A comparison of sleep in rheumatic and non-rheumatic patients.

The St. Mary's Hospital Sleep Questionnaire was used to investigate sleep in 439 hospitalized rheumatic and non-rheumatic patients. This questionnaire enabled an evaluation of both the level of sleep disturbance and the causes of such disturbance.

Effects of sulphasalazine on faecal flora in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison with penicillamine.

Twenty-six out-patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were randomly allocated to treatment with sulphasalazine (SASP) or D-penicillamine (DPA). Faecal samples were collected from all patients at 4-weekly intervals and examined for changes in faecal flora during treatment. Both treatment groups showed substantial clinical improvement.

Comparison of faecal florae in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and controls.

The faecal flora of 25 out-patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was compared with that of 25 age- and sex-matched controls. A comprehensive survey revealed a significantly higher carriage rate of Clostridium perfringens in the RA population (88%) than controls (48%) (p less than 0.01).

[Biomechanical aspects of human joints].

The value of biomechanical studies of human joints is illustrated. The investigation of stiffness of joints has suggested that subjective stiffness is more likely to be related to limitation of movement of a joint than to increased physical stiffness. A knee analyser has been constructed to measure ligamentous and meniscal damage.

Proper poster presentation: a visual and verbal ABC.

The 58 posters exhibited at the 1985 Annual General Meeting of the British Society for Rheumatology have been analysed for 13 variables considered important in the construction of a good poster. In particular the attributes of information, simplicity and visual attractiveness were studied. The time spent by viewers was also measured for one selected poster each in immunology, biochemistry, therapeutics and clinical medicine.

Yersinia enterocolitis in iron overload.

Yersinia enterocolitis with peritonitis and septicaemia developed in a 4-year-old child with thalassemia intermedia and iron overload. It is likely that the illness was exacerbated by continued administration of desferrioxamine, a bacterial siderophore, which facilitated systemic spread of Yersinia. It is recommended that Yersinia enterocolitis be considered in children with iron overload and that desferrioxamine be discontinued and prophylactic antibiotics be administered while Yersinia is sought.

Serum biochemistry in rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative arthropathies, osteoarthritis, SLE and normal subjects.

Most arthritic conditions are characterized by chronic inflammation, resulting in secondary changes in serum biochemistry. In an attempt to profile different mechanisms of inflammation which might account for the clinical diversity of rheumatic diseases, we have measured C-reactive protein (CRP), plasma viscosity, serum histidine and total serum sulphydryl in 259 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 84 with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 76 with osteoarthritis, 69 with psoriatic arthritis, 34 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 36 with Reiter's syndrome and 121 normal controls. The most extreme abnormalities were seen in rheumatoid arthritis and the least in osteoarthritis.

Functional assessment of the hand: reproducibility, acceptability, and utility of a new system for measuring strength.

A new system for measuring strength of the hand using a torsion dynamometer linked to a microprocessor is described. The system permits analysis of timed squeezes of both grip and pinch and is adjustable to all sizes of hand and degrees of hand deformity. Results obtained with the system were found to be reproducible, and the rigid device was acceptable to a group of patients with arthritic hands.

A controlled trial of nandrolone decanoate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in postmenopausal women.

To determine whether an anabolic steroid had any benefit in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis 47 patients entered a parallel group study. Twenty four received nandrolone decanoate 50 mg intramuscularly every third week for two years and 23 patients received no anabolic steroids. Other therapy was unaltered.

Laser surgery for vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia: principles and results.

Twenty-nine patients with grade 3 vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia were treated with the carbon dioxide laser while they were under anesthesia. Superficial lesions in nonhairy areas were vaporized to less than 1 mm, but lesions extending onto hairy areas were vaporized to 3 mm to destroy disease in skin appendages. Eighty-three percent of lesions involved nonhairy areas alone.

Sulphasalazine alone or in combination with D-penicillamine in rheumatoid arthritis.

Thirty patients (22 women) with active rheumatoid arthritis participated in an open study of 6 months' treatment with either enteric-coated sulphasalazine (SASP) or SASP plus D-penicillamine (DPA). Patients were assessed at regular intervals using a number of clinical and biochemical tests designed to detect specific antirheumatic activity. There were significant improvements in clinical and laboratory variables with both regimens consistent with second-line activity.

Pharmacokinetics of tenoxicam after oral administration in healthy human subjects of various single doses.

Single oral dose pharmacokinetics of tenoxicam in the dose range intended for therapeutic application of the drug have been defined in healthy human subjects. Twelve male volunteers were given, in random fashion, oral administration of 10, 20 or 40 mg of tenoxicam. Plasma drug levels were determined by a standard HPLC method with U.

Heberden oration 1985. The rheology of joints.

The value of rheological studies of joint tissues has been illustrated by studies from our department. These have included studies of the stiffness of joints which suggest that subjective stiffness is more likely to be related to limitation of movement of a joint than to increased physical stiffness (either elastic or dissipative torques). A review of goniometry suggests that the diminution of joint movement with advancing age varies with the frequency of use of the joint.

A study to determine the clinical relevance of the pharmacokinetic interaction between aspirin and diclofenac.

Interaction studies in the rat and healthy human volunteers have shown that protein binding of diclofenac is reduced by the addition of salicylic acid causing an increased free drug level of diclofenac. The diclofenac area under curve (AUC) is also reduced by approximately one-third in the presence of salicylate. We have performed a crossover comparison of soluble aspirin, diclofenac and the two drugs in combination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis to determine whether this had clinical relevance.

A new surgical approach to duplications of the intestine.

Two unusual intestinal duplications are described. In each case the mesenteric duplication had a separate muscular coat from the normal bowel permitting complete excision of the duplication without interference with the blood supply to the normal intestine.

Influence of Meloidogyne incognita on Resistant and Susceptible Sweet Potato Cultivars.

Effects of several population densities ofMeloidogyne incognita on the sweet potato cultivars Centennial (susceptible) and Jasper (moderately resistant) were studied. Field plots were infested with initial levels (Pi) of 0, 10, 100, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 eggs and juveniles/500 cm(3) soil in 1980 and 0, 100, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000 in 1981. M.

Serum and synovial fluid histidine: a comparison in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

The serum and synovial fluid (SF) histidine, sulphydryl, and protein concentrations were compared in simultaneous samples from 84 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a control group comprising 29 patients with osteoarthritis (OA). The SF levels of histidine were higher than the serum levels in the RA patients but significantly lower than corresponding results in patients with OA (P less than 0.001).