Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism
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Semin. Arthritis Rheum. · Feb 2013
ReviewTherapeutic inhibition of tyrosine kinases in systemic sclerosis: a review of published experience on the first 108 patients treated with imatinib.
Experimental and clinical evidence suggest a therapeutic role for the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib in fibrosing conditions. We evaluated published data on the safety and efficacy of imatinib for patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), a severe autoimmune disease with significant morbidity and mortality. ⋯ The limited available experience suggests that imatinib could be considered as an individualized treatment approach in severe SSc and underscores the need to identify markers for selecting particular patients, who will safely respond to therapeutic inhibition of tyrosine kinases.
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Semin. Arthritis Rheum. · Feb 2013
ReviewBarriers to participant retention in knee osteoarthritis clinical trials: a systematic review.
We investigated the reasons and rates of attrition in knee osteoarthritis trials through a systematic review of randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trials. ⋯ Our findings not only support the importance of the intention-to-treat analysis, but also suggest the possibility of controlling the attrition at the study level.
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Semin. Arthritis Rheum. · Feb 2013
Serum soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products levels and aortic augmentation index in early rheumatoid arthritis--a prospective study.
We assessed whether a serum soluble receptor for advanced glycation end product (sRAGE) levels were associated with a progression of carotid atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness indexes in a cohort of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. ⋯ Arterial stiffness improved significantly in patients with early RA after effective control of inflammation. Increase in sRAGE level was associated with a decrease in AIx, suggesting that sRAGE may play an important role in the ligand-soluble receptor for advanced glycation end product interaction propagated inflammation and vascular stiffness in these patients.