Radiologic progression of rheumatoid arthritis lesions treated with methotrexate

Methotrexate is the treatment of reference in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) because it has proved effective in this pathology. Its clinical efficacy is largely admitted but its radiological efficacy is still in certain. The other aim is to look for other clinical and radiological indices that influence these score evolution in patients treated by Methotrexate. Our study is an open prospective study about thirty RA defined about ACR criterions that don't receive other treatment followed up for 6 months. The methotrexate is administered at least 12 months (12 to 72 months) we evaluate its efficacy by Larsen score and Cohin indices. Remission has been reported in 80% of patients according to Larsen score and in 63.3% of patients according to Cohin indices. Its more efficace if admitted as a first treatment and for at least 12 months in young patients (under 40 years) with an arthritis evolution below 10 years and is at stage 0 or 1 of steinbroker but these data are not statistically significant first for patient age and ancientness of RA.     

来氟米特与甲氨蝶呤治疗类风湿性关节炎的Meta分析

目的评价来氟米特与甲氨蝶呤治疗类风湿性关节炎有效性和安全性。方法检索来氟米特与甲氨蝶呤治疗类风湿性关节炎的临床实验。Jadad量表评价临床实验。计算治疗后两组达到ACR20%标准的相对危险度和相关指标的加权均值差,两组患者全部和常见不良事件发生率的相对危险度。结果治疗后两组达到ACR20%标准的百分率差异无统计学意义,RR0.99(95%CI0.80～1.22),P=0.91。两组患者全部不良事件的发生率差异无统计学意义,RR1.32(95%CI0.74～2.36),P=0.35。来氟米特组腹泻、高血压、脱发、皮疹和瘙痒的发生率多于甲氨蝶呤组,仅口腔溃疡的发生率少于甲氨蝶呤组。结论来氟米特治疗类风湿关节炎的有效性与甲氨蝶呤相当,但安全性略逊于甲氨蝶呤。     

甲氨蝶呤治疗类风湿性关节炎的疗效评价

目的比较在非甾体类抗炎药基础上用和不用甲氨蝶呤对类风湿性关节炎临床疗效的影响。方法100例患者随机分为甲氨蝶呤组和对照组,后者服用与甲氨蝶呤外形、颜色、味道相同的安慰剂。两组患者服用5mg／（次·d）的剂量,共服用8周。结果甲氨蝶呤组各项临床指标的改善均高于对照组（P〈0．05）;且副反应发生率低于对照组（P〈0．05）。结论甲氨蝶呤治疗类风湿性关节炎有效,值得应用。     

甲氨蝶呤联合来氟米特治疗类风湿关节炎的疗效

目的探讨甲氨蝶呤联合来氟米特治疗类风湿关节炎（RA）患者的临床疗效。方法将80例RA患者随机分为两组,治疗组采用甲氨蝶呤联合来氟米特进行治疗,对照组采用甲氨蝶呤联合羟氯喹进行治疗;观察疗效和治疗前及治疗后1、2、3、4月的抗环瓜氨酸肽抗体（ACCP）、C反应蛋白（CRP）和类风湿因子（RF）的变化。结果治疗2月后,两组之间的总有效率差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;治疗2、3、4个月时,治疗组的的ACCP、CRP和RF均明显低于对照组（P〈0.05）。结论甲氨蝶呤与来氟米特联合用药能有效地治疗RA,对RA患者的ACCP、CRP和RF水平降低程度显著,有效控制病情,为临床治疗RA提供依据。     

正清风痛宁联合甲氨蝶呤治疗老年类风湿关节炎的临床研究

目的 观察正清风痛宁联合甲氨蝶呤(MTX)治疗老年类风湿关节炎(elderly onset rheumatoidarthritis,EORA)疗效及安全性.方法 应用临床实验研究方法,按入院顺序采用区组随机分组法将病例分成实验组与对照组,实验组采用正清风痛宁联合甲氨蝶呤方案治疗,对照组采用单纯甲氨蝶呤方案治疗.治疗24周观察2组患者关节压痛指数、关节肿胀指数、晨僵持续时间、血沉(ESR)、(C-反应蛋白,C-reactive protein,CRP),与治疗前比较DAS28评分,将DAS28评分做为疾病活动度及疗效指标进行评估.检测血小板计数(PLT)、血小板压积(PCT)、血小板平均体积(MPV),同时观察2组不良反应发生率.结果 治疗24周后实验组与对照组晨僵时间、关节压痛数、关节肿胀数、红细胞沉降率、C-反应蛋白、疾病活动度评分(DAS28)均较治疗前好转,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05);实验组上述指标改善情况均优于对照组,差异亦有统计学意义(P＜0.05).治疗后两组临床疗效比较差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).两组患者血小板参数水平均降低,但实验组降低水平较对照组显著(P＜0.05).不良反应发生率两组比较差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论 正清风痛宁联合MTX在治疗老年RA,较单纯用MTX更能有效改善症状,控制病情,降低患者异常升高的血小板,从而减少老年RA患者心血管疾病的发生,而不良反应的发生率并未增加,值得临床借鉴应用.     

Case management for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Mary was in her mid-20s when a long day of shopping made her feet hurt so much that she sought the care of a podiatrist. Radiographs showed no abnormalities in her bones, so it was not until several months later, when her hands became swollen and painful, that she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by her primary care physician.     

Rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: systematic review

INTRODUCTION: Biologic treatments are newly used in rheumatoid arthritis. Three tumornecrosis factor alfa (TNF-alpha) inhibitors--adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab--have been licensed for rheumatoid arthritis in Hungary. B-cell targeted treatment with rituximab is the next biologic treatment. Rituximab was used earlier for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Rituximab was registered to be used in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response or an intolerance to one or more TNF-alpha blocking agents. AIM: Systematic review in the literature of efficacy of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis. To assess the efficacy and safety of rituximab treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: MEDLINE and Cochrane database were searched for randomized controlled trials with rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis. A meta-analysis of trial data was conducted. RESULTS: Three randomized controlled trials were identified including 1145 patients. 54% of patients with inadequate response to TNF-alfa inhibitors and severe disease-activity have reached American College of Rheumatology 20 criteria. This ratio is larger with 33% (95% CI, 25-41%) than without treatment, and patients have almost five times (relative risk = 4.77 95% CI, 3.12-7.31) chance to improve. Functional status represented by Health Assessment Questionnaire score improves significantly (p < 0.001) in rituximab arms (-0.4 scores) compared with placebo arms (-0.1 scores). EULAR moderate and good responses in the rituximab group were significant (p < 0.00001) compared with the placebo group, rate difference is 38% (95% CI, 32-44%). Rituximab improves also radiological symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. CONCLUSIONS: New therapeutic options, rituximab is efficacious in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Rituximab can improve symptoms of patients with inadequate response to or intolerance of TNF-alpha inhibitors.     

Pseudogout in 3 patients with presumed therapy-resistant rheumatoid arthritis

3 patients, 2 women aged 71 and 76 and a 55-year-old man, were originally diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs); two of these patients fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for RA. Because the symptoms persisted, the diagnosis was reconsidered. It turned out that they had pseudogout, which is an arthropathy caused by the deposition of calcium pyrophosphate crystals; the younger woman had no obvious metabolic disorder, the older woman had underlying hyperparathyroidism, and in the man the arthropathy was probably due to benign hypercalcaemia. DMARDs were replaced by NSAIDs. Varying degrees ofarthropathy persisted in the women, but in the man they were clearly decreased. In addition to resembling gout, the clinical manifestations of pseudogout can also mimic RA. It is important to distinguish pseudogout from RA because their treatment is completely different. Furthermore, pseudogout can be the first or sole symptom of a metabolic disorder.     

Preliminary evidence shows that folic acid fortification of the food supply is associated with higher methotrexate dosing in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND: Fortification of the diet with folate has been used in the United States since 1997 to prevent neural tube defects in newborn babies. However, an increase in dietary folate intake could theoretically reduce the effectiveness of the anti-folate medication, methotrexate (MTX) in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory diseases. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether dietary fortification with folic acid interferes with MTX function in patients with RA. METHODS: We computed MTX dose per patient per year for the years 1988 to 1999 and plotted these against time, comparing the overall mean MTX dose before and after 1997, when dietary fortification with folic acid was instituted in the USA. Thirty-six subjects met eligibility criteria. RESULTS: Mean annual MTX dose was stable between 1988 and 1996 (12.4 +/- 4.0mg), but then rose linearly from 1997 to 1999 (16.6 +/- 5.1 mg, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study suggests that folic acid supplementation may contribute to higher MTX dosing in patients with RA.     

Depression risk in patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis in Germany

Goal

The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression and its risk factors in patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated in German primary care practices.

Methods

Longitudinal data from general practices (n=1072) throughout Germany were analyzed. Individuals initially diagnosed with RA (2009–2013) were identified, and 7301 patients were included and matched (1:1) to 7301 controls. The primary outcome measure was the initial diagnosis of depression within 5 years after the index date in patients with and without RA. Cox proportional hazards models were used to adjust for confounders.

Results

The mean age was 72.2 years (SD: 7.6 years). A total of 34.9 % of patients were men. Depression diagnoses were present in 22.0 % of the RA group and 14.3 % of the control group after a 5-year follow-up period (p < 0.001). In the multivariate regression model, RA was a strong risk factor for the development of depression (HR: 1.55, p < 0.001). There was significant interaction of RA and diagnosed inflammatory polyarthropathies (IP) (RA*IP interaction: p < 0.001). Furthermore, dementia, cancer, osteoporosis, hypertension, and diabetes were associated with a higher risk of developing depression (p values <0.001).

Conclusion

The risk of depression is significantly higher in patients with late-onset RA than in patients without RA for subjects treated in primary care practices in Germany. RA patients should be screened routinely for depression in order to ensure improved treatment and management.

     

Probiotic supplementation improves inflammatory status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

ObjectivesRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory autoimmune disease in which the gut microbiota is altered. Probiotics are microorganisms that can normalize gut microbiota; thus, they may help to alleviate RA symptoms. The objective of the present clinical trial was to assess the effects of probiotic supplementation on disease activity and inflammatory cytokines in patients with RA.MethodsForty-six patients with RA were assigned into two groups in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The patients in the probiotic group received a daily capsule that contained a minimum of 10⁸ colony-forming units of Lactobacillus casei 01 for 8 wk. The placebo group took capsules filled with maltodextrin for the same time period. Questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and fasting blood samples were collected, and the participants were assessed by a rheumatologist at baseline and at the end of the trial.ResultsDisease activity score was significantly decreased by the intervention, and there was a significant difference between the two groups at the end of the study (P < 0.01). Three of the assessed serum proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-12) significantly decreased in the probiotic group (P < 0.05); however, serum levels of interleukin-1 β were not significantly affected by the probiotic (P = 0.22). The serum level of regulatory cytokine (interleukin-10) was increased by the supplementation (P < 0.05). The proportion of interleukin-10 to interleukin-12 was significantly increased in the probiotic group as well.ConclusionsL. casei 01 supplementation improved the disease activity and inflammatory status of patients with RA. Further studies are warranted to confirm these results, and such confirmation may lead to the introduction of probiotics as adjunctive therapy for this population.     

Immune profile and thyroid function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Thyroid autoantibodies and thyroid function were studied in 175 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (ARA criteria, 1987). The study included 149 women and 26 men aged (54.7 +/- 13.1) all treated in the Clinic of Rheumatology, Higher Medical Institute, Plovdiv. A control group comprising 72 healthy subjects (aged 51.2 +/- 3.2) was used. Rheumatoid factor (RF) (latex agglutination test and Waaler-Rose test), antithyroglobulin (TAT) and antimicrosomal antibodies (MAT), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and the free fraction of thyroxine (FT4) were measured. 69.7% of all patients tested positive for RF by the latex test and 64.5% by the Waaler-Rose test. TAT was found in 55 (31.4%), MAT in 26 (14.8%) from all the examined, which is significantly greater in comparison with the controls (p < 0.05). The thyroid gland was in a euthyroid state in most of the RA patients although MAT and/or TAT were detected in them. The results suggest existence of two autoimmune diseases - rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis and raise the question of whether they are not manifestations of a single autoimmune disease with different body organ localisation.