Blood pressure changes in patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis treated with four different treatment strategies: a post hoc analysis from the BeSt trial.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of disease activity and antirheumatic treatment on blood pressure (BP) in patients with recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: 508 patients with RA were randomised to receive (1) sequential monotherapy, (2) step-up combination therapy, (3) initial combination with prednisone or (4) with infliximab. Systolic and diastolic BP (SBP, DBP), disease activity score (DAS) and body mass index (BMI) were evaluated every 3 months.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphisms in relation to periodontitis.

Background: Genetic polymorphisms for cytokines have been proposed as potential genetic markers for destructive periodontal disease. The present aim was to investigate 4 bi-allelic polymorphisms in the TNF-alpha gene in relation to susceptibility for and severity of periodontitis. The polymorphisms were all transitions from G to A, 3 in the promoter positions: -376, -308, -238; and one in the first intron at position +489.