The aim of the study was to investigate the levels of lipid peroxidation, and both plasma and erythrocyte antioxidant states in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The population consisted of 60 subjects divided into two groups, 30 subjects had evidence of rheumatoid arthritis and age and sex matched healthy subjects were studied as controls. The level of plasma and erythrocyte thiobarbituric a...

the manubrio-sternal and sternoclavicular joints possess synovium,3'4 extension of synovial disease from adjacent costochondral joints, degenerative processes or trauma. Histological and microradiographic analysis has indicated active inflammation of the articulation in some patients and the absence of inflammation and presence offibrous replacement in others.5 Pathological problems with clinic...

OBJECTIVE To examine the impact of the combination of infliximab plus methotrexate (MTX) on the progression of structural damage in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS Subanalyses were carried out on data for patients with early RA in the Anti-TNF Therapy in RA with Concomitant Therapy (ATTRACT) study, in which 428 patients with active RA despite MTX therapy received placeb...

INTRODUCTION Although cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are increased in rheumatoid arthritis, little is known about the burden of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis in these patients. METHODS Using computed tomography, coronary artery calcification was measured in 195 men and women with rheumatoid arthritis aged 45 to 84 years without clinical cardiovascular disease and compared with ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire in a Swedish rheumatoid arthritis population. METHODS To investigate the concurrent and convergent validity, 67 patients with rheumatoid arthritis completed the DASH, the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ) and activity-induced pain...

Several studies have demonstrated the beneficial effect of azathioprine in rheumatoid arthritis. But fears have been expressed about the possible mutagenic and teratogenic effects of prolonged use. If the drug could be withdrawn once remission is achieved, and this remission be then maintained with other agents, the possible complications of long-term therapy might be avoided. A double-blind c...

In-vitro measurements of the rate of monocyte phagocytosis of heat-killed yeast preopsonised in human AB serum from 14 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 14 normal controls showed a significant reduction in five patients with active vasculitis but no change in nine with active arthritis alone. Further studies of complement- and Fc-mediated monocyte phagocytosis in which the rate constants (...

OBJECTIVE To test the clinical equivalence and resource consequences of day care with inpatient care for active rheumatoid arthritis. DESIGN Randomised controlled clinical trial with integrated cost minimisation economic evaluation. SETTING Rheumatic diseases unit at a teaching hospital between 1994 and 1996. SUBJECTS 118 consecutive patients with active rheumatoid arthritis randomised to...

Ann Rheum Dis 2009;68:1367–1368. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.099093 REFERENCES 1. Mladenovic V, Domljan Z, Rozman B, Jajic I, Mihajlovic D, Dordevic J, et al. Safety and effectiveness of leflunomide in the treatment of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis. Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase II study. Arthritis Rheum 1995;38:1595–603. 2. Kalgutkar AS, Nguyen HT, Vaz AD, Doan A, Dal...