Which joints and why do rheumatologists scan in rheumatoid arthritis by ultrasonography? A real life experience.

Objectives: Ultrasonography (US) has been demonstrated to improve assessment of synovitis and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the utility and feasibility of US in RA in clinical practice in real life is not known. We aimed to investigate: i) the indications for performing US in RA in daily practice; and ii) whether the number of scanned joints varies according to the purpose.

Direct and indirect healthcare costs of rheumatoid arthritis patients in Turkey.

Objectives: To estimate the annual cost of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Turkey by obtaining real-world data directly from patients.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, RA patients from the rheumatology outpatient clinics of 10 university hospitals were interviewed with a standardised questionnaire on RA-related healthcare care costs.

Results: The study included 689 RA patients (565 females) with a mean age of 51.

Response rate of initial conventional treatments, disease course, and related factors of patients with adult-onset Still's disease: Data from a large multicenter cohort.

Background: Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare condition, and treatment choices are frequently dependent on expert opinions. The objectives of the present study were to assess treatment modalities, disease course, and the factors influencing the outcome of patients with AOSD.

Methods: A multicenter study was used to reach sufficient patient numbers.

Living with pain in ankylosing spondylitis: a qualitative study.

Background: Despite various quantitative studies reporting that pain is among the most serious problem in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), no detailed qualitative studies address how pain affects the life of patients with AS.

Aim: To explore AS patients' experiences with pain and its effect on their lives.

Design: Descriptive qualitative study.

Characteristics Predicting Tuberculosis Risk under Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Inhibitors: Report from a Large Multicenter Cohort with High Background Prevalence.

Objective: Screening strategies for latent tuberculosis (TB) before starting tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors have decreased the prevalence of TB among patients who are treated with these agents. However, despite vigilant screening, TB continues to be an important problem, especially in parts of the world with a high background TB prevalence. The aim of this study was to determine the factors related to TB among a large multicenter cohort of patients who were treated with anti-TNF.

A relationship between spinal new bone formation in ankylosing spondylitis and the sonographically determined Achilles tendon enthesophytes.

Spinal new bone formation is a major but incompletely understood manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We explored the relationship between spinal new bone formation and ultrasound (US)-determined Achilles enthesophytes to test the hypothesis that spinal new bone formation is part of a generalized enthesis bone-forming phenotype. A multicenter, case control study of 225 consecutive AS patients and 95 age/body mass index (BMI) matched healthy controls (HC) was performed.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, and Validity of the Turkish Version of the Compliance Questionnaire on Rheumatology in Patients With Behçet's Disease.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Turkish versionof the Compliance Questionnaire on Rheumatology (CQR-T) for patients with Behçet's disease (BD).

Method: A sample of 105 Turkish patients with BD participated in this study. The scale was cross-culturally adapted through a process including translation, comparison with versions in other languages, back translation, and pretesting.

A patient-reported outcome measures-based composite index (RAPID3) for the assessment of disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis.

A single questionnaire regarding to disease activity for all rheumatic diseases may present advantages to introduce quantitative measurement into routine care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation of routine assessment of patient index data 3 (RAPID3) with Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS). A total of 341 consecutive AS patients who met the modified New York classification criteria were included.

Behçet disease with vascular involvement: effects of different therapeutic regimens on the incidence of new relapses.

Vascular involvement is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in Behçet disease (BD). There are no controlled studies for the management of vascular BD (VBD), and according to the EULAR recommendations, only immunosuppressive (IS) agents are recommended. In this study, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic approaches chosen by Turkish physicians during the initial event and relapses of VBD and the association of different treatment options with the relapses retrospectively.

[Is there a relationship between gouty arthritis and Mediterranean fever gene mutations?].

Objective: Gouty arthritis and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) share some clinical and pathological features such as being classified as auto inflammatory disease, association with inflammasome, short-lived intermittent arthritis, and good response to colchicine and anti-interleukin-1 treatments. As Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene is the causative factor of FMF, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of MEFV gene mutations and their effect on disease manifestations in Turkish gouty arthritis patients.

Methods: Ninety-seven patients diagnosed with primary gouty arthritis (93M and 4 F, 54 [37-84] years) and 100 healthy controls (94M and 6 F, 57 [37-86] years) included in the study.

Retro-orbital granuloma associated with granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a series of nine cases.

Retro-orbital granuloma is a rare and devastating component of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). Current medical treatment protocols are falling short, and outcomes are poor. The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency, clinical features, and treatment outcomes of retro-orbital granuloma in patients with GPA.

Impact of rheumatoid arthritis in Turkey: a questionnaire study.

Objectives: Unmet needs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients regarding physician/patient communication, treatment preferences and quality of life issues were investigated in a Turkish survey study.

Methods: The study was conducted with the contribution of 33 rheumatologists, and included 519 RA patients. The study population included patients who had been on biologic therapy for >6 months and were still receiving biologic therapy (BT group), and those who were biologic naive, but found eligible for biologic treatment (NBT group).

Familial Mediterranean fever gene mutations as a risk factor for early coronary artery disease.

Objective: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are very common in the general population. Atherosclerosis is the main pathogenesis. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disease.

Autonomic functions in acrocyanosis assessed by heart rate variability.

Objective: To evaluate the autonomic activity of patients with acrocyanosis by using heart rate variability indices.

Material And Methods: The study group consisted of 24 patients with acrocyanosis and the control group contained 22 sex- and age-matched healthy subjects. All subjects underwent 24-hour Holter monitoring.

Thoughts and perceptions of ankylosing spondylitis patients with regard to TNF inhibitors.

The risk of infections and malignancies is the major area of concern with anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents. The aim of this study was to investigate patients' views about their treatments and the factors that influence patients' treatment decisions concerning the use of anti-TNF-α drugs. This descriptive study was conducted in a single rheumatology unit.

The expression of transmembrane and soluble CXCL16 and the relation with interferon-alpha secretion in patients with Behçet's disease.

Objectives: CXCL16 is a member of CXC chemokine, which is synthesised in plasmacytoid dendritic cell as a transmembrane molecule. Transmembrane CXCL16 on plasmacytoid dendritic cell plays a role in binding, uptaking and accumulation of CpG D ODN in early endosomes rather then lysosomal vesicles, thereby causing a high level of interferon-alpha secretion. Previously, we disclosed pronounced interferon-alpha production from these cells in patients with Behçet's disease.

Patient-driven assessment of disease activity in Behçet's syndrome: cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Behçet's Syndrome Activity Score.

Objectives: The Behçet's Syndrome Activity Score (BSAS) is the first patient reported outcome measure developed to assess the global disease activity in patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS). We aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of BSAS for measuring disease activity in BS. We further investigated the performance of Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data (RAPID)3, a patient-reported index originally developed for rheumatoid arthritis, in BS patients.

Adult onset Still's disease as a paraneoplastic syndrome--a case report and review of the literature.

Adult onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a systemic inflammatory disease with unknown etiology and characterized by evanescent salmon pink rash, sore throat, liver dysfunction, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, arthritis, and leukocytosis. It is a diagnosis of exclusion; however, there are case reports in the literature about patients with malignancies and AOSD-like signs and symptoms. Here we report a patient with AOSD seems to be associated with sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma.

Features and publication rates of scientific abstracts presented at a rheumatology congress--EULAR 2008.

Objective: Various types of scientific abstracts are selected and presented at meetings and listed in abstract books. Recently, a systematic review has shown that 45% of 30,000 abstracts were published in a journal. The aim of this study was to determine the features of abstracts selected to be presented at a EULAR meeting (2008) and the corresponding publication rates.

The presence of MEFV gene mutations in patients with primary osteoarthritis who require surgery.

Background/aims: Chronic arthritis of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) involves weight-bearing joints and can occur in patients without a history of acute attack. Our aim was to investigate a possible causal relationship between FMF and osteoarthritis in a population in which FMF is quite common.

Methods: Patients with late stage primary osteoarthritis were enrolled, and five MEFV gene mutations were investigated.