Serum leptin levels do not correlate with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Leptin, is a fat tissue hormone which effects energy expenditure, food intake , hematopoiesis, osteogenesis, angiogenesis, reproductive and immune systems. We aimed to determine serum leptin levels and investigate the association between disease activity and other parameters in RA patients.

Methods: Patients with RA (n=106) as the study group, healthy controls (n=52) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients (n=37) as a control group were enrolled to the study.

Impact of rheumatoid arthritis in Turkey: a questionnaire study.

Objectives: Unmet needs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients regarding physician/patient communication, treatment preferences and quality of life issues were investigated in a Turkish survey study.

Methods: The study was conducted with the contribution of 33 rheumatologists, and included 519 RA patients. The study population included patients who had been on biologic therapy for >6 months and were still receiving biologic therapy (BT group), and those who were biologic naive, but found eligible for biologic treatment (NBT group).

An adult case of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis treated with splint therapy and the subsequent orthodontic occlusal reconstruction.

Herein we report treatment for a 19-year-old female patient with severe osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint. The patient had severe open bite with a Class II molar relationship. She had limited mouth opening and pain.

Comparative performance analysis of 4 different anti-citrullinated protein assays in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performances of 2 recently developed assays, third-generation anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP3) and anti-mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV), in comparison to conventional second-generation anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP2) assay; and to assess a novel fully automated, random-access AxSYM anti-CCP assay for early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: A cohort of 176 patients was enrolled in our study; 93 were diagnosed as having RA. The non-RA group consisted of 83 patients including 38 with systemic lupus erythematosus, 17 with primary Sjögren's syndrome, 11 with osteoarthritis, and 17 healthy controls.

Mannose binding lectin levels in spondyloarthropathies.

Objective: Mannose binding lectin (MBL), a member of the collectin family proteins, is a major molecule of the innate immune system; MBL deficiency is associated with increased susceptibility to infections. As gastrointestinal and genitourinary infections are suggested to be among the etiological factors of spondyloarthropathies (SpA), we investigated MBL deficiency in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and undifferentiated SpA (uSpA).

Methods: One hundred seven patients with AS, 43 patients with uSpA, and 74 healthy controls were studied.