[Inflammation in the blood: what's behind it?].

Inflammation is the body's defensive response to mostly harmful stimuli, usually in response to pathogens or toxic substances. However, the immune response in chronic inflammation is usually directed against harmless antigens, such as allergens, or commensal pathogens, such as herpes viruses, or against the body's own structures, as in autoimmune diseases. The body reacts to the respective stimulating factors with a relatively uniform inflammatory response.

Microangiopathy in Inflammatory Diseases-Strategies in Surgery of the Lower Extremity.

Background: Patients with an inflammatory disease frequently develop chronic angiopathy of the capillaries. Due to this pathology, there is an increased rate of complications in lower extremity surgical procedures. It is not uncommon for microangiopathic wound healing disorders to cause deep infections and fistulas, which lead to prolonged courses and hospitalizations.

Effects of multimodal rheumatologic complex treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a monocentric prospective study.

Objectives: To prospectively evaluate the effects of multimodal rheumatologic complex treatment (MRCT), a special concept of in-patient physical treatment (PT), in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: RA patients receiving a 16-day MRCT were eligible. MRCT was delivered to participants in 64 PT sessions of various modalities with a minimum of 1.

Multimodal rheumatologic complex treatment in patients with spondyloarthritis - a prospective study.

Introduction: Aim of this study was to prospectively assess the effects of multimodal rheumatologic complex treatment (MRCT), a special concept of in-patient physical treatment (PT) for treating spondyloarthritis (SpA), namely radiographic (r-) and non-radiographic (nr-) axial (ax-) SpA and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: r-, nr-axSpA and PsA patients receiving a 16-day MRCT were eligible. MRCT was delivered to participants over 64 PT sessions of various modalities with a minimum of 1,400 min of treatment.

Sensitivity to change of joint count composite indices in 72 patients with systemic sclerosis.

Objectives: We validated the responsiveness of joint count composite indices (JCCIs) in 72 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: Changes in Disease Activity Score of 28 Joints using ESR and CRP (DAS28-ESR, DAS28-CRP), Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) and the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) were evaluated in a one-year follow-up study. Charts of patients including swollen/tender joint counts, laboratory signs of inflammation, and visual analogue scales referring to disease activity, severity and pain were also blindly categorized by two rheumatologists as improved, unchanged or deteriorated.