Homocysteine levels and disease duration independently correlate with coronary artery calcification in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To compare the incidence and extent of coronary artery calcification (CAC) as measured by electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and controls, and to identify variables associated with CAC in patients with SLE.

Methods: Female patients with SLE and matched controls were recruited; EBCT of the coronary arteries was performed, and laboratory values (including the homocysteine concentration, the lipid level, the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP] concentration, the glomerular filtration rate [GFR], and the level of soluble CD154 [sCD154]) were determined. For patients, the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index and the SLE Disease Activity Index scores were recorded.

Decreased pain and synovial inflammation after etanercept therapy in patients with reactive and undifferentiated arthritis: an open-label trial.

Objective: Elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) have been identified in the synovium of patients with reactive and undifferentiated arthritis, implicating TNFalpha in the pathogenesis of these disorders. This finding has provided a rationale for the use of TNFalpha antagonists in the treatment of reactive arthritis; however, the possibility that the triggering microorganism might persist in affected joints and become activated with use of these agents has been of concern.

Methods: The efficacy and safety of etanercept (25 mg subcutaneous twice weekly) in 16 patients with undifferentiated or reactive arthritis was assessed in a 6-month open-label trial.