Current Rheumatology Reviews - Volume 13, Issue 3, 2017

Background: Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is the prototype of a group of systemic rheumatic diseases collectively referred to as Spondylarthitides (SpA). It has now become clear that AS is not as rare as previously thought and, although it has an early onset in life affecting patients in their reproductive years, it has not been proved to adversely affect fertility in females. Objective: The aim of this review is to summarize all th Read More

Background: The aim of this review is to investigate systematically the presence of the most extensively studied Synovial Fluid (SF) and/or serum markers in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) and Osteoarthritis (OA), and their associations and correlations with laboratory and clinical data, with a view to providing insights for future research. Objective: Papers were selected using the PRISMA flow Read More

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by persistent widespread pain, increased pain sensitivity and tenderness. People with FM also report activity limitations and impaired work ability. Objective: This article aims to compile the findings of recently published research on work ability in people with fibromyalgia, and to present how work ability is influenced by various aspects. Methods: A systematic search of the literatur Read More

Background: Influenza vaccine is safe and effective for the general population as well as for patients with autoimmune diseases. However, although rare, vasculitis has been reported as an adverse event following influenza vaccination. Object: The aims of this literature review were to identify patients who developed vasculitis following influenza vaccination and to clarify the clinical manifestations of vasculitis in these patients. Read More

Background: Several Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) have been used in studies of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Most of these assess Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL). The exception is the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life questionnaire (RAQoL). This scale measures the impact of RA and its treatment from the patient's perspective, making it suitable for determining the value patients gain from interventi Read More

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by various clinical manifestations and immunologic abnormalities. Cardiovascular and respiratory system involvement are increasingly recognized as critical for patients’ prognosis. In this review, current knowledge concerning diagnosis, pathogenesis and treatment of the cardiac and pulmonary lupus manifestations are discussed. Method: Review of the literatu Read More

Purpose: Variants in the gene encoding Programmed Cell Death-1 (PDCD1) have been associated with susceptibility to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases. Given that clinically distinct autoimmune phenotypes share common genetic susceptibility factors, variants in PDCD-1 were tested for a possible association with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). Methods: Four Single Nucleotide Polymor Read More

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease considerably affecting the quality of life of patients, their functional abilities and capability to work. In everyday clinical practice, the condition is commonly monitored by assessing the disease activity using a joint count and laboratory markers of inflammation with calculating the DAS28 or other systems for scoring the disease activity. Objectives: This study is aimed to Read More

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common chronic degenerative disorder. It causes joint pain, walking difficulties and a decline in general physical function. Many pain drugs and treatment modalities can be prescribed for KOA. Among traditional medicines in Morocco, Argan oil has been used in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis to reduce pain and improve physical activity, though there have been no medical-base Read More

Background: Acquired hemophilia is a rare bleeding disease which might be associated with some autoimmune diseases. Acquired hemophilia may be the result of autoantibodies against factor VIII. Case Presentation: In this study, we describe a 55 year old patient who developed hematoma and hematuria due to acquired hemophilia secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Then, she developed arthritis and thrombosis Read More