Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Mar 2007
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyThe diagnostic significance of soluble CD163 and soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha-chain in macrophage activation syndrome and untreated new-onset systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Macrophage activation syndrome is characterized by an overwhelming inflammatory reaction driven by excessive expansion of T cells and hemophagocytic macrophages. Levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha (sIL-2Ralpha) and soluble CD163 (sCD163) may reflect the degree of activation and expansion of T cells and macrophages, respectively. This study was undertaken to assess the value of serum sIL-2Ralpha and sCD163 in diagnosing acute macrophage activation syndrome complicating systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). ⋯ Levels of sIL-2Ralpha and sCD163 are promising diagnostic markers for macrophage activation syndrome. They may also help identify patients with subclinical macrophage activation syndrome.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Feb 2007
Multicenter StudyProxy-reported health-related quality of life of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: the Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization multinational quality of life cohort study.
To investigate the proxy-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and its determinants in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). ⋯ We found that patients with JIA have a significant impairment of their HRQOL compared with healthy peers, particularly in the physical domain. Physical well-being was mostly affected by the level of functional impairment, whereas the intensity of pain had the greatest influence on psychosocial health.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Dec 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyStability of the patient acceptable symptomatic state over time in outcome criteria in ankylosing spondylitis.
The Patient Acceptable Symptomatic State (PASS) is the highest level of symptoms beyond which patients consider themselves well. It provides clinically meaningful information to interpret results from scales or questionnaires. Our goal was to determine the PASS in main outcome criteria when assessing patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to evaluate whether the PASS is stable over time. ⋯ This study provides cutoff values for the PASS for the main outcome measures in AS and shows that PASS values are stable over time.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Nov 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAcupuncture in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip: a randomized, controlled trial with an additional nonrandomized arm.
To investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture in addition to routine care, compared with routine care alone, in the treatment of patients with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee or hip. ⋯ These results indicate that acupuncture plus routine care is associated with marked clinical improvement in patients with chronic OA-associated pain of the knee or hip.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Nov 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyRisedronate decreases biochemical markers of cartilage degradation but does not decrease symptoms or slow radiographic progression in patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee: results of the two-year multinational knee osteoarthritis structural arthritis study.
Bisphosphonates have slowed the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) in animal models and have decreased pain in states of high bone turnover. The Knee OA Structural Arthritis (KOSTAR) study, which is the largest study to date investigating a potential structure-modifying OA drug, tested the efficacy of risedronate in providing symptom relief and slowing disease progression in patients with knee OA. ⋯ Although risedronate (compared with placebo) did not improve signs or symptoms of OA, nor did it alter progression of OA, a reduction in the level of a marker of cartilage degradation was observed. A sustained clinically relevant improvement in signs and symptoms was observed in all treatment and placebo groups.