Estudio piloto sobre correlación clínica, radiológica y ecográfica en pacientes con artritis reumatoidea / Pilot study on clinical, radiographic and ecographic correlation in patients with rehumatoid arthritis

El objetivo de este estudio piloto fue evaluar la correlación entre las evaluaciones clínicas, radiológica y ecográfica en pacientes con AR. Material y métodos: Estudio de corte transversal realizado en el marco de un taller de clinimetría y ecografía para médicos reumatólogos. Se incluyeron pacientes ≥ a 18 años de edad, con diagnóstico de AR. Los pacientes fueron evaluados a través de autocuestionarios validados: actividad de la enfermedad (RADAI), capacidad funcional (HAQ-A y HAQ-II) y RAPID-3; escala visual análoga (EVA) para dolor, evaluación global de la enfermedad y rigidez matinal (RM) y recuento articular (28) por dos médicos reumatólogos. Estos dos médicos también determinaron la evaluación global de la enfermedad de los pacientes (EVA). Se consignó valor de eritrosedimentación (ERS) dentro de la semana previa al examen. Se calculó el índice compuesto DAS28. Radiografías de manos y pies (en posición frente) efectuadas dentro de la semana previa al examen fueron leídas por otros dos médicos reumatólogos mediante método de Sharp modificado por van der Heijde (SvdH) y método SENS (Simplified Erosion and Narrowing Score). A todos los pacientes se les realizó ecografía articular Modo B y Doppler de poder (PD) de 12 por 5 médicos experimentados. Se determinó presencia de derrame de líquido sinovial (DS), hipertrofia sinovial (HS) y señal (PD). A la presencia de cada uno de estos hallazgos se les asignaba 1 punto y el índice ecográfico total resultaba de la suma de los puntos positivos (rango 0-36).

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the correlation betweenclinical, radiological and ultrasound assessments in patients withRA.Material and methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in theframework of a clinimetric and ultrasound workshop for rheumatologists.We included patients with rheumatoid arthritis (ACR1987) ≥ 18 years of age. Patients were evaluated using validatedquestionnaires: disease activity (RADAI), functional capacity (HAQ-Aand HAQ-II) and RAPID-3; visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, globalassessment of disease and morning stiffness (MS) and joint count(28) by two rheumatologists who also determined the global assessmentof the patient’s disease (VAS). Sedimentation rate (ESR)in the week before the exam was recorded. DAS28 composite indexwas calculated. Radiographs of hands and feet (front position) performedwithin one week before the examination were read by tworheumatologists using the Sharp method modified by van der Heijde(SvdH) and SENS (Simplified Erosion and Narrowing Score) method.All patients underwent joint ultrasonography B Mode and PowerDoppler (PD) of 12 joints by 5 experienced physicians. Presence ofeffusion of synovial fluid (SF), synovial hypertrophy (SH) and signal(PD) were determined. To the presence of each of these findingswere assigned 1 point and the total ultrasound index was the sumof the positive points (range 0-36).

Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Rheumatoid Arthritis Pathogenesis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by abnormal proliferation of synoviocytes, leukocyte infiltration, and angiogenesis. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the site of biosynthesis for all secreted and membrane proteins. The accumulation of unfolded proteins in the ER leads to a condition known as ER stress. Failure of the ER's adaptive capacity results in abnormal activation of the unfolded protein response. Recently, we have demonstrated that ER stress-associated gene signatures are highly expressed in RA synovium and synovial cells. Mice with Grp78 haploinsufficiency exhibit the suppression of experimentally induced arthritis, suggesting that the ER chaperone GRP78 is crucial for RA pathogenesis. Moreover, increasing evidence has suggested that GRP78 participates in antibody generation, T cell proliferation, and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and is therefore one of the potential therapeutic targets for RA. In this review, we discuss the putative, pathophysiological roles of ER stress and GRP78 in RA pathogenesis.

Total Knee Replacement Arthroplasty in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Total knee arthroplaty has been used to treat the elderly patient who has severe arthritis but the early designs were associated with many problems, which frequently led to early failure. In 1974, the total knee arthroplasty was introduced and the reported results of this operation have improved consistantly with time. Recently the good results has been shown to treat rheumatoid patients and osteoarthritis patients less than 45 years old patients. At the department of orthopaedic surgery of Kosin Medical College, between 1984 and 1988, total knee arthroplasty was performed in 17 patients (22 kness) who had rhematioid arthritis (7 patients) and osteoarthritis (11 patients), and had followed for an average of 1 year and 8 months. The results were as follows 1. The knee that had rheumatoid arthritis had better knee scores than that of osteoarthritis. 2. The knee that remained the post cruciate lig. had better range of motion than that sacrificed. 3. The knees that had not used cement had better knee scores than that had used the cement. 4. The knees that had patella resulrfacing had better scores for pain than that had not.