Arthritis Chronicle

This article is from the VP van Halm in the Voskuyl group in Amsterdam, the pubmed ID is 16249230.t looks into wheter heat shock protein antibodies are associated with cardio-vascular disease.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with an unexplained increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Antibodies against human 60 kDa heat shock protein (anti-HSP60) are associated with the presence and severity of CVD. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether anti-HSP60 antibodies are associated with prevalent CVD in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

METHODS: In a nested case-control design, anti-HSP60 antibody levels were measured in the serum samples of 192 rheumatoid patients. In a regression analysis the association between prevalent CVD and anti-HSP60 antibodies was examined, along with the possible influence on this association of several demographic, rheumatoid arthritis, and CVD related variables.

RESULTS: In a random sample of 326 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 48 cases were identified who also suffered from CVD. Three controls per case with rheumatoid arthritis but without CVD (n = 144) were matched for sex, age, disease duration, and smoking habits. A regression analysis showed no significant association between prevalent CVD and anti-HSP60 antibodies (odds ratio = 1.00 (95% confidence interval, 0.997 to 1.004)). After correcting for possible confounding variables, still no association was found.

CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to the general population, anti-HSP60 antibody titres are not associated with prevalent CVD in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These findings could be the result of an altered immune response to HSP60 in rheumatoid arthritis.
The full article is available in the May issue of Annals of the rheumatic diseases, starting on page 590.

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This article from Zhou and Zhong is only available in Chinese. It has a pubmed ID of 16613273. The writers of the abstract herald from Guangdong, which is an hospital of traditional Chinese medicine.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the therapeutic effect of Liang’s anti-rheumatism and rheumatoid granule (LARG) in treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at the active stage.

METHODS: Fifty patients were administered orally with Liang’s anti-rheumatism and rheumatoid granule in the treated group, 30 patients were treated with Wangbi granule in the control group. Symptoms, physical signs and relevant laboratory indexes in the 2 groups were observed and compared before treatment and after being treated for 2 months.

RESULTS: The total effective rate and curative-markedly effective rate in the treated groups were superior to those in the control group (P <0.01). The improvement in aspects of integral scoring of symptom and physical signs, including arthragia, tumefaction, dysfunction indexes, morning stiffness and 15m walking time, and laboratory indexes, including blood sedimentation rate, rheumatoid factor, C creative protein, immunoglobin, as well as hemorheology relevant indexes in the treated group after treatment were significantly different to those before treatment and those in the control group (P <0.05 or P <0.01).

CONCLUSION: Liang’s anti-rheumatism and rheumatoid granule has obvious therapeutic effect on RA at the active stage.
This abstract comes from the March @006 edition of the Chinese journal of integrated traditional and Western medicine Issue number 26(3), start page 248

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This abstract comes from the work of C Cramer from Barry University in Florida.

OBJECTIVE

Primary fibromyalgia syndrome (PFS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are clinical conditions characterized by a variety of symptoms, including prominent fatigue, myalgia, and sleep disturbances. Although the incidence of these syndromes is infrequent, when manifested, they can completely disrupt the life and career of those affected. When they are manifested within the physically active population, they can jeoardize the futures of the most promising athletes. DATA SOURCES: Public documents available from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Services, and the National Institutes of Health were researched. MEDLINE and CINAHL were researched back to 1988 with the following key words: chronic fatigue syndrome, primary fibromyalgia syndrome, sports participant, physically active, mononucleosis, myalgia, rehabilitation, reconditioning, athlete, and sports medicine.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The definition of chronic fatigue syndrome in 1988 included disabling fatigue of unknown case of at least 6 months’ duration. Primary fibromyalgia syndrome was once considered a subsyndrome of CFS. PFS is diagnostically characterized as a nonarticular rheumatism. The “yuppie flu” was a catch phrase of the 1980s for CFS, which was then named chronic Epstein-Barr virus syndrome. Initially the condition was thought of as simple infectious mononucleosis, but we now have a medically defined set of symptoms to describe what are called CFS and PFS. Training interruptions, feelings of loss of control, and concerns over possible psychologic or psychiatric referral can occur. Relaxation therapy, exercise, image therapy, serotonin supplementation, and antiviral therapy are in clinical trials now as the best options for management of CFS and PFS.

CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

Current statistics on those affected by chronic fatigue syndrome and PFS in the general population are less than 2% for CFS and 2% for PFS. Comprehensive documentation of signs, symptoms, and complaints, along with judicious physician follow-up, are important during the course of treatment leading up to and following a diagnosis of CFS or PFS. Professional evaluation of the affected player’s neuropsychological status is important and necessary as a care plan is developed.

The ful article is availablke from pubmed number 16558535

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