Diagnostic imaging advances in murine models of colitis.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are chronic-remittent inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract still evoking challenging clinical diagnostic and therapeutic situations. Murine models of experimental colitis are a vital component of research into human IBD concerning questions of its complex pathogenesis or the evaluation of potential new drugs. To monitor the course of colitis, to the present day, classical parameters like histological tissue alterations or analysis of mucosal cytokine/chemokine expression often require euthanasia of animals.

Interleukin-6 promoter haplotypes are associated with etanercept response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Indices prognosticating anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) response in patients with rheumatoid arthritis are a matter of interest. Differential outcome under anti-TNF and anti-interleukin-6 (IL-6) therapy raises the question whether genetic polymorphisms that have previously been linked to IL-6 production are associated with response to anti-TNF therapy. Fifty (50) rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were treated with etanercept (median 36 weeks, range 4-52).

Farm Exposure as a Differential Risk Factor in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis.

Objective: To investigate the association of farm exposure and the development of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV).

Methods: One hundred eighty-nine well defined patients with AAV (n = 119 with granulomatosis with polyangiitis [GPA], n = 48 with microscopic polyangiitis [MPA], n = 22 patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis [EGPA]) and 190 controls (n = 119 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, n = 71 with large vessel vasculitis) were interrogated using a structured questionnaire. Factors investigated were occupation, farm exposure, contact to different livestock, participation in harvesting, residence next to a farm, MRSA status, and contact to domestic pets at disease onset or ever before.

Putative IL-10 Low Producer Genotypes Are Associated with a Favourable Etanercept Response in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Outcome predictors of biologic therapeutic drugs like TNF inhibitors are of interest since side effects like serious infections or malignancy cannot be completely ruled out. Response rates are heterogeneous. The present study addressed the question whether in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) interleukin-10 (IL-10) promoter genotypes with potential relevance for IL-10 production capacity are associated with response to long-term treatment with etanercept.

Platelet counts as a biomarker in ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Objectives: To determine whether platelet (PLT) counts might serve as a biomarker to distinguish between active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) and remission and also between active disease and systemic infection.

Method: PLTs were analysed before treatment in patients with AAV in the active state and in remission. PLTs were also analysed in AAV patients with acute infections.

Liver involvement in ANCA-associated vasculitis.

The aim of the study was to investigate the incidence, the clinical course and outcome of liver involvement and autoimmune hepatic diseases in patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). Liver function tests (LFT) (i.e.

Diagnostic Performance of an Anti-Actin Autoantibody Binding Enzyme Immunodot Blot in Autoimmune Hepatitis Type 1.

Background: A serologic hallmark of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) type 1 are anti-smooth muscle autoantibodies (ASMA) with specificity for filamentous actin (F-actin; AAA (anti-actin antibodies)), traditionally detected by indirect immunofluorescence (IFT) using rat liver, kidney, and stomach tissue sections as substrates. However, IFT is a subjective method requiring an experienced investigator. Therefore, a more objective technique for the detection of AAA may be a helpful diagnostic tool.

Giant cell arteritis exclusively detected by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography: a case report.

Introduction: This case of giant cell arteritis is noteworthy because it evaded standard diagnostic criteria and only emerged as fever of unknown origin. In this regard, we present 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography as a valid diagnostic method.

Case Presentation: This case report describes a 58-year-old Caucasian woman who is a cigarette smoker with a 10-week history of fever of unknown origin, night sweats and weight loss of 12 kg.

[Rituximab for treatment of Felty’s syndrome].

Felty’s syndrome is a rare variant of severe seropositive rheumatoid arthritis with neutropenia and splenomegaly. It is difficult to treat and associated with a poor prognosis due to the substantial risk of infections. This article presents the case of a patient with refractory disease who responded to rituximab with permanent normalization of neutrophil counts.

Association of extended interleukin-10 promoter haplotypes with disease susceptibility and manifestations in German patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: Associations of interleukin-10 (IL-10) promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and their haplotypes with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are unclear. We extended the analysis of established proximal IL-10 promoter haplotypes to a more distal SNP with functional capacity.

Methods: Two hundred and ten German caucasian SLE patients fulfilling the ACR criteria and 160 ethnically, age and sex matched controls were genotyped for IL-10 -2849 G > A, -1082 A > G, -819 T > C and -592 C > A.

Stress-induced allodynia--evidence of increased pain sensitivity in healthy humans and patients with chronic pain after experimentally induced psychosocial stress.

Background: Experimental stress has been shown to have analgesic as well as allodynic effect in animals. Despite the obvious negative influence of stress in clinical pain conditions, stress-induced alteration of pain sensitivity has not been tested in humans so far. Therefore, we tested changes of pain sensitivity using an experimental stressor in ten female healthy subjects and 13 female patients with fibromyalgia.

[Age-adjusted D-dimer cut-offs to diagnose thromboembolic events: validation in an emergency department].

Background: In elderly patients, an unspecific increase of fibrin degradation products in blood is observed. Thus, the D-dimer test to rule out thromboembolic events has a high false-positive rate in elderly patients. Our aim was to validate an age-adjusted D-dimer cut-off and to assess its utility in elderly patients.

[Patient/rheumatologist evaluation of infusion treatment for rheumatoid arthritis].

Objectives: The various biologic agents currently available for the treatment of RA can be administered subcutaneously (s.c.) or via intravenous (i.

Emerging treatment strategies and potential therapeutic targets in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a common autoimmune disease which can lead to considerable complications and diminished quality of life. Recent insights into disease mechanisms and the advent of biological agents have provided new options for the treatment of pSS. In particular, B cell targeted intervention has shown promising results.

[Leg ulcer in mixed connective tissue disease. Resolution during sitaxsentan therapy].

Leg ulcers may result in serious morbidity in patients with connective tissue diseases and Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). We describe a 35-year-old woman with mixed connective tissue disease who suffered from leg ulcers refractory to iloprost. When the patient was treated with the selective endothelin A receptor antagonist sitaxsentan for pulmonary arterial hypertension, the ulcers improved within 4 weeks and resolved completely thereafter.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor may contribute to vasculopathy in systemic sclerosis.

Increasing evidence supports the concept of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) as a central proinflammatory cytokine in autoimmune diseases. To further evaluate its role in systemic sclerosis (SSc), serum levels of MIF were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay, and correlations to clinical manifestations were analyzed in 43 patients. MIF levels were significantly increased in patients (median, 18.

The role of interleukin-10 promoter polymorphisms in primary Sjogren's syndrome.

Objective: To determine the impact of a broad spectrum of different polymorphisms within the interleukin-10 (IL-10) promoter gene on disease susceptibility to primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS), clinical manifestations, and autoantibody production.

Methods: We genotyped 111 unrelated German Caucasian patients with pSS and 145 healthy controls for the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at positions -2849, -2776, -2769, -2763, -1349, -1082, -851, -819, -657, and -592 and for the microsatellites IL10.R and IL10.

Interferon-gamma is increased in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome and Raynaud's phenomenon.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) and to identify clinical and immunological characteristics associated with this manifestation. Since increased interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) has been associated with RP, we also compared the INF-gamma production in pSS patients with or without RP.

Methods: RP was diagnosed if pSS patients presented with characteristic sequence of skin color changes of the digits.

Mycophenolate sodium treatment in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome: a pilot trial.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate sodium (MPS) in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) refractory to other immunosuppressive agents. Eleven patients with pSS were treated with MPS up to 1,440 mg daily for an observation period of 6 months in this single-center, open-label pilot trial. At baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months, we examined the clinical status, including glandular function tests, as well as different laboratory parameters associated with pSS.

Increased serum levels of macrophage migration inhibitory factor in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome.

The objective of this study was to analyse levels of the proinflammatory cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and to examine associations of MIF with clinical, serological and immunological variables. MIF was determined by ELISA in the sera of 76 patients with pSS. Further relevant cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha) secreted by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were determined by ELISPOT assay.

Clinical and immunological characteristics of patients with Sjögren's syndrome in relation to alpha-fodrin antibodies.

Objectives: To analyse the prevalence of alpha-fodrin antibodies in patients with primary (pSS) and secondary Sjögren's syndrome (sSS) and the relation to clinical, serological and immunological features.

Methods: Serum IgA and IgG antibodies to the 120 kDa alpha-fodrin were determined by ELISA technique in 62 pSS patients and 28 sSS patients. Results were correlated with clinical symptoms and laboratory findings as well as with the HLA-DR genotype.