[A women with a swelling on the shoulder].

A 52-year-old women with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis was examined because of a swollen right acromioclavicular joint after surgery 3 years earlier. Joint aspiration showed serosanguinolent fluid with white amorph material. Polarized microscopy revealed calcium deposits.

Concordance of disease severity among family members with ankylosing spondylitis?

Objective: The heritability of disease activity and function in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have been estimated at 0.51 and 0.63 (i.

Identification of major loci controlling clinical manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis.

Objective: To identify genomic regions linked with determinants of age at symptom onset, disease activity, and functional impairment in ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: A whole genome linkage scan was performed in 188 affected sibling pair families with 454 affected individuals. Traits assessed were age at symptom onset, disease activity assessed by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), and functional impairment assessed by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI).

Is disease severity in ankylosing spondylitis genetically determined?

Objective: To assess the role of genes and the environment in determining the severity of ankylosing spondylitis.

Methods: One hundred seventy-three families with >1 case of ankylosing spondylitis were recruited (120 affected sibling pairs, 26 affected parent-child pairs, 20 families with both first- and second-degree relatives affected, and 7 families with only second-degree relatives affected), comprising a total of 384 affected individuals. Disease severity was assessed by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and functional impairment was determined using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI).

Desulfurization of coal.

Coal combustion is the largest single source of sulfur oxide pollution. Treatment of some major representative U.S.