J Rheumatol
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Editorial Comment
Real standardized arthritis patients are better. Let me tell you how.
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To determine the feasibility of using standardized patients in the performance of a needs assessment and subsequent development of a continuing medical education (CME) intervention in rheumatology for family physicians. ⋯ Standardized patients can be effectively used to undertake a needs assessment in rheumatology. Specific data can be used to develop a small group problem based learning program with objectives meeting the identified needs and using the same standardized patients.
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Editorial Comment
Standardized patients: uses beyond the undergraduate years.
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To study at a molecular level the clonality of interleukin 2 (IL-2) expanded T cell lines derived from rheumatoid nodules. Such cell lines were reported in earlier studies with flow cytometry and antiidiotypic monoclonal antibodies (MAb) to be obligoclonal. ⋯ Molecular analysis of TCR rearrangements in IL-2 expanded T cell lines from rheumatoid nodules strongly suggests that in situ T cell activation is related to classical antigen induced immune activation.