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Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease, characterized by psoriasis skin lesions and inflammation of the spine and joint. It has complicated clinical manifestations and individual variations. Nearly half of the patients will have joints erosion in two years, which is crippling. The severity of the skin and joint disease frequently do not correlate with each other. Currently, the understanding of the disease is insufficient in China with the lack of standardized diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, researchers from the Chinese Rheumatology Association formulated this specification based on the diagnosis and management experience together with guidelines at home and abroad. The specification summarizes the present situation of domestic diagnosis and treatment, aiming to standardize the diagnosis process and treatment protocols of psoriatic arthritis. Furthermore, it can reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis, as well as improve the prognosis.
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Objective To assess the improvement of articular symptoms on collagen induced arthritis (CIA) rats after injecting arsenic trioxide (ATO) intraperitoneal and observe its effects on serum RANKL, OPG on CIA rats and discuss the possible mechanism on RANK/RANKL/OPG system.Methods Numberd twentyeight Wistar rats with correspond weight and age consecutively, then using random number table select 8 rats as blank control group A.Another other 20 as model group (16 wistar rats are established as CIA models by immunized twice with bovine type Ⅱ collagen and Freund's complete adjuvant emulsion).Using ranllm numbor table divided CIA rast into the CIA model control group B (n=8) and ATO treatment group C (n=8) randomly.After grouping for 3 days, ATO treatment group were injected with ATO liquid intraperitoneally for 1 week (dose of 4 mg· g-1·d-1, last 1 day raise to 8 mg/kg).Serum were collected after 3 days , while rates in the control group were given same quantity of saline solution with the same method.Arthritis index (AI) and X-ray radiography were assessed for limb joint damage.Flow cytometry (FMC) was used to detect chemokines quantitatively of each rats serum, including Nuclear factor kappa B ligand receptor activation factor/bone protection predominate (RANKL/OPG).According to the data distribution, t test or Wilcoxon test were used to compare the difference between groups.Results ① After administration with ATO for 1 week arthritis index of group C reduced significantly than the CIA model group (2.63±0.92, 6.62±0.91, t=8.73, P＜0.01), and X-ray showed joint damage alleviated.② The serum level of RANKL in the CIA model group was significantly higher than the blank control group [(1 890.70(797.03, 10 571.94) pg/ml, 74.46(29.21, 95.37) pg/ml, T=43, P=0.005];③ The serum level of RANKL in the ATO treatment group was significantly lower than the CIA model group [44.78 (21.41, 79.83), 1 890.70 (797.03, 10 571.94), T=47, P=0.01].④ There was no statistically significant difference of the Serum OPG level between the three groups [16.87(6.91, 17.64), 5.32(3.42, 33.14),14.24(6.96, 21.86) pg/ml, x2=5.078, P=0.166].Conclusion The inflammatory mediators in the process of bone metabolism of CIA rats is disordered , the most significant presentation is the rise of serum RANKL level.Intraperitoneal injection of ATO could improve the arthritis index of CIA rats and its mechanism may be reducing the concentration of serum RANKL/OPG ratio.
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Objective By comparing the proliferation and the human telomerase reverse transcriptase expression of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and normal human to explore the existence of BMSCs defects or variation in RA patients,and whether these cells could be used in autologous transplantation.Methods BMSCs were obtained from bone marrow of eight RA patients and healthy volunteers.The cells were isolated andcultured by gradient centrifugation and adherence cultivation,and the surface markers of BMSCs were identitfied by flow cytometertry.Firstly,BMSCs reproductive activity of the two groups were compared:the auxodrome and cell cycle of BMSCs were measured respectively,then the generation doubling time of cell colony and proliferation index were calculated in order to see whether there was a difference of the proliferation capability between the two groups.Furthermore,the hTERT were measured.Results BMSCs were no significant differences between morphology of RA patients and healthy control group.The cells were obtained proof MSCs by flow cytometry.The difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05),RA group and the healthy control group P3-generation cell population doubling time (4.7±0.3) d,(4.8±0.3) d.The difference was statistically significant (P＜0.01),P6 generation of healthy control group cell population has doubling time (5.7±0.4) d,RA group (6.3±0.3) d,buut the group RA BMSCs population doubling time is longer than the healthy control group.The difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05),on one hand of the healthy control group P3 BMSCs proliferation index (17.9±2.1)％,on the other hand RA group is (16.9±2.1)％.The difference was statistically significant (P＜0.01).P6-generation BMSCs proliferation index in healthy control group (10.7±1.8)％,RA group (6.2±2.2)％,RA group proliferation index than the control group.The difference was also significant (P＜0.01).The healthy control group P6 generation of MSCs hTERT expression was (10.6±1.5),RA group is (3.1±1.0),hTERT RA patients expression is lower compared with normal control group.Conclusion There is no significant difference in the proliferative capacity of the two groups at P3,but the BMSCs proliferation at P6 lags behind in the normal group in RA patients,which inferred that the senescences of the BMSCs of RA patients are earlier than healthy donors.The determination results of hTERT have shown that the difference between the two groups is statistically significant,and it proves that the premature aging may be associated with hTERT expression.
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Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of methotrexate(MTX),cyclophosphamide(CTX)and MTX plus CTX in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis(RA).Methods In a randomized,single-blinded,controlled study,90 patients were randomly assigned to receive MTX(10～15 mg/w)or CTX(400 mg/2～3 w)or MTX plus CTX(MTX 10～15 mg/w+CTX 400 mg/2～3 w).The primary end point was the proportion of patients meeting the American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement criteria(achieving an ACR20 response,)at week 24.The secondary end points were responses of the ACR50 and ACR70 improvement criteria,and the European League Against Rheumatism(EULAR)response criteria.The change from baseline in duration of pain,patient's global assessment,physician's global assessment,tender joint count/index,swollen joint count/index,health assessment questionnaire(HAQ),erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)were also evaluated.The clinical efficacy and safety were analyzed at baseline,6,12 and 24 weeks respectively.Results The ACR response rate was significantly higher in the MTX plus CTX treatment group compared with MTX or CTX group at week 24.The MTX plus CTX group,MTX group and CTX group showed 81%,56% and 35% in ACR20,58%,41% and 12% in ACR50 and 19%,11% and 0 in ACR70,.respectively.At week 24,the proportion of patients achieving the EULAR moderate response in those who received combination treatment were significantly higher than those who received either MTX or CTX.The incidence of adverse events(AEs)was not significantly higher in MTX plus CTX group than MTX or CTX group.Conclusion MTX plus CTX effectively reduces the signs and symptoms of RA and is generally well tolerated by patients without significant increase in the rate of adverse events compared with monotherapy.
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Objective To investigate the prevalence of fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its relationship with other clinical and functional parameters used for the evaluation of disease activity and health related quality of life. Methods The fatigue was assessed in 230 patients with RA using visual analogue scale (VAS). The correlation between fatigue and the clinical disease activity including morning stiffness, pain, PGA, physician's global assessment, TJC, TJI, SJC, SJI, DAS28, HAQ and health-related quality of life were assessed. Results The prevalence of fatigue was 85.7% and the fatigue score of 51.7% patients was higher than 50 mm. After controlled for the possible confounding factors such as age, gender and disease duration, it was found that fatigue was highly correlated with pain, disease activity, functional disability, physical health and mental health. Conclusion Fatigue is an important symptom of RA and is correlated with pain, disease activity, functional disability and health-related quality of life.
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Objective To analyze the quality of life of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its relationship with other clinical and functional parameters used for the evaluation of disease activity. Methods The quality of life was assessed in 127 patients with active RA using SF-36 and was compared with non-active RA and the general population. The correlation between the quality of life and the clinical measures of disease, including morning stiffness, pain, fatigue, patient's global assessment (PGA) physician's global assessment , SJC/SJ1, TJC/TJI, DAS28, HAQ were measured. Results The patients with active RA reported significantly decreased scores in all dimensions of SF-36. Fatigue, PGA, physician's global assess-ment, DAS28 and HAQ significantly correlated with the scores in all dimensions of SF-36. Pain was correlated with the scores in all dimensions of SF-36 except RE. TJI was correlated with six dimensions. TJC was correlated with five dimensions. ESR was correlated with three dimensions. Conclusion The quality of life in patients with active RA is significantly declined compared with non-active RA and the general population. Disease activity and functional status of patients with active RA is closely correlated with the quality of life.