Search for: rheumatoid arthritis methotrexate autoimmune disease biomarker gene expression GWAS HLA genes non-HLA genes
| ID | PMID | Title | PublicationDate | abstract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1458265 | Rheumatoid arthritis and depression: an overview. | 1992 | Clearly, the determinants of depression in RA are complex and multifaceted. As with the disease itself, there is no simple cure for the depression that often accompanies it. Knowledge in this area is growing rapidly, however. Increasingly effective interventions are being developed to help those having difficulty adjusting to RA. As our understanding of the determinants of depression in RA increases, these therapies will continue to evolve. Ultimately, they may provide the long-term benefits desired by clinicians and patients alike. | |
| 7536416 | Apoptosis and functional Fas antigen in rheumatoid arthritis synoviocytes. | 1995 Apr | OBJECTIVE: To determine whether apoptosis occurs in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synoviocytes, and if this phenomenon is dependent on the Fas/Apo-1 pathway. METHODS: Apoptotic change in vivo was examined in RA synovial cells by several standard methods. The ability of cells to undergo Fas-induced apoptosis was determined in vitro. RESULTS: Typical apoptotic change was demonstrated in RA synovial cells by each method. Anti-Fas antibody induced apoptotic synovial cell death in vitro. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported study to demonstrate apoptosis in RA synovial cells. The findings indicate that rheumatoid synoviocytes undergo Fas-mediated apoptosis. | |
| 1466800 | Rheumatoid arthritis. | 1992 Dec | Rheumatoid arthritis is often considered to be an autoimmune disease in which the abnormal immunological response is triggered by an infectious agent(s) but progress towards identifying such extrinsic factors has so far been unrevealing. In contrast, the genetic component of host susceptibility is slowly becoming clearer. In particular, the nature of the HLA class II association with the disease has led to new insights into its pathogenesis and possible novel forms of therapy. | |
| 1629829 | Peripheral arthralgic presentation of fibrositis/fibromyalgia syndrome. | 1992 Feb | Of 216 consecutive new referrals to a general rheumatology clinic 22 (10.2%) had generalized fibromyalgia syndrome (FS). In 12 cases (5.6% of all referrals, 54.5% of patients with FS) the initial presentation was with pain in the region of the hand or wrist joints, but many other joints were painful or tender. Although there may be initial confusion with rheumatoid or osteoarthritis, the positive features of FS confirm the correct diagnosis. | |
| 8846651 | The use of Sandimmun (cyclosporin A) in severe refractory rheumatoid arthritis: the Belgia | 1995 Sep | OBJECTIVE: To investigate practicability, efficacy and tolerability of low starting doses of Sandimmun (cyclosporin A) (2.5 mg/kg daily) in patients with severe refractory rheumatoid arthritis in the short (6 months) and middle (12 months) term. METHODS: Fifty-nine patients, presenting with active and severe rheumatoid arthritis unresponding to conventional DMRADs were allowed to start Sandimmun at the dose of 2.5 mg/kg daily. This dose was progressively increased by steps of 25 mg daily up to a maximum of 5 mg/kg daily according to the renal function and blood pressure. RESULTS: A mean maintenance dose of 3.9 mg/kg daily was reached after 5 months and maintained throughout the study. Twenty-one patients (36%) completed the one year study. The reasons for discontinuation were: inefficacy (13), adverse events (17), both inefficacy and adverse events (5) and non-compliance (3). For those patients who completed the trial, clinical relevant improvements were observed within 3 months of treatment and were maintained until the end of the study for the Lee functional and the Ritchie articular index, as well as for the number of tender and swollen joints. No changes for the grip strength, the biological and immunological parameters were observed. Mean serum creatinine values rose from 0.81 mg/dl at start to 1.1 mg/dl after 5 months of therapy and remained at that level throughout the study. In patients who discontinued, the serum creatinine level nearly normalized after one month of Sandimmun withdrawal. One hundred and sixty-two side effects were reported of which most were minor and known to occur with Sandimmun. Twenty-two cases (37% of patients) dropped out for adverse events before 1 year treatment. The criteria to withdraw the patients from the study differed greatly from centre to centre. CONCLUSIONS: Managing RA patients presenting with very long and severe disease remains difficult. Therefore low dose Sandimmun (2.5-5 mg/kg daily) appears to be a valuable therapeutic opportunity in RA patients refractory to various other conventional drugs, including methotrexate. | |
| 1445443 | Defective hypothalamic response to immune and inflammatory stimuli in patients with rheuma | 1992 Nov | OBJECTIVE: To determine the integrity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses to immune/inflammatory stimuli in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Diurnal secretion of cortisol and the cytokine and cortisol responses to surgery were studied in subjects with active RA, in subjects with chronic osteomyelitis (OM), and in subjects with noninflammatory arthritis, who served as controls. RESULTS: Patients with RA had a defective HPA response, as evidenced by a diurnal cortisol rhythm of secretion which was at the lower limit of normal in contrast to those with OM, and a failure to increase cortisol secretion following surgery, despite high levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) and IL-6. The corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test in the RA patients showed normal results, thus suggesting a hypothalamic defect, but normal pituitary and adrenal function. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that RA patients have an abnormality of the HPA axis response to immune/inflammatory stimuli which may reside in the hypothalamus. This hypothalamic abnormality may be an additional, and hitherto unrecognized, factor in the pathogenesis of RA. | |
| 8971229 | Finger dexterity and hand function: effect of three commercial wrist extensor orthoses on | 1996 Jun | OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of 3 commercial wrist orthoses on finger dexterity and hand function of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Forty-two patients with definite RA participated in the cross-over study comparing 3 styles of commercial wrist orthoses. Finger dexterity and hand function of the dominant hand were assessed while splinted and unsplinted, at the initial session and after 1 week of intermittent orthosis use. Finger dexterity was assessed using two subtests from the Purdue Pegboard Test (Purdue) and hand function was assessed using the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (Jebsen-Taylor). RESULTS: Both finger dexterity and hand function were reduced by splinting; men and women were affected similarly. There was no difference in finger dexterity or hand function afforded by the 3 orthoses. Results on both the Purdue and Jebsen-Taylor tests showed a significant learning effect across time. CONCLUSIONS: The 3 commercial wrist orthoses studied reduce dexterity similarly and significantly. When commercial wrist orthoses are to be used during tasks that require maximum dexterity, this reduction should be weighed against the known benefits of splinting. | |
| 7638976 | Family work demands, employment demands and depressive symptoms in women with rheumatoid a | 1995 | The effects of psychological demands, work autonomy and social support on psychological well-being are evaluated in a sample of employed women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two hundred sixty-seven employed women with a diagnosis of RA were recruited from a national random sample of private rheumatology practices. Women were interviewed by telephone and data were obtained on demographic variables, health status, demands in paid and family work, autonomy in paid and family work, social support and depressive symptoms. Women reported relatively high levels of psychological demands in both paid and family work, with time constraints being the most frequent problem. Women also had relatively high levels of autonomy in family work. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that family demands appeared to be more important than paid work demands in psychological well-being. High autonomy in family work seemed to mediate the effects of family demands. Having higher social support reduced the effects of work demands on depressive symptoms in employed women with RA. | |
| 7811515 | [Acute respiratory obstruction caused by laryngeal rheumatoid arthritis]. | 1994 Sep | We present a case of acute upper airway obstruction due to cricoarytenoid arthritis in severe rheumatoid arthritis. Although laryngeal involvement is common in severe rheumatoid arthritis, the upper airway obstruction is a very rare complication. The endotracheal intubation may be very difficult in these patients, thus fiberotopic bronchoscopy may be useful. Surgery is the final treatment. | |
| 7495152 | [Epidemiology of rheumatologic health care in Germany]. | 1995 Jul | Within the governmental funding program of rheumatological centers a uniform patient registration is performed. It provides information of the proportion of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases who are seen in specialized care, how early they are seen and which forms of treatment are provided. In 1993 in the 20 participating centers almost 26,000 patients have been recorded. The centers only reach a small proportion of the true prevalence but they see their patients early in the disease: 60% of the patients have been seen within the first year. Deficits exist in the areas of ergotherapy, psychological support and patient education. One reason for the small proportion of people with the diseases who are seen in specialized care is the lack of rheumatologists in outpatient care. More rheumatologists in private practices as well as the participation of clinical rheumatologists in outpatient care including reasonable forms of payment are needed. | |
| 8620294 | Bone resorption by tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive multinuclear cells isolate | 1996 Mar | Inflammatory reactions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often cause severe joint destruction. However, the mechanism of bone destruction is still a matter of controversy. To determine whether multinuclear cells found in the rheumatoid synovium can resorb bone, isolated synovial cells were assessed for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and the ability to resorb bone in a dentine resorption assay. TRAP-positive multinuclear cells were found in six out of 10 samples. These six samples showed resorption pit formation on dentine slices. The other four samples did not form resorption pits. The results of this study demonstrate that TRAP-positive multinuclear cells isolated from the rheumatoid synovium form resorption pits on dentine slices. Our results suggest that inflamed synovial cells in rheumatoid joints might participate in bone destruction. | |
| 1575640 | [The significance of soluble IL-2 receptors in rheumatoid arthritis with interstitial pneu | 1992 Mar | Interstitial pneumonia is well known as one of the complications of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). While interleukin-2 (IL-2) regulates the immune response through IL-2 receptor (IL-2R), the exact role of the soluble form of IL-2R (sIL-2R), recognized as a part of the alpha chain or IL-2R, is still obscure. So, the immunological significance of sIL-2R in serum and in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of those of RA patients with or without interstitial pneumonia was studied. The sIL-2R was measured with an ELISA kit (T-Cell Science Ltd). The levels of sIL-2R in the sera of RA patients without interstitial pneumonia were significantly higher than those of normal controls. Furthermore, the levels of sIL-2R showed a statistically significant correlation with ESR and Lansbary's index. The levels of sIL-2R of RA patients with interstitial pneumonia were higher than in those without interstitial pneumonia although the evaluation of class and stage of arthritis in those RA patients with or without interstitial pneumonia revealed no significant difference. A high sIL-2R/albumin ratio in BALF of RA patients with interstitial pneumonia was shown in comparison with those of normal control. These data indicate that the estimation of sIL-2R in RA patients could be useful in estimating the disease activity and that high levels of sIL-2R reflect the active immune response in the lungs of RA patients with interstitial pneumonia. | |
| 7752144 | Matrix proteins: potentials as body fluid markers of changes in the metabolism of cartilag | 1995 Feb | Altered dynamics of cartilage and bone matrix in joint diseases results in increased release of macromolecules into synovial fluid (SF). Such macromolecules are increasingly explored as potential markers of damage and severity. This report focuses on the possibilities of using quantification of tissue specific markers for grading the tissue lesion at the molecular level in arthritis. The theoretical and experimental rationale for such an approach is supported by the results in clinical studies. These studies indicate that simultaneous analysis of multiple cartilage and bone markers in the same SF or serum sample could be useful for defining degree of tissue involvement in rheumatoid arthritis and, possibly, in osteoarthritis. | |
| 8535655 | Therapeutic approaches for early rheumatoid arthritis. How early? How aggressive? | 1995 Nov | A critical question for the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the timing and extent of pharmacological intervention. There is good evidence that early disease is important, and data showing early intervention have particular advantages. However, in the past, several difficulties have arisen with this approach. The availability of patients seen in early arthritis clinics, the ability to predict outcome and the development of new methods of monitoring have made a large difference to the possibilities for therapy. This article describes why it is now reasonable to treat patients who have 'standard' RA with a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) at presentation. In those patients with a worse prognosis, a more aggressive regime is justified. For those who do not fulfil criteria laid down by the American College of Rheumatologists, treatment with a DMARD may still be appropriate on a cost-benefit analysis. Studies addressing these issues are currently being undertaken. | |
| 1643456 | Pseudoarthroplastic' hand in arthritis mutilans. | 1992 Aug | A 46-year-old man with arthritis mutilans and hand radiographic appearance suggestive of previous surgery is described. We propose the term 'pseudoarthroplastic' hand for this radiological finding. | |
| 7514817 | Correlation between clotting and collagen metabolism markers in rheumatoid arthritis. | 1994 Feb | Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused essentially by an immune-mediated mechanism. However, abnormalities of the clotting system have also been incriminated as having an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease. This study aims at assessing the clotting system and collagen metabolism alterations and the relationship between perturbances of the hemostatic pathway and the destructive and fibroproliferative processes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The coagulation system was evaluated by measuring thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and antithrombin III (AT-III). The fibrinolysis system was assessed by measuring fibrin degradation products (FDP), fibrinogen (FBG), alpha 2-antiplasmin (alpha 2-PI), D-dimer (DD) and plasmin-alpha 2-antiplasmin complex (PAP). As markers of collagen metabolism, the type III procollagen peptide (PIIIP) and the 7S domain of type IV collagen (7S-collagen) were determined. Blood concentrations of DD, PAP, TAT, PIIIP, and 7S-collagen were significantly higher in rheumatoid arthritis patients compared to controls. Serum levels of PIIIP were significantly correlated with PT, APTT, AT-III, FDP, and DD. 7S-collagen levels were inversely related to AT-III and FBG values. This study demonstrated the occurrence of a subclinical intravascular coagulation in rheumatoid arthritis and suggested the important role of blood coagulation in the alteration of the extracellular matrix metabolism in this disease. | |
| 9136289 | The relationship between socioeconomic status and recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis. | 1996 Dec | OBJECTIVE: To examine the role of socioeconomic status (SES) in physical functioning, pain, and depressive symptoms among newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with severe disease. METHODS: Data are from 118 non-Hispanic patients of European origin at baseline of a longitudinal study of early, severe RA. Outcome measures with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) functional disability index, the HAQ visual analog pain scale, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted using a health status block (disease activity and comorbidities), a non-SES related social structure block (age, sex and Lubben Social Network Scale), and indicators of SES (income and education). RESULTS: Non-SES related social structure and SES were important independent determinants of functional disability and depressive symptoms, but both they and the health status variables were unrelated to pain. Further, neither income nor education was related to disease activity or comorbidities. CONCLUSION: It cannot be argued from these data that poorer health status explains the link between SES and disability and depressive symptoms. Although, at baseline, the psychosocial effects of early RA are more severe for those with SES, the disease does not appear to be more severe. It may be that the biologic impact of status differentials will become clearer as the effects of treatment and the course of the disease unfold over time. | |
| 7835014 | Rheumatoid arthritis is not associated with prior tonsillectomy or appendectomy. | 1994 Sep | To re-evaluate a reported association of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with antecendent tonsillectomy or appendectomy, questionnaires were sent by post to 3673 patients who had been diagnosed as having either RA or osteoarthrosis (OA). Of those who responded 1524 were RA and 1194 OA patients. No significant differences were found between these groups with regard to the frequency of prior lymphoid surgery. This was also the case when the RA group was replaced by its rheumatoid factor (Rf) positive or Rf negative subgroup. A separate analysis of a subgroup consisting of 671 Rf positive RA patients for whom OA control subjects matched for sex and year of birth were available again showed no statistical differences in frequencies of tonsillectomy and appendectomy. Neither did partitioning the group according to the age at which lymphoid surgery was performed bring any association with an increased occurrence of RA to light. We therefore reject the hypothesis that RA is associated with antecedent tonsillectomy or appendectomy. | |
| 8619095 | The neutrophil in rheumatoid arthritis. | 1995 Aug | The destructive capacity of the neutrophil has long been appreciated, and the presence of extraordinary numbers of neutrophils in the synovial fluid of patients with RA supports a role for these cells in the pathogenesis of joint destruction. In this article, we reviewed the current state of knowledge of neutrophil function in the inflammatory response, and emphasized the subjects of neutrophil/endothelial adhesion and the role of chemoattractants and cytokines in neutrophil mobilization. We also discussed the mechanisms of action of neutrophil destruction of cartilage and the interplay of signals between the neutrophil and the chondrocyte. The capacity of many of the drugs used to treat RA to interfere with one or several of these processes underscores the importance of the neutrophil in RA and suggests that future therapeutic strategies could target neutrophil activation within the synovial space. | |
| 7902092 | Sulfasalazine in early rheumatoid arthritis. A 48-week double-blind, prospective, placebo- | 1993 Nov | OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of sulfasalazine (SSZ) in the treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Eighty patients (symptomatic disease < 12 months) were randomly assigned to treatment with SSZ or placebo for 48 weeks. Clinical, laboratory, and scintigraphic data were used to determine the effects of treatment. RESULTS: SSZ was superior to placebo in reducing the laboratory features of inflammation, the clinical parameters of disease activity, as well as the scintigraphic activity in the joints. Furthermore, fewer erosive changes developed in the joints of patients receiving active treatment, but the difference between treatment groups did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: SSZ is effective in the treatment of RA, and its onset of action is rapid. The results support the view that SSZ retards the development of joint erosions. However, like other conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, its remission-inducing ability is insufficient. |