Rheumatology
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Review Meta Analysis
Efficacy of hydrotherapy in fibromyalgia syndrome--a meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.
To systematically review the efficacy of hydrotherapy in FM syndrome (FMS). ⋯ There is moderate evidence that hydrotherapy has short-term beneficial effects on pain and HRQOL in FMS patients. There is a risk to over-estimate the effects of hydrotherapy due to methodological weaknesses of the studies and to small trials included in meta-analysis.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Early response to COX-2 inhibitors as a predictor of overall response in osteoarthritis: pooled results from two identical trials comparing etoricoxib, celecoxib and placebo.
We evaluated whether early response to NSAIDs predicted later response, and when this was established. ⋯ The overwhelming majority of the patients who responded to treatment by 2 weeks remained responders at 12 weeks, with response status largely established within 2 weeks of treatment initiation. Early identification of NSAID response or non-response may allow clinicians to better and more rapidly adjust symptomatic OA management.
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Stiff skin syndrome (SSS) is a rare scleroderma-like syndrome of unknown aetiology. A 16-year-old boy presented with thoracic and abdominal asymmetry, and 'orange peel' cutaneous lesions, with fibrotic stone-hard indurations at the buttocks, thighs and arms leading to secondary joint contractures of the extremities. Our aim was to analyse the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules and pro-fibrotic cytokines in the dermis and epidermis of SSS. ⋯ In our SSS patient, an overexpression of ECM proteins was detected, whereas no inflammatory infiltrates or up-regulation of pro-fibrotic cytokines were found. The data suggest that fibrosis in SSS might be independent from inflammation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Intra-articular clodronate for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: dose ranging study vs hyaluronic acid.
Bisphosphonates may have a chondroprotective effect in patients with knee OA (KOA), but the results of clinical trials with oral bisphosphonates have been contradictory. In this Phase 2 randomized, partially blind clinical trial, we tested the efficacy of IA clodronate vs HA in patients with primary KOA. ⋯ This study indicates that IA clodronate provides symptomatic and functional improvements at least as good as those obtained with HA. Trial Registration. Osservatorio Nazionale sulla Sperimentazione Clinica dei Medicinali - Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco. Comitato Etico Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese number CLIO 22/02 http://oss-sper-clin.agenziafarmaco.it.
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Review Meta Analysis
Analgesic effects of treatments for non-specific low back pain: a meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized trials.
Estimates of treatment effects reported in placebo-controlled randomized trials are less subject to bias than those estimates provided by other study designs. The objective of this meta-analysis was to estimate the analgesic effects of treatments for non-specific low back pain reported in placebo-controlled randomized trials. ⋯ This meta-analysis revealed that the analgesic effects of many treatments for non-specific low back pain are small and that they do not differ in populations with acute or chronic symptoms.