Rheumatology
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Many AS patients report periods of perceived higher disease activity (flares). This pilot study aims to document disease activity patterns reported by AS patients and examine associations with disease-specific health status measures. ⋯ Almost all AS patients report flares in disease activity: 70-80% report constant symptoms with single/repeated flares, while 20-30% report flares with no intermittent symptoms. The former is associated with a significantly poorer health status. These findings will be validated in a prospective study.
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Following lesions in somatosensory pathways, deafferentation pain often occurs. Patients report that the pain is qualitatively complex, and its treatment can be difficult. Mirror visual feedback (MVF) treatment can improve deafferentation pain. We sought to classify the qualities of the pain in order to examine whether the potential analgesic effect of MVF depends on these qualities. ⋯ In this pilot study, we roughly classified the pain descriptor items into two types for evaluating the qualities of deafferentation pain. We found that visually induced motor imagery by MVF was more effective for reducing deep pain than superficial pain. This suggests that the analgesic effect of MVF treatment does depend on the qualities of the pain. Further research will be required to confirm that this effect is a specific consequence of MVF.
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Review Case Reports
Autoinflammatory diseases: an update of clinical and genetic aspects.
To review clinical manifestations and genetic features of the autoinflammatory diseases, a group of rare, genetically defined diseases which have been newly grouped into a coherent whole. We performed a literature review using the keywords 'periodic fever syndrome', 'autoinflammatory disease' and 'therapy'. All relevant original and review articles in English were reviewed. ⋯ These diseases have periodic fever, are hereditary and recurrent, with elevated acute-phase reactants. Differentiating features of these disorders are tabulated. Autoinflammatory diseases have some communalities in their presentation although they represent a relatively diverse group of genetically associated diseases.
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Multicenter Study
Eotaxin-3 is involved in Churg-Strauss syndrome--a serum marker closely correlating with disease activity.
Churg-Strauss Syndrome (CSS) is characterized by excessive eosinophil accumulation in peripheral blood and affected tissues with development of granulomatous vasculitic organ damage. The contribution of eosinophil-chemotactic cytokines (eotaxin family) to eosinophilia and disease activity in CSS is unknown. Thus, we compared serum levels of the eotaxin family members in CSS patients with healthy and disease controls. ⋯ This study reveals the specific association of elevated eotaxin-3 expression with high disease activity and eosinophilia in CSS patients. Eotaxin-3 might thus be a pathogenic player, biomarker and potential therapeutic target in CSS.