The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported that an arthritis patient that had been prescribed Rituxan has died of a rare viral infection more that a year and a half after discontinuing use of the drug. Rituxan, marketed in the U.S. by Biogen Idec and Genetech, is approved to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis.
There are previously reported cases of the infection in patients taking Rituxan for unapproved uses, including lupus. However, according to the FDA this is the first time that the infection has been reported in a patient taking the drug to treat arthritis.
The disease, called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, is very rare and is most often found in patients with severely impaired immune systems such as those with AIDS or taking immunosuppressive medications. It is caused by a virus for which 86% of the general population has antibodies.
Dendrite
Soma
Axon
Nucleus
Node of Ranvier
Axon Terminal
Schwann cell
Myelin sheath
PML gradually destroys the myelin sheath that covers the axons which impairs the transmission of nerve impulses. Axons are in effect the primary transmission lines of the nervous system. Bundles of axons help to make up nerves. PML results in paralysis, impaired speech, vision loss and cognitive deterioration. There is no known cure and patients generally die within 4 months.
“The patient had a number of confounding factors that make it difficult to assess the potential role, if any, that Rituxan exposure may have played,” according to a Genentech spokeswoman.
The FDA’s web site reports that the patient was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer in the months before she developed the infection.
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Originally posted 2008-09-12 17:41:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Researchers are not sure of the exact causes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but they have discovered that cytokines (bioactive proteins), in particular TNF-alpha and IL-6 are significant contributors. These cytokines cause inflammation which leads to destruction of the joints and tissues.
The action of another cytokine, placenta growth factor (PIGF), is suspected to be critical for the formation of new blood vessels in the placenta necessary to deliver adequate oxygen and nutrients to fetus. A new study led by Wan-Uk Kim of Catholic University of Korea in Seoul, Korea, examined the impacts of PIGF on the inflammatory process of RA. The results of the study suggest that PIGF may have an important role in inflammation in joints with rheumatoid arthritis.
The researchers analyzed blood and synovial fluid cells from RA patients and from healthy controls. They discovered that the key source of PIGF production in RA patients is the synovial cells and that PIGF stimulates TNF-alpha and IL-6 production. They also found that the increases in TNF-alpha and IL-6 production induced by PIGF might be caused by high levels of a PIGF receptor, know as flt-1, which is linked to the inflammatory response of RA patients. Additionally, the researchers identified a new peptide to inhibit PIGF action. Injecting this peptide into arthritic mice resulted in reduced severity of arthritis and prevention of the arthritis progression. They also determined that eliminating the PIGF gene in mice prevented the development of antibody-induced arthritis.
The peptide they identified inhibits binding of PIGF to the flt-1 receptor and could be clinically valuable because it is easily synthesized and does not elicit unwanted immune response.
According to the report authors, “These findings provide new insight into the pathogenic mechanism of RA and emphasize the importance of PIGF and flt-1 as potential candidates for therapy, in addition to their being a common cue of angiogenesis and the inflammatory process.”
The researchers are currently conducting research to improve the activity of the anti-flt-1 peptide by modifying its length and structure.
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Originally posted 2009-03-06 06:43:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
You don’t need years of research to tell you that diet affects arthritis symptoms and arthritis progression. I have reported on many of these foods here. But one family of foods that I was unaware could affect arthritis symptoms is called the nightshades. Foods in the nightshade family include tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, tobacco and peppers.
Dr. Norman F. Childers, Ph.D. of Rutgers University and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida has conducted several studies over the last 30 years into the relationship between nightshades and the most common forms of arthritis – osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
One of the earliest was in response to a book written by Dr. Childers in 1977. This 1979 survey of 2453 book holders resulted in 763 being involved in the study. Of these, 44% indicated a positive response to the “No Nightshades Diet” and an additional 28% reported a marked positive improvement. Characteristics of the marked improvement included: immobile joints becoming mobile; use of canes, walkers and wheelchairs discontinued. 7% of the participants reported no improvements and the remainder were determined to have not followed the diet.
Another book, published by Dr. Childers in 1981 resulted in another book holder survey in 1986. 434 people completed a detailed 4-page questionnaire. This survey found that 85% had been diagnosed with arthritis by a physician. 79% were treating their arthritis with drugs, most of whom were experiencing some relief. Of the 182 respondents who indicated they were rigidly following the diet, 94% said they experienced complete or substantial relief from their symptoms. Of the other 252 respondents reported an occasional “slip”, half reported complete or substantial relief. Over all, 68% had experienced complete or substantial relief on their arthritis symptoms.
Additional studies have been conducted at Rutgers University with rats. One study, conducted in 1979, attempted to determine if the white potato can produce vitamin D3. Results showed that low levels of potato increased bone mineralization which is believed to be due to increased intestinal absorption of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. A high intake of potato resulted in soft tissue mineralization, decreased bone mineral content and decrease in body weight gain. The overall effect indicated the potato does have vitamin D-like activity.
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Originally posted 2008-10-14 11:13:51. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
New guidelines for management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis were published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. It is estimated that over 6 million Americans are affected by psoriasis and up to 750,000 of those suffer from psoriatic arthritis.
The new guidelines provide recommendations for treating patients with mild to severe cases of these conditions. Psoriasis is a genetic disease with at least eight chromosomes so far that researchers have identified as being connected to the genetic transmission of the disease. There are also several environmental factors that play key roles in the development of psoriasis, among them are drugs, skin trauma, infection and stress.
Based on a thorough examination of current studies on treatments for psoriasis, the Academy’s guidelines summarize the benefits and limitations of topical and systemic treatments that are currently available to treat psoriasis.
The guidelines indicate that topical therapies are appropriate for patients who are good candidates for localized treatment, but should not be used exclusively to treat psoriasis if a combination of systemic and/or phototherapy treatments would provide more benefit. The dermatologist should determine if established systemic treatments – such as methotrexate, cyclosporine and oral retinoids – phototherapy, or the newer biologic agents appropriate for each individual.
Recent introduction of biologic therapies have given dermatologist more options to treat psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Biologic therapies are given by injection or infusion and are systemic medications that identify precise immune responses involved with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Biologics act, to some extent, as a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor to slow the inflammatory response. There are studies which confirm that biologics can effectively alleviate the chronic physical symptoms of moderate to severe psoriasis, as well as help improve the patient’s quality of life.
There are currently five biologic agents that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of psoriasis. Three of these are approved for psoriatic arthritis. Since these therapies target the immune system, the new guidelines state the importance of efforts to prevent infection, including vaccinations. Once biologic therapy has been started, the patient should avoid vaccinations with live vaccines under all circumstances. In addition, patients should be periodically re-evaluated by their dermatologist for any new symptoms, including infections and potential cancers.
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Originally posted 2008-05-23 16:00:54. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Frankincense is an aromatic resin that has been used for perfume and incense for thousands of years. The most aromatic is the Arabian Frankincense that is obtained from the Boswellia sacra trees in Oman and Yemen. Indian Frankincense, which is considered to be an inferior aromatic compared to the Arabian form, comes from the Boswellia seratta tree found in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Indian Frankincense has been used for thousands of years in India in the Indian system of traditional medicine known as “Ayurveda”. Recent research has also found that Indian Frankincense can reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
The research which was led by Siba Raychaudhuri, a faculty member at the University of California at Davis, specifically tested an extract which they called AKBA (3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid) from the Boswellia serrata tree. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study focused on 70 patients that had been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis.
The participants were randomly given one of two doses of an enriched Indian frankincense extract, under the brand name of 5-Loxin, or a placebo on a daily basis. The groups that had been taking the 5-Loxin indicated that they noticed improvement in their symptoms within 7 days. After 3 months, the participants that had been given the frankincense extract reported reductions in pain and stiffness, as well as improvements in their mobility compared to the control group.
According to Raychaudhuri, “The high incidence of adverse affects associated with currently available medications has created great interest in the search for an effective and safe alternative treatment… AKBA has anti-inflammatory properties, and we have shown that B. serrata enriched with AKBA can be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee… In this study, the compound was shown to have no major adverse effects in our osteoarthritis patients. It is safe for human consumption and even for long-term use”.
The team’s findings were published in the July 31st edition of the online journal Arthritis Research & Therapy.
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Originally posted 2008-09-05 21:45:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Frankincense is an aromatic resin that has been used for perfume and incense for thousands of years. The most aromatic is the 
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