Clinical Characteristics of Behcet's Disease in 453 Egyptian Patients Suffering from Uveitis with Gender Comparison.

Objective: To describe the clinical features in patients with Behcet's disease suffering from uveitis in Egypt and to compare the findings between both genders.

Methods: 453 subjects fulfilling the 1990 Classification criteria for Behcet's disease and with uveitis in at least one eye. Follow-up was done for two years.

Performance of 2016 revised fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common comorbidity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recently, there were several updates for the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) FM criteria. To assess the performance of the 2016 revised ACR FM criteria in patients with RA in comparison to 1990 criteria and to study the relation to composite disease measures.

The Utility of Radiographic Focal Erosions of Hands or Feet in Predicting DXA-defined Osteoporosis of the Hip in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a common comorbidity in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients and can result in estimated double risk of pathological fractures. Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is known to decrease with RA because of mechanisms incorporating traditional as well as disease-specific causes. With the advent of newer disease-modifying antirheumatic agents and bone protection medications, it is becoming important to identify those individuals who are at increased risk of developing osteoporosis among RA patients.

The multi-biomarker disease activity score tracks response to rituximab treatment in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a post hoc analysis of three cohort studies.

Background: A multi-biomarker disease activity (MBDA) score has been validated as an objective measure of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and shown to track response to treatment with several disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of the MBDA score to track response to treatment with rituximab.

Methods: Data were used from 57 RA patients from three cohorts treated with rituximab 1000 mg and methylprednisolone 100 mg at days 1 and 15.

Changes in bone density and bone turnover in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with rituximab, results from an exploratory, prospective study.

Data describing the effect of in vivo B cell depletion on general bone loss in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are limited. Given the pathogenetic role of B cells in RA, it is tempting to speculate that B cell depletion might have a beneficial effect on bone loss. We prospectively investigated the changes in bone mineral density (BMD), bone turnover, inflammation and disease activity before and after rituximab in 45 RA patients over a 12 month period, 36 patients of whom completed the study and were included in the analysis.

Gout: An old disease in new perspective - A review.

Gout is a picturesque presentation of uric acid disturbance. It is the most well understood and described type of arthritis. Its epidemiology is studied.

The clinical utility of bone marker measurements in osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is characterised by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, resulting in increased fragility and susceptibility to fracture. Osteoporotic fractures are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Direct medical costs from such fractures in the UK are currently estimated at over two billion pounds per year, resulting in a substantial healthcare burden that is expected to rise exponentially due to increasing life expectancy.