Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a pilot study.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is associated with a variety of musculoskeletal disorders. The prevalence of connective tissue disorders in these patients has increased in the recent years affecting significantly their quality of life.

Methods-results: We conducted a pilot study including 208 sequentially selected patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus regularly followed-up at the Diabetes Center of the Hippokration University Hospital.

Inhibition of TNFalpha does not induce viral reactivation in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection: two cases.

Chronic infections, such as hepatitis C, in the setting of rheumatic disorders pose a potential hindrance to optimal management because of possible complications linked to the institution of immune suppression, as well as the high incidence of hepatotoxicity associated with many of the disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs included in the conventional therapeutic regimens. In the setting of hepatitis C, however, the effect of TNFalpha blockade may be potentially beneficial because TNFalpha appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis through the stimulation of apoptotic pathways. Data related to this subject are, unfortunately, still limited and without detailed information regarding the clinical progression of the rheumatic disorder.