This in vitro study aimed to elucidate the extent and kind of involvement of hyaluronic acid (HA) in the currently accepted view of synovial joint lubrication, in which surface-active phospholipids (SAPL) constitute the main boundary lubricant. The integrity of SAPL is apparently threatened by the lysing activity of phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)).

To describe the spectrum of clinical features in patients with minocycline-induced lupus (MIL) and determine their response to rechallenge.

To investigate whether the ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a better indicator of the degree of renal involvement than serum creatinine concentration or creatinine clearance calculated by the Cockroft-Gault formula.

Glucosyl-galactosyl pyridinoline (Glc-Gal-PYD), which has been identified in urine, is a glycosylated analogue of pyridinoline. The tissue distribution of this molecule has not been yet determined and its utility as a potential biochemical marker of joint degradation in patients with joint diseases has not been investigated.

To evaluate basal and dynamic levels of pituitary gonadotropin release in female systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients of childbearing age and in post-menopausal SSc patients.

To investigate the expression of and monokine induction by interleukin 18 (IL-18; also called interferon-gamma inducing factor, IGIF), in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and cultured synoviocytes from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

To test the hypotheses that the progression of joint space narrowing behaves differently from the progression of erosions and that clinically and radiologically assessed soft tissue swelling relates more to diffuse cartilage loss than to erosive damage.

Primary fibromyalgia syndrome (PFS) is a chronic disorder commonly seen in rheumatological practice. The pathophysiological disturbances of this syndrome, which was defined by the American College of Rheumatology in 1990, are poorly understood. This study evaluated, in 30 patients, the hypothesis that PFS is a pain modulation disorder induced by deregulation of serotonin metabolism.

To evaluate the effects of a functional knee brace specifically designed for patients with varus gonarthrosis on measures of proprioception and postural control.

To investigate the relationship of the instantaneous compressive modulus with its deformation response to cyclic loading typical of that encountered at the knee joint during level walking.

To determine whether steroids inhibit the production of inflammatory cytokines by the inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation in fibroblast-like rheumatoid synoviocytes (FLSs) under inflammatory conditions, and to determine whether steroids stimulate the induction of synthesis of the inhibitory protein IkappaB-alpha in the anti-inflammatory immune response of these cells.

To investigate whether physical trauma may precipitate the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

This study assessed cellularity in patellar tendinosis with respect to cell proliferation and the expression of platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRbeta).

We previously described abnormalities in the bone marrow of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but were able to shed little light on the pathogenic roles of inflammatory cytokines and proteinases in joint destruction in the subchondral region in RA. This is the first report to describe the co-localization of cytokines and proteinases in this area.

The Arthritis Cost Consequence Evaluation System (ACCES) pharmacoeconomic model was used to evaluate the economic and health impact of the recent introduction of celecoxib for treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Sweden. The model demonstrates that use of celecoxib can be expected to reduce the incidence of gastrointestinal adverse events, resource utilization and treatment costs. In a cost-effectiveness analysis, celecoxib demonstrated economic dominance (i.e. improved health at reduced cost) compared with the currently available alternatives for OA, and demonstrated economic dominance against a clinically relevant base-case scenario for RA. In sensitivity analyses, the results were shown to be relatively robust; celecoxib demonstrated economic dominance or favourable cost-effectiveness ratios in all analyses. Based on these data, it can be concluded that the use of celecoxib in Sweden will provide societal benefits by improving health care at reduced cost for patients with OA and RA.

A Norwegian customization of the Arthritis Cost Consequence Evaluation System (ACCES) pharmacoeconomic model was used to predict the economic and health impact of the introduction of celecoxib in Norway. The model predicts that use of celecoxib can be expected to result in a reduction in gastrointestinal events with concomitant annual net savings of at least Norwegian krone (NOK) 580 per osteoarthritis (OA) patient and NOK 514 per rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient. In a cost-effectiveness analysis, celecoxib demonstrated economic dominance (i.e. improved health at reduced cost) compared with the currently available alternatives. In sensitivity analyses, the results of this model have been shown to be relatively robust, with celecoxib demonstrating economic dominance or favourable cost-effectiveness ratios in all analyses. Based on these data, it can be concluded that the introduction of celecoxib into the Norwegian non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug market, and its use as a first-line agent, will provide societal benefits by improving health care at reduced cost in patients with OA and RA.