| 11. |
- Björk, Mathilda, et al.
(författare)
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Hand Function and Activity Limitation According to Health Assessment Questionnaire in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Healthy Referents : 5-Year Followup of Predictors of Activity Limitation (The Swedish TIRA Project)
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Rheumatology. - Toronto, Ontario, Canada : Journal of Rheumatology Publishing Co. Ltd.. - 0315-162X .- 1499-2752. ; 34:2, s. 296-302
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: This study identifies baseline predictors of future activity limitation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To reinforce the utility of instruments assessing functional ability/activity limitation, we used reference data from healthy referents. Methods: This study includes 189 patients (69% women) with recent-onset RA (onset of joint swelling not more than 12 months at diagnosis) in a prospective cohort ("the Swedish TIRA project") during 27 months from 1996 through 1998. Regular followups were done for a period of 5 years, and 123 healthy persons (50% women) were recruited as referents. Hand function was assessed by the "grip ability test (GAT)" and "signals of functional impairment" (SOFI). Grip force was measured with the electronic device GrippitTM. Activity limitation was assessed with the Swedish version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). Results: Throughout the study and for both sexes, GAT, grip force, SOFI-hand, and HAQ were significantly different for the patients compared to healthy referents. In the healthy referents, HAQ was mainly related to age and GAT, whereas in RA HAQ was most obviously linked to grip force. Five years after diagnosis only 8% of HAQ outcome was explained by the baseline measures: HAQ, grip force, SOFI-lower limb, sex, walking speed, and GAT. Conclusion: Our study provides valuable reference data for several functional ability and activity limitation measures. The HAQ score was explained by different variables in healthy referents compared to patients with RA. Five years after diagnosis only 8% of HAQ outcome was explained by the variables assessed at inclusion.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Björk, Mathilda, et al.
(författare)
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Hand function in women and men with early rheumatoid arthritis : A prospective study over three years (the Swedish TIRA project)
- 2006
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology. - : Informa Healthcare. - 0300-9742 .- 1502-7732. ; 35:1, s. 15-19
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To describe the course of hand function in women and men during the first 3 years after diagnosis of recent-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA), to investigate sex differences in hand function, and to study correlations between and within hand function assessments. Methods: A total of 276 patients (69% women) with RA of a maximal duration of 12 months were recruited to the study. Hand function was assessed by the Grip Ability Test (GAT) and Signals of Functional Impairment (SOFI). Peak and average grip force over 10 s in the right and left hand was measured by an electronic device.Results: Hand function was affected at diagnosis, but had improved significantly at the 3-months' follow-up and then remained stable (but still affected) in both women and men. As assessed by SOFI, hand function was worse in men than in women, whereas women had significantly lower grip force. GAT, grip force, and SOFI correlated weakly. The average and peak values of grip force correlated strongly, as did the grip force in the right and the left hand. Conclusion: Hand function was profoundly affected at diagnosis of RA, but improved significantly within 3 months and remained stable (but still affected) over 3 years. As expected, women on average had significantly lower grip force than men.
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| 15. |
- Carlsson, Alexandra Dimitrijevic, et al.
(författare)
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Orofacial pain in juvenile idiopathic arthritis is associated with stress as well as psychosocial and functional limitations
- 2019
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Ingår i: Pediatric Rheumatology. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1546-0096. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The aim of this study was to investigate relations between psychosocial factors, signs and symptoms of orofacial pain and jaw dysfunction in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Methods Forty-five patients with JIA (median age 12 years) and 16 healthy matched controls (median age 13 years) were examined according to the diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (DC/TMD). The subjects answered the DC/TMD questionnaires regarding psychosocial factors (pain intensity, pain-related disability, depression, stress, catastrophizing, pain locations and jaw function). Results JIA patients with orofacial pain had higher degree of stress, depression, catastrophizing and jaw dysfunction compared to subjects without. In turn, these factors were associated with orofacial pain intensity. Also, patients with orofacial pain had higher systemic inflammatory activity. Conclusions Orofacial pain in patients with JIA is associated with stress, psychological distress, jaw dysfunction and loss of daily living activities. Pain intensity seems to be the major pain aspect related to these factors. In addition, systemic inflammatory activity appears to be an important factor contributing to orofacial pain in JIA.
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| 16. |
- Cedergren, Jan, et al.
(författare)
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Inducible nitric oxide synthase is expressed in synovial fluid granulocytes
- 2002
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Ingår i: Clinical Experimental Immunology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0009-9104 .- 1365-2249. ; 130, s. 150-155
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of the study was to evaluate the NO-producing potential of synovial fluid (SF) cells. SF from 15 patients with arthritis was compared with blood from the same individuals and with blood from 10 healthy controls. Cellular expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was analysed by flow cytometry. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to measure L-arginine and L-citrulline. Nitrite and nitrate were measured colourimetrically utilizing the Griess' reaction. Compared to whole blood granulocytes in patients with chronic arthritis, a prominent iNOS expression was observed in SF granulocytes (P < 0.001). A slight, but statistically significant, increase in iNOS expression was also recorded in lymphocytes and monocytes from SF. L-arginine was elevated in SF compared to serum (257 ± 78 versus 176 ± 65 µmol/l, P = 0.008), whereas a slight increase in L-citrulline (33 ± 11 versus 26 ± 9 µmol/l), did not reach statistical significance. Great variations but no significant differences were observed comparing serum and SF levels of nitrite and nitrate, respectively, although the sum of nitrite and nitrate tended to be elevated in SF (19.2 ± 20.7 versus 8,6 ± 6.5 µmol/l,P = 0.054). Synovial fluid leucocytes, in particular granulocytes, express iNOS and may thus contribute to intra-articular NO production in arthritis.
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| 17. |
- Cedergren, Jan, et al.
(författare)
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Inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS II) is constitutive in human neutrophils
- 2003
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Ingår i: APMIS. - : Wiley. - 0903-4641 .- 1600-0463. ; 111:10, s. 963-968
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective was to study the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS II) in and NO production by human blood neutrophils and in in vivo exudated neutrophils. Cellular expression of NOS II was evaluated by flow cytometry in whole blood, in isolated blood neutrophils, and in neutrophils obtained by exudation in vivo into skin chambers. Neutrophil NOS II was also demonstrated by Western blotting. Uptake of 3H-labelled L-arginine was studied in vitro and NOS activity measured in a whole cell assay by the conversion of 3H-arginine to 3H-citrulline. In contrast to unseparated blood cells, NOS II was demonstrable both in isolated blood neutrophils and exudated cells. The failure to detect NOS II by flow cytometry in whole blood cells thus proved to be due to the quenching effect of hemoglobin. Western blotting revealed a 130 kD band corresponding to NOS II in isolated blood neutrophils, but detection was dependent on diisopropylfluorophosphate for proteinase inhibition. L-arginine was taken up by neutrophils, but enzymatic activity could not be demonstrated. We conclude that human neutrophils constitutively express NOS II, but that its demonstration by FITC-labelling is inhibited by hemoglobin-mediated quenching in whole blood samples.
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| 18. |
- Cedergren, Jan, et al.
(författare)
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Intracellular oxidative activation in synovial fluid neutrophils from patients with rheumatoid arthritis but not from other arthritis patients
- 2007
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Ingår i: Journal of Rheumatology. - 0315-162X .- 1499-2752. ; 34:11, s. 2162-2170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To compare total and intracellular oxidative activation of blood and synovial fluid (SF) neutrophils from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other arthritides with blood donor neutrophils. Methods: Peripheral blood and SF samples were obtained from 26 gonarthritis patients (13 RA, 13 non-RA) attending the rheumatology unit for therapeutic joint aspiration. Isolated neutrophils were stimulated by a formylated tripeptide (fMLF) or by microbeads coated with collagen-I. Formation of superoxide-anion-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) was studied by luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence. Paired samples of blood and SF neutrophils from patients with active arthritis were compared with blood neutrophils from patients in remission and from 47 healthy blood donors. Results: SF neutrophils from patients with RA, but not from non-RA patients, showed high baseline intracellular ROS production. Blood neutrophils from arthritis patients in remission existed in a primed state as revealed by more rapid oxidative response after collagen-bead challenge and a more pronounced response after fMLF stimulation compared to healthy blood donors. Blood neutrophils from RA patients with ongoing gonarthritis, however, did not differ from healthy blood donors concerning oxidative activation, whereas blood neutrophils from non-RA patients with gonarthritis showed a significantly lower peak ROS production. Conclusions: A novel finding with pathogenetic implications in our study is that SF neutrophils from patients with RA, but not other arthritides, are activated and produce ROS intracellularly. This implies that synovial neutrophils in RA are engaged in the processing of endocytosed material.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Cedergren, Jan, 1965-
(författare)
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Radical aspects on arthritis : the role of neutrophil generation of nitric oxide and superoxide in inflammatory conditions
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The polymorphonuclear neutrophil granulocytes (neutrophils) are gaining renewed interest regarding their involvement in chronic inflammatory disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Besides phagocytic and destructive capabilities, neutrophils have regulatory roles, e.g. by influencing responses from dendritic cells and lymphocytes. Several animal models have revealed that neutrophils are crucial for the initiation and maintenance of chronic inflammatory diseases. Neutrophil function is highly dependent on their ability to produce superoxide, an oxygen radical which can be further metabolized to other free radicals. Whether or not neutrophils are capable of producing the oxygen radical nitric oxide (NO˙) has been a matter of debate.In this thesis it was shown that freshly isolated neutrophils from the joint cavity of patients with RA, but not from other arthritis patients, had ongoing intracellular production of superoxide, indicating the processing of ingested material.The finding that joint neutrophils, but seemingly not circulating cells, expressed the NO-inducing enzyme iNOS, led to a series of experiments aimed to elucidate where in the exudative process this enzyme could first be detected. We could finally, for the first time, present evidence that human neutrophils actually express iNOS constitutively. Our data also suggest that neutrophil iNOS may be membrane associated, thus differing from the cytosolic location in other cell types. Since NOS activity was not demonstrated in isolated cells, the notion that neutrophil iNOS is regulated primarily at the transcriptional level must be questioned. NO production from iNOS requires the presence of its substrate, L-arginine. To test the hypothesis that neutrophil arginase prevents neutrophil NO-production, we investigated whether arginase inhibition affects neutrophil NO-dependent oxidative function. Initial data revealed a difference in the effect of arginase inhibition comparing neutrophil stimulus with a soluble formylated tri-peptide (fMLF) and integrin-mediated stimulation with particle-bound collagen type-1. This led to the hypothesis that integrin-ligation on neutrophils induces extracellular liberation of arginase, which was confirmed both by measuring arginase and its enzyme activity. The findings in this thesis may be important not only regarding the role of neutrophils in chronic joint inflammation, but also as a link in the accelerated atherosclerosis observed in chronic inflammatory disorders, e.g. RA.
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