Arthritis care & research
-
Arthritis care & research · Oct 2012
Clinical manifestations of dermatomyositis and clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis patients with positive expression of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 antibody.
To investigate the clinical features of dermatomyositis (DM) and clinically amyopathic DM (CADM) patients with the presence of anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA-5) antibodies. ⋯ Anti-MDA-5 antibody levels closely correlate with the severity of skin ulcerations, ILD, and the prognosis of the disease. Dynamic observation of serum anti-MDA-5 antibody levels would be helpful in predicting the course of ILD and facilitating better therapeutic targeting.
-
Arthritis care & research · Oct 2012
Effect of body mass index on mortality and clinical status in rheumatoid arthritis.
To study the relative risk (RR) of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated with body mass index (BMI), and to quantify the clinical and outcome consequences of abnormal BMI. ⋯ Overweight and obesity reduce the RR of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality across different age groups and durations of RA. By contrast, overweight and obesity are associated with substantial increased risks of comorbidity, total joint replacement, greater pain, medical costs, and decreased quality of life.
-
Arthritis care & research · Sep 2012
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAssociation of C-reactive protein with high disease activity in systemic sclerosis: results from the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group.
This study was performed to determine the prevalence of elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the significance of CRP in clinical parameters in systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma) patients. ⋯ CRP level is elevated in one-quarter of SSc patients, especially early disease. It is correlated with disease activity, severity, poor pulmonary function, and shorter survival.
-
Arthritis care & research · Sep 2012
ReviewChildren's experiences of living with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.
To describe the experiences and perspectives of children and adolescents living with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). ⋯ JIA disrupts a child's sense of normality and impairs his or her capacity for social participation. Children with JIA have a sense of being misunderstood and stigmatized, and they feel perpetually caught between having hope and control over their bodies and overwhelming pain and despair. To increase their confidence, the ability to manage pain, and their resourcefulness for self-management, children need ongoing information about treatments and lifestyle management, strong social support, community advocacy, and active involvement in their own health decision making.
-
Arthritis care & research · Sep 2012
Comparative StudyDo patients with non-radiographic axial spondylarthritis differ from patients with ankylosing spondylitis?
Patients with axial spondylarthritis (SpA) who have structural changes in the sacroiliac joints and/or the spine have been classified as having ankylosing spondylitis (AS), while those without such changes are now classified as having nonradiographic axial SpA (nr-axSpA). The differentiating features are incompletely understood. ⋯ Patients with nr-axSpA were characterized by the low proportion of male patients and the low burden of inflammation compared to patients with AS. While both groups did not differ regarding health status, disease activity, and physical function, they did differ in signs of inflammation; all were higher in patients with AS. Since many patients with nr-axSpA had not developed structural changes after years of symptoms, we propose that those patients should not be regarded as having preradiographic AS but rather as having nr-axSpA.