International journal of rheumatic diseases
-
Multicenter Study Observational Study
Association between radiographic anterior cruciate ligament tear and joint symptoms: Data from the osteoarthritis initiative.
Symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee is defined as the presence of OA radiographic features in combination with knee symptoms. Pain has not been shown to correlate meaningfully to radiographic severity. We aimed to determine the relationship between a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) with knee symptoms and radiographic OA. ⋯ Individuals did not report an increase in knee pain, stiffness or disability in their ACL-deficient knee. Only disability was associated with worsening severity of radiographic OA in ACL-deficient knees.
-
To assess the validity and reliability of the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire in patients with axSpA. ⋯ This study supports the content validity, construct validity, and test-retest reliability of the WPAI in patients with axSpA.
-
Multicenter Study Observational Study
Clinical effectiveness and safety of additional administration of tacrolimus in rheumatoid arthritis patients with an inadequate response to abatacept: A retrospective cohort study.
Abatacept (ABT) demonstrates good clinical efficacy and retention in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. However, no rescue treatment option against inadequate response to ABT exists. Since tacrolimus (TAC) and ABT suppress T lymphocytes via different mechanisms and a combination of these agents could potentially be effective, this study aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of add-on TAC therapy in RA patients with inadequate response to ABT. ⋯ This is the first report describing the efficacy and safety profile of add-on TAC therapy with a focus on RA patients with inadequate response to ABT. Our findings suggest that add-on TAC therapy is a worthwhile complementary treatment option in daily clinical practice.
-
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cardiac MRI) has high sensitivity and specificity for differentiating cardiac fibrosis from inflammation. There is no data on the clinical and laboratory association or prediction of myocardial inflammation in systemic sclerosis-a major organ involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc). ⋯ Myocardial inflammation is common in early-onset SSc. An increased risk of myocardial inflammation was associated with young age and high mRSS at onset. Cardiac MRI is the suggested evaluation for high-risk SSc patients experiencing dyspnea on exertion.
-
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease which affects the performance of the upper extremities. There is no method to evaluate the specific upper extremity endurance of individuals with this disease. The unsupported upper-limb exercise test (UULEX) is a performance test that evaluates upper extremity performance (functionality and endurance). ⋯ The results of this study showed that UULEX test is a valid and reliable method for the assessment of upper extremity performance in individuals with RA.