Johannes W J Bijlsma

..The guidelines described in this article will help physicians to actually do so...

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..Education and self-management are very important to prevent overuse and to use the joints in the most adequate way...

..Rheumatologists must be vigilant in assessing benefit-risk when prescribing a Cox-2 selective inhibitor or non-selective NSAID and should choose appropriate agents for each individual patient...

..There are some indications that a period of strict bed rest after treatment is beneficial. Intra-articular glucocorticoids should not be administered more frequently than three times per year in the same joint...

..The evidence is carefully evaluated and discussed. The ultimate conclusion is that indeed glucocorticoids are DMARDs and are especially useful in early RA...

..It becomes clear that the net effect of low-dose GCs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis favors the beneficial aspects of these drugs above the negative aspects. Prudent use of GCs can be recommended...

..In the coming years, a better definition of osteoarthritis is expected by delineating different phenotypes of the disease. Treatment targeted more specifically at these phenotypes might lead to improved outcomes...

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..To evaluate the expression and functional ability of the high-affinity interleukin-7 receptor (IL-7Ralpha) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

..In the present observational open follow-up study of the STOP-trial, we report the long-term effects of risk factors on the incidence and pattern of vertebral fractures, assessed using the Genant method...

..In addition, the effect of TNFalpha blockade on IL7 activity and on IL7 levels was studied...

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..This study was the first to examine neuroendocrine and immune changes after emotional disclosure in patients with rheumatoid arthritis...

..A change in the FcgammaR balance toward the inhibitory FcgammaRIIb may offer a novel treatment strategy for preventing the pleiotropic activity of FcgammaR-triggered macrophages...

..To determine the level of intraarticular expression of interleukin-7 (IL-7) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to investigate the mechanisms by which IL-7 facilitates activation of CD4(+) T cells and monocyte/macrophages in RA...

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..The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether particular proinflammatory mediators that are associated with RA could abrogate CD4+,CD25+ Treg-mediated suppression...

..To study the effects of interleukin-7 receptor ?-chain (IL-7R?) blockade on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and to investigate the effects on T cell numbers, T cell activity, and levels of proinflammatory mediators...

..This might reflect a possible mechanism of joint damage in hemophilia...

..To investigate whether changes in bone density and turnover are associated with changes in inflammatory mediators in RA patients treated with glucocorticoids (GCs) upon vitamin D treatment in comparison with alendronate treatment...

..To explore whether pretreatment features of synovial tissue in patients with gonarthritis could predict the clinical effect of radiation synovectomy with yttrium-90 (90Y) and glucocorticoids or with intra-articular glucocorticoids alone...

..Treatment strategies for tight control of early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are highly effective but can be improved...

..To evaluate the association between clinical, demographic, and psychological factors and the functional Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and psychological HAQ (PSHAQ) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

..Simple baseline US measurements fail to predict the final clinical effect of intra-articular treatment of the knee at 6 months, in contrast to early US changes of synovial thickness 3 months after therapy...

..We investigated the presence, phenotype, and function of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells in peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

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..To investigate basic assumptions of prediction models for future vertebral fractures...

..This study was undertaken to characterize the disease specificity and function of pan-DR-binding Hsp60-derived epitopes as possible modulators of autoimmune inflammation in RA...

..In particular, we focus on juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), a multifactorial autoimmune disorder that ultimately leads to chronic inflammation of the joints...

..The BGA intervention is intended to increase activity in the long term and consists of an exercise program with booster sessions, using operant treatment principles...

..We sought to investigate whether this discrepancy would extend to variables of well-being...

..05). Patients with a relatively low level of physical functioning benefit more from BGA compared to UC. Compared to UC, BGA is the preferred treatment option in patients with a low level of physical functioning...

..Our goal was to investigate whether this beneficial effect persisted after the end of the trial...

..NSAIDs with low COX-2/COX-1 selectivity exhibit adverse direct effects on OA cartilage, whereas high COX-2/COX-1 selective NSAIDs did not show such effects and might even have cartilage reparative properties...

..This study was carried out to test the in vitro thresholds of exposure time and concentration that lead to irreversible joint damage, to add to the discussion on the usefulness of aspiration of the joint after a hemorrhage...

..The management of the (side) effects of glucocorticoids on bone has clearly improved in the last years. These two developments lead to a further optimizing of glucocorticoid treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis...

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..To investigate whether intensive treatment with methotrexate (MTX) according to a strict protocol and a computerised decision program is more beneficial compared to conventional treatment with MTX in early rheumatoid arthritis...

..This indicates that a more aggressive treatment approach in early RA is required, and that treatment should be continued for a prolonged period of time, in order to maintain the advantages obtained in the first year...

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..To compare the level and change of cortisol during the day of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) with low and high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)...

..Modification of joint tissue damage is challenging in late-stage osteoarthritis (OA). Few options are available for treating end-stage knee OA other than joint replacement...

..Celecoxib, by diminishing COX-2 activity, prevents these adverse effects without having a direct effect on healthy cartilage...

..To assess the impact of the intra-articular distribution of (90)yttrium-citrate ((90)Y) on the clinical effect of radiosynoviorthesis (RSO) of the knee and on (90)Y leakage from this joint...

..The present study evaluates this groove model at 20 and 40 weeks after induction, to assess whether the osteoarthritic features progress in time...

..The latter is expected to make the 'groove' model more sensitive to treatment...

..The aim of this study in employed people with FM was to test the hypothesis that embitterment is a function of the joint experience of invalidation from the work environment and helplessness regarding one's illness...

..The perpetuation of arthritogenic T-cell activity in RA therefore seems not to be the result of intrinsic defects of naive CD4+ T cells to develop towards suppressive memory Th2 cells...

..One is the improvement in new GC compounds--designer GCs, alterations in bioactivity, and alterations in formulations. The other is a better understanding and management of the toxicity of GCs...

..Better monitoring of glucocorticoid use will also improve this ratio, and help to allay both patient and rheumatologist concerns about treatment-related adverse effects...

..To describe the frequency and duration of remission in the Utrecht rheumatoid arthritis cohort of patients followed since diagnosis, and the clinical and treatment characteristics of patients with remission v those without...

..In that study, it seemed that in patients treated by radiation synovectomy, progression of radiographic joint damage occurred...

..Recently a Dutch clinical trial was started with this objective. Patients at risk will be randomised to receive dexamethasone or placebo treatment...

..The most important criticism concerns the supposed diagnostic value of serum urate levels: close examination of the data suggests that this value is very limited...

..To examine changes in direct costs and in working status over 2 yrs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

..To explore the influence of tender points (TP) on the Disease Activity Score assessing 28 joints (DAS28) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)...

..Since normal glucocorticoid receptor expression was found in the male population with early-diagnosed RA, it remains questionable if glucocorticoid receptor expression is causally involved in pathogenesis of RA...

..Treatment with glucocorticoids is associated with bone loss starting soon after therapy is initiated and an increased risk of fracture...

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..We show that pre-absorption with protein-L is a powerful tool for removal of interfering immunoglobulins from human bodily fluids to be used in immunoassays for studying changes in protein patterns...

..This study examined emotions and emotion-regulation strategies in women with fibromyalgia and in controls, and how these variables relate to symptoms of fibromyalgia...

..Taken together, although effects were obtained in vitro, IL-10 protects against blood-induced joint damage and might be further evaluated as candidate in treatment of tissue damaging effects of joint haemorrhages...

..Objective assessment, however, remains difficult. The goal of the present study was to evaluate a novel digital method to analyse standard knee radiographs...

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..The objective was to substantiate these beneficial effects in an in vivo (clinical) study with celecoxib treatment of patients with severe knee osteoarthritis (OA) and subsequent evaluation of cartilage tissue ex vivo...

..Therefore, the generally accepted guideline still stands that if gout develops during diuretic therapy, this medication should be stopped if possible...

..Flu vaccination during anti-TNF therapy is indicated. Travel vaccinations with live microbial inocula should not be given...

..As a possible explanation for this discrepancy, we studied the clearance rate of blood from the canine knee joints...

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..The present study demonstrates that in the Groove-model intensified loading is not a prerequisite for the development of OA, although it adds to some extent to the severity of the OA...

..Prostaglandin-E2 is the main product formed by COX-2. We therefore evaluate the role of prostaglandin-E2 in relation to nitric oxide in disturbing cartilage proteoglycan turnover...

..Tight control is a treatment strategy tailored to the individual patient with RA, which aims to achieve a predefined level of low disease activity or remission within a certain period of time...

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..Joint bleeds have a direct adverse effect on joint cartilage, leading to joint deterioration and, ultimately, to disability...

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..To develop recommendations on monitoring for adverse events (AEs) of low-dose glucocorticoid (GC) therapy (?7.5 mg prednisone or equivalent daily) in clinical trials and daily practice...

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..This model is characterized by intra-joint variability with respect to cartilage damage (predominantly medial) and loading (lateral unloading due to a shifted axis)...

..Together this suggests that IL-7 is an important cytokine in several rheumatic conditions, capable of inducing inflammation and immunopathology. Thus it may be an important target for immunotherapy...

..To compare utility and disease-specific direct costs between patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the Netherlands...

..g. during antibody-based therapy of RA...

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..The present study tested this model in 403 women with fibromyalgia (mean age 46.5±12.3 years)...

..To examine the effect of 2 different recruitment methods on the characteristics of participants with osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip or knee and on the efficacy of an exercise program...

..To investigate numbers and function of CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) that lack IL-7 receptor (CD127) expression in RA...

..Our aim was to examine the induction of these elements and the feasibility of an emotional disclosure intervention adapted for home application...

..The model predicts that favorable neuroendocrine changes are to be expected after successful pharmacological or non-pharmacological interventions that target pain and associated symptoms...

..We evaluated the upregulation of Fc gamma receptor (Fc gamma R) expression on monocytes/macrophages (and granulocytes) in patients with RA receiving different dosages of IL-10...

..To explore potential T-cell epitopes of the core protein of human cartilage proteoglycan aggrecan (PG) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or osteoarthritis...

..Interleukin 7 (IL7), a T cell growth factor and a regulator of Th1 and Th2 cytokine production, is produced by synoviocytes from patients with RA...

..The study duration was 2 years, with an open follow-up during the third year. Patients were randomly allocated to receive 10 mg prednisone or placebo...

..This mechanism may result in chondrocyte damage and as such be involved in blood-induced cartilage damage...

..To assess productivity costs incurred by rheumatoid arthritis, comprising paid as well as household productivity costs, from a societal perspective, using different methods...

..A promising option for the future is the development of symptomatic slow-acting drugs for osteoarthritis that possess structure-modifying properties...