Efficacy and safety of leflunomide in DMARD-naive patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: comparison of a loading and a fixed-dose regimen.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of LEF administered with or without a loading dose in DMARD-naïve patients with early RA.

Methods: This multicentre, double-blind, randomized clinical trial included adults with RA diagnosed within 6 months (ACR criteria). Patients were randomly selected to receive either a 100 mg loading dose or a 20 mg fixed dose of LEF for 3 days, followed by a 3-month open-label maintenance period of 20 mg LEF qd.

Relative value of the lumbar spine and hip bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in men with ankylosing spondylitis.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers in men with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and to determine their relationship with clinical features and disease activity. Serum carboxi terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX), osteocalcin (OC) levels, and BMD of lumbar spine and proximal femur were evaluated in 44 males with AS, 18-60 years of age, and compared with those of 39 age-matched healthy men. Men with AS had a significantly lower BMD at the femoral neck and total hip as compared to age-matched controls (all p < 0.

Shoulder impingement syndrome: correlations between clinical tests and ultrasonographic findings.

Objectives: To compare the diagnosis of shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) established by clinical and ultrasonographic examination and to evaluate the value of clinical tests for SIS as well as for rotator cuff pathology.

Methods: One hundred patients with periathrophatia scapulohumeralis entered the study, including 64 females and 36 males aged between 20-84 years (mean 56.8 and 57.

Comparison of etanercept and methotrexate, alone and combined, in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: two-year clinical and radiographic results from the TEMPO study, a double-blind, randomized trial.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, including radiographic changes, and safety of etanercept and methotrexate (MTX), used in combination and alone, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in whom previous treatment with a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug other than MTX had failed.

Methods: Patients with RA were treated with etanercept (25 mg subcutaneously twice weekly), oral MTX (up to 20 mg weekly), or combination therapy with etanercept plus MTX through a second year, in a double-blinded manner. Clinical response was assessed using American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria and the Disease Activity Score (DAS), in a modified intent-to-treat analysis with the last observation carried forward (LOCF) and in a population of completers.

Fever of unknown origin-predictors of outcome. A prospective multicenter study on 164 patients.

BACKGROUND: To date, the studies that have been done on fever of unknown origin have mostly been descriptive. Therefore, we know the etiogical spectrum and how it has changed since 1966 for many regions of the world. However, we do not know if there are clinical or laboratory predictors of severe outcome.