The diagnosis of early arthritis is often difficult even though it is an important issue. A step-by-step clinical examination is necessary to make the diagnosis of "joint emergency": an infection must be suspected when fever is associated with arthritis. Then, classification of early arthritis will be carried on with a special attention to rheumatoid arthritis when the rheumatism is persistent and erosive. However, arthritis might be undifferentiated for several months to years; such an explanation should be given to the patient. A tight follow-up is necessary.
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Int J Mol Sci
December 2024
Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Traian Vuia 6, 020956 Bucharest, Romania.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by the breakdown of cartilage and the subsequent inflammation of joint tissues, leading to pain and reduced mobility. Despite advancements in symptomatic treatments, disease-modifying therapies for OA remain limited. This narrative review examines the dual role of autophagy in OA, emphasizing its protective functions during the early stages and its potential to contribute to cartilage degeneration in later stages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Mol Sci
December 2024
Prospect Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology & Neurology, Kaohsiung 811026, Taiwan.
Hearing impairment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis has been underestimated for decades. Rheumatoid arthritis can affect both the middle ear (specifically, the incudomalleolar and incudostapedial joints) and inner ear (including the cochlea and acoustic nerve) simultaneously. Despite ongoing research, consensus on effective treatments for hearing impairment in these patients remains elusive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Med
December 2024
Department of Hematology and Immunology, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Kahoku-gun 920-0293, Japan.
: Osteoporosis is common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), occurring either systemically or locally around inflamed joints. Decreased metacarpal bone density is a known marker of RA progression and hand function impairment. Although RA is generally characterized by symmetrical arthritis, some patients exhibit asymmetrical joint involvement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiagnostics (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, "Dr. Ion Cantacuzino" Clinical Hospital, 011437 Bucharest, Romania.
Coatomer subunit α (COPA) syndrome is a mendelian autosomal dominant immune dysregulation disease characterized by early onset lung disease in the form of diffuse alveolar hemorrhaging or interstitial lung disease, frequently associated with arthritis, glomerulonephritis, and high titer autoantibodies usually mimicking other autoimmune diseases. While immunosuppressive medication has been effective in controlling arthritis, data on long-term lung disease control remains scarce, which poses a real challenge as the progression of lung disease is the main cause of poor life expectancy in COPA patients. Nevertheless, JAK inhibitor therapy seems to be the most promising therapeutic choice now.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiomolecules
November 2024
Department of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, ul. Jedności 8, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.
Cartilage destruction in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is diagnosed, often too late, on basis of clinical evaluation and radiographic imaging. This case-control study investigated serum chondroitin/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS) as a potential biochemical marker of cartilage metabolism, aiming to improve early diagnosis and precision treatment for JIA. We also measured the levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) (using ELISA methods) in JIA patients ( = 55) both before and after treatment (prednisone, sulfasalazine, methotrexate, administered together), and analyzed their relationships with CS/DS levels.
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