Levels of endocrine hormones and lipids in male patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

Objectives: This study was performed to evaluate the relationship between endocrine hormones, lipid levels and clinical parameters in male patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).Materials and methods: Fifteen male patients with CTS and 16 healthy controls were included in the study. Serum free T3, free T4, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were analyzed. Symptom severity and hand function were assessed using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire in clinical examination.Results: Serum free T3, free T4, TSH, free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were similar between CTS patients and controls (p> 0.05). Also, there was no statistically significant correlation between laboratory parameters and clinical characteristics in patients with CTS (p> 0.05).Conclusion: The serum free T3, free T4, TSH, free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, triglyceride and total cholesterol levels seem within normal range in male CTS patients. Further studies are needed to investigate association endocrine factors, lipid levels such as triglyceride and total cholesterol with CTS in male and female patients

Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with sustained and switching treatments using biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs: A multicenter, observational cross-sectional study for rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease with different disease activity grades. Several registries have been designed to determine the appropriate regimens of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs to obtain sustained clinical remission. We examined epidemiological and clinical characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis patients using a clinical registry database (BioSTaR) and analyzed the differences in patients with sustained and switched therapies. Methods A multicenter, observational cross-sectional study for rheumatoid arthritis was performed between February 2019 and September 2020 using the BioStaR-RA registry. Demographic and clinical characteristics were prospectively recorded into a specifically designed electronic database. The patients were divided into three groups due to the heterogeneity of the study cohort. Patients were grouped as Group I (Initial; within the first 6 months of treatment with biological/targeted synthetic drugs), Group ST (Sustained Treatment; any first drug lasting for at least 6 months without any change), and Group S (Switch; any switching to another drug). Comparative analysis was performed between sustained treatment (Group ST) and drug switching (Group S) groups. Results The study included a total of 565 patients. The mean age was 53.7 +/- 12.8 years, and the majority were female (80.4%). There were 104, 267, and 194 patients in Groups I, ST, and S, respectively. Erosive arthritis and hematological extra-articular involvement were more frequently detected in Group S than Group ST (p = 0.009 and p = 0.001). The patients in Group S had significantly higher disease activity scores (DAS28-CRP, CDAI, and SDAI) (p = 0.025, p = 0.010, and p = 0.003). There were significantly more patients with moderate disease activity in Group S (p < 0.05). Conclusions The groups with sustained treatment and switching included patients with different disease activity status, although higher disease activity was determined in switchers. Overall, moderate disease activity and remission were the most common disease activity levels. Lower disease activity scores, lower hematologic manifestations, better functional status, and lesser radiographic damage are associated with sustained treatment.Turkish Medicine and Medical Devices Agency ; Ankara Numune Egitim ve Arastirma Hastanes

Relapsing Polychondritis: Inflamed Joints and Ears

Background: Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is an episodic and progressive inflammatory disease of the cartilaginous structures, including elastic cartilage of the ear and nose, hyaline cartilage of the peripheral joints, fibrocartilage at axial sites, and cartilage of the tracheobronchial tree. The spectrum of its presentations may vary from intermittent mild episodes of chondritis to occasional organ involvement or even life-threatening manifestations. Case Report: We presented a 64 year-old male patient with bilaterally knee arthritis and discoloration of pinna. Conclusion: There is lack of awareness about this disease due to its rarity. With this case presentation, our goal was to draw attention to this disease, which could be delayed for the diagnosis

Relationship Between Body Composition and Regional BMD in Premenopausal Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis - Original Investigation

Aim: This study was performed to investigate the relationship between body composition and regional bone mineral density (BMD) in premenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Material and Methods: 23 RA patients and 31 age and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited in this study. Clinical and laboratory assessments of patients were recorded. Health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) was used in the assessment of functional disability. BMD values were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The regional BMD (upper and lower extremities), L1-L4 lumbar spine BMD, femoral neck BMD and total body BMD were analyzed. Also, regional lean mass(upper and lower extremities), total lean mass of body, regional fat mass (upper and lower extremities), body fat mass, percentage of body fat were measured with DXA. Results: BMD values of all body sites were significantly lower in RA patients versus the controls, while body composition determinants were no different between the two groups. BMD of lower extremities, femoral neck and total body were affected by lean mass of lower extremities and total body as independent from body weight in RA patients. Disease duration and HAQ scores were correlated with BMD values among the disease characteristics. Conclusion: Regional and total fat mass does not appear as relationship with BMD values. Lean mass of lower extremities and total body may be significant determinants of BMD on regions of femoral neck, lower limbs and total body in premenopausal women with RA. (From the World of Osteoporosis 2009;15:29-33

Effects of Alendronate, Calcitonin and Raloxifene Used in the Treatment of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis On Serum No Levels

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of alendronate, calcitonin and raloxifene used in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis on serum nitric oxide (NO) levels. One hundred women with postmenopausal osteoporosis were enrolled and treated during the 6 months in this study. Patients were equally randomized into four groups: calcitonin, alendronate, raloxifene and control groups. All patients in these three groups and in the control group were supplemented with calcium 500 mg/day elemental calcium. Serum NO levels were determined at baseline and at 6 months. There were not significant changes on serum NO levels after the calcitonin, alendronate, raloxifene and calcium treatment. Also, no significant difference was found among any group comparisons in terms NO levels (p> 0.05). In conclusion, alendronate, calcitonin and raloxifene treatments may not cause to significant changes on serum NO levels

Clinical performance of rheumatoid arthritis impact of disease score: A real-life evidence from the multicenter nationwide registry BioStaR

The rheumatoid arthritis impact of disease (RAID) score was developed as a patient-derived composite response index for the evaluation of the disease impact on cases with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties and performance of RAID score in the real-life settings. Cases with RA from our multi-center, nationwide registry called Biologic and targeted Synthetic antirheumatic drugs Registry RA (BioStaR RA) were included in this cross-sectional observational study. Demographic data, disease duration, pain, patient's global assessment (PGA) and physician's global assessment (PhyGA) were recorded. DAS28-ESR, DAS28-CRP, the simplified disease activity index (SDAI) and the clinical disease activity index (CDAI) were assessed as disease activity evaluations. The health assessment questionnaire-disability index (HAQ-DI) and RAID were completed by all the participants. The construct validity was tested by the analysis of correlations between RAID score and scores of PGA, disease activity indexes and HAQ-DI. We also evaluated the discriminatory ability of RAID to distinguish patients with different levels of disease activity and disability and the cut-off values were calculated by ROC analysis. 585 cases with RA were included in this investigation. The RAID score was significantly positively correlated with PGA, all disease activity indexes and HAQ-DI (p < 0.001). The discriminatory ability of RAID score in different disease activity and disability groups was also demonstrated (p < 0.001). To estimate DAS28-ESR (remission/low + moderate + high), RAID score cut-off points were 2.88 (sensitivity 73%, specificity 62%), 3.23 (sensitivity 75%, specificity 60%) and 3.79 (sensitivity 74%, specificity 58%), respectively. Our study indicated that RAID was a reliable tool in daily clinical practice by presenting its correlations with disease activity and disability assessments and by showing its discriminatory ability in these parameters in the real-life experiences.Turkish League Against Rheumatism (TLAR

Clinical performance of ASAS health index in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: Real-world evidence from Multicenter Nationwide Registry

The Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society Health Index (ASAS HI) is used as a new instrument in measuring the function, disability and health of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). However, the real-world evidence of ASAS HI is very limited. In the present study, our objective is to evaluate the psychometric properties and performance of ASAS HI in the real-world setting as well as comparing ASAS HI with the current instruments to assess the construct validity and determine the cut-off points in patients with both ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). A total of 991 patients with axSpA who fulfilled either the ASAS classification criteria for axial SpA (axSpA) or the Modified New York Criteria (mNY) for AS were recruited from the Biologic and targeted Synthetic antirheumatic drugs Registry (BioStaR) SpA. The construct validity of ASAS HI against the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activities Index (BASDAI) and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score-C-Reactive Protein (ASDAS-CRP) the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional index (BASFI) was performed. Using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis, the cut-off points were calculated. Of all the recruited patients, 851 (85.9%) were AS and 140 (14.1%) were nr-axSpA. The difference in the mean ASAS HI scores of the patients with AS and the ones with nr-axSpA were not statistically significant (6.12 +/- 4.29 and 6.42 +/- 4.86, respectively). The mean ASAS HI score was significantly higher in females and small city residents. The ASAS HI had a strong construct validity against ASDAS-CRP, BASDAI and BASFI. A cut-off point of = 12 to discriminate moderate and poor health status. In conclusion, ASAS HI is a reliable instrument to evaluate health and functioning for both patients with AS and nr-axSpA in clinical practice.Turkish League Against Rheumatism (TLAR