Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Aug 2006
Randomized Controlled TrialFeeling good rather than feeling better matters more to patients.
To determine the most appropriate means to assess the response to treatment in terms of pain and functional impairment in a chronic rheumatic condition (knee osteoarthritis [OA]) and an acute rheumatic condition (rotator cuff syndrome [RCS]). ⋯ Patients consider that they experienced an important improvement only if this improvement allowed them to achieve a state they consider satisfactory. The most appropriate means to assess the response to therapy seems to be to assess whether patients feel good (i.e., achieve the patient acceptable symptom state).
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Aug 2006
Evaluating quality of life in hip and knee replacement: Psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Quality of Life short version instrument.
To evaluate the psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Quality of Life short version instrument (WHOQOL-BREF), and to determine its responsiveness in assessing early outcome after total hip or knee replacement surgery. ⋯ The WHOQOL-BREF has good psychometric properties for use in persons with severe joint disease, and by providing complementary information, it offers clinicians and researchers an additional tool for comprehensively assessing quality of life in this patient group.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Aug 2006
Scleroderma lung: initial forced vital capacity as predictor of pulmonary function decline.
To determine the ability of initial forced vital capacity (FVC) of patients with scleroderma to predict subsequent pulmonary function deterioration. ⋯ Measured within the first 3 years from disease onset, baseline FVC (percent predicted) may predict deterioration of pulmonary function in patients with scleroderma. Patients with normal pulmonary function at initial assessment are at low risk to develop considerable impairment of pulmonary function.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Aug 2006
Evaluation of the genetic association of the PTPN22 R620W polymorphism in familial and sporadic systemic lupus erythematosus.
The R620W (1858C-->T) polymorphism in PTPN22 has been implicated in type 1 diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, Graves' disease, Hashimoto thyroiditis, autoimmune thyroid disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to evaluate this polymorphism in patients with familial SLE and in those with sporadic SLE. ⋯ The 1858T allele of PTPN22 is associated with familial SLE but not with sporadic SLE in European Americans, thereby potentially explaining previous contradictory reports.