Rheumatology international
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The use of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) has been reported as an immunomodulating agent in several autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Herein we report a SLE patient with severe clinical presentation that included pericarditis, pleural effusion, nephrotic range proteinuria, leukopenia, and lymphopenia. ⋯ One-month post-IVIg there were decreased proteinuria, elevated leukocytes and lymphocytes count, decrease in antinuclear and anti-dsDNA antibodies, and disappearance of pericarditis and pleuritis. This case demonstrates the efficacy of IVIg in severe SLE with various clinical manifestations.
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A 14-year-old girl with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) had had acute attacks of fever, abdominal pain, and arthritis for 4 years. Her last arthritis attack was protracted, leading to reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD) in her right lower extremity. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of RSD arising in a patient with FMF. Early recognition of RSD in FMF patients is important, and physical therapy should be applied along with medical treatment.
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The lack of objective parameters makes the measurement of pain and the efficacy of pain treatment in patients with chronic pain very difficult. We performed acupuncture therapy in fibromyalgia patients and established a combination of methods to objectify pain measurement before and after therapy. The parameters corresponded to patients' self-report. ⋯ This was accompanied by decreased serotonin concentration in platelets and an increase of serotonin and substance P levels in serum. These results suggest that acupuncture therapy is associated with changes in the concentrations of pain-modulating substances in serum. The preliminary results are objective parameters for acupuncture efficacy in patients with fibromyalgia.
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Comparative Study
Value of 99mTc-IgG scintigraphy in the prediction of joint destruction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis of recent onset.
The ability of technetium-99m-labelled polyclonal human immunoglobulin G (99mTc-IgG) scintigraphy to predict joint destruction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was investigated in this study. The progression of radiographically determined joint destruction in wrists, hands and feet was compared with the results of physical and laboratory examination, as well as 99mTc-IgG scintigraphy, measured at the beginning of a year-long study on 30 patients with RA of recent onset. The sensitivity of joint swelling in predicting the progression of radiographically determined joint destruction ranged between 57% and 74%. ⋯ Multiple regression analysis showed that for the total joint score, and for the metacarpophalangeal and forefeet joints, progression of radiographically determined joint destruction was primarily predicted by 99mTc-IgG scintigraphy. Joint swelling, ESR and IgM rheumatoid factor did not contribute to this prediction. We concluded that 99mTc-IgG scintigraphy is superior to conventional clinical and laboratory measurements in RA with respect to prediction of joint destruction.
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Review Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Etodolac: analgesic effects in musculoskeletal and postoperative pain.
Numerous clinical trials have shown etodolac to be an effective analgesic. The purpose of the present report is to review results of 14 studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of etodolac in a variety of painful conditions. Presented are the results of four postsurgical pain studies, one study of acute gouty arthritis and nine studies of acute musculoskeletal disorders: acute low back pain, acute painful shoulder, tendinitis and bursitis, and acute sports injuries. ⋯ In studies of acute gouty arthritis, significant improvement from baseline were seen for all efficacy parameters evaluated for both the etodolac- and naproxen-treated patients. All the present studies of musculoskeletal conditions have shown etodolac to be effective and comparable in analgesic efficacy to naproxen, diclofenac or piroxicam. In summary, etodolac therapy for pain following surgery, in acute gouty arthritis and in acute musculoskeletal conditions resulted in analgesia comparable to that provided by several well-established analgesic or anti-inflammatory agents.