Rheumato

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the differences of clinical manifestations and laboratory features between primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) patients with positive and negative anti-Sjögren's syndrome type B (SSB) antibody. METHODS: The clinical data of pSS patients hospitalized in Department of Rheumato-logy and Immunology, Peking University Third Hospital were retrospectively analyzed to investigate the differences of clinical and laboratory features between anti-SSB positive and negative groups...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), initially detected in bovine pituitary follicular cells, is widely localized in hypertrophic zones of chondrocytes in various tissues where focus is on bone growth. Similarly, VEGF found in chondrocytes of articular cartilage of osteo-arthritic/rheumato-arthritic joints reflected need for bone repair. Members of VEGF family of human origin are seven homo-dimeric, heparin-binding glyco-proteins, encoded by different genes located on different chromosomes. They encode seven isoforms: VEGF-A, -B, -C, -D, -E, -F, and PLGF, each catalyzing distinct functions...

UNLABELLED: Scleritis are entities that may have rheumatic diseases, infections or tumors as etiologic factors or may be a disease restricted only to the eye. PURPOSE: To share a three year experience of a rheumato-ophthalmologic ambulatory in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with scleritis. METHODS: This was a study of 29 cases. All of them were analyzed by the Ophthalmology and Rheumatology Services. RESULTS: From the 29 cases, an underlying disease was found in 55...

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Simiao Xiaobi Decoction (SXD) in treating active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) of humid pyretic toxic Bi-Zheng (HPTB) syndrome type. METHODS: One hundred and twenty RA patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups, 60 in the treatment group receiving SXD, and 60 in the control group receiving methotrexate, all were treated for 12 weeks. Clinical efficacy in patients was evaluated, referring to the criteria recommended by European League Against Rheumatoism (EULAR), in terms of effective rate, main symptoms, signs, scoring on symptom/sign by Chinese medicine scale and DAS28, physical and chemical indices, long-term outcome of patients and the average therapeutic effect initiating time...

Reconstruction of the extensor apparatus of the wrist and the hand is one of the common rheumato-surgical operations. Primary suture of the tendon which produces the best results is only rarely possible. The patient usually attends late, very frequently does not even notice at first an isolated rupture of the extensor. The authors recorded in a group of 39 rheumato-surgical operations of the wrist a disorder of the extensor apparatus in 14 instances. In nine instances the repair of the extensor was part of a total arthrodesis of the carpus, in two instances part of simple synovectomy, in one instance the authors repaired extensors in conjunction with radio-lunate desis and in one instance in conjunction with the solution of a caput ulnae syndrome operation according to Sauvé-Kapandji...

Recommendations for the treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) have been recently published by international scientific societies (EULAR, OARSI). The aim of this study was to evaluate, in real life, the acceptance of these recommendations in the two districts of the Neuchâtel mountains. In March 2008, a questionnaire was sent to all the general practitioners (GP = 23), internists (IM = 22), orthopedic surgeons (ORTHO = 8) and rheumatologists (RHEUMATO = 3) of the districts of Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds (population of 55000 people)...

This article discusses the overall approach to rheumatoid arthritis patients requiring surgery of the hand. Many rheumato-orthopedic operations do not require the skills of a specially trained orthopedic surgeon. What is essential is familiarity with the basic operative techniques in surgery of the rheumatoid hand. Reduced resistance to infection due to the effects of pharmaceutical agents and the progress of rheumatoid arthritis itself requires particularly delicate treatment of tissue and preventive use of antibiotics...

After a brief introduction the author expands on specific problems in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and indications of rheumo-orthopaedic operations. He gives an account of the main objectives of these operations, i.e. prevention of deformities and correction of existing deformities, restoration or improvement of mobility and at least palliative influencing of pain. In the subsequent part the author discusses pre- and postoperative care. In the main part of the paper the author deals with his own rheumo-orthopaedic operations with emphasis on preventive and curative operations (synovectomies)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

We have proposed Rasping procedure as one of the methods of aortic valvuloplasty (A-Rasping) and defined as debridement of the thickened surface of the rheumato-degenerative aortic valve using an electric rasper since 1986. Furthermore, we have extended this technique to mitral valvuloplasty (M-Rasping). The purpose of this study is to evaluate intermediate to late results of valvuloplasty by Rasping procedure. From 1986 to 1994, this method was carried out on 14 patients with mild-to-moderate aortic valve disease in severe mitral valve disease or coronary artery disease, and on 6 patients with mitral stenosis...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Rasping procedure is proposed by the author as one of the methods of aortic valvuloplasty and defined as shaving the surface of rheumato-degenerative aortic valve by using the electric rasp. Materials were the removed rheumato-degenerative aortic valves as specimen, and classified into 3 groups. The first group (type I) was valve lesion limited to valve free edge, second (type II) was mild thickening entirely, third (type III) was severe thickening with calcified degeneration. Rasping procedure was performed for the thickened portion of the valve specimen by the electric rasp...

The alcaloids from rye-ergot are known and used for their vasoconstrictive properties, which can induce secondary ergotism. The extremities will be particularly involved. Vasoconstriction will also concern the gastrointestinal tract as well as the peripheric and the central nervous system, possibly with neuro-psychiatry symptoms. Cardiac and renal involvement has been described. Migraine, thrombosis prophylaxis and obstetrical situations are the most frequent therapeutic indications. Precise patient history, clinical and the typical angiological findings are necessary for diagnosis...

With the help of a four-year observation of the course of rheumatoed arthritis in 100 patients the evidence of the locomotor functional test after Keitel is examined for the longitudinal research. The locomotor functional test proved depending on the actual activity and in a high percentage of patients showed considerable variations from year to year which were not parallel to the clinical and radiological progression. It is not sufficiently evident as the only criterion for the establishment of the progression of the disease...

Ten of thirteen patients with positive histolatex agglutination titers of 1:32 or greater had no evidence of acute histoplasmosis. Three of these false positives had rheumatoid arthritis. A fourth had a rising mycoplasma complement fixation titer, and the fifth had a high titer of cold agglutinins. All of these are associated with abnormal immunoglobulin M production. To evaluate the role of rheumatoid factor in producing false positive histolatex agglutination, the histolatex test was performed on sera from 32 patients having rheumatoid factor at a titer of 1:40 or greater...