Non-inherited maternal antigens encoded by specific HLA-DRB1 alleles (NIMA) have been implicated as a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) risk factor. Using genotype data from North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium study participants and the maternal-fetal genotype incompatibility (MFG) test, we find evidence for offspring allelic effects but no evidence for NIMA as a RA risk factor. We discuss p...

background: anti-ccp is a test commonly used for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. the aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic values of accp compared to anti-mcv in rheumatoid arthritis patients in north of iran. methods: the serum samples of 150 ra patients and 75 controls, with the mean age of 49.6+11.8 and 48.8+12 years respectively, were tested using the commercially availab...

this cross-sectional study is conducted to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic cervical spine subluxation in rheumatoid arthritis patients by plain radiographs and its relation to demographic and clinical characteristics, disease activity measures and medications. 100 rheumatoid arthritis patients (18 male and 82 female) were selected randomly, according to the american college of rheumato...

Methotrexate is the mainstay of treatment in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Used for over 40 years as an anchor treatment in a number of rheumatic diseases, it remains a gold standard of therapy for RA. This review will provide a concise discussion of the efficacy and safety of methotrexate in rheumatic disease, with a focus on Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Re: Surgery in rheumatoid arthritis SIR, I read with great interest the review on published studies of hand surgery in rheumatoid arthritis by Ghattas et al. [1], which gives the state of the art on the literature for this topic. In their key messages (p. 841), the authors state that medical therapy has reduced the need for surgery in rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortunately they do not provide any ...

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether antikeratin antibodies (AKA) could be useful in the differential diagnosis of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) associated polyarthritis, who are seropositive for rheumatoid factor (RF). METHODS AKA were assayed in 3 different groups of patients; all were RF seropositive: Group 1: 25 patients with HCV ass...

Background: The role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis is under investigation. This study was designed to evaluate the correlation between serum values of 25(OH) vitamin D [25(OH)D] and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients according to Disease Activity Score 28 joints and ESR (DAS28ESR). Methods: Ninety-nine patients according to ACR classification crit...

Thirty two domestic dogs with naturally occurring polyarthritis were investigated to determine the contribution of autoimmunity in the pathological mechanisms. Comparisons were made with canine infective arthritis (12 dogs), osteoarthritis (32), and osteoarthritis secondary to rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament (19). Rheumatoid factors, immune complexes, and complement fixation (C1q bindi...

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory peripheral polyarthritis with unclear etiology. RA usually leads to joint deformity and cartilage destruction in joints of RA patients. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Islamic fasting on RA (rheumatoid arthritis) severity. Methods: A total number of 28 RA patients in an obser...