Lung on a Chip Development from Off-Stoichiometry Thiol-Ene Polymer.

Current in vitro models have significant limitations for new respiratory disease research and rapid drug repurposing. Lung on a chip (LOAC) technology offers a potential solution to these problems. However, these devices typically are fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which has small hydrophobic molecule absorption, which hinders the application of this technology in drug repurposing for respiratory diseases.

Plasma indices of angiogenesis in rheumatoid disease: relationship to cardiovascular risk factors and cardiac function.

Introduction: Rheumatoid Disease (RD) is associated with increased rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Angiogenesis is central to RD, and well-recognized in CVD. We hypothesised that plasma levels of two indices associated with angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiogenin, would be higher among RD patients compared to healthy controls (HC), would relate to CVD risk factors, calculated 10-year coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke risk scores.

Plasma indices of endothelial and platelet activation in Rheumatoid Disease: relationship to cardiovascular co-morbidity.

Background: Rheumatoid Disease (RD) is associated with ischaemic heart disease (IHD). We sought to investigate whether abnormalities of endothelial function and platelet activation in patients with established RD were related to co-morbid cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, RD patients with no cardiac risk factors and normal cardiac function (RD, n=73), those with cardiovascular disease or risk factors and normal cardiac function (RD-risk, n=59), and those with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (RD-LVSD, n=21) were recruited, and compared to healthy controls (HC, n=76).

Delay in presentation to primary care physicians is the main reason why patients with rheumatoid arthritis are seen late by rheumatologists.

Objectives: To study the delay from the time of symptom onset to assessment by a Rheumatologist in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to determine the contributions of patient and physician dependent factors to this delay.

Methods: Data were collected from 169 consecutive patients with RA at the time of assessment by Rheumatologists working in hospitals serving an inner city population in Birmingham, UK. Dates were recorded for: (i) onset of inflammatory joint symptoms; (ii) initial assessment in primary care; and (iii) referral from primary to secondary care.

Left ventricular systolic dysfunction in rheumatoid disease: an unrecognized burden?

Objectives: This study sought to ascertain whether left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) is more common among clinic patients with rheumatoid disease (RD) compared with the general population, and to assess the diagnostic utility of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP).

Background: Patients with RD are at increased risk of ischemic heart disease. However, there are few large echocardiographic studies identifying cardiac dysfunction in RD.

Rheumatoid disease and the heart: from epidemiology to echocardiography.

Rheumatoid disease (RD) is a common chronic inflammatory condition associated with progressive joint destruction. Sufferers of RD experience reduced life expectancy, reflected in the increased standardised mortality rates reported in several studies over the last 50 years. Most studies indicate that the increased mortality affecting this population is mainly due to cardio-vascular disease.

Sulphasalazine therapy in rheumatoid arthritis: qualitative changes in lymphocytes and correlation with clinical response.

Clinical and immunological parameters in 14 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving sulphasalazine (SASP) were evaluated, to determine whether their clinical response was reflected by any quantitative changes in their peripheral blood lymphocytes after 12 weeks. Whilst disease activity markers fell significantly, no such changes were noted in the percentage or absolute numbers of lymphocytes or their subsets. The lymphocytes of a further 21 patients before and after receiving SASP for 12 weeks were then studied qualitatively.

Effect of sulphasalazine and its metabolites on mitogen induced transformation of lymphocytes--clues to its clinical action?

The effects of sulphasalazine (SASP), sulphapyridine (SP), and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) have been studied on mouse spleen cells cultured in the presence of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A), pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). SASP exhibited a significant degree of suppression, at doses in the range 25-100 micrograms/ml (p less than 0.01), this suppression being greater than 50% at 50 micrograms/ml.

Renal and pancreatic calcification in rheumatoid arthritis with Sjögren's syndrome.

We describe a female patient who developed seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at the age of 12 years. After 10 years her disease was complicated by Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and distal (type 1) renal tubular acidosis (RTA). Seven years later she was noted to have nephrocalcinosis.

Chemonucleolysis of lumbar intervertebral disc prolapse with chymopapain: outcome after 1 year.

One hundred and one consecutive patients with lumbar disc prolapse were treated by chymopapain chemonucleolysis and their response and favourable pre-treatment criteria determined. Most improvement occurred within the first month, and one year after treatment outcome was judged satisfactory (excellent or good) in 71%. Individual patient characteristics associated with a satisfactory response were sciatica of greater severity than back pain (p = 0.

Long-term treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with sulphasalazine, gold, or penicillamine: a comparison using life-table methods.

Life-table analysis was applied to the records of 317 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with sulphasalazine (SAS), 201 treated with sodium aurothiomalate (gold), and 163 with penicillamine. They comprised all those treated in our department with these drugs between January 1973 and July 1984. Risks of treatment termination for all reasons were similar for each drug at five years (gold 92%, penicillamine 83%, SAS 81%).

Phenytoin in rheumatoid arthritis.

In a prospective open study, 18 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis were treated with phenytoin (300 mg/day) for 32 weeks. Clinical assessments improved significantly and there was no relapse 8 weeks after drug withdrawal. Serum C-reactive protein, plasma viscosity and hemoglobin also improved but changes were not significant.

Serum amyloid A protein during the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with second-line drugs.

Serum amyloid A protein (SAA), serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and the ESR were measured in 19 patients with rheumatoid arthritis before treatment and during therapy with gold, penicillamine or sulphasalazine for a mean period of 14.8 months (range 6-23 months). All three measurements decreased significantly; however, only 7% of SAA values fell to within the normal range (18-44 mg/l), compared to 38% measurements of serum CRP (less than 10 mg/l) and 32% of the ESR (less than 25 mm/h).

Anti-rheumatic drugs and joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis.

The effect of second-line anti-rheumatic drugs such as gold on the course and progression of joint damage has been the subject of considerable controversy. We have evaluated the effects of second-line anti-rheumatic drugs in three studies of 46-84 patients with rheumatoid arthritis given a second-line drug continuously for 12 months. Using two different methods of radiographic assessment we found that there was significant progression over the 12-month period when the mean changes in the groups of patients were examined, and there was similar indications of continuing disease activity shown by mean values of acute phase proteins and ESR which were above the normal range at both six and 12 months.

Does sulphasalazine cause folate deficiency in rheumatoid arthritis?

Sulphasalazine impairs folic acid absorption and metabolism but rarely leads to folate deficiency in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), however, serum and red cell folate concentrations are often low and sulphasalazine might stress folate metabolism. In a prospective study, 2 g sulphasalazine was compared with 500 mg penicillamine daily in 30 patients over 24 weeks.

Rheumatoid arthritis: the effects of treatment with dapsone on hemoglobin.

Hemoglobin concentration (Hb) was measured at 6 week intervals for up to a year in 84 patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with dapsone. During the first 6 weeks, mean Hb decreased from 12.0 to 11.