Scandinavian journal of rheumatology
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Sep 2007
Soluble cell adhesion molecules (sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sE-selectin) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.
The aim of the study was to analyse serum concentrations of soluble cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) before and after 6 months of treatment with methotrexate (MTX). ⋯ Patients with early RA are characterized by high serum concentrations of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1, and sE-selectin. Therapy with MTX resulted in clinical improvement and diminished serum levels of soluble CAMs in the RA patients studied, confirming the effectiveness of MTX in early stages of the disease.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · May 2007
The effect of methylprednisolone on proliferation of PBMCs obtained from steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are among the most frequently used drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Unfortunately, up to 30% of patients with RA fail to respond to the treatment. We investigated the hypothesis that patients with RA who did not respond to GC treatment have steroid-resistant peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). ⋯ Based on the close relationship between clinically observed GC resistance and a diminished response of PBMCs to MP treatment, we conclude that measurement of the steroid sensitivity of PBMCs may be a useful tool in predicting the therapeutic effect of GC in patients with RA.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · May 2007
Regional cerebral blood flow between primary and concomitant fibromyalgia patients: a possible way to differentiate concomitant fibromyalgia from the primary disease.
Technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer (Tc-99m ECD) brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) has been used to detect abnormal regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in women with primary fibromyalgia (FM). The main aim of this study was to investigate the rCBF deficit in concomitant FM patients and compare it with primary FM. ⋯ Reduced rCBF at cortical regions, in addition to previously reported areas at the thalamus and the subcortical nucleus, in FM patients was demonstrated in this study. The perfusion deficit areas were similar between primary and concomitant FM when the underlying disease activity was quiescent. The feasibility of using this neuroimaging study to differentiate FM from the primary disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated depression and neuropsychiatric lupus, should be considered.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Mar 2007
Predicting outcome and survival in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis treated on the intensive care unit.
This study was designed to search for risk factors predicting mortality of patients with Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) treated on the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ The prognosis for WG patients in the ICU is serious, but the majority can survive. To achieve a more favourable outcome, patients should stay in the ICU for as short a time as possible. The occurrence of renal failure did not influence the outcome in our patients.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Nov 2006
Expression of cytokines, chemokines, and chemokine receptors in oral ulcers of patients with Behcet's disease (BD) and recurrent aphthous stomatitis is Th1-associated, although Th2-association is also observed in patients with BD.
Although the pathogenesis of Behcet's disease (BD) is unknown, immune dysfunction appears to be involved. To improve understanding of the role of T cells and cytokines in BD, the current study analysed the localization and extent of expression of T cell subsets, cytokines, chemokines, and chemokine receptors in oral ulcers from BD patients and for comparison in oral ulcers from patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), as well as in healthy oral mucosa. ⋯ This is the first study that shows the presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as Th1-associated chemokine receptors, in the oral ulcers of BD patients, as well as RAS patients, at a protein level. However, the expression of the Th2 cytokine IL-4 within the oral lesions of only BD patients is suggestive of a more complex antigenic stimuli in BD patients compared with RAS patients.