Arthritis Research and Th erapy could draw such great interest from the readers. Th e following is our response to Ma and colleagues' concerns [1]. In response to the fi rst question, at the beginning of the research we had screened the entire apoptotic pathways using the Rat Apoptosis RT2 Profi ler™ PCR Array (SABiosciences, Frederick, MD, USA), and the result (Table 1 in the original paper [2...

1 of 2 DESCRIPTION A 32-year-old male patient presented with an acute polyarticular gout attack. Gout diagnosis was made 16 years before by isolation of monosodium urate crystals in synovial liquid. He had a frequency of four to fi ve attacks of gout per year. Acute attacks were treated with non-steroidal anti-infl ammatory drugs (ibuprofen) and colchicine. He was on no long-term medications. T...

Cyclooxygenase (COX), also known as prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase, is the key enzyme required for the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins. Two COX isoforms have been identifi ed, COX-1 and COX-2. Generally, the COX-1 enzyme is produced constitutively (e.g. in gastric mucosa), whereas COX-2 is highly inducible (e.g. at sites of infl ammation and cancer). Traditional non-steroi...

Carabotti et al [1] suggested that gut microbiota has an important role in bidirectional interactions between the gut and the central nervous system (CNS). In this regard, we considered gastrointestinal immune system and brain dialogue, particularly implicated in neuroinfl ammation, as a common feature of the neurodegenerative and neuroinfl ammatory diseases [2]. Neuroinfl ammation might initia...

In recent years, the possible cause of schizophrenia has switched from an emphasis on neurotransmitter dysfunction to possible genetic and neurodevelop-mental abnormalities. Th e link between the loci for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus type 2,the human lymphocyte antigen system and schizophrenia suggests that a dysfunctional immune system plays a role in this disorder. Th is hypothesis is ...

INTRODUCTION Several new agents with diff erent mechanisms of action are being explored for use in infl ammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Some focus on optimizing existing therapies used for other indications (budesonide MMX, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT)), whereas others work by new and novel mechanisms, including blocking cellular adhesion, manipulation of downstream infl ammatory cell ...

Dear Editor, Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EG) is a rare infl ammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract of unknown aetiology. It is characterised by eosinophilic infi ltration of the bowel wall, peripheral eosinophilia and various gastrointestinal manifestations. We report CT appearances in a rare case of EG with duodenal obstruction, peripheral eosinophilia and eosinophilic ascites, whic...

Abdominal sarcoidosis is an uncommon form of sarcoidosis. The clinical presentation of esophageal, gastric, small bowel, colon, appendicular, spleen, pancreas, and abdominal aortic sarcoidosis are discussed in this review. The differential diagnosis of abdominal sarcoidosis is extensive. Other granulomatous diseases including tuberculosis, fungal infections, parasitic diseases, infl ammatory bo...

“Folliculitis et perifolliculitis capitis abscedens et suffodiens is a rare disease of unknown etiology...The cause of scalp folliculitis is not well understood. It is generally considered to be an infl ammatory reaction to components of the hair follicle, particularly the micro-organisms. These include: bacteria (especially Propionibacterium acnes, but in severe cases, also Staphylococcus aure...