Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2009
Intervention of an inflammation amplifier, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1, for treatment of autoimmune arthritis.
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1) is inducible on monocyte/macrophages and neutrophils and accelerates tissue destruction by propagating inflammatory responses in disease related to bacterial infections. Its blockade rescues the hosts in murine models of sepsis, to clear the bacteria without impairing the host defense. The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of TREM-1 in an autoimmune, noninfectious disease. ⋯ TREM-1 ligation contributes to the pathology of autoimmune arthritis. The results of this study implied that blockade of TREM-1 could be a new approach to rheumatic diseases that is safer than the presently available immunosuppressive treatments.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2009
Familial Mediterranean fever with a single MEFV mutation: where is the second hit?
Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) has traditionally been considered an autosomal-recessive disease; however, it has been observed that a substantial number of patients with clinical FMF possess only 1 demonstrable MEFV mutation. The purpose of this study was to perform an extensive search for a second MEFV mutation in 46 patients diagnosed clinically as having FMF and carrying only 1 high-penetrance FMF mutation. ⋯ Our data underscore the existence of a significant subset of FMF patients who are carriers of only 1 MEFV mutation and demonstrate that complete MEFV sequencing is not likely to yield a second mutation. Screening for the set of the most common mutations and detection of a single mutation appears to be sufficient in the presence of clinical symptoms for the diagnosis of FMF and the initiation of a trial of colchicine.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2009
Clinical disease among patients heterozygous for familial Mediterranean fever.
To define the molecular basis of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) in patients with only 1 mutation in the MEFV gene. ⋯ These findings are highly consistent with the existence of a clinical phenotype among some patients who are heterozygous for FMF and could explain the vertical transmission in some families. A single mutation in the MEFV gene may be much more common than was previously thought and may include up to 25% of patients who are diagnosed as having FMF.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · May 2009
ReviewMeasuring shoulder function: a systematic review of four questionnaires.
To conduct a systematic review of the quality and content of the psychometric evidence relating to 4 shoulder disability scales: the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and the Simple Shoulder Test (SST). ⋯ The psychometric properties of the ASES, DASH, and SPADI have been shown to be acceptable for clinical use. Conversely, some properties of the SST still need be evaluated, particularly the absolute errors of measurement. Overall, validation studies have focused on less clinically relevant properties (construct validity or group reliability) than estimates of MDC and MCID.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · May 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialEfficacy, pharmacodynamics, and safety of VX-702, a novel p38 MAPK inhibitor, in rheumatoid arthritis: results of two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies.
To assess the efficacy and safety of VX-702, a p38 MAPK inhibitor, in patients with active, moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ The modest clinical efficacy plus the transient suppression of biomarkers of inflammation observed in this study suggest that p38 MAPK inhibition may not provide meaningful, sustained suppression of the chronic inflammation seen in RA.