Effectiveness of Therapeutic Ultrasound on Clinical Parameters and Ultrasonographic Cartilage Thickness in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Double-Blind Trial

WOS: 000459738000004PubMed ID: 30662150Objective: A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound (US) in knee OA. Patients and Methods: Thirty-three patients (mean age 54.7 +/- 14.7) were randomized to receive either continuous US (n = 15) or sham US (n = 18) as a placebo. Continuous ultrasonic waves with 1 MHZ frequency and 1 watt/cm2 power were applied for 5 min for 10 sessions. The primary outcome was pain on movement assessed by visual analog scale (VAS). The secondary outcomes were WOMAC scores and measurements of distal femoral cartilage thickness by imaging US. Results: Both groups showed reduced knee pain on movement following intervention. The VAS measurements improved significantly both in the treatment and the placebo group patients (P < 0.05 and P < 0.05). WOMAC scores improved statistically significant in all domains (pain, stiffness, physical function, and total score) in the treatment group (P < 0.05). All domains of WOMAC score showed statistically significant change when compared with the placebo group (P < 0.05). There was no change in the cartilage thickness measurements of medial femoral condyle, lateral femoral condyle, and intercondylar area in both groups after intervention. Conclusion: Results suggest that US is effective treatment modality in pain relief and improvement of function in patients with knee OA; however, US had no effect on cartilage repair

Comparison of Quadriceps Exercise Modalities on Pain, Muscle Strength, Function, and Balance in Bilateral Knee Osteoarthritis

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effects of various exercises on quadriceps femoris muscle and on pain, strength, function, and balance in female patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA)

The Val762Ala polymorphism in the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 gene is not associated with susceptibility in Turkish rheumatoid arthritis patients

The findings of the studies on poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) have suggested that the enzyme inactivation provides significant protection against systemic or tissue inflammation in animal models. It has also shown that the single-nucleotide polymorphism (Val762Ala) of the PARP-1 causes about 40% decrease of enzyme activity. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of the PARP-1 Val762Ala polymorphism in Turkish patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A total of 128 RA patients and 165 normal controls from the same geographic region were studied and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based restriction analysis was used to identify Val762Ala polymorphism of the PARP-1. Association analyses were performed using chi (2) tests. Our results indicated that the distribution of the PARP-1 genotypes and alleles did not differ significantly among subjects with or without RA (P > 0.05). The results of the study indicate that, for our Turkish sample, the V762A polymorphism of the PARP-1 may not be involved in susceptibility to RA, implying that the polymorphism may not function as a candidate gene marker for screening RA patients

Rheumatoid arthritis risk associates with DNA repair gene XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism in Turkish patients

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoinflammatory disease with a genetic background. The synoviocytes in RA shows cellular transformation with tumor-like features, and RA patients have genomic instability and relaxation of DNA repair mechanisms. The polymorphisms in BER repair pathway genes, XRCC1 and OGG1, may change the response to inflammation via altered DNA repair capacity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the risk of RA and XRCC1 Arg194Trp, Arg399Gln, and OGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphisms in a group of Turkish RA patients. XRCC1 Arg194Trp, Arg399Gln, and OGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphisms were investigated by PCR-RFLP method in 100 RA patients and 158 healthy control subjects. The results were statistically analyzed by calculating the odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using the chi(2)-tests. RA patients in this study had significantly higher frequencies of XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism in both homozygote (GG) (35%, OR: 7.78 [95% CI: 3.65-16.59], P < 0.001) and heterozygote (AG) forms (41%, OR: 2.17 [95% CI: 1.19-3.96], P < 0.01) and also increased frequency of 399Gln (G) allele (55%, OR:2.99 [95% CI: 1.67-5.37], P < 0.001). We conclude that XRCC1 Arg194Trp, and OGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphisms are not associated with RA; however, Arg399Gln polymorphism is a significant risk factor of RA, and carriers of 399Gln (G) allele have greater risk of RA

Relationship between desease activity and ultrasonographic enthesitis assessment of lower extremity in ankylosing spondylitis

WOS: 000393168200004Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship between clinical and laboratory indicators of disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and Glasgow Ultrasound Enthesitis Scoring System (GUESS) score which is created for diagnosis and monitoring of enthesitis. Materials and Methods: 50 patients with diagnosis of AS who were following-up in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic of Istanbul Training and Research Hospital were included in the study. Routine biochemical tests, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) were analysed. BASDAI, ASDAS-ESR and ASDAS-CRP scores were calculated for desease activity. Clinical enthesitis scores was calculated according to Maastricht Ankylosing Spondylitis Enthesitis Index (MASES). The relationship between clinical and laboratory findings and GUESS scores were investigated. Results: 37 (74%) male, 13 (26%) female patients were evaluated. Mean disease onset age was 28.2, mean disease duration was 7.18 years. Mean GUESS score was calculated as 11.36 (SD: 5.27). There were not any significant correlation between GUESS scores and age or disease onset age. GUESS scores were slightly significant positively correlated with disease duration (r=0.49 p<0.001). BASMI, BASFI, BASDAI and ASDAS-CRP, ASDAS-ESR values were not correlated with GUESS scores. Also there were not any significant correlation between GUESS scores and MASES scores. Conclusion: Although GUESS system is a fast and easy method for diagnosis and follow-up of enthesitis it has not found to be correlated with clinical and laboratory disease activity parameters in AS. We think that new scoring systems for USG should be developed for AS