[Metabolic syndrome after kidney transplantation].

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Higher risk of the metabolic syndrome and its components in patients after kidney transplantation is caused by immunosuppressive therapy. THE AIM OF OUR STUDY was to evaluate the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components in kidney transplant recipients and to analyse their influence on allograft function and albuminuria.

[Nimesulide: a lower risk treatment in rheumatic diseases].

This review paper presents some basic information of a "rediscovered" nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Nimesulid which is one of the first selective inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2, has a history of good clinical results, and is relatively well tolerated with patients. Nimesulid enhances possible ways of analgesia treatment of rheumatic diseases.

Efficacy and safety of 5% ibuprofen cream treatment in knee osteoarthritis. Results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a cream containing 5% ibuprofen (Dolgit) cream) in primary knee osteoarthritis (OA) in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study using an adaptive sequential design.

Methods: Patients of both sexes aged 40-75 years, with a visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain on motion of >or= 40 mm, a Lequesne index score of 5-13, and a Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic score grade II-III were enrolled between January 2001 and July 2001. Study medication was applied in a 10-cm strip tid for 7 days on the more painful knee.

[Pharmacotherapy of pain in rheumatic disease].

The authors of this article discuss the pharmacotherapy of pain control in patients with rheumatic diseases, and they describe the relevant groups of drugs available, including their adverse events. They focus on non-steroidal antirheumatic drugs, selectice cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (coxibs) in particular. They summarise the experience with use of coxibs so far, and also report on drugs soon to be marketed in our country.