Objective: We sought to prospectively examine the responsiveness of a number of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures in polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), as well as their relationship to the biomarkers erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and plasma fibrinogen.
Methods: Sixty patients with PMR were divided into active (n = 25) or inactive (n = 35) disease groups based on symptoms; physician assessment; and the biomarkers ESR, CRP, and plasma fibrinogen. Groups underwent assessment at baseline and 6 weeks. Disease activity measures and relevant PRO measures were recorded. Measures of responsiveness were compared for all PRO and biomarkers.
Results: Visual analog scale disease activity (VASDA) and VAS quality of life (VASQOL) are more responsive to change in disease activity than VAS pain, morning stiffness, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and PMR-activity score (AS). Analysis of PMR-AS versus VASDA, VASQOL, and HAQ showed correlation coefficients of 0.87 (p < 0.001), 0.80 (p < 0.001), and 0.68 (p < 0.001), respectively. Receiver-operating curve (ROC) analysis revealed VASDA to be more specific than either HAQ (0.95 vs 0.85; p < 0.001) or VASQOL (0.95 vs 0.93; p < 0.001) for the detection of response to treatment in active PMR. Overall, fibrinogen showed superior correlation coefficients with the various PRO than either of the standard biomarkers ESR or CRP. In addition, standardized response means for fibrinogen, ESR, and CRP were 1.63, 1.2, and 1.05, respectively, indicating that plasma fibrinogen was the most responsive biomarker for assessment of change in disease activity.
Conclusion: VASDA and VASQOL are the most responsive PRO to changes in disease activity in PMR. In addition, plasma fibrinogen demonstrated greater responsiveness to changes in disease activity and superior correlation with the various PRO measures recorded than did the standard biomarkers ESR and CRP.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.131055 | DOI Listing |
J Evid Based Integr Med
January 2025
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Beirut Arab University, Beirut, Lebanon.
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February 2025
Department of Structural Biology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, USA.
Periodontal diseases afflict 20-50% of the global population and carry serious health and economic burdens. Chronic periodontitis is characterized by inflammation of the periodontal pocket caused by dysbiosis. This dysbiosis is coupled with an increase in the population of Treponema denticola, a spirochete bacterium with high mobility and invasivity mediated by a number of virulence factors.
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January 2025
Stomatological Hospital, School of Stomatology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510280, China. E-mail:
Severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), characterized by profound immune system dysfunction, can lead to life-threatening infections and death. Animal models play a pivotal role in elucidating biological processes and advancing therapeutic strategies. Recent advances in gene-editing technologies, including zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), CRISPR/Cas9, and base editing, have significantly enhanced the generation of SCID models.
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January 2025
Institute of Brain Science and Disease, School of Basic Medicine, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Neurological Disorders, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, China. E-mail:
Substantial evidence points to the early onset of peripheral inflammation in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD), supporting the "body-first" hypothesis. However, there remains a notable absence of PD-specific animal models induced by inflammatory cytokines. This study introduces a novel mouse model of PD driven by the proinflammatory cytokine CXCL1, identified in our previous research.
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January 2025
School of Basic Medicine, Institute of Brain Science and Disease, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis and Prevention of Brain Diseases, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266071, China. E-mail:
Iron is the most abundant transition metal in the brain and is essential for brain development and neuronal function; however, its abnormal accumulation is also implicated in various neurological disorders. The olfactory bulb (OB), an early target in neurodegenerative diseases, acts as a gateway for environmental toxins and contains diverse neuronal populations with distinct roles. This study explored the cell-specific vulnerability to iron in the OB using a mouse model of intranasal administration of ferric ammonium citrate (FAC).
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