Alopecia ; chemically induced ; diagnosis ; Antirheumatic Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; drug therapy ; Biopsy ; methods ; Cyclosporine ; administration & dosage ; Dermatologic Agents ; administration & dosage ; Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome ; diagnosis ; etiology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prednisolone ; administration & dosage ; Skin ; pathology ; Sulfasalazine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Symptom Flare Up ; Treatment Outcome ; Vitiligo ; chemically induced ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo observe the expression of peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocyte apoptosis gene in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with cold dampness type (CDT), and to explore its correlation with clinical indicators of RA.

METHODSSixteen RA patients with CDT (as the RA group) and 16 healthy subjects (as the normal control group) were recruited. CD4 T cell apoptosis rate was detected in the RA group and the normal control group using FCM. mRNA expressions of fas, fasL, caspase-3, caspase-8, bcl-2, and bax were detected using RT-PCR. Correlations between the expression of apoptosis gene and clinical activity indicators of RA (ESR, CRP, RF, CCP, integrals for Chinese medial symptoms, morning stiffness time, joint tenderness number, joint swelling number, DAS28-3) were analyzed.

RESULTSThe apoptosis rate of CD4+ T was significantly lower in the RA group than in the control group [(2. 6 +/- 0.9) % vs. (7.7 +/- 1.3) %, P < 0.01]. mRNA expression levels of fas, fasL, caspase-8, caspase-3, and bax mRNA of CD4+ T significantly decreased, but bcl-2 mRNA expression increased in the RA group (P < 0.01). The apoptosis rate of CD4+ T was negatively correlated with ESR (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of caspase-8 was negatively correlated with joint swelling number (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of bcl-2 was negatively correlated with integrals for Chinese medial-symptoms and joint function classification (P < 0.01, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONApoptosis obstacle exists in peripheral blood CD4 +T lymphocyte of RA patients, and is closely related to disease activity.

Apoptosis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Caspase 8 ; metabolism ; Fas Ligand Protein ; Humans ; RNA, Messenger

No abstract available.
Adult ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*complications/diagnosis ; Female ; Hand/pathology ; Hereditary Sensory and Autonomic Neuropathies/*complications/diagnosis ; Humans ; Rheumatoid Factor/blood

No abstract available.
Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*diagnosis/pathology ; Female ; Foot Deformities, Acquired/*diagnosis/pathology ; Humans ; Metatarsophalangeal Joint/*pathology/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Cervical Vertebrae/*pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Medulla Oblongata/drug effects/*pathology ; Methylprednisolone/administration & dosage ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune inflammatory disorder. Many methods have been used to observe the progress of RA. The purpose of this study was to observe the progress of RA in rats with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and arthritis score, and analyze the relationships among different methods in evaluation of RA.

METHODSSixteen healthy Sprague Dawley (SD) rats about 8-week old were randomly assigned to a RA group and a control group. Bovine type II emulsified incomplete Freud's adjuvant was used to induce arthritis in the RA group. Arthritis score of the rats in two groups were recorded, and (18)F-FDG PET/CT, MR imaging were performed both on the corresponding rats every 3 days. All the rats were sacrificed at week 5, and histopathological examination was performed on rat knees stained with haematoxylin and eosin.

RESULTSThe arthritis score and the standard uptake value (SUV) of knee joints in RA rats increased with the progression of arthritis gradually. Both peaks of arthritis score and SUV appeared at 21 days after the first immune injection, then the arthritis score and SUV of knee joints decreased slowly. The arthritis scores of knee joints in RA rats were positively correlated with their SUV changes. The MR images were confirmed by the histopathological studies.

CONCLUSIONPET/CT can detect the earliest molecular metabolism changes of RA, and MR imaging can follow up the dynamical anatomical changes of RA, all of which indicated that PET/CT and MR imaging may be applied as useful tools to monitor the progress of RA.

Animals ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo retrospectively investigate the clinical characteristics of sternal insufficiency fractures (SIFs) of post-menopausal women.

METHODSFindings on the clinical presentation, associated diseases, and imaging of SIFs in 17 postmenopausal women admitted to our hospital between February 1999 and January 2009 were reported.

RESULTSTwelve patients complained of severe pain in their anterior chest. Other symptoms included cough (5 cases), dyspnoea (3 cases), breathlessness (3 cases), and wheeze (2 cases). Four patients had no discomfort. The sternums of 11 cases were tender to palpation. Seventeen patients had osteoporosis. Other associated diseases were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (7 cases), rheumatoid arthritis (3 cases), systemic lupus erythematosus (1 case), asthma (1 case), and thoracic vertebral fracture (13 cases). Nine patients had received glucocorticoid treatment. The fractures were located in the body of the sternum in 15 patients, in the manubrium in 1 patient, and in the manubriosternal junction in 1 patient. Displaced fracture was present in 13 cases. Lateral radiography of the sternum showed a fracture line in 14 patients. In the remaining 3 cases, other imaging examinations such as bone scan, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated the presence of a fracture.

CONCLUSIONSOsteoporosis, glucocorticoid therapy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and rheumatoid arthritis might be risk factors for SIFs. SIFs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chest pain.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; complications ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Fractures, Bone ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Fractures, Stress ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Glucocorticoids ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; chemically induced ; complications ; epidemiology ; Postmenopause ; physiology ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; complications ; epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sternum ; injuries ; pathology

Pseudomembranous colitis is mainly caused by antibiotics and Clostridium difficile infection. But conditions such as gastrointestinal surgery, antacid medication, anti-neoplastic agent or immunosuppressive agent which influences the normal flora of colon can induce colitis without the administration of any antibiotics. We experienced a 13 year-old male who was taking low-dose methotrexate for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis complained diarrhea and abdominal pain for 3 weeks. Sigmoidoscopic findings revealed diffuse patch yellowish pseudomembranes on the rectum. Histologic finding was compatible to pseudomembranous colitis. His symptom was improved after stop taking methotrexate and the administration of metronidazole. If a patient treated with immunosuppressive agents or antineoplastic agents complains diarrhea, fever or abdominal pain and has not improved with conservative care, pseudomembranous colitis should be taken into account as a differential diagnosis and prompt treatment is required for better prognosis.
Abdominal Pain/etiology ; Adolescent ; Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use ; Antirheumatic Agents/*adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Juvenile Rheumatoid/*drug therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea/etiology ; Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous/*diagnosis/drug therapy/pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Methotrexate/*adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Metronidazole/therapeutic use ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Adult ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; epidemiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Joint Diseases ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Shoulder Dislocation ; epidemiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Shoulder Fractures ; epidemiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Shoulder Joint ; pathology ; surgery ; Shoulder Pain ; epidemiology ; pathology ; surgery

Background: Gougerot-Sj\xf6gren syndrome is an autoimmune disorder with two remarkable symptoms such as dry eyes and dry mouth. Objective: To study the symptoms of dry mouth of Gougerot-Sj\xf6gren syndrome after rheumatoid arthritis; To evaluate clinical and subclinical manifestations of dry mouth. Subjects and method: A prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study included 160 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, who treated at Department of Rheumatology of Bach Mai hospital, from 1998 to 2003. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 60 patients with Gougerot-Sj\xf6gren syndrome and 100 patients without Gougerot-Sj\xf6gren syndrome. Results: The average age of patients with Gougerot-Sj\xf6gren syndrome was 54.55 \xb1 10.91 years. The mean time of having dry mouth was 8.65 \xb1 8.39 months. Clinical manifestations of dry mouth were sensation of dry mouth (90%), lost of saliva (80%), drink a lot of water while eating (58.3%), enlargement of parotid glands (15%). Degrees of dry mouth were mild and moderate (36.7%), severe (53.3%). 93.3% of patients decreased total salivary flow.82% of patients had 3 and 4 anatomopathologic stages according to Chilsom classification. Conclusion: Incidence of symptoms of dry mouth was higher significantly in the rheumatoid arthritis patients with Gougerot-Sj\xf6gren syndrome than those without Gougerot-Sj\xf6gren syndrome.
Arthritis ; Rheumatoid/ pathology ; diagnosis ; Sjogren's Syndrome/ pathology ; diagnosis ; Xerostomia/ pathology ; diagnosis