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

ID PMID Title PublicationDate abstract
3125316 Effects of gold on the production of and response to human interleukin-1. 1987 Dec We studied the effects in vitro of sodium aurothiomalate (GSTM) on the production of, and response to, a monocyte supernatant with interleukin-1 (IL-1)-like activity. Monocyte supernatant was produced by human peripheral blood monocytes stimulated with lipoprotein polysaccharide, and its IL-1-like activity assayed by its effect on tritiated thymidine incorporation by C3H/HeJ mouse thymocytes. GSTM inhibited the thymocyte response to monocyte supernatant even when added to monocyte supernatant and thymocytes after 48 h of culture. GSTM also inhibited production of IL-1-like activity by monocytes, when added to culture within the first 22 h. Inhibition of both response to and production of monocyte supernatant was dose dependent. These effects of GSTM on Il-1-like activity may constitute one of the mechanisms of action of the drug in rheumatoid arthritis.
3735279 Systemic lupus erythematosus--a medical and social profile. 1986 Jun The social functioning of 120 patients (114 women) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was studied. The proportion of Chinese, Japanese and Native Indians was greater than expected. Familial incidences of SLE (12.5%) and rheumatoid arthritis (17.5%) were high. Sixty-one women had 76 pregnancies after the onset of SLE; although fetal wastage was common, outcomes were otherwise satisfactory. Social difficulties worsened with disease exacerbations, drug reactions and delay in diagnosis. Thirty-three percent completed their education after the onset of SLE. Sixty-three percent with a work history were employed and 52% were totally or partially self-supporting. Patients experienced problems with self-image (20%), sexual functioning (4%) and lifestyle (17%). SLE was not a barrier to marriage or a primary cause of divorce: 40% married after the onset of SLE and 12.5% had a history of divorce. In summary, SLE patients can function well socially; it is imperative to recognize the difficulties and provide support.
2335121 Prenatal diagnosis: current status and future trends. 1990 Many of the major single-gene disorders in man can now be detected in utero using restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). This approach is based on the knowledge of established linkage between RFLPs and mutations in an adjacent gene. The development of the polymerase chain reaction has altered the available approaches to this problem. This technique permits very rapid detection of the specific mutation from small amounts of starting material and may enable us to detect the genotype from fetal cells in maternal blood or from single cells in embryos before implantation. This may lead to the selection of embryos that lack a defect before they are implanted, avoiding the need for termination of pregnancy. Perhaps the greatest ethical challenge related to the application of these techniques will come with the understanding of the genetic basis for common polygenic disorders. The clarification of the multiple genetic factors responsible for a large part of susceptibility to diseases such as diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis or ischaemic heart disease will be greatly facilitated by a one-centimorgan genetic map. The strategy involved in establishing such a map, using the polymerase chain reaction, and then the identification of genetic loci responsible for susceptibility to a typical polygenic disease (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus), is discussed. The ability to identify individuals at high risk of developing such diseases may present opportunities for early intervention.
3292794 Clinical applications of fish oils. 1988 Aug 5 Fish oil supplements are currently being nationally advertised, and many physicians are being queried about their clinical utility. Epidemiologic studies reveal a low incidence of cardiovascular disease in people, such as the Eskimos, who eat large amounts of seafood. Cardiovascular health may be improved because fish and fish oil supplements lower plasma lipid levels (especially triglycerides), inhibit platelet aggregation, and may decrease blood pressure and viscosity and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Preliminary observations also suggest a potential future role for fish oils in the treatment of some autoimmune diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Patients with serum triglyceride levels greater than 5.64 mmol/L and/or cholesterol levels greater than 7.75 mmol/L refractory to dietary management may benefit from a medically supervised trial of fish oil supplements. Data currently available are insufficient to recommend fish oil supplements for the general public, or for patients with other diseases, and side effects must also be considered. These include occasional adverse lipid changes, potential for bleeding and vitamin E deficiency, and, with some preparations, vitamin A and D toxicity.
3343873 Clinical diagnosis of immune inner-ear disease. 1988 Mar The purpose of this study was to develop a high-risk clinical profile of patients with autoimmune (immune-mediated) inner-ear disease. The records of 52 patients diagnosed over the past 5 years were reviewed. Age, sex, bilateral versus unilateral involvement, otologic symptoms, concomitant systemic immune disease, and presenting clinical diagnoses were recorded. The presenting diagnoses were Cogan's syndrome, Meniere's syndrome, Dandy's syndrome without hearing loss, or progressive sensorineural hearing loss without dizziness. Because Cogan's and Dandy's syndromes were relatively uncommon, the typical high-risk clinical profile was a middle-aged patient (often female) with bilateral, asymmetric, progressive sensorineural hearing loss, with or without dizziness, and occasional systemic immune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. When a more common clinical diagnosis cannot be reached in suspicious patients, immune laboratory tests should be obtained and a trial of immunotherapy offered. Positive test results and beneficial response to therapy support a presumptive diagnosis of immune inner-ear disease.
3366168 The disposition of biphenylacetic acid following topical application. 1988 Plasma and synovial fluid concentrations of biphenylacetic acid were determined following application of 3 g of 3% biphenylacetic acid gel to one knee of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The mean peak plasma concentration was 34 ng/ml. Synovial fluid concentrations tended to follow plasma concentrations but at a somewhat lower level, the mean peak synovial fluid concentration was 21 ng/ml. The average ratio of synovial fluid AUC (0-24 h) to plasma AUC (0-24 h) was 0.58, r = 0.97. Where patients had bilateral effusions, the concentration in the ipsilateral knee at each time point examined was not significantly different to that in the contralateral knee, suggesting that absorption was initially into the plasma and subsequently into the synovium.
3611261 Rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the simultaneous analysis of non-s 1987 May 15 A high-performance liquid chromatographic assay has been developed for the determination of a number of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in plasma. The samples were prepared by adding acetonitrile and perchloric acid to 200 microliter of plasma. Diclofenac, fenoprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen, phenylbutazone, piroxicam and sulindac were quantified in the supernatant produced using a mobile phase of phosphoric acid 0.03% (pH 2.5)-acetonitrile and a detecting wavelength of 254 nm. The reproducibility, linearity, precision and specificity of the assay were determined and found to be satisfactory. Alteration of the detection wavelength to 229 nm also permitted accurate determination of ibuprofen concentration in plasma. While reduction of the organic solvent content of the mobile phase and alteration of wavelength to 313 nm produced a system capable of quantifying salicylate and its metabolites in plasma and by further reducing the detecting wavelength to 237 nm, aspirin also was quantifiable. These methods have been applied in a cross-sectional study of medication compliance among rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
3802583 Antibodies to cardiac Purkinje cells: further characterization in autoimmune diseases and 1987 Feb We confirmed the occurrence of IgG antibodies reacting with ox cardiac conducting tissue in the serum of some human subjects. These antibodies failed to react with all ox cardiac conducting tissue cells; they reacted only with the cells defined as Purkinje cells. Having checked 352 sera, we found that the prevalence of antibodies to Purkinje cells was 11% in normal subjects (no correlation with sex and age), 14% in systemic lupus erythematosus, 21% in rheumatoid arthritis, 18% in progressive systemic sclerosis, and 23% in Sjögren syndrome. In 50 patients with permanent pacemakers for chronic non-postinfarction atrioventricular (AV) block the prevalence was 30% (P = 0.008). In a selected set of 29 patients with clinically idiopathic AV block located at or below the level of the His bundle the prevalence was 34.5% (P = 0.006). The possible role of anti-Purkinje cell antibodies in autoimmune damage of cardiac conduction tissue is discussed.
1876401 [The GSB knee joint: reoperation and infections]. 1991 Jun The GSB-III knee prosthesis is one of the semi-constrained types and consequently ranks between the non-constrained condylar prostheses and the fully constrained hinges. Its kinematics can be classified as "physiological" in the sagittal plane as far as the relationship between femur and tibia in the various degrees of flexion is concerned, which is a replica of a normal knee joint. The high average range of postoperative mobility as well as the extremely low aseptic loosening rate after 10 years prove the truth of this statement. A simple operative technique requiring a few special instruments allows even the less experienced knee surgeon to be successful and to obtain good results in cases with severe deformity and poor bone quality. The survival curves of the GSB-III prosthesis (n = 638) show a cummulative success rate of over 90% after 10 years. Looking separately at cases complaining of more or less severe pain, we frequently find underlying patellar problems, the main cause for revisional surgery. This problem is not specific for our prosthesis, but must be considered a so far unsolved worldwide problem. Infections are another relatively frequent cause for revisions. Disturbed wound healing, arterial insufficiency and malignant rheumatoid arthritis are the outstanding risk factors. For a reliable comparison of the different knee prostheses we ought to have a globally accepted evaluation system, which unfortunately still does not exist.
1662825 Effect of thymopentin on peripheral blood T-lymphocytes subsets and on the clinical course 1991 May The effect on peripheral T-lymphocytes of Thymopentin (TP-5), asynthetic pentapeptide reproducing the biological activity of Thymopoietin, is known in Herpes Simplex infections and in Rheumatoid Arthritis. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of TP-5 on the OKT4 and OKT8 lymphocytes in Multiple Sclerosis. The AA. have studied this effect in two patients affected by definite MS, whose lymphocytes subpopulation, observed for 33 and 13.5 months respectively, showed a constant OKT4/OKT8 ratio greater than 2.5 in peripheral blood and whose clinical course was chronically progressive. TP-5 was administered during a period of one month. A decrease of the OKT4/OKT8 ratio in both patients (significant in one, p less than 0.01) due to the increase of OKT8 was observed. Also the clinical symptomatology improved in one patient.
1720888 C-reactive protein: a critical review. 1991 Apr We have reviewed the literature to determine the value of C-reactive protein (CRP) measurements in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of conditions. CRP levels are of value in 6 clinical situations: (a) monitoring the response to antibiotic treatment in patients with known bacterial infections, (b) in obstetric patients with premature rupture of membranes, a rise in CRP can give early warning of intrauterine infections, (c) differentiation between active disease and infections in patients with systemic lupus and ulcerative colitis where the level of response to active disease has been previously established, (d) as a measure of disease activity and response to disease-modifying drugs in rheumatoid arthritis, (e) early detection of complications in postoperative patients, (f) in differentiating between infection and graft-versus-host-disease in bone marrow transplant patients. CRP levels have been used in an attempt to differentiate between bacterial and viral infections in various clinical situations, however the published literature does not support this role.
2032545 Immunolocalization of lamins in the thick nuclear lamina of human synovial cells. 1991 Feb While in the great majority of cells the nuclear lamina is not resolved as a distinct structure separating the chromatin from the nuclear envelope, a demonstrable nuclear lamina ("fibrous lamina") of 30 to 300 nm thickness, interposed between the inner nuclear membrane and the peripheral chromatin, is characteristic for certain types of cells of vertebrates and invertebrates. We have examined whether the thick (50-70 nm) fibrous lamina of human synovial cells from patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis indeed contains the lamins found in the indiscernible lamina structures present in most normal cells. We have observed, by electron microscopic immunolocalization, that both the A and the B type lamins occur throughout the entire nuclear lamina of these cells and that this structure is also resistant to treatments with nucleases and high salt buffers. This shows that the thick fibrous lamina only seen in certain vertebrate cells is compositionally related to the "masked" nuclear lamina of most other cells which usually is identified only upon removal of the adjacent nuclear structures.
1941354 Evaluation of four commercially available ELISA assays for the serologic diagnosis of Lyme 1991 We evaluated four commercially available ELISAs for detection of antibody to Borrelia burgdorferi with 21 sera from patients with clinically diagnosed Lyme disease and 89 patient control sera. Patient control sera included 28 sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 17 sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 44 sera containing antibodies reported to cross-react in some Lyme disease tests. The ELISAs tested (Cambridge Bioscience, Diamedix, 3M, and Zeus) detect antibodies (IgM and/or IgG) that bind Borrelia burgdorferi antigen attached to microtiter wells. Antibody reactivity in the sera from patients with clinically diagnosed Lyme disease was characterized by using Zeus immunoglobulin class-specific assays (IgM and IgG). Sensitivities in early and late Lyme disease were as follows: Cambridge and Diamedix, 57% and 100%; 3M, 57% and 93%; and Zeus, 71% and 86%. Reactivities within a patient control population were: Cambridge and Diamedix, 3%; 3M, 7%; and Zeus, 10%.
1708671 Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor and pre-alpha-trypsin inhibitor in health and disease. Deter 1990 Dec Inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (ITI) consists of 3 polypeptides cross-linked by chondroitin sulphate, which is o-glycosidically linked to the smallest of the polypeptides, designated bikunin. Pre-alpha-trypsin inhibitor (p alpha I) consists of bikunin and a fourth polypeptide, also associated by chondroitin sulphate. Crossed immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) of plasma, using immunoglobulins to ITI, revealed 3 precipitation-lines, two of which increased in size during disease. Molecular mass determination by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that the immunoprecipitates contained mixtures of proteins. Therefore CIE is unfit for quantitation of the individual proteins related to ITI. Immunoblotting suggested that the plasma concentrations of p alpha I and of bikunin was increased in uraemia, rheumatoid arthritis and after trauma. The plasma concentrations of ITI and of p alpha I were decreased in a patient with endocarditis.
2261734 Anti-Sm-RNP activity in sera of patients with rheumatic and autoimmune diseases. 1990 Sep The sera of various rheumatic and autoimmune diseases were examined for the presence of anti-RNP/Sm activity. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed. Anti-RNP Ab's were detected in 18%, 20%, 28%, 16% of the sera of SLE, myasthenia gravis (MG), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and thyroid diseases respectively. The anti-RNP Ab's belonged to the IgG and IgM isotypes. Most of the IgG anti-Sm antibodies were detected in SLE sera, but they were found also in two sera of MG and in one sera of RA patients. IgM anti-Sm antibodies were not found in SLE sera, but they were detected in low titer in MG, RA and autoimmune thyroid diseases. The activity against RNP and/or Sm was further confirmed by employing immunoblotting assays. In none of the patients, except those with SLE, was any clinical manifestation of SLE noted. The mere presence of anti-Sm antibodies of the IgG isotypes is not sufficient for the development of SLE, however, its presence is highly specific for SLE.
2364604 Knee motion in total knee arthroplasty. A roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis of the k 1990 Jul The three-dimensional kinematics of the Tricon-M knee prosthesis during active knee flexion and extension were recorded in 11 patients with arthrosis or rheumatoid arthritis using roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis. Twenty-three normal knees constituted the control group. The prosthetic knees displayed the same degrees of freedom regarding rotational and translational movements as the normal knees, although the kinematics were different. A combination of internal rotation, abduction, and lateral translation of the tibia was recorded during flexion, and the reversed movements were recorded during extension. During the first 25 degrees of flexion, these movements were small, reflecting the high congruency between the articular surfaces, while beyond 25 degrees they increased. The normal knees displayed a combination of internal rotation, adduction, and medial translation of the tibia during flexion and the reversed movements during extension. The prosthetic knees also exhibited an increased posterior displacement during increasing flexion when compared with the normal knees. There was a correlation between the positioning of the femoral component in the sagittal plane and the recorded anterior/posterior translations. In conclusion, the kinematics of the Tricon-M knee prosthesis significantly differ from the normal knee, probably because of the design of the prosthesis and the absence of the cruciate ligaments.
2334439 Mononuclear cells enhance prostaglandin E2 production of polymorphonuclear leukocytes via 1990 Apr 30 To clarify the interactions between mononuclear cells and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and to identify the cytokine(s) that mediate the interaction, the effects of a culture supernatant of LPS-stimulated mononuclear cells on production of arachidonic acid metabolites of polymorphonuclear cells were studied. The culture supernatant of LPS-stimulated mononuclear cells increased production of prostaglandin E2 of polymorphonuclear cells. TNF alpha, but not IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, or IFN gamma, enhanced the prostaglandin E2 production when added in vitro. Additionally, an anti-rTNF alpha monoclonal antibody inhibited the stimulating activity of the culture supernatants. TNF alpha, produced by mononuclear cells, appears to play an important role in the development of inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis, by enhancing the arachidonic acid metabolism of the polymorphonuclear cells.
2700056 Photopheresis: a new therapeutic concept. 1989 Nov Photopheresis, the process by which peripheral blood is exposed in an extracorporeal flow system to photoactivated 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), is a new treatment for disorders caused by aberrant T lymphocytes. It is now a standard therapy for advanced cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and shows promise in the treatment of two autoimmune disorders, pemphigus vulgaris and progressive systemic sclerosis (scleroderma). Additional diseases for which clinical trials are in progress include multiple sclerosis, organ transplant rejection, rheumatoid arthritis, and AIDS. The mechanism of action appears to involve a "vaccination" against the pathogenic T cells, in a clone-specific manner. Photoactivated 8-MOP initiates a cascade of immunologic events by forming covalent photoadducts with nuclear and cell surface-adherent DNA and possibly with other cellular molecules. For reasons not yet fully clarified, but probably related to enhanced cycling of the T-cell receptor for antigen, photopheresis increases the immunogenicity of the irradiated T cells so that their reinfusion induces a therapeutically significant immunologic reaction that targets unirradiated T cells of the pathogenic clone(s). The specificity of the induced immunologic reaction probably results from the extremely disproportionate expansion of the pathogenic clone(s), relative to the several million other clones of normal T cells.
2607655 [A new role of uric acid as an antioxidant in human plasma]. 1989 Sep Free radical attack upon uric acid (UA) nonenzymatically generates allantoin (ALT), and the presence of ALT in human plasma suggests free radical intervention within the body. To assess this possibility, we determined plasma ALT in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and some other diseases by high-performance liquid-chromatography (HPLC). Heparinized blood samples were obtained from 15 healthy controls, CRF patients under conservative management (n = 13) or hemodialysis (HD) treatment (n = 8) and patients with gout (n = 11) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n = 13). Although not seen in normal plasma samples, ALT was detected in 63% and 31% of patients receiving HD and conservative treatment, respectively. The plasma ALT level decreased after each HD session. ALT was also detected in 18% and 23% of the patients with gout and RA, respectively. ALT was found to be generated by ultraviolet radiation or by the addition of H2O2 to a normal pool-plasma. Addition of Fe(2+) and H2O2 increased the ALT level to about twice that of only H2O2. Addition of either catalase, desferal, EDTA, DMTU, DMSO or mannitol to the plasma decreased ALT generation. These findings suggest that ALT is generated from UA attacked by free radicals, especially by the hydroxyl radical, and that UA plays a role as an antioxidant in the plasma of patients with CRF and some other diseases.
2923977 [Characteristics of memory in MRL/1 mice and the effect of thymic peptides]. 1989 Feb By means of methods of active and passive getting rid of electrical-pain irritation we showed that in mice MRL/1--the model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)--as compared with CBA (control) the process of forming a developed habit engram (DHE) was slowed down and its keeping was impaired. Thymic peptides (thymalin--0.2 mlg/mice intraperitoneally) suppressed the process of forming DHE irrespective of mice line and improved the process of its consolidation and keeping especially in mice MRL/1. Memory impairment in mice with genetical predisposition to the development of autoimmune process (MRL/1) is considered from view of the authors' developed hypothesis about thymus as an organ of antisystem of immune control of homeostasis and RA as an adaptation disease.