J Rheumatol
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial of a topical cream containing glucosamine sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, and camphor for osteoarthritis of the knee.
To assess the ability of a topical preparation of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate to reduce pain related to osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. ⋯ Topical application of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate is effective in relieving the pain from OA of the knee and improvement is evident within 4 weeks.
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To determine the prevalence of sacroiliitis in patients who have back pain in Crohn's disease (CD) using computed tomography (CT); and to reassess the association of sacroiliitis in CD with HLA-B27. ⋯ Sacroiliitis defined by CT is a common cause of low back pain in CD. A relationship of sacroiliitis and HLA-B27 could be confirmed only for those with classical AS. Our results accord with the possibility that sacroiliitis in CD is an isolated phenomenon, which is unrelated to HLA-B27 and which may evolve into classical spinal ankylosis in genetically susceptible subjects.
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To determine the efficacy, tolerance and safety of subcutaneous injections of porcine type I collagen-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ Collagen-PVP was a safe and well-tolerated drug for the short term treatment of RA. The combination of collagen-PVP plus MTX was more efficacious than MTX alone. However, double-blind placebo-controlled phase II and III clinical trials are necessary to determine whether this drug could be useful in the longterm treatment of RA.
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To determine the role of putative target cytokines for methotrexate (MTX) treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as predictors for treatment outcome. ⋯ Determination of cellularly produced IL-1beta and even more of the IL-1ra/IL-1beta synthesis in PBMC may be useful to predict the outcome of RA patients undergoing treatment with MTX and may characterize a subset of RA that is more responsive to IL-1 directed therapeutic interventions.
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A longitudinal prospective study was undertaken to examine the outcome of fibromyalgia (FM) with standard medical care, as well as factors that might either predict or influence this outcome. ⋯ The overall outcome in this group was favorable, with almost half the sample reporting clinically meaningful improvement in overall FM status. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications regarding current theory on the pathogenesis of FM.