Spondyloarthritides
The most important clinical features of the spondyloarthritides (SpA) are not only inflammatory back pain (IBP) but also peripheral (enthesitis) and extra-articular symptoms. For clinical purposes, two forms related to…
Biomechanical factors in osteoarthritis
Biomechanical factors play an important role in the health of diarthrodial joints. Altered joint loading – associated to obesity, malalignment, trauma or joint instability – is a critical risk factor…
Osteoarthritis
The pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA) appears to be the result of a complex interplay between mechanical, cellular and biochemical forces. Obesity is the strongest risk factor for disease onset in…
Adaptive immunity in rheumatic diseases – Bystander or pathogenic player?
Rheumatic diseases comprise a wide spectrum of different conditions. Some are caused by disturbances of the adaptive immune system, while defects in innate immune responses have been identified for others….
Joint appendages – the structures which have historically been overlooked in arthritis research and therapy development
Rheumatologists have largely conceptualised joint disease in inflammatory and degenerative arthritis in terms of bone, cartilage and the synovial lining, but have tended to overlook other integral components of the…
The synovium as a privileged site in rheumatoid arthritis: Cadherin-11 as a dominant player in synovial pathology
Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic disease in which an autoimmune response translates primarily into joint inflammation with attendant joint destruction. While evidence implicates both the adaptive and innate immune system…
Emerging Frontiers in cartilage and chondrocyte biology
Articular cartilage is a uniquely ordered tissue that is designed to resist compression and redistribute load, but is poorly equipped for self-repair. The chondrocyte is the only resident cell type,…
Tocilizumab – A novel therapy for non-organ-specific autoimmune diseases
In the past decade, tocilizumab, an anti interleukin-6 agent, has been successfully developed as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis. In…
Psoriatic arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory spondyloarthritis that occurs in combination with psoriasis. The exact prevalence of PsA is unknown, and its pathogenesis has not yet been fully elucidated….
Spondyloarthropathies
Spondyloarthropathies (SpA) are a group of common inflammatory rheumatic disorders characterised by axial and or peripheral arthritis, associated with enthesitis, dactylitis and potential extra-articular manifestations such as uveitis and skin…
