Studying the factors that control gene expression is of substantial importance for rheumatic diseases with poorly understood etiopathogenesis. In the past, gene expression microarrays have been used to measure transcript abundance on a genome-wide scale in a particular cell, tissue or organ. Microarray analysis has led to gene signatures that differentiate rheumatic diseases, and stages of a di...

Considerable evidence indicates that viruses may be important environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. A concordance rate of 25% for the most common illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in monozygotic twins shows that genetic factors influence susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. Alternatively, a 70% discordance ...

Considerable evidence indicates that viruses may be important environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. A concordance rate of 25% for the most common illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in monozygotic twins shows that genetic factors influence susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. Alternatively, a 70% discordance ...

Considerable evidence indicates that viruses may be important environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. A concordance rate of 25% for the most common illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in monozygotic twins shows that genetic factors influence susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. Alternatively, a 70% discordance ...

To develop recommendations for the management of medium to high-dose (ie, >7.5 mg but ≤100 mg prednisone equivalent daily) systemic glucocorticoid (GC) therapy in rheumatic diseases. A multidisciplinary EULAR task force was formed, including rheumatic patients. After discussing the results of a general initial search on risks of GC therapy, each participant contributed 10 propositions on key cl...

Th e value of glucocorticoid therapy was discovered 65 years ago. In 1949, Philip Hench reported the dramatic eff ect of compound E on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) [1]. Nowadays, glucocorticoids play a pivotal role in the management of many infl ammatory rheumatic diseases [2-7]. Glucocorticoids represent the most frequently em ployed class of anti-infl ammatory drugs, with a rise in use in recent...

We appreciate the letter to the editor by Alkan et al. [1] in response to our recently published article [2]. Alkan et al. bring up some potentially valid points about our study. They suggest rheumatic diseases should have been excluded from the study population, as these conditions are ‘important causatives for chronic inflammation.’ They also suggest the inclusion of elderly subjects older th...

Considerable evidence indicates that viruses may be important environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. A concordance rate of 25% for the most common illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in monozygotic twins shows that genetic factors influence susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. Alternatively, a 70% discordance ...

During recent years atherosclerosis, the major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD), has been recognised as a chronic inflammatory condition in which rupture of atherosclerotic lesions appears to play a major role. The risk of CVD is raised in many rheumatic diseases. This risk is high in systemic lupus erythematosus - as much as a 50-times increase among middle-aged women has been reported. S...

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and rheumatic diseases in the southeastern Mexican state of Yucatán. METHODS Using the Community Oriented Program in the Rheumatic Diseases (COPCORD) methodology, we performed a door-to-door, cross-sectional study generated through a multistage, stratified, randomized method on 3915 adult residents (age 42.7 ± 17.1 yrs; women 61...