Comparison Between INSPIRE and Domjan method for measuring lumbar lateral flexion in patients of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and correlation with radiographic damage

Clinical Rheumatology - Assessment of spinal lateral flexion (SLF) is important in spondyloarthritis (SpA). The INSPIRE method of measuring SLF requires one set of measurements, is faster,...     

Predictors for remission in rheumatoid arthritis patients: A systematic review

Objective

To summarize the potential predictors of remission in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

We performed a systematic review of prognostic studies that identified the predictors of remission in RA patients. Studies were identified in Medline, EMBase, and the Cochrane Registry, and by hand search. We included only studies performing multivariate analysis.

Results

A total of 18 studies from 2,062 citations were included. The following variables were found to be the independent predictors of RA remission: male sex; young age; late‐onset RA; short disease duration; nonsmoker; low baseline disease activity; mild functional impairment; low baseline radiographic damage; absence of rheumatoid factor and anti–citrullinated peptide; low serum level of acute‐phase reactant, interleukin‐2, and RANKL at baseline; MTHFR 677T alleles and 1298C alleles in the methotrexate (MTX)–treated patients; magnetization transfer ratio 2756A allele ± either the SLC 19A180A allele or the TYMS 3R‐del6 haplotype in the MTX plus sulfasalazine combination–treated patients; early treatment with nonbiologic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) combinations; the use of anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti‐TNF); the concurrent use of DMARDs in anti‐TNF–treated patients; and moderate or good response to treatments at the first 6 months. The magnitude of the association in the individual predictor was diverse among the studies depending on the patient characteristics, the study characteristics, and the variables used to adjust for in the models.

Conclusion

A number of independent predictors of remission, i.e., baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics and genetic markers, were summarized. The predictive value of prognostic factors recently identified needs to be confirmed.     

Successful percutaneous retrieval of an inferior vena cava filter migrating to the right ventricle in a bariatric patient

The use of an inferior vena cava filter has an important role in the management of patients who are at high risk for development of pulmonary embolism. Migration is a rare but known complication of inferior vena cava filter placement. We herein describe a case of a prophylactic retrievable vena cava filter migrating to the right ventricle in a bariatric patient. The filter was retrieved percutaneously by transjugular approach and the patient did well postoperatively. A review of the current literature is given.     

Obstruction-Free Survival Following Operative Intervention for Malignant Bowel Obstruction in Appendiceal Cancer

Annals of Surgical Oncology - Patients with peritoneal metastases from appendiceal cancer are at high risk of malignant bowel obstruction (MBO), which is associated with significant morbidity and...     

Resveratrol is an effective inducer of CArG-driven TNF-alpha gene therapy

We report the anticarcinogenic, anti-aging polyphenol resveratrol activates the radio- and chemo-inducible cancer gene therapy vector Ad.Egr.TNF, a replication-deficient adenovirus that expresses human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) under control of the Egr-1 promoter. Like ionizing radiation or chemotherapeutic agents previously shown to activate Ad.Egr.TNF, resveratrol also induces Egr-1 expression from its chromosomal locus with a possible role for Egr-1 promoter CC(A+T)richGG sequences in the expression of TNF-alpha. Resveratrol induction of TNF-alpha in Ad.Egr.TNF-infected tumor xenografts demonstrated antitumor response in human and rat tumor models comparable to that of radio- or chemotherapy-induced TNF-alpha. Although sirtuins are known targets of resveratrol, in vitro inhibition of SIRT1 activity did not abrogate resveratrol induction of Egr-1 expression. This suggests that SIRT1 is not essential to mediate resveratrol induction of Egr-1. Nevertheless, control of transgene expression via resveratrol activation of Egr-1 may extend use of Ad.Egr.TNF to patients intolerant of radiation or cytotoxic therapy and offer a novel tool for development of other inducible gene therapies.