Rheumatology Research Journal
Volume:4 Issue: 3, Summer 2019

The current study aimed to assess the correlation between lipoproteins, in particular lipoprotein a [Lp (a)], and inflammatory activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This retrospective case control study was conducted over a period of 6 months and studied two groups, RA patients (n=70) and healthy control subjects (n=52), who were matched by age and gender (P value<0.005). The modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (MHAQ) was employed by self-administration. Fasting lipid profiles including LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and Lp (a) were assayed, and the findings for the two studied groups were compared using the Student t test. Thirty-two patients in the RA group (45.71%) and 27 subjects in the control group (51.92%) had abnormally high Lp (a) levels (P value=0.57). Mean serum Lp (a) values between the RA and control groups were significantly different (P value=0.79). Serum Lp (a) had no significant correlation with ESR (r=0.27, P value=0.028). No significant correlation was found between Lp (a) level and MHAQ (r=0.11, P value=0.37). Serum Lp (a) was also found to have no significant relationship with other laboratory parameters (CRP and RF) or clinical indices of RA activity (functional class and morning stiffness duration). No correlation was observed between serum Lp (a) and clinical/laboratory indices of RA activity other than a weak one with ESR. It is not recommended to use routine serum Lp (a) measurements to assess RA severity.

Investigating the sexual dysfunction in scleroderma patients and its relation to their vascular involvements.

A case control study was done on 80 married female scleroderma patients with age between 20-60 years old. Eighty normal individuals adjusted for age, place of living and socioeconomic status were also recruited. Sexual performance in both groups was assessed using FSFI standardized questionnaire, which evaluated it in 6 domains of desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Micro and macro-vascular involvements of the patients were also determined using Raynaud Condition Score, Echocardiography, physical exam for assessing their digital ulcers and reviewing their medical records for past or present history of renal crisis and thromboembolic events.

The total score of FSFI in the case group was significantly lower compared to control one (16.68 ± 6.35, 19.69 ± 6.01, P-value

Fibromyalgia is a painful syndrome with a non-joint origin. The disease is of relatively high prevalence and is more common in women and people over 40 years of age.

In this case-control study, 35 healthy individuals were enrolled as the control group and 35 patients with fibromyalgia as the case group. The cervical MRI was performed for all the participants, and the graphs were interpreted by a specialist who was blind to the patient group.

Lesions were severe in 94.3% of the case group, 80% of the controls (P>0.05). Between the groups in the number of involved surfaces and mean lesion levels was no significant difference. In the case and control groups, 48.5% and 92.9% of the members had only one lesion. The rates of concurrent lesions in the case and control groups were 51.5% and 7.1%, (p < 0.001). In 60.6% of the case group and 17.9% of the control group, the lesion was severe (p = 0.001). The prevalence of annular tearing and stenosis of the canal was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group (p = 0.05 and p = 0.044, respectively). However, there was no significant difference between the groups in other lesions.

Given the similarity of some of the symptoms in fibromyalgia and mechanical neck lesions, it is crucial to have timely and correct differentiation of these two diseases. Also, these results may suggest that long-term fibromyalgia can potentially exacerbate the symptoms of mechanical neck lesions.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune, autoinflammatory disorder in which genetic factors have been implicated in the etiopathogenesis of the disease. Elevated levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have been reported in patients with SLE. This study intended to evaluate the association of VEGFA gene rs833061 and rs2010963 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the risk of SLE susceptibility in the Iranian population.

In this case-control study, 400 SLE patients and 400 age-, sex-, and ethnically-matched healthy controls were recruited. Genotyping of VEGFA gene rs833061 and rs2010963 polymorphisms in both SLE and control groups was done through the real-time PCR allelic discrimination technique.

It was detected that none of the alleles nor genotypes of both rs833061 and rs2010963 SNPs had a statistically significant difference between patient and control groups. Moreover, the haplotypes were not associated with the SLE susceptibility. However, rs833061 and rs2010963 polymorphisms were in linkage disequilibrium according to Dꞌ= 95 %, but not according to the r2= 42%. The associations between rs833061 (C vs. T: OR= 0.98, 95% CI= 0.80-1.20, P= 0.87) and rs2010963 (C vs. G: OR= 0.89, 95% CI= 0.73 - 1.09, P= 0.28) with risk of SLE were not significant. The clinical data of the patients, including anti-dsDNA (P= 0.036), anti-SSA (P= 0.039), and anti-SSAB (P= 0.036), were associated with the genotypes of VEGFA gene rs2010963 SNP.

We recognize that VEGFA gene rs833061 and rs2010963 polymorphisms did not affect SLE susceptibility in the Iranian population.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the joints. To the best of our knowledge, inflammation is considered as the main stimulant of platelets, and there is an association between the mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet reactivity. Increased platelet counts may be observed during the clinical active stages of RA patients and reduce in the remission period. The present study investigated the role of platelet indices in RA and its relationship with disease activity.

This was an observational cross-sectional study, which was performed on 105 patients with RA and 35 participants as control group referred to Ghaem hospital of Mashhad in 2017. The participants were divided into 4 groups, including 1) the patients with newly diagnosed RA, 2) the patients with active RA, 3) the patients in remission, and 4) the controls. After completing the interview and questionnaire, 10 cc blood samples were obtained from all the subjects. The platelet number (PLT) and mean platelet volume (MPV) was measured.

The mean age of the participants was 49.06±11.08 years. MPV was higher in patients with RA than healthy control group (p

It has been proposed that anti-annexin V as a novel proposed mechanism for the increased prevalence of atherosclerosis among patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Here we aimed to compare anti-annexin V levels between SLE patients and healthy controls and to determine the correlation of anti-annexin with various cardiovascular risk factors.

Sixty patients with SLE and 30 healthy sex and age matched persons included in the current cross sectional study that was selected from outpatient Rheumatology clinics in the city of Mashhad-Iran. Anti-annexin V and the other parameters including cardiovascular risk factors(age, smoking, blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, lipoproteins levels, previous history of documented or clinically suspected atherosclerosis, obesity, premature ovarian failure, high sensitive C-reactive protein, vascular cell adhesion protein 1 and homocystein) measured using enzyme linked immuno-assay.

Anti-annexin V had a significant positive correlation with LDL levels in the SLE group (p=0.03). Anti-annexin V levels were not significantly different between the two groups (p=0.40).

We could not show the role of anti-annexin V as a predictor of atherosclerosis risk in patients with lupus under study.