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

ID PMID Title PublicationDate abstract
2637550 [Difficulties in diagnosing immunologically determined disease syndromes]. 1989 Nov 15 A case of amyloidosis is presented in a man aged 21 years, discussing the diagnostic difficulties in immunologically-determined syndromes, and considerable serious consequences of their inappropriate treatment. On the margin of this case important problems are discussed connected with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic fever and amyloidosis.
2743385 [Amyloidosis in plasmacytic myeloma with dominant manifestations of joint involvement]. 1989 May 5 The authors describe a case of plasmocytic myeloma complicated by the development of systemic amyloidosis. The symptoms were dominated by marked macroglossia and arthropathy which by the objective finding and subjective manifestations imitated rheumatoid arthritis. In the discussion the authors emphasize general manifestations of amyloid arthropathy.
2018633 Immunogenetic markers as probes for polymorphism, gene regulation and gene transfer in man 1991 Mar The genetic markers of immunoglobulins (Ig) demonstrable by immunological methods have shown their usefulness as genetic probes. The study of these allotypes originally proved that Ig production is under conventional genetic control and also established that allelic exclusion is valid for the key molecules of the immune response. The codons responsible for the G1m(a) marker and their position in the human genome are precisely known. This knowledge implies that Gm typing may be used as a convenient and reliable means of following the fate of IgG constant gene segments. Anti-Gm's are common in rheumatoid arthritis. They appear early in the disease and may persist throughout life. The stimulus for their appearance has not yet been established. The anti-Gm's in the allegedly autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis are commonly and apparently paradoxically specific for Gm gene products of other persons. Another apparent paradox brought to light by Ig allotype research is the occasional appearance of non-nominal allotypes in contradiction to Mendelian laws. It is proposed that a plausible explanation for these two paradoxes is Ig gene transfer between individuals with viral vectors. Reasons for this proposal and some possible consequences of gene transfer in a polymorphic species are delineated. Immunogenetics and DNA technology in combination provide powerful tools to elucidate the fate of genes. A method allowing the assignment of G1m(a+) and G1m(a-) at the gene level by polymerase chain reaction analysis has recently been established and is briefly described.
2789974 Type A behaviour pattern: specific coronary risk factor or general disease-prone condition 1989 Sep While the association between Type A behaviour pattern and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been abundantly investigated, the question of the specificity of this association remains virtually unexplored. The present study addressed this question by examining, in a sample of 1949 male and female adults, the relationship between JAS Type A measurement and self-reported diseases (i.e. CHD, scarlatina, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, diseases of the liver, diseases of the gall-bladder, thyroid troubles, tuberculosis, peptic ulcer, renal disease, hypertension and diabetes). Type A subjects were found to report not only more CHD, but also more peptic ulcers, thyroid problems, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Globally, more Type A than Type B subjects reported having been ill, and the average number of reported diseases per person was higher among Type As than among Type Bs. These results were obtained in spite of the fact that Type A subjects in this study were markedly younger than Type Bs, and in spite of the empirically based reputation of the former to be symptom deniers rather than symptom reporters. Overall, the data supported the view that Type A behaviour pattern is a general disease-prone condition rather than merely a specific coronary risk factor.
2923734 Atlantoaxial subluxation. Radiography and magnetic resonance imaging correlated to myelopa 1989 Mar Twenty-nine patients with atlantoaxial subluxation (18 with rheumatoid arthritis, 2 due to trauma, 4 with os odontoideum, and one each with polyarteritis nodosa, rheumatic fever. Klippel-Feil syndrome, achondroplasia, and cause unknown) were evaluated using a 0.22 tesla resistive MRI unit. Cord compression was classified into four grades according to the degree on magnetic resonance imaging. There were 7 patients with no thecal sac compression (grade 0). 10 with a minimal degree of subarachnoid space compression without cord compression (grade 1), 7 with mild cord compression (grade 2), and 5 with severe cord compression or cord atrophy (grade 3). Although the severity of myelopathy showed poor correlation with the atlantodental interval on conventional radiography, high correlation was observed between MR grading and the degree of myelopathy. The high signal intensity foci were observed in 7 of 12 patients with cord compression (grades 2 and 3) on T2 weighted images. Other frequently observed findings in rheumatoid arthritis included soft tissue masses of low to intermediate signal intensity in the paraodontoid space, erosions of the odontoid processes, and atlantoaxial impaction on T1 and T2 weighted images.
1947812 Clinical definitions and differential diagnosis of Lyme arthritis. 1991 Joint symptoms associated with B. burgdorferi infection range from arthralgias, to brief attacks of arthritis, to chronic erosive synovitis. From 2 weeks to 2 years after the onset of disease, commonly following migratory arthralgias, about 60% of untreated patients with Lyme disease in the United States develop brief attacks of oligoarticular arthritis, primarily in large joints, especially the knee. Episodes of arthritis often become longer during the second or third years of illness, lasting months rather than weeks, and in about 10% of patients, chronic arthritis begins during this period. Chronic Lyme arthritis appears to have an immunogentic basis. Of 28 patients with chronic arthritis, 25 (89%) had the HLA-DR4 or -DR2 specificities compared with only 6 of 22 patients (27%) with arthritis of short duration (P = 0.00006). In adults, Lyme arthritis is most like Reiter's syndrome or reactive arthritis, and in children, it is most similar to the pauciarticular form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
11188589 Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Aquatic exercise and lower-extremity function. 1991 Jun This pilot study investigates the effects of aquatic therapeutic exercise on lower-extremity range of motion, gait, balance, and functional mobility in children with juvenile arthritis. Eleven patients, aged 4-13, with lower-extremity joint involvement, diagnosed as functional class I-III, completed a 6-week program of aquatic exercise aimed at increasing lower-extremity range of motion and strength. Despite the small sample size and short duration of the study program, significant improvement was noted in external and internal hip rotation, bilaterally (p < 0.05). Improvement was noted in the median scores for most other parameters; however, these did not reach statistical significance. Aquatic exercises performed in a group setting can serve as an enjoyable and beneficial part of therapy for children with arthritis. Further investigation is recommended to determine fully the effects of aquatic therapeutic exercise on mobility and fitness in children with juvenile arthritis.
2835318 Effect of auranofin on human platelet aggregation, release of serotonin, and cyclic-AMP fo 1988 Feb Auranofin (Aur), a new oral gold compound valuable in treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, is known to have an inhibitory effect on ADP- and epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation in vitro. This may be of clinical importance as platelets participate in thrombus formation and are believed to act as proinflammatory cells in the diseased synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis. In the present in vitro study it was confirmed that Aur inhibits both ADP- and adrenaline-induced platelet aggregation in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, a time- and dose-dependent decrease in platelet release of serotonin as well as a pronounced increase in the production of cyclic-AMP was found to result from Aur incubation. Aur's inhibitory effect on platelets is probably mediated through cyclic-AMP stimulation. Future studies of Aur's platelet inhibitory effect should investigate the mechanisms by which cyclic-AMP formation is increased, since this may be of importance also for Aur's action on other cell types.
3576141 Mortality and disability among granite workers. 1987 Feb The objective of the present study was to investigate the mortality, disability, and long-term morbidity of granite workers. The study included 1,026 workers hired between 1940 and 1971 and followed until the end of 1981. The total number of deaths was 235, and the expected number was 229.7. Excess mortality rates were observed for respiratory diseases (observed/expected = 28/13.9). The number of tumor deaths was 46 (expected 44.9). Excess lung cancer mortality was evident at 15 to 35 years of latency; the observed number of lung cancer deaths for the follow-up period of 25 to 29 years was 8, while 2.1 were expected. Mortality from cardiovascular diseases and violent deaths was slightly less than expected. The results for disability and long-term morbidity showed elevated incidence and prevalence rates for respiratory diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. The observed number of disability pensions due to rheumatoid arthritis in 1981 was 10 observed versus 1.8 expected, and the observed number of patients granted free medication was 19 versus 8.1 expected. The results indicate that granite dust exposure per se may be an etiologic and pathogenetic factor for lung cancer, cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, and some extrapulmonary nonmalignant chronic diseases.
2104176 Induction of humoral manifestations of autoimmunity following intraperitoneal injection of 1990 Several animal models of arthritis are produced using complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) alone or with collagen as an arthritogen. Successful induction of arthritis is reported to require that the adjuvant mixture be administered by intradermal or subcutaneous routes. The resulting arthritis is caused by primarily cellular immune responses. Data presented in this paper show that giving CFA by intraperitoneal (I.P.) inoculation results in a humoral autoimmune response, with no obvious signs of arthritis. This humoral autoimmune response is characterized by production of autoantibodies to nuclear and cytoplasmic antigens, elevated levels of circulating immune complexes, and in approximately 25% of mice, rheumatoid factor.
3084606 Immunoregulatory disorders associated with hereditary angioedema. I. Clinical manifestatio 1986 May Occasional reports have appeared linking hereditary angioedema (HAE) with autoimmune diseases. We have systematically evaluated 157 patients for manifestations of autoimmunity. Nineteen of these patients (12%) had clinical immunoregulatory diseases including glomerulonephritis (five patients), Sjögren's syndrome (three), inflammatory bowel disease (three), thyroiditis (two), systemic lupus erythematosus (one), drug-induced lupus (one), rheumatoid arthritis (one), juvenile rheumatoid arthritis with IgA deficiency (one), incipient pernicious anemia (one), and sicca syndrome (one). All eight patients with HAE who developed an autoimmune disease with a known human histocompatibility antigen association developed a disease associated with their histocompatibility antigen haplotype (p = 0.014). Although only four patients developed Sjögren's syndrome or sicca syndrome, an additional nine manifested part of the sicca complex. We also found patients with HAE with features suggestive of an immune-based abnormality. These features included idiopathic pancreatitis (three patients), Raynaud's disease (two), partial lipodystrophy (one), chronic chorioretinitis (one), and alopecia universalis (one).
1676352 A multicentre pilot study of sulphasalazine in juvenile chronic arthritis. 1991 Mar In this multicentre pilot study of sulphasalazine in juvenile chronic arthritis, the mode of onset and course of the disease, and when available, the HLA status, was recorded on the entry form. After appropriate clinical and laboratory appraisal, sulphasalazine up to 40 mg/kg/day was given for one year with assessments at 0, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Fifty-one patients enrolled, 8 of whom were withdrawn because of side effects. In the remainder by 12 months a good effect was noted in 12, 8 having pauci-articular onset disease commencing after the age of 9 years, of whom 6 carried HLA B27. It was relatively ineffective in the other subgroups. The frequency and severity of side effects was similar to that seen in adults. Further evaluation in controlled trials is required in older onset pauci-articular arthritis, taking due note of the patient's HLA status, and also in juvenile psoriatic arthritis and seropositive juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
2025313 Collagen-induced arthritis in an outbred group of rhesus monkeys comprising responder and 1991 May It is speculated that the autoimmune response to type II collagen (CII) is a driving force in the pathogenesis of human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this report, we describe the relationship between the induction of collagen arthritis and the CII-specific humoral, as well as cellular, immune response in rhesus monkeys. Ten of 14 monkeys immunized with bovine type II collagen (B-CII) developed polyarthritis. Susceptible animals showed a T cell response to B-CII; resistant animals did not. After the primary immunization, the humoral response to B-CII, as well as to rhesus monkey type II collagen, was dominated by antibodies of the IgM isotype in the susceptible animals and by antibodies of the IgG isotype in the resistant animals. Because of the close phylogenic relationship between the rhesus monkey and humans, these data contribute valuable information about the role of CII-specific immunity in the pathogenesis of human RA.
1837316 Atlantoaxial subluxation in a patient with mixed connective tissue disease. 1991 Oct We describe a 55-year-old woman with an 8-year history of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Her condition was characterized by severe Raynaud's, swollen fingers, digital ulceration and gangrene, esophagitis, polyarthropathy, myositis and restrictive lung function. She consistently had antibodies to U1-RNP. Rheumatoid factor was present in low titer. She developed atlantoaxial subluxation, a feature seen commonly in rheumatoid arthritis, reported in spondyloarthropathy and a small number of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus but not described in MCTD.
2327319 Monoclonal antibodies and arthritis. 1990 Jan Monoclonal antibodies to certain cell surface constituents on lymphocytes, monocytes and macrophages have been administered to Lewis rats with developing, established or adoptively transferred arthritis, to determine any immunomodulatory properties. Anti-CD4 antibodies against helper T-lymphocytes produced a dose related inhibition of developing arthritis; high dose levels completely suppressed all symptoms of arthritis and these rats were resistant to further attempts to induce arthritis. Anti-Ia (MHCII) antibodies also inhibited arthritis in a dose related manner; anti-pan T antibodies delayed the onset of arthritis, but antibodies against CD8 and IL-2 receptor positive cells were without effect. Development of type II collagen-induced arthritis was also inhibited by anti-CD4 treatment. Established arthritis could be temporarily inhibited by anti-CD4 antibodies, but rebound of arthritis invariably occurred after stopping treatment, as is the case with cyclosporin A. Similar results with anti-CD4 antibodies were obtained during treatment of arthritis adoptively transferred by arthritogenic T-lymphocytes. From these experiments it is clear that CD4 positive T-lymphocytes have a major role in the induction of adjuvant arthritis and that interaction between CD4 and Ia bearing cells is important. The rebound of arthritis that occurred after withdrawal of anti-CD4 treatment during established disease infers that cells in addition to helper T-lymphocytes are involved in the chronicity of arthritis, but these remain to be elucidated. These findings are discussed in relation to results with monoclonal antibodies in other models of arthritis and human rheumatoid arthritis; the prospects for human therapy are also discussed.
2055024 Sjogren's syndrome: a comparative study of impression cytology of the conjunctiva and bucc 1991 May The diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome (SJ) as an underlying disease of keratoconjunctivitis sicca is important because of the many ocular and systemic complications. We compared the results of impression cytology of conjunctiva (ICC) and the results of labial salivary gland biopsy (LSB) with impression cytology of buccal mucosa (ICB) in 33 patients with SJ. LSB, ICC, and ICB were considered positive in all patients. Moderate to severe changes were graded in 85% of the biopsy specimens, 94% of the conjunctival specimens, and 76% of the buccal mucosa specimens. The rate of agreement between LSB and ICB was 97%. The use of ICB in the clinical ophthalmological examination may be helpful in patients with consistent history, and clinical and ocular findings, before the biopsy procedure.
2067162 [A case of Sjögren's syndrome with a clinical course similar to diffuse panbronchiolitis] 1991 Mar A 64-year-old man was admitted because of some infection of the airway. Chest roentgenography showed a bilateral reticulonodular shadow which was similar to the shadow of DPB. Pathological findings obtained by lung biopsy indicated bronchiolitis. This case was diagnosed as Sjögren's syndrome because of the increase of titers of anti-ssA and anti-ssB antibody, lachrymal dysfunction, pathological findings and sialography. The relationship between DPB and lung lesions of Sjögren's syndrome was investigated.
1996561 Cyclosporine for the treatment of granulocytopenia in Felty's syndrome. 1991 Mar A patient with Felty's syndrome was treated with cyclosporine, initially 10 mg/kg/day and then 4 mg/kg/day. The neutrophil count increased by 6 weeks and was normal at 3 months. Over the subsequent 27 months the neutrophil count was closely related to the cyclosporine dosage and there was no evidence of cyclosporine toxicity. This case indicates that cyclosporine may have a role in the treatment of Felty's syndrome.
2161461 Sjögren's syndrome after infection by Epstein-Barr virus. 1990 Apr We describe a case in which infection with Epstein-Barr virus in a middle aged woman was followed by the development of Sjögren's syndrome with systemic features and high titers of antinuclear antibodies. Humoral and cell mediated immune responses to the virus appeared normal. It is suggested that in this case, Sjögren's syndrome resulted from a failure to control these initially appropriate responses.
2155037 The spectrum of neurological involvement in Sjögren's syndrome. 1990 Feb Sixty-three unselected consecutive patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSs) were prospectively evaluated for evidence of neurological manifestations. Seventeen had a mild sensory or mixed neuropathy. Two of these plus one more patient had trigeminal neuropathy. One had pure motor neuropathy, whereas another eight had latent motor neuropathy. None volunteered neurological complaints. Two more patients had symptomatic unilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. Severe mononeuritis multiplex and symptomatic symmetrical distal neuropathy were seen in two patients with vasculitis. One patient, with a history of hypertension and no subjective sicca complaints, had a mild cerebrovascular accident and objective evidence of changes compatible with pSs. The study suggests that peripheral neurological involvement is relatively common and benign in the majority of pSs individuals, whereas central nervous system (CNS) disease must be rare.