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ID PMID Title PublicationDate abstract
16300457 Epidemiology of hyperuricemia and gout. 2005 Nov Gout is an increasingly common medical problem. The traditional risk factors of male sex and high red meat or alcohol consumption have been joined by a wave of newer risk factors, such as increased longevity, the metabolic syndrome (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, truncal obesity, increased cardiovascular disease risk), use of diuretics, low-dose aspirin, or cyclosporine, and end-stage renal disease. Atypical presentations of gout in the elderly can mimic osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. There is a resurgence of interest in hyperuricemia as an independent and potentially modifiable cardiovascular risk factor. The pharmacologic management of gout in general practice suffers from a number of quality-control issues. This article reviews these and other new epidemiologic data on this ancient disease.
19595870 Optimal design of clinical trials for drugs designed to slow the course of Alzheimer's dis 2006 Jul Compounds now in clinical development are hypothesized to slow the clinical progression and pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by their effects to diminish production, increase clearance, or decrease aggregation of amyloid beta protein. Options for investigating the effects of these and other drugs on clinical progression and pathogenesis of AD were examined at a conference that included: (1) a review of experimental methods used to investigate disease-modifying drugs for multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis; (2) discussion of possible study designs and outcome measures for trials in patients with AD; and (3) discussion of biomarkers available for AD. There is no uniformly best way to investigate a drug's impact on AD progression but characteristics of studies supportive of a disease-slowing effect can be specified. Relevant clinical outcomes in drug-treated patients versus placebo-treated patients should be compared over at least 1 and possibly as long as 2 years with biomarkers reflective of pathogenesis and of the drug's mechanistic effects measured concurrently.
20477084 Adalimumab for the treatment of Crohn's disease. 2006 Jan Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory intestinal disorder characterized by chronic, recurrent, often granulomatous inflammation affecting any part of the intestines, but most frequently involving the small bowel and colon. The development of novel biologic agents targeting tumor necrosis factor has revolutionized the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn's disease. Adalimumab, a fully human anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody, has recently been evaluated for Crohn's disease and was found to be effective for induction of clinical response and remission in patients with active inflammatory disease. Preliminary experience also indicates that adalimumab is useful in patients with prior intolerance or loss of response to infliximab. The rate of adverse events is comparable to other tumor necrosis factor antagonists in rheumatoid arthritis, but longer studies are needed to evaluate both the long-term efficacy and safety of adalimumab in the treatment of Crohn's disease.
16717113 Autoimmune arthritis associated with mutated interleukin (IL)-6 receptor gp130 is driven b 2006 Jun 12 Mice homozygous for the F759 mutation in the gp130 interleukin (IL)-6 receptor subunit have enhanced gp130-mediated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 activation and spontaneously developed a lymphocyte-mediated rheumatoid arthritis-like joint disease. Here, we show that the development of the disease is dependent on both major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II-restricted CD4+ T cells and IL-6 family cytokines. In spite of the necessity for CD4+ T cells, the gp130 mutation was only required in nonhemtopoietic cells for the disease. The gp130 mutation resulted in enhanced production of IL-7. Conditional knockout of STAT3 in nonlymphoid cells showed that the enhancement of IL-7 production was dependent on STAT3 activation by IL-6 family cytokines. Homeostatic proliferation of CD4+ T cells was enhanced in gp130 mutant mice and acceleration of homeostatic proliferation enhanced the disease, whereas the inhibition of homeostatic proliferation suppressed the disease. Anti-IL-7 antibody treatment inhibited not only the enhanced homeostatic proliferation, but also the disease in gp130 mutant mice. Thus, our results show that autoimmune disease in gp130 mutant mice is caused by increased homeostatic proliferation of CD4+ T cells, which is due to elevated production of IL-7 by nonhematopoietic cells as a result of IL-6 family cytokine-gp130-STAT3 signaling.
15698518 Effect of varying types of anti-arthritic drugs on Th1 and Th2 immune responses in mice. 2005 Jan The present study was undertaken to study the effect of varying types of anti-arthritic drugs on Th1 and Th2 immune responses in mice. To immunize mice, ovalbumin (OVA) emulsified with complete Freund's adjuvant was injected s.c. at the base of the tail (day 0). Indomethacin (IND) as a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID), dexamethasone (DEX) as a steroidal antiinflammatory drug, methotrexate (MTX), auranofin (AUR), and D-penicillamine (D-PA) as an anti-rheumatic drugs were orally administrated daily from days 0 to 20. On day 21, anti-OVA IgG2a and interferon (IFN)-gamma as indicators of Th1 responses and anti-OVA IgG1 and interleukin (IL)-10 as those of Th2 responses were measured. Treatments with IND, DEX, MTX and AUR were followed by decreases in OVA-specific IgG and proliferation of spleen cells to the antigen. Treatments with IND, DEX, MTX and AUR inhibited both Th1 and Th2 immune responses, although the inhibitory effects of these drugs on the antigen-specific IgG2a and IFN-gamma production appeared to be greater than those on IgG1 and IL-10 production. D-PA failed to influence anti-OVA IgG, IgG2a and IgG1 production as well as IFN-gamma and IL-10 secretion. Administrations of all the drugs used resulted in suppression of antigen (OVA)-induced arthritis in mice which was associated with inhibition of anti-OVA IgG2a but not IgG1 production. These results suggest that anti-arthritic drugs including IND, DEX, MTX and AUR appear to suppress Th1 and, to a lesser extent, Th2 immune responses, and their anti-inflammatory effects on human rheumatoid arthritis might be at least in part explained by downregulation by these drugs of Th1 responses involved in the disease.
17101059 Methotrexate enhances the anti-inflammatory effect of CF101 via up-regulation of the A3 ad 2006 Methotrexate (MTX) exerts an anti-inflammatory effect via its metabolite adenosine, which activates adenosine receptors. The A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) was found to be highly expressed in inflammatory tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). CF101 (IB-MECA), an A3AR agonist, was previously found to inhibit the clinical and pathological manifestations of AIA. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of MTX on A3AR expression level and the efficacy of combined treatment with CF101 and MTX in AIA rats. AIA rats were treated with MTX, CF101, or both agents combined. A3AR mRNA, protein expression and exhibition were tested in paw and PBMC extracts from AIA rats utilizing immunohistochemistry staining, RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. A3AR level was tested in PBMC extracts from patients chronically treated with MTX and healthy individuals. The effect of CF101, MTX and combined treatment on A3AR expression level was also tested in PHA-stimulated PBMCs from healthy individuals and from MTX-treated patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Combined treatment with CF101 and MTX resulted in an additive anti-inflammatory effect in AIA rats. MTX induced A2AAR and A3AR over-expression in paw cells from treated animals. Moreover, increased A3AR expression level was detected in PBMCs from MTX-treated RA patients compared with cells from healthy individuals. MTX also increased the protein expression level of PHA-stimulated PBMCs from healthy individuals. The increase in A3AR level was counteracted in vitro by adenosine deaminase and mimicked in vivo by dipyridamole, demonstrating that receptor over-expression was mediated by adenosine. In conclusion, the data presented here indicate that MTX induces increased A3AR expression and exhibition, thereby potentiating the inhibitory effect of CF101 and supporting combined use of these drugs to treat RA.
16671329 [A case of drug eruption induced by hydroxyzine pamoate]. 2006 Jan A 62-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis, Basedow's disease and arrhythmia has been treated with antirheumatic, antiarrhythmic drugs and so on. She developed pruritic diffuse erythema with papules on the trunk and extremities 2 days after taking hydroxyzine pamoate for asteatotic eczema. Laboratory data showed increased levels of eosinophils. Histopathological examination revealed a infiltrate of inflammatory cells in the upper dermis. Patch tests with hydroxyzine pamoate and hydroxyzine hydrochloride were positive. From these findings, we diagnosed this case as drug eruption due to hydroxyzine. Her eruption subsided after she discontinued hydroxyzine pamoate and other drugs which were started within 5 days before the onset of the eruption and was treated with systemic steroid, systemic antiallergic drug and topical steroid.
16362080 Macrophage migration inhibitory factor: a critical component of autoimmune inflammatory di 2005 Sep Autoimmune inflammatory diseases occur commonly in Western populations and include conditions such as juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and systemic lupus erythematosus. The precise cause of these diseases remains enigmatic. However, current notions of pathogenesis support an important interplay between host genetics and acquired, or environmental, factors. From an immunologic perspective, autoimmune inflammatory diseases develop as a result of a loss of immune tolerance and the initiation of immune-mediated tissue injury. In the following review, we discuss recent studies pointing to an important role for the upstream mediator macrophage migration inhibitory factor in the effector responses producing autoimmune tissue damage.
17083522 The feasibility of total ankle prosthesis for severe arthropathy in haemophilia and prothr 2006 Nov The standard treatment for end-stage arthropathy of the ankle joint in haemophilia has been fusion of the ankle joint. Total ankle replacement is used in osteoarthritis and especially in rheumatoid arthritis with good medium-term results. In this case series three patients are being described, in which a total of five total ankle replacements have been preformed. After a median follow up of 4.3 years (range 1-8.7) all prostheses were still in place and did not show any signs of loosening. Clinical scores showed a good to excellent result. In this small series total ankle replacement in patients with bleeding disorders show promising results. Further studies are needed to show the value of this relatively new type of surgery in haemophilic patients.
17029058 Leflunomide-related lung injury in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: imaging features. 2005 Imaging findings of 26 cases of leflunomide (Arava)-related acute lung injury were analyzed. Thirteen cases had pre-existing interstitial pulmonary disease on chest X-ray or computed tomography. The main features of clinically determined leflunomide-induced acute lung injury were similar to those caused by other drugs: diffuse or widespread patchy ground-glass opacities and/or consolidation, frequently accompanied by septal thickening and intralobular reticular opacities. We categorized these findings into four patterns: diffuse alveolar damage (DAD), acute eosinophilic pneumonia, hyperreaction, and cryptogenic organizing pneumonia. The DAD group had a higher mortality rate, but statistically not a significant one. It is impossible to exclude infectious disease such as pneumocystis carinii pneumonia based on imaging findings, and detailed correlation of imaging findings with clinical and laboratory findings is essential in order to make a correct diagnosis.
16813847 Emotion with tears decreases allergic responses to latex in atopic eczema patients with la 2006 Jul OBJECTIVE: Allergic responses are enhanced by stress, whereas they are reduced by laughter in atopic eczema patients. Emotion with tears decreases plasma IL-6 levels in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, the effect of emotion with tears on allergic responses in patients with atopic eczema was studied. METHODS: Sixty patients with atopic eczema having latex allergy viewed both the weather information video and the heart-warming movie, Kramer vs. Kramer. Just before and immediately after viewing each video, allergic responses to latex were measured. RESULTS: Viewing the weather information video did not cause emotion with tears in any patients, and it failed to modulate allergic responses. In contrast, viewing Kramer vs. Kramer caused emotion with tears in 44 of 60 patients, and it reduced allergic skin wheal responses to latex and latex-specific IgE production in them. CONCLUSION: Emotion with tears reduced allergic responses, and it may be useful in the treatment of allergic diseases.
16730216 Citrullination: a posttranslational modification in health and disease. 2006 Posttranslational modifications are chemical changes to proteins that take place after synthesis. One such modification, peptidylarginine to peptidylcitrulline conversion, catalysed by peptidylarginine deiminases, has recently received significant interest in biomedicine. Introduction of citrulline dramatically changes the structure and function of proteins. It has been implicated in several physiological and pathological processes. Physiological processes include epithelial terminal differentiation, gene expression regulation, and apoptosis. Rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease are examples of human diseases where protein citrullination involvement has been demonstrated. In this review, we discuss our current understanding on the importance of protein deimination in these processes. We describe the enzymes catalyzing the reaction, as well as their known protein substrates. We review the citrullinated peptide epitopes that are proposed as disease markers, specifically recognized in certain human autoimmune disorders. The potential autopathogenic role of citrullinated epitopes is also discussed.
16624661 Rare association of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis with dermatomyositis. 2006 May Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) has been associated with other autoimmune diseases such as chronic urticaria, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, Sjøgren's syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, and dermatomyositis (DM). AITD is a common disorder affecting primarily women, and both genetic and environmental factors are included in its pathogenesis. DM is considered an autoimmune disease of the muscles and skin. Although AITD is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, to the best of our knowledge, only three cases of DM and AITD in the same patient have been reported in the last 40 years. We consider that both are developed from the same autoimmune background. Herein, we present a case of a 30-year-old man with a 4-year history of AITD who was diagnosed as suffering as well from DM.
16378005 Developments in the apheresis procedure for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. 2006 Jan Initially used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, nonselective therapeutic leukocytapheresis was applied to the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as early as the 1980s. Since then, the process has been further refined and 2 blood perfusion systems using membrane filtration are presently employed in Japan and Europe for the selective removal of leukocytes in patients with IBD: Cellsorba is a column of polyethylenephtarate fibers that captures lymphocytes and granulocytes, and Adacolumn is a column of cellulose acetate beads that selectively adsorb granulocytes and monocytes. These systems overcome the limitations of centrifugation. Leukocytapheresis has been shown to exert an overall anti-inflammatory effect, as peripheral leukocytes demonstrated a diminished capacity to produce inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1beta. In addition, down-regulation in the expression of adhesion molecule L-selectin and a shift toward a more immature granulocyte phenotype were observed in the peripheral blood. The safety and beneficial therapeutic effect of leukocytapheresis in IBD are being investigated further.
16193344 [Arthrodesis of the talonavicular joint]. 2006 Apr The talonavicular joint as part of the coxa pedis plays a pivotal role in the overall motion of the foot. The necessity for talonavicular fusion arises from isolated arthritis of posttraumatic, rheumatoid, degenerative, or idiopathic etiology. Posttraumatic arthritis is seen after malunited mid-tarsal (Chopart) fracture-dislocations and is frequently accompanied by malalignment due to an imbalance between the medial and lateral columns of the foot. In these cases a corrective arthrodesis becomes necessary. In cases of poor bone stock or arthritis of the calcaneocuboid joint, a double arthrodesis is preferred over isolated talonavicular fusion. Fusion with mini-plates is biomechanically superior to fusion with screws and especially staples, the latter being associated with non-union rates of up to 37%. Talonavicular fusion allows reproducible pain reduction in isolated arthritis with subjective patient satisfaction of between 86% and 100% in a literature review. The substantial reduction of movement in the triple joint complex leads to overload of the adjacent joints with development of arthritis in about 30% in the medium term.
17091604 [Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis and connective tissue system diseases]. 2006 Sep Autoimmune thyroiditis is often related to non-specific autoimmune organ diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic sclerosis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or polymyalgia rheumatica. Etiology of autoimmune diseases has not been clearly discovered yet. In many aspects, mechanisms leading to organ-specific autoimmune diseases are identic with mechanisms causing organ-nonspecific autoimmune disease. In many cases genetic disposal combined with specific antigens can be seen. Another possible factor in terms of endogenesis is genus. External factors are important too, such as undergoing infection, stress situations, exposion to ultraviolet radiation. Authors of this work summarize facts about chronic autoimmune thyroiditis and system connective tissue disease. The most literature supports more frequent appearance of these diseases, while the thyroiditis can appear both in clinical form with typical symptoms and in subclinical form.
17017998 The chemokine receptor CXCR4 as a therapeutic target for several diseases. 2006 Sep CXCR4 is the receptor for a chemokine, CXCL12 (stromal cell-derived factor-1, SDF-1). The CXCL12-CXCR4 axis has been proven to be involved in several problematic diseases, including AIDS, cancer cell metastasis, leukemia cell progression and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Thus, CXCR4 is thought to be an important therapeutic target to overcome the above diseases. We have developed several specific CXCR4 antagonists.
16925083 Remarkable reduction or disappearance of retroodontoid pseudotumors after occipitocervical 2006 Aug Retroodontoid or periodontoid pseudotumor unassociated with rheumatoid arthritis or hemodialysis is clinically rare. The authors report three cases of retroodontoid pseudotumor that they treated surgically. All patients exhibited myelopathy of the upper cervical spinal cord. Plain radiography depicted atlantoaxial instability in two of the three patients. Spinal cord compression caused by a mass lesion in all patients was clearly demonstrated on magnetic resonance images. In two patients, the mass lesion was not limited to the retroodontoid region and expanded continuously to the cranial base. Posterior laminectomy of the atlas and occipitocervical fusion were performed. After surgery, the pseudotumor disappeared in two cases and was clearly reduced in one case, and neurological symptoms also improved. Retroodontoid pseudotumor is a lesion for which symptomatic improvement can be expected with posterior decompression and fusion, even without direct tumor excision.
16724539 Preparation of a radionuclide/gel formulation for localised radiotherapy to a wide range o 2006 May Localised radiotherapy by instillation of radiolabeled particles is being used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and certain tumors. Such therapy is limited to organs and tissues capable of retaining the radioactive compound until the radioactivity is sufficiently low, and the leakage to other parts of the body is no longer unacceptable. In this study, radiolabeled particles, i.e. 90Y-silica colloid particles, were encapsulated in calcium alginate gels, and the leakage of radioactivity from the gels was monitored. The purpose of the study was to develop a formulation suitable for the localised delivery of radiation therapy to a wide range of organs and tissues. An injectable gel formulation was developed, liberating only small amounts of radioactivity into the surrounding medium. The formulation is a viscous liquid at room temperature and forms a gel on heating to normal body temperature. Thus, it should be suitable for the localised delivery of radiolabeled particles to a wide range of organs and tissues. The study also includes a formulation exhibiting time-dependent gelation. However, this formulation was not found to be suitable for the purpose.
21432136 Balneotherapy in medicine: A review. 2005 Jul Bathing in water (balneotherapy or spa therapy) has been frequently and widely used in classical medicine as a cure for diseases. This paper reviews the present literature on the use of balneotherapy in dermatologic, chronic musculoskeletal (inflammatory and non-inflammatory), metabolic and psychological conditions.We performed a systematic review on related papers appearing in the Medline and Cochrane Library database from 1966 to 2003 that included randomized controlled and non-randomized clinical trials using balneotherapy. We also determined to reflect where possible the chemical compositions of spas.The major dermatologic and musculoskeletal diseases that are frequently treated by balneotherapy with a remarkable rate of success are atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis and low back pain. Moreover, the effects of spa therapy on several metabolic conditions are discussed. The mechanisms by which broad spectrums of diseases respond to spa therapy probably incorporate chemical, thermal and mechanical effects.The importance of balneotherapy either alone or as complement to other therapies should be considered after, or accompanying, orthodox medical treatments.