Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jul 2005
Association of cartilage defects with loss of knee cartilage in healthy, middle-age adults: a prospective study.
The significance of asymptomatic knee cartilage defects in healthy individuals is not known. The aim of this study was to examine the association between cartilage defects in the knee and cartilage volume both cross-sectionally and longitudinally in healthy, middle-age adults. ⋯ These data suggest that the presence of asymptomatic, non-full-thickness medial tibiofemoral cartilage defects identifies healthy individuals most likely to lose knee cartilage in the absence of radiographic knee OA. Thus, interventions aimed at reducing or reversing cartilage defects may reduce the risk of subsequent knee OA.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jul 2005
Systemic lupus erythematosus in a multiethnic US cohort (LUMINA). XXV. Smoking, older age, disease activity, lupus anticoagulant, and glucocorticoid dose as risk factors for the occurrence of venous thrombosis in lupus patients.
Venous thrombosis is a relatively frequent and serious complication in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that has been associated with the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). However, venous thrombotic events can also be seen in patients without aPL, and only a few patients with aPL develop venous thrombosis. This study was carried out to ascertain other factors contributing to the development of venous thrombosis in SLE. ⋯ Venous thrombotic events occur early in the course of SLE. Our data confirm the association between LAC and venous thrombotic events. Smoking, shorter disease duration, older age, disease activity over time, and higher mean daily glucocorticoid dose were identified as additional risk factors for the development of this vascular complication. These findings may have implications for the management of patients with SLE.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jul 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialWeight loss reduces knee-joint loads in overweight and obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis.
To determine the relationship between change in body mass and knee-joint moments and forces during walking in overweight and obese older adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA) following an 18-month clinical trial of diet and exercise. ⋯ Our results indicate that each pound of weight lost will result in a 4-fold reduction in the load exerted on the knee per step during daily activities. Accumulated over thousands of steps per day, a reduction of this magnitude would appear to be clinically meaningful.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jul 2005
Dysregulation of chemokine receptor expression and function by B cells of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.
To assess whether abnormal chemokine receptor expression and/or abnormal responsiveness to the cognate ligands might underlie some of the disturbances in B cell homeostasis characteristic of primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). ⋯ In primary SS, overexpression of CXCR4 by circulating blood B cells does not translate into enhanced migratory response to the cognate ligand, CXCL12. This migratory response may be modulated by intracellular regulators. Retention of CXCR4+,CXCR5+, CD27+ memory B cells in the inflamed glands seems to contribute to diminished peripheral CD27+ memory B cells in primary SS.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jul 2005
Risk and case characteristics of tuberculosis in rheumatoid arthritis associated with tumor necrosis factor antagonists in Sweden.
Because treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists may increase the risk of tuberculosis (TB), and because knowledge of the risk of TB in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) not treated with biologics is scarce and of uncertain generalizability to low-risk populations, this study sought to determine the risk of TB among Swedish patients with RA. ⋯ Irrespective of whether TNF antagonists are administered, Swedish patients with RA are at increased risk of TB. During 1999-2001, TNF antagonists were associated with an increased risk of TB, up to 4-fold in magnitude. This increased risk may persist over time during treatment and is related to both infliximab and etanercept.