Clinical Efficacy of Patch in Patients With Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Multicenter Non-Inferiority Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is imposing substantial burdens on individuals and society with the aging population. Cortex Daphnes patch is widely used for symptomatic knee OA in China with a satisfying clinical efficacy; however, there is scant clinical evidence supporting its use. To evaluate its efficacy, we conducted a multicenter, non-inferiority, randomized, parallel-group study comparing Cortex Daphnes patch with topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients with knee OA (NCT02770950).

Screening and identification of biomarkers for systemic sclerosis via microarray technology.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex autoimmune disease. The pathogenesis of SSc is currently unclear, although like other rheumatic diseases its pathogenesis is complicated. However, the ongoing development of bioinformatics technology has enabled new approaches to research this disease using microarray technology to screen and identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the skin of patients with SSc compared with individuals with healthy skin.

Dietary intake and risk of rheumatoid arthritis-a cross section multicenter study.

Environmental factors play an important role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Among these factors, smoking is generally considered to be an established risk factor for RA. Data regarding the impact of diet on risk of RA development is limited.

Effect of colchicine in prevention of pericardial effusion and atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis.

Randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) have assessed the effect of colchicine therapy in prevention of pericardial effusion (PE) and atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the effects are still inconclusive. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and EMBASE database were searched.

Primary Sjögren syndrome in Han Chinese: clinical and immunological characteristics of 483 patients.

The epidemiological characteristics of Sjögren syndrome (SS) are significantly varied in different countries. We conducted the present study to survey the epidemiological characteristics of primary SS in China. We recruited 483 primary SS patients from 16 Chinese medical centers nationwide from January 2009 to November 2011 and assessed salivary and lacrimal gland dysfunction, organ involvement, and autoimmunity in these patients.

Remission of rheumatoid arthritis and potential determinants: a national multi-center cross-sectional survey.

The aim of this study is to investigate the remission rate of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in China and identify its potential determinants. A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2009 to January 2012. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews of the rheumatology outpatients in 28 tertiary hospitals in China.

[Role of anti c-mpl antibody in systemic lupus erythematosus with thrombocytopenia].

Objective: To determine whether anti-thrompoietin receptor (TPO-R, c-mpl) antibody contributes to thrombocytopenia in systemic lupus erytematosus (SLE) and explore the pathogenic role of this antibody.

Methods: Sera from 24 SLE patients with thrombocytopenia, 27 SLE patients having normal platelet counts with a history of thrombocytopenia, 18 SLE patients with neither thrombocytopenia nor post thrombocytopenia and 18 healthy controls were collected. Anti c-mpl antibodies were detected by an indirected ELISA assay.

[Sulphasalazine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in China: a cross-sectional study].

Objective: To investigate the medication status of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to analyze the clinical use of sulphasalazine (SSZ) and the adverse effect.

Methods: A total of 1 096 outpatients and inpatients diagnosed with RA were investigated in 21 hospitals all over China from July 2009 to December 2010, including gender, age of onset, clinical manifestations, as well as the clinical characteristics and medication status of 160 RA patients who received SSZ therapy.

Results: In the group of 160 patients who received SSZ, the male-to-female ratio was 1:7, The average age at onset was (46.

[Survey of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors application in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in China].

Objective: To investigate the current status of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors application in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in China and to analyze the related factors.

Methods: A retrospective survey was conducted in 21 hospitals from different parts of China. The patients with RA were randomly enrolled.

[A multicenter study of coronary artery disease and its risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis in China].

Objective: To learn about the prevalence and risk factors of coronary artery disease (CAD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Data were obtained from a 12-month retrospective investigation of the patients with RA, randomly selected from Departments of Rheumatology and Immunology in 21 big hospitals in China. The data were collected about their social conditions, clinical conditions, medications associated with RA, such as disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), glucocorticoid, biologic agents.

[Identification of a novel lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA) gene associated with ankylosing spondylitis in Ningxia population].

Lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA) gene has been reported to have a genetic association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. However, the association of LTA with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has not reported. By case-control study, we carried out the high density limited genome scanning to the HLA class III region about 58 kb in Ningxia population (case 300 and control 385).

[The role of promoter CpG islands methylation of leptin gene in osteoarthritis].

Objective: To investigate the effects of 5-Aza-CdR (methylation transferase inhibitor)on the expression levels of leptin gene in chondrocytes and methylation states of leptin promoter region between osteoarthritis (OA) group and control.

Methods: The chondrocytes in osteoarthritis group were treated with 5-Aza-CdR with different doses and time-points, and the expression level of leptin was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction for picking up the optimum dose and time-point. Next, the chondrocytes in 5 osteoarthritis patients and 5 control patients (amputation due to severe trauma) were treated with 5-Aza-CdR.

Variation in STAT4 is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus in Chinese Northern Han population.

Background: Recent studies have identified signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) as a susceptibility gene for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in different populations. In order to examine whether the allele distribution of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in gene STAT4 rs7574865 in patients with SLE is different from those of healthy controls in Chinese Northern Han population, we investigated whether the variants of STAT4 rs7574865 were associated with any specific clinical features of SLE.

Methods: We genotyped SNPs in STAT4 rs7574865 in 252 patients with SLE and 497 healthy controls.

[Efficacy and safety of infliximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of Infliximab (IFX) plus methotrexate (MTX) combination therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Prospectively observe refractory RA patients who were treated with combination therapy of MTX and IFX. IFX was infused at the dosage of 3 mg/kg, in week 0, 2, 6, and then every 8 weeks.

[The COX regression analysis on the use of corticosteroids in the treatment of SARS].

Objective: To explore the effectiveness of corticosteroids (GCS) and to determine how to use it in the treatment of SARS.

Methods: All reported probable cases in Beijing were reviewed. Those who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria with an integrity clinical record were recruited in the study.

[Immunological characteristics of 1291 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Beijing].

Objective: To investigate the immunological characteristics of the cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Beijing City.

Methods: Clinical data of 1291 patients with SARS from March to July 2003 in Beijing City were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: In patients with SARS, the absolute numbers of white blood cells, lymphocytes and CD(3), CD(4) and CD(8) lymphocyte subsets decreased during the early period of the disease, being manifested in 56.