Rheumatology

• Crystal Ball Gazing: New Therapeutic Targets for Hyperuricaemia and Gout This review summarizes the recent studies that have led to significant advances in the understanding of the biology of hyperuricaemia and gout, and the potential relevance for future treatments.
  Rheumatology, September 2009
• Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Approaches for Improved Topical Treatment in Localized Scleroderma and Systemic Sclerosis What are the current and future treatment options for localized scleroderma and systemic sclerorsis?
  Rheumatology, September 2009
• Health-related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents With Juvenile Localized Scleroderma This study’s findings should be reassuring to JLS patients, their families, and their healthcare providers.
  Rheumatology, June 2009
• Do OA Patients Gain Additional Benefit From Care From a Clinical Nurse Specialist? -- a Randomized Clinical Trial Patient care and satisfaction are compared at clinics run by clinical nurse specialists and those run by junior hospital doctors.
  Rheumatology, June 2009
• Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Children: Assessment and Management This review discusses the most recent findings in the assessment and management of chronic musculoskeletal pain in children.
  Rheumatology, May 2009
• Analgesic Effects of Treatments for Non-specific Low Back Pain: A Meta-analysis of Placebo-controlled Randomized Trials Low back pain is a highly prevalent health problem that is associated with enormous costs worldwide. What affect do analgesic treatments have on non-specific low back pain?
  Rheumatology, May 2009
• British Society for Rheumatology and British Health Professionals in Rheumatology Guideline for the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis (After the First 2 Years) These updated guidelines for the management of rheumatoid arthritis provide a framework in the development of Integrated Care Pathways to enable RA, to be managed effectively in all care settings.
  Rheumatology, April 2009
• Update on Immunotherapy for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus—What’s Hot and What’s Not! What are the advances in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus from previous drugs with considerable toxicities to newer therapies without wide-ranging suppression of the immune system?
  Rheumatology, March 2009
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica Can Be Distinguished From Late Onset Rheumatoid Arthritis at Baseline: Results of a 5-yr Prospective Study. Since there are many similarities between polymyalgia rheumatica and late-onset RA, this study sets out to develop a diagnostic algorithm to differentiate between the two disorders.
  Rheumatology, February 2009
• Factors Affecting Survival in Juvenile Systemic Sclerosis Can demographic, clinical, and immunological features predict survival outcomes in juvenile systemic sclerosis?
  Rheumatology, February 2009
• The Cellular Pathobiology of the Degenerate Intervertebral Disc and Discogenic Back Pain What are the current advances and biological variables that can alter the practice around intervertebral disc disease degeneration and discogenic back pain?
  Rheumatology, January 2009
• Suppression of Tumour Necrosis Factor Production From Mononuclear Cells by a Novel Synthetic Compound, CLX-090717 Will CLX-090717, a novel compound, have anti-TNF properties to treat chronic inflammatory diseases?
  Rheumatology, January 2009
• C-reactive Protein: The Underlying Cause of Microvascular Dysfunction in Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis is linked to increased CV risk. Endothelial dysfunction, a CV disease marker, occurs in some inflammatory diseases but this link has not been explored in RA patients; until now.
  Rheumatology, December 2008
• Accuracy of Intra-articular Injections in Peripheral Joints Performed Blindly in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Despite wide use in treating arthritis and other musculoskeletal diseases, few studies have assessed the accuracy and effectiveness of intra-articular injections. How accurate are blind IA injections?
  Rheumatology, December 2008
• Variation of Immunological Response in Methotrexate-induced Pneumonitis MTX-induced pneumonitis is a rare complication of RA treatment and much remains unknown about it. Chikura, et al present the first study to describe the variation of immunological response in MTX-P.
  Rheumatology, November 2008
• Tacrolimus for the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus With Pure Class V Nephritis Current treatments for pure membranous (class V) lupus nephropathy are unsatisfactory and carry a high morbidity. Can Tacrolimus provide a safe, efficacious alternative? This study has the answer.
  Rheumatology, November 2008
• The Value of Synovial Cytokine Expression in Predicting the Clinical Response to TNF Antagonist Therapy (Infliximab) Few studies have investigated the basis for the difference in clinical response to TNF-alpha blockade therapy. Can pre-treatment synovial TNF-alpha or IL-1 expression predict TNF blockade response?
  Rheumatology, October 2008
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients Exhibit Functional Deficiencies of Endothelial Progenitor Cells Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are described to serve as a biomarker for CV risk. Since CV risk is seen in Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), would SLE be associated with altered EPC levels?
  Rheumatology, October 2008
• Hypovitaminosis D Among Rheumatology Outpatients in Clinical Practice A role for vitamin D in the pathogenesis of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases is emerging. The authors undertook an audit of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) investigation and treatment in rheumatology outpatients.
  Rheumatology, September 2008
• Recognition of Inflammatory Back Pain and Ankylosing Spondylitis in Primary Care The diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis is often delayed in primary care. This may partly be due to inability to differentiate inflammatory back pain (IBP) from mechanical. This study assesses the current practice of general practitioners in using clinical, radiological, and laboratory investigations to assess patients with IBP.
  Rheumatology, September 2008