Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2006
Randomized Controlled TrialAnti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody therapy favors adrenal androgen secretion in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were demonstrated to inhibit adrenal steroidogenesis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and this was particularly evident in the increase in adrenal androgen levels during anti-TNF therapy. This study investigated the influence on steroidogenesis of an interleukin-6 (IL-6)-neutralizing strategy using IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibodies (referred to as MRA). ⋯ Neutralization of IL-6 increases secretion of biologically active adrenal androgens in relation to that of precursor hormones and estrogens. This is another important indication that proinflammatory cytokines interfere with adrenal androgen steroidogenesis in patients with RA.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Jun 2006
Randomized Controlled TrialTransdermal fentanyl for improvement of pain and functioning in osteoarthritis: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
Although common treatments for osteoarthritis (OA) pain, such as nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), simple analgesics, and weak opioids, provide relief in some cases, they fail to control pain or are poorly tolerated in many cases. Strong opioids have been used to successfully treat several types of noncancer pain but have rarely been tested in controlled studies. Therefore, we tested the effects of transdermal fentanyl (TDF) in patients with moderate-to-severe OA pain, in a placebo-controlled study. ⋯ TDF can reduce pain and improve function in patients with knee or hip OA.