Arthritis care & research
-
Arthritis care & research · Nov 2010
Comparative StudyPreclinical validation of salivary biomarkers for primary Sjögren's syndrome.
Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease with a variety of presenting symptoms that may delay its diagnosis. We previously discovered a number of candidate salivary biomarkers for primary SS using both mass spectrometry and expression microarray analysis. In the current study, we aimed to verify these candidate biomarkers in independent patient populations and to evaluate their predictive values for primary SS detection. ⋯ We have successfully verified a panel of protein and mRNA biomarkers that can discriminate primary SS from both SLE and healthy controls. If further validated in patients with primary SS and those with sicca symptoms but no autoimmune disease, these biomarkers may lead to a simple yet highly discriminatory clinical tool for diagnosis of primary SS.
-
Arthritis care & research · Oct 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyTailored cognitive-behavioral therapy and exercise training for high-risk patients with fibromyalgia.
The treatment of patients with fibromyalgia (FM), a high-prevalence chronic pain condition with a high impact on both patients and society, poses a great challenge to clinicians due to a lack of effective treatments. In view of the large individual variability in outcome, selecting patients at risk of long-term dysfunction and offering tailored treatment may be promising for beneficial treatment effects. ⋯ The presented results demonstrate for the first time that tailored CBT and exercise training for high-risk patients with FM is effective in improving short- and long-term physical and psychological functioning, indicating that tailoring treatment is likely to promote beneficial outcomes in FM and reduce the burden for patients and society.
-
Arthritis care & research · Oct 2010
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyDo worsening knee radiographs mean greater chances of severe functional limitation?
Development of functional limitation is thought to be unrelated to changes in severity of radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. We evaluated the relationship of change in radiographic OA to the incidence of severe functional limitation. ⋯ Changes in structural disease are associated with the development of severe functional limitations in persons with or even at high risk of knee OA.
-
Arthritis care & research · Oct 2010
Comparative StudyPrognostic factors for the two-year course of activity limitations in early osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee.
To predict the 2-year course of activity limitations in patients with early knee and/or hip osteoarthritis (OA). ⋯ After 2 years of followup, large between-subject variation was observed in the course of activity limitations. The course of activity limitations is to some extent already predictable at an early stage of knee and hip OA.
-
Arthritis care & research · Oct 2010
Comparative StudyThe effects of anger and sadness on clinical pain reports and experimentally-induced pain thresholds in women with and without fibromyalgia.
Negative emotions are commonly experienced in fibromyalgia and may affect pain. This study examined the effects of anger and sadness on clinical pain reports and on pain threshold and tolerance in response to electrical stimulation in women with and without fibromyalgia. ⋯ The experience of both anger and sadness amplifies pain in women with and without fibromyalgia. A stronger emotion-induced pain response was associated with more emotional reactivity. No convincing evidence was found for a larger sensitivity to anger and sadness in women with fibromyalgia than in women without fibromyalgia, or for a larger sensitivity to anger than to sadness in fibromyalgia. The occurrence of anger and sadness appears to be a general risk factor for pain amplification. Emotion regulation techniques may attenuate emotional pain sensitization in patients with fibromyalgia.