Glucocorticoids in early rheumatoid arthritis

This series of articles facilitated by the Australian Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group (CMSG), aims to place the findings of recent Cochrane musculoskeletal reviews in a context immediately relevant to general practitioners. This article considers treating patients in the first 2 years of rheumatoid arthritis with low dose of oral corticosteroids.     

Pharmacotherapy of patients with (early) rheumatoid arthritis

As soon as the diagnosis 'early rheumatoid arthritis (RA)' is made, a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) should be prescribed without delay. Methotrexate in dosages up to 30 mg once weekly is being used more frequently than in the past, also in early RA. Combination therapy with DMARDs is indicated in case of insufficient effect of a single DMARD. Combinations with methotrexate appear to be especially effective, like methotrexate and cyclosporin. A novel effective DMARD is leflunomide. In the near future promising biologicals will probably be applied in clinical daily practice, presumably in combination with conventional DMARDs. New non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been developed that are probably safer than conventional NSAIDs. If the recent finding that glucocorticoids are able to inhibit joint damage in (early) RA will be confirmed, prednisone might be used more often in (early) RA. Bone marrow transplantation in RA is still experimental.     

Stressful life events and disability in early rheumatoid arthritis

The objective was to investigate the relationship of stressfullife events and disability in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA),taking into account a possible stress-buffering effect of thesocial network. As part of a European study (EURIDISS), 337early RA patients in France and The Netherlands (mean diseaseduration = 2.3 years) were interviewed for life events whichhad occurred in the past year. The social network compositionwas assessed using a standardized interview schedule and describedby network density and proximity characteristics. Disabilitywas assessed with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)cross-culturally adapted to the French and Dutch languages.Subjects reported a median of 2 significant life events overthe past year. On average they had 20 persons in their socialnetwork. The disability was significantly higher when the numberof life events experienced was higher (r = 0.11; p<0.05)and when the number of social network members in monthly contactwith the subjects was lower (r = –0.13; p<0.05). Controllingfor country, the HAQ score increased significantly with thedisease duration, disease activity variables, number of lifeevents related to RA or to another health problem and decreasedwith the number of social network members. A significant (numberof health-related life events)x(number of social network members)cross-product term entered the model which fitted the data better(R² =0.51). Factors associated with disability are disease duration,disease activity, number of health-related life events and numberof social network members in monthly contact. The results suggesta stress-buffering effect of the social network in coping withstressful life events in early RA.     

联合检测四项指标对类风湿性关节炎早期诊断的价值

目的:探讨联合检测血清抗环瓜氨酸肽(CCP)抗体、超敏CRP(hs-CRP)、类风湿因子(RF)和全血红细胞沉降率(ESR)在类风湿性关节炎(RA)早期诊断的临床价值。方法:对50例RA患者、20例系统性红斑狼疮(SLE)、20例骨关节炎(OS)、20例干燥综合征(SS)、20例结缔组织病(CTD)与40例健康对照组分别采用ELISA法检测血清抗-CCP浓度;免疫散射比浊法测定血清hs-CRP、RF的浓度;用全自动动态血沉仪LG-E&H-20检测ESR,并进行比较。结果:RA患者抗-CCP、hs-CRP、RF和ESR明显高于各疾病组和健康对照组(P<0.01)。四项指标联合检测对RA的敏感性达到70%,特异性98%。结论:联合检测血液中抗-CCP、、hs-CRP、RF和ESR,可提高对RA的早期诊断的准确性。     

Life satisfaction in early rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective study

The aim of this study was to describe life satisfaction prospectively in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to investigate its correlation with disease activity. The early RA group was compared with RA patients with longstanding disease and with a reference group. Gender differences were also compared. Patients with early RA, treated by a multidisciplinary team, reported their life satisfaction by completing a questionnaire. Disease activity score, patient global assessment, and pain were scored at onset of disease and after two years. The patients with early RA were less satisfied with life as a whole at disease onset compared with the reference group, as was a cohort of patients with longstanding disease. Patients with early RA also reported low levels of satisfaction with self-care activities, work, and sexual life. The women reported themselves more satisfied than men. After two years, a slight increase in the reported levels of satisfaction could be seen for life as a whole and for five of the eight domains. No correlation was found between disease activity variables and satisfaction with life as a whole. There were, however, positive correlations between disease activity and satisfaction both with partnership and with family life after two years, i.e. the higher disease activity the higher satisfaction with partnership relation and family life. In contrast, patients with greater disease activity were less satisfied with self-care activities. The results of this study indicate that greater effort is needed to assist patients with early RA to cope with problems concerning self-care activities, sexual life, and work.     

Life satisfaction in early rheumatoid arthritis: A prospective study

The aim of this study was to describe life satisfaction prospectively in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to investigate its correlation with disease activity. The early RA group was compared with RA patients with longstanding disease and with a reference group. Gender differences were also compared. Patients with early RA, treated by a multidisciplinary team, reported their life satisfaction by completing a questionnaire. Disease activity score, patient global assessment, and pain were scored at onset of disease and after two years. The patients with early RA were less satisfied with life as a whole at disease onset compared with the reference group, as was a cohort of patients with longstanding disease. Patients with early RA also reported low levels of satisfaction with self-care activities, work, and sexual life. The women reported themselves more satisfied than men. After two years, a slight increase in the reported levels of satisfaction could be seen for life as a whole and for five of the eight domains. No correlation was found between disease activity variables and satisfaction with life as a whole. There were, however, positive correlations between disease activity and satisfaction both with partnership and with family life after two years, i.e. the higher disease activity the higher satisfaction with partnership relation and family life. In contrast, patients with greater disease activity were less satisfied with self-care activities. The results of this study indicate that greater effort is needed to assist patients with early RA to cope with problems concerning self-care activities, sexual life, and work.     

Health-related quality of life and disability in patients with rheumatoid,early rheumatoid and early psoriatic arthritis treated with etanercept

Purpose  

To assess health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), early RA and early psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and to evaluate the efficacy of etanercept in reducing disability.     

Immunopathology of rheumatoid arthritis

The central place of immunologic aberrations in the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis is now well established. It is the nature and interactions of these aberrations that still remain to be elucidated. Among the many puzzles being studied are the uniquely self-perpetuating nature of rheumatoid arthritis immune complexes and the role of complement and the prostaglandins in joint damage and pain.     

Current management of rheumatoid arthritis

Although rheumatoid arthritis is usually a chronic polyarthritis, it progresses in a wide variety of ways often with organ involvement. It is characterized by periods of exacerbation and remission. Successful management, which must be tailored to individual patients' requirements, involves a multidisciplinary approach coordinated by the physician. Counselling, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, adequate drug therapy and surgery all play a part.