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ID PMID Title PublicationDate abstract
20069965 [Periodontal status of Senegalese patients with Sjögren's syndrome. A case control study 2009 Jun The aim of this study is to compare the periodontal status of patients with Gougerot-Sjögren syndrome (GSS) to healthy subjects in order to investigate the relation between periodontal disease and GSS. To achieve this aim, one hundred and three patients, among whom 36 with primary GSS and 67 with secondary GSS, were selected and compared with one hundred and three (103) control subjects. The hygiene level was evaluated with Silness and Löe plaque index (PI) and inflammation level with Löe and Silness gingival index (GI). Probing depth and clinical attachment loss was measured with Williams periodontal probe. Mean plaque indices were identical for both groups (1.27 +/- 0.1 versus 1.22 +/- 0.1, p = 0.67). Compared with control subjects, the inflammation index scores were significantly higher among SSG patients (IG = 1.1 +/- 0.1 versus 0.44 +/- 0.2, p < 0,001). The logistical regression model applied to the whole sample showed that patients with GSS had a higher risk of developing periodontal disease (IG : OR 5.508, state 95% CI [1.66-9.60] ; PP : OR = 4.51 95% CI [1.692-12.024]). A training program for GSS patients seems essential, in order to manage the deleterious effects of defective oral-dental ground. It would allow convincing patients about the interest of prevention through regular surveillance and care.
19885432 Systemic conditions and treatments as risks for implant therapy. 2009 PURPOSE: To evaluate whether systemic diseases with/without systemic medication increase the risk of implant failure and therefore diminish success and survival rates of dental implants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A MEDLINE search was undertaken to find human studies reporting implant survival in subjects treated with osseointegrated dental implants who were diagnosed with at least one of 12 systemic diseases. RESULTS: For most conditions, no studies comparing patients with and without the condition in a controlled setting were found. For most systemic diseases there are only case reports or case series demonstrating that implant placement, integration, and function are possible in affected patients. For diabetes, heterogeneity of the material and the method of reporting data precluded a formal meta-analysis. No unequivocal tendency for subjects with diabetes to have higher failure rates emerged. The data from papers reporting on osteoporotic patients were also heterogeneous. The evidence for an association between osteoporosis and implant failure was low. Nevertheless, some reports now tend to focus on the medication used in osteoporotic patients, with oral bisphosphonates considered a potential risk factor for osteonecrosis of the jaws, rather than osteoporosis as a risk factor for implant success and survival on its own. CONCLUSIONS: The level of evidence indicative of absolute and relative contraindications for implant therapy due to systemic diseases is low. Studies comparing patients with and without the condition in a controlled setting are sparse. Especially for patients with manifest osteoporosis under an oral regime of bisphosphonates, prospective controlled studies are urgently needed.
19184270 Glucocorticoid and cyclosporine refractory adult onset Still's disease successfully treate 2009 Apr We report a 29-year-old Japanese woman with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and adult onset Still's disease (AOSD). Her disease was refractory to high-dose glucocorticoids, two courses of steroid pulse therapy, and addition of cyclosporine (3.5 mg/kg/day). The serum interleukin-6 level was markedly elevated. Therefore, we administered an anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody (tocilizumab, 8 mg/kg fortnightly), which dramatically improved her symptoms and the levels of acute-phase proteins. In addition, rapid tapering of the glucocorticoid dose was possible. Four months later, she was maintained on tocilizumab infusion once a month with low-dose steroid therapy. Cyclosporine is one of the first-line immunosuppressants for AOSD, especially when associated with DIC, hepatic failure, or hemophagocytic syndrome. In patients with cyclosporine-resistant AOSD, tocilizumab may be another useful option.
20842515 Case report: successful use of short-term add-on tocilizumab for multirefractory systemic 2013 Mar We report on a 64-year-old woman with multirefractory flare of adult-onset Still's disease successfully treated with six-month course of add-on anti-interleukin 6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab. Before administration of tocilizumab, the combination therapy with 80 mg/day of prednisolone and cyclosporine or tacrolimus for five weeks, two courses of pulse methylprednisolone, and high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin could not control the disease. Add-on tocilizumab dramatically improved her disease state and enabled tapering of corticosteroid and tacrolimus. Furthermore remission has been maintained on low-dose corticosteroid and tacrolimus after withdrawal of tocilizumab. This case report suggests that short-term add-on tocilizumab might be a useful therapeutic option for patients with multirefractory flare of polycyclic systemic adult-onset Still's disease.
20498204 Peptide-based ELISAs are not sensitive and specific enough to detect muscarinic receptor t 2011 Jan OBJECTIVES: The detection of autoantibodies to the muscarinic receptor type 3 (M3R) in the serum of patients with Sjögrens syndrome (SS) by ELISA is controversial. A study was undertaken to test whether modification of M3R peptides could enhance the antigenicity and increase the detection of specific antibodies using an ELISA. METHODS: A series of controlled ELISAs was performed with serum from 71 patients with SS and 37 healthy volunteers (HV) on linear, citrullinated and/or cyclised and multi-antigenic peptides (MAP) of the three extracellular M3R loops to detect specific binding. RESULTS: Significant differences (p<0.05) in optical density (OD) between serum from patients and HV were detected for a cyclised loop 1-derived peptide and the negative control peptide. Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences between the frequency of positive patients (defined as OD >2SDs above the mean of the HV) and HV on any of the peptides tested. CONCLUSIONS: Binding of serum from patients with SS to M3R-derived peptides does not differ from binding to a control peptide in an ELISA and no significant binding to M3R-derived peptides was found in the serum from individual patients compared with HV. These data suggest that peptide-based ELISAs are not sufficiently sensitive and/or specific to detect anti-MR3 autoantibodies.
19627513 Exosomes from human saliva as a source of microRNA biomarkers. 2010 Jan OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the presence of microRNAs (miRNAs) within exosomes isolated from human saliva and to optimize and test methods for successful downstream applications. DESIGN: Exosomes isolated from fresh and frozen glandular and whole human saliva were used as a source of miRNAs. The presence of miRNAs was validated with TaqMan quantitative PCR and miRNA microarrays. RESULTS: We successfully isolated exosomes from human saliva from healthy controls and a patient with Sjögren's syndrome. microRNAs extracted from the exosomal fraction were sufficient for quantitative PCR and microarray profiling. CONCLUSIONS: The isolation of miRNAs from easily and non-invasively obtained salivary exosomes with subsequent characterization of the miRNA expression patterns is promising for the development of future biomarkers of the diagnosis and prognosis of various salivary gland pathologies.
20885089 Simultaneous three-dimensional visualization of the intra-parotid facial nerve and parotid 2010 We visualized the intraparotid facial nerve and parotid duct at 3 tesla using 3-dimensional reversed fast imaging with steady-state precession (FSIP) (3D-PSIF) with diffusion weighting. Excellent fat suppression by water-selective excitation, sufficient T(2)-weighting of 3D-PSIF, vessel suppression by diffusion weighting, and high spatial resolution allowed the simultaneous visualization. We also present volumetric representation of the facial nerve and duct.
20360187 Influence of STAT4 polymorphism in primary Sjögren's syndrome. 2010 May OBJECTIVE: To examine the influence of STAT4 rs7574865 gene polymorphism on patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). METHODS: Two different cohorts were studied: 69 patients with primary SS and 296 controls from Colombia and 108 patients with primary SS and 227 controls from Germany. Samples were genotyped for the STAT4 rs7574865 single-nucleotide polymorphism with a predesigned TaqMan single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assay. We carried out a metaanalysis of our results combined with data published to date. RESULTS: Although no significant differences were observed in the allele frequencies of STAT4 rs7574865 gene polymorphism between patients and controls in Colombians (p = 0.28, OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.82-1.87) and Germans (p = 0.08, OR 1.40, 95% CI 0.96-2.02), the metaanalysis disclosed a significant effect of the T allele on disease (p = 4.7 x 10(-6), OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.21-1.62). CONCLUSION: These data reinforce the influence of STAT4 gene on primary SS and as a general autoimmune gene.
20953186 Common variants at TRAF3IP2 are associated with susceptibility to psoriatic arthritis and 2010 Nov Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory joint disease that is distinct from other chronic arthritides and which is frequently accompanied by psoriasis vulgaris (PsV) and seronegativity for rheumatoid factor. We conducted a genome-wide association study in 609 German individuals with PsA (cases) and 990 controls with replication in 6 European cohorts including a total of 5,488 individuals. We replicated PsA associations at HLA-C and IL12B and identified a new association at TRAF3IP2 (rs13190932, P = 8.56 × 10⁻¹⁷). TRAF3IP2 was also associated with PsV in a German cohort including 2,040 individuals (rs13190932, P = 1.95 × 10⁻³). Sequencing of the exons of TRAF3IP2 identified a coding variant (p.Asp10Asn, rs33980500) as the most significantly associated SNP (P = 1.13 × 10⁻²⁰, odds ratio = 1.95). Functional assays showed reduced binding of this TRAF3IP2 variant to TRAF6, suggesting altered modulation of immunoregulatory signals through altered TRAF interactions as a new and shared pathway for PsA and PsV.
19547979 The role of capillaroscopy in differentiation of primary and secondary Raynaud's phenomeno 2009 Sep The purpose of this study is to study and systematize the current knowledge about the role of capillaroscopy in differentiation of primary and secondary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) in rheumatic diseases. This method is a review of the literature. Capillaroscopy is of crucial value for diagnosis and differentiation of primary and secondary RP in rheumatic diseases. The appearance of abnormal capillaroscopic pattern inherits high positive predictive value for the development of systemic rheumatic disease. The most specific pattern is found in systemic sclerosis (SSc), so called "scleroderma pattern", which is characterized by the presence of dilated capillaries, hemorrhages, avascular areas and neoangiogeneis. It is found in more than 90% of patients with overt SSc. Similar changes are found in patients with dermatomyositis, mixed connective tissue disease, undifferentiated connective tissue disease and they are called "scleroderma-like pattern". Absence of abnormal capillaroscopic findings can be regarded as a diagnostic criterion for primary RP. Inclusion of pathologic capillaroscopic pattern may increase the sensitivity of ACR classification criteria for SSc. In conclusion, capillaroscopy is of crucial importance for the differentiation of primary and secondary RP in rheumatic diseases, and also in differentiation between different forms of connective tissue diseases as well as for their early diagnosis.
19522770 Variants of the IL23R gene are associated with ankylosing spondylitis but not with Sjögre 2009 Jul Recently, associations were found between several autoimmune diseases and functional variants of interleukin-23 receptor (IL23R) gene; here, we studied the possible association of nine polymorphisms of IL23R with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and with Sjögren syndrome (SS). In our study, we genotyped groups of patients with AS (n = 206), SS (n = 156) and healthy controls (n = 235) for rs11805303, rs10889677, rs1004819, rs2201841, rs11209032, rs11209026, rs10489629, rs7517847 and rs7530511 variants using PCR-RFLP methods. We observed significant increase in the carriage of the T allele of rs11805303 and the A allele of rs1004189 in the AS group compared with the controls. For the rs10889677 variant, the prevalence of the AA genotype and for the rs2201841, the CC genotype showed a more than two-fold increase in the AS group compared with the controls. By contrast, the GA heterozygous genotype of rs11209026 variant showed a significant decrease in AS patients compared with controls. Haplotype analysis revealed association of four IL23R haplotypes with AS. There was no difference in the distribution of any of the examined IL23R variants between controls and SS patients. In conclusion, we confirmed the susceptibility or protective associations of IL23R polymorphisms with AS in a Hungarian population and first demonstrated the involvement of the rs11805303 intronic single nucleotide polymorphisms, which was tested so far only for other autoimmune diseases.
20649059 A new static progressive splint for treatment of knee and elbow flexion contractures. 2010 Jul BACKGROUND: Knee and elbow flexion contractures are a frequent cause of ambulation and function problems that often require extensive rehabilitation. Traditional methods are of limited benefit in severe and fixed contracture. A new static progressive splint was developed from daily-use knee and elbow orthosis and a newly invented gradual telescopic rod, which is designed to provide low load, and gradual and prolonged stretching. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The splint was used in ten cases (11 knees) of knee flexion contracture and three cases of elbow flexion contracture. There were multiple etiologies of contracture such as burn scar contractures, intra-articular fractures, septic arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and immobilization. The average timing of the contracture before splinting was 14.6 months (range, 2 to 36) in the knee group and 16.7 months (range, 6 to 30) in the elbow group. RESULTS: The average initial extension was -53.6 degrees (range, -30 to -85) in the knee group and -70 degrees (range -65 to -80) in the elbow group. The average post treatment extension was -15 degrees (range, 0 to -30) in the knee group and -38.3 degrees (range, -30 to -45) in the elbow group. The average duration of treatment was 9.2 weeks (range, 4 to 16) in the knee group and 14 weeks (range, 11 to 20) in the elbow group. The most dramatic result was found in the patient who had burn scar flexion contractures of both knees for 20 months. The knee extensions increased from -60 and-85 degrees to full extension in four and 14 weeks after treatment, respectively. There were no recurrences or complications from the use of this splint. The patients were able to easily adjust the gradual telescopic rod themselves to provide the appropriate force for stretching. CONCLUSION: The static progressive splint is a new, effective, and low cost method for treatment of knee and elbow flexion contracture from multiple etiologies. The excellent result was found in extra-articular contracture.
19567627 The tumor necrosis factor-{alpha}-blocking agent infliximab inhibits interleukin 1beta (IL 2009 Aug OBJECTIVE: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of several rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), associated with systemic bone loss and subchondral bone erosions. TNF-alpha-blocking agents such as infliximab have been successful in treatment of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug-resistant rheumatic diseases. Infliximab therapy in RA also had beneficial effects on local bone destruction and bone mineral density. We assessed effects of infliximab treatment on the bone tissue compartment and cytokine profile expression in vitro. METHODS: Osteoblast-like cells were exposed for 24 h to sera of RA patients collected at baseline and after 1 month (T1) and 3 years (T2) of infliximab treatment. Total RNA was extracted, and expression of interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta), IL-6, and osteoprotegerin (OPG) was measured by RT-PCR. RESULTS: IL-1beta gene expression was significantly reduced by the T1 serum, and the same decrease was elicited by the T2 serum. IL-6 downregulation was evident with the T2 serum. OPG was unaffected. CONCLUSION: The finding of downregulation of inflammatory cytokines was interesting, particularly IL-6, which plays a crucial role in arthritis-related bone loss due to its involvement in osteoclast recruitment and activation. These results may represent a biological explanation and a link for the clinical observation of the beneficial effects of anti-TNF-alpha agents on the progression of rheumatic diseases at the bone level.
19333920 Effector CD8+ T cells in systemic sclerosis patients produce abnormally high levels of int 2009 Apr OBJECTIVE: T lymphocytes play an important role in systemic sclerosis (SSc), a connective tissue disease characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, and vascular damage. While their precise role and antigen specificity are unclear, T cell-derived cytokines likely contribute to the induction of fibrosis. The aim of this study was to establish the role of cytokine dysregulation by T cells in the pathogenesis of SSc. METHODS: To identify relationships between a specific cytokine, T cell subset, and the disease course, we studied a large cohort of patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) or limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc). Using Luminex analysis and intracellular cytokine staining, we analyzed the intrinsic ability of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets to produce cytokines following in vitro activation. RESULTS: High levels of the profibrotic type 2 cytokine interleukin-13 (IL-13) were produced following activation of peripheral blood effector CD8+ T cells from SSc patients as compared with normal controls or with patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast, CD4+ T cells showed a lower and more variable level of IL-13 production. This abnormality correlated with the extent of fibrosis and was more pronounced in dcSSc patients than in lcSSc patients. CONCLUSION: Dysregulated IL-13 production by effector CD8+ T cells is important in the pathogenesis of SSc and is critical in the predisposition to more severe forms of cutaneous disease. Our study is the first to identify a specific T cell phenotype that correlates with disease severity in SSc and can be used as a marker of immune dysfunction in SSc and as a novel therapeutic target.
20714690 Results of primary total hip replacement with special attention to technical difficulties 2010 Aug OBJECTIVE: To illustrate our experience and the difficulty faced in primary total hip replacement (THR) in Saudi patient population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our database between February 2002 to December 2007 for primary THR cases at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and identified 58 hips (54 patients). Patients data were collected from patient's medical records, clinical examination, and x-ray films. Operative reports were examined for the difficulty encountered during surgery and was classified into femoral, acetabular, soft tissue and combined difficulties. Patients follow up was a minimum of 2 years. RESULTS: The indication of surgery was posttraumatic arthritis in 50%, sickle cell anemia related avascular necrosis in 16.6%, primary osteoarthritis in 9.2%, idiopathic avascular necrosis in 9.2%, rheumatoid arthritis in 7.4%, and other indications were 14.7%. The femoral obstacles included narrow femoral canal in 27.7% and proximally migrated femur in 5.5%. Acetabular obstacles included protrusio acetabuli in 14.8% and structural posterior acetabular bone defect in 5.5%. Soft tissue obstacles included tight capsule in 14.8% and muscle contracture in 11.1%. CONCLUSION: Our Saudi patient population has shown different pathology of their hip disease in which most of the hips being posttraumatic as compared to series published in the west. We advised those who intend to tackle THR in this population to perform extensive preoperative planning in order to be able to anticipate the difficulty demonstrated by our experience.
20138166 Antibodies to fibrillarin, PM-Scl and RNA polymerase III detected by ELISA assays in patie 2010 May 2 BACKGROUND: Anti-fibrillarin (AFA), anti-RNA polymerase (anti-RNAP), and anti-PM-Scl autoantibodies are useful markers for the diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) in patients who are anti-centromere- (ACA) or anti-topoisomerase I (anti-topo I)-negative, but, until recently, the only specific method for their identification was the radio-immunoprecipitation assay. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical accuracy of the new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) developed by Phadia for their detection. METHODS: Sera of 50 ACA and anti-topo I-negative SSc patients, and, as control group, sera of 122 patients (42 with SSc, ACA or anti-topo I-positive, 40 with systemic lupus erythematosus and 40 with rheumatoid arthritis) were studied. RESULT: Using the cutoff proposed by the manufacturer (10 AU/mL), sensitivity and specificity were: for AFA, 22% and 92.6%; for anti-RNAP, 16% and 97.5%; and for anti-PM-Scl, 8% and 98.8%, respectively. Using a cutoff corresponding to 98.8% specificity for all three antibodies, sensitivity was 10%, 14% and 8%, respectively. The combined use of these three antibody assays enabled identification of 32% of ACA- and anti-topo I-negative SSc patients. CONCLUSIONS: These new ELISA methods for AFA, anti-RNAP III and anti-PM-Scl detection have good diagnostic specificity, and may help identify a subset of SSc patients ACA and anti-topo I-negative.
19530514 Cyclosporine A: good response for patients affected by autoimmune disorders and HCV infect 2009 Mar INTRODUCTION: In autoimmune disorders (ADs), if Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is present, immunosuppressive treatment could increase virus replication. Cyclosporine A (CsA), in standard therapeutic doses, has been proven able to inhibit HCV cyclophilin in vitro. Therefore CsA could improve the therapy of HCV patients with ADs. AIM: In these patients, we started an open pilot study to evaluate the safety of 3 mg/kg CsA and the ability to reduce steroid therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five females and 1 male were recruited; mean age 66 +/- 8 years, mean disease duration 13 +/- 5 years. Three patients are affected by Psoriasic Arthritis, 1 by Rheumatoid Arthritis, 1 by Sjogren Syndrome, and 1 by Myasthenia Gravis. None of them had chronic active hepatitis. HCV genotypes were type 2 (in 3 cases) and type 1 (in 3 cases). Patients were treated with 3 mg/kg of CsA for a period of time ranging from 6 to 12 months. The starting mean dose of prednisone was 12.5 mg/day. Liver function tests were checked monthly and serum HCV-RNA load was checked by RT-PCR before and 2 months into the therapy. RESULTS: The prednisone dose was reduced from 12.5 mg/day to 7.5 mg/day. The aminotransferases levels were unchanged after 6 months. In patients with low HCV-RNA levels before treatment, no modifications of viral load were observed, whereas patients with increased levels at onset showed mild reduction 2 months into the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Immunosuppressive treatment of ADs patients with HCV infection can be safely provided with the integration of CsA.
20506559 Therapeutic potential of adult bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in diseases of t 2010 Oct 1 Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the most popular among the adult stem cells in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Since their discovery and functional characterization in the late 1960s and early 1970s, MSCs or MSC-like cells have been obtained from various mesodermal and non-mesodermal tissues, although majority of the therapeutic applications involved bone marrow-derived MSCs. Based on its mesenchymal origin, it was predicted earlier that MSCs only can differentiate into mesengenic lineages like bone, cartilage, fat or muscle. However, varied isolation and cell culturing methods identified subsets of MSCs in the bone marrow which not only differentiated into mesenchymal lineages, but also into ectodermal and endodermal derivatives. Although, true pluripotent status is yet to be established, MSCs have been successfully used in bone and cartilage regeneration in osteoporotic fracture and arthritis, respectively, and in the repair of cardiac tissue following myocardial infarction. Immunosuppressive properties of MSCs extend utility of MSCs to reduce complications of graft versus host disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Homing of MSCs to sites of tissue injury, including tumor, is well established. In addition to their ability in tissue regeneration, MSCs can be genetically engineered ex vivo for delivery of therapeutic molecule(s) to the sites of injury or tumorigenesis as cell therapy vehicles. MSCs tend to lose surface receptors for trafficking and have been reported to develop sarcoma in long-term culture. In this article, we reviewed the current status of MSCs with special emphasis to therapeutic application in bone-related diseases.
20135592 [Comparison of short-term results after CUP prosthesis with cemented glenoid components an 2010 Dec AIM: The purpose of this clinical study (matched-pair design) was to compare the functional short-term results obtained in patients with surface replacement of the humeral head and cemented glenoid prosthesis with those obtained after total shoulder arthroplasty. METHOD: 20 patients (average age 67.7 [43-85] years, 17 women, three men) who received surface replacement of the humeral head with cemented glenoid prosthesis were matched to a control group of 20 patients (average age 67.55 [42-85] years, 17 women, three men) with a conventional total shoulder arthroplasty. Six patients were treated for osteoarthritis, two for post-traumatic arthritis, 1 each for osteonecrosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Preoperative status, perioperative results and postoperative status (Constant score, subjective assessment, range of motion, radiographic evaluation) were compared in all patients and controls. RESULTS: The adjusted Constant score improved from a mean of 37.25% to a mean of 87.75% in the hybrid group and from a mean of 30.8% to a value of 87.1% in the TSA group. Regarding the relative improvement at 12 months compared to baseline, patients treated with hybrid prostheses showed a comparable benefit in the Constant score, pain reduction and range of motion. Only the criterion "strength" revealed a significantly better result in the TSA group (p = 0.025). There was one irreversible injury of the brachial plexus in one case and neural injuries with a full recovery in two cases of Hybrid prosthesis. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of humeral surface replacement with cemented glenoid component offers a relatively new option for the treatment of different pathologies at the shoulder joint which need a total joint substitute.The short-term results are comparable with those of conventional total shoulder arthroplasty. Surface replacement of the shoulder facilitates later revision because of less loss of bone stock. It must be considered that surface replacement with implantation of cemented glenoid prosthesis is a difficult procedure because of the exploration of the glenoid.
19762359 Patient and rheumatologist perspectives on glucocorticoids: an exercise to improve the imp 2010 Jun OBJECTIVE: To explore perspectives among patients and rheumatologists on glucocorticoid (GC) therapy and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations on the management of systemic GC therapy in order to enhance implementation of the recommendations. METHODS: Rheumatologists (from eight countries) and patients (from five countries) acquainted with GCs participated in separate meetings, during which positive and negative aspects of GC therapy were discussed and possible adverse events (AEs) were ranked for importance; in addition participants were asked to evaluate the published EULAR recommendations. The reports from these meetings and themes related to implementation of the recommendations were discussed during an international forum of the experts who had formulated the recommendations and patient participants. RESULTS: In all, 140 patients (78% women; mean age 53 years; 61% patients with rheumatoid arthritis) and 110 rheumatologists (mean work experience 15 years) participated in the meetings. Osteoporosis, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases were ranked among the five most worrisome AEs by patients and rheumatologists. In both groups, there was agreement with most of the recommendations; the recommendations on GC information cards and GC use during pregnancy scored lowest. Ideas to improve implementation of the recommendations and a research agenda were generated. CONCLUSION: The patient and rheumatologist views on GCs corresponded to a large extent, reflected by concerns in both groups about osteoporosis, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Specific problems with the EULAR recommendations were identified and addressed to improve their implementation. This exercise shows that patient and rheumatologist perspectives should be included early in the process of formulating recommendations.