Bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis can be repaired through reduction in disease activity with conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs

We conducted the present study to determine whether repair of erosions occurs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and to compare clinical characteristics between patients exhibiting and not exhibiting erosion repair. We included in the study a total of 122 RA patients who fulfilled the 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria for RA; all patients had paired sequential radiographs of both hands and wrists showing erosive changes at baseline. Patients were classified into two groups according to the presence of repair of erosions at follow up, namely the 'repair observed' and 'repair not observed' groups. Clinical characteristics, disease activity, radiographic scores and treatment in the two groups were compared. Forty-four repairs were observed in 13 patients (10.7%). Compared with the repair not observed group, the functional class of the patients in the repair observed group was lower at baseline (P < 0.01) and the mean disease activity was lower at follow up (P < 0.005). The changes in radiographic scores per year (total radiographic score and erosion score) were lower (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively) in the repair observed group. No difference in treatment was observed. Repair of erosions was detected in 10.7% of RA patients treated with conventional DMARDs. Repairs were associated with low functional class at baseline and low disease activity at follow up. These observations support the importance of reduction in disease activity in RA patients. Because repair of erosions was detected in a substantial number of patients, assessment of erosion repair should be incorporated into the radiographic evaluation and scoring of RA

Effects of HSP60 and LPS on HO-1 protein expression in PBMCs from patients with BD

Effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation on heme oxygenase (HO)-1 and actin protein expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with Behçet's disease (BD). PBMCs from a BD patient were stimulated with LPS in the presence or absence of 10 ng/ml interleukin (IL)-10 and 100 μg/ml polymyxin B (PMB). Representative immunoblotting data for HO-1 protein in the cells are shown. The arrowhead indicates 32 kDa molecular weight HO-1 specific band. Effect of heat shock protein (HSP)60 (3 μg/ml) stimulation on endogenous HO-1 protein expression in PBMCs from patients with BD. The arrowhead indicates 32 kDa HO-1 specific band. A representative of three independent experiments is shown. Mean and standard error of the mean (SEM) values of HO-1 and actin protein expression in PBMCs stimulated by LPS (1 ng/ml) for 24 hours in patients with BD (= 14). < 0.001, as determined using paired -test. Effect of infliximab (10 μg/ml) or IgGκ (10 μg/ml) on HO-1 expression in LPS (10 ng/ml) or tumor necrosis factor (TNF; 1 ng/ml) treated PBMCs.<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Association of reduced heme oxygenase-1 with excessive Toll-like receptor 4 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in Behçet's disease"</p><p>http://arthritis-research.com/content/10/1/R16</p><p>Arthritis Research & Therapy 2008;10(1):R16-R16.</p><p>Published online 31 Jan 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2374472.</p><p></p

Effect of forced HO-1 expression on Toll-like receptor (TLR)2 and TLR4 mRNA expression in peripheral monocytes

Immunoblotting analysis of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 and actin in pHO-1 (human HO-1 expression vector) or pCont (control vector) transfected monocytes. The arrow represents HO-1 protein. Real-time PCR analysis of TLR2 and TLR4 mRNA expression in pHO-1 transfected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). NS, not significant.<p><b>Copyright information:</b></p><p>Taken from "Association of reduced heme oxygenase-1 with excessive Toll-like receptor 4 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in Behçet's disease"</p><p>http://arthritis-research.com/content/10/1/R16</p><p>Arthritis Research & Therapy 2008;10(1):R16-R16.</p><p>Published online 31 Jan 2008</p><p>PMCID:PMC2374472.</p><p></p

Additional file 2: Table S2. of Continuous evolution of clinical phenotype in 578 Japanese patients with Behçet’s disease: a retrospective observational study

Phenotype of patients with BD treated with biologic agents. (DOC 29 kb

Additional file 3: Table S3. of Continuous evolution of clinical phenotype in 578 Japanese patients with Behçet’s disease: a retrospective observational study

Rate of therapeutic agents use in groups with different date of onset. (DOC 31 kb