Current Rheumatology Reviews - Volume 1, Issue 3, 2005

Lipid peroxidation (LPO) is a free radical-related process occurring in biologic systems under enzymatic or nonenzymatic control, e.g. for the generation of lipid-derived aldehydes. There is increasing evidence that these aldehydes are causally involved in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases including diabetes, heart failure, atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative process. 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) is the most importa Read More

Although the pathogenesis of Behcet's disease (BD) is not fully elucidated, a genetic susceptibility to the disease appears to be affected by a polygenic inheritance, including the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and non-MHC genes. As is true for the well-known regional differences in the disease expression of BD, a genetic susceptibility to BD appears to be different in various ethnic groups. Although HLA-B51 is a ge Read More

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is so strongly associated with the genetical marker HLA-B27 that the molecule is supposed to play a central role in the pathogenesis of the disease. If this is true, it has to be explained why there is such a difference in pathogenic consequences between certain subtypes of HLA-B27. The subtypes B*2706 and B*2709 play probably no pathogenic role, this in contrast to other subtypes like B*2704 Read More

Anemia of chronic disease (ACD), one of the most common syndromes in medicine, is observed in patients with chronic infections, inflammatory and neoplastic disorders. All of the factors involved in the development of ACD can be attributed to effects of cytokines, including shortened red cell survival, blunted erythropoietin response to anemia, impaired erythroid colony formation in response to erythropoietin and abnormal m Read More

Fibromyalgia syndrome is a frequent cause of chronic, widespread pain and affects up to 5% of the general population in industrial nations. Both genetics and the environment have been implicated in the development of fibromyalgia, and current research focuses on evaluating neurobiological, psychological, and behavioral factors that play a part in the disease pathogenesis. As we better understand how these f Read More

Enthesitis is the inflammatory process marked by the insertion of tendons, ligaments and joint capsules on the bone and it is a cardinal feature (and diagnostic criteria) of spondyloarthropathies (SpA). Although it is usually revealed by clinical examination, recent studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography (US) have confirmed that enthesitis (as well as synovitis) can often be asymptomatic, both in the axi Read More

Alterations of joint biomechanics are known to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Open MRI now allows one to assess important biomechanical parameters of diarthrodial joints in vivo during the entire range of joint motion, encompassing all clinically relevant joint positions, and to analyze in particular the influence of muscle activity and neuromuscular control. The current article reviews data of the Read More

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by the presence of a wide variety of autoantibodies directed against nuclear, cytoplasmic and cell membrane autoantigens. Several lines of evidence, however, suggest that the variety of autoantibodies in SLE may be more limited than was previously thought; different studies clearly suggest that lupus autoantibodies are able to bind multiple antigens. Cross-reactivity, i.e. the Read More

Paget's bone disease (PDB) is a focal metabolic disorder that affects 2-3% of the population older than 60 years and is characterized by increased and grossly distorted bone remodeling, bone hypertrophy, and abnormal bone structure. The disease affects one or several bone pieces and its aetiology remains unclear. The primary cell abnormality in PDB could involve the osteoclasts that are markedly increased in number and Read More

Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been used since the 1970's for the treatment of a variety of different rheumatologic and infectious diseases. While the therapeutic efficacy of IVIG has been definitively demonstrated in many different disorders, its mechanism(s) of action have remained poorly explained. This is complicated, in part by the difference in pathophysiology of the many diseases it has been used in th Read More

A local injection of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist tropisetron has a distinct analgesic effect on various local diseases of the locomotor system, such as tendinopathy, periarthropathy, trigger points and inflammatory articular processes. The effect of tropisetron matches that of commonly used local anesthetics like lidocaine, prilocaine and others, lasts much longer. Animal experimental and clinical findings seem to indicate that t Read More