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.
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Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is highly prevalent in patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). However, little is known about the long-term progression of ILD in MCTD. The aims of this study were to describe pulmonary function test (PFT) and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) results in long-term MCTD patients, to measure changes in PFT and HRCT results over a 10-year period, and to ascertain correlations in functional and imaging data. ⋯ Functional and radiologic alterations suggestive of ILD in long-term MCTD patients are prevalent, mild, and progressed slightly over time. The most sensitive parameters for detecting subtle progression of ILD in MCTD patients are trends in DLCO, quantification of lower-lobes disease by HRCT (lower-lobes %ILD-HRCT score), and qualitative analysis of HRCT imaging.
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Non-infectious aortitis often presents with non-specific symptoms leading to inappropriate diagnostic delay. We intend to describe the clinical spectrum and outcome of patients with aortitis diagnosed at a single centre. ⋯ Aortitis is not an uncommon condition. The diagnosis is often delayed. Atypical PMR features, unexplained low back or limb pain, constitutional symptoms along with increased acute phase reactants should be considered 'red flags' to suspect the presence of aortitis.