Efficacy and safety of minodronic acid hydrate in patients with steroid-induced osteoporosis.

Objectives: Minodronic acid hydrate, an oral bisphosphonate, has a greater inhibitory effect on bone resorption than do other approved drugs; however, this has been studied only in patients with primary osteoporosis. Here, we administered minodronic acid hydrate to patients with steroid-induced osteoporosis who have been treated with steroids for rheumatoid arthritis or other collagen diseases, and the efficacy and safety of minodronic acid hydrate were prospectively investigated.

Methods: Twenty-five patients treated in our rheumatology clinic received minodronic acid hydrate 1 mg/day.

Self-assembly formed by a short DNA probe pair: Application for highly sensitive mRNA species detection without reverse transcription.

We describe a novel technology for detecting nucleic acids: Probe Alteration Link Self-Assembly Reactions (PALSAR). PALSAR comprises DNA self-assembly of pairs of short DNA probes formed by alternate hybridization of three complementary regions in a pair of honeycomb probes (HCPs). Self-assembly occurs at designated salt concentrations and reaction temperatures and requires no enzymes.

[Diagnostic value of brain biopsy in intravascular large B-cell lymphoma mimicking progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy: case report].

We report a 68-years-old woman with systemic sclerosis and interstitial pneumonia (IP). She had developed subacute progressively encephalopathy and dementia while treated with oral cyclophosphamide and prednisolone. She admitted to our hospital because of syncope.

Epstein-Barr virus induces erosive arthritis in humanized mice.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on the basis of indirect evidence, such as its presence in affected joint tissues, antigenic cross reactions between EBV and human proteins, and elevated humoral and cellular anti-EBV immune responses in patients. Here we report development of erosive arthritis closely resembling RA in humanized mice inoculated with EBV. Human immune system components were reconstituted in mice of the NOD/Shi-scid/IL-2Rγ(null) (NOG) strain by transplantation with CD34(+) hematopoietic stem cells isolated from cord blood.

[The possible curative therapy for rheumatoid arthritis--EBV infection control gene SAP and its application].

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) belong to herpes virus group. This virus is transmitted by human contact and cause primary infection and may exist even for years in a latent state in healthy individuals. This virus may be reactivated by the dysregulation of the host immune system or possibly by virus mutation.

SLAM-associated protein solves a mystery of autoimmunity.

SLAM-associated protein (SAP) is essential for viral protection, lifelong immune memory (vaccination), and lifelong autoantibody production. We discuss how SAP is a key player in the development of autoimmune disease.

What is after cytokine-blocking therapy, a novel therapeutic target--synovial Epstein-Barr virus for rheumatoid arthritis.

There has been significant progress in cytokine-blocking therapy for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) However, inhibition of cytokines involved in immune defense raises severe side effects. The cost of cytokine-blocking treatment is another major issue. Why are levels of inflammatory cytokines increased in RA patients? We have a large amount of circumstantial and direct evidence for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in RA synovial cells.

Low-dose epoprostenol improved pulmonary hypertension in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A 43-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our hospital in 1997 because of Raynaud's phenomenon. Systemic lupus erythematosus was diagnosed on the basis of the presence of antinuclear antibody (1:1,280), anti-DNA antibody (1:640), anti-Sm antibody, antiphospholipid antibody, lymphopenia, and proteinuria. She developed pulmonary fibrosis in 1999 and pulmonary hypertension in 2001.