Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Sep 2011
Case ReportsAssociation of accelerated switch from vertebral end-plate Modic I to Modic 0 signal changes with clinical benefit of intradiscal corticosteroid injection for chronic low back pain.
Modic I vertebral end-plate signal changes detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are associated with chronic low back pain. Typically, Modic I signal changes in untreated patients switch to non-Modic I signal changes within 3 years, which reflect spontaneous healing. Recent findings suggest that Modic I signal changes may be related to local inflammatory changes, providing a rationale for treatment with intradiscal injections of antiinflammatory drugs. ⋯ Local treatment led to rapid pain relief and was associated with an accelerated switch from Modic I to Modic 0 signal changes, as seen on lumbar MRI at 1-month followup. This is the first report of an effective local treatment for both the symptoms and the structural changes of chronic low back pain that are associated with Modic I signal changes. Additionally, this case reinforces the hypothesis that local inflammation has a pathogenic role.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Sep 2011
Contributions of angiogenesis to inflammation, joint damage, and pain in a rat model of osteoarthritis.
To determine the contributions of angiogenesis to inflammation, joint damage, and pain behavior in a rat meniscal transection model of osteoarthritis (OA). ⋯ Our findings indicate that synovial inflammation and joint damage are closely associated with pain behavior in the meniscal transection model of OA. Inhibition of angiogenesis may reduce pain behavior both by reducing synovitis and by preventing structural change. Targeting angiogenesis could therefore prove useful in reducing pain and structural damage in OA.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Sep 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyPredicting treatment outcomes and responder subsets in scleroderma-related interstitial lung disease.
To identify baseline characteristics of patients with scleroderma-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) that could serve as predictors of the most favorable response to 12-month treatment with oral cyclophosphamide (CYC). ⋯ A retrospective analysis of the Scleroderma Lung Study data identified the severity of reticular infiltrates on baseline HRCT and the baseline MRSS as patient features that might be predictive of responsiveness to CYC therapy.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Aug 2011
Hospital volume and surgical outcomes after elective hip/knee arthroplasty: a risk-adjusted analysis of a large regional database.
To examine the relationship between hospital procedure volume and surgical outcomes following elective primary total hip arthroplasty/total knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA). ⋯ Performance of elective primary THA and TKA surgeries in low-volume hospitals was associated with a higher risk of venous thromboembolism and mortality. Confounding due to unmeasured variables is possible. Modifiable system-based factors/processes should be targeted to reduce the number of complications associated with THA/TKA procedures.
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Aug 2011
Association of hepatocyte growth factor promoter polymorphism with severity of interstitial lung disease in Japanese patients with systemic sclerosis.
To examine associations of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within genes for hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor c-met with disease susceptibility and organ involvement in Japanese patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). ⋯ A SNP in the HGF promoter region may modulate the severity of interstitial lung disease by controlling the transcriptional efficiency of the HGF gene.