Russian society and patients with rheumatic diseases

The morbidity, primary morbidity, temporary incapacity for work and disablement due to rheumatoid diseases registered among Russia's population in the recent 3 years are described on the basis of an analysis of Russian statistics. Issues related with mortality, caused by rheumatic diseases, the related expenses and influence on patients' life quality are under discussion. A conclusion is made on a high social-and-medical importance of the above category of diseases as viewed from the standpoint of society (state), patient and his or her family.     

Incidence rates of articular pain in urban and rural population of Russia (preliminary data)

AIM: Screening of the population sample for articular pain and swelling. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A screening questionnaire for detection of arthritides and arthralgias was filled in for each adult rural and urban citizen aged over 18 years from 15 RF regions. Rural population was covered with a complete examination, urban one was examined by formation of a representative sample from general population. The screening covered a total of 31424 persons, mean age of whom was 47.6 +/- 17.6 years. Among them 14001 lived in the cities and 17423 in the villages. 61% respondents were women. RESULTS: Prevalence of arthralgias in the population reaches 46%. While the symptoms alleviated with time in 8%, they became chronic in the rest. The articular complaints rate in the population is sex-related and depends on the age. In persons under 20 years arthralgia occurs in 9%. Urban citizens have articular pains more frequently than rural population--43 and 33%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Pilot results of the screening program demonstrate prevalence of arthralgias in Russia and the importance of joint pathology problem in Russia.     

Prevalence and risk factors in osteoarthrosis in a rural population of the Sakha Republic (Iakutiia)

AIM: To study epidemiology of osteoarthrosis among native population living in rural North of Russia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Population of four villages of the Vilyui region of Sakha Republic (1216 citizens) was covered with a one-stage survey. Population of three villages were Yakuts, one village--evenks. RESULTS: Prevalence of osteoarthrosis among native population of rural Yakutia is 18.0% (definite-9.4%, suspected--8.6%). General and specific osteoarthrosis risk factors linked with climatic-geographic local peculiarities were determined. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of osteoarthrosis among rural citizens of Yakutia is higher than among urban population and depends more on micro- and macroclimatic conditions and occupational hazards.     

Self-assessment of sexual maturity by mid-adolescents based on a global question

The objective of this research was to investigate the use of a global question for evaluation of body development relative to age-mates in addition to graded statements on sexual maturity (SM) as part of self-reports on pubertal development. In total, 4516 adolescents answered written questions on pubertal development and the global question. They represented a normative Swedish sample. To validate these results, 100 mid-adolescents were asked to answer the statements regarding SM and the global question. This was compared with ratings made by two professional examiners for each young person. The outcome of the population study was evaluated against standard biological timetables and demonstrated adequate agreement. In the validation study, the inter-rater agreement between the professionals was excellent and so were professional ratings against those of the adolescents, with one exception: boys' rating of their pubic hair. The global question alone gave the best agreement on pubertal progress. We can conclude that the global question is a valid tool for evaluation of pubertal development during mid-adolescence in population surveys.     

Status of tissue microcirculation in psoriatic arthritis

Microcirculation (the skin and skeletal muscle) was studied using a method of 133Xe clearance from the interstitial depot in 35 patients with psoriatic arthritis. It showed significant microcirculatory disorders expressed in a statistically significant decrease in the effective cutaneous blood flow in unaffected skin zones (mostly in women and in a high inflammatory activity of the process) and in the muscular microcirculation especially noted in the period of reactive hyperemia. The results obtained indicate the presence of generalized involvement of the microcirculatory bed vessels in psoriatic arthritis.     

The role of hereditary factors in the development of psoriatic arthritis and the nature of its interrelations with psoriasis

Altogether 83 families of probands with psoriatic arthritis and the same number of families of probands with common skin psoriasis were investigated in order to study the role of hereditary factors in the development of psoriatic arthritis and the type of its interrelationship with psoriasis. Obvious accumulation of repeated cases of this disease was observed among the probands' relatives. Genetic analysis made it possible to reject the monogenic type of inheritance of psoriatic arthritis and to prove the multifactorial nature of its inheritance confirmed in 68%. Analysis of the distribution of repeated cases of psoriatic arthritis and uncomplicated psoriasis in both types of families helped to determine a genetic correlation coefficient (0.93) indicating great similarity of the genetic systems of both types of diseases therefore they could be regarded as the clinical variants of one disease--psoriasis.