Induction of sustained remission in early inflammatory arthritis with the combination of infliximab plus methotrexate: the DINORA trial.

Background: In the present study, we explored the effects of immediate induction therapy with the anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)α antibody infliximab (IFX) plus methotrexate (MTX) compared with MTX alone and with placebo (PL) in patients with very early inflammatory arthritis.

Methods: In an investigator-initiated, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, multi-centre trial (ISRCTN21272423, http://www.isrctn.

Ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and reactive arthritis show increased bone resorption, but differ with regard to bone formation.

Objective: To test if markers of bone metabolism are altered in patients with seronegative spondyloarthropathies (SSpA).

Methods: We studied biochemical markers of bone resorption and bone formation, osteoprotegerin (OPG), and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and reactive arthritis (ReA) and healthy volunteers.

Results: The bone resorption markers urinary deoxypyridinoline and crosslinked telopeptide of collagen-I were significantly increased in patients with AS, PsA, and ReA; in PsA they correlated with the acute phase response (C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate).

Joint protection and home hand exercises improve hand function in patients with hand osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To determine the effect of joint protection and home exercises on hand function of patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Randomized, controlled, 3-month trial with a blinded assessor. Primary outcome parameter was grip strength; secondary parameters were Health Assessment Questionnaire and visual analog scales (VAS) for pain and global hand function.