Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialSix-month and one-year followup of 23 weeks of aerobic exercise for individuals with fibromyalgia.
To measure mood and physical function of individuals with fibromyalgia, 6 and 12 months following 23 weeks of supervised aerobic exercise. ⋯ Exercise can improve physical function, mood, symptom severity, and aspects of self efficacy for at least 12 months. Exercising at followup was related to improvements in physical function and perhaps mood.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialDigital ulcers in systemic sclerosis: prevention by treatment with bosentan, an oral endothelin receptor antagonist.
Recurrent digital ulcers are a manifestation of vascular disease in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma) and lead to pain, impaired function, and tissue loss. We investigated whether treatment with the endothelin receptor antagonist, bosentan, decreased the development of new digital ulcers in patients with SSc. ⋯ Endothelins may play an important role in the pathogenesis of vascular disease in patients with SSc. Treatment with the endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan may be effective in preventing new digital ulcers and improving hand function in patients with SSc.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2004
Influence of social support and emotional context on pain processing and magnetic brain responses in fibromyalgia.
To examine the effects of social support provided by the presence of patient's significant other on pain ratings, pain thresholds, and brain activity associated with tactile stimulation in 18 fibromyalgia (FM) patients and 18 migraine patients (controls), and to assess the influence of emotional context on thermal pain perception and processing of non-pain-related information. ⋯ When the significant other was present, FM patients reported less pain and thermal pain sensitivity and showed diminished brain activity elicited upon tactile stimulation of a tender point compared with these levels when the patients were alone. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that social support through the presence of a significant other can influence pain processing at the subjective-behavioral level as well as the central nervous system level.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2004
Selective inhibition of activin receptor-like kinase 5 signaling blocks profibrotic transforming growth factor beta responses in skin fibroblasts.
Members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFbeta) cytokine superfamily play critical roles in both homeostasis and disease. In light of their profibrotic effects, these molecules are implicated in the pathogenesis of fibrosis. In fibroblasts, TGFbeta signals through the activin receptor-like kinase 5 (ALK-5) type I TGFbeta and triggers Smad and MAP kinase signaling pathways. Because targeting of TGFbeta signaling represents a potential approach to the treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and other fibrotic disorders, we investigated the modulation of intracellular TGFbeta signal transduction by SB431542, the first small-molecule inhibitor of ALK-5 to be described. ⋯ The results indicate that SB431542 is a potent inhibitor of intracellular TGFbeta signaling in normal fibroblasts through selective interference with ALK-5-mediated Smad activation and Smad-dependent transcriptional responses. Therefore, SB431542 is useful as a novel experimental tool for gaining a detailed understanding of normal and aberrant TGFbeta signaling in SSc. Furthermore, as an anti-TGFbeta agent, SB431542 may represent a potential new approach to the treatment of fibrosis.