Search results for "arthritis"

COX-2 inhibition and pain management: a review summary

2005

Cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitors have long been regarded as potent anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of arthritis, osteoarthritis and dysmenorrhea. The reports of cardiovascular risk and the subsequent withdrawal of rofecoxib, and recently valdecoxib, has called the therapeutic potential of coxibs into question. Currently, according to the latest decisions of the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency, the approval of valdecoxib has been refused for 1 year due to an increased rate of cardiovascular risks and serious skin reactions. There are restrictions concerning the use of all other coxibs. The short-time use of coxibs, however, in anti-inflammatory tr…

Pathogenesis of Anterior Knee Pain in the Active Young: Is There a Relation Between the Presence of Patellofemoral Malalignment and Pain?

2012

This chapter is not intended to advocate for a particular surgical technique, but it does provide insight into improving our understanding of the pathophysiology of anterior knee pain syndrome. Our objectives were: to identify a relationship, or lack of one, between the presence of PFM and the presence of anterior knee pain; to analyze the long-term response of VMO muscle fibers to increased resting length; and to determine the incidence of patellofemoral osteoarthritis after IPR surgery. Our findings indicate (1) that not all PFM knees show symptoms; that is, PFM is not a sufficient condition for the onset of symptoms, at least in postoperative patients; (2) that the advancement of VMO has…

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus in a Mediterranean region

2010

Low vitamin D levels have been found in patients with autoimmune diseases, including type I diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. The main source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight, but the same solar radiation is known to exacerbate lupus erythematosus. We investigated the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). We designed a cross-sectional study including 55 patients with CLE to measure their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) by chemiluminescence immunoassay and compare it with a control group consisting of 37 healthy sex and age-matched subjects recruited from the patients' relatives a…

Erratum to “Is minor salivary gland biopsy more than a diagnostic tool in primary Sjo¨gren’s syndrome? Association between clinical, histopathologica…

2015

Genetic disorders of connective tissues

1991

Due to the growing knowledge of structure and function of extracellular matrix proteins, congenital abnormalities of connective tissues are identified or suspected in an increasing number of clinical disorders. In osteogenesis imperfecta and two subtypes of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, the affected matrix proteins were identified and mutations in the corresponding genes (procollagen type I and type III, respectively) could be demonstrated. Some forms of chondrodysplasia were shown to be associated with mutations in the gene encoding for the cartilage-specific collagen (type II). In part, the clinical phenotype is determined by the tissue-specific distribution of these collagens. However, the cor…

Clinical disorders responsible for plasma hyperviscosity and skin complications

2017

In this brief review, we have examined some clinical disorders which are associated to an altered hemorheological profile and at times accompanied by skin ulcers. This skin condition may be, in fact, observed in patients with primary plasma hyperviscosity such as multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, cryoglobulinemia, cryofibrinogenemia, dysfibrinogenemia and connective tissue diseases. It must be underlined that the altered hemorheological pattern is not the only responsible for this skin complication but, as it worsens the microcirculatory flow, it contributes to determine the occurrence of the skin ulcers.

Morphea “en coup de sabre”: an unusual oral presentation

2017

Morphea, or localized scleroderma, is an inflammatory disease that leads to sclerosis of the skin and underlying tissues due to excessive collagen deposition. Oral involvement is unusual and it may produce white linear fibrotic areas with a scar-like appearance, atrophy of tongue papillae, gingival recession and alveolar bone resorption. We report a case of a 13-year-old girl who consulted for progressive recession on the attached gingiva of her upper left incisors. She also presented a hypopigmented line on the left side skin of her upper lip, which continued through the vermilion and the lip mucosa, including the gingiva of the affected teeth. Clinical examination, blood tests, computeriz…

Modification of longitudinal relaxation time (T1) as a biomarker of patellar cartilage degeneration

2010

Abstract Objectives To study the viability of longitudinal relaxation time ( T1 ) of patellar cartilage as a biomarker of the degree of degeneration. Material and methods We included 15 subjects classified into three groups according to clinical criteria (pain, functional limitation, and duration of symptoms) and imaging criteria as follows: (a) normal (3 men, 2 women; age 30 ± 14 years), (b) with initial degeneration of the patellar cartilage (3 men, 2 women; age 30 ± 6 years), or (c) with advanced degeneration (3 men, 2 women; age 57 ± 10 years). All underwent MRI examination using special echo-gradient sequences to segment the cartilage and calculate the T1 maps. We selected the entire c…

FRI0162 IL-9 Over-Expression and Th9 Polarization Immunologically Characterizes the Subclinical Gut Inflammation of Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis

2014

Background Subclinical gut inflammation has been demonstrated in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) suggesting a role for the gut in the pathogenesis of inflammation in these patients. A key role for the IL-23, IL-17, IL-22 and IL-9 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis has been suggested, the immunologic abnormalities underlying subclinical gut inflammation in PsA are still undefined however. Objectives This study was undertaken to investigate the expression and tissue distribution of IL-23 and of Th17,Th22 and Th9 related molecules in the subclinical gut inflammation of patients with PsA. Methods Gut inflammation was assessed accordingly to De Vos et al (1). Quanti…

FRI0696 Patient activation and adherence to biological therapy: preliminary results

2018

Background: Medication non-adherence is associated with treatment failure. Some authors show a positive relationship between patient activation and both, adherence to treatment for chronic conditions and improved outcomes. Objectives: To present preliminary results of a study measuring adherence to biological therapy and its relationship with the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) in the outpatient setting. Methods: Ambispective longitudinal observational descriptive study in a general tertiary university hospital. Patients on treatment with the same biological drug for ≥6 months were included in order of arrival. Patients with some degree of mental disability, which prevented understanding o…