J Rheumatol
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Health-related quality of life outcomes of adalimumab for patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: results from a randomized multicenter study.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with significant impairments in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We evaluated patient-reported outcomes including HRQOL outcomes following adalimumab plus methotrexate (MTX) therapy in patients with early RA. ⋯ Adalimumab plus MTX significantly improved physical functioning and HRQOL in patients with early RA over 2 years of treatment. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00195663).
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To evaluate whether features of radiographic hand osteoarthritis (OA) are associated with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-defined knee cartilage thickness, radiographic knee OA, and 1-year structural progression. ⋯ Our results support a systemic OA susceptibility and possibly different mechanisms for osteophyte formation and cartilage thinning.
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In acute monoarthritis, the presence of crystals in synovial fluid may lead to a diagnosis of crystal arthritis (CA) before septic arthritis (SA) can be excluded by culture. We aimed to identify the frequency of coexistence of CA with SA and to compare these with regard to synovial fluid microscopy, C-reactive protein (CRP), and blood culture. ⋯ Crystals alone in synovial fluid from acute monoarthritis cannot exclude SA, as CA and SA frequently coexist. High WBC counts and elevated CRP are common to both SA and CA. Blood cultures should be collected and septic arthritis considered, even when crystals are present, particularly if the shoulder is affected. The exception is when Gram stain is negative and the CRP is < 100 mg/l and joint WBC count is < 10,000/μl. In these circumstances it is very unlikely that there will be concomitant SA.
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We evaluated the influence of demographic and clinical factors on pain thresholds in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ These findings suggest that low pain thresholds reflect "fibromyalgic" RA (many tender points) and central pain sensitization with prolonged disease duration.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Treatment of osteoarthritis with continuous versus intermittent celecoxib.
To determine whether "continuous" celecoxib is more efficacious than "intermittent" use in preventing osteoarthritis (OA) flares of the knee and/or hip. ⋯ Continuous treatment with celecoxib 200 mg/day was significantly more efficacious than intermittent use in preventing OA flares of the hip and knee, without an increase in overall AE, including gastrointestinal disorders and hypertension, during 22 weeks of treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00139776.