Active clinical trials for "Arthritis, Rheumatoid"

The purpose of this study is to determine how interstitial lung disease can be predicted over time in early rheumatoid arthritis. The investigators will study blood and phlegm samples from participants, along with quality of life questionnaires to determine if and how the presence of ILD may impact the participants quality of life over time.

New type of imaging method is in demand clinically for early detection and treatment guiding of RA. Photoacoustic imaging (PAI), a hot spot in medical imaging society, which combines the merits of optical imaging and US and has a capacity in morphological, functional and molecular imaging, has shown potential in visualizing superficial organs, including small joints. The investigators developed a multi-modal photoacoustic/ultrasound (PA/US) imaging system, equipped with a handheld 3D PA/US probe, which wass able to provide 3D volume data of dual-wavelength PA imaging of small joints, in addition to real-time 2D PA/US imaging. The investigators plan to recruit RA patients in different disease conditions and healthy volunteers to receive the 2D and 3D PA/US examination on the 2nd and 3rd MCP, PIP joints and wrist joints using this imaging system, and to evaluate the potential clinical role of the imaging system in RA, and its added value to current imaging methods.

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) with a high incidence and high morbidity, the pathogenesis has not been fully elucidated. Fibroblast-like synovial cells excessive proliferation and synovial angiogenesis is the most important cause of RA synovitis and joint destruction. Our study was to find the role of Sonic Hedgehog(SHH) pathway in regulating proliferation of fibroblast-like synovial cells and modulating excess angiogenesis of synovial tissue.

Measuring lung function (FVC, FEV1, DLCO) before, during and after treatment with rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory myositis.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate ultrasound hands in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease. It has a worldwide distribution and can affect all age group. The peak incidence is between fourth and sixth decade. It is more prevalent in women, and it's prevalence in the general population in North America is between 0.2-1.5%. The etiology of RA is unknown, although clusters of the disease in families and high concordance in mono-zydotic twins support genetic predisposition. The prevalence of fatty liver disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis is currently unknown. We wish to study the link between the two conditions by performing a son graphic imaging of the liver in a cohort of RA patients. If indeed a high prevalence of NAFLD will be found in the RA patients, further support will be landed for the link between inflammation and fatty liver disease. These findings may also have implications regarding the management and follow up of RA patients. The validity of sonographic imaging for detection of fatty liver diseases is currently accepted: On ultrasonographic, fatty infiltration of the liver produces a diffuse increase in echogenicity as compared with that of the kidneys. Ultrasonography has a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 93% in detecting steatosis and sensitivity and specificity of 77% and 89% respectively in detecting increase fibrosis. In view of all the above data, we expected to find higher prevalence of fatty liver in the patients with higher inflammation markers compare with patients with lower markers.

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact that treatment with a cellular concentrate derived from an individual's own fat, known as the stromal vascular fraction (SVF), has on pain and functionality in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). SVF contains multiple cellular components, including stem cells, with both regenerative and anti-inflammatory properties. This therapy has shown promise for ameliorating the symptoms of RA. This study is designed to evaluate changes in pain and functionality in individuals with RA for up to 12 months following SVF treatment.

Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, .If not managed early , RA can result in irreversible, painful, and disabling joint damage. RA is often diagnosed using predefined criteria that necessitate clinical, laboratory, and radiologic examinations. The prevalence of RA among adults is approximately 1-2% affecting women two to four times more often than men.Although RA risk increases with age, it can manifest at any stage of life, including childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.(1-4)( Karlson EW, Mandl LA, Hankinson SE, Grodstein F, Karlson EW, Mandl LA, Hankinson SE, Grodstein F., Karlson EW, Mandl LA, Hankinson SE, Grodstein F, Karlson EW, Mandl LA, Hankinson SE, Grodstein F) To date, a limited number of RA risk or protective factors have been identified, with genetic predisposition to autoimmune response (eg, HLA-DR4 gene) and repeated environmental exposures (eg, tobacco smoke) playing a major role.(3)(Karlson EW, Mandl LA, Hankinson SE, Grodstein F) Heritability of RA is well-established because the lifetime risk of RA and related autoimmune diseases (namely, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, scleroderma, Sjo¨gren's syndrome, and hypothyroidism) increases 1.5 to 3 times in children of women diagnosed with RA.

Observational and prospective study of the ultrasound response to methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis patients who started methotrexate

While methotrexate (MTX) remains a treatment of choice for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), long-term MTX use has been shown to be associated with liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in these patients. In addition, gut dysbiosis has been found to be associated with liver fibrosis and cirrhosis via the gut-liver axis, underscoring the potential role of gut microbiota and bacterial translocation in the pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases in these patients. In this study, we aim to assess the prevalence of advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis among these patients on MTX treatment compared to those without, using transient elastography. We also aim to identify the possible risk factor(s) for advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis among them. Further, we aim to characterize the difference in fecal microbiota patterns among these three groups of patients. Using a cross-sectional, prospective cohort design, this study will enroll approximately 600 eligible patients, including 300 patients with PsO/PsA and 300 patients with RA, to examine the following hypotheses: Patients on higher cumulative dose of MTX will have higher prevalence of advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis compared to those on lower cumulative dose of MTX; Patients with MTX use will have higher prevalence of advanced liver fibrosis or cirrhosis compared to those without MTX use; The fecal microbiota composition will be different between patients with and without MTX treatment; and The fecal microbiota composition will be different between patients with and without advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis while on MTX treatment.