Recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of Beh?et′s syndrome in China / 中华内科杂志

Beh?et′s syndrome (BS) is classified among variable vessel vasculitis with unknown etiology and extensively heterogeneous clinical features. It is easily missed or misdiagnosed due to the lack of a specific laboratory diagnosis index. Based on the evidence and guidelines from China and other countries, the Chinese Rheumatology Association developed the standardization of diagnosis and treatment of BS. The purposes are: (1) To standardize the detection and interpretation of key indicators for BS; (2) To standardize rational management for BS patients with topical and systemic organ involvement to reduce complications and improve outcomes.

The effect of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor on bone mineral density of active rheumatoid arthritis patients with low bone mass / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective To explore the effect of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors therapy on bone mineral density (BMD) in active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with low bone mass.Methods Sixtytwo active RA patients with low bone mass were treated with a standard treatment of calcium carbonate 0.5 g/d and alfacalcidol 0.25 μg/d,and were divided into two groups.Patients of the control group were treated with methotrexate 10 mg per week,while patients of the experimental group were treated with combined recombinant human type Ⅱ tumor necrosis factor receptor-antibody fusion protein 50 mg per week or adalimumab 40 mg/2 week subcutaneously for 12 months with methotrexate.BMD of lumbar spine (L2-4),femoral neck,trochanter and Ward's triangle region by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA),as well as the bone turnover markers serum C telopeptide of type-Ⅰ collagen (CTX-Ⅰ) and serum procollagen type-Ⅰ N propeptide (PINP) were measured by enzyme-linkedimmunosorbent assay (ELISA) in both groups at the baseline,treatment for six-month and twelve-month.T test and Chi-square test was used to process the data.Results ① After 6 months of treatment,the BMD of lumbar spine,femoral neck and trochanter in the group with TNF-α inhibitors were higher than the control group [(0.68±0.08) g/cm2 vs (0.65±0.06) g/cm2,t=2.269,P=0.027; (0.63±0.08) g/cm2 vs (0.58±0.09) g/cm2,t=2.111,P=0.040; (0.61±0.10) g/cm2 vs (0.56±0.07) g/cm2,t=2.203,P=0.032; respectively].And after 12 months,the BMD of all regions were significantly higher thanthe control group [spine,(0.68±0.07) g/cm2 vs (0.62±0.08) g/cm2,t=5.115,P=0.000; femoral neck,(0.63±0.08)g/cm2 vs (0.56±0.08) g/cm2,t=3.475,P=0.001; Ward's triangle region (0.60±0.08) g/cm2 vs (0.56±0.08) g/cm2,t=2.309,P=0.025; trochanter,(0.61±0.10) g/cm2 vs (0.53±0.08) g/cm2,t=3.254,P=0.002; respectively].② Compared to the baseline,BMD of lumbar spine was significantly decreased in the control group after 12 months.While in the group of TNF-α inhibitors,BMD of lumbar spine was increased[(0.66±0.08) g/cm2 vs (0.68±0.07)g/cm2,t=3.411,P=0.001].③ Compared to the baseline,CTX-Ⅰ,a marker of bone resorption was significantly decreased at 6 months and 12 months in the group with TNF-αinhibitors [6 months,(0.33±0.2) ng/ml vs (0.46±0.22) ng/ml,t=5.548,P＜0.01; 12 months,(0.31±0.21) ng/ml vs (0.46±0.22) ng/ml,t=5.974,P＜0.01],while this decline was not found in the control group.PINP,a marker of bone formation was stable in both 2 groups during the study.Conclusion In active RA patients with low bone mass,loss of BMD in the spine and hip can be arrested by the treatmentof TNF-α inhibitors.

Clinical analysis of 52 cases with fibromyalgia syndrome / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective To analyze the clinical features,diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgiav syndrome (FMS).Methods Retrospectively analyzed 52 cases of FMS treated in our hospital between July,2008 to July,2011,and its clinical features,laboratory examination results,treatment and prognosis were analyzed.Results The ratio of female and male patients was 9∶1 in 52 FMS patients.The diagnosis was delayed for four years in average.Pain of FMS was diffuse and tenderness was symmetrical.Fatigue and sleepdisorder were the most common symptoms.There were no specific laboratory tests for this condition.Symptoms of 21 patients (57％) were alleviated among 37 patients who received drug treatment only,and comparatively,the symptoms of 12 patents (80％) were alleviated among 15 patients who received combined drugs and non-drug treatment.Conclusion The incidence of FMS is high and its clinical features vary.Clinician should pay much attention to the disease.Because the study sample size is small,so further study is needed to demonstrate the superiority of the combined therapy.

Expression of matrix metalloprotienase-9 and extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducers in the labial gland of patients with primary Sjiigrens's syndrome / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective patients with pSS and 30 cases of healthv contrels.The streptavidin immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression and distribution of MMP-9 and CD147 in labial salivary glands.Quantitative analysis was performed by image analysis software-image plus 5.0 at the site of positive expression of MMP-9 and CD147.The correlation between their expression and the infiltrating lymphocyte foci per 4 mm2 of labial gland was analyzed by SPSS software as well as the correlation between the expression of MMP-9 and CD 147 in the salivary glands of patients with pSS.Results MMP-9 was hiKhly expressed in labial salivary glands from 52 patients with pSS and 30 healthy controls,but the expression of MMP-9 in pSS was stronger compared with that of healthy controls(P<0.01).There was a significant positive correlation between lymphocyte foci score and up-regulated expression of MMP-9 in labial salivary glands from 52 patients with pSS(P<0.01).CD147 was highly expressed in labial salivary glands from 52 patients with pSS and 23 healthy controls，but over-expression of CD147 in PSS was more Drominent compared with that of controls(P<0.01).There was a significant positive correlation between lymphocyte foci score and up-regulated expression of CD147 in labial salivary glands from 52 patients with pSS(P<0.01).The expression of MMP-9 and CDl47 was detected in ductal and acinar epithelial cells,lymphocyte foci in pSS.There was linear correlation between the expression of MMP-9 and CDl47 in the salivary glands of patients with pSS(P<0.01).Conclusion The results of this study suggest that the abnormal expression of MMP-9 and CD 147 is involved in the pathogenesis of pSS and play a crucial role.The interaction of MMP-9 and CD147 may be one of theimportant mechanisms leading to labial salivary glands destruction found in pSS.