Browse

Search for: rheumatoid arthritis    methotrexate    autoimmune disease    biomarker    gene expression    GWAS    HLA genes    non-HLA genes   

ID PMID Title PublicationDate abstract
27612279 Cancer co-occurrence patterns in Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis-Do they mirror 2016 Oct BACKGROUND: To examine the site-specific cancer mortality among deaths registered with Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). We focused on the patterns related to the most frequent cancers. METHODS: We analyzed Swiss mortality data over a 39-year period (1969-2007), using a statistical approach applicable to unique daabases, i.e. when no linkage with morbidity databases or disease registries is possible. It was based on a case-control design with bootstrapping to derive standardized mortality ratios (SMR). The cases were defined by the cancer-PD or cancer-MS co-registrations, whereas the controls were drawn from the remaining records with cancer deaths (matching criteria: sex, age, language region of Switzerland, subperiods 1969-1981, 1982-1994, 1995-2007). RESULTS: For PD we found lower SMRs in lung and liver cancer and higher SMRs in melanoma/skin cancer, and in cancers of breast and prostate. As for MS, the SMR in lung cancer was lower than expected, whereas SMRs in colorectal, breast and bladder cancer were higher. CONCLUSIONS: A common pattern of associations can be observed in PD and MS, with a lower risk of lung cancer and higher risk of breast cancer than expected. Thus, PD and MS resemble other conditions with similar (schizophrenia) or reversed patterns (rheumatoid arthritis, immunosuppression after organ transplantation).
26925890 Prevalence and Risk Factors of Osteoporosis in Women Referring to the Bone Densitometry Ac 2015 Nov 18 BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is one of the fastest growing health problems around the world. Several factors can affect this silent disease. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of osteoporosis in women in Urmia, a city in northwestern Iran. METHODS: This cross‑sectional study was performed on 360 non-pregnant women over the age of 15 who referred for bone density testing to the Urmia Imam Khomeini Academic Hospital. Data were collected by questionnaire, and bone mineral density of the femoral neck and lumbar spines L1- L4 was evaluated by dual X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: The total prevalence of osteoporosis in this study was 42.2%; prevalence of osteoporosis among women 45 years old or less was 14.3% and over the age of 45 years was 50.7%. The factors such as level of education, history of bone fracture, disease history (rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure), gravidity and parity values, duration of lactation (p<0.001), nutrition dimension of lifestyle (p=0.03), and green tea consumption (p=002) showed a statistically significant association with the bone mineral density. According to the regression model, age (OR=1.081), history of bone fracture (OR=2.75), and gravidity (OR=1.14) were identified as significant risk factors for osteoporosis, while the body mass index (OR=0.94) was identified as a protector against osteoporosis. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of osteoporosis in this study was high, and findings showed that the advancement of age, lifestyle, and reproductive factors (especially gravidity and duration of lactation) were determining factors for osteoporosis .Appropriate educational programs and interventions could help to increase the women's peak bone mass therefore reducing their risk of developing osteoporosis.
25619975 Self-management support from the perspective of patients with a chronic condition: a thema 2016 Apr BACKGROUND: Receiving adequate support seems to be crucial to the success of self-management. Although different empirical studies separately examined patients' preferences for self-management support (SMS), an overview is lacking. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this qualitative review was to identify patients' needs with respect to SMS and to explore by whom this support is preferably provided. SEARCH STRATEGY: Qualitative studies were identified from Embase, MEDLINE OvidSP, Web of science, PubMed publisher, Cochrane central, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and PsycINFO. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Articles needed to meet all of the following criteria: (i) focuses on self-management, (ii) concerns adult patients with rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia), a variant of cancer or chronic kidney disease, (iii) explores support needs from the patients' perspective, (iv) uses qualitative methods and (v) published in English. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: A thematic synthesis, developed by Thomas and Harden, was conducted of the 37 included studies. MAIN RESULTS: Chronic patients need instrumental support, psychosocial support and relational support from health-care professionals, family/friends and fellow patients to manage the chronic condition. Relational support is at the centre of the support needs and fuels all other types of support. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Patients do not self-manage on their own. Patients expect health-care professionals to fulfil a comprehensive role. Support needs can be knitted together only when patients and professionals work together on the basis of collaborative partnership. Dynamics in support needs make it important to regularly assess patient needs.
27468371 Trends in the Utilization of Total Wrist Arthroplasty versus Wrist Fusion for Treatment of 2016 Aug BACKGROUND: Total wrist arthroplasty (TWA) provides the requisite range of motion to accomplish activities of daily living, especially for low-demand patients with bilateral wrist arthritis. However, there are no large epidemiologic studies to evaluate nationwide trends of TWA and wrist fusion (WF). QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: To analyze data collected from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) to compare utilization, demographic, and outcome data among patients undergoing TWA versus total WF. We hypothesized that utilization rates of TWA have significantly increased over the prior decade in the United States. METHODS: NIS data from 2001 to 2010 were reviewed. Procedures were identified by ICD-9-CM codes 81.73 (TWA) and 81.25 (WF). Utilization rates, primary treatment diagnoses, patient demographic and medical comorbidity data, and procedure costs were compared between TWA and WF. RESULTS: There was a decrease in the number of procedures per year for TWA, while the number of WF remained relatively unchanged. There was, however, a transient increase in the frequency of TWA procedures performed from 2005 to 2008, following a decline in 2005. Patients with traumatic arthritis were more likely to receive WF. Rheumatoid patients were more likely to receive TWA. Patients receiving TWA tended to be older, female, be insured by Medicare, have a greater comorbidity burden, and have rheumatologic disease. CONCLUSION: WF was performed nearly four times more frequently than TWA. A trend was demonstrated toward a decreasing number of TWA being implanted, and in patients with more underlying comorbidities. TWA was associated with a higher hospitalization charge, which may be expected given the higher implant costs associated with arthroplasty. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, prognostic study.
27840500 "Gharikon"/"Agharikon" a Valuable Medicinal Mushroom in Iranian Traditional Medicine. 2016 May BACKGROUND: Gharikon is a well-known medicinal mushroom in Iranian traditional medicine and mentioned several times in different kinds of authentic literature. Considering both traditional and modern literature, the aim of this study is to present a review of its biological activities. METHODS: Using online databases (e.g. PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar) as well as reviewing traditional medicinal literature (e.g. Makhzan-ul-Adwiah, Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb); we reviewed the published literature on the pharmacological effects of Laricifomes officinalis (the most common species considered as "Gharikon"). RESULTS: Laricifomes officinalis (Polyporus officinalis) is a wood-rotting fungus that grows on different hosts such as conifers. The mushroom is native to Europe, Asia, and North America. According to the judgment of traditional medicine, its temperament is warm and dry. It has been used since the ancient times to treat sciatica, weakness of muscles, bronchitis, constipation, stomach and uterus pain, jaundice, fever and insect bites. It also has diuretic and emmenagogue effects. In recent decades, several research studies have been performed on L. officinalis. The results showed that the biological effects of L. officinalis are anti-viral (especially against smallpox, H5N1 influenza, and hepatitis C virus), anti-tuberculosis, boosting the immune system, treating dysmenorrhea, hemorrhoids, cough, rheumatoid arthritis and anticoagulant activity. A survey revealed that L. officinalis is a well-known medicinal mushroom with some formulations as dietary supplements on the market. CONCLUSION: Considering traditional literature and recent findings on biological activities that in most cases corroborate each other, it seems that Laricifomes officinalis needs more attention in new investigations, including more pharmacologic assays and clinical trials, which may lead to the development of new natural products.
27625227 Polymyalgia rheumatica and risk of cerebrovascular accident: A systematic review and meta- 2016 Sep BACKGROUND: Several chronic inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, have been linked to an increased risk of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), but the data on polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies that reported odds ratio, relative risk, hazard ratio, or standardized incidence ratio comparing the risk of CVA in patients with PMR versus non-PMR controls. Pooled risk ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effect, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian and Laird. RESULTS: Three retrospective cohort studies and one cross-sectional study were identified and included in the data analysis. We found a significantly elevated CVA risk in patients with PMR, with the pooled risk ratio of 1.87 (95% CI, 1.43-2.43). The statistical heterogeneity was high, with an I2 of 91%. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated a statistically significantly increased CVA risk among patients with PMR.
27516979 Novel delivery system for natural products: Nano-curcumin formulations. 2016 Jul OBJECTIVE: Curcumin is extracted from Curcuma longa and regulates the intracellular signal pathways which control the growth of cancerous cell, inflammation, invasion and apoptosis. Curcumin molecules have special intrinsic features that can target the intracellular enzymes, genome (DNA) and messengers (RNA). A wide range of studies have been conducted on the physicochemical traits and pharmacological effects of curcumin on different diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and even it has wound healing. Oral bioavailability of curcumin is rather poor, which would certainly put some boundaries in the employment of this drug. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bibliographical searches were performed using MEDLINE/ScienceDirect/OVID up to February 2015 using the following keywords (all fields): ("Curcumin" OR "Curcuma longa") AND [(nanoparticles) OR (Nanomicelles) OR (micro emulsions) OR (liposome) OR (phospholipid). RESULTS: Consequently, for any developments of curcumin in the future, analogues of curcumin that have better bioavailability or substitute formulations are needed crucially. CONCLUSION: These studies indicated that nanotechnology can formulate curcumin effectively, and this nano-formulated curcumin with a potent ability against various cancer cells, were represented to have better efficacy and bioavailability under in vivo conditions.
27454420 A quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for quantification of secretory immunoglo 2017 Secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in serum is possibly the best index of SIgA presence in mucosal secretions in digestive tract and the mirror of its immunologic barrier against many pathogenic aggressions. The measurement of salivary SigA alone may be affected by total salivary secretion and its final concentration in the gland lumen is probably not useful as an appropriate index of mucosal secretions in the digestive tract. The usefulness of the determination of SigA against various epitopes in serum from patients with various autoimmune disease has been demonstrated. The aetiology of many digestive related disorders could be triggered by an alteration of mucose SIgA barrier. The determination of Igs is important for different liver diseases and specifically the SIgA in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. We developed an easy and efficient immunologic assay to quantify SIgA in serum samples.
27225824 Hypoxia-responsive nanocarriers for cancer imaging and therapy: recent approaches and futu 2016 Jun 30 Hypoxia, a condition in which the tissue is deprived of adequate oxygen supply, is a salient feature of various intractable diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, ischemic stroke, and solid tumors. In particular, hypoxic regions in tumors are often associated with invasiveness, metastasis, and resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Given its unique role in tumor progression, hypoxia has been considered to be a primary target for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Owing to their sizes and tailorable physicochemical characteristics, nanocarriers are an emerging class of materials that are increasingly utilized in biomedical applications. Particularly, stimuli-responsive nanocarriers, which release their payloads specifically at the tumor-microenvironment, are materials of interest. Owing to the aberrant vascular properties of tumors, the transportation of anticancer drugs to hypoxic regions is challenging because they are distant from blood vessels. In addition, hypoxia upregulates various genes involved in drug resistance such as P-glycoprotein. To surmount the issues associated with hypoxia, nanocarriers that can release imaging agents or anticancer drugs in hypoxic regions must be developed. This review focuses on recently developed hypoxia-responsive conjugates or nanocarriers and their potential applications in cancer imaging and therapy. Low oxygen levels bring forth conformational changes in hypoxia-responsive nanocarriers through the cleavage or reduction of hypoxia-responsive functional groups. A greater understanding of these changes will help to design more efficient nanocarriers to address the challenges encountered with hypoxia in conventional chemotherapy.
26998656 Statistically modelling the relationships between Type D personality and social support, h 2016 Sep OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to develop a predictive model of how Type D personality influences health behaviours, social support and symptom severity and assess its generalisability to a range of chronic illnesses. DESIGN: Participants were classified as either healthy (n = 182) or having a chronic illness (n = 207). Participants completed an online survey measuring Type D and a range of health-related variables. Chronic illness participants were classified as having either a functional somatic syndrome (i.e. chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia), where the underlying pathological processes were unclear, or illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, where the causes are well understood. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures were health behaviours, social support and both physical and psychological symptoms. RESULTS: The rate of Type D was higher in chronic illness participants (53%) than in healthy controls (39%). Negative affectivity (NA) and social inhibition (SI) both correlated with outcome measures, although NA was generally the stronger predictor. Using NA and SI as independent subscales led to superior prediction of health outcomes than using categorical or continuous representations. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that the relationship between Type D and health outcomes may generalise across different chronic illnesses.
26939212 Acute Atherothrombotic Disease and Severe Bleeding: A Difficult Clinical Presentation in M 2015 Oct Management of antithrombotic therapy in elderly patients with unstable atherothrombotic disease and increased risk of bleeding is a major clinical challenge. We report the case of a 79 year- old diabetic man with rheumatoid arthritis on both oral corticosteroids and NSAID therapy with mild renal dysfunction, who presented to our hospital because of disabling claudication. Prior to admission he had several episodes of TIA. He also had recurrent small rectal bleeding and mild anemia attributed to his long-standing hemorrhoid disease. Angiography showed a sub-occlusive left internal carotid artery stenosis associated with a significant LAD stenosis and complex peripheral artery disease. Cataclysmic bleeding and hemorrhagic shock occurred in the third day post admission. Withdrawal of all antithrombotic treatment, blood transfusion and emergency sigmoidectomy were performed for bleeding colonic diverticulosis. Subsequently antiplatelet therapy was reinitiated and the patient successfully underwent left carotid artery endarterectomy and LAD stenting. He was discharged from hospital on the 21(st) day post admission and is doing well at 24 months follow-up.
26925290 Investigation of the Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Activities of Ethanol Extract of Stem 2016 Inflammation is all a pervasive phenomenon, which is elicited by the body in response to obnoxious stimuli as a protective measure. However, sustained inflammation leads to several diseases including cancer. Therefore it is necessary to neutralize inflammation. Sonapatha (Oroxylum indicum), a medicinal plant, is traditionally used as a medicine in Ayurveda and other folk systems of medicine. It is commonly used to treat inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. Despite this fact its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects are not evaluated scientifically. Therefore, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Sonapatha (Oroxylum indicum) were studied in Swiss albino mice by different methods. The hot plate, acetic acid, and tail immersion tests were used to evaluate the analgesic activity whereas xylene-induced ear edema and formalin induced paw edema tests were used to study the anti-inflammatory activity of Sonapatha. The administration of mice with 250 and 300 mg/kg b.wt. of O. indicum reduced pain and inflammation indicating that Sonapatha possesses analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The maximum analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities were observed in mice receiving 300 mg/kg b.wt. of O. indicum ethanol extract. Our study indicates that O. indicum possesses both anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities and it may be useful as an anti-inflammatory agent in the inflammation related disorders.
26906303 Is Bariatric Surgery a Trigger Factor for Systemic Autoimmune Diseases? 2016 Mar Bariatric procedures are an effective option for weight loss and control of comorbidities in obese patients. Obesity is a proinflammatory condition in which some cytokines such as leptin, a proinflammatory protein, is elevated and adiponectin, an anti-inflammatory protein, is decreased. In patients undergoing weight reduction surgeries, these hormone levels behave paradoxically. It is not known whether bariatric surgery protects against development of autoinflammatory or autoimmune conditions; nevertheless, changes occurring in the immune system are incompletely understood. In this case series, we describe 4 patients undergoing bariatric surgery, who subsequently developed systemic autoimmune diseases. Patients in our case series were asymptomatic before surgery and developed an autoimmune disease within 11.2 months. Two women fulfilled criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (one associated with antiphospholipid syndrome), and 2 men developed rheumatoid arthritis. A causal relationship is difficult to establish because factors that could trigger these diseases are multiple, including genetic susceptibility, time elapsed until achievement of ideal weight, and vitamin deficiencies, among others. However, clinicians must be attentive to this possible association.
26744441 Preventing Collateral Damage in Crohn's Disease: The Lémann Index. 2016 Apr Crohn's disease [CD] is a chronic progressive and destructive condition. Half of all CD patients will develop bowel damage at 10 years. As in rheumatic diseases, preventing the organ damage consequent to CD complications [fistula, abscess, and/or stricture] is emerging as a new therapeutic goal for these patients in clinical practice. This might be the only way to alter disease course, as surgery is often required for disease complications. Similar to the joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis, bowel damage has also emerged as a new endpoint in disease-modification trials such as the REACT trial. Recently, the Lemann Index [LI] has been developed to measure CD-related bowel damage, and to assess damage progression over time, in order to evaluate the impact of therapeutic strategies in terms of preventing bowel damage. While validation is pending, recent reports suggested that bowel damage is reversible by anti-tumour necrosis factor [TNF] therapy. The Lémann index may play a key role in CD management, and should be implemented in all upcoming disease-modification trials in CD.
26491566 Mechanistic Perspectives of Maslinic Acid in Targeting Inflammation. 2015 Chronic inflammation drives the development of various pathological diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. The arachidonic acid pathway represents one of the major mechanisms for inflammation. Prostaglandins (PGs) are lipid products generated from arachidonic acid by the action of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes and their activity is blocked by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). The use of natural compounds in regulation of COX activity/prostaglandins production is receiving increasing attention. In Mediterranean diet, olive oil and table olives contain significant dietary sources of maslinic acid. Maslinic acid is arising as a safe and novel natural pentacyclic triterpene which has protective effects against chronic inflammatory diseases in various in vivo and in vitro experimental models. Understanding the anti-inflammatory mechanism of maslinic acid is crucial for its development as a potential dietary nutraceutical. This review focuses on the mechanistic action of maslinic acid in regulating the inflammation pathways through modulation of the arachidonic acid metabolism including the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)/COX-2 expression, upstream protein kinase signaling, and phospholipase A2 enzyme activity. Further investigations may provide insight into the mechanism of maslinic acid in regulating the molecular targets and their associated pathways in response to specific inflammatory stimuli.
26236313 Psychedelics and Immunomodulation: Novel Approaches and Therapeutic Opportunities. 2015 Classical psychedelics are psychoactive substances, which, besides their psychopharmacological activity, have also been shown to exert significant modulatory effects on immune responses by altering signaling pathways involved in inflammation, cellular proliferation, and cell survival via activating NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases. Recently, several neurotransmitter receptors involved in the pharmacology of psychedelics, such as serotonin and sigma-1 receptors, have also been shown to play crucial roles in numerous immunological processes. This emerging field also offers promising treatment modalities in the therapy of various diseases including autoimmune and chronic inflammatory conditions, infections, and cancer. However, the scarcity of available review literature renders the topic unclear and obscure, mostly posing psychedelics as illicit drugs of abuse and not as physiologically relevant molecules or as possible agents of future pharmacotherapies. In this paper, the immunomodulatory potential of classical serotonergic psychedelics, including N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine, and 3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine will be discussed from a perspective of molecular immunology and pharmacology. Special attention will be given to the functional interaction of serotonin and sigma-1 receptors and their cross-talk with toll-like and RIG-I-like pattern-recognition receptor-mediated signaling. Furthermore, novel approaches will be suggested feasible for the treatment of diseases with chronic inflammatory etiology and pathology, such as atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia, depression, and Alzheimer's disease.
26198545 Influence of patient medication information format on comprehension and application of med 2015 Jul 10 OBJECTIVE: To examine patients' comprehension and application of alternative versions of patient medication information handouts for a fictitious drug, and whether patient characteristics influence patients' ability to understand the handouts. METHODS: A web-based experiment was conducted in which 1397 adults with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, or plaque psoriasis were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) a one-page "Bubbles" format; (2) a one-page "Over-The-Counter" (OTC) format; and (3) a four-page document modeled after MedGuides used in 2009 which served as the control arm. Comprehension and application of information in the handouts were the key outcomes of interest. RESULTS: Participants who viewed either the Bubbles or OTC formats had greater comprehension than participants who viewed the MedGuide, but did not have better application scores. No significant differences were noted between the Bubbles and OTC formats. Patient characteristics did not moderate the results. CONCLUSION: Both formats resulted in better comprehension than the MedGuide format used in the study. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Results provide valuable information on how to design patient information to improve patients' understanding of the risks and benefits of the drugs they are prescribed. Results could be extended to inform the content of other types of patient education materials.
26069515 Subsidence in Collarless Corail Hip Replacement. 2015 The purpose of this study was to assess whether subsidence occurs in collarless Corail hip replacement (CCHR) and to ascertain the extent and timing of subsidence if present. Retrospective case notes analysis was performed. Sixty eight patients who had CCHR were identified from our database. Male to female ratio was 32:36. Their mean age was 74.2 years (range 37-95 years). Indications for surgery were osteoarthritis in 64 (94%) patients, rheumatoid arthritis in two (3%) patients and avascular necrosis in two (3%) patients. Subsidence was measured at 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year post-op compared to initial post-op x-rays. At 6 weeks x-ray 21 patients did not have any subsidence, 18 patients had 1 millimeter (mm) subsidence, 10 patients had 2mms subsidence, 4 patients had 3mms subsidence, 5 patients had 4mms subsidence, 1 patient had 5mms subsidence, 4 patients had 6 mms subsidence and 1 patient each had subsidence of 7mms, 9mms, 11mms, 13mms and 26 mms respectively. When compared with 6 months x-rays only 2 patients had a further subsidence of 2mms while another patient had 3mms subsidence. No further subsidence occurred at 1 year follow up x-rays. One patient had revision surgery due to symptomatic subsidence (29mms) at 6 months follow up. Subsidence does occur in the first 6 weeks in collarless Corail hip replacement, and to a lesser extent until 6 months postoperatively, but does not progress further.
26064995 Recognition of Immune Response for the Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoarthritis. 2015 Osteoarthritis is a common and debilitating joint disease that affects up to 30 million Americans, leading to significant disability, reduction in quality of life, and costing the United States tens of billions of dollars annually. Classically, osteoarthritis has been characterized as a degenerative, wear-and-tear disease, but recent research has identified it as an immunopathological disease on a spectrum between healthy condition and rheumatoid arthritis. A systematic literature review demonstrates that the disease pathogenesis is driven by an early innate immune response which progressively catalyzes degenerative changes that ultimately lead to an altered joint microenvironment. It is feasible to detect this infiltration of cells in the early, and presumably asymptomatic, phase of the disease through noninvasive imaging techniques. This screening can serve to aid clinicians in potentially identifying high-risk patients, hopefully leading to early effective management, vast improvements in quality of life, and significant reductions in disability, morbidity, and cost related to osteoarthritis. Although the diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis routinely utilize both invasive and non-invasive strategies, imaging techniques specific to inflammatory cells are not commonly employed for these purposes. This review discusses this paradigm and aims to shift the focus of future osteoarthritis-related research towards early diagnosis of the disease process.
25881672 Efficacy of rituximab for pemphigus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of different re 2015 Nov This meta-analysis examined the efficacy of different dosing regimens containing rituximab (RTX) in treating pemphigus. The analysis included 578 patients with pemphigus from 30 studies. Seventy-six percent of patients achieved complete remission (CR) after 1 cycle of RTX. Mean time to remission was 5.8 months, with a remission duration of 14.5 months and a 40% relapse rate. Eighteen patients (3.3%) developed serious adverse effects. The pooled estimate showed no significant differences in CR and relapse rates between patients treated with high-dose (near or ≥ 2,000 mg/cycle) vs. low-dose (< 1,500 mg/cycle) RTX. In the fully adjusted analysis, high-dose RTX was associated with longer duration of CR compared with low-dose RTX. No superiority of lymphoma protocol over rheumatoid arthritis or high-dose RTX over low-dose RTX was shown in other outcomes. RTX treatment is efficacious and well-tolerated in treating pemphigus. High-dose RTX treatment may lead to longer duration of remission. However, the choice of optimal regimen depends on the overall condition of the individual patient.