Investigating the Additive Effects of Loxacon Food Supplement Capsules in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis. A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled, Crossover, Follow-Up, Three-Arm Study.

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common locomotor diseases, with a steadily increasing prevalence and incidence. Loxacon is a food supplement capsule containing vitamins, minerals, and herbal extracts with extract and extract as its two main active components. The study involved 88 patients at 4 sites.

The Effects of Lakitelek Thermal Water and Tap Water on Skin Microbiome, a Randomized Control Pilot Study.

The beneficial effects of balneotherapy have been proven by numerous clinical studies on locomotor disorders. To date, there is only scant data on changes in the microbiome system of the skin during balneotherapy. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of thermal water and tap water on the skin's microbiome in healthy volunteers.

Evaluation of the effects of Lake Hévíz sulfur thermal water on skin microbiome in plaque psoriasis: An open label, pilot study.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. It is associated with changes in skin microbiome. The aim of this study was to evaluate how Lake Hévíz sulfur thermal water influences the composition of microbial communities that colonizes skin in patients with psoriasis.

The effects of immersion in 42℃ radon, natrium, calcium, bicarbonate content thermal-mineral water on chronic low back pain. Controlled, follow-up study.

In our minimized follow-up trial with 137 participants with chronic low back pain, one group of participants received regular outpatient care, and the other group received balneotherapy by immersion in 42℃ thermal-mineral water in addition to regular outpatient care on 15 occasions for 3 weeks. Pain on movement and at rest on the 0-100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry index, the number of participants evaluating the symptoms clinically acceptable (Patient Acceptable Symptom State, PASS) and the EuroQol-5D-5L (EQ-5D-5L) quality of life questionnaire were assessed at basal time (at week 0) and after balneotherapy (at weeks 3 and 12). The VAS pain scores, the Oswestry index, the EQ-5D-5L index and the EQ-VAS significantly improved in the balneotherapy group after treatment at week 3 (p < 0.

The Role of IgG Fc Region N-Glycosylation in the Pathomechanism of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs) are involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. N-glycosylation pattern of ACPA-IgG and healthy IgG Fc differs. The aim of this study is to determine the relative sialylation and galactosylation level of ACPAs and control IgG to assess their capability of inducing TNFα production, and furthermore, to analyze the correlations between the composition of Fc glycans and inflammatory markers in RA.

Treatment Satisfaction, Patient Preferences, and the Impact of Suboptimal Disease Control in a Large International Rheumatoid Arthritis Cohort: SENSE Study.

Background: Patients' needs and perspectives are important determinants of treatment success in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Assessing patients' perspectives can help identify unmet needs and enhance the understanding of treatment benefits.

Objective: The SENSE study assessed the impact of inadequate response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on treatment satisfaction, disease outcomes, and patient perspectives related to RA disease management.

A multicentre randomized controlled follow-up study of the effects of the underwater traction therapy in chronic low back pain.

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most costly diseases in the developed world. This study aimed to investigate the effects of underwater traction therapy on chronic low back pain. The primary objective was to prove that underwater traction therapy has favorable effects on LBP.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis facing sick leave or work disability meet varying regulations: a study among rheumatologists and patients from 44 European countries.

Objectives: To describe and explore differences in formal regulations around sick leave and work disability (WD) for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as well as perceptions by rheumatologists and patients on the system's performance, across European countries.

Methods: We conducted three cross-sectional surveys in 50 European countries: one on work (re-)integration and social security (SS) system arrangements in case of sick leave and long-term WD due to RA (one rheumatologist per country), and two among approximately 15 rheumatologists and 15 patients per country on perceptions regarding SS arrangements on work participation. Differences in regulations and perceptions were compared across categories defined by gross domestic product (GDP), type of social welfare regime, European Union (EU) membership and country RA WD rates.

A prospective observational study on the long-term results of Yttrium citrate radiosynoviorthesis of synovitis in osteoarthritis of the knee joint.

Objectives: Radiosynoviorthesis (RSO) is used for the treatment of inflammatory joint diseases. However, there are no long-term results published comparing it to conservative therapy. Therefore, the aim of this prospective observational study was to evaluate response rates after radionuclide therapy in patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis over a time period of 10 years.

Hyperacute serum has markedly better regenerative efficacy than platelet-rich plasma in a human bone oxygen-glucose deprivation model.

Aim: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyperacute serum (HAS) were compared in a novel human model of ex vivo bone damage induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD).

Materials & Methods: Osteoarthritic subchondral bone pieces were harvested from discarded femoral heads during hip replacement surgery and subjected to transient OGD.

Results: Proteome profiling revealed that PRP is more angiopoietic, whereas HAS is more antiangiopoietic in composition.

The Effects of Hyperacute Serum on the Elements of the Human Subchondral Bone Marrow Niche.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are widely used in laboratory experiments as well as in human cell therapy. Their culture requires animal sera like fetal calf serum (FCS) as essential supplementation; however, animal sera pose a risk for clinical applications. Human blood derivatives, for example, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) releasates, are potential replacements of FCS; however, it is unclear which serum variant has the best effect on the given cell or tissue type.

Correction to: The effects of the calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate content in thermal mineral water on chronic low back pain: a randomized, controlled follow-up study.

The original article mistakenly displays each set of author names in the wrong order, i.e., first names as last names and vice versa.

The effects of the calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate content in thermal mineral water on chronic low back pain: a randomized, controlled follow-up study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of balneotherapy on chronic low back pain. This is a minimized, follow-up study evaluated according to the analysis of intention to treat. The subjects included in the study were 105 patients suffering from chronic low back pain.

The presence of small joint contractures is a risk factor for survival in 439 patients with systemic sclerosis.

Objectives: Analysis of risk factors and mortality of 439 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) in a tertiary care centre.

Methods: The mean follow up time was 8.4±5.

Evaluation of the Effect of Hévíz Mud in Patients with Hand Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Controlled, Single-Blind Follow-Up Study.

Background: Heat therapy is one of the most popular non-pharmacological treatments for osteoarthritis of the hand.

Objectives: To investigate the therapeutic and chemical effects of Hévíz mud on patients with hand osteoarthritis.

Methods: We randomly assigned 47 patients with mild-to-moderate hand osteoarthritis to two groups.

In vitro eradication of citrullinated protein specific B-lymphocytes of rheumatoid arthritis patients by targeted bifunctional nanoparticles.

Background: Autoreactive B cells are crucial players in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Autoantibodies specific for citrullinated proteins (ACPA), present in the serum of approximately 60-70 % of patients, have a pathogenic role in the disease. B cell depleting therapies may result in a transient immunosuppression, increasing the risk of infections.

Isolation of Exosomes from Blood Plasma: Qualitative and Quantitative Comparison of Ultracentrifugation and Size Exclusion Chromatography Methods.

Background: Exosomes are emerging targets for biomedical research. However, suitable methods for the isolation of blood plasma-derived exosomes without impurities have not yet been described.

Aim: Therefore, we investigated the efficiency and purity of exosomes isolated with potentially suitable methods; differential ultracentrifugation (UC) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC).

The EULAR Study Group for Registers and Observational Drug Studies: comparability of the patient case mix in the European biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug registers.

Objective: Under the auspices of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), a study group of investigators representing European biologic DMARD (bDMARD) registers was convened. The purpose of this initial assessment was to collect and compare a cross section of patient characteristics and collate information on the availability of potential confounders within these registers.

Methods: Baseline characteristics of patients starting their first bDMARD in an arbitrary year (2008) for the treatment of RA, including demographic and disease characteristics, bDMARD drug details and co-morbidities, were collected and compared across 14 European bDMARD registers.

Suppression of innate and adaptive B cell activation pathways by antibody coengagement of FcγRIIb and CD19.

The Fc receptor (FcγRIIb) inhibits B cell responses when coengaged with B cell receptor (BCR), and has become a target for new autoimmune disease therapeutics. For example, BCR and FcγRIIb coengagement via the Fc-engineered anti-CD19 XmAb5871 suppresses humoral immune responses. We now assess effects of XmAb5871 on other activation pathways, including the pathogen-associated molecular pattern receptor, TLR9.

Bead arrays for antibody and complement profiling reveal joint contribution of antibody isotypes to C3 deposition.

The development of antigen arrays has provided researchers with great tools to identify reactivities against self or foreign antigens from body fluids. Yet, these approaches mostly do not address antibody isotypes and their effector functions even though these are key points for a more detailed understanding of disease processes. Here, we present a bead array-based assay for a multiplexed determination of antigen-specific antibody levels in parallel with their properties for complement activation.

Emerging role of extracellular vesicles in inflammatory diseases.

The discovery that submicron-sized extracellular vesicles (EVs) are generated by both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells might have a profound effect on experimental and clinical sciences, and could pave the way for new strategies to combat various diseases. EVs are carriers of pathogen-associated and damage-associated molecular patterns, cytokines, autoantigens and tissue-degrading enzymes. In addition to a possible role in the pathogenesis of a number of inflammatory conditions, such as infections and autoimmune diseases, EVs, including microvesicles (also known as microparticles), exosomes and apoptotic vesicles, have therapeutic potential and might be used as biomarkers for inflammatory diseases.

Phase 3 study comparing tigecycline and ertapenem in patients with diabetic foot infections with and without osteomyelitis.

A phase 3, randomized, double-blind trial was conducted in subjects with diabetic foot infections without osteomyelitis (primary study) or with osteomyelitis (substudy) to determine the efficacy and safety of parenteral (intravenous [iv]) tigecycline (150 mg once-daily) versus 1 g once-daily iv ertapenem ± vancomycin. Among 944 subjects in the primary study who received ≥1 dose of study drug, >85% had type 2 diabetes; ~90% had Perfusion, Extent, Depth/tissue loss, Infection, and Sensation infection grade 2 or 3; and ~20% reported prior antibiotic failure. For the clinically evaluable population at test-of-cure, 77.

Evidence-based hydro- and balneotherapy in Hungary--a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Balneotherapy is appreciated as a traditional treatment modality in medicine. Hungary is rich in thermal mineral waters. Balneotherapy has been in extensive use for centuries and its effects have been studied in detail.

Ocrelizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against CD20 for inflammatory disorders and B-cell malignancies.

Biogen Idec Inc, Genentech Inc, Roche Holding AG and Chugai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd are developing ocrelizumab, a humanized mAb against CD20, for the potential treatment of inflammatory disorders and B-cell malignancies. Ocrelizumab is undergoing phase III clinical trials for rheumatoid arthritis and lupus nephritis, and phase II trials for multiple sclerosis and hematological cancer. Previously, ocrelizumab was also being developed for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and neuromyelitis optica; however, development for SLE has been discontinued.

Chondrogenic potential of mesenchymal stem cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis: measurements in a microculture system.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to differentiate into distinct mesenchymal tissues; including cartilage and bone, they can be an attractive cell source for cartilage tissue engineering approaches. Our objective here was to compare the in vitro chondrogenic potential of MSCs isolated from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) with cells from normal donors.

Methods: Marrow samples were removed during bone surgery and adherent cell cultures were established.