investigate the correlation of M-ficolin concentrations with disease activity markers, and to determine the predictive value of M-ficolin with respect...... to the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28)....

EULAR definition of erosive disease in light of the 2010 ACR/EULAR rheumatoid arthritis classification criteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Heijde, Désirée; van der Helm-van Mil, Annette H. M.; Aletaha, Daniel; Bingham, Clifton O.; Burmester, Gerd R.; Dougados, Maxime; Emery, Paul; Felson, David; Knevel, Rachel; Kvien, Tore K.; Landewé, Robert B. M.; Lukas, Cédric; McInnes, Iain; Silman, Alan J.; Smolen, Josef S.; Stanislawska-Biernat, Ewa; Zink, Angela; Combe, Bernard

2013-01-01

The aim of this report was to propose a definition for erosive disease in the context of inflammatory arthritis in light of the 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) criteria for use in clinical practice and studies. A EULAR

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Science.gov (United States)

... joints. This form of JIA may turn into rheumatoid arthritis. It may involve 5 or more large and ... no known prevention for JIA. Alternative Names Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA); Juvenile chronic polyarthritis; Still disease; Juvenile spondyloarthritis ...

Autoimmune-autoinflammatory rheumatoid arthritis overlaps: a rare but potentially important subgroup of diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Savic, Sinisa; Mistry, Anoop; Wilson, Anthony G; Barcenas-Morales, Gabriela; Doffinger, Rainer; Emery, Paul; McGonagle, Dennis

2017-01-01

At the population level, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is generally viewed as autoimmune in nature with a small subgroup of cases having a palindromic form or systemic autoinflammatory disorder (SAID) phenotype. Herein, we describe resistant cases of classical autoantibody associated RA that had clinical, genetic and therapeutic responses indicative of coexistent autoinflammatory disease. Five patients with clinically overlapping features between RA and SAID including polysynovitis and autoantibody/shared epitope positivity, and who had abrupt severe self-limiting attacks including fevers and serositis, are described. Mutations or single nucleotide polymorphisms in recognised autoinflammatory pathways were evident. Generally, these cases responded poorly to conventional Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARD) treatment with some excellent responses to colchicine or interleukin 1 pathway blockade. A subgroup of RA cases have a mixed autoimmune-autoinflammatory phenotype and genotype with therapeutic implications.

Express-diagnostics of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoltan M. Sigal

2017-09-01

.63 ± 0.39 and 7.67 ± 1.62, respectively. These indicators are practically important for differential diagnostics of diseases; they indicate the presence or absence of fluid, inflammation and visualize bags. The rapid diagnostic method for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthrosis developed by the authors includes ultrasonography of the suprapatellar bag and transillumination pulsooptometry.

[Rheumatoid arthritis as a connective tissue disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Targońska-Stępniak, Bożena

2018-01-01

The available data indicate that seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) develops as a result of systemic, autoimmune reaction directed against a range of "self" peptides/proteins that have undergone specific forms of post-translational modification. The development and progress of autoimmunity may be triggered by non-specific, local inflammatory processes outside the joints, for example in the oral or respiratory mucous membrane. The disease occurs in genetically susceptible individuals under the influence of environmental risk factors that promote autoimmunity and consequently the inflammatory process. Smoking is particularly linked with RA pathogenesis. Synovitis of multiple, symmetrical, peripheral joints is the most typical feature of RA which results in irreversible damage to joints structure and as a consequence in disability of patients. However, the inflammatory process in the course of RA has a systemic, constitutional nature. Therefore, extra-articular symptoms with internal organ involvement may occur additionally to synovitis, what is an unfavorable prognostic factor. Extra-articular manifestations of RA are associated with the high disease activity both inflammatory and immunological. They occur in patients with severe form of the disease and contribute to a significant lifespan reduction. This is usually associated with progressive atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications. The systemic inhibition of an abnormal immune system activity is the mainstay of the effective RA treatment. The currently used disease modifying antirheumatic drugs affect the activity and function of different constituents of the immune system, including B and T lymphocytes and the main pro-inflammatory cytokines, and contribute to autoimmune and inflammatory processes.

The revised Bristol Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue measures and the Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact of Disease scale: validation in six countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Hewlett, Sarah; Kirwan, John; Bode, Christina; Cramp, Fiona; Carmona, Loreto; Dures, Emma; Englbrecht, Matthias; Fransen, Jaap; Greenwood, Rosemary; Hagel, Sofia; van de Laar, Maart; Molto, Anna; Nicklin, Joanna; Petersson, Ingemar F; Redondo, Marta; Schett, Georg; Gossec, Laure

2018-02-01

To evaluate the Bristol Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue Multidimensional Questionnaire (BRAF-MDQ), the revised Bristol Rheumatoid Arthritis Numerical Rating Scales (BRAF-NRS V2) and the Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact of Disease (RAID) scale in six countries. We surveyed RA patients in France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK, including the HAQ, 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and potential revisions of the BRAF-NRS coping and Spanish RAID coping items. Factor structure and internal consistency were examined by factor analysis and Cronbach's α and construct validity by Spearman's correlation. A total of 1276 patients participated (76% female, 25% with a disease duration <5 years, median HAQ 1.0). The original BRAF-MDQ four-factor structure and RAID single-factor structure were confirmed in every country with ⩾66% of variation in items explained by each factor and all item factor loadings of 0.71-0.98. Internal consistency for the BRAF-MDQ total and subscales was a Cronbach's α of 0.75-0.96 and for RAID, 0.93-0.96. Fatigue construct validity was shown for the BRAF-MDQ and BRAF-NRS severity and effect scales, correlated internally with SF-36 vitality and with RAID fatigue (r = 0.63-0.93). Broader construct validity for the BRAFs and RAID was shown by correlation with each other, HAQ and SF-36 domains (r = 0.46-0.82), with similar patterns in individual countries. The revised BRAF-NRS V2 Coping item had stronger validity than the original in all analyses. The revised Spanish RAID coping item performed as well as the original. Across six European countries, the BRAF-MDQ identifies the same four aspects of fatigue, and along with the RAID, shows strong factor structure and internal consistency and moderate-good construct validity. The revised BRAF-NRS V2 shows improved construct validity and replaces the original. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology.

Imaging of Posttraumatic Arthritis, Avascular Necrosis, Septic Arthritis, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, and Cancer Mimicking Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rupasov, Andrey; Cain, Usa; Montoya, Simone; Blickman, Johan G

2017-09-01

This article focuses on the imaging of 5 discrete entities with a common end result of disability: posttraumatic arthritis, a common form of secondary osteoarthritis that results from a prior insult to the joint; avascular necrosis, a disease of impaired osseous blood flow, leading to cellular death and subsequent osseous collapse; septic arthritis, an infectious process leading to destructive changes within the joint; complex regional pain syndrome, a chronic limb-confined painful condition arising after injury; and cases of cancer mimicking arthritis, in which the initial findings seem to represent arthritis, despite a more insidious cause. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psoriatic arthritis: an update.

Science.gov (United States)

López-Ferrer, A; Laiz-Alonso, A

2014-12-01

Advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis and clinical aspects of the disease justify the present review. Studies have identified common inflammatory pathways related to the innate immune response, such as the IL-12/IL-23 axis, along with numerous genes that affect susceptibility to both diseases and influence phenotypic development. Interest has grown in biomarkers that can be used for early diagnosis or prognosis or to predict joint destruction and the response to treatment. Recent reports describe important differences between the effects of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and biologics on the process of new bone formation. Other issues that have been discussed include the need for reliable screening methods, particularly for early detection of oligoarticular arthritis, and for protocols to guide referral to specialists, especially in newly created multidisciplinary practices. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y AEDV. All rights reserved.

Correlation of Periodontal Disease With Inflammatory Arthritis in the Time Before Modern Medical Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothschild, Bruce

2017-03-01

Controversy exists regarding possible correlation of periodontal disease with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Confounding factors may relate to stringency of inflammatory disease diagnosis and the effect of therapeutic intervention for RA on periodontal disease. These factors are investigated in this study. Forty-five individuals with documented RA (n = 15), spondyloarthropathy (n = 15), and calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD) (n = 15), from the Hamann-Todd collection of human skeletons compiled from 1912 to 1938, and 15 individuals contemporarily incorporated in the collection were examined for tooth loss, cavity occurrence, average and maximum lingual and buccal depth of space between tooth and bone, periosteal reaction, serpentine bone resorption, abscess formation, and root penetration of the bone surface and analyzed by analysis of variance. Tooth loss was common, but actual number of teeth lost, cavity occurrence, average and maximum lingual and buccal depth of space between tooth and bone, periosteal reaction, serpentine grooving surrounding teeth (considered a sign of inflammation), abscess formation, and root exposure (penetration of bone surface) were indistinguishable among controls and individuals with RA, spondyloarthropathy, and CPPD. Although many factors can affect periodontal disease, presence of inflammatory arthritis does not appear to be one of them. The implication is that dental disease was common in the general population and not necessarily associated with arthritis, at least before the advent of modern rheumatologic medications. As specific diagnosis did not affect prevalence, perhaps current prevalence controversy may relate to current intervention, a subject for further study.

Therapy of rheumatoid arthritis by radiosynovectomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mruck, S.; Feistel, H.; Kat, S.; Kuwert, T.

2001-01-01

Radiosynovectomy is a therapeutic modality for local treatment of inflammatory point diseases. It is performed by intraarticular instillation of beta-emitting radionuclides. Its effectiveness is based upon the anti-inflammatory action of beta-radiation. Accordingly, the indication of radiosynovectomy is based upon the evidence of the inflammatory etiology of disease. The principle of its therapeutic action makes radiosynovectomy a valuable device for successful treatment of florid rheumatoid arthritis. It can be performed as an alternative to surgical synovectomy or in combination with it. The following article describes the therapeutic management of rheumatoid arthritis by radiosynovectomy including patient preparation, performance, and follow-up. (orig.) [de

Case report physiotherapy care of a patient diagnosed with polyarthritis with early rheumatoid arthritis

OpenAIRE

Michálková, Kateřina

2013-01-01

Title of bachelor's thesis: Case report physiotherapy care of a patient diagnosed with polyarthritis with early rheumatoid arthritis. Summary: The bachelor thesis deals with polyarthritis disease with early rheumatoid arthritis and its physiotherapy care. It consists of two parts. The general part contains a general joint anatomy, deals with the major problems of disease and polyarthritis rheumatoid arthritis, its diagnosis, treatment and physiotherapy care. Special part includes a case repor...

[Proteus mirabilis septic arthritis].

Science.gov (United States)

Sbiti, Mohammed; Bouhamidi, Bahia; Louzi, Lhoussaine

2017-01-01

Acute septic arthritis is rare. It is associated with poor prognosis in terms of mortality and morbidity. We report the case of a 61-year old patient with spontaneous Proteus mirabilis septic arthritis. He suffered from complicated diabetes associated with positive blood cultures and synovial fluid cultures. Patient's evolution was favorable thanks to early diagnosis and initiation of adequate antibiotic therapy. Proteus mirabilis septic arthritis is rare. On that basis we conducted a literature review of cases of Proteus mirabilis pyogenic arthritis to highlight the risk factors, pathogenesis, treatment and evolution of these diseases. Diagnosis is commonly based on microbiological analysis, early articular puncture biopsy is performed before the initiation of antibiotic treatment, direct examination, culture and antibiogram which are useful as guidance for antibiotic therapy. Septic arthritis is a diagnostic and therapeutic emergency; early management of this disease allows total healing without after-effects.

Advances in the treatment of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Kate; Wedderburn, Lucy R.

2015-01-01

Purpose of review To review recent advances in the management strategies of polyarticular course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and identify unanswered questions and avenues for further research. Recent findings There is evidence for an early, aggressive, treat-to-target approach for polyarticular JIA. Clinical disease activity criteria have been recently defined and validated, including criteria for inactive disease and the juvenile arthritis disease activity score (JADAS). There is a need for evidence-based, defined disease targets and biomarkers for prediction of response, including targets for remission induction, and guidelines on drug withdrawal. Recent treatment consensus plans and guidelines are discussed and compared, including the 2015 NHS England clinical policy statement, the 2014 Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) treatment plans and the 2011 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guidelines. Evidence for new agents such as tocilizumab, rituximab, golimumab, ustekinumab, certolizumab and tofacitinib is promising: the recent clinical trials are summarized here. Stratification of individual patient treatment remains a goal, and predictive biomarkers have been shown to predict success in the withdrawal of methotrexate therapy. Summary There are promising advances in the treatment approaches, disease activity criteria, clinical guidelines, pharmaceutical choices and individually stratified therapy choices for polyarticular JIA. PMID:26147756

STRESS AS PREDISPOSING FACTOR OF SOME CHRONIC DISEASES INCLUDING PERIODONTAL DISEASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dewi-Nurul M Dewi-Nurul

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Stress is hypothesized as a common pathway for several related chronic diseases of man. Psychosocial stress as modified by perceptions and coping by patients can lead to physical processes. Psychoneuroimmunologic (PNI studies have suggested that psychosocial stress can alter immune function and increase vulnerability to illnesses. The patients also have high sensitivity to periodontal disease (PD. This article describes the association of stress as a physiological response to diseases such as PD, rheumatoid arthritis (RA, and inflammatory bowel disease. The psychosocial stress can lead to physiological processes through 1 the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis leading to glucocortico-steroid secretion; 2 the autonomic nervous system, resulting in the release of catecholamine; or 3 the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, resulting in the release of sex hormones. These processes may affect chronic diseases. It can be concluded that psychosocial stress in periodontal disease patients must be considered and social support must be provided in order to achieve an optimum periodontal therapy result.

Case report patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis

OpenAIRE

Váňová, Tereza

2012-01-01

Title of bachelors thesis: Case report patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis Summary: The work is focused on diseases rheumatoid arthritis and its physiotherapy care. It consists of two parts. Part of the general anatomy of the joint contains a general, deals with the disease rheumatoid arthritis, its diagnosis, treatment and comprehensive rehabilitation treatment. Part has its own special case report physiotherapy sessions on this topic. Key words: rheumatoid arthritis, comprehensive ...

Clinical value of MRI on wrists with arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Qiang; Ma Daqing; He Wen; Le Erhu; Ma Xinfa; Wang Jun; Zuo Zhaoyong

2006-01-01

Objective: To study the appearances of various kinds of arthritis on MRI, and to assess and evaluate the role of MRI on diagnosing various kinds of arthritis. Methods: One hundred and fifty-one patients with medical history of wrist pain entered the study. T 1 -weighted spin echo, STIR (short time inversion recovery) of both wrists, gadolinium contrast material-enhanced sequences of dominant wrists were examined in the coronal planes. MRl, plain wrist radiographs, clinical data including swollen joint and patient global assessment (AIMS), and laboratory, examinations including ESR, RF, APF, and AKA were obtained at the same time. Functional disability was assessed using the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Score (HAQ). According to 1987 American Rheumatism Association (ARA) revised criteria, in 151 patients, 80 patients were diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis, 29 patients as undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy, 20 patients as seronegative spondyloarthropathy, and 22 as other kinds of connective tissue diseases. Results: All 80 patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis had bilateral pannus. Among 29 patients diagnosed with undifferentiated spondyloanthropathy, 3 cases had bilateral pannus, 24 had lateral pannus. Among 20 patients diagnosed with seronegative spondyloanthropathy, 4 cases had bilateral pannus, 15 had lateral pannus. Among 22 patients diagnosed with other kinds of connective tissue disease, 21 had lateral pannus. Bilateral pannus on bilateral wrists occured in 87 patients. There were not significant difference in the unilateral pannus among patients with various arthritis (χ 2 =6.157; P>0.05). But there were significant difference in the bilateral pannus among patients with various arthritis (χ 2 =126.882, P 2 =94.192, P 2 =70.354, P 2 =96.174, P<0.001). Conclusion: MRI can show the pathologic changes of wrists with various kinds of arthritis. MRI plays an important role in the differential diagnosis of various kinds of arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis: from pathogenesis to therapy.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Fitzgerald, Oliver

2012-02-01

Psoriatic arthritis is a multigenic autoimmune disease that involves synovial tissue, entheseal sites and skin, and that may result in significant joint damage. Although there are no diagnostic tests for psoriatic arthritis, research has identified consistent features that help to distinguish the condition from other common rheumatic diseases. Comparison of HLA-B and HLA-C regions in psoriatic arthritis with those in psoriasis without joint involvement demonstrates significant differences, such that psoriatic arthritis cannot be viewed simply as a subset of genetically homogeneous psoriasis. T-cell receptor phenotypic studies have failed to identify antigen-driven clones, and an alternative hypothesis for CD8 stimulation involving innate immune signals is proposed. Finally, imaging studies have highlighted entheseal involvement in psoriatic arthritis, and it is possible that entheseal-derived antigens may trigger an immune response that is critically involved in disease pathogenesis.

Arthritis in the buff

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothschild, B.; Williams, E.M.; Poteat, G.B.; Woods, R.

1987-01-01

Understanding the significance of radiologic perturbations in articular diseases is facilitated by correlation with its representation in intact macerated skeletons (from the collections of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History). Classic skeletal involvement is illustrated grossly and radiographically for the following conditions: rheumatoid arthritis calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, reactive (Reiter syndrome, psoriatic arthritis) diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, and infectious arthritis. Distribution and lesion character is reviewed. Visualization of the gross bone lesion ''in the buff'' provides clear explanation of its radiologic appearance and facilitates the transition from x-ray image to the pathophysiology proposed in the interpretation

Prevalence of chronic diseases at the onset of inflammatory arthritis: a population-based study.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ursum, J.; Korevaar, J.C.; Twisk, J.W.R.; Peters, M.J.L.; Schellevis, F.G.; Nurmohamed, M.T.; Nielen, M.M.J.

2013-01-01

Objective. Little is known about the presence of chronic morbidity in inflammatory arthritis (IA) patients at disease onset. Previous studies have been mainly performed in established IA patients or they focus on isolated co-morbid diseases. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of chronic

Role of genetics in infection-associated arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Benham, Helen; Robinson, Philip C; Baillet, Athan C; Rehaume, Linda M; Thomas, Ranjeny

2015-04-01

Genetic discoveries in arthritis and their associated biological pathways spanning the innate and adaptive immune system demonstrate the strong association between susceptibility to arthritis and control of exogenous organisms. The canonical theory of the aetiology of immune-mediated arthritis and other immune-mediated diseases is that the introduction of exogenous antigenic stimuli to a genetically susceptible host sets up the environment for an abnormal immune response manifesting as disease. A disruption in host-microbe homeostasis driven by disease-associated genetic variants could ultimately provide the source of exogenous antigen triggering disease development. We discuss genetic variants impacting the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system and their relationship to microbial control and arthritic disease. We go on to consider the evidence for a relationship between HLA-B27, infection and arthritis, and then emerging evidence for an interaction between microbiota and rheumatoid arthritis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Atherosclerosis in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

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Ewa Jednacz

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arteries. Clinical consequences of the atherosclerotic process occur in the adult population, however atherosclerotic process begins in childhood. The classic risk factors for atherosclerosis include obesity, dyslipidaemia, age, gender or family history. In recent years, attention has been drawn to the similarity between atherosclerotic inflammatory processes and inflammatory changes in the course of systemic connective tissue disease, in particular systemic lupus etythematosus (SLE or rheumatoid arthritis (RA. There is also observed the similarity of the pathogenetic background of development of atherosclerosis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA. Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are observed in the course of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Also homocysteine concentrations, which may play a significant role in the development of atherosclerotic lesions, are observed higher in patients with JIA. Some studies revealed higher carotid intima-media thickness (IMT index values in children with JIA. In view of the fact that atherosclerotic process begins as early as in childhood, the introduction of appropriate preventive measures in children is a matter of utmost importance.

Identification of laboratory markers of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis abstract objective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naqi, N.; Ahmed, T.A.; Malik, J.M.

2012-01-01

To identify the laboratory markers of disease activity, by finding relationship of biochemical markers with clinical disease activity measurement in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Study Design: Cross sectional analytical study. Place and duration of study: Department of Immunology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi from January 2009 to January 2010 in collaboration with Fauji Foundation Hospital and Military Hospital Rawalpindi. Patients and Methods: One hundred patients diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as per American college of Rheumatology (ACR) revised criteria 1987 and fulfilling the study's inclusion criteria were studied. These patients were assessed clinically according to Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) and divided into three groups which were mild, moderate and severe based on disease activity. These three groups were then assessed for disease activity by Rheumatoid factor (RA factor), Anti Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide antibodies (anti CCP antibodies), Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and C- Reactive Proteins (CRP). The association of these laboratory markers with three groups of disease activity was analyzed to detect most sensitive disease activity markers for RA. Results: All the assessed laboratory markers that are RA factor, anti CCP antibodies, ESR and CRP are directly related with RA disease activity and any of them can be used to assess disease activity in RA. However a combination of the tests, analyzed in this study markers maybe used for better prediction of disease activity Conclusion: The identification of the laboratory markers of disease activity may help physician to diagnose aggressive disease early and evaluate prognosis in RA patients. (author)

Link between rheumatoid arthritis and chronic periodontitis

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Tomasz Kaczyński

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Chronic periodontitis is an infectious disease associated with the progressive destruction of periodontal tissues. In recent years, more and more data indicate an existing relationship between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The link between both diseases has been confirmed in multiple studies. Despite the fact that this association might be based on shared environmental and genetic risk factors, a possible causal relation was advocated by experimental, epidemiological and interventional studies, with the leading role of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Individuals with chronic periodontitis are at an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, as well as rheumatoid arthritis patients are at an increased risk of chronic periodontitis and more severe forms of periodontitis. Furthermore, there is a correlation between the activity in both diseases – patients with more severe periodontitis suffer from more active rheumatoid arthritis. Intervention attempts were also performed, which demonstrated that eliminating periodontal infection and inflammation can affect the severity of rheumatoid arthritis. In this paper, we review the current knowledge about the link between both diseases, focusing on its clinical implications. Will periodontal treatment become a part of standard therapy for rheumatoid arthritis?

Self-management strategies in overweight and obese Canadians with arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernatsky, S; Rusu, C; O'Donnell, S; Mackay, C; Hawker, G; Canizares, M; Badley, E

2012-02-01

To estimate the prevalence of overweight and obese Canadians with arthritis and to describe their use of arthritis self-management strategies, as well as explore the factors associated with not engaging in any self-management strategies. Respondents to the 2009 Survey on Living with Chronic Diseases in Canada, a nationally representative sample of 4,565 Canadians age ≥20 years reporting health professional-diagnosed arthritis (including more than 100 rheumatic diseases and conditions), were asked about the impact of their arthritis and how it was managed. Among the overweight (body mass index [BMI] 25-29.9 kg/m(2)) and obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m(2)) individuals with arthritis (n = 2,869), the use of arthritis self-management strategies (i.e., exercise, weight control/loss, classes, and community-based programs) were analyzed. Log binomial regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with engaging in none versus any (≥1) of the 4 strategies. More than one-quarter (27.4%) of Canadians with arthritis were obese and an additional 39.9% were overweight. The overweight and obese individuals with arthritis were mostly female (59.5%), age ≥45 years (89.7%), and reported postsecondary education (69.0%). While most reported engagement in at least 1 self-management strategy (84.9%), less than half (45.6%) engaged in both weight control/loss and exercise. Factors independently associated with not engaging in any self-management strategies included lower education, not taking medications for arthritis, and no clinical recommendations from a health professional. Fewer than half of the overweight and obese Canadians with arthritis engaged in both weight control/loss and exercise. The provision of targeted clinical recommendations (particularly low in individuals that did not engage in any self-management strategies) may help to facilitate participation. Copyright © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Arthritis and Veterans

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2015-11-09

One in three veterans has arthritis. This podcast provides information on how veterans can improve their quality of life with physical activity and other arthritis management strategies.  Created: 11/9/2015 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 11/9/2015.

Anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols in arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliviero, Francesca; Scanu, Anna; Zamudio-Cuevas, Yessica; Punzi, Leonardo; Spinella, Paolo

2018-03-01

Polyphenols have been extensively investigated with regard to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulant properties in many inflammatory chronic conditions. The aim of this review is to summarise how these compounds can modulate the inflammatory pathways which characterise the most prevalent arthropathies including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and crystal-induced arthritis. Among polyphenols, epigallocatechin gallate, carnosol, hydroxytyrosol, curcumin, resveratrol, kaempferol and genistein have been the most widely investigated in arthritis. The most important results of the studies outlined in this article show how polyphenolic compounds are able to inhibit the expression and the release of a number of pro-inflammatory mediators and proteolytic enzymes, the activity of different transcriptional factors and the production of reactive oxygen species in vitro. Studies on animal models of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and gout show interesting results in terms of reduced tissue damage, restored cartilage homeostasis, and decreased levels of uric acid, respectively. Despite the multiple protective effects of polyphenols, there are no dietary recommendations for patients affected by rheumatic diseases. Future studies, including intervention trials, should be conducted to determine the relevance of polyphenols consumption or supplementation in arthritis. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Periodontal and hematological characteristics associated with aggressive periodontitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Anne Havemose; Westergaard, Jytte; Stoltze, Kaj

2006-01-01

Periodontitis shares several clinical and pathogenic characteristics with chronic arthritis, and there is some degree of coexistence. The aims of this study were to elucidate whether patients with localized aggressive periodontitis (LAgP), generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP), juvenile...... idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) share periodontal and hematological characteristics distinguishing them from individuals free of diseases....

Recurrent new-onset uveitis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis during anti-TNFα treatment

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C. Leonetti

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Inflammation involving the uveal tract of the eye, termed uveitis, is frequently associated with various rheumatic disease, including seronegative spondylarthropathies, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and Behçet’s disease. Scleritis and keratitis may be associated with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic vasculitides such as Wegener’s granulomatosis. Immune-mediated uveitis can have a chronic relapsing course and produce numerous possible complications, many of which can result in permanent vision loss. Treatment typically includes topical or systemic corticosteroids with cycloplegic-mydriatic drugs and/or noncorticosteroid immunosuppressants, but often there is an insufficient clinical effectiveness. Anti-TNFα therapy is promising in the treatment of sight threatening uveitis, particularly in patients with Behçet’s disease. However, there have been also reports of new-onset uveitis during treatment of joint disease with TNFα inhibitors. We describe a case of new-onset uveitis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis during therapy with etanercept at first and infliximab at last. Although we cannot exclude uveitis as linked to rheumatoid arthritis, it is unlike that the uveitis arises when the joint disease is well controlled. The hypothetical paradoxical effect of anti-TNF is here discussed.

The Danish nationwide clinical register for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: DANBIO

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Ibfelt EH

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Else Helene Ibfelt,1 Dorte Vendelbo Jensen,2,3 Merete Lund Hetland2,4 1Registry Support Centre (East, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup University Hospital, 2DANBIO Registry and Copenhagen Center for Arthritis Research, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Centre of Head and Orthopedics, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, 3Department of Rheumatology, Herlev and Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, 4Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Introduction: DANBIO is a research register and a data source for rheumatologic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis [RA], axial spondyloarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis for monitoring clinical quality at the national, regional, and hospital levels. Study population: The register includes patients with rheumatologic diseases who are treated at a hospital or a private rheumatologic clinic. Registration is mandatory for all patients with RA regardless of treatment and also for patients with other diagnoses if treated with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Since 2006, the registration has been done electronically, including patient-reported outcome measures registered electronically by the patients with the use of touch screens. Main variables: Core variables such as diagnosis, year of diagnosis, age, and sex are registered at the beginning. Data entered at later visits included the following: patient-reported outcomes for disease activity, pain, fatigue, functional status, and physician-reported objective measures of disease activity, treatment, C-reactive protein, and, when indicated, imaging. For subgroups of patients, the variables such as quality of life, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and comorbidity are also registered. Descriptive data: The DANBIO cohort comprised ~26,000 patients with RA, 3,200 patients with axial spondyloarthritis, and 6

Arthritis symptoms, the work environment, and the future: measuring perceived job strain among employed persons with arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gignac, Monique A M; Sutton, Deborah; Badley, Elizabeth M

2007-06-15

To develop a measure of job strain related to differing aspects of working with arthritis and to examine the demographic, illness, work context, and psychosocial variables associated with it. Study participants were 292 employed individuals with osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis. Participants were from wave 3 of a 4-wave longitudinal study examining coping and adaptation efforts used to remain employed. Participants completed an interview-administered structured questionnaire, including a Chronic Illness Job Strain Scale (CIJSS) and questions on demographic (e.g., age, sex), illness and disability (e.g., disease type, pain, activity limitations), work context (e.g., job type, job control), and psychosocial variables (e.g., arthritis-work spillover, coworker/managerial support, job perceptions). Principal component analysis and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. A single factor solution emerged for the CIJSS. The scale had an internal reliability of 0.95. Greater job strain was reported for future uncertainty, balancing multiple roles, and difficulties accepting the disease than for current workplace conditions. Participants with inflammatory arthritis, more frequent severe pain, greater workplace activity limitations, fewer hours of work, less coworker support, and greater arthritis-work spillover reported greater job strain. The findings underscore the diverse areas that contribute to perceptions of job strain and suggest that existing models of job strain do not adequately capture the stress experienced by individuals working with chronic illnesses or the factors associated with job strain. Measures similar to the CIJSS can enhance the tools researchers and clinicians have available to examine the impact of arthritis in individuals' lives.

9 CFR 311.7 - Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Arthritis. 311.7 Section 311.7 Animals... CERTIFICATION DISPOSAL OF DISEASED OR OTHERWISE ADULTERATED CARCASSES AND PARTS § 311.7 Arthritis. (a) Carcasses affected with arthritis which is localized and not associated with systemic change may be passed for human...

Aggressive Periodontitis and Chronic Arthritis: Blood Mononuclear Cell Gene Expression and Plasma Protein Levels of Cytokines and Cytokine Inhibitors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Lars Korsbæk Connor; Poulsen, Anne Havemose; Bendtzen, Klaus

2009-01-01

-inflammatory cytokines and cytokine receptors in patients with periodontitis and patients with arthritis representing two examples of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as periodontitis and arthritis. To identify possible disease-specific characteristics of subjects with periodontitis relative to subjects with chronic......TNF-RI plasma levels in patients with LAgP and RA. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated only a few changes in the PBMC expression of various cytokine and cytokine inhibitor genes in aggressive periodontitis and chronic arthritis compared to controls. There were a few similarities among disease groups...... inflammation in general, patients with arthritis (juvenile idiopathic arthritis [JIA] and rheumatoid arthritis [RA]) were included. METHODS: The study population consisted of white adults periodontitis (LAgP; n = 18), generalized aggressive periodontitis...

A review of clinical and radiological aspects of rheumatoid arthritis of head joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schilling, F.

1987-01-01

The most important inflammations--rheumatic joint diseases of the vertebral column--are chronic polyarthritis (rheumatoid arthritis) with involvement of cervical vertebral and atlanto-axial dislocation and ankylosing spondylitis (Bechterew's disease) resp. the seronegative spondylarthritis. A decisive and important difference between both forms of disease is found in the region of the cervical part of the vertebral column. In case of a spondylarthritis (ASp.) the ankylopoietica type includes the cervical vertebrae but the chronic polyarthritis (RA) is usually limited to the cervical vertebral spine. The incidence in both types (RA) is usually limited to the cervical vertebral spine. The incidence in both types (RA and ASp.) of cervical involvement is about 30%. The authors present an account of the underlying disease process. A description of rheumatoid cervical arthritis is given. The destructive and dislocating arthritis of the cranio-cervical function (arthritis of the head and neck joints) is described

MRI features of Lyme arthritis of the hips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amini, Behrang; Geller, Matthew D.; Mathew, Manesh; Gerard, Perry

2007-01-01

Diagnosing Lyme arthritis without a history of travel to endemic regions or erythema migrans can be a challenge. Radiographic and ultrasonographic findings are nonspecific for the diagnosis of Lyme arthritis. We present the MRI features of Lyme disease of the hip in a 4-year-old boy who presented with hip pain and was found to have Lyme disease by Western blot. Our findings include bilateral hip effusions and synovial enhancement, normal bone marrow signal intensity without enhancement, minimal adjacent muscular and soft-tissue edema, and bilateral inguinal lymph nodes measuring up to 1 cm. (orig.)

MRI features of Lyme arthritis of the hips

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amini, Behrang [Maimonides Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Brooklyn, NY (United States); Geller, Matthew D. [New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY (United States); Mathew, Manesh; Gerard, Perry [Maimonides Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Brooklyn, NY (United States)

2007-11-15

Diagnosing Lyme arthritis without a history of travel to endemic regions or erythema migrans can be a challenge. Radiographic and ultrasonographic findings are nonspecific for the diagnosis of Lyme arthritis. We present the MRI features of Lyme disease of the hip in a 4-year-old boy who presented with hip pain and was found to have Lyme disease by Western blot. Our findings include bilateral hip effusions and synovial enhancement, normal bone marrow signal intensity without enhancement, minimal adjacent muscular and soft-tissue edema, and bilateral inguinal lymph nodes measuring up to 1 cm. (orig.)

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Can It Affect the Eyes?

Science.gov (United States)

Rheumatoid arthritis: Can it affect the eyes? Can rheumatoid arthritis affect the eyes? Answers from April Chang-Miller, M.D. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects the ...

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Immunosenescence and the Hallmarks of Aging

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chalan, Paulina; van den Berg, Anke; Kroesen, Bart-Jan; Brouwer, Liesbeth; Boots, Annemieke

2015-01-01

Age is the most important risk factor for the development of infectious diseases, cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The very act of living causes damage to cells. A network of molecular, cellular and physiological maintenance and repair systems creates a

Incident Heart Failure in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khalid, Usman; Egeberg, Alexander; Ahlehoff, Ole

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with a wide range of comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, but its association with heart failure (HF) is not fully clear. We investigated the risk of incident HF in a nationwide cohort of patients with RA...

Rheumatoid arthritis as psychic problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiří Kaas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the issue of psychic problems of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory motor system disease with comprehensive impact on the patient's life. The disease is often considered an exclusively physical disease. But such approach is insufficient because the disease is accompanied by motor limitations of different intensities, by pain and by fatigue that cause considerable exhaustion to the patient. The patients often must give up their hobbies and in some cases even their jobs. In most serious cases, even common daily activities including self–servicing actions become an obstacle to the patient. It is therefore logical that the psyche of a patient with such disease is considerably strained. One of the partial goals of the study consisted in mapping the subjectively perceived quality of life of rheumatoid arthritis patients in facet 8, "negative feelings", and in ascertaining whether there is statistically significant relation to facets 1, "pain and discomfort", and 2, "energy and fatigue". Another goal consisted in comparing the subjectively perceived quality of life between men and women with rheumatoid arthritis, as well as between population of rheumatoid arthritis patients and control healthy population. The study was implemented within the research project of the Grant Agency of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice number 120/2012/S, „Reflection of quality of life in nursing", under use of two standardized questionnaires, WHOQOL–100 and HAQ. This article presents exclusively the data acquired based on the WHOQOL–100 questionnaire. The research set consisted of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis from all over the Czech Republic. The size of the set was determined by a statistician at 200 individuals suffering from the disease, in a ratio of 150 women and 50 men. The selection set was derived from the basic set of rheumatoid arthritis patients and

Rheumatoid arthritis as psychic problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiří Kaas

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the issue of psychic problems of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory motor system disease with comprehensive impact on the patient's life. The disease is often considered an exclusively physical disease. But such approach is insufficient because the disease is accompanied by motor limitations of different intensities, by pain and by fatigue that cause considerable exhaustion to the patient. The patients often must give up their hobbies and in some cases even their jobs. In most serious cases, even common daily activities including self-servicing actions become an obstacle to the patient. It is therefore logical that the psyche of a patient with such disease is considerably strained. One of the partial goals of the study consisted in mapping the subjectively perceived quality of life of rheumatoid arthritis patients in facet 8, "negative feelings", and in ascertaining whether there is statistically significant relation to facets 1, "pain and discomfort", and 2, "energy and fatigue". Another goal consisted in comparing the subjectively perceived quality of life between men and women with rheumatoid arthritis, as well as between population of rheumatoid arthritis patients and control healthy population. The study was implemented within the research project of the Grant Agency of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice number 120/2012/S, "Reflection of quality of life in nursing", under use of two standardized questionnaires, WHOQOL-100 and HAQ. This article presents exclusively the data acquired based on the WHOQOL-100 questionnaire. The research set consisted of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis from all over the Czech Republic. The size of the set was determined by a statistician at 200 individuals suffering from the disease, in a ratio of 150 women and 50 men. The selection set was derived from the basic set of rheumatoid arthritis patients and can

The Role of Posttranslational Protein Modifications in Rheumatological Diseases: Focus on Rheumatoid Arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Mastrangelo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The definition of posttranslational modification (PTM encompasses a wide group of chemical reactions that allow modification and modulation of protein functions. The regulation of PTMs is crucial for the activity and survival of the cells. Dysregulation of PTMs has been observed in several pathological conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA. RA is a systemic autoimmune disease primarily targeting the joints. The three PTMs mainly involved in this disease are glycosylation, citrullination, and carbamylation. Glycosylation is essential for antigen processing and presentation and can modulate immunoglobulin activity. Citrullination of self-antigens is strongly associated with RA, as demonstrated by the presence of antibodies directed to anti-citrullinated proteins in patients’ sera. Carbamylation and its dysregulation have been recently associated with RA. Aim of this review is to illustrate the most significant alterations of these PTMs in RA and to evaluate their possible involvement in the pathogenesis of the disease.

A Polytropic Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus Promoter Isolated from Multiple Tissues from a Sheep with Multisystemic Lentivirus-Associated Inflammatory Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian Murphy

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Caprine arthritis encephalitis virus (CAEV is a lentivirus that infects both goats and sheep and is closely related to maedi-visna virus that infects sheep; collectively, these viruses are known as small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV. Infection of goats and sheep with SRLV typically results in discrete inflammatory diseases which include arthritis, mastitis, pneumonia or encephalomyelitis. SRLV-infected animals concurrently demonstrating lentivirus-associated lesions in tissues of lung, mammary gland, joint synovium and the central nervous system are either very rare or have not been reported. Here we describe a novel CAEV promoter isolated from a sheep with multisystemic lentivirus-associated inflammatory disease including interstitial pneumonia, mastitis, polyarthritis and leukomyelitis. A single, novel SRLV promoter was cloned and sequenced from five different anatomical locations (brain stem, spinal cord, lung, mammary gland and carpal joint synovium, all of which demonstrated lesions characteristic of lentivirus associated inflammation. This SRLV promoter isolate was found to be closely related to CAEV promoters isolated from goats in northern California and other parts of the world. The promoter was denoted CAEV-ovine-MS (multisystemic disease; the stability of the transcription factor binding sites within the U3 promoter sequence are discussed.

Chinese Registry of rheumatoid arthritis (CREDIT): II. prevalence and risk factors of major comorbidities in Chinese patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Shangyi; Li, Mengtao; Fang, Yongfei; Li, Qin; Liu, Ju; Duan, Xinwang; Liu, Yi; Wu, Rui; Shi, Xiaofei; Wang, Yongfu; Jiang, Zhenyu; Wang, Yanhong; Yu, Chen; Wang, Qian; Tian, Xinping; Zhao, Yan; Zeng, Xiaofeng

2017-11-15

Rheumatoid arthritis patients are at higher risk of developing comorbidities. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of major comorbidities in Chinese rheumatoid arthritis patients. We also aimed to identify factors associated with these comorbidities. Baseline demographic, clinical characteristics and comorbidity data from RA patients enrolled in the Chinese Registry of rhEumatoiD arthrITis (CREDIT) from Nov 2016 to August 2017 were presented and compared with those from five other registries across the world. Possible factors related to three major comorbidities (cardiovascular disease, fragility fracture and malignancy) were identified using multivariate logistic regression analyses. A total of 13,210 RA patients were included (80.6% female, mean age 52.9 years and median RA duration 4.0 years). Baseline prevalence rates of major comorbidities were calculated: CVD, 2.2% (95% CI 2.0-2.5%); fragility fracture, 1.7% (95% CI 1.5-1.9%); malignancy, 0.6% (95% CI 0.5-0.7%); overall major comorbidities, 4.2% (95% CI 3.9-4.6%). Advanced age was associated with all comorbidities. Male gender and disease duration were positively related to CVD. Female sex and longer disease duration were potential risk factors for fragility fractures. Ever use of methotrexate (MTX) was negatively related to baseline comorbidities. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis in China have similar prevalence of comorbidities with other Asian countries. Advanced age and long disease duration are possible risk factors for comorbidities. On the contrary, MTX may protect RA patients from several major comorbidities, supporting its central role in the management of rheumatoid arthritis.

Analysis of the Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Immunization Schedule

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. S. Namazova-Baranova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The connection between vaccination and autoimmune diseases (and rheumatic pathology in particular is still a subject of discussions. When discussing the possibility of vaccinating rheumatic patients we should take into account the ultra high dangers that infectious diseases pose for such patients, including those that can be prevented by vaccination. We should also take into account the experience of using various vaccine types in rheumatic patients, which illustrates of their high safety profile.Objective: Our aim was to study the immunization schedule in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.Methods: The evaluation of vaccine history and other anamnestic data in juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients was based on individual medical records (individual child’s card/preventive vaccination certificate, as well as questionnaires filled by mothers.Results: It has been determined that a significant proportion of children with vaccination schedule deviations are juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients. Almost one in four children with a confirmed rheumatic diagnosis has not been immunized against the major vaccine-preventable diseases. In one non-vaccinated group, there was a case of juvenile arthritis onset after recovering from measles. A small number of patient mothers connects the manifestation of rheumatic diseases with vaccination.Conclusion: Violations of vaccination status in JIA patients require corrections according to the results of clinical studies and the recommendations of international experts.

Relationship between leptin concentrations and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Batún-Garrido, José Antonio de Jesús; Salas-Magaña, Marisol; Juárez-Rojop, Isela Esther; Hernández-Núñez, Eúfrates; Olán, Francisco

2018-05-11

Multiple studies have found a direct relationship between leptin concentrations and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis. We studied 77 patients with the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis; the leptin determination was through an enzyme immunoassay. Disease activity was assessed by the DAS-28 CRP. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine the association between significant variables and leptin concentrations. 40.3% of the patients were in remission, 41.6% were mildly active, 11.7% were moderately active and 6.5% were severely active. The results show an independent association between higher concentrations of leptin and disease activity (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.4-3.2; p .03), the number of swollen joints (OR 4.6; 95% CI 1.7-8.3; p .000), the number of painful joints (OR 3.4; 95% CI 1.6-4.6; p .000), and the presence of metabolic syndrome (OR 1.3; 95% IC 1.2-1,9; p .045). The data suggest that serum leptin is elevated in patients with active RA. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

A short history of anti-rheumatic therapy - VI. Rheumatoid arthritis drugs

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G. Pasero

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis traditionally includes symptomatic drugs, showing a prompt action on pain and infl ammation, but without any infl uence on disease progression, and other drugs that could modify the disease course and occasionally induce clinical remission (DMARDs or disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. This review describes the historical steps that led to the use of the main DMARDs in rheumatoid arthritis, such as gold salts, sulphasalazine, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, D-penicillamine, and other immunoactive drugs, including methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclosporin and lefl unomide. The historical evolution of use of these drugs is then discussed, including the strategy of progressive (“therapeutic pyramid” or of more aggressive treatment, through the simultaneous use of two or more DMARDs (“combination therapy”.

Bayesian comparative effectiveness study of four consensus treatment plans for initial management of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: FiRst-Line Options for Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis Treatment (FROST).

Science.gov (United States)

Nigrovic, Peter A; Beukelman, Timothy; Tomlinson, George; Feldman, Brian M; Schanberg, Laura E; Kimura, Yukiko

2018-03-01

Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a rare febrile arthritis of childhood characterized by a potentially severe course, including prolonged glucocorticoid exposure, growth failure, destructive arthritis, and life-threatening macrophage activation syndrome. Early cytokine-blocking biologic therapy may improve long-term outcomes, although some systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients respond well to non-biologic treatment, leaving optimal management undefined. Consequently, treatment of new-onset systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis by expert clinicians varies widely. To describe a pragmatic, observational comparative effectiveness study that takes advantage of diversity in the management of a rare disease: FiRst-Line Options for Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis Treatment (FROST), comparing non-biologic and biologic consensus treatment plans for new-onset systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis within the 60-center Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry (CARRA). FiRst-Line Options for Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis Treatment (FROST) is a multicenter, prospective, non-randomized study that compares four Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) consensus treatment plans for new-onset systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: (1) glucocorticoids alone, (2) methotrexate, (3) interleukin-1 blockade, and (4) interleukin-6 blockade. Patients consenting to participation in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry are started on one of four Consensus Treatment Plans at the discretion of the treating physician. The outcome of primary interest is clinically inactive disease off glucocorticoids at 9 months, comparing non-biologic (Consensus Treatment Plans 1 + 2) versus biologic (Consensus Treatment Plans 3 + 4) strategies. Bayesian analytic methods will be employed to evaluate response rates, using propensity scoring to balance treatment groups for potential

Characteristic features of tacrolimus-induced lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

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Sasaki, Takanori; Nakamura, Wataru; Inokuma, Shigeko; Matsubara, Erika

2016-02-01

This paper aims to study the background and clinical characteristics of tacrolimus (TAC)-induced lung disease. A case of a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient who developed TAC-induced interstitial lung disease (TAC-ILD) is reported. The Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) website was searched for cases of TAC-ILD and its prevalence among all cases of TAC-related adverse events. As for cases of TAC-ILD, its underlying disease, preexisting lung diseases, and fatal outcome were also searched. Literature review of TAC-ILD cases was added. A 65-year-old female RA patient with preexisting bronchiectasis developed near-fatal TAC-ILD. Amelioration of RA, ground-glass opacities in the upper, anterior, and central lung fields, and decrease in peripheral blood lymphocyte count were the major findings in this patient. A search of the PMDA website revealed the following: the prevalence of TAC-ILD was 3 % of all cases of TAC-related adverse events, 56 out of 85 RA cases (66 %), and one out of 15 other cases had a preexisting lung disease; the prevalences of fatal outcome in RA and other cases were 24 and 38 %, respectively. A few cases in the literature had preexisting ILD and developed diffuse alveolar damage. In our case, preexisting bronchiectasis, arthritis remission, newly developed ground-glass opacities (GGOs) in the upper, anterior, and central lung fields, and decrease in peripheral blood lymphocyte count were the major findings. From the search of the PMDA website, about one fourth of the cases with TAC-related lung injury had a fatal outcome, and among RA patients, two thirds had preexisting lung diseases.

Tyrosine kinases in rheumatoid arthritis

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Kobayashi Akiko

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Rheumatoid arthritis (RA is an inflammatory, polyarticular joint disease. A number of cellular responses are involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, including activation of inflammatory cells and cytokine expression. The cellular responses involved in each of these processes depends on the specific signaling pathways that are activated; many of which include protein tyrosine kinases. These pathways include the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, Janus kinases/signal transducers and activators transcription pathway, spleen tyrosine kinase signaling, and the nuclear factor κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells pathway. Many drugs are in development to target tyrosine kinases for the treatment of RA. Based on the number of recently published studies, this manuscript reviews the role of tyrosine kinases in the pathogenesis of RA and the potential role of kinase inhibitors as new therapeutic strategies of RA.

Depression and ways of coping in SLE induced arthritis patient: a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farah, D.; Nezam, N.; Naz, H.

2012-01-01

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a systemic autoimmune disease (autoimmune connective tissue disease) that most often harms the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and nervous system. One of the outcomes of SLE is arthritis which is a group of conditions involving damage to the joints of the body. One of the most common types is rheumatoid arthritis which is an autoimmune immune disease. This SLE induced arthritis has many impacts on every aspect of life including biological, psychological, social and - financial domains. In most of the cases arthritis is associated With depression and anxiety. It is envisaged that people with arthritis suffer more from depression as compared to general population. The present study was designed to evaluate depression using lung Self Rating Scale and coping using two scales: Ways of Coping and Coping Self Efficacy in a 27 years old female participant with SLE induced Arthritis. The results of the two paradigms and detailed case history revealed that the level of depression lies in the normal range that coincides with the use of effective coping strategies. Thus the participant's positive outlook enabled to improve the quality of life. (author)

Comorbidities in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis

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Amir Haddad

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Epidemiological studies have shown that patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA are often affected by numerous comorbidities that carry significant morbidity and mortality. Reported comorbidities include diabetes mellitus, obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune eye disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, depression, and fibromyalgia. All health care providers for patients with PsA should recognize and monitor those comorbidities, as well as understand their effect on patient management to ensure an optimal clinical outcome.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series

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Full Text Available ... Spondylitis News Osteoarthritis News Gout News Osteoporosis News Lupus News Fibromyalgia News Patient Corner Arthritis Drug Information ... Connect With Us Johns Hopkins Rheumatology Arthritis Center Lupus Center Lyme Disease Clinical Research Center Myositis Center ...

Cardio-pulmonary manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease, characterized by polyarthritis and extraarticular manifestations. The cardiopulmonary manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis were studied retrospectively in a cohort of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Methods: This was a retrospective study of all ...

Asymptomatic atlantoaxial subluxation in rheumatoid arthritis.

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Mohammadali Nazarinia

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This cross-sectional study is conducted to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic cervical spine subluxation in rheumatoid arthritis patients by plain radiographs and its relation to demographic and clinical characteristics, disease activity measures and medications. 100 rheumatoid arthritis patients (18 male and 82 female were selected randomly, according to the American college of Rheumatology Criteria, who were under follow up in the rheumatology clinic. A complete history was taken, and physical examination has been done with focus on the cervical spine to determine their demographic data, disease duration, age of disease onset, drug history, swollen and tender joint counts, and ESR, Hb, CRP, RF levels. The disease activity of patients with rheumatoid arthritis was measured using the disease activity score 28. Radiographs of the cervical spine included lateral views taken in flexion, extension, neutral position of the neck and anterioposterior and odontoid projection view. Asymptomatic cervical spine subluxation was found in 17 of the 100 patients (17%. The prevalence of, anterior atlantoaxial subluxation, atlantoaxial impaction and subaxial subluxation was 10(10%, 5(5% and 6(6%, respectively. Posterior subluxation was not detected. The only characteristic that showed meaningful relationship with cervical spine subluxation was CRP (P=0.036. Our results showed that patients with RA, who have cervical spine subluxation cannot be distinguished on the basis of symptoms. Cervical spine involvement is common and may be asymptomatic, indicating routine cervical spine imaging is needed in patients with RA.

Disease activity in and quality of life of patients with psoriatic arthritis mutilans: the Nordic PAM Study.

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Lindqvist, U; Gudbjornsson, B; Iversen, L; Laasonen, L; Ejstrup, L; Ternowitz, T; Ståhle, M

2017-11-01

To describe the social status and health-related quality of life of patients with psoriatic arthritis mutilans (PAM) in the Nordic countries. Patients with at least one mutilated joint confirmed by radiology were studied. Disease activity involving joints and skin, physician-assessed disease activity, and patient's education and work status were recorded. Data from the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, Health Assessment Questionnaire and Dermatology Life Quality Index questionnaire were gathered and correlated with disease duration, pain, and general well-being (visual analogue scale). The controls were 58 Swedish patients with long-standing psoriatic arthritis sine PAM. Sixty-seven patients were included. Patients with PAM had a protracted disease history (33 ± 14 years) and disease onset at a relatively early age (30 ± 12 years). Overall inflammatory activity at inclusion was mild to moderate. The mean number of mutilated joints was 8.2 and gross deformity was found in 16% of patients. Forty per cent were treated with biological and 32% with conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. Forty-two per cent had retired early or were on sick leave. Impaired functional capacity with little or no ability to perform self-care or everyday tasks was reported by 21% of the patients. Patients between 45 and 60 years of age reported the most impaired quality of life in comparison to the control group. PAM seriously affects social functioning. Whether early recognition of PAM and new forms of therapy can improve disease outcome and quality of life remains to be studied.

The correlation of serum bilirubin levels with disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

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Peng, You-Fan; Wang, Jun-Li; Pan, Guo-Gang

2017-06-01

We investigated the relationship between serum bilirubin and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We included a total of 173 consecutive RA patients without steroid treatment and 346 healthy subjects; the disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) was used to assess disease activity in patients with RA. Serum bilirubin concentrations were significantly lower in RA patients than in controls. Serum bilirubin was found to be negatively correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (r=-0.165, P=0.030; r=-192, P=0.012) in patients with RA. There was a negative correlation between the serum bilirubin and DAS28 score (r=-0.331, Pbilirubin was independently associated with the DAS28 score (b=-0.225, P=0.001) in the multiple linear regression analysis. Serum bilirubin concentrations are lower in patients with RA compared to controls and correlate with disease activity in patients with RA. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A comparative study of renal dysfunction in patients with inflammatory arthropathies: strong association with cardiovascular diseases and not with anti-rheumatic therapies, inflammatory markers or duration of arthritis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Haroon, Muhammad

2012-02-01

AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among comparable patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and seronegative inflammatory arthritis, and to explore any predictive factors for renal impairment. METHODS: Consecutive patients with peripheral joint disease (oligo and polyarthritis) were recruited from our inflammatory arthritis clinics. We divided patients in two groups: RA group and seronegative inflammatory arthritis group. The cohort consisted of 183 patients (RA = 107, seronegative arthritis = 76 [psoriatic arthritis = 69, undifferentiated oligoarthritis = 7]). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the established Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. Demographic details, disease-specific characteristics, anti-rheumatic drugs and the presence of cardiovascular diseases were recorded. RESULTS: In total, 17.48% (n = 32) of the cohort had CKD. There was no statistically significant variation between the two groups as regards baseline demographics, disease characteristics, use of anti-rheumatic drugs and the presence of individual cardiovascular diseases. We found that eGFR and the presence of CKD were similar among these groups. Among patients with CKD, 72% had undiagnosed CKD. No association of statistical significance was noted between CKD and the use of corticosteroids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and anti-tumor necrosis factor agents. The association of cardiovascular diseases with CKD remained significant after adjusting for confounders (age, gender, duration of arthritis, high C-reactive protein, use of anti-rheumatic drugs). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with inflammatory arthritis are more prone to have CKD. This could have serious implications, as the majority of rheumatology patients use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and different immunosuppressives, such as methotrexate. No association of kidney dysfunction was noted with inflammatory disease

Paradoxical arthritis occurring during anti-TNF in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: histological and immunological features of a complex synovitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Alivernini, Stefano; Pugliese, Daniela; Tolusso, Barbara; Bui, Laura; Petricca, Luca; Guidi, Luisa; Mirone, Luisa; Rapaccini, Gian Ludovico; Federico, Francesco; Ferraccioli, Gianfranco; Armuzzi, Alessandro; Gremese, Elisa

2018-01-01

Paradoxical arthritis under tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNF-i) for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been described. This study aims to evaluate the histological features of paired synovial tissue (ST) and colonic mucosa (CM) tissue in patients with IBD developing paradoxical arthritis under TNF-i. Patients with IBD without history of coexisting joint involvement who developed arthritis under TNF-i were enrolled. Each patient underwent ST biopsy and ileocolonoscopy with CM biopsies. ST and CM paired samples were stained through immunohistochemistry (IHC) for CD68, CD21, CD20, CD3 and CD117. Clinical and immunological parameters (anticitrullinated peptides antibodies (ACPA)-immunoglobulin (Ig)M/IgA rheumatoid factor (RF)) were collected. Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ACPA/IgM-RF/IgA-RF negative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were enrolled as comparison. 10 patients with IBD (age 46.0±9.7 years, 13.2±9.9 years of disease duration, 2.5±1.6 years of TNF-i exposure, six with Crohn's disease and four with ulcerative colitis, respectively) were studied. At ST level, IHC revealed that patients with IBD with paradoxical arthritis showed more similar histological findings in terms of synovial CD68 + , CD21 + , CD20 + , CD3 + and CD117 + cells compared with PsA than ACPA/IgM-RF/IgA-RF negative RA. Analysing the CM specimens, patients with IBD showed the presence of CD68 + , CD3 + , CD117 + and CD20 + cells in 100%, 70%, 60% and 50% of cases, respectively, despite endoscopic remission. Finally, addition of conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and switch to ustekinumab were more effective than swapping into different TNF-i in patients with IBD with paradoxical arthritis. Patients with IBD may develop histologically proven synovitis during TNF-i, comparable to PsA. The inhibition of inflammatory pathways alternative to TNF (IL12/1L23) may be an effective therapeutic option for severe paradoxical articular manifestations.

Prevalence of ischemic heart disease and associated factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Southern Brazil

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Rafael Kmiliauskis Santos Gomes

Full Text Available Abstract Objective: To estimate the prevalence of ischemic heart disease and associated factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: A cross-sectional study using the American College of Rheumatology diagnostic criteria in order to select patients seen at primary or secondary health care units in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil, in 2014. The presence of ischemic heart disease was defined as an acute myocardial infarction with percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass graft surgery that has occurred after diagnosis. Fischer's exact test, Wald's linear trend test, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to test the associations. Results: Among 296 patients (83.1% female with a mean age of 56.6 years and a mean rheumatoid arthritis duration of 11.3 years, 13 reported having acute myocardial infarction requiring a percutaneous or surgical reperfusion procedure, a prevalence of 4.4% (95% CI 2.0-6.7. Diabetes Mellitus (odds ratio [OR] 4.9 [95% CI 1.6-13.8] and disease duration >10 years (OR 8.2 [95% CI 1.8-39.7] were the only factors associated with an ischemic disease that remained in the final model, after the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: The prevalence of acute myocardial infarction was similar to that observed in other studies. Among the traditional risk factors, Diabetes Mellitus, and among the factors related to rheumatoid arthritis, disease duration, were the variables associated with comorbidity.

The TT Genotype of the STAT4 rs7574865 Polymorphism Is Associated with High Disease Activity and Disability in Patients with Early Arthritis

OpenAIRE

Lamana, Amalia; Balsa, Alejandro; Rueda, Blanca; Ortiz, Ana M.; Nuño, Laura; Miranda-Carus, Maria Eugenia; Gonzalez-Escribano, Maria F.; Lopez-Nevot, Miguel A.; Pascual-Salcedo, Dora; Martin, Javier; González-Álvaro, Isidoro

2012-01-01

Background: The number of copies of the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope, and the minor alleles of the STAT4 rs7574865 and the PTPN22 rs2476601 polymorphisms have all been linked with an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of these genetic variants on disease activity and disability in patients with early arthritis. Methodology and Results: We studied 640 patients with early arthritis (76% women; median age, 52 years), recording disease-...

Magnetic resonance imaging in psoriatic arthritis: a review of the literature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McQueen, F.M.; Lassere, M.; Østergaard, Mikkel

2006-01-01

Psoriatic arthritis is a diverse condition that may be characterized by peripheral inflammatory arthritis, axial involvement, dactylitis and enthesitis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows visualization of soft tissue, articular and entheseal lesions, and provides a unique picture of the dise....../sacroiliitis and subclinical arthropathy. Comparisons have been drawn with the more extensive literature describing the MRI features of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis....... of the disease process that cannot be gained using other imaging modalities. This review focuses on the literature on MRI in psoriatic arthritis published from 1996 to July 2005. The MRI features discussed include synovitis, tendonitis, dactylitis, bone oedema, bone erosions, soft tissue oedema, spondylitis...

Collagen-Induced Arthritis: A model for Murine Autoimmune Arthritis.

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Pietrosimone, K M; Jin, M; Poston, B; Liu, P

2015-10-20

Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) is a common autoimmune animal model used to study rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The development of CIA involves infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils into the joint, as well as T and B cell responses to type II collagen. In murine CIA, genetically susceptible mice (DBA/1J) are immunized with a type II bovine collagen emulsion in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), and receive a boost of type II bovine collagen in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) 21 days after the first injection. These mice typically develop disease 26 to 35 days after the initial injection. C57BL/6J mice are resistant to arthritis induced by type II bovine collagen, but can develop arthritis when immunized with type II chicken collagen in CFA, and receive a boost of type II chicken collagen in IFA 21 days after the first injection. The concentration of heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37RA (MT) in CFA also differs for each strain. DBA/1J mice develop arthritis with 1 mg/ml MT, while C57BL/6J mice require and 3-4 mg/ml MT in order to develop arthritis. CIA develops slowly in C57BL/6J mice and cases of arthritis are mild when compared to DBA/1J mice. This protocol describes immunization of DBA/1J mice with type II bovine collagen and the immunization of C57BL/6J mice with type II chicken collagen.

Bone loss in rheumatoid arthritis. Influence of disease activity, duration of the disease, functional capacity, and corticosteroid treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, M; Florescu, A; Stoltenberg, M

1996-01-01

Axial and appendicular bone mass were studied in 95 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The aims were to quantify bone mineral density (BMD) and to evaluate the importance of disease activity, duration of disease, functional capacity, and corticosteroid treatment for bone loss in patients...... after the start of the disease. The overall functional capacity in terms of physical activity increased BMD in the axial skeleton. The local functional capacity in terms of grip strength was positively related to BMD in the appendicular skeleton. Patients with severe functional impairment had the lowest...

Arthritis dermatitis syndrome in children

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velasquez Mendez, Monica Patricia; Ramirez Gomez, Luis Alberto

2004-01-01

The pediatric rheumatology is a medical specialization with many areas under developed. The prevalence, pathophysiology and form of presentation of the pediatric rheumatic disease are different of adults. The skin compromise in many pediatric rheumatic diseases is a helping sing for diagnosis. The arthritis-dermatitis syndrome can be the first manifestation of many diseases as infections, tumors and endocrine diseases, but in pediatric age the immunologic and infections diseases are really important. Among infections diseases, virus (parvovirus, rubella, HIV) and bacteria (gonococcus, meningoccus) are the most Important. Within the group of autoimmune diseases the vasculitis such as Henoch-Schonlein purpura and Kawasaki disease are among the more prevalent autoimmune disease. This is a general review about arthritis-dermatitis syndrome in pediatric age

Application physiotherapy in rehabilitation rheumatoid arthritis

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Angela Nogas

2017-02-01

National University of Water and Environmental Engineering   Abstract Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common forms of inflammatory diseases of the joints. The disease leads to deformation, then to destruction of the diseased joint and to disability. Physiotherapy is used for the treatment and rehabilitation of rheumatoid arthritis. It is assumed that physiotherapy treatments that promote remission of the disease, improve the quality of patients’ life, create the necessary conditions for comprehensive rehabilitation programs. Objective: Systematic’s review conducting of studies that assess the effect of physiotherapy in the rehabilitation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Theoretical analysis of scientific and methodical literature, methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization. Results: To reduce inflammation in the joints is performed UV of affected joints weak or medium erythermal or middle erythermal doses used UHF therapy. UHF-therapy prescribed to the area of joint in I or II dose, duration 10 min., the course – 5-8 treatments. For patients with minimal activity is added electrophoresis NSAIDs. Electrophoresis aspirin is applied on the affected joints (every day, the course – 10-12 procedures, which favorably affect the course of rheumatoid arthritis. Conclusions: Physical therapy can reduce pain and stiffness in the joints, prevent deformity and restore function, improve independence and quality of life. State of the art is a major incentive to develop new activities in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis to improve joint functional activity and their physical health.   Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, physiotherapy, rehabilitation, hydrotherapy.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) associated interstitial lung disease (ILD).

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Dwyer, David N

2013-10-01

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is the most common Connective Tissue Disease (CTD) and represents an increasing burden on global health resources. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) has been recognised as a complication of RA but its potential for mortality and morbidity has arguably been under appreciated for decades. New studies have underscored a significant lifetime risk of ILD development in RA. Contemporary work has identified an increased risk of mortality associated with the Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP) pattern which shares similarity with the most devastating of the interstitial pulmonary diseases, namely Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). In this paper, we discuss recent studies highlighting the associated increase in mortality in RA-UIP. We explore associations between radiological and histopathological features of RA-ILD and the prognostic implications of same. We emphasise the need for translational research in this area given the growing burden of RA-ILD. We highlight the importance of the respiratory physician as a key stakeholder in the multidisciplinary management of this disorder. RA-ILD focused research offers the opportunity to identify early asymptomatic disease and define the natural history of this extra articular manifestation. This may provide a unique opportunity to define key regulatory fibrotic events driving progressive disease. We also discuss some of the more challenging and novel aspects of therapy for RA-ILD.

Duration of Psoriatic Skin Disease as Risk Factor for Subsequent Onset of Psoriatic Arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Egeberg, Alexander; Skov, Lone; Zachariae, Claus

2018-01-01

It is unclear whether psoriasis is a progressive disease that requires early aggressive intervention. This population-based study identified patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Survival analysis and Kaplan-Meier life table techniques were used. The study comprised 10,011 psoria......It is unclear whether psoriasis is a progressive disease that requires early aggressive intervention. This population-based study identified patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Survival analysis and Kaplan-Meier life table techniques were used. The study comprised 10......,011 psoriasis patients (severe n = 4,618), and 1,269 patients also had PsA. Incidence of PsA increased with duration of cutaneous symptoms (p = 0.0001). Psoriasis diagnosed before age 20 or 30 years, respectively, suggested a lower risk of PsA than psoriasis diagnosed after age 50 years, yet age at first...... cutaneous symptoms did not predict development of PsA. No clear association with disease severity was found. PsA incidence appeared stable with longer duration of psoriasis, but further data are needed to firmly establish the relationship with age of psoriasis onset....

Indirect costs of rheumatoid arthritis

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Filip Raciborski

2015-12-01

Full Text Available It is estimated that in Poland about 400,000 persons in general suffer from inflammatory joint diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA. Epidemiological surveys documenting the frequency and disturbance of musculoskeletal disorders in the Polish population are few in number. Most of the estimations are based on epidemiological data from other countries (prevalence of 0.5–1%. According to the data of the National Health Fund in Poland 135,000–157,000 persons in total are treated because of rheumatoid arthritis per year [ICD10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems: M05, M06]. In the case of this group of diseases indirect costs significantly outweigh the direct costs. Indirect costs increase together with activity level of the disease. The cost analysis of productivity loss of RA patients indicates that sickness absenteeism and informal care are the most burdensome. At the national level it amounts in total from 1.2 billion to 2.8 billion PLN per year, depending on the method of analysis. These costs could be significantly reduced through early diagnosis and introduction of effective treatment.

Coexistence of Sarcoidosis and Gouty Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Semiz, Hüseyin; Kobak, Senol

2017-08-21

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease with unknown cause characterized by non-caseating granuloma formations. It may present with bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, skin lesions, the involvement of eye and symptoms on the locomotor system. Gouty arthritis is an autoinflammatory disease characterized by hyperuricemia, recurrent arthritis attacks and the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in the joints and the surrounding tissues. We reported the coexistence of sarcoidosis and gouty arthritis in this paper. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

Endogenous IL-22 Plays a Dual Role in Arthritis: Regulation of Established Arthritis via IFN-γ Responses

Science.gov (United States)

Justa, Shivali; Zhou, Xiaoqun; Sarkar, Sujata

2014-01-01

Objective IL-22 is elevated in patients with inflammatory arthritis and correlates with disease activity. IL-22 deficient mice have reduced incidence of arthritis. Recombinant IL-22 restrains progression of arthritis via increase in IL-10 responses when administered prior to onset of arthritis. These findings imply a possible dual role of IL-22 in inflammatory arthritis depending on the phase of arthritis. Experiments outlined here were designed to elucidate the contribution of endogenous IL-22 before and after the onset of arthritis. Methods Collagen induced arthritis (CIA) was induced in DBA1 or IFN-γ deficient mice following immunization with collagen and complete Freund's adjuvant. Anti-IL-22 antibody or isotype control were administered prior to or after onset of arthritis and disease progression assessed by clinical scoring and histopathology. IL-22, IL-17 and IFN-γ responses were measured by ELISA and flowcytometry. Anti-collagen antibody responses were analyzed by ELISA. Expression of IL-22R1 in CD4+ cells was elucidated by flowcytometry and real time PCR. Results Collagen specific IL-22 responses were expanded during arthritis and IL-22 producing cells were discrete from IL-17 or IFN-γ producing cells. Neutralization of IL-22 after onset of arthritis resulted in significant increase in Th1 responses and significantly reduced severity of arthritis. CD4+ cells from arthritic mice showed increased surface expression of IL-22R1. In vitro, CD4+T cells cultured with antigen presenting cells in the presence or absence of IL-22 suppressed or induced IFN-γ, respectively. The protective effect of anti-IL-22 was reversed in IFN-γ deficient mice. Moreover, administration of anti-IL-22 prior to onset of arthritis augmented arthritis severity. Conclusion We show for the first time that IL-22 plays a dual role: protective prior to the onset of arthritis and pathogenic after onset of arthritis. The pathogenic effect of IL-22 is dependent on suppression of IFN

Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet: Can Certain Foods Reduce Symptoms?

Science.gov (United States)

... Can diet affect symptoms? Can certain diets affect rheumatoid arthritis symptoms? Answers from April Chang-Miller, M.D. ... article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/expert-answers/rheumatoid-arthritis/FAQ-20058041 . Mayo Clinic Footer Legal Conditions ...

Radiosynovectomy in the treatment of arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liepe, Knut

2005-01-01

Full text: Radiosynovectomy is a useful therapeutic option that involves radiopharmaceutical injections into joints, especially to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The indications included different kinds of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Bechterew's disease, hemophiliac arthritis, osteoarthritis, but also patients with joint prosthesis and synovial effusion. There are three commercial available radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment: yttrium-90 for the knee (185 to 250 MBq), rhenium-186 for larger joints (shoulder and hip with 111 MBq; elbow, wrist, ankle joint with can also rederbium-169 for smaller joints (acromioclavicular joint with 37 MBq, thumb base and MTP I with 30 MBq, MCP and MTP II-V with 22 MBq, PIP with 18.5 MBq, and DIP with 15 MBq, respectively). Decisive for the treatment is a positive sign for arthritis in the two-phase bone scan with 99mTc-HMDP (high uptake in the blood pool phase). Only for radiosynovecotmy in the knee an ultrasound with an evidence of effusion is sufficient. Side effects by the treatment are rare, such as temporary radiation or crystal synovitis, tissue necrosis (extra articular fraction or intra-articular), joint infection (1 of 35,000 joints) or effects due to the immobilisation (thrombosis, pulmonary embolism (immobilization of the knee), lymphoedema or loss of motion. In the treatment of the knee a prophylaxis with heparin is necessary to protect the patients for a pulmonary embolism. The clinical outcome is depending from the primary disease and the stage of arthrosis. Kresnik at al reported in 2190 treated joints an overall response rate of 73 ± 17%. A higher response rate was observed in patients with early stage of arthrosis (73 ± 12%) to patients with advance stage (52 ± 24%). The best results had patients with hemophiliac arthritis (91 ± 4%). In our hospital were treated up to 10.000 joints with a mean response rate of 70-80%. There was a higher response rate in larger joints with 81 ± 5

The joint in psoriatic arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mortezavi, Mahta; Thiele, Ralph; Ritchlin, Christopher

2015-01-01

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a chronic inflammatory joint disease associated with psoriasis, is notable for diversity in disease presentation, course and response to treatment. Equally varied are the types of musculoskeletal involvement which include peripheral and axial joint disease, dactylitis and enthesitis. In this review, we focus on the psoriatic joint and discuss pathways that underlie synovial, cartilage and bone inflammation and highlight key histopathologic features. The pivotal inflammatory mechanisms and pathobiology of PsA parallel findings in other forms of spondyloarthritis but are distinct from disease pathways described in rheumatoid synovitis and bone disease. The diagnosis of PsA from both a clinical and imaging perspective is also discussed.

Pain intensity in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis with respect to the level of their activity and disease acceptance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grażyna Cepuch

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Being diagnosed with a chronic disease, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA, may adversely affect the activity of a young person. Additionally, the pain associated with the disease may cause difficulty accepting it. The aim was to assess the intensity of pain as well as the degree of activity and acceptance of the disease in young people aged 14–18 years with JIA. Material and methods : The study group consisted of youth of both genders suffering from JIA aged 14–18 years during remission of the disease. The study included 50 people and used the following: numerical rating scale (NRS 0–10, Cantril ladder, activity scale of own authorship (grouped items of the questionnaire form subscales of: tiredness, physical activity, social and intellectual activity and Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS. Statistical analysis included the following tests: Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon’s, χ2 test, Fisher’s, and Spearman rank correlation. The statistical significance level was set as p value below 0.05. Results : The majority of the respondents observed currently do not feel pain or feel pain of low intensity. The young people are physically, psychologically and socially active. The majority of patients accept their illness. The patients who suffer from pain on the NRS scale within 4–7 points do not adapt to living with the disease as do patients without pain or experiencing pain of low intensity. There was a strong correlation between acceptance of the disease at the time of the study determined by the Cantril ladder and AIS. Conclusions : 1. The pain suffered by patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA has undoubtedly a negative impact on their activity and acceptance of the disease. 2. It seems to be crucial to recognize pain as a significant determinant of acceptance of the disease.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS, LEVEL OF SELF-ESTEEM AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS PATIENTS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

KROL, B; SANDERMAN, R; SUURMEIJER, T; DOEGLAS, D; VANRIJSWIJK, M; VANLEEUWEN, M

1994-01-01

The present study addresses the relationship between early rheumatoid arthritis and an element of personality i.e. the self-esteem, as an intervening variable on psychological well-being. From a sample of 292, more or less recently diagnosed RA-patients, the relationships between disease parameters,

Psoriatic arthritis mutilans (PAM) in the Nordic countries: demographics and disease status. The Nordic PAM study.

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Gudbjornsson, B; Ejstrup, L; Gran, J T; Iversen, L; Lindqvist, U; Paimela, L; Ternowitz, T; Ståhle, M

2013-01-01

To determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of psoriatic arthritis mutilans (PAM) in the Nordic countries. Patients with putative PAM aged ≥ 18 years were recruited. Fifty-nine patients were included after clinical examination. The prevalence of PAM in the adult Nordic population was estimated to be 3.69 per million inhabitants [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.75-4.63]. The female to male ratio was close to 1:1. The mean age of skin disease onset was 25 years and the mean age of onset of joint disease was 30 years. The onset of skin disease was 2 years earlier among female patients. At inclusion, the mean duration of arthritis was 27 ± 11 years for male patients and 33 ± 11 years for female patients. PAM was most frequently seen in the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints of the toes, followed by the IP joint of the thumb and the DIP joint of the little finger on the left hand. Female and male patients had similar numbers of painful and swollen joints. Enthesitis was found in 19 patients (32%), while 38 patients (64%) had a history of dactylitis. Twenty-three of these 38 patients (61%) had a history of dactylitis in the same finger/toe as they had PAM. At the time of inclusion, 45% of the patients were found to have clear or almost clear skin. PAM in the Nordic countries has a low prevalence, with only three to five cases per million inhabitants. The majority of the patients present with mild skin disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis: Radiological changes in the cervical spine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Boukai, Ahmad A.; Al-Arfaj, Abdurahman S.

2003-01-01

Objective was to describe the radiographic cervical spine changes in rheumatoid arthritis patients.Forty-nine patients (37 females and 12 males ) diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between June 1998 and December 2000, were studied for their radiographic cervical spine changes . Their mean age at disease onset was 41.4 + 13.4 years (range of 18-73)and mean duration of disease was 9.1+-6.28 years (range of 2-34). Their demographic data including rheumatoid factor status was obtained. Standard conventional radiographs cervical spine were obtained to study the cervical spine changes. Cervical radiographic changes were found in 34 patients (27 females and 7 males) 10 had subluxation (7 with atlanto-axial subluxation,2 with sub-axial subluxation,and one with lateral subluxation ). No vertical impaction was seen. Erosion of odontoid process was seen in one patient .All were rheumatoid seropositive Cervical spine changes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are common, in particular subluxation in the upper cervical spine. Our study showed somewhat lesser prevalence of these changes. These were clinically correlated with disease duration, female sex, and rheumatoid factor, but were not clinically significant. (author)

Occurrence of Psoriatic Arthritis during Interferon Beta 1a Treatment for Multiple Sclerosis

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Éric Toussirot

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Interferon beta (IFN-β is the first line therapy of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. IFN-β is a cytokine that can contribute to the development of systemic autoimmune disease including psoriasis. The development or the exacerbation of psoriasis during IFN-β treatment has been previously observed. We report the occurrence of arthritis and dactylitis in a multiple sclerosis patient with preexisting psoriasis diagnosed as a psoriatic arthritis. The IL-23/Th17 pathway is involved in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and it has been suggested that IFN-β therapy in patients with Th17-mediated disease may be detrimental. Together with previous similar reports, our case suggests that IFN-β should certainly be used with caution in patients with concomitant systemic autoimmune disease with IL-23/Th17 involvement.

Tofacitinib in psoriatic arthritis.

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Wang, Ting-Shun; Tsai, Tsen-Fang

2017-11-01

Psoriatic arthritis is a heterogeneous disease that has been difficult to manage until the recent advent of biologics. However, there are still unmet medical needs for newer agents. Tofacitinib is a Janus family of kinases inhibitor approved for treating rheumatoid arthritis in many countries and psoriasis in Russia. We reviewed the evidences of tofacitinib in psoriatic arthritis treatment. The efficacy and safety profiles result from Phase III clinical trials (OPAL BROADEN and OPAL BEYOND) and one open-label extension study (OPAL BALANCE). Both tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg twice a day were superior to placebo for American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement criteria response at 3 months and showed significant improvement of skin, enthesitis and dactylitis. Tofacitinib is a promising treatment option for psoriatic arthritis.

Early Subchondral Bone Loss at Arthritis Onset Predicted Late Arthritis Severity in a Rat Arthritis Model.

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Courbon, Guillaume; Cleret, Damien; Linossier, Marie-Thérèse; Vico, Laurence; Marotte, Hubert

2017-06-01

Synovitis is usually observed before loss of articular function in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In addition to the synovium and according to the "Inside-Outside" theory, bone compartment is also involved in RA pathogenesis. Then, we investigated time dependent articular bone loss and prediction of early bone loss to late arthritis severity on the rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) model. Lewis female rats were longitudinally monitored from arthritis induction (day 0), with early (day 10) and late (day 17) steps. Trabecular and cortical microarchitecture parameters of four ankle bones were assessed by microcomputed tomography. Gene expression was determined at sacrifice. Arthritis occurred at day 10 in AIA rats. At this time, bone erosions were detected on four ankle bones, with cortical porosity increase (+67%) and trabecular alterations including bone volume fraction (BV/TV: -13%), and trabecular thickness decrease. Navicular bone assessment was the most reproducible and sensitive. Furthermore, strong correlations were observed between bone alterations at day 10 and arthritis severity or bone loss at day 17, including predictability of day 10 BV/TV to day 17 articular index (R 2  = 0.76). Finally, gene expression at day 17 confirmed massive osteoclast activation and interestingly provided insights on strong activation of bone formation inhibitor markers at the joint level. In rat AIA, bone loss was already observed at synovitis onset and was predicted late arthritis severity. Our results reinforced the key role of subchondral bone in arthritis pathogenesis, in favour to the "Inside-Outside" theory. Mechanisms of bone loss in rat AIA involved resorption activation and formation inhibition changes. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 1318-1325, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Biologic and oral disease-modifying antirheumatic drug monotherapy in rheumatoid arthritis

Science.gov (United States)

Emery, Paul; Sebba, Anthony; Huizinga, Tom W J

2013-01-01

Clinical evidence demonstrates coadministration of tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) agents and methotrexate (MTX) is more efficacious than administration of TNFi agents alone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, leading to the perception that coadministration of MTX with all biologic agents or oral disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs is necessary for maximum efficacy. Real-life registry data reveal approximately one-third of patients taking biologic agents use them as monotherapy. Additionally, an analysis of healthcare claims data showed that when MTX was prescribed in conjunction with a biologic agent, as many as 58% of patients did not collect the MTX prescription. Given this discrepancy between perception and real life, we conducted a review of the peer-reviewed literature and rheumatology medical congress abstracts to determine whether data support biologic monotherapy as a treatment option for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Our analysis suggests only for tocilizumab is there evidence that the efficacy of biologic monotherapy is comparable with combination therapy with MTX. PMID:23918035

Disease flare of ankylosing spondylitis presenting as reactive arthritis with seropositivity: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manoj EM

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Concurrent rheumatoid factor seropositivity is occasionally detected in ankylosing spondylitis and often causes confusion in clinical routine. Overlap between various seronegative arthritides is a known but uncommon association. Differentiation of spondyloarthropathy from rheumatoid arthritis is important, since the natural history, complications, treatments and prognosis of the two diseases differ significantly. Case presentation Here, we report the case of a 47-year-old Sri Lankan man who had a long history of intermittent joint pains worsening following a recent episode of self-resolving non-bloody diarrhea. Subsequently, he developed a skin rash suggestive of keratoderma blenorrhagica and circinate balanitis. He had classical radiological evidence of ankylosing spondylosis (previously undiagnosed associated with human leukocyte antigen B27 antigen, but was positive for rheumatoid factor. Conclusions A disease flare of ankylosing spondylitis prompted by a minor diarrheal illness showing well documented features of reactive arthritis is remarkable. The prognostic implications of seropositivity in spondyloarthritis are discussed.

Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Osteoarthritis and in Other Forms of Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yachuan; Wang, Tingyu; Hamilton, John L; Chen, Di

2017-09-01

Arthritis defines a large group of diseases primarily affecting the joint. It is the leading cause of pain and disability in adults. Osteoarthritis (OA) affecting the knee or hip is the most common form among over 100 types of arthritis. Other types of arthritis include erosive hand OA, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) OA, facet joint OA, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), and spondyloarthritis (SpA). However, the specific molecular signals involved in the development and progression of OA and related forms of arthritis remain largely unknown. The canonical wingless/integrated (Wnt)/β-catenin signaling pathway could play a unique role in the pathogenesis of arthritis. In this review article, we will focus on the molecular mechanisms of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the pathogenesis of OA and other types of arthritis. Emerging evidence demonstrates that Wnts and Wnt-related molecules are involved in arthritis development and progression in human genetic studies and in vitro studies. Also, mouse models have been generated to determine the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the pathogenesis of arthritis. Wnt/β-catenin signaling represents a unique signaling pathway regulating arthritis development and progression, and the molecules in this particular pathway may serve as targets for the therapeutic intervention of arthritis. Mediators and downstream effectors of Wnt/β-catenin signaling are increased in OA as well other forms of arthritis, including DISH and SpA. Through extensive investigations, including pre-clinical studies in transgenic mice and translational and human studies, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been proven to play roles in bone and joint pathology by directly affecting bone, cartilage, and synovial tissue; further, these pathologies can be reduced through targeting this pathway. Continued investigation into the distinct molecular signaling of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway will provide additional insights toward the therapeutic

The influence of thyroid diseases, diabetes mellitus, primary hyperparathyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiency and other comorbid autoimmune diseases on treatment outcome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: An exploratory cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Emamifar, Amir; Jensen Hansen, Inger Marie

2018-01-01

To investigate the impact of comorbid diseases on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) outcome. All patients diagnosed with RA since 2006, who were registered in our local Danbio registry, were included in this cohort study. Patients’ demographics, serology results, and Disease Activity Score in 28 joints......-C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) at the time of diagnosis and after 4 months of treatment initiation were collected. Patients’ electronic hospital records were evaluated for a positive history of thyroid diseases, diabetes mellitus, primary hyperparathyroidism, vitamin B12 deficiency, and the presence of other...... diagnosed autoimmune diseases. 1035 RA patients were included. The observed prevalence of thyroid diseases was 11.8%, DM 10.4%, primary hyperparathyroidism 2.8%, vitamin B12 deficiency 5.8%, and other diagnosed autoimmune diseases 1.6%. There were significant associations between presence of thyroid...

Immune checkpoint inhibitor PD-1 pathway is down-regulated in synovium at various stages of rheumatoid arthritis disease progression.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Guo, Yanxia

2018-01-01

Immune checkpoint blockade with therapeutic anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen (CTLA)-4 (Ipilimumab) and anti-programmed death (PD)-1 (Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab) antibodies alone or in combination has shown remarkable efficacy in multiple cancer types, concomitant with immune-related adverse events, including arthralgia and inflammatory arthritis (IA) in some patients. Herein, using Nivolumab (anti-PD-1 antagonist)-responsive genes along with transcriptomics of synovial tissue from multiple stages of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease progression, we have interrogated the activity status of PD-1 pathway during RA development. We demonstrate that the expression of PD-1 was increased in early and established RA synovial tissue compared to normal and OA synovium, whereas that of its ligands, programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and PD-L2, was increased at all the stages of RA disease progression, namely arthralgia, IA\\/undifferentiated arthritis, early RA and established RA. Further, we show that RA patients expressed PD-1 on a majority of synovial tissue infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Moreover, enrichment of Nivolumab gene signature was observed in IA and RA, indicating that the PD-1 pathway was downregulated during RA disease progression. Furthermore, serum soluble (s) PD-1 levels were increased in autoantibody positive early RA patients. Interestingly, most of the early RA synovium tissue sections showed negative PD-L1 staining by immunohistochemistry. Therefore, downregulation in PD-1 inhibitory signaling in RA could be attributed to increased serum sPD-1 and decreased synovial tissue PD-L1 levels. Taken together, these data suggest that agonistic PD1 antibody-based therapeutics may show efficacy in RA treatment and interception.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor PD-1 pathway is down-regulated in synovium at various stages of rheumatoid arthritis disease progression.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yanxia; Walsh, Alice M; Canavan, Mary; Wechalekar, Mihir D; Cole, Suzanne; Yin, Xuefeng; Scott, Brittney; Loza, Mathew; Orr, Carl; McGarry, Trudy; Bombardieri, Michele; Humby, Frances; Proudman, Susanna M; Pitzalis, Costantino; Smith, Malcolm D; Friedman, Joshua R; Anderson, Ian; Madakamutil, Loui; Veale, Douglas J; Fearon, Ursula; Nagpal, Sunil

2018-01-01

Immune checkpoint blockade with therapeutic anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen (CTLA)-4 (Ipilimumab) and anti-programmed death (PD)-1 (Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab) antibodies alone or in combination has shown remarkable efficacy in multiple cancer types, concomitant with immune-related adverse events, including arthralgia and inflammatory arthritis (IA) in some patients. Herein, using Nivolumab (anti-PD-1 antagonist)-responsive genes along with transcriptomics of synovial tissue from multiple stages of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease progression, we have interrogated the activity status of PD-1 pathway during RA development. We demonstrate that the expression of PD-1 was increased in early and established RA synovial tissue compared to normal and OA synovium, whereas that of its ligands, programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and PD-L2, was increased at all the stages of RA disease progression, namely arthralgia, IA/undifferentiated arthritis, early RA and established RA. Further, we show that RA patients expressed PD-1 on a majority of synovial tissue infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Moreover, enrichment of Nivolumab gene signature was observed in IA and RA, indicating that the PD-1 pathway was downregulated during RA disease progression. Furthermore, serum soluble (s) PD-1 levels were increased in autoantibody positive early RA patients. Interestingly, most of the early RA synovium tissue sections showed negative PD-L1 staining by immunohistochemistry. Therefore, downregulation in PD-1 inhibitory signaling in RA could be attributed to increased serum sPD-1 and decreased synovial tissue PD-L1 levels. Taken together, these data suggest that agonistic PD1 antibody-based therapeutics may show efficacy in RA treatment and interception.

The Danish nationwide clinical register for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: DANBIO.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibfelt, Else Helene; Jensen, Dorte Vendelbo; Hetland, Merete Lund

2016-01-01

DANBIO is a research register and a data source for rheumatologic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis [RA], axial spondyloarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis) for monitoring clinical quality at the national, regional, and hospital levels. The register includes patients with rheumatologic diseases who are treated at a hospital or a private rheumatologic clinic. Registration is mandatory for all patients with RA regardless of treatment and also for patients with other diagnoses if treated with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Since 2006, the registration has been done electronically, including patient-reported outcome measures registered electronically by the patients with the use of touch screens. Core variables such as diagnosis, year of diagnosis, age, and sex are registered at the beginning. Data entered at later visits included the following: patient-reported outcomes for disease activity, pain, fatigue, functional status, and physician-reported objective measures of disease activity, treatment, C-reactive protein, and, when indicated, imaging. For subgroups of patients, the variables such as quality of life, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and comorbidity are also registered. The DANBIO cohort comprised ∼26,000 patients with RA, 3,200 patients with axial spondyloarthritis, and 6,200 patients with psoriatic arthritis in 2015. DANBIO has high nationwide coverage and completeness on key data variables. More than 60 original papers as well as annual reports of clinical quality (since 2005) have been published. DANBIO is a powerful register for research in rheumatologic diseases and furthermore serves as a Clinical Quality Register with the aim of monitoring treatment quality in patients with RA in Denmark.

76 FR 51044 - National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-17

... indicated below, with attendance limited to space available. Individuals who plan to attend and need special.... The grant applications and the discussions could disclose confidential trade secrets or commercial... Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 93.846, Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research...

77 FR 47653 - National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-09

... indicated below, with attendance limited to space available. Individuals who plan to attend and need special.... The grant applications and the discussions could disclose confidential trade secrets or commercial.... (Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 93.846, Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases...

75 FR 28260 - National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-20

... indicated below, with attendance limited to space available. Individuals who plan to attend and need special.... The grant applications and the discussions could disclose confidential trade secrets or commercial... Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 93.846, Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research...

77 FR 26301 - National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; Notice of Meeting

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2012-05-03

... indicated below, with attendance limited to space available. Individuals who plan to attend and need special.... The grant applications and the discussions could disclose confidential trade secrets or commercial.... (Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 93.846, Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases...

77 FR 75181 - National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; Notice of Meeting

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2012-12-19

... indicated below, with attendance limited to space available. Individuals who plan to attend and need special.... The grant applications and the discussions could disclose confidential trade secrets or commercial.... (Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 93.846, Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases...

76 FR 77544 - National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-13

... indicated below, with attendance limited to space available. Individuals who plan to attend and need special.... The grant applications and the discussions could disclose confidential trade secrets or commercial... Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 93.846, Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research...

Clinical trials of new drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: focus on early disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smolen, Josef S.; Collaud Basset, Sabine; Boers, Maarten; Breedveld, Ferdinand; Edwards, Christopher J.; Kvien, Tore K.; Miossec, Pierre; Sokka-Isler, Tuulikki; van Vollenhoven, Ronald F.; Abadie, Eric C.; Bruyère, Olivier; Cooper, Cyrus; Mäkinen, Heidi; Thomas, Thierry; Tugwell, Peter; Reginster, Jean-Yves

2016-01-01

The European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases convened a task force of experts in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and clinical trial methodology to comment on the new draft 'Guideline on clinical investigation of medicinal products for

Rheumatoid arthritis and p53: how oxidative stress might alter the course of inflammatory diseases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tak, P. P.; Zvaifler, N. J.; Green, D. R.; Firestein, G. S.

2000-01-01

Oxidative stress at sites of chronic inflammation can cause permanent genetic changes. The development of mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene and other key regulatory genes could help convert inflammation into chronic disease in rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders

Immunomodulation of Autoimmune Arthritis by Herbal CAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shivaprasad H. Venkatesha

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Rheumatoid arthritis (RA is a debilitating autoimmune disease of global prevalence. The disease is characterized by synovial inflammation leading to cartilage and bone damage. Most of the conventional drugs used for the treatment of RA have severe adverse reactions and are quite expensive. Over the years, increasing proportion of patients with RA and other immune disorders are resorting to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM for their health needs. Natural plant products comprise one of the most popular CAM for inflammatory and immune disorders. These herbal CAM belong to diverse traditional systems of medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine, Kampo, and Ayurvedic medicine. In this paper, we have outlined the major immunological pathways involved in the induction and regulation of autoimmune arthritis and described various herbal CAM that can effectively modulate these immune pathways. Most of the information about the mechanisms of action of herbal products in the experimental models of RA is relevant to arthritis patients as well. The study of immunological pathways coupled with the emerging application of genomics and proteomics in CAM research is likely to provide novel insights into the mechanisms of action of different CAM modalities.

How common is clinically inactive disease in a prospective cohort of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis? The importance of definition.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoop-Worrall, Stephanie J W; Verstappen, Suzanne M M; Baildam, Eileen; Chieng, Alice; Davidson, Joyce; Foster, Helen; Ioannou, Yiannis; McErlane, Flora; Wedderburn, Lucy R; Thomson, Wendy; Hyrich, Kimme L

2017-08-01

Many criteria for clinically inactive disease (CID) and minimal disease activity (MDA) have been proposed for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). It is not known to what degree each of these criteria overlap within a single patient cohort. This study aimed to compare the frequency of MDA and CID across different criteria in a cohort of children with JIA at 1 year following presentation. The Childhood Arthritis Prospective Study recruits children at initial presentation to paediatric or adolescent rheumatology in seven UK centres. Children recruited between October 2001 and December 2013 were included. The proportions of children with CID and MDA at 1 year were calculated using four investigator-defined and eight published composite criteria. Missing data were accounted for using multiple imputation under different assumptions. In a cohort of 1415 children and adolescents, 67% patients had no active joints at 1 year. Between 48% and 61% achieved MDA and between 25% and 38% achieved CID using published criteria. Overlap between criteria varied. Of 922 patients in MDA by either the original composite criteria, Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS) or clinical JADAS cut-offs, 68% were classified as in MDA by all 3 criteria. Similarly, 44% of 633 children with CID defined by either Wallace's preliminary criteria or the JADAS cut-off were in CID according to both criteria. In a large JIA prospective inception cohort, a majority of patients have evidence of persistent disease activity after 1 year. Published criteria to capture MDA and CID do not always identify the same groups of patients. This has significant implications when defining and applying treat-to-target strategies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Validity and predictive ability of the juvenile arthritis disease activity score based on CRP versus ESR in a Nordic population-based setting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordal, E B; Zak, M; Aalto, K

2012-01-01

To compare the juvenile arthritis disease activity score (JADAS) based on C reactive protein (CRP) (JADAS-CRP) with JADAS based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (JADAS-ESR) and to validate JADAS in a population-based setting.......To compare the juvenile arthritis disease activity score (JADAS) based on C reactive protein (CRP) (JADAS-CRP) with JADAS based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (JADAS-ESR) and to validate JADAS in a population-based setting....

Burden of childhood-onset arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassett Afton L

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Juvenile arthritis comprises a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases causing erosive arthritis in children, often progressing to disability. These children experience functional impairment due to joint and back pain, heel pain, swelling of joints and morning stiffness, contractures, pain, and anterior uveitis leading to blindness. As children who have juvenile arthritis reach adulthood, they face possible continuing disease activity, medication-associated morbidity, and life-long disability and risk for emotional and social dysfunction. In this article we will review the burden of juvenile arthritis for the patient and society and focus on the following areas: patient disability; visual outcome; other medical complications; physical activity; impact on HRQOL; emotional impact; pain and coping; ambulatory visits, hospitalizations and mortality; economic impact; burden on caregivers; transition issues; educational occupational outcomes, and sexuality. The extent of impact on the various aspects of the patients', families' and society's functioning is clear from the existing literature. Juvenile arthritis imposes a significant burden on different spheres of the patients', caregivers' and family's life. In addition, it imposes a societal burden of significant health care costs and utilization. Juvenile arthritis affects health-related quality of life, physical function and visual outcome of children and impacts functioning in school and home. Effective, well-designed and appropriately tailored interventions are required to improve transitioning to adult care, encourage future vocation/occupation, enhance school function and minimize burden on costs.

Radiographic outcome in Hispanic early rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Contreras-Yanez, Irazu; Rull-Gabayet, Marina; Vazquez-LaMadrid, Jorge; Pascual-Ramos, Virginia

2011-01-01

Objectives: To determine rates of incident erosive disease in early rheumatoid arthritis patients, to identify baseline predictors and to evaluate erosion's impact on patient-reported outcomes. Methods: 82 patients with ≤12 months of disease duration, ≥3 years of follow-up and conventional treatment were included. Consecutive evaluations assessed swollen and tender joint counts, treatment and comorbidity, acute reactant-phase determinations and patient-reported outcomes. Digitized radiographs of the hands and feet were obtained at baseline and yearly thereafter. RA was defined as erosive when at least one unequivocal cortical bone defect was detected. Descriptive statistics and Cox regression analysis were performed. Results: At baseline, 71 of the patients were Female Sign , population median (range) age was of 38.7 (16-78.2) years, 58 patients had antibodies and all the patients had active disease and substantial disability. Follow-up cohort was of 299.3 person-years. At last follow-up (49 ± 13.8 months), 28 patients developed erosions. Erosion's location was the feet, in 12 patients. Incident rates of erosive disease at one, two, three and four years were of 8.1, 12.8, 13.8 and 5.6 per 100 person-years, respectively. Higher C-reactive protein (HR: 1.20, 95%CI: 1.04-1.4, p = 0.01) and positive antibodies (HR: 5.09, 95%CI: 1.08-23.86, p = 0.04) were baseline predictors of incident erosive disease. Erosions had minor impact on patient-reported outcomes. Conclusion: Rheumatoid arthritis patients with antibodies and higher C reactive protein at baseline are at risk for incident erosions which appear most frequently at the feet. Up to 1/3 patients conventionally treated develop incident erosions, which minimally impact function.

Radiographic outcome in Hispanic early rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Contreras-Yanez, Irazu, E-mail: uzari02@hotmail.com.mx [Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Seccion XVI, C.P. 14000, Tlalpan, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Rull-Gabayet, Marina, E-mail: rull.marina@gmail.com [Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Seccion XVI, C.P. 14000, Tlalpan, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Vazquez-LaMadrid, Jorge, E-mail: docjvlradiologo@yahoo.com [Department of Radiology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Seccion XVI, C.P. 14000, Tlalpan, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Pascual-Ramos, Virginia, E-mail: virtichu@gmail.com.mx [Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran, Vasco de Quiroga 15, Seccion XVI, C.P. 14000, Tlalpan, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

2011-08-15

Objectives: To determine rates of incident erosive disease in early rheumatoid arthritis patients, to identify baseline predictors and to evaluate erosion's impact on patient-reported outcomes. Methods: 82 patients with {<=}12 months of disease duration, {>=}3 years of follow-up and conventional treatment were included. Consecutive evaluations assessed swollen and tender joint counts, treatment and comorbidity, acute reactant-phase determinations and patient-reported outcomes. Digitized radiographs of the hands and feet were obtained at baseline and yearly thereafter. RA was defined as erosive when at least one unequivocal cortical bone defect was detected. Descriptive statistics and Cox regression analysis were performed. Results: At baseline, 71 of the patients were Female Sign , population median (range) age was of 38.7 (16-78.2) years, 58 patients had antibodies and all the patients had active disease and substantial disability. Follow-up cohort was of 299.3 person-years. At last follow-up (49 {+-} 13.8 months), 28 patients developed erosions. Erosion's location was the feet, in 12 patients. Incident rates of erosive disease at one, two, three and four years were of 8.1, 12.8, 13.8 and 5.6 per 100 person-years, respectively. Higher C-reactive protein (HR: 1.20, 95%CI: 1.04-1.4, p = 0.01) and positive antibodies (HR: 5.09, 95%CI: 1.08-23.86, p = 0.04) were baseline predictors of incident erosive disease. Erosions had minor impact on patient-reported outcomes. Conclusion: Rheumatoid arthritis patients with antibodies and higher C reactive protein at baseline are at risk for incident erosions which appear most frequently at the feet. Up to 1/3 patients conventionally treated develop incident erosions, which minimally impact function.

Genetic architecture distinguishes systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis from otherforms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: clinical and therapeutic implications

OpenAIRE

Ombrello, Michael J.; Arthur, Victoria L.; Remmers, Elaine F.; Hinks, Anne; Tachmazidou, Ioanna; Grom, Alexei A.; Foell, Dirk; Martini, Alberto; Gattorno, Marco; Ozen, Seza; Prahalad, Sampath; Zeft, Andrew S.; Bohnsack, John F.; Ilowite, Norman T.; Mellins, Elizabeth D.

2016-01-01

Objectives: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a heterogeneous group of conditions unified by the presence of chronic childhood arthritis without an identifiable cause. Systemic JIA (sJIA) is a rare form of JIA characterized by systemic inflammation. sJIA is distinguished from other forms of JIA by unique clinical features and treatment responses that are similar to autoinflammatory diseases. However approximately half of children with sJIA develop destructive, longstanding arthritis that...

IMAGING OF PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. D'Angelo

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Imaging of psoriatic arthritis (PsA is important for two reasons: the differential diagnosis from other arthritides and the assessment of structural damage that can be inhibited by the new drugs such as the anti-TNFα agents. Plain film radiographic findings of peripheral arthritis have been important in elaborating the concept of PsA as a separate disease entity. Characteristic aspects of psoriatic peripheral arthritis help the differentiation from rheumatoid arthritis. High-resolution ultrasonography (US, US combined with power Doppler (PDUS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI can be used to image joint synovitis of PsA. Radiologic features of spondylitis associated with psoriasis are similar to spondylitis associated with reactive arthritis and differ from those of primary ankylosing spondylitis (AS and the spondylitis associated with inflammatory bowel disease. MRI is very sensitive for the early diagnosis of sacroiliitis. There have been no MRI studies on the spine of patients with PsA. In primary AS bone oedema in the vertebral bodies is an indicator of active disease and can ameliorate during anti-TNFα therapy. Historically, plain film radiography have played a pivotal role in defining enthesitis lesions of SpA. However, entheseal bone changes appear late. US and MRI have proved to be a highly sensitive and non invasive tools. Recent US and MRI studies on both finger and toe dactylitis have established that dactylitis is due to flexor tenosynovitis and marked adjacent soft tissue swelling with a variable degree of small joint synovitis. There is no evidence of enthesitis of the insertion of the flexor digitorum tendons and of the attachment of the caspsule of the digit joints. Key words: Enthesitis, dactylitis, spondyloarthritis, ultrasound, magnetic resonance, imaging

Osteopoikilosis associated with keloids formation, rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia, Graves` disease and megaloblastic anaemia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irena Zimmermann-Górska

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Osteopoikilosis is an uncommon hereditary dysplasia of skeleton characterized by small sclerotic foci clustered mainly in periarticular osseus regions. The radiographic pattern is pathognomonic. The disease can be a result of the loss-of-function mutations in LEMD3 – the gene responsible for bone density which can influence also on the expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1 signalling. TGF-β1 is a key mediator of fibrosis and a modulator of immune responses. Patients with osteopoikilosis demonstrate a higher incidence of keloid formation and autoimmune diseases. In the presented case osteopoikilosis was associated with keloids formation and autoimmune diseases: rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia, Graves’ disease and megaloblastic anaemia.

Evaluation of learned helplessness, self-efficacy and disease activity, functional capacity and pain in Argentinian patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vergara, F; Rosa, J; Orozco, C; Bertiller, E; Gallardo, M A; Bravo, M; Catay, E; Collado, V; Gómez, G; Sabelli, M; García, M V; Rosemffet, M G; Citera, G; Schneeberger, E E; Catoggio, L J; Soriano, E R

2017-01-01

To evaluate the association between learned helplessness (LH) and self-efficacy (SE) with disease activity, functional capacity, and level of pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to compare LH and SE between patients in remission and patients with active disease. This multicentre, cross-sectional study included consecutive patients (aged ≥ 18 years) with RA according to 2010 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) criteria. LH was measured by the Rheumatology Attitude Index (RAI), Spanish version; SE with the Arthritis Self-efficacy Scale (ASES), Spanish version; functional capacity with the Health Assessment Questionnaire, Argentinian version (HAQ-A); and perceived pain by the visual analogue scale (VAS). Disease activity was measured by the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI). A total of 115 patients (82% females) with a mean (± sd) age of 58 ± 13 years were included. We found a significantly positive correlation between LH and perceived pain (p < 0.001), HAQ-A score (p < 0.001), and CDAI (p < 0.001) and a significantly negative correlation between SE and perceived pain (p < 0.001), HAQ-A score (p < 0.001), and CDAI (p < 0.001). We found greater levels of SE and lower grades of LH in patients in remission compared to those with active disease (median 76 vs. 58; p < 0.001 and 6 vs. 11; p < 0.001, respectively). LH and SE correlated significantly with disease activity, functional capacity, and perceived pain. Levels of SE were higher in patients in remission compared to those with active disease as opposed to levels of LH, which were lower in patients in remission compared to those with active disease. These results show that cognitive factors are related to disease activity and their modifications may have importance in the management of RA.

Computer-assisted quantification of interstitial lung disease associated with rheumatoid arthritis: Preliminary technical validation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marten, K.; Dicken, V.; Kneitz, C.; Hoehmann, M.; Kenn, W.; Hahn, D.; Engelke, C.

2009-01-01

Purpose: To validate a threshold-based prototype software application (MeVis PULMO 3D) for quantification of chronic interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using variable threshold settings for segmentation of diseased lung areas. Methods: Twenty-two patients with rheumatoid arthritis were included and underwent thin-section CT (4 x 1.25 mm collimation). CT scans were assessed by two observers for extent of ILD (EoILD), and twice by MeVis PULMO 3D for each protocol. MeVis PULMO 3D used four segmentation threshold (ST) settings (ST = -740, -780, -800 and -840 HU). Pulmonary function tests were obtained in all patients. Statistical evaluation used 95% limits of agreement (LoA) and linear regression analysis. Results: There was total concordance between the software measurements. Interobserver agreement was good (LoA = -28.36 to 17.58%). EoILD by readers correlated strongly with DL CO (r = -0.702, p CO at ST of -800 HU (r = -0.44, -0.49, -0.58 and -0.57 for ST = -740, -780, -800 and -840, respectively; p = 0.007-0.05) and moderately with FVC (r = -0.44, -0.51, -0.59 and -0.45 for ST = -740, -780, -800 and -840), respectively; p = 0.007-0.05). Conclusion: The MeVis PULMO 3D system used holds promise to become a valuable instrument for quantification of chronic ILD in patients with RA when using the threshold value of -800 HU, with evidence of the closest correlations, both with human observers and physiologic impairment.

Neurostimulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway ameliorates disease in rat collagen-induced arthritis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaakov A Levine

Full Text Available The inflammatory reflex is a physiological mechanism through which the nervous system maintains immunologic homeostasis by modulating innate and adaptive immunity. We postulated that the reflex might be harnessed therapeutically to reduce pathological levels of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis by activating its prototypical efferent arm, termed the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. To explore this, we determined whether electrical neurostimulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway reduced disease severity in the collagen-induced arthritis model.Rats implanted with vagus nerve cuff electrodes had collagen-induced arthritis induced and were followed for 15 days. Animals underwent active or sham electrical stimulation once daily from day 9 through the conclusion of the study. Joint swelling, histology, and levels of cytokines and bone metabolism mediators were assessed.Compared with sham treatment, active neurostimulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway resulted in a 52% reduction in ankle diameter (p = 0.02, a 57% reduction in ankle diameter (area under curve; p = 0.02 and 46% reduction overall histological arthritis score (p = 0.01 with significant improvements in inflammation, pannus formation, cartilage destruction, and bone erosion (p = 0.02, accompanied by numerical reductions in systemic cytokine levels, not reaching statistical significance. Bone erosion improvement was associated with a decrease in serum levels of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL from 132±13 to 6±2 pg/mL (mean±SEM, p = 0.01.The severity of collagen-induced arthritis is reduced by neurostimulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway delivered using an implanted electrical vagus nerve stimulation cuff electrode, and supports the rationale for testing this approach in human inflammatory disorders.

The effects of the Mediterranean diet on rheumatoid arthritis prevention and treatment: a systematic review of human prospective studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsyth, Casuarina; Kouvari, Matina; D'Cunha, Nathan M; Georgousopoulou, Ekavi N; Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B; Mellor, Duane D; Kellett, Jane; Naumovski, Nenad

2018-05-01

Rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive autoimmune disease characterised by severely swollen and painful joints. To compliment pharmacotherapy, people living with rheumatoid arthritis often turn to dietary interventions such as the Mediterranean diet. The aim of the present systematic review is to discuss the effects of the Mediterranean diet on the management and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis in human prospective studies. Four studies met the inclusion criteria, including two intervention studies reporting improvement in the pain visual analogue scale (p Mediterranean diet groups. Only one study reported a reduction in the 28 joint count disease activity score for rheumatoid arthritis for the Mediterranean diet group (p Mediterranean diet in reducing pain and increasing physical function in people living with rheumatoid arthritis. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to support widespread recommendation of the Mediterranean diet for prevention of rheumatoid arthritis.

Footwear characteristics in people with inflammatory arthritis in Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, K; Lahiri, M; Cheung, P P; Santosa, A; Rome, K

2016-01-01

Foot problems are common in people with inflammatory arthritis. Despite suitable footwear having the potential to alleviate pain, improve mobility and maintain independence, previous studies have found many people with inflammatory arthritis wearing poorly fitting and inappropriate footwear. Footwear styles and characteristics have not been reported in a Singapore inflammatory arthritis population. The objective of this study was to identify current footwear styles and characteristics of footwear worn by people with inflammatory arthritis in Singapore. One-hundred-and-one participants with inflammatory arthritis were recruited from the rheumatology outpatient clinic of a large public hospital in Singapore. Disease and clinical characteristics were recorded. A patient-reported outcome included current foot pain. An objective footwear assessment of style, age of shoe, fit and construction was conducted. The majority of participants were Chinese women with a mean (SD) age was 52.0 (15.0) years old and a mean (SD) disease duration of 9.3 (0.3) years. We found 50 % of participants (n = 51) reported footwear problems. Sandals (n = 27, 26 %), flip-flops (n = 19, 19 %) and moccasin type (n = 19, 19 %) was the most common footwear choice. Evaluation of footwear characteristics found that there was a lack of motion control features. Only 32 (32 %) participants had correctly fitting footwear with regard to length, width and depth. No participant was wearing therapeutic footwear. This study provides the first insight into footwear preferences of people with inflammatory arthritis in Singapore. Use of slip-on and poorly fitting footwear was found to be common in people with inflammatory arthritis. Further research on footwear preferences in Southeast-Asian communities needs to take into account cultural habit and preference, socio-economic status, footwear options and affordability.

Arthritis severity locus Cia4 is an early regulator of IL-6, IL-1β, and NF-κB activators' expression in pristane-induced arthritis

OpenAIRE

Brenner, Max; Laragione, Teresina; Gulko, Pércio S.

2013-01-01

Cia4 is a locus on rat chromosome 7 that regulates disease severity and joint damage in models of rheumatoid arthritis, including pristane-induced arthritis (PIA). To identify molecular processes regulated by Cia4, synovial tissues from MHC-identical DA (severe erosive) and DA.F344(Cia4) congenics (mild nonerosive) rats were collected at preclinical and recent onset stages following the induction of PIA and analyzed for gene expression levels. Il6 levels were significantly higher in DA compar...

What People with Rheumatoid Arthritis Need to Know about Osteoporosis

Science.gov (United States)

... Need to Know About Osteoporosis What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis? Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, a disorder in ... new habits for healthy bones. The Link Between Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoporosis Studies have found an increased risk ...

Nocardia brasiliensis infection mimicking juvenile idiopathic arthritis in a 4-year-old girl.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapur, Nitin; Adib, Navid; Grimwood, Keith

2013-11-01

Nocardia are ubiquitous environmental saprophytes that cause pneumonia and disseminated disease in immunocompromised patients. They can also cause localized cutaneous and soft tissue infections in healthy people after direct percutaneous inoculation. Nocardia arthritis is rare in both forms of the disease. Here we present the first published case of a child with septic arthritis caused by N brasiliensis. Importantly, this otherwise well 4-year-old girl had no known history of trauma but presented with transient cutaneous lesions and a 6-week history of arthritis involving the right fourth digit proximal interphalangeal joint without accompanying fever or raised systemic inflammatory markers. She received a diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and underwent antiinflammatory and immunosuppressant therapy. After 2 months she developed frank septic arthritis, which necessitated a surgical joint washout, from which an intraoperative swab grew N brasiliensis. The patient received 6 months of high-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and remains well more than 4 years after treatment. This unusual case highlights the importance of considering an indolent infection from slow-growing organisms, including Nocardia, when diagnosing the oligoarthritis subtype of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. This is especially relevant when a single joint is involved and response to antiinflammatory therapy is suboptimal because antiinflammatory agents may mask evolving signs of infection.

Arthritis in America PSA (:60)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2017-03-07

This 60 second public service announcement is based on the March 2017 CDC Vital Signs report. Many adults in the United States have arthritis. Learn how to reduce the pain of arthritis, as well as manage the condition.  Created: 3/7/2017 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 3/7/2017.

Can magnetic resonance imaging differentiate undifferentiated arthritis?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Mikkel; Duer, Anne; Hørslev-Petersen, K

2005-01-01

A high sensitivity for the detection of inflammatory and destructive changes in inflammatory joint diseases makes magnetic resonance imaging potentially useful for assigning specific diagnoses, such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis in arthritides, that remain undifferentiated after...... conventional clinical, biochemical and radiographic examinations. With recent data as the starting point, the present paper describes the current knowledge on magnetic resonance imaging in the differential diagnosis of undifferentiated arthritis....

Tofacitinib suppresses disease activity and febrile attacks in a patient with coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and familial Mediterranean fever.

Science.gov (United States)

Gök, Kevser; Cengiz, Gizem; Erol, Kemal; Ozgocmen, Salih

2017-01-01

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is the most common hereditary auto-inflammatory (periodic fever) syndrome, and usually successfully treated with colchicine. However, nearly 5-10% of FMF cases are resistant or intolerant to colchicine and treatment options are highly restricted in these cases. Biologics including anakinra, canakinumab, rilonacept, etanercept, infliximab, interferon-alpha, and tocilizumab are shown to have efficacy to control FMF attacks. Tofacitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, is an orally administered non-biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Herein we report a female patient with coexisting RA and colchicine resistant FMF whose FMF attacks and disease activity were completely controlled after treatment with tofacitinib, a small-molecule JAK3 inhibitor.

Radiological aspects of rheumatoid arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schacherl, M.

1985-01-01

An introductory summary of the imaging-diagnosis will be given. The necessity of acquiring a catalogue of application to particular imaging methods is emphasized. Discussion of step by step diagnosis regarding rheumatologic questions is given on example of the hand. Technically insufficient radiographs and bad habits during diagnostic analysis are pointed out. Radiologic problems in differentiating arthritis/osteoarthrosis will be mentioned. The discussion of these points is followed by outlining the radiology of rheumatoid arthritis and the complexity of this disease. Introduction of a new stage classification. Finally twelve basic radiologic types of rheumatoid arthritis will be presented. (orig.) [de

Intra- and interobserver reliability of the Eaton classification for trapeziometacarpal arthritis: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Aaron J; Momeni, Arash; Ladd, Amy L

2014-04-01

Trapeziometacarpal, or thumb carpometacarpal (CMC), arthritis is a common problem with a variety of treatment options. Although widely used, the Eaton radiographic staging system for CMC arthritis is of questionable clinical utility, as disease severity does not predictably correlate with symptoms or treatment recommendations. A possible reason for this is that the classification itself may not be reliable, but the literature on this has not, to our knowledge, been systematically reviewed. We therefore performed a systematic review to determine the intra- and interobserver reliability of the Eaton staging system. We systematically reviewed English-language studies published between 1973 and 2013 to assess the degree of intra- and interobserver reliability of the Eaton classification for determining the stage of trapeziometacarpal joint arthritis and pantrapezial arthritis based on plain radiographic imaging. Search engines included: PubMed, Scopus(®), and CINAHL. Four studies, which included a total of 163 patients, met our inclusion criteria and were evaluated. The level of evidence of the studies included in this analysis was determined using the Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine Levels of Evidence Classification by two independent observers. A limited number of studies have been performed to assess intra- and interobserver reliability of the Eaton classification system. The four studies included were determined to be Level 3b. These studies collectively indicate that the Eaton classification demonstrates poor to fair interobserver reliability (kappa values: 0.11-0.56) and fair to moderate intraobserver reliability (kappa values: 0.54-0.657). Review of the literature demonstrates that radiographs assist in the assessment of CMC joint disease, but there is not a reliable system for classification of disease severity. Currently, diagnosis and treatment of thumb CMC arthritis are based on the surgeon's qualitative assessment combining history, physical

Outcome after 40 years with rheumatoid arthritis : a prospective study of function, disease activity and mortality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Minaur, Nicola J.; Jacoby, Richard K.; Cosh, John A.; Taylor, Gordon; Rasker, Johannes J.

2004-01-01

In an inception cohort of 100 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) we studied course and outcome after 40 years, regarding function, disease activity, cause and age of death, and prognostic factors. Function, joint count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), hemoglobin (Hb), rheumatoid factor

Influence of disease activity on steroid hormone levels in peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Brink, H. R.; Blankenstein, M. A.; Koppeschaar, H. P.; Bijlsma, J. W.

1993-01-01

The steroid hormone status of 27 female patients (15 premenopausal and 12 postmenopausal) and 11 male patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was investigated before and after a clinically significant deterioration in disease activity. In postmenopausal patients the serum level of cortisol decreased

Managing Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Clinical Updates and Three Strategic Approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Chodara, Ann M; Wattiaux, Aimée; Bartels, Christie M

2017-04-01

ᅟ: The increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is well known; however, appropriate management of this elevated risk in rheumatology clinics is less clear. By critically reviewing literature published within the past 5 years, we aim to clarify current knowledge and gaps regarding CVD risk management in RA. We examine recent guidelines, recommendations, and evidence and discuss three approaches: (1) RA-specific management including treat-to-target and medication management, (2) assessment of comprehensive individual risk, and (3) targeting traditional CVD risk factors (hypertension, smoking, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, and physical inactivity) at a population level. Considering that 75% of US RA visits occur in specialty clinics, further research is needed regarding evidence-based strategies to manage and reduce CVD risk in RA. This review highlights clinical updates including US cardiology and international professional society guidelines, successful evidence-based population approaches from primary care, and novel opportunities in rheumatology care to reduce CVD risk in RA.

MRI bone oedema scores are higher in the arthritis mutilans form of psoriatic arthritis and correlate with high radiographic scores for joint damage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tan, Yu M; Østergaard, Mikkel; Doyle, Anthony

2009-01-01

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of bone disease in the arthritis mutilans (AM) form of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with erosive PsA were enrolled (median disease duration of 14 years). Using x-rays ...

Coexisting ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis: a case report with literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Ying-Ying; Yang, Li-Li; Cui, Hua-Dong; Zhao, Shuai; Zhang, Ning

2011-10-01

A 30-year-old female patient with coexisting ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis was diagnosed and treated. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 is a predisposing factor of ankylosing spondylitis and HLA-DR4 is a predisposing factor of rheumatoid arthritis. This patient was HLA-B27 and HLA-DR4 positive, and ankylosing spondylitis manifested before rheumatoid arthritis. After disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs successfully arrested ankylosing spondylitis activity the patient conceived and delivered a healthy baby. One year later, she developed peripheral polyarthritis and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. We hypothesized that pregnancy may be one of the environmental factors that can activate rheumatoid arthritis, and that disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs play an important role in keeping the disease under control.

78 FR 36305 - Proposed Information Collection (Non-Degenerative Arthritis (Including Inflammatory, Autoimmune...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-17

..., crystalline and infectious arthritis) and Dysbaric Osteonecrosis Disability Benefits Questionnaire). Type of... Osteonecrosis Disability Benefits Questionnaire) Activity: Comment Request AGENCY: Veterans Benefits... solicits comments on information needed to adjudicate the claim for VA disability benefits related to a...

Prevalence of arthritis in India and Pakistan: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Akhter, Ehtisham; Bilal, Saira; Kiani, Adnan; Haque, Uzma

2011-07-01

Recent studies of rheumatoid arthritis worldwide suggest that prevalence of arthritis is higher in Europe and North America than in developing countries. Prevalence data for major arthritis disorders have been compiled in West for several decades, but figures from the third world are just emerging. A coordinated effort by WHO and ILAR (International League Against Rheumatism) has resulted in collecting data for countries like Philippines, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and rural South Africa but the information about prevalence of arthritis in India and Pakistan is scarce. Since both countries, i.e., India and Pakistan, share some ethnic identity, we reviewed published literature to examine the prevalence of arthritis in these countries. Medline and Pubmed were searched for suitable articles about arthritis from 1980 and onwards. Findings from these articles were reviewed and summarized. The prevalence, clinical features, and laboratory findings of rheumatoid arthritis are compiled for both India and Pakistan. Data collected from these two countries were compared with each other, and some of the characteristics of the disease were compared with Europe and North America. It is found to be quite similar to developed countries. Additionally, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is of different variety than reported in West. It is more of polyarticular onset type while in West pauciarticular predominates. Additionally, in systemic onset, JRA uveitis and ANA are common finding in developed countries; on the other hand, they are hardly seen in this region. Although the prevalence of arthritis in Pakistan and India is similar to Western countries, there are inherent differences (clinical features, laboratory findings) in the presentation of disease. The major strength of the study is that it is the first to pool reports to provide an estimate of the disease in the Indian subcontinent. Scarcity of data is one of the major limitations. This study helps to understand the pattern of

Pain Relief in Nonhuman Primate Models of Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Vierboom, Michel P M; Breedveld, Elia; Keehnen, Merei; Klomp, Rianne; Bakker, Jaco

2017-01-01

Animal models of rheumatoid arthritis are important in the elucidation of etiopathogenic mechanisms of the disease and for the development of promising new therapies. Species specificity of new biological compounds and their mode of action preclude safety and efficacy testing in rodent models of disease. Nonhuman primates (NHP) can fill this niche and provide the only relevant model. Over the last two decades models of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) were developed in the rhesus monkey and the common marmoset. However, NHP are higher-order animals and complex sentient beings. So especially in models where pain is an intricate part of the disease, analgesia needs to be addressed because of ethical considerations. In our model, a morphine-based pain relief was used that does not interfere with the normal development of disease allowing us to evaluate important mechanistic aspects of the arthritis.

Changes in Soluble CD18 in Murine Autoimmune Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis Reflect Disease Establishment and Treatment Response

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kragstrup, Tue Wenzel; Jalilian, Babak; Keller, Kresten Krarup

2016-01-01

in murine models of rheumatoid arthritis. Methods The level of sCD18 was analyzed with a time-resolved immunoflourometric assay in 1) plasma from early treatment naïve RA patients during a treat-to-target strategy (the OPERA cohort), 2) plasma from chronic RA patients, 3) serum from SKG and CIA mice...... associated with radiographic progression. Correspondingly, the serum level of sCD18 was decreased in SKG mice 6 weeks after arthritis induction compared with healthy littermates. The sCD18 levels in both SKG and CIA mice exhibited a biphasic course after arthritis induction with an initial increase above...

General and disease-specific pain trajectories as predictors of social and political outcomes in arthritis and cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

James, Richard J E; Walsh, David A; Ferguson, Eamonn

2018-04-09

While the heterogeniety of pain progression has been studied in chronic diseases, the extent to which patterns of pain progression among people in general as well as across different diseases affect social, civic and political engagement is unclear. We explore these issues for the first time. Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, latent class growth models were used to estimate trajectories of self-reported pain in the entire cohort, and within subsamples reporting diagnoses of arthritis and cancer. These were compared at baseline on physical health (e.g. body mass index, smoking) and over time on social, civic and political engagement. Very similar four-trajectory models fit the whole sample and arthritis subsamples, whereas a three-trajectory model fit the cancer subsample. All samples had a modal group experiencing minimal chronic pain and a group with high chronic pain that showed slight regression (more pronounced in cancer). Biometric indices were more predictive of the most painful trajectory in arthritis than cancer. In both samples the group experiencing the most pain at baseline reported impairments in social, civic and political engagement. The impact of pain differs between individuals and between diseases. Indicators of physical and psychological health differently predicted membership of the trajectories most affected by pain. These trajectories were associated with differences in engagement with social and civic life, which in turn were associated with poorer health and well-being.

X-ray diagnosis of gouty arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quan Gaorong; Luo Jianyun; Huang Shaoying

2008-01-01

Objective: The X-ray findings of 38 cases with gouty arthritis were summarized. The X-ray diagnosis and differential diagnosis were discussed to improve the understanding and diagnostic accuracy of this disease. Methods: Combined with literatures, the X-ray findings, pathological and clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations of 38 cases pathologically proved with gouty arthritis were analyzed. Results: The gouty arthritis usually occurred in the small joints of limbs, especially in the first metatarsophalangeal joint. The X-ray findings were dissymmetric swellings of soft tissue, scattered calcified shadow; bony erosion in form of scuttling and honeycomb defect with sharp and hard edge, narrowed joint space and irregular articular surface, emergence of fiber stiffness, even joint malformations and subluxation or dislocation, associated with hyperosteogeny and nearby osteoporosis. Conclusion: Diversification was presented in X-ray findings of gouty arthritis, which can be easily confused with other single or multiple bone joint diseases. As a result, accurate diagnosis should be based on careful analysis about X-ray findings combined with clinical manifestations and laboratory examination. (authors)

Tocilizumab: A Review of Its Safety and Efficacy in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Graeme Jones

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Recent years have seen many exciting developments in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Tocilizumab (TCZ is a monoclonal antibody which inhibits the interleukin-6 receptor. After initial studies in Japan, it has been extensively studied in five multicentre clinical trials. This report summarises the key efficacy and toxicity findings from the major clinical trials. TCZ works quickly and effectively in rheumatoid arthritis either as monotherapy or in combination with other agents in early disease, DMARD inadequate responders, seronegative disease and after anti-TNF failure. The toxicity profile is manageable but includes infections (most notably skin and soft tissue, increases in serum cholesterol, transient decreases in neutrophil count and abnormal liver function tests (especially in combination with methotrexate. In summary, there is sufficient evidence to make TCZ a first line biologic therapy for rheumatoid arthritis especially for those who are unable to take methotrexate or who fail anti-TNF therapy.

Rheumatoid arthritis clinical features and management strategies at an urban tertiary facility in Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Rais, Rehan; Saeed, Mohammad; Haider, Rimsha; Jassani, Zahra; Riaz, Amir; Perveen, Tahira

2014-12-01

To determine the presentation patterns, biologically vulnerable patient groups and treatment strategies of rheumatoid arthritis. The retrospective study was conducted at the Rheumatology Clinic of Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College, Karachi, and comprised data of rheumatology patients who presented between September 2006 and September 2012. After screening all the files, rheumatoid arthritis cases were identified. Data collection was done using a questionnaire that included patient demographics, co-morbidities, clinical manifestations and drug therapy. SPSS 13 was used for statistical analysis. Of the 2300 files screened, 500(21.7%) related to patients of rheumatoid arthritis. The mean age at presentation of these 500 patients was 41±15 years. There were 367(73.4%) women and they presented at an earlier age compared to men (p<0.024). Erosions were present in 198(40%) patients on X-rays and 22(4.4%) had joint deformities. Seropositive rheumatoid arthritis was associated with higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels (p<0.014), but did not differ from seronegative rheumatoid arthritis in terms of Disease Activity Score-28 levels (p<0.21). The skewed gender distribution was likely an effect of rheumatoid arthritis biology rather than due to issues of healthcare accessibility. Seronegative RA is likely to present late though it is as destructive as the seropositive disease.

Monitoring patients with rheumatoid arthritis in routine care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hetland, Merete Lund; Jensen, Dorte Vendelbo; Krogh, Niels Steen

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Advances in aggressive use of conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) as well as biological DMARDs (bDMARDs) have improved the treatment armamentarium for rheumatologists, and modern treatment principles include a treat-to-target (T2T) strategy. However......, little is known about the feasibility of a T2T strategy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated in routine care. The aim of the present study was to (i) present the annual number of patients included in DANBIO between 2006 and 2013 and their disease characteristics and (ii) estimate coverage...

Ankle tenosynovitis in rheumatoid arthritis: clinical and ultrasonographic evaluation

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Ana Luiza Naves Pereira

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate ankle tenosynovitis in rheumatoid arthritis patients, regarding its presence, the kind of tendon involved and the concordance between clinical and ultrasound findings. Methods: Twenty patients with rheumatoid arthritis and pain or swollen ankle joint were evaluated. Tendon involvement was evaluated with ultrasound imaging. The Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ was performed for disability evaluation. Age, sex, disease duration, and vocational activity levels were also obtained. The statistical analysis included Fisher’s exact test. The significance level was 0.05. Results: Tenosynovitis was found in 13 of 20 (65.0% patients in 19 joints, in which 6 were bilaterally (46.1% and unilateral in 7 (53.8%. Tibialis posterior tenosynovitis was seen in nine (45.0% patients, Achilles tenosynovitis in seven (35.0%, tibialis anterior tenosynovitis in three (15.0%, and peroneal tenosynovitis in three (15.0% patients. We found concordance between symptomatic ankle and ultrasonographic findings in 92.3% of the patients with tenosynovitis. Association between severe HAQ with tendon involvement was not found (p>0.05. Disease duration was not associated with tenosynovitis. Patients were predominantly older, female, with mean age around 50.8 years. The long disease duration of patients presented a mean of 11.4 years and, most of them, with no vocational activity (65.0%. Conclusions: The results indicate that ankle tenosynovitis is very common in rheumatoid arthritis patients, both unilateral and bilateral. Tibialis posterior was the most common tendon involvement found. Finally, we found concordance between the clinical and ultrasound findings in almost all rheumatoid arthritis patients with ankle tenosynovitis.

Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity measures: American College of Rheumatology recommendations for use in clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Jaclyn; Caplan, Liron; Yazdany, Jinoos; Robbins, Mark L; Neogi, Tuhina; Michaud, Kaleb; Saag, Kenneth G; O'Dell, James R; Kazi, Salahuddin

2012-05-01

Although the systematic measurement of disease activity facilitates clinical decision making in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), no recommendations currently exist on which measures should be applied in clinical practice in the US. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) convened a Working Group (WG) to comprehensively evaluate the validity, feasibility, and acceptability of available RA disease activity measures and derive recommendations for their use in clinical practice. The Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Disease Activity Measures Working Group conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify RA disease activity measures. Using exclusion criteria, input from an Expert Advisory Panel (EAP), and psychometric analysis, a list of potential measures was created. A survey was administered to rheumatologists soliciting input. The WG used these survey results in conjunction with the psychometric analyses to derive final recommendations. Systematic review of the literature resulted in identification of 63 RA disease activity measures. Application of exclusion criteria and ratings by the EAP narrowed the list to 14 measures for further evaluation. Practicing rheumatologists rated 9 of these 14 measures as most useful and feasible. From these 9 measures, the WG selected 6 with the best psychometric properties for inclusion in the final set of ACR-recommended RA disease activity measures. We recommend the Clinical Disease Activity Index, Disease Activity Score with 28-joint counts (erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein), Patient Activity Scale (PAS), PAS-II, Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data with 3 measures, and Simplified Disease Activity Index because they are accurate reflections of disease activity; are sensitive to change; discriminate well between low, moderate, and high disease activity states; have remission criteria; and are feasible to perform in clinical settings. Copyright © 2012 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Biologics for rheumatoid arthritis: an overview of Cochrane reviews

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Singh, Jasvinder A; Christensen, Robin; Wells, George A

2010-01-01

the biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are very effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), however there is a lack of head-to-head comparison studies.......the biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are very effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), however there is a lack of head-to-head comparison studies....

Subclinical atherosclerosis in young patients with rheumatoid arthritis and low disease activity

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F. Ragni Alunni

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Background: There is an increasing body of evidence suggesting that subjects with rheumatoid arthritis (RA are characterized by acceleration of atherosclerotic process of arterial wall. However, all investigations performed so far to evaluate subclinical atherosclerosis in RA included subjects without selection for age and degree of disease activity that may represent confounding factors in such an evaluation. Objectives: To verify signs of accelerated subclinical atherosclerosis in young subject suffering from RA but with low disease activity. Methods: Thirty-two patients with RA and 28 age- and sex-matched control subjects with non-inflammatory rheumatic diseases were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were age less than 60 and low disease activity with score £3.2 according to DAS28, while subjects with traditional risk factors for and/or overt cardiovascular disease were ruled out from the study. Both patients and controls underwent evaluation of carotid and femoral artery intima-media thickness by ultrasounds. Results: Patients had higher intima-media thickness than controls of all the sites evaluated at carodit artery level, whereas there were no differences at the comparison of the superficial and common femoral artery wall. At the univariate analysis, a positive correlation between LDL cholesterol levels and intima-media thickness at the carotid bifurcation was found. Conclusions: Young patients with RA and low disease activity have acceleration of atherosclerosis development as shown by increased intima-media thickness of carotid artery with respect to subjects without inflammatory rheumatic disease. It is conceivable that the organic damage of arterial wall could be the result of persistent endothelial dysfunction induced by chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation which characterize RA.

Children born by women with rheumatoid arthritis have increased susceptibility for selected chronic diseases – a nationwide cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jølving, Line Riis; Nielsen, Jan; Kesmodel, Ulrik Schiøler

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Fetal exposure to maternal rheumatoid arthritis (RA) might impact the long-term risk of disease in the offspring. We examined a possible association between maternal RA and 15 selected groups of chronic diseases in the offspring. METHODS: This nationwide cohort study was based...... used, taking a large range of confounders into consideration, computing the Hazard Ratios (HR) of child- and adolescence diseases. RESULTS: In children being exposed to maternal RA in utero, the HR's of thyroid diseases was 2.19 (95% CI, 1.14 - 4.21), epilepsy 1.61 (95% CI, 1.16 - 2.25), and RA 2.......89 (95% CI, 2.06 - 4.05). The HR's for anxiety and personality disorders and chronic lung disease including asthma were in the range of 1.15 - 1.16, but these were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that in utero exposure to maternal RA is associated with an increased risk...

A case of reactive arthritis in a Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP) student.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Robert S; Detro, John F

2009-01-01

Musculoskeletal complaints comprise the majority of cases encountered by military physicians when evaluating young active duty Soldier-athletes. This is a case of reactive arthritis in a 19-year-old active duty Soldier-athlete whose failure to improve with conservative therapy initiated further investigation. When evaluating what appear to be routine overuse injuries, it is important to actively include other potential causes of musculoskeletal complaints in the differential diagnosis. Further investigation of disease in patients whose symptoms and complaints do not improve with routine conservative care is paramount. Reactive arthritis, though self-limiting in two-thirds of those affected, can become a chronic disabling disease affecting as many as 40 out of 100 patients. Current theories suggest the persistent presence of non-culturable bacteria and bacterial antigens residing in the joint synovia as the etiology of the disease state. There is no curative therapy for reactive arthritis and management is focused on the treatment of symptoms with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), immunomodulator therapy, and antibiotics if an infectious source is suspected.

Skin rash and arthritis a simplified appraisal of less common associations.

Science.gov (United States)

Cozzi, A; Doria, A; Gisondi, P; Girolomoni, G

2014-06-01

Skin and joint manifestations are part of the clinical spectrum of many disorders. Well-known associations include psoriatic arthritis and arthritis associated with autoimmune connective tissue diseases. This review focuses on less common associations where skin lesions can provide easily accessible and valuable diagnostic clues, and directly lead to the specific diagnosis or limit the list of possibilities. This may also affect health care resources as diagnostic tests are often low-specific, highly expensive and poorly available. This group of diseases can be divided into two subsets, based on the presence/absence of fever, and then further classified according to elementary skin lesions (macular, urticarial, maculo-papular, vesico-bullous, pustular, petechial and nodular). In most instances joint involvement occurs as peripheral migrating polyarthritis. Erythematosus macular or urticarial rashes occur in most febrile disorders such as monogenic autoinflammatory syndromes, Schnitzler's syndrome, Still's disease and rheumatic fever and afebrile diseases as urticarial vasculitis. Pustular rash may be observed in chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) and pyogenic arthritis with pyoderma gangrenosum and acne (PAPA) syndrome (both febrile) as well as in Behcet's disease and Synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis and osteitis syndrome (both non-febrile). Papular lesions are typical of secondary syphilis, sarcoidosis, interstitial granulomatous dermatitis, papular petechial of cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis and nodular lesions of polyarteritis nodosa and multicentric reticulohistiocytosis all of which are afebrile. Differential diagnosis includes infections and drug reactions which may mimic several of these conditions. To biopsy the right skin lesion at the right time it is essential to obtain relevant histological information. © 2013 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Rheumatoid arthritis and the challenge of using nanoparticles for its treatment

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Chabib Lutfi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common autoimmune disease that affects the joints. The cause of the disease is unknown, many studies proposed hypothesis about the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis. The clinical manifestations of arthritis are different in each patients. In addition, the development of the medication is still continue to achieve the most effective role with less side effect. Nanoparticles may be the answer to this problem, since they have been widely used to improve the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics of rheumatoid arthritis drugs. Using nanoparticles-tagged folate or PEG to deliver rheumatoid arthritis drugs may increase the specificity of the drugs to the target and consequently, may decrease the side effects of the drugs. The purpose of this review is to summarize the etiology, clinical manifestation and highlighting the use of nanoparticles in rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

A protocol for a randomised controlled trial of prefabricated versus customised foot orthoses for people with rheumatoid arthritis: the FOCOS RA trial [Foot Orthoses - Customised v Off-the-Shelf in Rheumatoid Arthritis].

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Gallagher, Kellie S; Godwin, Jon; Hendry, Gordon J; Steultjens, Martijn; Woodburn, Jim

2018-01-01

Foot pain is common in rheumatoid arthritis and appears to persist despite modern day medical management. Several clinical practice guidelines currently recommend the use of foot orthoses for the treatment of foot pain in people with rheumatoid arthritis. However, an evidence gap currently exists concerning the comparative clinical- and cost-effectiveness of prefabricated and customised foot orthoses in people with early rheumatoid arthritis. Early intervention with orthotics may offer the best opportunity for positive therapeutic outcomes. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the comparative clinical- and cost-effectiveness of prefabricated versus customised orthoses for reducing foot pain over 12 months. This is a multi-centre two-arm parallel randomised controlled trial comparing prefabricated versus customised orthoses in participants with early rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis, global functional status via the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire, foot disease activity via the Rheumatoid Arthritis Foot Disease Activity Index, and health-related quality of life at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Process outcomes will include recruitment/retention rates, data completion rates, intervention adherence rates, and participant intervention and trial participation satisfaction. Cost-utility and cost-effectiveness analyses will be undertaken. Outcome measures collected at baseline, 6 and 12 months will be used to evaluate the comparative clinical- and cost- effectiveness of customised versus prefabricated orthoses for this treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis foot conditions. This trial will help to guide orthotic prescription recommendations for the management of foot pain for people with early rheumatoid arthritis in future. ISRCTN13654421. Registered 09 February 2016.

Tofacitinib suppresses disease activity and febrile attacks in a patient with coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and familial Mediterranean fever

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Kevser Gök

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF is the most common hereditary auto-inflammatory (periodic fever syndrome, and usually successfully treated with colchicine. However, nearly 5-10% of FMF cases are resistant or intolerant to colchicine and treatment options are highly restricted in these cases. Biologics including anakinra, canakinumab, rilonacept, etanercept, infliximab, interferon-alpha, and tocilizumab are shown to have efficacy to control FMF attacks. Tofacitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK inhibitor, is an orally administered non-biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA. Herein we report a female patient with coexisting RA and colchicine resistant FMF whose FMF attacks and disease activity were completely controlled after treatment with tofacitinib, a small-molecule JAK3 inhibitor.

Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and disability affect the risk of serious infection events in RADIUS 1.

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Weaver, Arthur; Troum, Orrin; Hooper, Michele; Koenig, Andrew S; Chaudhari, Sandeep; Feng, Jingyuan; Wenkert, Deborah

2013-08-01

To determine whether disease activity and disability independently correlate with serious infection event (SIE) risk in a large rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohort. The associations between SIE and Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) in the Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drug Intervention and Utilization Study (RADIUS 1) cohort were evaluated using the Andersen-Gill model (a proportional HR model allowing > 1 event per patient). Of 4084 patients with 347 SIE, 271 patients experienced ≥ 1 SIE. A 5-unit CDAI increase and 0.4-unit HAQ-DI increase corresponded to an increase in SIE risk with and without covariate adjustments. A 5-unit CDAI increase corresponded with a 7.7% increased SIE risk (adjusted HR 1.077, 95% CI 1.044-1.112, p < 0.0001) and a 0.4-unit HAQ-DI increase with a 30.1% increased risk (adjusted HR 1.301, 95% CI 1.225-1.381, p < 0.0001). Categorical analysis showed that more severe RA activity (even after controlling for disability) and disability were associated with an increased SIE risk. Increased RA disease activity and disability were each associated with a significantly increased SIE risk in the RADIUS 1 cohort, which could not be completely accounted for by disability.

Pain and microcrystalline arthritis

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R. Ramonda

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Microcrystals are responsible for some of the most common and complex arthropathies which are often accompanied by intense, severe pain and inflammatory reactions. The main pathogens are crystals of monosodium urate (MSU, responsible for the gout, calcium pyrophosphate (CPP, which deposits also in various clinical forms of arthopathies, and basic calcium phosphate associated with osteoarthritis. In this context, the microcrystal arthritis is characterized by multiple, acute attacks followed by chronic pain, disability, impaired quality of life, and increased mortality. Given their chronic nature, they represent an ever more urgent public health problem. MSU and CPP crystals are also able to activate nociceptors. The pain in mycrocrystalline arthritis (MCA is an expression of the inflammatory process. In the course of these diseases there is an abundant release of inflammatory molecules, including prostaglandins 2 and kinins. Interleukin-1 represents the most important cytokine released during the crystal-induced inflammatory process. Therefore, clinically, pain is the most important component of MCA, which lead to functional impairment and disability in a large proportion of the population. It is fundamental to diagnose these diseases as early as possible, and to this aim, to identify appropriate and specific targets for a timely therapeutic intervention.

Systemic onset juveniile chronic arthritis (JCA) in a Nigerian boy: a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) is a chronic arthritis affecting children below age of 16 years. The systemic onset subgroup is also known as Still's disease. There are several distinct subgroups. There is paucity of literature of this disease entity in our environment due to under diagnosis of the disease. Method: ...

Folate-targeted nanoparticles for rheumatoid arthritis therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Nogueira, Eugénia; Gomes, Andreia C; Preto, Ana; Cavaco-Paulo, Artur

2016-05-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common inflammatory rheumatic disease, affecting almost 1% of the world population. Although the cause of RA remains unknown, the complex interaction between immune mediators (cytokines and effector cells) is responsible for the joint damage that begins at the synovial membrane. Activated macrophages are critical in the pathogenesis of RA and showed specifically express a receptor for the vitamin folic acid (FA), folate receptor β (FRβ). This particular receptor allows internalization of FA-coupled cargo. In this review we will address the potential of nanoparticles as an effective drug delivery system for therapies that will directly target activated macrophages. Special attention will be given to stealth degree of the nanoparticles as a strategy to avoid clearance by macrophages of the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS). This review summarizes the application of FA-target nanoparticles as drug delivery systems for RA and proposes prospective future directions. Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating autoimmune disease of the joints which affects many people worldwide. Up till now, there is a lack of optimal therapy against this disease. In this review article, the authors outlined in depth the current mechanism of disease for rheumatoid arthritis and described the latest research in using folic acid-targeted nanoparticles to target synovial macrophages in the fight against rheumatoid arthritis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Imaging in Psoriatic Arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poggenborg, René Panduro; Østergaard, Mikkel; Terslev, Lene

2015-01-01

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory joint disease characterized by arthritis and often enthesitis in patients with psoriasis, presenting a wide range of manifestations in various patterns. Imaging procedures are primarily conventional radiography, ultrasonography (US), and magnetic...... resonance imaging (MRI); other modalities such as computed tomography are not used routinely. Imaging is an integral part of management of PsA. In this article, we provide an overview of the status, virtues, and limitations of imaging modalities in PsA, focusing on radiography, US, and MRI....

Osteoprotegerin CGA haplotype protection against cerebrovascular complications in anti-CCP negative patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

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Fernanda Genre

Full Text Available Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease with high incidence of cardiovascular disease due to accelerated atherosclerosis. Osteoprotegerin (OPG has been associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic disease in the general population. Several polymorphisms in the OPG gene with functional effects on cardiovascular disease in non-rheumatic individuals have been described. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the effect of three of these functional OPG polymorphisms on the risk of cardiovascular disease in a large and well-characterized cohort of Spanish patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Three OPG gene variants (rs3134063, rs2073618 and rs3134069 were genotyped by TaqMan assays in 2027 Spanish patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP antibody testing was positive in 997 of 1714 tested. Also, 18.3% of the whole series had experienced cardiovascular events, including 5.4% with cerebrovascular accidents. The relationship between OPG variants and cardiovascular events was assessed using Cox regression.No association between OPG gene variants and cardiovascular disease was observed in the whole group of rheumatoid arthritis patients or in anti-CCP positive patients. Nevertheless, a protective effect of CGA haplotype on the risk of cardiovascular disease in general, and specifically in the risk of cerebrovascular complications after adjusting for sex, age at disease diagnosis and traditional cardiovascular risk factors was disclosed in anti-CCP negative patients (HR = 0.54; 95%CI: 0.31-0.95; p = 0.032 and HR = 0.17; 95%CI: 0.04-0.78; p = 0.022, respectively.Our results indicate a protective effect of the OPG CGA haplotype on cardiovascular risk, mainly due to a protective effect against cerebrovascular events in anti-CCP negative rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Trends towards an improved disease state in rheumatoid arthritis over time: influence of new therapies and changes in management approach: analysis of the EMECAR cohort.

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González-Alvaro, Isidoro; Descalzo, Miguel Angel; Carmona, Loreto

2008-01-01

The disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis has improved during the past decade. The availability of new drugs and also a better assessment of the disease have been proposed to be responsible for this improvement. In the present work we estimate the effect of these factors on disease activity and function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at the beginning of the new century. The Estudio de la Morbilidad y Expresión Clínica de la Artritis Reumatoide (EMECAR) cohort was assembled in 2000 from the random sampling of rheumatoid arthritis patients registered in 34 centers. The cohort was composed of 789 patients who underwent a baseline assessment plus four annual follow-up visits in which functional ability (Health Assessment Questionnaire score), the disease activity score obtained from 28-joint count with three parameters (DAS28-3) and radiological progression (Larsen score) were recorded. The effect of the calendar year on the DAS28-3, the Health Assessment Questionnaire score, and the Larsen score was obtained from adjusted models in which all treatments were included as dummy variables. The effect of time as the beta coefficient (95% confidence interval) for 2004, taking 2000 as a reference year, was -0.43 (-0.58 to -0.28) for the DAS28-3, 0.15 (0.07 to 0.22) for the Health Assessment Questionnaire score, and 4.4 (2.68 to 6.12) for the Larsen score. Treatment with new therapies, either leflunomide or TNF antagonists, increased in frequency from 1.1% (n = 8) in 2000 to 30.9% (n = 144) in 2004. Treatment with TNF antagonists (-0.28 (-0.5 to -0.05)) and with gold salts (-0.21 (-0.38 to -0.04)) was independently associated with a decrease in the DAS28-3 over time, whereas cyclosporin A treatment (0.45 (0.13 to 0.76)) was associated with an increase in disease activity. The mean disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis has improved from 2000 to 2004. An explanation is the introduction of new therapies, but not solely. Other factors related to the

Thyroid Autoimmunity and Function after Treatment with Biological Antirheumatic Agents in Rheumatoid Arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bliddal, Sofie; Borresen, Stina Willemoes; Feldt-Rasmussen, Ulla

2017-01-01

With the increased pro-inflammatory response in both rheumatoid arthritis and thyroid autoimmune diseases, treatment with biological antirheumatic agents (BAAs) of the former may affect the course of the latter. In hepatitis C and cancer patients, treatment with biological agents substantially...... increases the risk of developing thyroid autoimmunity. As the use of BAAs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is increasing, this review aimed to investigate if such use affected thyroid status in rheumatoid arthritis patients. We conducted a systematic literature search and included six studies...... status: a reduction of thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibody concentrations, and a reduction of thyrotropin levels in hypothyroid patients. Despite the small number of studies, they presented compliant data. The BAAs used in rheumatoid arthritis thus did not seem to negatively affect thyroid...

Arthritis Awareness (A Cup of Health with CDC)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2016-05-19

As the U.S. population ages, so does the frequency of certain chronic diseases, such as arthritis. In this podcast, Dr. Kamil Barbour discusses ways to manage arthritis.  Created: 5/19/2016 by MMWR.   Date Released: 5/19/2016.

The TT genotype of the STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism is associated with high disease activity and disability in patients with early arthritis.

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Amalia Lamana

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The number of copies of the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope, and the minor alleles of the STAT4 rs7574865 and the PTPN22 rs2476601 polymorphisms have all been linked with an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of these genetic variants on disease activity and disability in patients with early arthritis. METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS: We studied 640 patients with early arthritis (76% women; median age, 52 years, recording disease-related variables every 6 months during a 2-year follow-up. HLA-DRB1 alleles were determined by PCR-SSO, while rs7574865 and rs2476601 were genotyped with the Taqman 5' allelic discrimination assay. Multivariate analysis was performed using generalized estimating equations for repeated measures. After adjusting for confounding variables such as gender, age and ACPA, the TT genotype of rs7574865 in STAT4 was associated with increased disease activity (DAS28 as compared with the GG genotype (β coefficient [95% confidence interval] = 0.42 [0.01-0.83], p = 0.044. Conversely, the presence of the T allele of rs2476601 in PTPN22 was associated with diminished disease activity during follow-up in a dose-dependent manner (CT genotype = -0.27 [-0.56- -0.01], p = 0.042; TT genotype = -0.68 [-1.64- -0.27], p = 0.162. After adjustment for gender, age and disease activity, homozygosity for the T allele of rs7574865 in STAT4 was associated with greater disability as compared with the GG genotype. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that patients with early arthritis who are homozygous for the T allele of rs7574865 in STAT4 may develop a more severe form of the disease with increased disease activity and disability.

The TT genotype of the STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism is associated with high disease activity and disability in patients with early arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamana, Amalia; Balsa, Alejandro; Rueda, Blanca; Ortiz, Ana M; Nuño, Laura; Miranda-Carus, Maria Eugenia; Gonzalez-Escribano, Maria F; Lopez-Nevot, Miguel A; Pascual-Salcedo, Dora; Martin, Javier; González-Álvaro, Isidoro

2012-01-01

The number of copies of the HLA-DRB1 shared epitope, and the minor alleles of the STAT4 rs7574865 and the PTPN22 rs2476601 polymorphisms have all been linked with an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of these genetic variants on disease activity and disability in patients with early arthritis. We studied 640 patients with early arthritis (76% women; median age, 52 years), recording disease-related variables every 6 months during a 2-year follow-up. HLA-DRB1 alleles were determined by PCR-SSO, while rs7574865 and rs2476601 were genotyped with the Taqman 5' allelic discrimination assay. Multivariate analysis was performed using generalized estimating equations for repeated measures. After adjusting for confounding variables such as gender, age and ACPA, the TT genotype of rs7574865 in STAT4 was associated with increased disease activity (DAS28) as compared with the GG genotype (β coefficient [95% confidence interval] = 0.42 [0.01-0.83], p = 0.044). Conversely, the presence of the T allele of rs2476601 in PTPN22 was associated with diminished disease activity during follow-up in a dose-dependent manner (CT genotype = -0.27 [-0.56- -0.01], p = 0.042; TT genotype = -0.68 [-1.64- -0.27], p = 0.162). After adjustment for gender, age and disease activity, homozygosity for the T allele of rs7574865 in STAT4 was associated with greater disability as compared with the GG genotype. Our data suggest that patients with early arthritis who are homozygous for the T allele of rs7574865 in STAT4 may develop a more severe form of the disease with increased disease activity and disability.

Rheumatic diseases and pregnancy | Gcelu | South African Medical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this article is to discuss the optimal management of pregnant women with SLE and other rheumatic diseases, including antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. The effects of pregnancy on underlying diseases ...

Rheumatoid arthritis in the hand. Chapter 9

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weston, W.J.

1979-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis is primarily a disease of the synovial membrane. To demonstrate synovial changes it is necessary to show adequate detail of the soft tissue. This is best obtained by using industrial film and by hand-processing. The anatomy of the hand and the radiological appearance of rheumatoid arthritis are described. (author)

FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY IN EARLY RHEUMATOID-ARTHRITIS - DESCRIPTION AND RISK-FACTORS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

GUILLEMIN, F; SUURMEIJER, T; KROL, B; BOMBARDIER, C; BRIANCON, S; DOEGLAS, D; SANDERMAN, R; VANDENHEUVEL, W

Objective. To provide a description and identify risk factors for functional disability in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. A cohort of 337 patients with early RA with disease duration under 5 years was constituted in 2 areas in Fiance and The Netherlands. Examination included the Ritchie

Comparing new diagnostic criteria of 2010 ACR/EULAR with 1987 ACR criteria in rheumatoid arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Shirani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA is a chronic inflammatory disease presenting with inflammation, tenderness and destruction of the synovial joints, resulting in severe disability and early death due to complication of disease. Previous diagnostic criteria are not useful for identifying patients who need early treatment. Thus, new diagnostic criteria for faster diagnosis of disease are introduced in 2010. The aim of this study was to compared 1987 ACR (American College of Rheumatology criteria and 2010 ACR/EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism classification criteria for diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: In this Cohort prospective study, patients with early arthritis were evaluated   according to the old and new diagnostic criteria and followed-up every two monthly for one year (2012-2013 in Hazrat-e Rasool University Hospital, Tehran. Inclusion criteria of this study were age more than 18 year and indefinite diagnosis of arthritis. For all of patients physical examination by expert rheumatologist was done and lab data include erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, C-reactive protein (CRP, anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (Anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor was requested. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were then determined for each diagnostic criteria. Results: In this study 104 patients including 28 males (26.9% and 76 females (73.1% with the mean age of 44.2±13.7 years were included. At the end of one year follow-up, 82 were diagnosed to have RA while other 22 patients were not categorized as RA. Sensitivity for ESR, CRP, Anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor in 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria was 52%, 19%, 48%, 28% and specificity for them was 45%, 71%, 27%, 79% respectively. Number of small and large joint arthritis were more in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA rather than other arthritis (P=0.0001. Sensitivity and specificity for small joints involvement was 87% and 54% and for large joints

Development of a preliminary composite disease activity index in psoriatic arthritis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Mumtaz, Aizad

2012-02-01

OBJECTIVES: To develop a preliminary composite psoriatic disease activity index (CPDAI) for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. METHODS: Five domains were assessed and specific instruments were employed for each domain to determine the extent of domain involvement and the effect of that involvement on quality of life\\/function. Disease activity for each domain was then graded from 0 to 3 giving a CPDAI range of 0-15. Patient and physician global disease activity measures were also recorded and an independent physician was asked to indicate if treatment change was required. Bivariate correlation analysis was performed. Factor, tree analysis and standardised response means were also calculated. RESULTS: Significant correlation was seen between CPDAI and both patient (r = 0.834) and physician (r = 0.825) global disease activity assessments (p = 0.01). Tree analysis revealed that 96.3% of patients had their treatment changed when CPDAI values were greater than 6; no patient had their treatment changed when CPDAI values were less than 5. CONCLUSION: CPDAI correlates well with patient and physician global disease activity assessments and is an effective tool that clearly distinguishes those who require a treatment change from those who do not.

Uveitis and Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis or Psoriasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Salek, Sherveen S; Pradeep, Archana; Guly, Catherine; Ramanan, Athimalaipet V; Rosenbaum, James T

2018-01-01

To describe the phenotype of the uveitis that accompanies juvenile psoriatic arthritis or psoriasis. Observational case series. Setting: Two university-based referral clinics: 1 in England, 1 in the United States. Five children with uveitis and psoriatic arthritis and 1 with uveitis and psoriasis Observational Procedure: Retrospective chart review. Demographics of subjects such as age and sex; description of ocular and joint disease; surgical and other complications; medical treatment. Five of the 6 children in this series had the onset of disease at or before age 6 (P = .0008 compared to expected age of onset for psoriatic arthritis in childhood). All children in this series had an inadequate response to topical corticosteroids. Most of the children were treated with systemic corticosteroids for many months, yet all of them went on to require methotrexate. Therapy with systemic methotrexate did not suffice, as all the patients also required some form of biologic therapy. Five of 6 had surgeries such as vitrectomy, cataract extraction, or a procedure for glaucoma control. The observations suggest that the uveitis that accompanies juvenile psoriatic arthritis might be a distinct disease that is particularly severe when its onset affects children aged 6 years or younger. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Rehabilitation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated in stationary spa treatment

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Amila Jaganjac

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Rheumatic diseases are nonsurgical diseases of the locomotor system and connective tissue. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA is a systemic inflammatory disease of connective tissue of unknown cause, with progressive chronic or subacute course. The aim of the research is to determine whether stationary spa treatment leads to improvement of the functional status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: We included 35 patients with diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, referred for treatment at the spa " Ilidža " Gradačac from February to April 2014. Patients not adhering to treatment protocols were excluded. We used Visual analogue pain scale (VAS, HAQ questionnaire and assessment of the clinical condition before and after the treatment based on the scores 1-5.Results: There were 32 female and 3 male patients. The average age was 62.28±8.31 years. Based on the HAQ, 12 patients had no difficulties, 9 of them perform activities with little difficulties, 10 with many difficulties, and 4 patients cannot perform certain activities. Before treatment VAS was 6.63±2.36, and after treatment the 2.51±2.27. Ratings of clinical condition before treatment was 2.38±0.74, and after the treatment 3.64±0.98. The most frequently used therapies were kinesitherapy, magnetotherapy and interferential electricity. Conclusions: Stationary treatment at the spa „Ilidža“ Gradačac leads to an improvement of the functional status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Autoimmune/Inflammatory Arthritis Associated Lymphomas: Who Is at Risk?

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Sujani Yadlapati

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Specific autoimmune and inflammatory rheumatic diseases have been associated with an increased risk of malignant lymphomas. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA, primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, dermatomyositis, and celiac disease have been consistently linked to malignant lymphomas. Isolated cases of lymphomas associated with spondyloarthropathies and autoinflammatory diseases have also been reported. Direct association between autoimmunity and lymphomagenesis has been reinforced by large epidemiological studies. It is still uncertain whether disease specific determinants or phenotypic or treatment related characteristics increase likelihood of lymphomagenesis in these patients. For example, recent literature has indicated a positive correlation between severity of inflammation and risk of lymphomas among RA and Sjögren’s syndrome patients. It is also debated whether specific lymphoma variants are more commonly seen in accordance with certain chronic autoimmune arthritis. Previous studies have revealed a higher incidence of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas in RA and SLE patients, whereas pSS has been linked with increased risk of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. This review summarizes recent literature evaluating risk of lymphomas in arthritis patients and disease specific risk determinants. We also elaborate on the association of autoimmune arthritis with specific lymphoma variants along with genetic, environmental, and therapeutic risk factors.

Effects of timing of prednisolone on the duration of early morning stiffness, pain and disease activity score (das-28) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gul, H.; Nasim, A.; Salim, B.

2017-01-01

To determine the effects of timing of prednisolone on duration of early morning stiffness, pain score, number of swollen and tender joints, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and disease activity score 28 (DAS-28) in joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Study Design: It was quasi experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in the department of rheumatology Fauji Foundation Hospital Rawalpindi over a period of 3 months, from Dec 2015 to Feb 2016. Material and Methods: Total sample size of 85 was calculated by using non probability consecutive sampling technique. Patients with established rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed on the basis of ACR 1987 criteria were included in the study. All these patients had a disease duration of minimum 6 months and were on disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs and were taking =7.5mg of prednisolone and these patients were treated with the same dose of prednisolone given in morning at 8:00 A.M. for the first 15 days followed by treatment with same single daily dose of prednisolone given at the night 10:00 P.M. for next 15 days. This study compared duration of early morning stiffness, pain scores, number of swollen and tender joints, DAS-28 and ESR on day 15th and day 30th. Results: A total of 85 patients of established rheumatoid arthritis were included in the study. All patients were female with a mean duration of disease of 7.87 +- 6.41 years. The mean age of patients was 49.39 +- 10.24 years. Mean of pain score, duration of morning stiffness, DAS-28, number of tender and swollen joint count, and ESR was decreased in patients who took prednisolone at 10:00 pm and had significant statistical difference (p-value<0.001). Conclusions: Administration of low dose of prednisolone at night has good effects on duration of early morning stiffness, pain scores, number of swollen and tender joints, ESR and DAS-28. (author)

Psoriatic arthritis as a mountain

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J.M. Berthelot

2011-09-01

Full Text Available There is no doubt that inflammatory arthritis/enthesitis and psoriasis coexist more frequently than would be expected by chance: for instance, in a study of 1285 patients with psoriasis seen in an hospital, 483 (38% were suffering from arthritis/ enthesitis, including 40 patients classified as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA (3%, 177 (14% as undifferentiated arthritis (UA, and 266 (21% as Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA (1. Although lower percentages have been noticed in the general population with psoriasis (6% of PsA in an extensive study of 1844 patients with psoriasis (2, they were superior to 5% (i.e. at least 5 times greater than the figures found for patients without psoriasis (3-7.

Arthritis Pain Reliever

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2011-12-27

Learn more about the benefits of physical activity and the types and amounts of exercise helpful for people with arthritis.  Created: 12/27/2011 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 12/27/2011.

Clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome of children with Lyme arthritis in Nova Scotia.

Science.gov (United States)

Glaude, Pier Diane; Huber, Adam M; Mailman, Timothy; Ramsey, Suzanne; Lang, Bianca; Stringer, Elizabeth

2015-10-01

Lyme disease is an emerging problem in Nova Scotia. Lyme arthritis is a late manifestation of Lyme disease. To describe the demographic characteristics, referral patterns and clinical course of children diagnosed with Lyme arthritis in a tertiary care pediatric rheumatology clinic in Nova Scotia. In the present retrospective chart review, subjects diagnosed with Lyme arthritis between 2006 and 2013 were identified through the clinic database. Demographic variables, referral patterns, clinical presentation and information regarding treatment course and outcome were collected. Seventeen patients were identified; 76% presented in 2012 and 2013. In 37.5% of cases, the referring physician suspected Lyme disease. Most patients presented with one or more painful and/or swollen joints; 94% had knee involvement. Only three of 17 patients had a history of erythema migrans and four of 17 recalled a tick bite. Five patients had a history of neurological manifestations consistent with Lyme disease, although, none had a diagnosis made at the time. Arthritis usually resolved after treatment with standard antibiotics; however, at last follow-up, two patients had antibiotic refractory Lyme arthritis, with one having joint damage despite aggressive arthritis treatment. A significant increase in cases of Lyme arthritis has recently been recognized in a pediatric rheumatology clinic in Nova Scotia. A history of a tick bite or erythema migrans were not sensitive markers of Lyme arthritis, and this diagnosis was often not considered by the referring physician. Educational initiatives should be undertaken to increase local awareness of this treatable cause of arthritis in children.

Septic arthritis: a 12 years retrospective study in a rheumatological university clinic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Riato

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Septic arthritis is a disabling and potentially life-threatening condition that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. The most important risk factors are joint prosthesis, pre-existing joint disease and immunosuppressive drugs. The aim of our study therefore was to revaluate all septic arthritis cases discharged from our Rheumatologic Unit in the last 12 years, to assess the risk factors, the clinical and laboratory characteristics, the causative microorganisms and its possible increase in frequency. Methods: The medical records of 42 consecutive patients with septic arthritis discharged from our Rheumatology Unit between January 1995 and December 2006 were reviewed. The patients ranged in age from 23 to 90 and there isn’t gender predominance. Septic arthritis was diagnosed based on the finding of purulent material in the joint space and/or the isolation of a bacterial pathogen from joint fluid. Demographic data, risk factors, co-morbidity, clinical manifestations, time interval between symptoms onset and diagnosis, treatment and laboratory data including serum white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR, C reactive protein (CRP, synovial white blood cells and culture results were analysed. We considered these parameters in the whole population and in two different age groups (≤60, >60 and tried to determine if there was a change of microorganisms involved in septic arthritis during the years. Results: Of 42 patients, 47% were aged 60 and younger. Only 10 patients were admitted to our unit before 2001. A predisposing factor was recorded in 90,5% of cases: 15 patients had rheumatoid arthritis, 8 were diabetic, 6 had seronegative arthritis, 4 had a connective tissue disease, 8 patients had a prosthetic infection and 3 were subjected recently to arthrocentesis. We found that patients aged 60 and younger were more frequently affected by joint disease and had a synovial white blood cell count lower than patients

Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Rheumatic Diseases Our Research Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Research Studies The Camille Julia Morgan Arthritis Research and Education Fund About Us Appointment Information Contact ...

A STUDY OF THE OCULAR MANIFESTATIONS OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AMONG PATIENTS PRESENTING TO A TERTIARY CENTRE

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Dhanya Sukumaran

2017-08-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown aetiology marked by a symmetric peripheral polyarthritis. It is the most common form of chronic inflammatory arthritis and often results in joint damage and physical disability. The name is based on the term "rheumatic fever", an illness, which includes joint pain and is derived from the Greekword ῥεύμα-rheuma (nom., ῥεύματος-rheumatos (gen. ("flow, current". The suffix oid ("resembling" gives the translation as joint inflammation that resembles rheumatic fever. The first recognised description of rheumatoid arthritis was made in 1800 by Dr. Augustin Jacob Landré-Beauvais (1772-1840 of Paris. Because, it is a systemic disease, RA may result in a variety of extra-articular manifestations including fatigue, subcutaneous nodules, lung involvement, pericarditis, peripheral neuropathy, vasculitis and haematologic abnormalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients who were diagnosed cases of rheumatoid arthritis attending the rheumatology clinic were referred to the Ophthalmology OPD in Government Medical College, Thrissur, for detailed eye examination. RESULTS The study was conducted in 100 patients (88 females and 12 males. Rheumatoid Factor (RF was found to be positive in 60 patients (60%, presence of dry eye did not correlate with rheumatoid positivity (Fishers exact test- the two-tailed P value = 0.4256. Through various tests, we concluded that there was aqueous deficiency in 61% and mucin deficiency in 46% of the patients. Other ocular manifestations present were- scleritis (2%, episcleritis (2% and keratomalacia (2%. CONCLUSION From the present study, we found out that extra-articular involvement of organs in rheumatoid arthritis is significant. The main ocular manifestations in rheumatoid arthritis found in our study were keratoconjunctivitis sicca, episcleritis, scleritis and keratomalacia. Though keratoconjunctivitis sicca was the most common, it did

Active MMPs captured by alpha2Macroglobulin as a marker of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tchetverikov, I.; Verzijl, N.; Huizinga, T.W.J.; TeKoppele, J.M.; Hanemaaijer, R.; Groot, J. de

2003-01-01

Objective. The aim of the present study was to analyze α2Macroglobulin/MMP (α2M/MMP) complex formation and to investigate whether MMP activity in α2M/MMP complexes in serum can be used as a disease marker in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. High and low molecular weight (H/LMW) substrates and

Shared genetic predisposition in rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease and familial pulmonary fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Juge, Pierre-Antoine; Borie, Raphaël; Kannengiesser, Caroline; Gazal, Steven; Revy, Patrick; Wemeau-Stervinou, Lidwine; Debray, Marie-Pierre; Ottaviani, Sébastien; Marchand-Adam, Sylvain; Nathan, Nadia; Thabut, Gabriel; Richez, Christophe; Nunes, Hilario; Callebaut, Isabelle; Justet, Aurélien; Leulliot, Nicolas; Bonnefond, Amélie; Salgado, David; Richette, Pascal; Desvignes, Jean-Pierre; Lioté, Huguette; Froguel, Philippe; Allanore, Yannick; Sand, Olivier; Dromer, Claire; Flipo, René-Marc; Clément, Annick; Béroud, Christophe; Sibilia, Jean; Coustet, Baptiste; Cottin, Vincent; Boissier, Marie-Christophe; Wallaert, Benoit; Schaeverbeke, Thierry; Dastot le Moal, Florence; Frazier, Aline; Ménard, Christelle; Soubrier, Martin; Saidenberg, Nathalie; Valeyre, Dominique; Amselem, Serge; Boileau, Catherine; Crestani, Bruno; Dieudé, Philippe

2017-05-01

Despite its high prevalence and mortality, little is known about the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD). Given that familial pulmonary fibrosis (FPF) and RA-ILD frequently share the usual pattern of interstitial pneumonia and common environmental risk factors, we hypothesised that the two diseases might share additional risk factors, including FPF-linked genes. Our aim was to identify coding mutations of FPF-risk genes associated with RA-ILD.We used whole exome sequencing (WES), followed by restricted analysis of a discrete number of FPF-linked genes and performed a burden test to assess the excess number of mutations in RA-ILD patients compared to controls.Among the 101 RA-ILD patients included, 12 (11.9%) had 13 WES-identified heterozygous mutations in the TERT , RTEL1 , PARN or SFTPC coding regions . The burden test, based on 81 RA-ILD patients and 1010 controls of European ancestry, revealed an excess of TERT , RTEL1 , PARN or SFTPC mutations in RA-ILD patients (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.53-6.12; p=9.45×10 -4 ). Telomeres were shorter in RA-ILD patients with a TERT , RTEL1 or PARN mutation than in controls (p=2.87×10 -2 ).Our results support the contribution of FPF-linked genes to RA-ILD susceptibility. Copyright ©ERS 2017.

64-year-old male with septic arthritis of the pubic symphysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Lee

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Septic arthritis of the pubic symphysis is a rare disease. Typical clinical features include fever, pubic or groin pain, pain with hip motion, and painful or waddling gait. Identified predisposing factors to develop an infection in pubic joint include female incontinence surgery or postpartum period; sports, especially soccer; pelvic malignancy; and intravenous drug abuse. The most often identified microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Osteomyelitis complicates the majority of cases, and about half of the patients require surgical debridement along with a prolonged antibiotic treatment. We report a case of Streptococcus anginosus septic arthritis of the pubic symphysis. The patient did not have any of the above risk factors.

64-year-old male with septic arthritis of the pubic symphysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ewa Konik

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Septic arthritis of the pubic symphysis is a rare disease. Typical clinical features include fever, pubic or groin pain, pain with hip motion, and painful or waddling gait. Identified predisposing factors to develop an infection in pubic joint include female incontinence surgery or postpartum period; sports, especially soccer; pelvic malignancy; and intravenous drug abuse. The most often identified microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Osteomyelitis complicates the majority of cases, and about half of the patients require surgical debridement along with a prolonged antibiotic treatment. We report a case of Streptococcus anginosus septic arthritis of the pubic symphysis. The patient did not have any of the above risk factors.

Total radiation dosage from X-ray examinations in rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic skeletal diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldursson, H.; Gustafsson, M.

1977-01-01

Young patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic diseases of the skeleton are increasingly being operated on with replacement of major joints. The great number of associated X-ray examinations performed on these patients has caused some anxiety amongst orthopaedic surgeons. Two patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis have been studied. An attempt was made to calculate the total radiation dose to bone marrow and gonads. For lack of recommendations for the maximum permissible radiation dose to patients, the dose calculated has been compared with the maximum permissible dose of radiation workers, and with the dose limit for non-occupational irradiation of individuals. The yearly absorbed dose in these two patients is much lower than the maximum permissible dose of radiation workers and only slightly higher than the dose limit for non-occupational exposure of individuals. (author)

Up-regulated dipeptidyl-peptidase IV (CD26) on monocytes was unaffected by effective DMARD treatment in early steroid and DMARD-naive rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellingsen, Torkell Juulsgaad; Hansen, I; Thorsen, J

2012-01-01

To study the CD26 density on monocytes and CD4+ T-lymphocytes in steroid and DMARD-naïve, early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to analyse for correlations with disease activity, including long-term radiographic progression.......To study the CD26 density on monocytes and CD4+ T-lymphocytes in steroid and DMARD-naïve, early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to analyse for correlations with disease activity, including long-term radiographic progression....

Bone loss and aggravated autoimmune arthritis in HLA-DRβ1-bearing humanized mice following oral challenge with Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandal, Indra; Karydis, Anastasios; Luo, Jiwen; Prislovsky, Amanda; Whittington, Karen B; Rosloniec, Edward F; Dong, Chen; Novack, Deborah V; Mydel, Piotr; Zheng, Song Guo; Radic, Marko Z; Brand, David D

2016-10-26

The linkage between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis is well established. Commonalities among the two are that both are chronic inflammatory diseases characterized by bone loss, an association with the shared epitope susceptibility allele, and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies. To explore immune mechanisms that may connect the two seemingly disparate disorders, we measured host immune responses including T-cell phenotype and anti-citrullinated protein antibody production in human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR1 humanized C57BL/6 mice following exposure to the Gram-negative anaerobic periodontal disease pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. We measured autoimmune arthritis disease expression in mice exposed to P. gingivalis, and also in arthritis-resistant mice by flow cytometry and multiplex cytokine-linked and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We also measured femoral bone density by microcomputed tomography and systemic cytokine production. Exposure of the gingiva of DR1 mice to P. gingivalis results in a transient increase in the percentage of Th17 cells, both in peripheral blood and cervical lymph nodes, a burst of systemic cytokine activity, a loss in femoral bone density, and the generation of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies. Importantly, these antibodies are not produced in response to P. gingivalis treatment of wild-type C57BL/6 mice, and P. gingivalis exposure triggered expression of arthritis in arthritis-resistant mice. Exposure of gingival tissues to P. gingivalis has systemic effects that can result in disease pathology in tissues that are spatially removed from the initial site of infection, providing evidence for systemic effects of this periodontal pathogen. The elicitation of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies in an HLA-DR1-restricted fashion by mice exposed to P. gingivalis provides support for the role of the shared epitope in both periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The ability of P. gingivalis to induce disease

Gratitude uniquely predicts lower depression in chronic illness populations: A longitudinal study of inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sirois, Fuschia M; Wood, Alex M

2017-02-01

Although gratitude has been identified as a key clinically relevant trait for improving well-being, it is understudied within medical populations. The current study addressed this gap and extended previous and limited cross-sectional research by examining the longitudinal associations of gratitude to depression in 2 chronic illness samples, arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Two chronic illness samples, arthritis (N = 423) and IBD (N = 427), completed online surveys at Time 1 (T1). One hundred sixty-three people with arthritis and 144 people with IBD completed the 6-month follow-up survey (T2). Depression, gratitude, illness cognitions, perceived stress, social support, and disease-related variables were assessed at T1 and T2. At T2, 57.2% of the arthritis sample and 53.4% of the IBD sample met the cut off scores for significant depression. T1 gratitude was negatively associated with depressive symptoms at T1 and T2 in both samples (rs from -.43 to -.50). Regression analyses revealed that T1 gratitude remained a significant and unique predictor of lower T2 depression after controlling for T1 depression, relevant demographic variables, illness cognitions, changes in illness-relevant variables, and another positive psychological construct, thriving, in both samples. As the first investigation of the longitudinal associations of gratitude to psychological well-being in the context of chronic illness, the current study provides important evidence for the relevance of gratitude for health-related clinical populations. Further intervention-based research is warranted to more fully understand the potential benefits of gratitude for adjustment to chronic illness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Streptococcal cell wall-induced arthritis and adjuvant arthritis in F344----Lewis and in Lewis----F344 bone marrow chimeras

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

van Bruggen, M.C.; van den Broek, M.F.; van den Berg, W.B.

1991-01-01

Streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-induced arthritis and adjuvant arthritis (AA) are rat models for chronic, erosive polyarthritis. Both models can be induced in susceptible Lewis rats, whereas F344 rats are resistant. In AA as well as in SCW arthritis, antigen-specific T lymphocytes have been demonstrated to be crucial for chronic disease. In this communication the authors describe their studies to probe the cellular mechanism responsible for the difference in susceptibility of Lewis and F344, using bone marrow chimeras. By transplanting bone marrow cells from F344 into lethally irradiated Lewis recipients, Lewis rats were rendered resistant to SCW arthritis induction. F344 rats reconstituted with Lewis bone marrow, i.e., Lewis----F344 chimeras, develop an arthritis upon SCW injection. For AA comparable results were obtained. These data suggest that both resistance and susceptibility to bacterium-induced chronic arthritis are mediated by hemopoietic/immune cells and that the recipiental environment does not influence the susceptibility to chronic joint inflammation

Juvenile chronic arthritis into adulthood: a long-term follow-up study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zak, M; Pedersen, F K

2000-01-01

To evaluate a group of 65 adults with a history of or persistent juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA), on average, 26.4 yr after disease onset.......To evaluate a group of 65 adults with a history of or persistent juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA), on average, 26.4 yr after disease onset....

Reactive arthritis induced by recurrent Clostridium difficile colitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allison Marr

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Clostridium difficile colitis is a common infection that can be difficult to resolve and may result in recurrent infections. Reactive arthritis is a rare presentation of this disease and its treatment is not well differentiated in the literature. We describe a case of reactive arthritis occurring in a patient with a history of recurrent Clostridium difficile colitis while currently receiving a taper of oral vancomycin. His arthritis symptoms resolved with corticosteroids and continued treatment with anticlostridial antibiotics.

[Trends of work force participation of patients with rheumatic diseases : results from German social insurance data and the national database of the German collaborative arthritis centers].

Science.gov (United States)

Mau, W; Thiele, K; Lamprecht, J

2014-02-01

Positive therapeutic effects on the work force participation derived from international clinical trials may not be directly transferable to the community based care in Germany. Therefore recent changes of data regarding sick leave (SL), work disability pension (WDP) and employment from the social insurance and from the national database of the German collaborative arthritis centers were analyzed covering a time period of at least 10 years. Health insurance data showed a steeper decline in the average duration of SL caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared with all other diseases. In RA patients from the collaborative arthritis centers the mean duration of SL was much more reduced than the average duration of SL for members of the compulsory health insurance. The proportion of gainfully employed RA patients in collaborative arthritis centers has particularly increased in women. According to data from the pension insurance fund less incident cases of WDP due to RA, AS, and SLE have been observed than WDP caused by all other diseases. Thus different nationwide data show positive changes of the work force participation of individuals suffering from inflammatory rheumatic diseases in Germany.

Modeling best practices in chronic disease management: the Arthritis Program at Southlake Regional Health Centre.

Science.gov (United States)

Bain, Lorna; Mierdel, Sandra; Thorne, Carter

2012-01-01

Researchers, hospital administrators and governments are striving to define competencies in interprofessional care and education, as well as to identify effective models in chronic disease management. For more than 25 years The Arthritis Program (TAP) at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario, has actively practiced within these two interrelated priorities, which are now at the top of the healthcare agenda in Ontario and Canada. The approximately 135 different rheumatic conditions are the primary cause of long-term disability in Canada, affecting those from youth to the senior years, with an economic burden estimated at $4.4 billion (CAD$) annually, and growing. For the benefit of healthcare managers and their clients with chronic conditions, this article discusses TAP's history and demonstrable success, predicated on an educational model of patient self-management and self-efficacy. Also outlined are TAP's contributions in supporting evidence-based best practices in interprofessional collaboration and chronic disease management; approaches that are arguably understudied and under-practiced. Next steps for TAP include a larger role in empirical research in chronic-disease management and integration of a formal training program to benefit health professionals launching or expanding their interprofessional programs using TAP as the dynamic clinical example.

A Proposal for a Study on Treatment Selection and Lifestyle Recommendations in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Vibeke; Holmskov, Uffe; Sørensen, Signe Bek

2017-01-01

Chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel diseases, IBD), rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritides, hidradenitis suppurativa, and immune-mediated uveitis, are treated with biologics targeting the pro...

Elevated tissue transglutaminase antibodies in juvenile idiopathic arthritis children: Relation to neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and disease activity

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Rasha E. Gheith

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Subclinical gut inflammation is described in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA, so has joint involvement been related to celiac disease (CD. The well-known involvement of tissue transglutaminase (tTG in the pathogenesis of CD stimulated progress in the field of autoimmune diseases. Aim of the work: To screen JIA children for tTG antibodies and to detect its relation to the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR and disease activity. Patients and methods: The study included 44 JIA children with 44 matched controls. All subjects had no GIT symptoms suggestive of CD. Disease activity was assessed using the juvenile arthritis disease activity score in 27 joints (JADAS-27. The tTG antibodies (IgA and IgG were assessed. Results: The patients mean age was 12.5 ± 2.8 years and disease duration 5.01 ± 2.9 years; Female:Male 3.4:1. The mean JADAS-27 score was 12.6 ± 2.04. tTG antibodies were positive in 43.2% of the patients compared to 18.2% control (p = 0.01. Antibodies positivity was comparable according to gender and subtypes. The NLR in JIA children (1.62 ± 0.58 was significantly higher than in control (1.3 ± 0.5 (p = 0.006. Those with positive tTG antibodies had a significantly reduced body mass index (p = 0.02 and increased NLR (p = 0.02 compared to those with negative tTG. Only NLR and JADAS-27 would significantly predict antibodies positivity (p = 0.037 and p = 0.04, respectively. Conclusion: Increased tTG antibodies are frequent in JIA children raising the possibility of an associated subclinical CD. Markedly reduced BMI and increased NLR could forecast the presence of these antibodies. In addition to the JADAS-27, the NLR is a simple test that could predict this association and could be a useful biomarker.

Triple-phase bone image abnormalities in Lyme arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, S.J.; Dadparvar, S.; Slizofski, W.J.; Glab, L.B.; Burger, M.

1989-01-01

Arthritis is a frequent manifestation of Lyme disease. Limited triple-phase Tc-99m MDP bone imaging of the wrists and hands with delayed whole-body images was performed in a patient with Lyme arthritis. This demonstrated abnormal joint uptake in the wrists and hands in all three phases, with increased activity seen in other affected joints on delayed whole-body images. These findings are nonspecific and have been previously described in a variety of rheumatologic conditions, but not in Lyme disease. Lyme disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of articular and periarticular bone scan abnormalities

[Physiotherapy for juvenile idiopathic arthritis].

Science.gov (United States)

Spamer, M; Georgi, M; Häfner, R; Händel, H; König, M; Haas, J-P

2012-07-01

Control of disease activity and recovery of function are major issues in the treatment of children and adolescents suffering from juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Functional therapies including physiotherapy are important components in the multidisciplinary teamwork and each phase of the disease requires different strategies. While in the active phase of the disease pain alleviation is the main focus, the inactive phase requires strategies for improving motility and function. During remission the aim is to regain general fitness by sports activities. These phase adapted strategies must be individually designed and usually require a combination of different measures including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, massage as well as other physical procedures and sport therapy. There are only few controlled studies investigating the effectiveness of physical therapies in JIA and many strategies are derived from long-standing experience. New results from physiology and sport sciences have contributed to the development in recent years. This report summarizes the basics and main strategies of physical therapy in JIA.

Severity indices in rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Toledano, Esther; García de Yébenes, M Jesús; González-Álvaro, Isidoro; Carmona, Loreto

2017-08-11

To identify tools designed to evaluate the severity of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in order to use them in the investigation of prognostic markers in early arthritis. We conducted a systematic review of studies that developed/validated an index for RA disease severity. They were analyzed using the COSMIN checklist to assess their methodological quality. In addition, all the variables included were evaluated for their clarity of definition, feasibility and probability of being present in each outcome during the first 2 years of the disease course. To estimate redundancy, variables were grouped by domains. After reviewing 3,519 articles, 3 studies were included. The first study, the PAS, assessed whether current and lifetime treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and/or biologics accurately predicted RA severity, as measured by the patient-reported PAS. Treatment variables did not fully distinguish patients in the highest and lowest quartiles of PAS scores. Another severity index, the Claims-Based Index for RA Severity (CIRAS), included the variables age, sex, Felty's syndrome, number of rehabilitation and rheumatology visits, test for inflammatory markers, number of chemistry panels/platelet counts ordered and rheumatoid factor test. The correlation was low (r=0.56) with an index previously validated by the same research group, the RA medical records-based index of severity (RARBIS), with Disease Activity Score-C-reactive protein (DAS28-PCR) (r=0.07) and Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MD-HAQ) (r=0.008). Finally, the RARBIS, used to validate the CIRAS, was devised as an RA severity index based on medical records. It includes as domains surgery, radiology, extra-articular manifestations, clinical and laboratory variables, previously chosen by an expert panel. RARBIS had a weak correlation with treatment intensity (r=0.35) and with DAS28 (r=0.41). There is no index to assess the severity of RA based on the course of the

A Proposal for a Study on Treatment Selection and Lifestyle Recommendations in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Vibeke; Holmskov, Uffe; Sørensen, Signe Bek

2017-01-01

Chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (inflammatory bowel diseases, IBD), rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, spondyloarthritides, hidradenitis suppurativa, and immune-mediated uveitis, are treated with biologics targeting the pro...

SAT0125 The impact of selected comorbidities on treatment outcome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an exploratory cohort study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Emamifar, Amir; Jensen Hansen, Inger Marie

2018-01-01

diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis is associated with poor initial treatment response evaluated by disease activity score in 28 joints-C-reactive protein (DAS28- CRP): An observational cohort study. Medicine (Baltimore) 2017;96:e8357. [2] Emamifar A, et al. Patients with newly diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis......Background: Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) may present with various comorbidities resulting in worse treatment response.[1-2] Objectives: To investigate the impact of selected comorbid diseases on RA outcome with the aim of Disease Activity Score in 28 joints-C-Reactive Protein (DAS28-CRP......). Methods: All our RA patients were included in this study. Patients’ demographics, serology results and DAS28-CRP at the time of diagnosis and after 4 months of treatment initiation were collected. Patients’ electronic hospital records were evaluated for a positive history of thyroid diseases, Diabetes...

The Mediating Role of Dysfunctional Coping in the Relationship between Beliefs about the Disease and the Level of Depression in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Michal Ziarko

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most severe chronic diseases. In many cases it leads to disability and results in a decreased quality of life and increased levels of anxiety and depression. The problem that needs to be addressed is the following: which mental processes lead to increased levels of depression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis? Methods. 210 patients with rheumatoid arthritis hospitalized in rheumatology wards took part in the research. They filled in illness perception questionnaires (IPQ-R and questionnaires for testing strategies of handling stress (Mini-COPE and the level of depression (CES-D. Results. The observed correlation coefficients indicate that several elements of the perception of one’s disease moderately contribute to a high level of depression. Moreover, frequent use of dysfunctional coping strategies contributed to high levels of depression. Dysfunctional coping was moderately linked to depression. Conclusion. The conducted analyses confirmed the links between the beliefs about the disease and levels of depression and showed that the use of dysfunctional coping strategies mediates the relationship between the following elements of the representation of the disease: illness coherence, emotional representation, psychological attribution, risk factors, and the level of depression.

Doença de Graves associada à artrite idiopática juvenil Graves' disease associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

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Vanessa de Matos Santos Mendonça Marques

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Os autores relatam o caso de uma menina de 10 anos de idade com diagnóstico de doença de Graves (DG, em tratamento com propiltiouracil, que desenvolveu uveíte e artrite poliarticular e cuja mãe também tem DG e lúpus discoide. São discutidos os diagnósticos diferenciais de artrite inflamatória que surge em uma criança com doença tireoidiana autoimune medicada com drogas antitireóideas.The authors report the case of a 10-year-old girl with Graves' disease (GD, treated with propylthiouracil, who developed uveitis and polyarticular arthritis, and whose mother also had GD and discoid lupus. The differential diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis that appears in a child with autoimmune thyroid disease managed with antithyroid drugs is discussed.

EFFICACY OF ETANERCEPT IN TREATMENT OF VARIOUS TYPES OF JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS

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O. Yu. Konopel'ko

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: to assess efficacy and safety of etanercept in treatment of various types of juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children under conditions of real clinical practice. Patients and methods: 52 children were included into the study, among them 16 were with systemic and 36 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis without extra-articular involvement. Results: etanercept treatment was the most efficient in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis without extra-articular involvement. In 6 and 12 months of the treatment 50 and 70% improvement according to the ACRpedi criteria were established in 31/36 (86% and 28/36 (78% of the patients, respectively. In 24 months in 5 (29% of 17 children remained in the study remission stage of the diseases was confirmed. Conclusions: etanercept treatment was not associated with significant unfavorable effects, which allows to recommend this drug for treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis without extra-articular involvent and resistant to standard anti-rheumatic therapy.

Controlling Arthritis (A Cup of Health with CDC)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

Arthritis affects more than one in five adults and is the most common cause of disability in the United States. It occurs often in people with chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as those who are obese. In this podcast, Dr. Kamil Barbour discusses ways to control arthritis.

Controlling Arthritis (A Minute of Health with CDC)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

Arthritis affects more than one in five adults and is the most common cause of disability in the U.S. It occurs often in people with chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as those who are obese. This podcast discusses arthritis symptoms and how to control the condition.

Large-scale linkage analysis of 1302 affected relative pairs with rheumatoid arthritis

Science.gov (United States)

Hamshere, Marian L; Segurado, Ricardo; Moskvina, Valentina; Nikolov, Ivan; Glaser, Beate; Holmans, Peter A

2007-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common systematic autoimmune disease and its etiology is believed to have both strong genetic and environmental components. We demonstrate the utility of including genetic and clinical phenotypes as covariates within a linkage analysis framework to search for rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility loci. The raw genotypes of 1302 affected relative pairs were combined from four large family-based samples (North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium, United Kingdom, European Consortium on Rheumatoid Arthritis Families, and Canada). The familiality of the clinical phenotypes was assessed. The affected relative pairs were subjected to autosomal multipoint affected relative-pair linkage analysis. Covariates were included in the linkage analysis to take account of heterogeneity within the sample. Evidence of familiality was observed with age at onset (p << 0.001) and rheumatoid factor (RF) IgM (p << 0.001), but not definite erosions (p = 0.21). Genome-wide significant evidence for linkage was observed on chromosome 6. Genome-wide suggestive evidence for linkage was observed on chromosomes 13 and 20 when conditioning on age at onset, chromosome 15 conditional on gender, and chromosome 19 conditional on RF IgM after allowing for multiple testing of covariates. PMID:18466440

Rheumatoid arthritis: identifying and characterising polymorphisms using rat models

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory joint disorder characterised by erosive inflammation of the articular cartilage and by destruction of the synovial joints. It is regulated by both genetic and environmental factors, and, currently, there is no preventative treatment or cure for this disease. Genome-wide association studies have identified ∼100 new loci associated with rheumatoid arthritis, in addition to the already known locus within the major histocompatibility complex II region. However, together, these loci account for only a modest fraction of the genetic variance associated with this disease and very little is known about the pathogenic roles of most of the risk loci identified. Here, we discuss how rat models of rheumatoid arthritis are being used to detect quantitative trait loci that regulate different arthritic traits by genetic linkage analysis and to positionally clone the underlying causative genes using congenic strains. By isolating specific loci on a fixed genetic background, congenic strains overcome the challenges of genetic heterogeneity and environmental interactions associated with human studies. Most importantly, congenic strains allow functional experimental studies be performed to investigate the pathological consequences of natural genetic polymorphisms, as illustrated by the discovery of several major disease genes that contribute to arthritis in rats. We discuss how these advances have provided new biological insights into arthritis in humans. PMID:27736747

Long-term outcomes after disease activity-guided dose reduction of TNF inhibition in rheumatoid arthritis: 3-year data of the DRESS study - a randomised controlled pragmatic non-inferiority strategy trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouman, Chantal Am; van Herwaarden, Noortje; van den Hoogen, Frank Hj; Fransen, Jaap; van Vollenhoven, Ronald F.; Bijlsma, Johannes Wj; Maas, Aatke van der; den Broeder, Alfons A.

2017-01-01

Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are effective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but disadvantages include adverse events (AEs) and high costs. This can be improved by disease activity-guided dose reduction (DR). We aimed to assess long-term outcomes of TNFi DR in RA by using 3-year data from

Long-term outcomes after disease activity-guided dose reduction of TNF inhibition in rheumatoid arthritis: 3-year data of the DRESS study - a randomised controlled pragmatic non-inferiority strategy trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouman, C.A.M.; Herwaarden, N. van; Hoogen, F.H.J. van den; Fransen, J.; Vollenhoven, R.F. van; Bijlsma, J.W.; Maas, A.V.; Broeder, A.A. den

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are effective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but disadvantages include adverse events (AEs) and high costs. This can be improved by disease activity-guided dose reduction (DR). We aimed to assess long-term outcomes of TNFi DR in RA by using 3-year

Serodiagnosis and immune profile in rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, P; Bhattacharya, S; Chakraborty, M; Pal, B

1997-11-01

One hundred and seventy-five cases of clinically diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, 82 non-rheumatoid cases suffering from various other diseases and 40 healthy normal controls were investigated for detection of rheumatoid factor, quantitation of serum immunoglobulin, demonstration of antinuclear antibody (ANA) and LE cell phenomenon. Microlatex agglutination test of serum for rheumatoid factor (RF) showed 64% positivity in rheumatoid group and 1.2% positivity in non-rheumatoid group. All three immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA) were found to be raised in serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, whereas only IgA level was elevated in serum of patients with non-rheumatoid diseases. ANA and LE cell phenomenon were observed in 3.4% and 2.8% cases respectively in cases of clinically diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis who had been suffering from severe active rheumatoid arthritis. In non-rheumatoid group RF was positive in significant titre in only one case of leprosy. Synovial fluid and synovium were found to be heavily infiltrated by plasma cells and lymphocytes. RF appears first in synovial fluid and then in serum. Hence RF titre in blood may not attain significant level for the first several months.

Fears and beliefs in rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis: a qualitative study.

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Francis Berenbaum

Full Text Available To explore beliefs and apprehensions about disease and its treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis.25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 25 with spondyloarthritis participated in semi-structured interviews about their disease and its treatment. The interviews were performed by trained interviewers in participants' homes. The interviews were recorded and the main themes identified by content analysis.Patients differentiated between the underlying cause of the disease, which was most frequently identified as a hereditary or individual predisposition. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the most frequently cited triggering factor for disease onset was a psychological factor or life-event, whereas patients with spondyloarthritis tended to focus more on an intrinsic vulnerability to disease. Stress and overexertion were considered important triggering factors for exacerbations, and relaxation techniques were frequently cited strategies to manage exacerbations. The unpredictability of the disease course was a common source of anxiety. Beliefs about the disease and apprehensions about the future tended to evolve over the course of the disease, as did treatment expectations.Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis hold a core set of beliefs and apprehensions that reflect their level of information about their disease and are not necessarily appropriate. The physician can initiate discussion of these beliefs in order to dispel misconceptions, align treatment expectations, provide reassurance to the patient and readjust disease management. Such a dialogue would help improve standards of care in these chronic and incapacitating diseases.

The Stop Arthritis Very Early (SAVE) trial, an international multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial on glucocorticoids in very early arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Machold, Klaus P.; Landewé, Robert; Smolen, Josef S.; Stamm, Tanja A.; van der Heijde, Désirée M.; Verpoort, Kirsten N.; Brickmann, Kerstin; Vázquez-Mellado, Janitzia; Karateev, Dimitri E.; Breedveld, Ferdinand C.; Emery, Paul; Huizinga, Thomas W. J.

2010-01-01

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are often used as early arthritis treatment and it has been suggested that they induce remission or at least delay the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the need to start disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). To test the effect of GCs on patients with very

Calprotectin and TNF trough serum levels identify power Doppler ultrasound synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis patients in remission or with low disease activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Inciarte-Mundo, José; Ramirez, Julio; Hernández, Maria Victoria; Ruiz-Esquide, Virginia; Cuervo, Andrea; Cabrera-Villalba, Sonia Raquel; Pascal, Mariona; Yagüe, Jordi; Cañete, Juan D; Sanmarti, Raimon

2016-07-08

Serum levels of calprotectin, a major S100 leucocyte protein, are associated with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. Higher drug trough serum levels are associated with good response in patients treated with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). Power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) synovitis is predictive of flare and progression of structural damage in patients in clinical remission. The purpose of this study was to analyse the accuracy of calprotectin and TNFi trough serum levels in detecting PDUS synovitis in RA and PsA patients in clinical remission or with low disease activity who were receiving TNFi. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 92 patients (42 with RA, 50 with PsA) receiving adalimumab (ADA), etanercept (ETN) or infliximab who were in remission or had low disease activity (28-joint Disease Activity Score based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate ultrasound scores (all r coefficients >0.50 in RA). Calprotectin correlated with the PDUS synovitis score in patients treated with ADA and ETN. Using PDUS synovitis (yes or no) as the reference variable, calprotectin had an AUC of 0.826. The best cut-off was ≥1.66 μg/ml, with a likelihood ratio of 2.77. C-reactive protein (AUC 0.673) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (AUC 0.731) had a lower discriminatory capacity. TNFi trough serum levels were significantly associated with PDUS synovitis (OR 0.67, 95 % CI 0.52-0.85, p < 0.001) but their accuracy (AUC <0.5) was less than that of calprotectin. TNFi trough serum levels were inversely correlated with calprotectin and PDUS synovitis in RA and PsA patients receiving ADA and ETN. Calprotectin and TNFi trough serum levels may help identify PDUS synovitis in RA and PsA patients in clinical remission or with low disease activity.

Text mining of rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes mellitus to understand the mechanisms of Chinese medicine in different diseases with same treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ning; Zheng, Guang; Li, Jian; Zhao, Hong-Yan; Lu, Cheng; Jiang, Miao; Zhang, Chi; Guo, Hong-Tao; Lu, Ai-Ping

2018-01-09

To identify the commonalities between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and diabetes mellitus (DM) to understand the mechanisms of Chinese medicine (CM) in different diseases with the same treatment. A text mining approach was adopted to analyze the commonalities between RA and DM according to CM and biological elements. The major commonalities were subsequently verifified in RA and DM rat models, in which herbal formula for the treatment of both RA and DM identifified via text mining was used as the intervention. Similarities were identifified between RA and DM regarding the CM approach used for diagnosis and treatment, as well as the networks of biological activities affected by each disease, including the involvement of adhesion molecules, oxidative stress, cytokines, T-lymphocytes, apoptosis, and inflfl ammation. The Ramulus Cinnamomi-Radix Paeoniae Alba-Rhizoma Anemarrhenae is an herbal combination used to treat RA and DM. This formula demonstrated similar effects on oxidative stress and inflfl ammation in rats with collagen-induced arthritis, which supports the text mining results regarding the commonalities between RA and DM. Commonalities between the biological activities involved in RA and DM were identifified through text mining, and both RA and DM might be responsive to the same intervention at a specifific stage.

Total lymphoid irradiation of intractable rheumatoid arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herbst, M.; Fritz, H.; Sauer, R.

1986-01-01

Eleven patients with intractable rheumatoid arthritis were treated with fractionated total lymphoid irradiation, (total dose 20 Gy). Lasting improvement in clinical symptoms was found in four patients during treatment and the remaining patients experienced similar benefit within 2 months of irradiation. There was marked reduction in exacerbations and number of joints involved. Morning stiffness, joint swelling and tenderness decreased. Complications included severe fatigue during treatment and acute bacterial arthritis in multiple joints in one patient. Four patients have since died, one of renal failure, another of cardiogenic shock following surgery 3 and 24 months after total lymphoid irradiation. Both had generalised amyloidosis. The third patient developed joint empyema and died of toxic cardiac failure. The fourth died 3 months after resection of a Kaposi's sarcoma complicated by wound infection which responded to treatment. Immunologically, total lymphoid irradiation resulted in suppression of the absolute lymphocyte count and reduction in T-helper cells, the number of T-suppressor cells remaining unchanged. These data provide evidence of T-cell involvement in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Total lymphoid irradiation can induce sustained improvement in clinical disease activity, but severe, possibly fatal, side-effects cannot be ignored. (author)

Total lymphoid irradiation of intractable rheumatoid arthritis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herbst, M.; Fritz, H.; Sauer, R.

1986-12-01

Eleven patients with intractable rheumatoid arthritis were treated with fractionated total lymphoid irradiation, (total dose 20 Gy). Lasting improvement in clinical symptoms was found in four patients during treatment and the remaining patients experienced similar benefit within 2 months of irradiation. There was marked reduction in exacerbations and number of joints involved. Morning stiffness, joint swelling and tenderness decreased. Complications included severe fatigue during treatment and acute bacterial arthritis in multiple joints in one patient. Four patients have since died, one of renal failure, another of cardiogenic shock following surgery 3 and 24 months after total lymphoid irradiation. Both had generalised amyloidosis. The third patient developed joint empyema and died of toxic cardiac failure. The fourth died 3 months after resection of a Kaposi's sarcoma complicated by wound infection which responded to treatment. Immunologically, total lymphoid irradiation resulted in suppression of the absolute lymphocyte count and reduction in T-helper cells, the number of T-suppressor cells remaining unchanged. These data provide evidence of T-cell involvement in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Total lymphoid irradiation can induce sustained improvement in clinical disease activity, but severe, possibly fatal, side-effects cannot be ignored.

Psoriatic arthritis: A retrospective study of 162 patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlica Ljiljana

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of psoriatic arthritis in the patients with psoriasis and to analyze retrospectively the results of a 34-year multidisciplinary management of the patients with psoriatic arthritis. Methods. The study included 162 out of 183 treated patients with psoriatic arthritis, aged 48 ± 15 years. All the patients satisfied the current diagnostic criteria for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis according to the American College of Rheumatology. Results. Psoriatic arthritis developed in 183 (9.3% out of 1976 patients with psoriasis. Time interval for establishing the diagnosis was 4 years. A positive family history of the disease had 15.0% of the studied patients. Its onset was most often at 42 years of age in 70.4% of the cases, and 2 months to 59 years after the appearance of psoriasis. Psoriatic arthritis without psoriasis appeared in 1.8% of the patients. A severe form of arthritis had 64.2% of the patients, mainly the patients with scalp psoriasis (χ2=3.2; p<0.05. Nail changes had 35% of the patients. Distal interphalangeal joints were involved in 63.6%, axial skeleton in 36.4%, oligoarthritis in 45.0%, polyarthritis in 55.0%, and mutilating form in 6.8% of the patients. Elevated Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate was reveald in 61.7% of the patients. Immunoglobulin M (IgM rheumatoid factor was altered in 4.3% of the patients. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA typing in the 28 patients were: A2 32.0%, A3 18.0%, Al and A9 14.0%, A28 and A29 3.5%, B8 and B16 14.0%, B5 and B12 11.0%, B13,B15, B18, B27 and B35 7.0%. Radiologic changes were most often in hand and foot joints, less frequently in the knees and quite infrequently in hips and shoulders joints. Sacroiliitis was found in 46.4% of the patients. Psoriasis was treated with topical corticosteroids and salicylic ointments in all the patients, ultraviolet (PUVA therapy in 5.6% and retinoids in 4.3% of them. Artrithis was treated with nonsteroidal anti

Structural Biology of the TNFα Antagonists Used in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Heejin Lim

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The binding of the tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα to its cognate receptor initiates many immune and inflammatory processes. The drugs, etanercept (Enbrel®, infliximab (Remicade®, adalimumab (Humira®, certolizumab-pegol (Cimzia®, and golimumab (Simponi®, are anti-TNFα agents. These drugs block TNFα from interacting with its receptors and have enabled the development of breakthrough therapies for the treatment of several autoimmune inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and psoriatic arthritis. In this review, we describe the latest works on the structural characterization of TNFα–TNFα antagonist interactions related to their therapeutic efficacy at the atomic level. A comprehensive comparison of the interactions of the TNFα blockers would provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which they neutralize TNFα. In addition, an enhanced understanding of the higher order complex structures and quinary structures of the TNFα antagonists can support the development of better biologics with the improved pharmacokinetic properties. Accumulation of these structural studies can provide a basis for the improvement of therapeutic agents against TNFα for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune inflammatory diseases in which TNFα plays an important role in pathogenesis.

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 as Regulator of Angiogenesis in Rheumatoid Arthritis - Therapeutic Implications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Westra, J.; Molema, G.; Kallenberg, C. G. M.

Angiogenesis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis ( RA). The site and extent of inflammation and subsequent joint destruction in the rheumatoid synovium is dependent on the development of new vasculature. Inhibition of angiogenesis,

Intestinal Dysbiosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Link between Gut Microbiota and the Pathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Gabriel Horta-Baas

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Characterization and understanding of gut microbiota has recently increased representing a wide research field, especially in autoimmune diseases. Gut microbiota is the major source of microbes which might exert beneficial as well as pathogenic effects on human health. Intestinal microbiome’s role as mediator of inflammation has only recently emerged. Microbiota has been observed to differ in subjects with early rheumatoid arthritis compared to controls, and this finding has commanded this study as a possible autoimmune process. Studies with intestinal microbiota have shown that rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by an expansion and/or decrease of bacterial groups as compared to controls. In this review, we present evidence linking intestinal dysbiosis with the autoimmune mechanisms involved in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.

Bilateral septic arthritis of the temporo mandibular joint: case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayachi, Samia; Mziou, Zouha; Moatemri, Ramzi; Khochtali, Habib

2016-01-01

Septic arthritis of the temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) is a rare disease that has been reported infrequently. To the best of the authors' knowledge, only one case of bilateral TMJ septic arthritis has been reported. The contamination may result from direct extension of adjacent infection (dental or ENT), from hematogenous spread of blood-borne organisms or from direct inoculation. The most common presenting are trismus and pain, although swelling, tenderness and erythema have also been described. In addition, patients may develop fever, regional lymphadenopathy and malocclusion. Through a successively bilateral case of TMJ arthritis, without obvious portal of entry of the bacteria, we will analyze characteristics and treatment of this disease.

Immunosuppression by fractionated total lymphoid irradiation in collagen arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCune, W.J.; Buckley, J.A.; Belli, J.A.; Trentham, D.E.

1982-01-01

Treatments with fractionated total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) and cyclophosphamide were evaluated for rats injected with type II collagen. Preadministration of TLI and repeated injections of cyclophosphamide suppressed the severity of arthritis and lowered antibody titers to collagen significantly. TLI initiated at the onset of collagen arthritis decreased humoral and cellular responses to collagen but did not affect the severity of arthritis. These data demonstrate that both TLi and cyclophosphamide are immunosuppressive in an experimentally inducible autoimmune disease

Psoriatic arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerber, L.H.; Espinoza, L.R.

1985-01-01

This book contains 11 chapters. Some of the titles are: The history and epidemiologic definition of psoriatic arthritis as a distinct entity; Psoriatic arthritis: Further epidemiologic and genetic considerations; The radiologic features of psoriatic arthritis; and Laboratory findings and pathology of psoriatic arthritis

Juvenile Arthritis

Science.gov (United States)

Juvenile arthritis (JA) is arthritis that happens in children. It causes joint swelling, pain, stiffness, and loss of motion. It can affect any joint, but ... of JA that children get is juvenile idiopathic arthritis. There are several other forms of arthritis affecting ...

IJMBR ARTHRITIS edited 4.3.1

African Journals Online (AJOL)

MJP

2015-10-28

Oct 28, 2015 ... Findings: Septic arthritis in the index patient developed insidiously and was diagnosed after ... mellitus, malignancy, and rheumatoid arthritis. Others include ... intravenous drug use, anemia, hemodialysis and the extremes of ...

Psoriasis-like skin disease and arthritis caused by inducible epidermal deletion of Jun proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Zenz, Rainer; Eferl, Robert; Kenner, Lukas; Florin, Lore; Hummerich, Lars; Mehic, Denis; Scheuch, Harald; Angel, Peter; Tschachler, Erwin; Wagner, Erwin F

2005-09-15

Psoriasis is a frequent, inflammatory disease of skin and joints with considerable morbidity. Here we report that in psoriatic lesions, epidermal keratinocytes have decreased expression of JunB, a gene localized in the psoriasis susceptibility region PSORS6. Likewise, inducible epidermal deletion of JunB and its functional companion c-Jun in adult mice leads (within two weeks) to a phenotype resembling the histological and molecular hallmarks of psoriasis, including arthritic lesions. In contrast to the skin phenotype, the development of arthritic lesions requires T and B cells and signalling through tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1). Prior to the disease onset, two chemotactic proteins (S100A8 and S100A9) previously mapped to the psoriasis susceptibility region PSORS4, are strongly induced in mutant keratinocytes in vivo and in vitro. We propose that the abrogation of JunB/activator protein 1 (AP-1) in keratinocytes triggers chemokine/cytokine expression, which recruits neutrophils and macrophages to the epidermis thereby contributing to the phenotypic changes observed in psoriasis. Thus, these data support the hypothesis that epidermal alterations are sufficient to initiate both skin lesions and arthritis in psoriasis.

[Macrophage activation syndrome in a patient with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis].

Science.gov (United States)

Tavares, Anna Carolina Faria Moreira Gomes; Ferreira, Gilda Aparecida; Guimarães, Luciano Junqueira; Guimarães, Raquel Rosa; Santos, Flávia Patrícia Sena Teixeira

2015-01-01

Machrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a rare and potentially fatal disease, commonly associated with chronic rheumatic diseases, mainly juvenile idiopathic arthritis. It is included in the group of secondary forms of haemophagocytic syndrome, and other causes are lymphoproliferative diseases and infections. Its most important clinical and laboratorial manifestations are non-remitting fever, splenomegaly, bleeding, impairment of liver function, cytopenias, hypoalbuminemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypofibrinogenemia and hyperferritinemia. The treatment needs to be started quickly, and the majority of cases have a good response with corticosteroids and cyclosporine. The Epstein-Barr virus is described as a possible trigger for many cases of MAS, especially in these patients in treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers. In these refractory cases, etoposide (VP16) should be administered, associated with corticosteroids and cyclosporine. Our objective is to describe a rare case of MAS probably due to EBV infection in a subject with systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis, which achieved complete remission of the disease after therapy guided by 2004-HLH protocol. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Cardiovascular disease and risk factors in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Tobin, Anne-Marie

2012-02-01

OBJECTIVE: Patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome compared to the normal population. Patients with psoriasis and PsA may also have increased risk from nonconventional risk factors such as raised levels of homocysteine and excessive alcohol consumption. We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on CVD and all cardiovascular risk factors in patients with psoriasis and PsA. METHODS: Data sources: All studies identified from a Medline (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) search pertaining to CVD, individual risk factors in psoriasis, and PsA were included. Study selection: Studies included a healthy reference population, were published between 1975 and 2009, and were written in English. RESULTS: Our search yielded 14 studies that documented rates of CVD in patients with psoriasis and PsA compared to controls. Substantial evidence points to elevated risk of CVD in patients with psoriasis and PsA. CONCLUSION: It remains difficult to conclude if risk factors are caused by psoriasis or share a common pathogenesis. Physicians treating patients with psoriasis and PsA must be aware of all potential cardiovascular risk factors in their patients.

Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and vitamin D deficiency in an Asian resident population.

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Quraishi, Mohammed K; Badsha, Humeira

2016-04-01

We aimed to assess the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its association with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity in a UAE population. Forty-five consecutive subjects were prospectively recruited during the early summer with their clinical examination and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) being recorded at a clinic appointment, along with their blood sample being taken for the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) total test. Thirty-five (76%) patients claimed to be exposed to sunlight for Disease Activity Score (DAS28) or HAQ scores. A direct relationship was observed between HAQ scores and DAS28 scores (P culture. No association was observed between vitamin D and disease activity. However, the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency may negatively impact on bone health of these patients in the future. © 2013 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Nanomedicine delivers promising treatments for rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Leena Kumari; O'Mary, Hannah; Cui, Zhengrong

2015-01-01

An increased understanding in the pathophysiology of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, reveals that the diseased tissue and the increased presence of macrophages and other overexpressed molecules within the tissue can be exploited to enhance the delivery of nanomedicine. Nanomedicine can passively accumulate into chronic inflammatory tissues via the enhanced permeability and retention phenomenon, or be surface conjugated with a ligand to actively bind to receptors overexpressed by cells within chronic inflammatory tissues, leading to increased efficacy and reduced systemic side-effects. This review highlights the research conducted over the past decade on using nanomedicine for potential treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and summarizes some of the major findings and promising opportunities on using nanomedicine to treat this prevalent and chronic disease.

Features of Onset and Clinical Course of Reactive Arthritis in Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.S. Lebets

2013-09-01

Results. Reactive arthritis of chlamydial etiology is characterized by lesion of large and medium-sized joints of the lower limbs, which is often accompanied by short-term morning stiffness and rapid onset of transient hypomyatrophy. Reiter’s disease may develop rarely. Mycoplasma-induced reactive arthritis is characterized by debut with arthritis of knee, ankle, wrist and small joints of the hand, the development of bursitis and hypomyatrophy. Feature of Ureaplasma arthritis is the formation of bursitis in the heel and tendinitis. Reactive arthritis associated with elevated titers to antistreptolysin O differs with polymorphism of articular syndrome manifestations and, to some extent, of similarity with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Unspecified reactive arthritis has a number of the general features with others reactive arthritis and it is characterized by rather benign clinical course, long preservation of joints function and low laboratory activity. Relapse rate of reactive arthritis increases with an increase of duration of illness.

Effect of nonsurgical periodontal treatment in patients with periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review

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Silvestre-Rangil, Javier; Bagan, Leticia; Bagan, Jose V.

2016-01-01

Background Periodontitis has been regarded as a potential risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A systematic review is made to determine whether nonsurgical periodontal treatment in patients with RA offers benefits in terms of the clinical activity and inflammatory markers of the disease. Material and Methods A search was made of the Medline-PubMed, Cochrane, Embase and Scopus databases to identify studies on the relationship between the two disease processes, and especially on the effects of nonsurgical treatment in patients of this kind. The search was based on the following keywords: rheumatoid arthritis AND periodontitis (MeSH), rheumatoid arthritis AND periodontal treatment. Results Eight articles on the nonsurgical treatment of patients with periodontitis and RA were finally included in the study. All of them evaluated clinical (DAS28) and laboratory test activity (ESR, CRP, IL-6, TNFα) before and after treatment. A clear decrease in DAS28 score and ESR was recorded, while other parameters such as CRP, IL-6 and TNFα showed a non significant tendency to decrease as a result of treatment. Conclusions Nonsurgical treatment improved the periodontal condition of patients with periodontitis and RA, with beneficial effects upon the clinical and laboratory test parameters (DAS28 and ESR), while other inflammatory markers showed a marked tendency to decrease. However, all the studies included in the review involved small samples sizes and follow-up periods of no more than 6 months. Larger and particularly longitudinal studies are therefore needed to more firmly establish possible significant relations between the two disease processes. Key words:Periodontitis, rheumatoid arthritis, periodontal treatment. PMID:26946202

Role of bone scan in rheumatic disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Yun Young

2003-01-01

Rheumatic diseases can be categorized by pathology into several specific types of musculoskeletal problems, including synovitis (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis), enthesopathy (e.g. ankylosing spondylitis) and cartilage degeneration (e.g. osteoarthritis). Skeletal radiographs have contributed to the diagnosis of these articular diseases, and some disease entities need typical radiographic changes as a factor of the diagnostic criteria. However, they sometimes show normal radiographic findings in the early stage of disease, when there is demineralization of less than 30-50%. Bone scans have also been used in arthritis, but not widely because the findings are nonspecific and it is thought that bone scans do not add significant information to routine radiography. Bone scans do however play a different role than simple radiography, and it is a complementary imaging method in the course of management of arthritis. The image quality of bone scans can be improved by obtaining regional views and images under al pin-hole collimator, and through a variety of scintigraphic techniques including the three phase bone scan and bone SPECT. Therefore, bone scans could improve the diagnostic value, and answer multiple clinical questions, based on the pathophysiology of various forms of arthritis

Health-related quality of life for patients with rheumatoid arthritis foot involvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Wickman, Amy M; Pinzur, Michael S; Kadanoff, Ruth; Juknelis, Dainius

2004-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disabling form of arthritis that frequently affects the hands and feet. With time, the majority of affected individuals will become disabled. Sixty-nine consecutively selected mild to moderately affected individuals with rheumatoid arthritis provided demographic data and agreed to complete the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SFMA) instrument. Focus group subjects selectively used minimally adaptive nonprescription footwear. Control subjects had similar disease expression, but did not alter their choice of footwear due to their disease. Adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis demonstrate a significant negative impact on their quality of life with mild or moderate disease expression, as evidenced by poor scores in all six domains of the SFMA. Subjects who used even mildly adaptive nonprescription footwear demonstrated a statistically significant negative impact in mobility (p expression. Focus subjects also demonstrated a trend to less favorable scores in the arm and hand domain. Mean scores of the daily activity, emotional status, and bother index domains fared worse than population norms, but there was no statistical difference between subjects using, or not using, adaptive footwear. Individuals affected with mild to moderate rheumatoid arthritis are disabled as compared with the general population. There is a severe negative impact on mobility and functional capacity when the disease process begins to affect their feet.

Major cost savings associated with biologic dose reduction in patients with inflammatory arthritis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Murphy, C L

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore whether patients with Inflammatory Arthritis (IA) (Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) or Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)) would remain in remission following a reduction in biologic dosing frequency and to calculate the cost savings associated with dose reduction. This prospective non-blinded non-randomised study commenced in 2010. Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis being treated with a biologic agent were screened for disease activity. A cohort of those in remission according to standardized disease activity indices (DAS28 < 2.6, BASDAI < 4) was offered a reduction in dosing frequency of two commonly used biologic therapies (etanercept 50 mg once per fortnight instead of weekly, adalimumab 40 mg once per month instead of fortnightly). Patients were assessed for disease activity at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months following reduction in dosing frequency. Cost saving was calculated. 79 patients with inflammatory arthritis in remission were recruited. 57% had rheumatoid arthritis (n = 45), 13% psoriatic arthritis (n = 10) and 30% ankylosing spondylitis (n = 24). 57% (n = 45) were taking etanercept and 43% (n = 34) adalimumab. The percentage of patients in remission at 24 months was 56% (n = 44). This resulted in an actual saving to the state of approximately 600,000 euro over two years. This study demonstrates the reduction in biologic dosing frequency is feasible in Inflammatory Arthritis. There was a considerable cost saving at two years. The potential for major cost savings in biologic usage should be pursued further.

Lyme disease: a rigorous review of diagnostic criteria and treatment.

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Borchers, Andrea T; Keen, Carl L; Huntley, Arthur C; Gershwin, M Eric

2015-02-01

Lyme disease was originally identified in Lyme, Connecticut, based upon an unusual cluster of what appeared to be patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. It was subsequently identified as a new clinical entity originally called Lyme arthritis based on the observation that arthritis was a major clinical feature. However, Lyme arthritis is now called Lyme disease based upon the understanding that the clinical features include not only arthritis, but also potential cardiac, dermatologic and neurologic findings. Lyme disease typically begins with an erythematous rash called erythema migrans (EM). Approximately 4-8% of patients develop cardiac, 11% develop neurologic and 45-60% of patients manifest arthritis. The disease is transmitted following exposure to a tick bite containing a spirochete in a genetically susceptible host. There is considerable data on spirochetes, including Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), the original bacteria identified in this disease. Lyme disease, if an organism had not been identified, would be considered as a classic autoimmune disease and indeed the effector mechanisms are similar to many human diseases manifest as loss of tolerance. The clinical diagnosis is highly likely based upon appropriate serology and clinical manifestations. However, the serologic features are often misinterpreted and may have false positives if confirmatory laboratory testing is not performed. Antibiotics are routinely and typically used to treat patients with Lyme disease, but there is no evidence that prolonged or recurrent treatment with antibiotics change the natural history of Lyme disease. Although there are animal models of Lyme disease, there is no system that faithfully recapitulates the human disease. Further research on the effector mechanisms that lead to pathology in some individuals should be further explored to develop more specific therapy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MR imaging of the knee in patients with rheumatic diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weissman, B.N.; Winalski, C.S.; Aliabadi, P.; Kikinis, R.; Shortkroff, S.; Sledge, C.B.

1990-01-01

This paper evaluates the MR appearances of the knees in patients with rheumatic diseases, including the grading of changes, quantification of changes, and the role of intravenous gadolinium. MR imaging of the knee was performed in 19 patients with arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (n = 11), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (n = 2), Reiter syndrome (n = 2), Crohn arthritis (n = 1), and psoriatic arthritis (n = 3). Spin-echo images (T1, T2, and proton density weighted) were obtained in sagittal, coronal, and axial planes. T1-weighted axial images were obtained before and after intravenous injection of Gd-DTPA

Impact of tofacitinib on patient outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis – review of clinical studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boyce EG

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Eric G Boyce, Deepti Vyas, Edward L Rogan, Cynthia S Valle-Oseguera, Kate M O'Dell Department of Pharmacy Practice, Thomas J Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, USAAbstract: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive autoimmune disease associated with inflammation and destruction of joints and systemic effects, which result in significant impact on patient's quality of life and function. Tofacitinib was approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in the USA in 2012 and subsequently in other countries, but not by the European Medicines Agency. The goal of this review was to evaluate the impact of tofacitinib on patient-reported and patient-specific outcomes from prior clinical studies, focusing on quality of life, functionality, pain, global disease assessment, major adverse consequences, and withdrawals. A total of 13 reports representing 11 clinical studies on tofacitinib in rheumatoid arthritis were identified through PubMed and reference lists in meta-analyses and other reviews. Data on improvements in patient-driven composite tools to measure disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis, such as the Health Assessment Questionnaire, served as a major outcome evaluated in this review and were extracted from each study. Additional data extracted from those clinical studies included patient assessment of pain (using a 0–100 mm visual analog scale, patient global assessment of disease (using a 0–100 mm visual analog scale, patient withdrawals, withdrawals due to adverse effects or lack of effect, and risk of serious adverse effects, serious infections, and deaths. Tofacitinib 5 mg bid appears to have a favorable impact on patient outcomes related to efficacy and safety when compared with baseline values and with comparator disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and placebo. Improvements were seen in the composite and individual measures of disease activity. Serious adverse effects, other

On the origin of rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svendsen, Anders J; Kyvik, Kirsten O; Houen, Gunnar

2013-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease with a complex origin. Previous studies have reported heritability estimates on RA at about 60%. Only 16% of the genetic background of the disease has been disclosed so far. The purpose of the present investigation was to provide an optimized...

Mental health status can reflect disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sokolovic, Sekib; Dervisevic, Vedina; Fisekovic, Saida

2014-06-01

A significant number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) link the start of illness with psychological trauma or severe stress. Impaired mental health (IMH), defined as depression and anxiety with psychoneuroimmunological factors, can play a significant role in RA. The main objective of this research was to investigate the mutual correlation of IMH and RA activity, estimated by the laboratory and clinical parameters in RA patients. An open clinical prospective study that lasted for 6 months was designed. There were 72 patients included, 58 women and 14 men, aged 34 to 80 years and screened for mental health status. The study population was randomized following the Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI) scale, comprised of 53 questions with a range from 0 (no symptoms) to 4 (severe). This mental test was done only once during the study. Following the results from the BSI scale, RA patients were divided into mentally stable and mentally unstable patients to investigate the influence of RA activity on mental health. The following laboratory and clinical parameters were analyzed: sex, age, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody, and disease activity score (DAS28). All RA patients did not express extra-articular manifestations or Sjögren's syndrome. The chi-square test, ANOVA, Pearson's coefficient, and IBM Statistics - SPSS v19 were used. From a total of 72 RA patients, there were 44 mentally stable and 28 mentally unstable patients. All patients had either moderate or severe active disease. The only significant correlation of IMH and activity of RA was found in CRP and DAS28, but no significance was observed in ESR, RF, and anti-CCP. The DAS28 showed high disease activity with an average of 5.3 and CRP of 20.9 mg/L in patients with unstable mental health compared to stable mental health patients, where RA was associated with a moderate DAS average value of 4.35 and

IL-1 inhibition in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriella Giancane

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA is the form of childhood arthritis whose treatment is most challenging. The demonstration of the prominent involvement of interleukin (IL-1 in disease pathogenesis has provided the rationale for the treatment with biologic medications that antagonize this cytokine. The three IL-1 blockers that have been tested so far (anakinra, canakinumab and rilonacept have all been proven effective and safe, although only canakinumab is currently approved for use in sJIA. The studies on IL-1 inhibition in sJIA published in the past few years suggest that children with fewer affected joints, higher neutrophil count, younger age at disease onset, shorter disease duration, or, possibly, higher ferritin level may respond better to anti-IL-1 treatment. In addition, it has been postulated that use of IL-1 blockade as first-line therapy may take advantage of a window of opportunity, in which disease pathophysiology can be altered to prevent the occurrence of chronic arthritis. In this review, we analyze the published literature on IL-1 inhibitors in sJIA and discuss the rationale underlying the use of these medications, the results of therapeutic studies, and the controversial issues.

Arthritis in Children

Science.gov (United States)

... Issues Listen Español Text Size Email Print Share Arthritis Page Content Article Body Arthritis is an inflammation ... with antibiotics, even if arthritis develops. Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) has previously been ...

Community Acquired Chronic Arthritis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a Previously Healthy Pregnant Woman

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mesut Yilmaz

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Septic arthritis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is uncommon in the immunocompetent population, despite its occurrence in younger patients with open injuries and in intravenous drug abusers. Here we report a case of septic arthritis caused by P. aeruginosa. This case is unique for several reasons. First, it is a case of septic arthritis in a pregnant woman with no traditional risk factors reported in the literature including history of prior traumatic events, hospitalisation, or chronic underlying disease. She was suspected of having transient osteoporosis associated with pregnancy to involve both hip joints. Second, this is the first reported case of a community acquired chronic septic arthritis due to P. aeruginosa involving large joints of both upper and lower extremities. The patient was treated successfully with a combination of ceftazidime and amikacin for 4 weeks followed by oral ciprofloxacin 750 mg twice daily for 8 weeks.

[Bowel-associated dermatosis-arthritis syndrome during ulcerative colitis: A rare extra-intestinal sign of inflammatory bowel disease].

Science.gov (United States)

Aounallah, A; Zerriaa, S; Ksiaa, M; Jaziri, H; Boussofara, L; Ghariani, N; Mokni, S; Saidi, W; Sriha, B; Belajouza, C; Denguezli, M; Nouira, R

2016-05-01

Bowel-associated dermatosis-arthritis syndrome (BADAS) is characterized by combined pustular skin eruption and arthralgia. It may be associated with inflammatory bowel disease or bowel bypass surgery. We report a case of BADAS in a patient with ulcerative colitis. A 39-year-old woman was being treated for a severe flare-up of ulcerative colitis present over the preceding 2 months and treated with prednisone, azathioprine and cyclosporine. She was also presenting a cutaneous eruption and arthralgia that had begun three days earlier. Dermatological examination revealed profuse vesicular and pustular lesions. Biopsy specimens showed mature neutrophilic infiltrate within the dermis. A diagnosis of BADAS was made and the same treatment was maintained. Systemic symptoms were resolved but the vesicular lesions were superseded by hypertrophic scars. Bowel-associated dermatosis-arthritis syndrome consists of a vesiculopustular eruption associated with arthralgia and/or arthritis and fever, as was the case in our patient. The histological picture is characterized by abundant neutrophilic infiltrate in the superficial dermis. The clinical and histological features and the course of BADAS allow this entity to be classified within the spectrum of neutrophilic dermatoses. Treatment chiefly involves systemic corticosteroids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Educational Video Series

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... a Question Physician Corner Rheumatology Conference Rheumatology Rounds Case Rounds Radiology Rounds Pathophysiology of the Rheumatic Diseases Our Research Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Research Studies The Camille Julia Morgan Arthritis Research and Education ...

Septic arthritis caused by Peptostreptococcus asaccharolyticus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Costa

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Peptostreptococcus spp are commensal organisms, usually involved in periodontal disease. Peptostreptococcus asaccharolyticus is an anaerobic gram-negative cocci, difficult to isolate due to its slow growth. Septic arthritis by this microorganism is a rare entity, but it can occur by hematogenous dissemination from a distant focus. Colonization and growth are more likely to occur in an already damaged articulation. We report the case of a 57 year-old woman with peripheral spondyloarthritis who developed knee septic arthritis by Peptostreptococcus asaccharolyticus.

Serology and immunoglobulin profile in rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Adhya, S; Chakraborty, G; Hajra, B; Bhattacharya, S; Sikdar, P K; Sinha, S; Banerjee, P P; Ghosh, E; Chakraborty, P

1998-01-01

One hundred and twenty cases of clinically diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, 80 non-rheumatoid cases suffering from various other diseases and 40 healthy individuals were investigated for the presence of rheumatoid factor, quantitation of serum immunoglobulin, demonstration of ANA and LE cell phenomenon. Microlatex agglutination test of serum for rheumatoid factor showed 56.6% positivity in rheumatoid group and 3.7% positivity in non-rheumatoid group. All three serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA) were raised in serum in significant titre in cases of rheumatoid arthritis, whereas only IgA lever was elevated in the group of non-rheumatoid diseases. ANA and LE cell phenomenon were observed in 11.7% and 4.4% cases of rheumatoid arthritis who had severe underlying disease. In non-rheumatoid group, only one of 6 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus showed rheumatoid factor and that too in an insignificant titre (less than 1:20). Synovium and synovial fluid contained plenty of plasma cells and lymphocytes. It has been observed that RF appears first in synovial fluid and it may take several months to a year to attain detectable level in serum.

Women, men, and rheumatoid arthritis: analyses of disease activity, disease characteristics, and treatments in the QUEST-RA study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sokka, Tuulikki; Toloza, Sergio; Cutolo, Maurizio; Kautiainen, Hannu; Makinen, Heidi; Gogus, Feride; Skakic, Vlado; Badsha, Humeira; Peets, Tõnu; Baranauskaite, Asta; Géher, Pál; Ujfalussy, Ilona; Skopouli, Fotini N; Mavrommati, Maria; Alten, Rieke; Pohl, Christof; Sibilia, Jean; Stancati, Andrea; Salaffi, Fausto; Romanowski, Wojciech; Zarowny-Wierzbinska, Danuta; Henrohn, Dan; Bresnihan, Barry; Minnock, Patricia; Knudsen, Lene Surland; Jacobs, Johannes Wg; Calvo-Alen, Jaime; Lazovskis, Juris; Pinheiro, Geraldo da Rocha Castelar; Karateev, Dmitry; Andersone, Daina; Rexhepi, Sylejman; Yazici, Yusuf; Pincus, Theodore

2009-01-01

Gender as a predictor of outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has evoked considerable interest over the decades. Historically, there is no consensus whether RA is worse in females or males. Recent reports suggest that females are less likely than males to achieve remission. Therefore, we aimed to study possible associations of gender and disease activity, disease characteristics, and treatments of RA in a large multinational cross-sectional cohort of patients with RA called Quantitative Standard Monitoring of Patients with RA (QUEST-RA). The cohort includes clinical and questionnaire data from patients who were seen in usual care, including 6,004 patients at 70 sites in 25 countries as of April 2008. Gender differences were analyzed for American College of Rheumatology Core Data Set measures of disease activity, DAS28 (disease activity score using 28 joint counts), fatigue, the presence of rheumatoid factor, nodules and erosions, and the current use of prednisone, methotrexate, and biologic agents. Women had poorer scores than men in all Core Data Set measures. The mean values for females and males were swollen joint count-28 (SJC28) of 4.5 versus 3.8, tender joint count-28 of 6.9 versus 5.4, erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 30 versus 26, Health Assessment Questionnaire of 1.1 versus 0.8, visual analog scales for physician global estimate of 3.0 versus 2.5, pain of 4.3 versus 3.6, patient global status of 4.2 versus 3.7, DAS28 of 4.3 versus 3.8, and fatigue of 4.6 versus 3.7 (P < 0.001). However, effect sizes were small-medium and smallest (0.13) for SJC28. Among patients who had no or minimal disease activity (0 to 1) on SJC28, women had statistically significantly higher mean values compared with men in all other disease activity measures (P < 0.001) and met DAS28 remission less often than men. Rheumatoid factor was equally prevalent among genders. Men had nodules more often than women. Women had erosions more often than men, but the statistical significance

Role of Diet in Influencing Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Badsha, Humeira

2018-01-01

Background: Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) frequently ask their doctors about which diets to follow, and even in the absence of advice from their physicians, many patients are undertaking various dietary interventions. Discussion: However, the role of dietary modifications in RA is not well understood. Several studies have tried to address these gaps in our understanding. Intestinal microbial modifications are being studied for the prevention and management of RA. Some benefits of vegan diet may be explained by antioxidant constituents, lactobacilli and fibre, and by potential changes in intestinal flora. Similarly, Mediterranean diet shows anti-inflammatory effects due to protective properties of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamins, but also by influencing the gut microbiome. Gluten-free and elemental diets have been associated with some benefits in RA though the existing evidence is limited. Long-term intake of fish and other sources of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are protective for development of RA. The benefits of fasting, anti-oxidant supplementation, flavanoids, and probiotics in RA are not clear. Vitamin D has been shown to influence autoimmunity and specifically decrease RA disease activity. The role of supplements such as fish oils and vitamin D should be explored in future trials to gain new insights in disease pathogenesis and develop RA-specific dietary recommendations. Conclusion: Specifically more research is needed to explore the association of diet and the gut microbiome and how this can influence RA disease activity. PMID:29515679

Mortality from Musculoskeletal Disorders Including Rheumatoid Arthritis in Southern Sweden: A Multiple-cause-of-death Analysis, 1998-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiadaliri, Aliasghar A; Turkiewicz, Aleksandra; Englund, Martin

2017-05-01

To assess mortality related to musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), specifically, among adults (aged ≥ 20 yrs) in southern Sweden using the multiple-cause-of-death approach. All death certificates (DC; n = 201,488) from 1998 to 2014 for adults in the region of Skåne were analyzed when mortality from MSK disorders and RA was listed as the underlying and nonunderlying cause of death (UCD/NUCD). Trends in age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR) were evaluated using joinpoint regression, and associated causes were identified by age- and sex-adjusted observed/expected ratios. MSK (RA) was mentioned on 2.8% (0.8%) of all DC and selected as UCD in 0.6% (0.2%), with higher values among women. Proportion of MSK disorder deaths from all deaths increased from 2.7% in 1998 to 3.1% in 2014, and declined from 0.9% to 0.5% for RA. The mean age at death was higher in DC with mention of MSK/RA than in DC without. The mean ASMR for MSK (RA) was 15.5 (4.3) per 100,000 person-years and declined by 1.1% (3.8%) per year during 1998-2014. When MSK/RA were UCD, pneumonia and heart failure were the main NUCD. When MSK/RA were NUCD, the leading UCD were ischemic heart disease and neoplasms. The greatest observed/expected ratios were seen for infectious diseases (including sepsis) and blood diseases. We observed significant reduction in MSK and RA mortality rates and increase in the mean age at death. Further analyses are required to investigate determinants of these improvements in MSK/RA survival and their potential effect on the Swedish healthcare systems.

Interstitial Lung Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis in the Era of Biologics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Picchianti Diamanti

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Interstitial lung disease (ILD represents a severe manifestation in connective tissue diseases (CTD, with an overall incidence of 15%, and it is still a challenge for clinicians evaluation and management. ILD is the most common manifestation of lung involvement in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA, observed in up to 80% of biopsies, 50% of chest Computed Tomography (CT and only 5% of chest radiographs. Histopatological patterns of ILD in RA may present with different patterns, such as: usual interstitial pneumonia, non specific interstitial pneumonia, desquamative interstitial pneumonia, organizing pneumonia, and eosinophilic infiltration. The incidence of ILD in RA patients is not only related to the disease itself, many drugs may be in fact associated with the development of pulmonary damage. Some reports suggest a causative role for TNFα inhibitors in RA-ILD development/worsening, anyway, no definitive statement can be drawn thus data are incomplete and affected by several variables. A tight control (pulmonary function tests and/or HRCT is mandatory in patients with preexisting ILD, but it should be also performed in those presenting risk factors for ILD and mild respiratory symptoms. Biologic therapy should be interrupted, and, after excluding triggering infections, corticosteroids should be administered.

Impact of respiratory disease, diarrhea, otitis and arthritis on mortality and carcass traits in white veal calves.

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Pardon, Bart; Hostens, Miel; Duchateau, Luc; Dewulf, Jeroen; De Bleecker, Koen; Deprez, Piet

2013-04-15

Little is known on the effects of common calf diseases on mortality and carcass traits in the white veal industry (special-fed veal), a highly integrated production system, currently criticized for the intensive pro- and metaphylactic use of antimicrobials. The objective of the present study was to determine the impact of bovine respiratory disease (BRD), diarrhea, arthritis and otitis on the economically important parameters of mortality, hot carcass weight (HCW), carcass quality, fat cover and meat color. For this purpose, a prospective study on 3519 white veal calves, housed in 10 commercial herds, was conducted. Case definitions were based on clinical observation by the producers and written treatment records were used. Calves received oral antimicrobial group treatments in the milk during 25.2% of the production time on average. With an increasing percentage of the production cycle spent on oral antimicrobials, HCW reduced, whereas the odds for insufficient fat cover or an undesirable red meat color both decreased. Of the calves, 14.8%, 5.3%, 1.5% and 1.6% were individually diagnosed and treated for BRD, diarrhea, arthritis and otitis, respectively. Overall, 5.7% of the calves died and the mortality risk was higher in the first weeks after arrival. Calves that experienced one BRD episode showed a 8.2 kg reduction in HCW, a lower fat cover and an increased mortality risk (hazard ratio (HR) = 5.5), compared to calves which were not individually diagnosed and treated for BRD. With an increasing number of BRD episodes, these losses increased dramatically. Additionally, calves, which experienced multiple BRD episodes, were more likely to have poor carcass quality and an undesirable red meat color at slaughter. Arthritis increased the mortality risk (HR = 3.9), and reduced HCW only when associated with BRD. Otitis did only increase the mortality risk (HR = 7.0). Diarrhea severely increased the mortality risk (HR = 11.0), reduced HCW by 9.2 kg on

Prevalence of dry eye syndrome and Sjogren's syndrome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

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Kosrirukvongs, Panida; Ngowyutagon, Panotsom; Pusuwan, Pawana; Koolvisoot, Ajchara; Nilganuwong, Surasak

2012-04-01

Rheumatoid arthritis has manifestations in various organs including ophthalmic involvement. The present study evaluates prevalence of dry eye and secondary Sjogren's syndrome using salivary scintigraphy which has not been used in previous reports. To evaluate the prevalence of secondary Sjogren's syndrome in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, including clinical characteristics and dry eye, compared with non-Sjogren's syndrome. Descriptive cross sectional study Sixty-one patients with rheumatoid arthritis were recruited at Siriraj Hospital during March 2009-September 2010 and filled in the questionnaires about dry eye for Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) with a history taking of associated diseases, medications, duration of symptoms of dry eyes and dry mouth. The Schirmer I test without anesthesia, tear break-up time, rose bengal staining score, severity of keratitis and salivary scintigraphy were measured and analyzed. Prevalence of secondary Sjogren's syndrome and dry eye were 22.2% (95% CI 15.4 to 30.9) and 46.7% (95% CI 38.0 to 55.6), respectively. Dry eye interpreted from OSDI, Schirmer 1 test, tear break-up time and rose bengal staining was 16.4%, 46.7%, 82% and 3.3% respectively. Fifty-two percent of patients had a history of dry eye and dry mouth with mean duration 27.4 and 29.8 months, respectively. Superficial punctate keratitis and abnormal salivary scintigraphy were found in 58.2% and 77.8%. Duration of rheumatoid arthritis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate were not correlated with secondary Sjogren's syndrome. Dry eye from OSDI with secondary Sjogren's syndrome (33.3%) compared with non-Sjogren's syndrome (9.5%) was significant difference (p = 0.008). Adjusted odds ratio for secondary Sjogren's syndrome in OSDIL score > 25 was 13.8 (95% CI 2.6 to 73.8, p = 0.002) compared to OSDI score dry eye syndrome and secondary Sjogren's syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis was crucial for evaluation of their severity and proper management.

The role of lipopolysaccharide injected systemically in the reactivation of collagen-induced arthritis in mice

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Yoshino, Shin; Ohsawa, Motoyasu

2000-01-01

We investigated the role of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the reactivation of autoimmune disease by using collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice in which autoimmunity to the joint cartilage component type II collagen (CII) was involved.CIA was induced by immunization with CII emulsified with complete Freund's adjuvant at the base of the tail (day 0) followed by a booster injection on day 21. Varying doses of LPS from E. coli were i.p. injected on day 50.Arthritis began to develop on day 25 after immunization with CII and reached a peak on day 35. Thereafter, arthritis subsided gradually but moderate joint inflammation was still observed on day 50. An i.p. injection of LPS on day 50 markedly reactivated arthritis on a dose-related fashion. Histologically, on day 55, there were marked oedema of synovium which had proliferated by the day of LPS injection, new formation of fibrin, and intense infiltration of neutrophils accompanied with a large number of mononuclear cells. The reactivation of CIA by LPS was associated with increases in anti-CII IgG and IgG2a antibodies as well as various cytokines including IL-12, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and TNF-α. LPS from S. enteritidis, S. typhimurium, and K. neumoniae and its component, lipid A from E. coli also reactivated the disease. Polymyxin B sulphate suppressed LPS- or lipid A-induced reactivation of CIA.These results suggest that LPS may play an important role in the reactivation of autoimmune joint inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis in humans. PMID:10742285

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the wrist in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

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Nusman, Charlotte M. [Emma Children' s Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Infectious Disease, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Academic Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Lavini, Cristina; Hemke, Robert; Caan, Matthan W.A.; Maas, Mario [Academic Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Schonenberg-Meinema, Dieneke; Berg, J.M. van den; Kuijpers, Taco W. [Emma Children' s Hospital, Department of Pediatric Hematology, Immunology, Rheumatology and Infectious Disease, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Dolman, Koert M. [Sint Lucas Andreas Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Reade Institute location Jan van Breemen, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Rossum, Marion A.J. van [Reade Institute location Jan van Breemen, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Emma Children' s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2017-02-15

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI provides information on the heterogeneity of the synovium, the primary target of disease in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the wrist of children with JIA using conventional descriptive measures and time-intensity-curve shape analysis. To explore the association between enhancement characteristics and clinical disease status. Thirty-two children with JIA and wrist involvement underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI with movement-registration and were classified using validated criteria as clinically active (n = 27) or inactive (n = 5). Outcome measures included descriptive parameters and the classification into time-intensity-curve shapes, which represent the patterns of signal intensity change over time. Differences in dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI outcome measures between clinically active and clinically inactive disease were analyzed and correlation with the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score was determined. Comprehensive evaluation of disease status was technically feasible and the quality of the dynamic dataset was improved by movement registration. The conventional descriptive measure maximum enhancement differed significantly between clinically active and inactive disease (P = 0.019), whereas time-intensity-curve shape analysis showed no differences. Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score correlated moderately with enhancing volume (P = 0.484). Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI is a promising biomarker for evaluating disease status in children with JIA and wrist involvement. Conventional descriptive dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI measures are better associated with clinically active disease than time-intensity-curve shape analysis. (orig.)

Impact of juvenile idiopathic arthritis on schooling

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Bouaddi Ilham

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA is the most common arthropathy of childhood. Different diseases affect school attendance to varying degrees. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA on Moroccan children’s schooling. Methods Thirty-three children with JIA were included in this study, having been previously diagnosed according to the classification criteria of the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR. Seventy-four healthy children were recruited to serve as controls. Data was obtained for all children on their school level, educational performance, and attendance. The rate of absenteeism due to health complications was noted. Results All healthy children were able to attend school (p Conclusions Our study suggested that the schooling of children with JIA was negatively impacted due to the disorder. More studies, with a larger sample of children, are needed to confirm our findings.

Major histocompatibility complex harbors widespread genotypic variability of non-additive risk of rheumatoid arthritis including epistasis.

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Wei, Wen-Hua; Bowes, John; Plant, Darren; Viatte, Sebastien; Yarwood, Annie; Massey, Jonathan; Worthington, Jane; Eyre, Stephen

2016-04-25

Genotypic variability based genome-wide association studies (vGWASs) can identify potentially interacting loci without prior knowledge of the interacting factors. We report a two-stage approach to make vGWAS applicable to diseases: firstly using a mixed model approach to partition dichotomous phenotypes into additive risk and non-additive environmental residuals on the liability scale and secondly using the Levene's (Brown-Forsythe) test to assess equality of the residual variances across genotype groups per marker. We found widespread significant (P 5e-05) vGWAS signals within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) across all three study cohorts of rheumatoid arthritis. We further identified 10 epistatic interactions between the vGWAS signals independent of the MHC additive effects, each with a weak effect but jointly explained 1.9% of phenotypic variance. PTPN22 was also identified in the discovery cohort but replicated in only one independent cohort. Combining the three cohorts boosted power of vGWAS and additionally identified TYK2 and ANKRD55. Both PTPN22 and TYK2 had evidence of interactions reported elsewhere. We conclude that vGWAS can help discover interacting loci for complex diseases but require large samples to find additional signals.

The Impact of Low-Dose Disease-modifying Anti-rheumatics Drugs (DMARDs) on Bone Mineral Density of Premenopausal Women in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis.

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Rexhepi, Sylejman; Rexhepi, Mjellma; Sahatçiu-Meka, Vjollca; Mahmutaj, Vigan; Boshnjaku, Shkumbin

2016-04-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by symmetrical polyarthritis and multisystemic involvement. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of low dose of methotrexate on bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This paper follows a retrospective study, which involves 60 female patients with early onset RA diagnosed according to the American Rheumatism Association Criteria (ACR/EULAR 2010). The patients were divided into two groups group I was composed of thirty patients treated with dose of 7.5 mg/weekly methotrexate (MTX), while group II included thirty patients treated with dose of 2 g/daily sulfasalazine (SSZ). The Disease Activity was measured by a combination of Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and Disease Activity Score (DAS-28). Bone mineral density of the lumbar spine (L2-4), and femoral neck, was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) (Stratos 800). Laboratory findings included: In this study, we found no negative effect on BMD in RA patients treated with low dose MTX in comparison to patients treated with SSZ. There was not observed significant difference in BMD of the lumbar spine, femur neck or trochanter, of MTX and SSZ patients in the pretreatment phase, nor after 12 months of treatment. No significant change in the biochemical parameters of the both groups. Based on the results of our study, low dose of methotrexate has no negative effect on BMD in premenopausal RA patients. We believe that these results might provide new insights and that further longitudinal studies with larger groups of premenopausal RA patients are required.

Carbohydrate metabolism disorders in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis – impact of treatment

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Piotr Dąbrowski

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Chronic inflammation – the crucial pathogenic mechanism of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis – is the main cause of accelerated atherosclerosis, insulin resistance and well-known consequences related to it. The conservative treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis may provide a significant influence on glucose metabolism. The paper is a literature overview concerning insulin resistance and impaired glucose metabolism during treatment with disease-modifying drugs including biologic DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, corticosteroids and commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID. It has been found that the risk of carbohydrate disorders among those patients is much lower after therapy with hydroxychloroquine, methotrexate and TNF blockers – particularly with infliximab. The NSAID may play an important protective role in reducing risk of diabetes. The recent data show, contrary to general opinion, the advantageous outcome for glucose metabolism after treatment with corticosteroids, especially in the early active stage of rheumatoid arthritis.

Some historical remarks on microcrystalline arthritis (gout and chondrocalcinosis

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G. Pasero

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The history of microcrystalline arthritis only began in 1961 when Daniel McCarty and Joseph Lee Hollander demonstrated the presence of sodium monourate crystals in the synovial fluid of gouty patients. However, gout is a historical disease, thanks to the descriptions of Hippocrates, Caelius Aurelianus, Soranus of Ephesus and Araeteus of Cappadocia. The relationship between hyperuricemia and gout was first documented in the nineteenth century by Alfred Baring Garrod, who demonstrated deposits of uric acid crystals on a linen thread held dipped in acidified blood (the so-called “thread method”. Gout has always been considered a prerogative of the moneyed classes (arthritis divitum, and history is full of famous gouty personalities, including kings, emperors, popes, commanders, politicians, artists, writers, philosophers and scientists. Another form of microcrystalline arthritis, chondrocalcinosis, was identified as being a rheumatic disorder different from gout in the 1960s. As a specific clinical entity, it was first identified in 1958 by Dušan Žitnˇan and Štefan Sit’aj in a few Slovak families.

CD44 antibodies and immune thrombocytopenia in the amelioration of murine inflammatory arthritis.

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Patrick J Mott

Full Text Available Antibodies to CD44 have been used to successfully ameliorate murine models of autoimmune disease. The most often studied disease model has been murine inflammatory arthritis, where a clear mechanism for the efficacy of CD44 antibodies has not been established. We have recently shown in a murine passive-model of the autoimmune disease immune thrombocytopenia (ITP that some CD44 antibodies themselves can induce thrombocytopenia in mice, and the CD44 antibody causing the most severe thrombocytopenia (IM7, also is known to be highly effective in ameliorating murine models of arthritis. Recent work in the K/BxN serum-induced model of arthritis demonstrated that antibody-induced thrombocytopenia reduced arthritis, causing us to question whether CD44 antibodies might primarily ameliorate arthritis through their thrombocytopenic effect. We evaluated IM7, IRAWB14.4, 5035-41.1D, KM201, KM114, and KM81, and found that while all could induce thrombocytopenia, the degree of protection against serum-induced arthritis was not closely related to the length or severity of the thrombocytopenia. CD44 antibody treatment was also able to reverse established inflammation, while thrombocytopenia induced by an anti-platelet antibody targeting the GPIIbIIIa platelet antigen, could not mediate this effect. While CD44 antibody-induced thrombocytopenia may contribute to some of its therapeutic effect against the initiation of arthritis, for established disease there are likely other mechanisms contributing to its efficacy. Humans are not known to express CD44 on platelets, and are therefore unlikely to develop thrombocytopenia after CD44 antibody treatment. An understanding of the relationship between arthritis, thrombocytopenia, and CD44 antibody treatment remains critical for continued development of CD44 antibody therapeutics.

Suggested MR staging classification of early rheumatoid arthritis at the metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints

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Scheck, R.J.; Hoischen, S.H.; Willemsen, U.F.; Pfluger, T.; Kueffer, G.; Krueger, K.; Schattenkirchner, M.; Hahn, K.

1997-01-01

Purpose: MRI can demonstrate pathology of joint disease in the early course of rheumatoid arthritis prior to destructions seen on conventional radiographs. In a prospective study, we tried to develop a systematical classification of joint pathology demonstrated by MRI, which would be essential for scoring the course of the disease. Patients and method: Metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints of 48 patients suffering from early rheumatoid arthritis (mean disease duration: 6.4 months) were evaluated by MRI using a high-resolution transmitter-receiver coil. Examinations included 2 mm sliced T 2 -, T 1 - and gadolinium enhanced T 1 -SE sequences in coronal and axial orientation. In consideration of pathological findings on MRI and histopathogenetical pathways of destruction in rheumatoid arthritis a MR-score (0-5) was established. Results: This allowed to score each joint examined: Score 0 (normal) in 47.8%/49.5%, score 1 in 35.5%/50.5%, score 2 in 4.2%/0%, score 3 in 10.8%/0%, score 4 in 1.5%/0% of the metacarpophalangeal/interphalangeal joints, respectively. Conclusions: Using the MR-score a relative individual destruction number can be calculated, which may be used to follow up patients in the early course of rheumatoid arthritis (e.g. drug therapy studies). The presented MR scoring system has to be evaluated further in longitudinal studies and must be correlated to radiographical and clinical findings. (orig.) [de

Shared care or nurse consultations as an alternative to rheumatologist follow-up for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) outpatients with stable low disease-activity RA

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Jan; Primdahl, J; Horn, Hc

2014-01-01

per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) threshold, shared care and nurse care were cost-effective with more than 90% probability. Nurse care was cost-effective in comparison with shared care with 75% probability. Conclusions: Shared care and nurse care seem to cost less but provide broadly similar......Objectives: To compare the cost-effectiveness of three types of follow-up for outpatients with stable low-activity rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Method: In total, 287 patients were randomized to either planned rheumatologist consultations, shared care without planned consultations, or planned nurse...... consultations. Effectiveness measures included disease activity (Disease Activity Score based on 28 joint counts and C-reactive protein, DAS28-CRP), functional status (Health Assessment Questionnaire, HAQ), and health-related quality of life (EuroQol EQ-5D). Cost measures included activities in outpatient...

Tofacitinib attenuates arthritis manifestations and reduces the pathogenic CD4 T cells in adjuvant arthritis rats.

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Gertel, Smadar; Mahagna, Hussein; Karmon, Gidi; Watad, Abdulla; Amital, Howard

2017-11-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by pronounced inflammation and leukocyte infiltration in affected joints. Tofacitinib is new agent, a selective inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK) signaling pathways mediated by JAK1 and JAK3 and inhibits the key transcription factors STAT1 and STAT3. We investigated the action mechanisms of tofacitinib in rats with adjuvant-induced-arthritis (AIA). AIA-rats were treated orally with tofacitinib or with methotrexate. Arthritis severity and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were evaluated, splenic cells were examined by flow cytometry and cytokines were analyzed by real-time PCR. Tofacitinib markedly reduced the clinical status of treated rats in comparison to control group. Reduced joints inflammation and down-regulated serum CRP levels reflected the clinical manifestations of the treated rats. Tofacitinib down-regulated significantly the frequency of CD4 + IFN-γ + T cells and reduced IL-1β mRNA expression levels in the spleen of the treated rats. These results show that tofacitinib attenuated arthritis severity, modified splenic populations and cytokine imbalance. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Dietetic recommendations in rheumatoid arthritis

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María Rosa Alhambra-Expósito

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Rheumatoid arthritis (RA is a chronic autoimmune disease that has a significant effect on patients’ physical, emotional, and social functioning. For decades, patients have used different diets to try to improve the symptoms of RA. The possible benefits of dietary therapy for rheumatoid arthritis are reviewed in this article. Nutritional objectives for RA, are to halt the loss of bone mass, promote healing of bone fractures and improving bone-associated inflammatory disorders and joints. In general, diets low in saturated fat, rich in polyunsaturated fats: omega 3 and omega 6, rich in complex carbohydrates and fiber are recommended.

Gonococcal arthritis

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Disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI); Disseminated gonococcemia; Septic arthritis - gonococcal arthritis ... Gonococcal arthritis is an infection of a joint. It occurs in people who have gonorrhea , which is caused by ...

Psoriatic arthritis

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Sankowski, Artur Jacek; Łebkowska, Urszula Maria; Ćwikła, Jarosław; Walecka, Irena; Walecki, Jerzy

2013-01-01

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease which develops in patients with psoriasis. It is characteristic that the rheumatoid factor in serum is absent. Etiology of the disease is still unclear but a number of genetic associations have been identified. Inheritance of the disease is multilevel and the role of environmental factors is emphasized. Immunology of PsA is also complex. Inflammation is caused by immunological reactions leading to release of kinins. Destructive changes in bones usually appear after a few months from the onset of clinical symptoms. Typically PsA involves joints of the axial skeleton with an asymmetrical pattern. The spectrum of symptoms include inflammatory changes in attachments of articular capsules, tendons, and ligaments to bone surface. The disease can have divers clinical course but usually manifests as oligoarthritis. Imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis of PsA. Classical radiography has been used for this purpose for over a hundred years. It allows to identify late stages of the disease, when bone tissue is affected. In the last 20 years many new imaging modalities, such as ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR), have been developed and became important diagnostic tools for evaluation of rheumatoid diseases. They enable the assessment and monitoring of early inflammatory changes. As a result, patients have earlier access to modern treatment and thus formation of destructive changes in joints can be markedly delayed or even avoided

Psoriatic arthritis: treatment strategies using biologic agents

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C. Palazzi

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The traditional management of psoriatic arthritis (PsA includes NSAIDs, corticosteroids and DMARDs. Advancement in the knowledge of the immunopathogenesis of PsA has been associated with the development of biologic agents which have revolutionized the management of the disease. Among biologics drugs, there are the 4 currently availablee anti-TNFα blocking agents (etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab and golimumab which are more effective than traditional DMARDs on symptoms/signs of inflammation, quality of life, function, and in inhibiting the progression of the structural joint damage. Despite of the high cost, TNF inhibitors are costeffective on both the musculoskeletal and skin manifestations of psoriatic disease.

Targeted treatment in early rheumatoid arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klarenbeek, Naomi Bertine

2013-01-01

With the implementation of new treatment options, including biologicals and the early, agressive start of target-steered treatment the outlook for rheumatoid arthritis patients improved considerably the past decades. This thesis describes several aspects of modern rheumatoid arthritis treatment from

Data Of Daily Blood Pressure Monitoring In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

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A.P. Rebrov

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of present work is to study the frequency of hypertension and the peculiarity of 24-hour blood pressure monitoring in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We studied 584 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Daily blood pressure monitoring was carried out in 46 patients with arthritis and 18 patients with essential hypertension. Frequency of hypertension was higher in patients with arthritis then in general population. Elevation of systolic blood pressure, heart rate and arterial blood pressure adequate decrease at night were developed to associate with advance of the disease.

Does stress affect the joints? Daily stressors, stress vulnerability, immune and HPA axis activity, and short-term disease and symptom fluctuations in rheumatoid arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Evers, A.W.M.; Verhoeven, E.W.M.; Middendorp, H. van; Sweep, F.C.; Kraaimaat, F.W.; Donders, A.R.T.; Eijsbouts, A.E.; Laarhoven, A.I.M. van; Brouwer, S.J.M. de; Wirken, L.; Radstake, T.R.D.J.; Riel, P.L.C.M. van

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Both stressors and stress vulnerability factors together with immune and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity components have been considered to contribute to disease fluctuations of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of the present

Course and prognosis in seropositive and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis.

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Sahatçiu-Meka, Vjollca; Rexhepi, Sylejman; Kukeli, Anton; Manxhuka-Kërliu, Suzana; Pallaskas, Kelmend; Murtezani, Ardiana; Rexhepi, Mjellma; Rexhepi, Blerta

2013-01-01

Long since it have been suggested that a subpopulation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), diagnosed with negative rheumatoid factor (RF) tests, represents a clinical entity quite distinct from that of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of the study was to establish a scientific comparative analysis between RA seronegative and seropositive, regarding course and prognoses of the disease. Two hundred fifty patients with rheumatoid arthritis according to the (American College of Rheumatology) criteria were retrospectively studied by analysis the course and prognoses of disease. All examinees were between 25-60 years of age (Xb=49.9, SD=10.3) with disease duration between 1-27 years (Xbox=6.41, SD=6.47). Course of the disease with "remissions and exacerbations", progressive continual course and bad prognoses, were more presented in seropositive group ofpatients. Partial remission was more common in seronegative patients but according to serostatus and gender has not shown statistically significant difference. Duration of the disease was a specific prognostic sign for both subsets [(r=0.32, p0.05) seronegative, (r=0.18, p<0.05) seropositive]. Seropositive and seronegative RA distinguish in course and prognostic feature, but not enough to differentiate them in two different forms of the disease. Regarding the sero-status, differences within sex, with some exceptions, are not relevant.

A randomized controlled trial examining Iyengar yoga for young adults with rheumatoid arthritis: a study protocol

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Sternlieb Beth

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, disabling disease that can compromise mobility, daily functioning, and health-related quality of life, especially in older adolescents and young adults. In this project, we will compare a standardized Iyengar yoga program for young people with rheumatoid arthritis to a standard care wait-list control condition. Methods/Design Seventy rheumatoid arthritis patients aged 16-35 years will be randomized into either the 6-week Iyengar yoga program (12 - 1.5 hour sessions twice weekly or the 6-week wait-list control condition. A 20% attrition rate is anticipated. The wait-list group will receive the yoga program following completion of the first arm of the study. We will collect data quantitatively, using questionnaires and markers of disease activity, and qualitatively using semi-structured interviews. Assessments include standardized measures of general and arthritis-specific function, pain, mood, and health-related quality of life, as well as qualitative interviews, blood pressure/resting heart rate measurements, a medical exam and the assessment of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Data will be collected three times: before treatment, post-treatment, and two months following the treatment. Discussion Results from this study will provide critical data on non-pharmacologic methods for enhancing function in rheumatoid arthritis patients. In particular, results will shed light on the feasibility and potential efficacy of a novel intervention for rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, paving the way for a larger clinical trial. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01096823

Sleep Disturbances in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis | Abbasi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sleep Disturbances in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. ... that insomnia, pain and disease intensity were the most important factors that ... that sleep disturbances are frequent in patients with RA and may contribute to disease severity.

Collagen-induced arthritis in common marmosets: A new nonhuman primate model for chronic arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.P.M. Vierboom (Michel); E. Breedveld (Elly); I. Kondova (Ivanela); B.A. 't Hart (Bert)

2010-01-01

textabstractIntroduction: There is an ever-increasing need for animal models to evaluate efficacy and safety of new therapeutics in the field of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Particularly for the early preclinical evaluation of human-specific biologicals targeting the progressive phase of the disease,

Gene Expression Deconvolution for Uncovering Molecular Signatures in Response to Therapy in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

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Ang Cui

Full Text Available Gene expression-based signatures help identify pathways relevant to diseases and treatments, but are challenging to construct when there is a diversity of disease mechanisms and treatments in patients with complex diseases. To overcome this challenge, we present a new application of an in silico gene expression deconvolution method, ISOpure-S1, and apply it to identify a common gene expression signature corresponding to response to treatment in 33 juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA patients. Using pre- and post-treatment gene expression profiles only, we found a gene expression signature that significantly correlated with a reduction in the number of joints with active arthritis, a measure of clinical outcome (Spearman rho = 0.44, p = 0.040, Bonferroni correction. This signature may be associated with a decrease in T-cells, monocytes, neutrophils and platelets. The products of most differentially expressed genes include known biomarkers for JIA such as major histocompatibility complexes and interleukins, as well as novel biomarkers including α-defensins. This method is readily applicable to expression datasets of other complex diseases to uncover shared mechanistic patterns in heterogeneous samples.

Obesity is the main determinant of insulin resistance more than the circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines levels in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo-Hernandez, Jesus; Maldonado-Cervantes, Martha Imelda; Reyes, Juan Pablo; Patiño-Marin, Nuria; Maldonado-Cervantes, Enrique; Solorzano-Rodriguez, Claudia; de la Cruz Mendoza, Esperanza; Alvarado-Sanchez, Brenda

Systemic blockade of TNF-α in Rheumatoid arthritis with insulin resistance seems to produce more improvement in insulin sensitivity in normal weight patients with Rheumatoid arthritis than in obese patients with Rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting that systemic-inflammation and obesity are independent risk factors for insulin resistance in Rheumatoid arthritis patients. To evaluate the insulin resistance in: normal weight patients with Rheumatoid arthritis, overweight patients with Rheumatoid arthritis, obese Rheumatoid arthritis patients, and matched control subjects with normal weight and obesity; and its association with major cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Assessments included: body mass index, insulin resistance by Homeostasis Model Assessment, ELISA method, and enzymatic colorimetric assay. Outstanding results from these studies include: (1) In Rheumatoid arthritis patients, insulin resistance was well correlated with body mass index, but not with levels of serum cytokines. In fact, levels of cytokines were similar in all Rheumatoid arthritis patients, regardless of being obese, overweight or normal weight (2) Insulin resistance was significantly higher in Rheumatoid arthritis with normal weight than in normal weight (3) No significant difference was observed between insulin resistances of Rheumatoid arthritis with obesity and obesity (4) As expected, levels of circulating cytokines were significantly higher in Rheumatoid arthritis patients than in obesity. Obesity appears to be a dominant condition above inflammation to produce IR in RA patients. The dissociation of the inflammation and obesity components to produce IR suggests the need of an independent therapeutic strategy in obese patients with RA. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.

What role does rheumatoid arthritis disease activity have in cardiovascular risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez Huaranga, Marco Aurelio; Mínguez Sanchez, María Dolores; Zarca Diaz de la Espina, Miguel Ángel; Espinosa Prados, Pedro José; Romero Aguilera, Guillermo

2017-04-21

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with a 1.3 to 3-fold increase in mortality, being the major cause of death from cardiovascular complications (40%-50%). Therefore, the initial approach should include cardiovascular risk (CVR) assessment using algorithms adapted for this population. Although, SCOREM is an important advance, there are data indicating that subclinical atherosclerosis may be underdiagnosed. To estimate the strength of association between carotid ultrasound and SCOREM in this population, as well as the implication of disease activity. Cross-sectional, observational, analytical study performed at the General Hospital of Ciudad Real, Spain, between June 2013 and May 2014. The evaluation of CVR was performed and, according to SCOREM, the population was divided into low and high (medium, high and very high) risk. We studied the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in low-risk patients. Of the total of 119 RA patients, 73.1% had traditional risk factors. Thirty-eight patients were excluded because of a previous cardiovascular event, diabetes mellitus and/or nephropathy. Atheromatous plaque was observed in 14.63% of the low-risk population. The factor with the strongest association to the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis was a moderate or high activity of RA measured by the simplified disease activity index with an odds ratio of 4.95 (95% CI: 1.53-16.01). Although there was an acceptable correlation between the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis and SCOREM, there was a considerable proportion of atheromatous plaques in low-risk patients. Disease activity was the risk factor most closely associated with increased CVR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound including definitions for ultrasonographic pathology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wakefield, RJ; Balint, PV; Szkudlarek, Marcin

2005-01-01

Ultrasound (US) has great potential as an outcome in rheumatoid arthritis trials for detecting bone erosions, synovitis, tendon disease, and enthesopathy. It has a number of distinct advantages over magnetic resonance imaging, including good patient tolerability and ability to scan multiple joints...... in a short period of time. However, there are scarce data regarding its validity, reproducibility, and responsiveness to change, making interpretation and comparison of studies difficult. In particular, there are limited data describing standardized scanning methodology and standardized definitions of US...... pathologies. This article presents the first report from the OMERACT ultrasound special interest group, which has compared US against the criteria of the OMERACT filter. Also proposed for the first time are consensus US definitions for common pathological lesions seen in patients with inflammatory arthritis....

Controlling Arthritis (A Minute of Health with CDC)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2013-11-14

Arthritis affects more than one in five adults and is the most common cause of disability in the U.S. It occurs often in people with chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as those who are obese. This podcast discusses arthritis symptoms and how to control the condition.  Created: 11/14/2013 by MMWR.   Date Released: 11/14/2013.

Controlling Arthritis (A Cup of Health with CDC)

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2013-11-14

Arthritis affects more than one in five adults and is the most common cause of disability in the United States. It occurs often in people with chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as those who are obese. In this podcast, Dr. Kamil Barbour discusses ways to control arthritis.  Created: 11/14/2013 by MMWR.   Date Released: 11/14/2013.

Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide Association Studies in Celiac Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis Identifies Fourteen Non-HLA Shared Loci

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zhernakova, Alexandra; Stahl, Eli A.; Trynka, Gosia; Raychaudhuri, Soumya; Festen, Eleanora A.; Franke, Lude; Westra, Harm-Jan; Fehrmann, Rudolf S. N.; Kurreeman, Fina A. S.; Thomson, Brian; Gupta, Namrata; Romanos, Jihane; McManus, Ross; Ryan, Anthony W.; Turner, Graham; Brouwer, Elisabeth; Posthumus, Marcel D.; Remmers, Elaine F.; Tucci, Francesca; Toes, Rene; Grandone, Elvira; Mazzilli, Maria Cristina; Rybak, Anna; Cukrowska, Bozena; Coenen, Marieke J. H.; Radstake, Timothy R. D. J.; van Riel, Piet L. C. M.; Li, Yonghong; de Bakker, Paul I. W.; Gregersen, Peter K.; Worthington, Jane; Siminovitch, Katherine A.; Klareskog, Lars; Huizinga, Tom W. J.; Wijmenga, Cisca; Plenge, Robert M.

2011-01-01

Epidemiology and candidate gene studies indicate a shared genetic basis for celiac disease (CD) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the extent of this sharing has not been systematically explored. Previous studies demonstrate that 6 of the established non-HLA CD and RA risk loci (out of 26 loci for

Distribution pattern of MRI abnormalities within the knee and wrist of juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients: signature of disease activity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nusman, Charlotte M.; Hemke, Robert; Schonenberg, Dieneke; Dolman, Koert M.; van Rossum, Marion A. J.; van den Berg, J. Merlijn; Kuijpers, Taco W.; Maas, Mario

2014-01-01

The aim of this study in clinically active juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) was to assess the frequency and distribution pattern of synovitis as hallmark of disease and additional soft-tissue and bony abnormalities on MRI in the knee and wrist as two target joints. MRI datasets of 153 clinically

Septic arthritis of the sacroiliac joint

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastian, Agata; Błach, Katarzyna; Silicki, Jurand; Wiland, Piotr

2018-01-01

Septic arthritis is an inflammation of a joint caused directly by various microorganisms. It is often characterized by many unspecific symptoms. Bacteria is the most often etiological factor. We present a case report of a 76-years old woman with a unilateral septic arthritis of the sacroiliac joint. Bacterial sacroiliitis should be taken into account in patients with sacroiliitis and fever onset. Proper diagnosis can be very often difficult and delayed but fast implementation of antibiotic therapy is extremely important in the treatment process. Diagnostic imaging is crucial to the diagnosis and monitoring of septic arthritis. Magnetic resonance imaging is the most relevant tool for the detection of sacroiliitis, allowing the institution of therapeutic strategies to impede the progression of the disease. PMID:29686444

Cogan's syndrome mimicking acute Lyme arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwegmann, J P; Enzenauer, R J

1995-05-01

A pediatric case of Cogan's syndrome mimicking acute Lyme arthritis is described. A 12-year-old black boy was admitted to the pediatric service for presumed right knee septic arthritis. Symptoms included acute pain and swelling with decreased range-of-motion. Although the patient's right knee symptoms and positive Lyme serology were consistent with a diagnosis of Lyme arthritis, the presence of sensorineural hearing loss and interstitial keratitis with inflammatory arthritis suggested a diagnosis of Cogan's syndrome. Subsequent Western blot analysis was negative for Borrelia burgdorferi antigens. The patient had dramatic clinical improvement of musculoskeletal and ophthalmologic complaints shortly after receiving high-dose corticosteroids, although residual sensorineural hearing loss persisted.

CDC Vital Signs–Arthritis in America

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2017-03-07

This podcast is based on the March 2017 CDC Vital Signs report. Many adults in the United States have arthritis. Learn how to reduce the pain of arthritis, as well as manage the condition.  Created: 3/7/2017 by National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).   Date Released: 3/7/2017.

Septic Arthritis of The Hip Joint presenting as Acute Abdomen ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

These cases illustrate the maxim that any painful movement of the hip joint with associated unexplained fever should raise suspicion of septic arthritis. The close relationship of the hip joint to the pelvis sometimes confuses hip diseases with pelvic pathologies. Key Words: Septic arthritis, acute abdomen, pathological ...

Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination and varicella status in inflammatory arthritis patients.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McCarthy, E M

2011-11-15

Patients with inflammatory arthritis are at increased risk of vaccine preventable infections. This risk is increased by immunomodulatory therapies. Vaccination for influenza and pneumococcal disease reduces the risk. Severe cases of varicella infection have occurred in patients on biologic therapies. We sought to identify vaccination rates for commonly acquired infections and to ascertain varicella immune status in patients with inflammatory arthritis. 100 patients with inflammatory arthritis were administered a standardised questionnaire. Data collected included age, diagnosis, vaccination history, history of varicella, treatment and the presence of other indications for vaccination. 58 patients (58%) had not received the influenza vaccine in the past year. Only 19 patients (19%) had ever received pneumococcal vaccine. Anti TNF use did not predict vaccination (p = .46). An increasing number of co morbid conditions predicted both pneumococcal (p < 0.003) and influenza vaccine (p < 0.03) administration. Nineteen patients (19%) gave no history of varicella infection, none having had varicella titres checked pre treatment. Immunisation rates in patients with inflammatory arthritis on immunosuppressive therapies are low. Immunisation schedules should be available for each patient during rheumatology and general practice consultations.

Heterogeneous stock mice are susceptible to encephalomyelitis and antibody-initiated arthritis but not to collagen- and G6PI-induced arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Klaczkowska, D; Raposo, B; Nandakumar, K S

2011-01-01

The strategy of using heterogeneous stock (HS) mice has proven to be successful in fine mapping of quantitative trait loci in complex diseases. However, whether these mice can be used for arthritis, encephalomyelitis and autoimmune phenotypes has not been addressed. Here, we screened the Northport HS mice for arthritis phenotypes using three different models: collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), using rat, bovine or chicken collagen type II (CII); recombinant human glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (G6PI)-induced arthritis; and collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA). Irrespective of the origin of collagen, we found HS mice to be fairly resistant to CIA and G6PI-induced arthritis, despite the development of antibodies against the respective antigens. On the other hand, HS mice were found to be susceptible for CAIA. Similarly, these mice developed encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced either with mouse or rat spinal cord homogenate (SCH), or with recombinant rat myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, with elevated antibody levels against CNS proteins. Accordingly, we conclude that the use of HS mice for fine mapping and positional cloning of gene(s) involved in CAIA and EAE is possible, but not for collagen- and G6PI-induced arthritis. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Coronary artery abnormalities in children with systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lefèvre-Utile, Alain; Galeotti, Caroline; Koné-Paut, Isabelle

2014-05-01

Still's disease (Systemic-onset Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: SoJIA) is characterised by high-spiking daily fevers, arthritis and evanescent rashes. Diagnosis of Still's disease is often challenging. Infectious diseases and other inflammatory conditions, especially in young children, Kawasaki disease may look similar. Clinicians often rely on echocardiographic evidence of coronary artery abnormalities to differentiate between Kawasaki disease and Still's disease. Coronary artery dilation would typically favour the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease. We present four children with Still's disease and coronary artery abnormalities who were initially misdiagnosed as Kawasaki disease. The first patient had pericarditis and an irregular wall of the left coronary artery, without dilation on echocardiography. The second patient had a left coronary artery dilatation and a pericarditis. The third patient had thickened left coronary artery walls, and the fourth patient had a hyperechogenicity of the left and right coronary arteries. They received IVIG without success. The diagnosis of Still's disease was made secondary with evidence of persistent arthritis. All but one patient finally needed biologic treatments. Coronary abnormalities may be observed during various febrile conditions and do not exclude the diagnosis of Still's disease. Copyright © 2013 Société française de rhumatologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

[Active psoriatic arthritis during pregnancy: challenges and limitations of pharmacotherapy].

Science.gov (United States)

Matuszewska, Agnieszka; Misterska-Skóra, Maria; Wiland, Piotr

2010-01-01

Cases of psoriatic arthritis coexisting with pregnancy are sparse and therefore little is known about the fetal effect of medication in women with psoriatic arthritis. As a rule, drugs and dosages are minimized in these patients. Among disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, cyclosporine and sulphasalazine are preferred. Methotrexate and leflunomide are strictly contraindicated and must be withdrawn 3 months or 2 years, respectively, before a pregnancy is planned. Psoriatic arthritis may be treated during pregnancy with glucocorticosteroids, especially with prednisone or prednisolone. We present the case ofa 40-year-old gravida with psoriatic arthritis which exacerbated during the first trimester of pregnancy. Therapeutic implications in such cases are discussed.

MR imaging assessment of clinical problems in rheumatoid arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narvaez, Jose A.; Roca, Yolanda; Aguilera, Carlos; Narvaez, Javier

2002-01-01

Although MR imaging has been increasingly recognized as a useful tool in the diagnosis of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in the assessment of disease activity, these applications have not yet been usually included in the routine management of this condition. Our goal is to review the current role of MRI in the everyday clinical management of patients with RA. The usefulness of MRI in the evaluation of articular and para-articular changes in specific locations, mainly the craniocervical region and the temporomandibular joint, are reviewed. Clinical problems derived from local extra-articular involvement, such as tenosynovitis, ''rice-bodies'' bursitis, and Baker's cyst rupture, are also described. Finally, we also review the value of MRI in evaluation of some complications of RA such as tendinous rupture, osteonecrosis, stress fracture, and septic arthritis/osteomyelitis. (orig.)

Attending and non-attending patients in a real-life setting of an early arthritis clinic: why do people leave clinics and where do they go?

Science.gov (United States)

Nell-Duxneuner, Valerie; Rezende, Lucila Stange; Stamm, Tanja A; Duer, Mona; Smolen, Josef S; Machold, Klaus P

2012-01-01

Rheumatologist assessment as early as possible is considered essential for patients with inflammatory joint disease. In our Very Early Arthritis Clinic (VEAC), a substantial proportion of initially included and followed patients later stop attendance in the clinic. We questioned attending (AP) and non-attending patients (NAP) regarding current health status and satisfaction with care as well as reasons for discontinuation and current care received by NAP. VEAC patients first seen between 1996 and 2003 were included. Assessment included the RADAI, HAQ, and visual analogue scales for pain, disease activity, fatigue, satisfaction with current health care. Current (DMARD) treatment was recorded. Among AP, 87% had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 13% non-RA. Of NAP, 37% had RA, 23% non-RA and 40% no more rheumatic disease. Satisfaction with health care concerning rheumatic disease was better in AP than NAP. Likewise, most outcome parameters were better in AP. Substantially more RA patients in the AP than NAP group received DMARDs. Apart from the disappearance of arthritis, logistic reasons were given most frequently for discontinuation of attendance. Less than 10% of NAP indicated dissatisfaction with medical care. We found advantages in both disease activity measures and satisfaction with health care for patients receiving continuous care in a highly specialised Rheumatology clinic. Furthermore, different DMARD usage in RA in AP and NAP may indicate significant deficits in treatment quality outside specialist care. Logistic issues associated with access to continuous Rheumatology care for early arthritis patients need improvement.

Connective tissue markers of rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, H J

1998-01-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common systemic autoimmune disorder of unknown aetiology. The most common outcome of RA is a progressive development of joint destruction and deformity. Early introduction of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs seems important for prevention of the long term...... of rheumatoid factor contributes to the classification of arthritis as RA, and acute phase reactants are useful for quantifying and comparing the level of inflammatory activity in the course of a given patient. There is, however, a lack of sensitive and specific biochemical markers for RA, and frontline...

Combined Circumferential and Longitudinal Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis without Overt Cardiac Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Cioffi, Giovanni; Viapiana, Ombretta; Ognibeni, Federica; Dalbeni, Andrea; Gatti, Davide; Mazzone, Carmine; Faganello, Giorgio; Di Lenarda, Andrea; Adami, Silvano; Rossini, Maurizio

2016-07-01

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Because of accelerated atherosclerosis and changes in left ventricular (LV) geometry, circumferential and longitudinal (C&L) LV systolic dysfunction (LVSD) may be impaired in these patients despite preserved LV ejection fraction. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with combined C&L LVSD in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. One hundred ninety-eight outpatients with rheumatoid arthritis without overt cardiac disease were prospectively analyzed from January through June 2014 and compared with 198 matched control subjects. C&L systolic function was evaluated by stress-corrected midwall shortening (sc-MS) and tissue Doppler mitral annular peak systolic velocity (S'). Combined C&L LVSD was defined if sc-MS was cite either of them in the other one and, afterward, we just did not think about this point anymore. Of note, the idea to combine in the analysis longitudinal function came therefore well after the starting process of revision of the paper E and was, in some way inspired by a reviewer's comment. That is why we did not put both findings in the same paper. We think that our explanations provide the broad audience of your journal a perspective of transparency and our respect for the readers' right to understand how the work described in the paper J relates to other work by our research group. Giovanni Cioffi On behalf of all co-authors Ombretta Viapiana, Federica Ognibeni, Andrea Dalbeni, Davide Gatti, Carmine Mazzone, Giorgio Faganello, Andrea Di Lenarda, Silvano Adami, and Maurizio Rossini. Copyright © 2016 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role overload, pain and physical dysfunction in early rheumatoid or undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis in Canada

OpenAIRE

Mustafa Sally; Looper Karl; Zelkowitz Phyllis; Purden Margaret; Baron Murray

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Inflammatory arthritis impairs participation in societal roles. Role overload arises when the demands by a given role set exceed the resources; time and energy, to carry out the required tasks. The present study examines the association between role overload and disease outcomes in early inflammatory arthritis (EIA). Methods Patients (n = 104) of 7.61 months mean duration of inflammatory arthritis completed self-report questionnaires on sociodemographics, disease character...

Critical appraisal of efficacy and safety of abatacept in the treatment of refractory rheumatoid arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Augustine JM

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Lisa M Lundquist1, Sabrina W Cole2, Jill M Augustine11Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Atlanta, GA, 2Wingate University School of Pharmacy, Wingate, NC, USAAbstract: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive, autoimmune disease that leads to significant disability and premature mortality. Various treatment options are available, but the foundation of treatment includes nonbiologic and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The incidence of patients with rheumatoid arthritis refractory to first-line agents is estimated to be at least 20%. Abatacept, a T cell costimulation modulator, is the first agent to interfere with full T cell activation by competing with CD28 for binding of CD80 and CD86, which results in decreased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and autoantibody production. Current American College of Rheumatology treatment guidelines recommend abatacept for patients with at least moderate disease activity and a poor prognosis demonstrating an inadequate response to other agents. Several key Phase III trials have been conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of abatacept in patients with an inadequate response to methotrexate or anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha therapy. Response rates in all trials showed statistically significant improvements compared with placebo according to American College of Rheumatology criteria for disease improvement. The most common adverse event report in patients receiving abatacept was infection; however, the frequency of adverse events was similar to placebo. Abatacept is a safe and effective rheumatoid arthritis treatment for patients with an inadequate response to methotrexate or anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha therapy.Keywords: abatacept, rheumatoid arthritis, treatment refractory, biologic, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs

The CIMESTRA study: intra-articular glucocorticosteroids and synthetic DMARDs in a treat-to-target strategy in early rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hetland, Merete Lund; Horslev-Petersen, K.

2012-01-01

Objective. Treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include aiming at disease control with early use of methotrexate (MTX) in monotherapy or in combination with glucocorticoids or other disease-modifying drugs (DMARDs). The CIMESTRA study applied an aggressive treatment with DMARD and intra-a...

Effect Of Fasting And Vegetarian Diet On The Improvement Of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalvat A

2005-07-01

Full Text Available Background: The high incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA, the conventional treatments and the experimental observations have shown that by taking particular foods or omitting some foods form ordinary diet, the disease symptoms of the patients reduce. The interesting point is that fasting lowers the objective and subjective indexes of disease activities in most patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. The effects of a short-time fast and subsequent vegetarian diets for one year, on the rheumatoid arthritis patients were studied in this research. Materials and Methods: 52 patients (40 females and 12 males with definite rheumatoid arthritis, based on the American College of Rheumatology (ACR criteria were selected and duly studied with single blind method. 28 patients were selected after one month fasting at Ramadan. From the tenth day, a vegetarian diet was prescribed for them. This diet was continued for three moths. After three moths, the diet was changed to a combination of milk, vegetables and fruits. Two of the patients left the study at the end of Ramadan. A group of 24 non-fasting patients with ordinary food diet were selected as control group. Results: In the patients subject of study (with the average age of 39+14.5 and average 36 months disease, after four weeks of fasting under vegetarian diet, significant improvement was found in many of their disease indexes based on ACR criteria, such as joint pain and joint swelling, length of morning stiffness and responds to a health evaluation questionnaires. These suitable effects have still remained the same after one year. With respect to the findings, it is concluded that fasting and a changed diet had left significant effects on all calculated indexes. Although short time fasting had suitable effects in most patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, almost in all cases, the disease recurred when the patient returned to his/her ordinary food diet. Conclusion: The results of the

X-ray atlas of rheumatic diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dihlmann, W.

1986-01-01

This atlas comprises instructive X-rays of the various inflammatory rheumatic joint diseases in all stages at the extremities and the spinal column. In addition, the complex pattern of the wide range of arthroses, also known as degenerative rheumatic disease is included. Besides the instructive pointers to X-ray diagnosis, the book is also a guide to differential diagnosis. Hence, this book is actually an X-ray atlas of joint diseases in general. Selected Contents: Introduction: What Does ''Rheumatism'' Actually Mean?/Radiographic Methodology in Rheumatic Diseases of the Locomotor System/The Mosaic of Arthritis/Adult Rheumatoid Arthritis/Seronegative Spondylarthritis/Classic Collagen Diseases/Enthesiopathies/Gout-Pseudogout

Magnetic resonance imaging-determined synovial membrane volume as a marker of disease activity and a predictor of progressive joint destruction in the wrists of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergaard, Mikkel; Hansen, M; Stoltenberg, M

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the synovial membrane volume, determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as a marker of joint disease activity and a predictor of progressive joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Twenty-six patients with RA, randomized to receive disease-modifying a......OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the synovial membrane volume, determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as a marker of joint disease activity and a predictor of progressive joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Twenty-six patients with RA, randomized to receive disease......-Pratt analysis). The rate of erosive progression on MRI was highly correlated with baseline scores and, particularly, with area under the curve (AUC) values of synovial membrane volume (Spearman's sigma = 0.69, P

Treating rheumatoid arthritis to target

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Smolen, Josef S; Breedveld, Ferdinand C; Burmester, Gerd R

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Reaching the therapeutic target of remission or low-disease activity has improved outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) significantly. The treat-to-target recommendations, formulated in 2010, have provided a basis for implementation of a strategic approach towards this t...

Smoking and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathleen Chang

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Rheumatoid arthritis (RA is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Smoking has been implicated as one of the most important extrinsic risk factors for its development and severity. Recent developments have shed light on the pathophysiology of RA in smokers, including oxidative stress, inflammation, autoantibody formation and epigenetic changes. The association of smoking and the development of RA have been demonstrated through epidemiologic studies, as well as through in vivo and animal models of RA. With increased use of biological agents in addition to standard disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs, there has been interest in how smoking affects drug response in RA treatment. Recent evidence suggests the response and drug survival in people treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF therapy is poorer in heavy smokers, and possible immunological mechanisms for this effect are presented in the current paper.

Methotrexate in the treatment of peripheral arthritis in ulcerative colitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Scarpa

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate efficacy of methotrexate treatment in peripheral arthritis of ulcerative colitis. Methods: We studied 18 patients (10/8 M/F; mean age: 38.90 yrs; range: 21-65 yrs, with peripheral arthritis (14 with polyarticular, 4 with oligoarticular subset associate ulcerative colitis. Methotrexate 20 mg/week was administered in our patients, who were already receiving mesalazina for inflammatory bowel disease. At baseline, after 3 (T1, 6 (T2 and 12 months (T3 serological parameters (ESR and CRP, functional status (HAQ and disease activity (VAS, GH, Ritchie articular index were evaluated. Results: During the therapy a significant improvement was observed in disease activity, functional status and serological parameters since T1. ESR and CRP did not change at T2 and T3. Instead VAS, GH, Ritchie articular index and HAQ had a significant and gradual improvement from T1 to T3. Conclusion: Methotrexate treatment was efficacious in the treatment of peripheral arthritis associate ulcerative colitis. This drug induced improvement in disease activity, functional status and serological parameters after 3 months of therapy.

Gender, body mass index and rheumatoid arthritis disease activity: results from the QUEST-RA Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jawaheer, D; Olsen, J; Lahiff, M; Forsberg, S; Lähteenmäki, J; da Silveira, I G; Rocha, F A; Magalhães Laurindo, I M; Henrique da Mota, L M; Drosos, A A; Murphy, E; Sheehy, C; Quirke, E; Cutolo, M; Rexhepi, S; Dadoniene, J; Verstappen, S M M; Sokka, T

2010-01-01

To investigate whether body mass index (BMI), as a proxy for body fat, influences rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity in a gender-specific manner. Consecutive patients with RA were enrolled from 25 countries into the QUEST-RA program between 2005 and 2008. Clinical and demographic data were collected by treating rheumatologists and by patient self-report. Distributions of Disease Activity Scores (DAS28), BMI, age, and disease duration were assessed for each country and for the entire dataset; mean values between genders were compared using Student's t-tests. An association between BMI and DAS28 was investigated using linear regression, adjusting for age, disease duration and country. A total of 5,161 RA patients (4,082 women and 1,079 men) were included in the analyses. Overall, women were younger, had longer disease duration, and higher DAS28 scores than men, but BMI was similar between genders. The mean DAS28 scores increased with increasing BMI from normal to overweight and obese, among women, whereas the opposite trend was observed among men. Regression results showed BMI (continuous or categorical) to be associated with DAS28. Compared to the normal BMI range, being obese was associated with a larger difference in mean DAS28 (0.23, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.34) than being overweight (0.12, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.21); being underweight was not associated with disease activity. These associations were more pronounced among women, and were not explained by any single component of the DAS28. BMI appears to be associated with RA disease activity in women, but not in men.

Evaluation of the activity of synovitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Value of power Doppler ultrasonography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, Joong Mo; Lim, Hyo Keun; Kim, Seung Hoon; Kim, Sung Hyun; Koh, Eun Mi; Kim, Jin Seok; Cha, Hoon Suk

2001-01-01

To correlate the grades on power Doppler ultrasonography with clinical disease activity indices and acute phase reactant values for assessing the activity of synovitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Twenty patients with rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed on the basis of American College of power Doppler ultrasonography. Two experienced radiologists evaluated, in consensus, the power Doppler signals as follows: grade I=no flow or minimal flow, grade 2=mild flow, grade 3=moderate flow and grade 4= marked flow. The clinical disease activity indices consisted of the counts of tender joints and swollen joints, patient's assessment of pain, patient's global assessment of disease activity, physician's globe assessment of disease activity and patient's assessment of physical function. Acute-phase reactants included CRP and ESR. The grades on power Doppler ultrasonography were correlated with clinical disease activity indices as well as acute-phases reactant values by a use of Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The grades on power Doppler ultrasonography showed a statistically significant correlation with tender joint count (rs=.835; p<.05), swollen joint count (rs=.833; p<.05), physician's global assessment of disease activity (rs=.857; p<.05), CRP (rs=.838; P<.05) and ESR (rs=.838; p<.05). The power Doppler ultrasonography is an useful diagnostic modality for assessing the activity of synovitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Patient-Reported Disease Activity and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Nathaniel; Eudy, Amanda; Clowse, Megan

2018-06-15

While increased rheumatic disease activity during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, this activity is typically assessed by the physician. Little is known, however, about the association between patient-reported measures of disease activity and pregnancy outcomes. Univariate and multivariable regression models were used to assess the relationship between patient and physician-reported measures of disease activity and adverse pregnancy outcomes in 225 patients with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) enrolled in a prospective registry at a single academic center from 2008-2016. In women with RA, patient-reported disease activity is associated with preterm birth (OR 5.9 (1.5-23.9)), and gestational age (beta -1.5 weeks (-2.6, -0.4 weeks)). The physician assessment of disease activity also predicted preterm (OR 2.1 (1.2-3.5)), small for gestational age births (OR 1.8 (1.03-3.1), and gestational age in weeks (beta -0.6 weeks (-0.9, -0.02 weeks)). On the other hand, SLE patient-reported disease activity measures, including the HAQ, pain or global health measures, are not associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, physician measures of SLE disease activity are associated with preterm birth (OR 2.9 (1.-6.3)), cesarean delivery (OR 2.3 (1.0-5.3)), and preeclampsia (OR 2.8 (1.3-6.3)). The results do not appear to be driven by lupus nephritis or antiphospholipid syndrome. For women with RA, patient-reported measures of disease activity may be useful adjuncts to physician-reported measures in identifying pregnancies at greater risk. In contrast, in SLE, no patient-reported measures were associated with adverse outcomes while physician measures of disease activity helped predict several adverse pregnancy outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Vitamin D is not useful as a biomarker for disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

de la Torre Lossa, Paola; Moreno Álvarez, Mario; González Guzmán, María Del Carmen; López Martínez, Rafael; Ríos Acosta, Carlos

2018-05-17

To determine whether there is an association between serum vitamin D levels and the Disease Activity Index in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). An analytical, retrospective, cross-sectional study was performed at the Hospital Luis Vernaza and Center for Rheumatology and Rehabilitation. We included 18 to 75-year-old patients with a diagnosis of RA according to the 2010 classification criteria, and with a 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 [OH] D) test within the last 3 months. The activity of the disease was assessed with the 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as an acute-phase reactant. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to establish association between the variables. A total of 100 RA patients were studied. The mean vitamin D levels were 32.9 ± 11.5 ng/mL. In all, 45% showed insufficient 25 (OH) D and 55% had normal levels; no deficient vitamin D values were found. According to the DAS28-CRP, patients with low, moderate and high activity had an average vitamin D level of 30.4 ± 10.7, 31.9 ± 10.7, and 31.8 ± 12.1 ng/mL, respectively. There were no significant correlations between the disease activity and the serum vitamin D level (P=.60). In our group of RA patients, there was no statistically significant correlation between the levels of vitamin D and the activity of the disease, nor were other determining variables associated with vitamin D levels. Copyright © 2018 Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Fatigue and sleep quality in rheumatoid arthritis patients during hospital admission

OpenAIRE

Szady, Paulina; B?czyk, Gra?yna; Koz?owska, Katarzyna

2017-01-01

Objectives : Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease of connective tissue characterised by chronic course with periods of exacerbation and remission. Even in the early stages of the disease patients report the occurrence of fatigue and sleep disorders. Reduced sleep quality and chronic fatigue are common among patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of the research was to evaluate the severity of fatigue and sleep quality assessment among patients hospitalised with rheumatoid arth...

Neonatal and infantile candidal arthritis with or without osteomyelitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yousefzadeh, D.K.

1980-01-01

Four cases of candidal arthritis and osteomyelitis are presented and 17 others are reviewed from the literature. The clinical and radiographic aspects of the entity are discussed in detail and compared with those of bacterial septic arthritis. The role of predisposing factors are elaborated. An increase in the incidence of the disease is anticipated and the diagnostic difficulties are enumerated. (orig.) [de

The role of traditional cardiovascular risk factors among patients with rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brady, Sharmayne R E; de Courten, Barbora; Reid, Christopher M

2009-01-01

People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with the general population. We investigated the relative contribution of traditional cardiovascular risk factors to this elevated risk.......People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with the general population. We investigated the relative contribution of traditional cardiovascular risk factors to this elevated risk....

Risk of serious infection in biological treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Singh, Jasvinder A; Cameron, Chris; Noorbaloochi, Shahrzad

2015-01-01

). We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of serious infections in patients treated with biological drugs compared with those treated with traditional DMARDs. METHODS: We did a systematic literature search with Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Clinical......Trials.gov from their inception to Feb 11, 2014. Search terms included "biologics", "rheumatoid arthritis" and their synonyms. Trials were eligible for inclusion if they included any of the approved biological drugs and reported serious infections. We assessed the risk of bias with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool......BACKGROUND: Serious infections are a major concern for patients considering treatments for rheumatoid arthritis. Evidence is inconsistent as to whether biological drugs are associated with an increased risk of serious infection compared with traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs...

Effects by periodontitis on pristane-induced arthritis in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Eriksson, Kaja; Lönnblom, Erik; Tour, Gregory; Kats, Anna; Mydel, Piotr; Georgsson, Pierre; Hultgren, Catharina; Kharlamova, Nastya; Norin, Ulrika; Jönsson, Jörgen; Lundmark, Anna; Hellvard, Annelie; Lundberg, Karin; Jansson, Leif; Holmdahl, Rikard; Yucel-Lindberg, Tülay

2016-11-03

An infection-immune association of periodontal disease with rheumatoid arthritis has been suggested. This study aimed to investigate the effect of pre-existing periodontitis on the development and the immune/inflammatory response of pristane-induced arthritis. We investigated the effect of periodontitis induced by ligature placement and Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) infection, in combination with Fusobacterium nucleatum to promote its colonization, on the development of pristane-induced arthritis (PIA) in rats (Dark Agouti). Disease progression and severity of periodontitis and arthritis was monitored using clinical assessment, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT)/intraoral radiographs, antibody response, the inflammatory markers such as α-1-acid glycoprotein (α-1-AGP) and c-reactive protein (CRP) as well as cytokine multiplex profiling at different time intervals after induction. Experimentally induced periodontitis manifested clinically (P periodontitis-induction led to severe arthritis in all rats demonstrating that the severity of arthritis was not affected by the pre-existence of periodontitis. Endpoint analysis showed that 89% of the periodontitis-affected animals were positive for antibodies against arginine gingipain B and furthermore, the plasma antibody levels to a citrullinated P. gingivalis peptidylarginine deiminase (PPAD) peptide (denoted CPP3) were significantly (P periodontitis rats with PIA. Additionally, there was a trend towards increased pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels, and increased α-1-AGP levels in plasma from periodontitis-challenged PIA rats. Pre-existence of periodontitis induced antibodies against citrullinated peptide derived from PPAD in rats with PIA. However, there were no differences in the development or severity of PIA between periodontitis challenged and periodontitis free rats.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Unsal, Ayla; Gözüm, Sebahat

2010-04-01

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in patients with arthritis, the types of complementary and alternative medicine used, pertinent socio-demographic factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine use and its perceived efficacy. Arthritis is a major health issue, and the use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with arthritis is common. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from 250 patients with arthritis at the physiotherapy and immunology clinics Atatürk University Hospital in eastern Turkey between May-July 2005 using a questionnaire developed specifically for this study. The instrument included questions on socio-demographic information, disease specifics and complementary and alternative medicine usage. Seventy-six per cent of participants reported use of at least one form of complementary and alternative medicine in the previous year. Complementary and alternative medicine users and non-users were not significantly different in most socio-demographic characteristics including age, gender, marital status and education level with the exception of economic status. We categorised treatment into six complementary and alternative medicine categories: 62.6% of patients used thermal therapies; 41.5% used oral herbal therapies; 40.5% used hot therapies; 32.6% used externally applied (skin) therapies; 28.4% used massage and 12.6% used cold therapies. All forms of complementary and alternative medicine except thermal and oral herbal therapies were perceived as very effective by more than half of study participants. Complementary and alternative medicine therapy is widely used by patients with arthritis and has perceived beneficial effects. It is important for nurses and other health care professionals to be knowledgeable about the use of complementary and alternative medicine therapies when providing care to patients with arthritis because of

MR imaging of transient synovitis: differentiation from septic arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, W.J.; Im, S.A.; Lim, G.Y.; Chun, H.J.; Jung, N.Y.; Sung, M.S.; Choi, B.G.

2006-01-01

Transient synovitis is the most common cause of acute hip pain in children. However, MR imaging findings in transient synovitis and the role of MR imaging in differentiating transient synovitis from septic arthritis have not been fully reported. To describe the MR findings of transient synovitis and to determine whether the MR characteristics can differentiate this disease entity from septic arthritis. Clinical findings and MR images of 49 patients with transient synovitis (male/female 36/13, mean age 6.1 years) and 18 patients with septic arthritis (male/female 10/8, mean age 4.9 years) were retrospectively reviewed. MR findings of transient synovitis were symptomatic joint effusion, synovial enhancement, contralateral joint effusion, synovial thickening, and signal intensity (SI) alterations and enhancement in surrounding soft tissue. Among these, SI alterations and enhancement in bone marrow and soft tissue, contralateral joint effusion, and synovial thickening were statistically significant MR findings in differentiating transient synovitis from septic arthritis. The statistically significant MR findings in transient synovitis are contralateral (asymptomatic) joint effusions and the absence of SI abnormalities of the bone marrow. It is less common to have SI alterations and contrast enhancement of the soft tissues. The statistically significant MR findings in septic arthritis are SI alterations of the bone marrow, and SI alterations and contrast enhancement of the soft tissue. Ipsilateral effusion and synovial thickening and enhancement are present in both diseases

Reactive Arthritis

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Eren Erken

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Reactive arthritis is an acute, sterile, non-suppurative and inflammatory arthropaty which has occured as a result of an infectious processes, mostly after gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract infections. Reiter syndrome is a frequent type of reactive arthritis. Both reactive arthritis and Reiter syndrome belong to the group of seronegative spondyloarthropathies, associated with HLA-B27 positivity and characterized by ongoing inflammation after an infectious episode. The classical triad of Reiter syndrome is defined as arthritis, conjuctivitis and urethritis and is seen only in one third of patients with Reiter syndrome. Recently, seronegative asymmetric arthritis and typical extraarticular involvement are thought to be adequate for the diagnosis. However, there is no established criteria for the diagnosis of reactive arthritis and the number of randomized and controlled studies about the therapy is not enough. [Archives Medical Review Journal 2013; 22(3.000: 283-299

Cut-Offs and Response Criteria for the Hospital Universitario La Princesa Index (HUPI and Their Comparison to Widely-Used Indices of Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

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Isidoro González-Álvaro

Full Text Available To estimate cut-off points and to establish response criteria for the Hospital Universitario La Princesa Index (HUPI in patients with chronic polyarthritis.Two cohorts, one of early arthritis (Princesa Early Arthritis Register Longitudinal [PEARL] study and other of long-term rheumatoid arthritis (Estudio de la Morbilidad y Expresión Clínica de la Artritis Reumatoide [EMECAR] including altogether 1200 patients were used to determine cut-off values for remission, and for low, moderate and high activity through receiver operating curve (ROC analysis. The areas under ROC (AUC were compared to those of validated indexes (SDAI, CDAI, DAS28. ROC analysis was also applied to establish minimal and relevant clinical improvement for HUPI.The best cut-off points for HUPI are 2, 5 and 9, classifying RA activity as remission if ≤2, low disease activity if >2 and ≤5, moderate if >5 and <9 and high if ≥9. HUPI's AUC to discriminate between low-moderate activity was 0.909 and between moderate-high activity 0.887. DAS28's AUCs were 0.887 and 0.846, respectively; both indices had higher accuracy than SDAI (AUCs: 0.832 and 0.756 and CDAI (AUCs: 0.789 and 0.728. HUPI discriminates remission better than DAS28-ESR in early arthritis, but similarly to SDAI. The HUPI cut-off for minimal clinical improvement was established at 2 and for relevant clinical improvement at 4. Response criteria were established based on these cut-off values.The cut-offs proposed for HUPI perform adequately in patients with either early or long term arthritis.

Cut-Offs and Response Criteria for the Hospital Universitario La Princesa Index (HUPI) and Their Comparison to Widely-Used Indices of Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Álvaro, Isidoro; Castrejón, Isabel; Ortiz, Ana M; Toledano, Esther; Castañeda, Santos; García-Vadillo, Alberto; Carmona, Loreto

2016-01-01

To estimate cut-off points and to establish response criteria for the Hospital Universitario La Princesa Index (HUPI) in patients with chronic polyarthritis. Two cohorts, one of early arthritis (Princesa Early Arthritis Register Longitudinal [PEARL] study) and other of long-term rheumatoid arthritis (Estudio de la Morbilidad y Expresión Clínica de la Artritis Reumatoide [EMECAR]) including altogether 1200 patients were used to determine cut-off values for remission, and for low, moderate and high activity through receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. The areas under ROC (AUC) were compared to those of validated indexes (SDAI, CDAI, DAS28). ROC analysis was also applied to establish minimal and relevant clinical improvement for HUPI. The best cut-off points for HUPI are 2, 5 and 9, classifying RA activity as remission if ≤2, low disease activity if >2 and ≤5), moderate if >5 and <9 and high if ≥9. HUPI's AUC to discriminate between low-moderate activity was 0.909 and between moderate-high activity 0.887. DAS28's AUCs were 0.887 and 0.846, respectively; both indices had higher accuracy than SDAI (AUCs: 0.832 and 0.756) and CDAI (AUCs: 0.789 and 0.728). HUPI discriminates remission better than DAS28-ESR in early arthritis, but similarly to SDAI. The HUPI cut-off for minimal clinical improvement was established at 2 and for relevant clinical improvement at 4. Response criteria were established based on these cut-off values. The cut-offs proposed for HUPI perform adequately in patients with either early or long term arthritis.

Treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis-associated uveitis: challenges and update.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabinovich, C Egla

2011-09-01

To update the current understanding of the risk factors for poor outcomes in juvenile idiopathic arthritis-related uveitis. In addition, current therapies, both traditional and biological, are reviewed. Male sex, independent of age or antinuclear antibody status, is associated with increased ocular morbidity. Having anterior chamber inflammation on first exam increases the risk of developing vision-threatening eye complications. Presence of one complication increases the risk of developing another. Risk of cataract development associated with topical glucocorticoid use is better defined. Longer duration of remission on therapy has been found to decrease the risk of disease flare after discontinuation of methotrexate. Recent studies of both nonbiological and biological therapies for arthritis-related uveitis are discussed. With a better understanding of risk factors associated with the ocular morbidity of uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, aggressive therapies can be targeted for improved visual outcomes. Alternative treatments to avoid long-term corticosteroid use include the use of antimetabolites and biological therapies. More prospective comparator studies and/or use of multicenter databases are needed to better understand best treatments.

Rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease: What are the similarities and differences?

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Rongbin; Tian, Cheng; Postlethwaite, Arnold; Jiao, Yan; Garcia-Godoy, Franklin; Pattanaik, Debendra; Wei, Dongmei; Gu, Weikuan; Li, Jianwei

2017-12-01

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontal disease (PD) are chronic inflammatory diseases that share similar osteoclasia, human leukocyte antigen-DR4 allelic genes and immunological profile, and characteristic cytokines. Smoking can contribute to more severe RA and PD; secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators destroys the soft synovial membrane and periodontium, respectively. Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies and anti-α-enolase antibody are characteristic of these two diseases. Some studies suggest that PD may be associated with RA. Anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) antibody, but no P. gingivalis bacterium can be detected in RA patients' joint fluid. Anti-P. gingivalis antibody has been seen as a biomarker of RA. Both diseases share some nosogenesis and common pathological pathways. However, there are differing views on the connection between the two diseases. Interferon-inducible-16 (IFI16) is a genic marker of RA; moreover, the association between IFI16 and PD is rare. Some studies suggest PD is related to periodontal parameters and patient's pathological status rather than RA. Disease frequency in men and women differ between these two diseases. The expression of interleukin-17 (IL-17) receptor only associates with different genders in PD (PD of different sexes have different IL-17 expressions). Periodontal local treatment only affects clinical periodontal status, and it does not alter circulating levels of IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha or C-reactive protein which are associated with RA. This review examines the similarities and differences between these two diseases and explores possible interactions. Importantly, we will discuss whether PD is a feature of RA and whether this knowledge provides helpful information in future treatment of both diseases. © 2018 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Physiotherapy in pauciarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuk, Beata; Kaczor, Zofia; Zuk-Drążyk, Berenika; Księżopolska-Orłowska, Krystyna

2014-01-01

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common arthropathy of childhood and adolescence. This term encompasses a group of chronic systemic inflammatory diseases of the connective tissue which cause arthritis in patients under 16 years of age lasting at least 6 weeks. The authors presented the characteristic features of physiotherapy based on functional examination results on the basis of two cases of girls with pauciarticular JIA treated according to an established pharmacological regimen. Physiotherapy should be introduced at an early stage of the disease. Kinesiotherapy preceded by history-taking and a functional examination of the patient, has to focus on both primary and secondary joint lesions.

Retrocalcaneal bursitis in juvenile chronic arthritis.

OpenAIRE

Goldenstein-Schainberg, C; Homsi, C; Rodrigues Pereira, R M; Cossermelli, W

1992-01-01

Retrocalcaneal bursitis has been described in various adult rheumatic diseases and septic bursitis unrelated to previous bursal disease has been reported in children. The case is reported here of a girl with juvenile chronic arthritis who developed non-septic retrocalcaneal bursitis; the diagnosis was suggested by a combination of clinical and radiographic studies and was confirmed by ultrasonography.

Glucocorticoids in early rheumatoid arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Everdingen, Amalia A. van

2002-01-01

For 50 years, glucocorticoids (GC) are used for symptomatic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the last decade, results from clinical studies of treatment with GC as additional therapy to long-acting antirheumatic drugs in patients with early RA suggested also disease-modifying properties of

Glucocorticoid Sensitivity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.A.M. Quax

2013-01-01

textabstractAccumulating observations of women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who ‘spontaneously’ experienced less active disease during pregnancy led to the growing belief by Philip Hench that a hormonal substance had to be involved in the improving clinical conditions of pregnant patients with RA.

Features of systemic sclerosis-rheumatoid arthritis overlap syndrome (SS-RA overlap syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. V. Desinova

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To reveal clinico-laboratory, immunologic and immunogenetic features of systemic sclerosis-rheumatoid arthritis overlap syndrome (SS-RA.Material and methods. 32 pts with SS-RA (1 male, 31 female aged 22 to 74 years with disease onset at 18 to 69 years and disease duration from 1 to 35 years were included. Complex laboratory and instrumental examination was performed including nailfold capillaroscopy. A part of pts was also evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging of hands. Serum level of rheumatoid factor, antinuclear factor, circulating immune complexes, C-reactive protein, antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACCP was evaluated. Genotyping of DRB1 alleles was performed.Results. Characteristic features of SS-RA were prevalence of limited skin damage, less prominent peripheral and visceral symptoms of SS, presence of anti-topoisomerase antibodies and erosive arthritis, high laboratory and immunological activity, more frequent association with DRB1*01.Conclusion. SS-RA possesses its own clinical features and can be considered as a distinct subtype of SS.

Arthritis Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... Vision Leadership News Partners & Sponsors Careers Code of Ethics Financials Annual Report Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Donate Press Store Blog Community Local Offices Kids Get Arthritis Too Español Arthritis Today Social Media Newsletters Sign Up for E-Newsletters Arthritis Foundation ...

 Adiponectin in early and chronic rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laurberg, Trine Bay

  Dato 31. januar 2006Title Adiponectin in early and chronic rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritisAuthors:Trine Bay Laurberg,Torkell Ellingsen,Jan Frystyk,Ib Hansen,Anette Jørgensen,Ulrik Tarp,Merete Lund Hetland,Kim Hørslev-Petersen,Nete Hornung,Jørgen Hjelm Poulsen,Allan Flyvbjerg,Kristian St......  Dato 31. januar 2006Title Adiponectin in early and chronic rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritisAuthors:Trine Bay Laurberg,Torkell Ellingsen,Jan Frystyk,Ib Hansen,Anette Jørgensen,Ulrik Tarp,Merete Lund Hetland,Kim Hørslev-Petersen,Nete Hornung,Jørgen Hjelm Poulsen,Allan Flyvbjerg......,Kristian Stengaard-PedersenBackground: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, chronic, autoimmune disease, which affects the joints with inflammation leading to destruction of cartilage and bone. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterised by low level of chronic inflammation, slow...

Psychometric properties of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health-Related Quality of Life (CDC HRQOL items in adults with arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DeVellis Robert

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Measuring health-related quality of life (HRQOL is important in arthritis and the SF-36v2 is the current state-of-the-art. It is only emerging how well the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC HRQOL measures HRQOL for people with arthritis. This study's purpose is to assess the psychometric properties of the 9-item CDC HRQOL (4-item Healthy Days Core Module and 5-item Healthy Days Symptoms Module in an arthritis sample using the SF-36v2 as a comparison. Methods In Fall 2002, a cross-sectional study acquired survey data including the CDC HRQOL and SF-36v2 from 2 North Carolina populations of adult patients reporting osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia; 2182 (52% responded. The first item of both the CDC HRQOL and the SF-36v2 was general health (GEN. All 8 other CDC HRQOL items ask for the number of days in the past 30 days that respondents experienced various aspects of HRQOL. Exploratory principal components analyses (PCA were conducted on each sample and the combined samples of the CDC HRQOL. The multitrait-multimethod matrix (MTMM was used to compute correlations between each trait (physical health and mental health and between each method of measurement (CDC HRQOL and SF36v2. The relative contribution of the CDC HRQOL in predicting the physical component summary (PCS and the mental component summary (MCS was determined by regressing the CDC HRQOL items on the PCS and MCS scales. Results All 9 CDC HRQOL items loaded primarily onto 1 factor (explaining 57% of the item variance representing a reasonable solution for capturing overall HRQOL. After rotation a 2 factor interpretation for the 9 items was clear, with 4 items capturing physical health (physical, activity, pain, and energy days and 3 items capturing mental health (mental, depression, and anxiety days. All of the loadings for these two factors were greater than 0.70. The CDC HRQOL physical health factor correlated with PCS (r = -.78, p 2

Tofacitinib with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in Chinese patients with rheumatoid arthritis: Patient-reported outcomes from a Phase 3 randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhanguo; An, Yuan; Su, Houheng; Li, Xiangpei; Xu, Jianhua; Zheng, Yi; Li, Guiye; Kwok, Kenneth; Wang, Lisy; Wu, Qizhe

2018-02-01

Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We assess the effect of tofacitinib + conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti rheumatic drugs (csDMARDs) on patient-reported outcomes in Chinese patients with RA and inadequate response to DMARDs. This analysis of data from the Phase 3 study ORAL Sync included Chinese patients randomized 4 : 4 : 1 : 1 to receive tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily, tofacitinib 10 mg twice daily, placebo→tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily, or placebo→tofacitinib 10 mg twice daily, with csDMARDs. Placebo non-responders switched to tofacitinib at 3 months; the remaining placebo patients switched at 6 months. Least squares mean changes from baseline were reported for Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), patient assessment of arthritis pain (Pain), patient global assessment of disease activity (PtGA), physician global assessment of disease activity (PGA), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) scores, Short Form 36 (SF-36), and Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ), using a mixed-effects model for repeated measures. Overall, 216 patients were included (tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily, n = 86; tofacitinib 10 mg twice daily, n = 86; placebo→tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily, n = 22; placebo→tofacitinib 10 mg twice daily, n = 22). At month 3, tofacitinib elicited significant improvements in HAQ-DI, Pain, PtGA, PGA and SF-36 Physical Component Summary scores. Improvements were generally maintained through 12 months. Tofacitinib 5 and 10 mg twice daily + csDMARDs resulted in improvements in health-related quality of life, physical function and Pain through 12 months in Chinese patients with RA. © 2018 The Authors. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases published by Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

H Nuclear magnetic resonance based metabonomics data analysis in rheumatoid arthritis

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Mohammad Arjmand

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA is a chronic, systematic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints and it is a common rheumatic disease with many subtypes. Nuclear Magnetic resonance (1H NMR spectrometers with high sensitivity, resolution and dynamic range has permitted the rapid, simultaneous investigation of complex mixtures of endogenous or exogenous components present in biological materials. Metabonomics is the systematic study of chemical finger print resulted from cell reactions and could be used as a new biomarker for early disease diagnosis. In the present investigation, we studied serum metabolic profile in rheumatoid arthritis (RA in order to find out the metabolic finger print pattern of the disease. Materials and methods: In our metabonomics study serum samples were collected from 16 patients with active RA, and from equal number of healthy subjects. They were evaluated during a one-year follow-up with the assessment of disease activity and 1H NMR spectroscopy of sera samples. In all the cases, the presence of active rheumatoid arthritis was shown by an increase in the T1 values of the synovium of the joints. We specified and classified all metabolites using PCA, PLSDA chemometrics methods. Chenomx (Trail Version and ProMetab codes in Matlab software environments were used for our data analysis. Results were compared with the NMR metabolite data bank (www.metabolomics.ca. Anti-CCP, ANA and urea were also analyzed by ElISA and colorimetric methods respectively. Results: The most changes identified in this study were in the biosynthesis pathways of steroid hormones, biotin, fatty acids, amino acids (Leucine, Valin and isoleucine and also linoleic acid. Conclusion: In rheumatoid arthritis disease, the activation of the immune system consumes larg amounts of energy. The main donor of free energy in cells is ATP, which is generated by both glycolysis and oxidative

The impact of pain on psychological well-being in rheumatoid arthritis : the mediating effects of self-esteem and adjustment to disease

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nagyova, I.; Stewart, R.E.; Macejova, Z.; van Dijk, J.P.; van den Heuvel, W.J.

The aim of this study was to determine whether self-esteem and adjustment to disease can mediate the association between pain and psychological well-being in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Coefficients of correlation, multiple linear regressions and Structural Equation Model (SEM) were

Understanding the relationship between the EQ-5D, SF-6D, HAQ and disease activity in inflammatory arthritis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Adams, Roisin

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND: The growth of economic analyses and in particular cost-utility analyses (CUA), which use the QALY as a measure of outcome, has heightened the interest in the methodologies used to calculate the QALY. The EQ-5D has produced quite different utility values from that of the SF-6D. This article seeks to understand these differences using a cohort of patients with inflammatory arthritis. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between the disease-specific measure, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) disability index (DI) and the preference-based measures, SF-6D, EQ-5D and European League Against Arthritis (EULAR) Disease Activity Score (DAS) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Patients with RA and PsA (n = 504) attending a tertiary rheumatology referral centre completed the HAQ, SF-6D and the EQ-5D before starting biological therapy and again 12 months later. The SF-36 was converted into a utility using the preference-based SF-6D. Clinical outcomes such as the DAS, joint counts and laboratory measures were also recorded. We calculated single index utility scores from the preference-based instruments using UK population norms. We used regression analysis to derive a mapping function and calculated utility scores from the HAQDI and the DAS 28. RESULTS: The mean utility observed at baseline for RA was 0.43 for the EQ-5D and 0.54 for the SF-6D and for PsA was 0.49 for the EQ-5D and 0.57 for the SF-6D. The utility gain demonstrated by the EQ-5D was over twice that of the SF-6D. The EQ-5D scored 17% of the RA group as less than 0 (state defined as worse than death); 7% of this group remained less than 0 at follow-up. The distribution of the utility estimates was similar for both RA and PsA. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings draw attention to the impact of states worse than death on the overall distribution for the EQ-5D derived utilities and how these impact on its use in practice. EQ-5D-derived QALY changes are over twice

Genetics Home Reference: juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Science.gov (United States)

... disease to fight microbial invaders and facilitate tissue repair. Normally, the body stops the inflammatory response after healing is complete to prevent damage to its own cells and tissues. In people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis , the inflammatory ...

MR imaging assessment of clinical problems in rheumatoid arthritis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Narvaez, Jose A.; Roca, Yolanda; Aguilera, Carlos [Department of CT and MR Imaging, Hospital Duran i Reynals, Universitaria de Bellvitge, Barcelona (Spain); Narvaez, Javier [Department of Medicine, Delfos Medical Center, Barcelona (Spain)

2002-07-01

Although MR imaging has been increasingly recognized as a useful tool in the diagnosis of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in the assessment of disease activity, these applications have not yet been usually included in the routine management of this condition. Our goal is to review the current role of MRI in the everyday clinical management of patients with RA. The usefulness of MRI in the evaluation of articular and para-articular changes in specific locations, mainly the craniocervical region and the temporomandibular joint, are reviewed. Clinical problems derived from local extra-articular involvement, such as tenosynovitis, ''rice-bodies'' bursitis, and Baker's cyst rupture, are also described. Finally, we also review the value of MRI in evaluation of some complications of RA such as tendinous rupture, osteonecrosis, stress fracture, and septic arthritis/osteomyelitis. (orig.)

Radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis and treatment of arthritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosain, F.; Haddon, M.J.; Hosain, H.; Drost, J.K.; Spencer, R.P.

1990-01-01

A brief review is given of radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis. Topics covered include the pathophysiology of arthritis and the basis for the use of radiotracers, diagnostic procedures and radiotracer applications and therapeutic approaches and radionuclide applications. (UK)