Problems with the Steinbrocker staging system for radiographic assessment of the rheumatoid hand and wrist.

Hand and wrist radiographs of 202 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were graded with the classical Steinbrocker Staging System, and were also assigned quantitative scores for joint space narrowing, erosion, and malalignment according to a detailed scoring method. Steinbrocker Stage scores were correlated significantly with total detailed scores (r = 0.60 to 0.66, P less than 0.001). However, the ranges of detailed total and subtotal scores among the various Steinbrocker Stage scores were broad, with considerable overlap. Practical problems in applying the Steinbrocker staging method were identified in 26.5% of the hands graded with the Steinbrocker method. Additionally, analysis of scoring data showed discrepancies between the scoring methods in 25.2% of the hands examined; one-half of these discrepancies were felt to result from the global or overall approach of the Steinbrocker method in contrast to individual joint analysis. Asymmetry in assigned stages between right and left hands was found in 15.8% of patients. The detailed scoring method, although more time-consuming, appears superior to the Steinbrocker Stage for quantitative assessment of patient radiographic status in rheumatoid arthritis.

Alcohol sensitivity in female mice: effect of ovariectomy.

This study tested the hypothesis that decreased estrogen levels accomplished by removing the ovaries affect the response to acutely administered alcohol in female mice. Sensitivity to alcohol was measured in ovariectomized, sham-operated, and non-surgical control C3H/HEN mice. Each animal received an IP injection of alcohol (3.0 or 4.0 g/kg). Core temperature, fall time, sleep time, and waking blood alcohol levels were the dependent variables. For each of these measures, alcohol sensitivity was found to be a function of the dose of alcohol administered, but not the surgical condition. Additionally, the stage of estrus in control animals was not found to be related to alcohol sensitivity.