BACKGROUND Proteoglycan aggrecan (PG)-induced arthritis (PGIA) is the only systemic autoimmune murine model which affects the axial skeleton, but no studies have been performed characterising the progression of spine involvement. OBJECTIVES To follow pathological events in experimental spondylitis, and underline its clinical, radiographic, and histological similarities to human ankylosing spo...

We have described a boy with a juvenile spondyloarthropathy who also showed inflammatory changes in the gut. Gastrointestinal symptoms initially indicated the presence of an inflammatory bowel disease, but this was excluded histopathologically.

In Japan, sacroiliitis is a very rare extraintestinal manifestation in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and it typically presents with intestinal symptoms. Radiography is used for diagnosis, and reveals erosions, sclerosis, and ankylosis, but magnetic resonance imaging is more useful for early detection. The treatment of spondyloarthropathy such as sacroiliitis and spondylitis includes ph...

Sir, There has been a resurgence of tuberculosis worldwide. Approximately 10-11% of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis involves joints and bones, which is approximately 1-3% of all TB cases.1 A high degree of sensitivity to this diagnosis would permit prompt institution of anti-TB therapy and prevent irreversible joint damage. A 30 years female, presented with complaints of low backache of 2 month du...

OBJECTIVES To compare human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and HIV-uninfected children with arthritis of unknown origin to determine whether the association between HIV infection and arthritis is causal or coincidental. METHOD Retrospective review of 132 children with arthritis who were tested for HIV infection. RESULTS Thirty-five (27%) of the children were HIV infected and the male...

term hemodialysis and it is characterized by the accumulation of β2-microglobulin in the osteoarticular structures. In 1984, Kuntz et al. (1) first described destructive spondyloarthropathy in ten patients who received longterm hemodialysis. The lesions in that study were radiographically characterized by severe narrowing of the intervertebral disk and erosions and cysts of the adjacent vertebr...

Following the clinical observation of a peculiar joint pattern in children with Lyme arthritis, we classified the pattern of joint involvement in children with oligoarticular arthritis (2-4 joints) of different causes, including Lyme arthritis, juvenile chronic arthritis and juvenile spondyloarthropathy, as: (1) symmetrical: arthritis of the same joints on both sides of the body; (2) unilateral...

Joint ankylosis is a major cause of disability in the human spondyloarthropathies. Here we report that this process partially recapitulates embryonic endochondral bone formation in a spontaneous model of arthritis in DBA/1 mice. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling appears to be a key molecular pathway involved in this pathological cascade. Systemic gene transfer of noggin, a BMP antagoni...