Clin Exp Rheumatol
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Osteopontin (OPN) is a non-traditional pro-inflammatory cytokine and is involved in muscle regeneration and inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of OPN in skeletal muscle and serum of patients with IIMs. ⋯ OPN is increased in patients with DM and PM, both in muscle and serum. OPN may play an important role in the pathogenesis of IIMs. Moreover, serum OPN may be a potential biomarker for this illness, and changes in serum OPN may provide an index of therapeutic efficacy.
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Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multiorgan autoimmune disease with a highly variable clinical course, typically involving women in childbearing age. At present, many aspects of its pathogenesis still remain unclear. ⋯ Therefore, multiple aspects of SLE still remain challenging and it continues to be the object of both clinical and translational clinical research. Herewith, we provide a critical digest of the recent literature on this topic.
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Comparative Study
The impact of co-morbidity on health-related quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients.
We investigated whether comorbidities differentially impacted health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients. ⋯ Arthritis negatively impacted patients' HRQOL. OA patients in our sample perceived their condition as similarly disabling in terms of physical and mental health as RA patients. Arthritis patients with more chronic comorbid conditions may be at particular risk for poor physical and mental health. Providers should discuss management of comorbid conditions with arthritis patients.