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Lancet Digit Health 2022 Jun;4(6):e455-e465

Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Prescribing, Health Policy Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Health Equity Research Promotion, Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Background: Little is known about whether machine-learning algorithms developed to predict opioid overdose using earlier years and from a single state will perform as well when applied to other populations. We aimed to develop a machine-learning algorithm to predict 3-month risk of opioid overdose using Pennsylvania Medicaid data and externally validated it in two data sources (ie, later years of Pennsylvania Medicaid data and data from a different state).

Methods: This prognostic modelling study developed and validated a machine-learning algorithm to predict overdose in Medicaid beneficiaries with one or more opioid prescription in Pennsylvania and Arizona, USA. Read More

Ann Rheum Dis 2022 May 27. Epub 2022 May 27.

Division of Rheumatology, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy.

Objective: To investigate the associations between the Patient Global Assessment (PGA) and measures of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to disease duration and autoantibody status.

Methods: 1412 patients from three independent cohorts were studied: a prospective cohort of 810 patients with early RA followed up for 24 months; a cross-sectional cohort of 210 patients with established RA in low disease activity; a cross-sectional cohort of 401 patients with established RA in moderate-to-high disease activity. Correlations of the PGA were analysed by Pearson's coefficients and multivariable linear regression at baseline and at months 6, 12 and 24 in the overall populations and after stratification for autoantibody subgroup and remission status (Boolean remission, PGA near remission and non-remission). Read More

Tissue Cell 2022 May 19;77:101826. Epub 2022 May 19.

School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 76 Western Yanta Road, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province 710061, PR China. Electronic address:

Tectoridin, isolated from the dry rhizome of iris, is a compound with multiple biological activities. However, its biological roles in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have still not been clearly elucidated. The aim of this study was to focus on the effects of tectoridin on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced human fibroblast‑like synoviocyte rheumatoid arthritis (HFLS‑RA) cells, and its associated mechanisms. Read More

Int Immunopharmacol 2022 May 24;108:108881. Epub 2022 May 24.

Department of Ophthalmology, the First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Liaoning, China. Electronic address:

Interleukin (IL)-10 family cytokines include IL-10, IL-19, IL-20, IL-22, IL-24, IL-26, IL-28A, IL-28B, and IL-29. These cytokines play crucial regulatory roles in various biological reactions and diseases. In recent years, several studies have shown that the IL-10 family plays a vital role in bone and joint diseases, including bone metabolic diseases, fractures, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and bone tumors. Read More

Int Immunopharmacol 2022 May 24;108:108878. Epub 2022 May 24.

Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. Electronic address:

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease with chronic inflammation characterized by joint damage and even extra-articular involvement. In this study, the gene expression levels of MALAT1, H19 and their possible downstream microRNAs, miR-199a-5p, miR-1-3p, and the predicted targets of these miRNAs, HSPA5 and MMD, were examined.

Methods: Twenty-five newly diagnosed RA patients and 25 healthy individuals were included. Read More

Semin Arthritis Rheum 2022 May 18;55:152026. Epub 2022 May 18.

Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University Hospital Attikon, NKUA, 12462 Haidari, Greece; Joint Academic Rheumatology Program, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. Electronic address:

Objectives: Sicca complaints are a frequent reason for rheumatologic consultation. Testing for specific antibodies against Ro/SSA and La/SSB antigens and minor salivary gland (MSG) biopsy are among the main tools implemented in the diagnostic work-up. Anticentromere antibodies and sicca manifestations are frequently detected in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and systemic sclerosis (SSc), respectively. Read More

Biomed Pharmacother 2022 May 24;151:113142. Epub 2022 May 24.

Multiuser Health Center Facility (CMulti-Saúde), Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Health Sciences Graduate Program (PPGCS), Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, SE, Brazil; Laboratory of Neurosciences and Pharmacological Assays (LANEF), Department of Physiology, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Brazil. Electronic address:

Inflammatory arthritis is the most prevalent chronic inflammatory disease worldwide. The pathology of the disease is characterized by increased inflammation and oxidative stress, which leads to chronic pain and functional loss in the joints. Conventional anti-arthritic drugs used to relieve pain and other arthritic symptoms often cause severe side effects. Read More

Surg Technol Int 2022 May 27;41. Epub 2022 May 27.

Joint Implant Surgeons, Inc., New Albany, Ohio.

Introduction: A primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) system was introduced with a modern universal femoral design with a wide range of size and constraint options to accommodate a variety of patient anatomy, while incorporating streamlined instrumentation for maximum operating room efficiency and economy. The purpose of this study is to review the early clinical outcomes and survivorship at minimum two-year follow up with this knee system.

Materials And Methods: From September 2015 to December 2019, 797 patients (1004 knees) underwent primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at our center with the TJO Klassic® Complete Primary Knee System (Total Joint Orthopedics Inc. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022 May 27;16(5):e0010463. Epub 2022 May 27.

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.

Background: Schistosomiasis, an acute and chronic parasitic disease caused by human pathogenic Schistosoma species, is a neglected tropical disease affecting more than 220 million people worldwide. For diagnosis of schistosomiasis, stool and urine microscopy for egg detection is still the recommended method, however sensitivity of these methods is limited. Therefore, other methods like molecular detection of DNA in stool, detection of circulating cathodic antigen in urine or circulating anodic antigen in urine and serum, as well as serological tests have gained more attention. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022 May 27;16(5):e0010433. Epub 2022 May 27.

Department of Viral Vaccine Development, Auro Vaccines, Pearl River, New York, United States of America.

Background: Marburg virus (MARV), an Ebola-like virus, remains an eminent threat to public health as demonstrated by its high associated mortality rate (23-90%) and recent emergence in West Africa for the first time. Although a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)-based vaccine (Ervebo) is licensed for Ebola virus disease (EVD), no approved countermeasures exist against MARV. Results from clinical trials indicate Ervebo prevents EVD in 97. Read More

Toxics 2022 Apr 21;10(5). Epub 2022 Apr 21.

Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disease that affects people all over the world and can be caused by a variety of factors. Exposure to pesticides is one of the risk factors for the development of RA. However, the evidence of exposure to pesticides linked with the development of RA is still controversial. Read More

Bull Exp Biol Med 2022 May 27. Epub 2022 May 27.

Center for Theoretical Problems of Physico-Chemical Pharmacology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.

The expression of the IL-6 gene in mononuclear blood cells of 45 patients with psoriatic arthritis and 31 patients with plaque psoriasis was studied for possible differential diagnosis of the pathologies. The expression level of IL-6 in psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis surpassed that in healthy controls by 192 and 147 times, respectively. Significant differences in the gene expression were revealed between the patients with psoriatic arthritis and mild psoriasis. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2022 May 27. Epub 2022 May 27.

Department of Ultrasound Diagnostics, The Affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Yuhua District, No. 161 Shaoshan South Road, Changsha, 410004, China.

Objective: Rheumatoid wrist arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease, resulting in joint deformity and functional impairment. We aimed to compare the wrist synovial ultrasound indices and serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level in patients with RA before and after treatment, and to explore the correlation between the two.

Methods: Forty patients with RA in wrist underwent ultrasound examination to determine wrist synovial thickness, synovial blood flow grade, and synovial artery resistive index (RI) before and after treatment. Read More

Rheumatol Int 2022 May 27. Epub 2022 May 27.

School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, UK.

Although patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are recommended in clinical practice, their application in routine care is limited. The Rheumatoid Arthritis Foot Disease Activity Index (RADAI-F5) is a validated PROM for assessing foot disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To explore patient and clinician opinions and perceptions of the clinical utility of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Foot Disease Activity Index (RADAI-F5), eight RA patients and eight clinicians routinely involved in the management of RA patients participated in one semi-structured remote video-based interview. Read More

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2022 May 24;24(3). Epub 2022 May 24.

BronxCare Health System, Bronx, New York.

To review the best pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions in the management of chronic pain in elderly patients with depression.

A systematic review of the literature was performed following the PRISMA guidelines and using PubMed. Articles published from 2010 to 2020 were included in the search. Read More

Curr Oncol 2022 Apr 27;29(5):3072-3081. Epub 2022 Apr 27.

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.

Given the increasing incidence of young-onset colorectal cancer (yCRC; <50 years), we aimed to evaluate the risk of depression and anxiety in individuals with yCRC in comparison to average-age-onset CRC (aCRC; ≥50 years) and to cancer-free controls, with stratification by sex. Our cohort study identified individuals (≥18 years) with CRC and cancer-free controls (10:1) matched on age and sex using population-based linked administrative health databases in British Columbia, Canada. We assessed depression and anxiety using validated algorithms. Read More

Arthritis Rheumatol 2022 May 27. Epub 2022 May 27.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.

Background: The interleukin-1 (IL-1) mediated systemic autoinflammatory diseases, including the cryopyrin- associated periodic syndromes (CAPS), tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD) and deficiency of the IL-1 receptor antagonist (DIRA), belong to a group of rare immunodysregulatory diseases that primarily present in early childhood with variable multiorgan involvement. When untreated, patients with severe clinical phenotypes have a poor prognosis, and diagnosis and management of these patients can be challenging. However, approved treatments targeting the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1 have been life changing and have significantly improved patient outcomes. Read More

Front Med (Lausanne) 2022 10;9:928361. Epub 2022 May 10.

Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet Herne, Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany.

Front Chem 2022 10;10:878811. Epub 2022 May 10.

TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development International Laboratory, Innovative Material Medical Research Institute, School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, China.

A pair of 3,4--cycloartane triterpenoid isomers with a rare peroxy bridge, namely, xuetonins A and B ( and ), four new lignans xuetonlignans A-D (-), a new sesquiterpene xuetonpene (), and a new natural product xuetonin C (), along with 43 known compounds, were obtained from the leaves of Tujia ethnomedicine, . Their structures and configurations were determined with the help of a combination of 1D- and 2D-NMR, HRESIMS spectra, electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and X-ray diffraction data. Compounds , , -, and - showed moderate-to-potent activity against rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RAFLS) with IC values of 19. Read More

J Curr Ophthalmol 2022 Jan-Mar;34(1):93-99. Epub 2022 Apr 16.

Massachusetts Eye Research and Surgery Institution, Waltham, MA, USA.

Purpose: To evaluate the B-scan ultrasound findings in unilateral posterior scleritis.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational case series at a tertiary uveitis clinic. The study population included patients who had been diagnosed with milder forms of unilateral posterior scleritis since 2010 and had B-scan ultrasonography of that eye. Read More

Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2022 Aug 3;28:100919. Epub 2022 May 3.

Discipline of Dietetics, School of Allied Health, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences and Health Implementation Science and Technology Cluster, Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX, Ireland.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis affecting 0.5-1% of the adult population worldwide. While the primary line of treatment of RA includes pharmacological therapies, people living with the condition often seek non-pharmacological therapies such as diet and exercise in an attempt to attenuate their symptoms. Read More

Ther Adv Chronic Dis 2022 20;13:20406223221099333. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Rheumatology, Singing River Health System, Ocean Springs, MS, USA.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which may lead to uncontrolled immune activation and cytokine response in some. The pattern of pro-inflammatory cytokines is similar to that which has been observed to be involved in rheumatic diseases and target treatments. Viral arthritis is common with a wide variety in spectrum ranging from arthralgia to spurious and chronic arthritis. Read More

Adv Pharmacol Pharm Sci 2022 17;2022:1238270. Epub 2022 May 17.

Department of Public Health, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.

is an important plant in Africa setup and across the globe for its ethnomedicinal uses in managing a wide range of diseases. Its phylogeny, pharmacological properties, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and cytotoxicity have been highlighted in various articles and journals. This review article aims to give a comprehensively overviewed literature about genus. Read More

Cureus 2022 Apr 22;14(4):e24368. Epub 2022 Apr 22.

Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA.

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is an inborn error of metabolism caused by a defect in the branched-chain alpha-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCKDC). This leads to the accumulation of the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, isoleucine, and valine, which can cause neurotoxicity. Patients with MSUD are carefully managed from birth with dietary restrictions and can acutely decompensate in the setting of infections or injury. Read More

SAGE Open Med Case Rep 2022 21;10:2050313X221102004. Epub 2022 May 21.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UPMC Pinnacle, Harrisburg, PA, USA.

is one of the oldest and most studied infections, yet it remains one of the most common causes of infection-related death worldwide. The majority concern pulmonary tuberculosis. Therefore, extrapulmonary cases are rare and are often neglected in the differential diagnosis, especially in chronic musculoskeletal complaints. Read More

Diagnosis (Berl) 2022 May 30. Epub 2022 May 30.

Department of Pediatrics, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.

Objectives: Identifying the causative bacterial pathogen for children with acute hematogenous musculoskeletal infections (MSKIs) allows for improved care. The purpose of our study was to determine if clinical markers could predict which patients will have a causative pathogen found on source culture alone, thus being highest yield to undergo operative diagnostic procedures.

Methods: A single-center, retrospective cohort study was performed. Read More

Inflammopharmacology 2022 May 26. Epub 2022 May 26.

College of Pharmacy, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA.

Background: This study aimed to explore a correlation between plasma angiotensin II/(1-7) (Ang II/Ang-(1-7)) ratio, anti-ACE2 autoantibodies level and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Methods: In a pilot study, the plasma level of Ang II, Ang-(1-7), and anti-ACE2 autoantibodies of twelve RA patients (five in active stage and seven in remission) were measured using an LC-MS/MS method and an ELISA kit, respectively.

Results: The Ang-(1-7) level was significantly higher in the remission group than in the active RA patients (7. Read More

Nat Commun 2022 May 26;13(1):2940. Epub 2022 May 26.

Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.

Skeletal muscle can repair and regenerate due to resident stem cells known as satellite cells. The muscular dystrophies are progressive muscle wasting diseases underscored by chronic muscle damage that is continually repaired by satellite cell-driven regeneration. Here we generate a genetic strategy to mediate satellite cell ablation in dystrophic mouse models to investigate how satellite cells impact disease trajectory. Read More

J Am Coll Cardiol 2022 May;79(21):2069-2081

Division of Cardiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA.

Background: The GenTAC (Genetically Triggered Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm and Cardiovascular Conditions) Registry enrolled patients with genetic aortopathies between 2007 and 2016.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare age distribution and probability of elective surgery for proximal aortic aneurysm, any dissection surgery, and cardiovascular mortality among aortopathy etiologies.

Methods: The GenTAC study had a retrospective/prospective design. Read More

RMD Open 2022 May;8(1)