PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Josef Hermann

Publications and source records attributed to Josef Hermann.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

The public neglect of rheumatic diseases: insights from analyses of attendees in a musculoskeletal disease awareness activity.

OBJECTIVES: To obtain data on the care received by individuals counselled during a public health awareness campaign on painful musculoskeletal conditions (MSC). METHODS: Easy non-formal access to rheumatologists/pain specialists was offered using a mobile unit (Rheuma-Bus) at widely accessible sites. Clients were asked to assess their severity of pain using a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS). Age, gender, disease duration, diagnosis if known, current and previous treatment as well as tentative diagnoses assigned and recommendations given to each individual by the counselling physicians were recorded. RESULTS: Average (SD) VAS pain rating was 59 (20.6) mm. Approximately 40% of clients had never consulted a physician for their condition before, but had lower pain scores than those who had seen a physician. Patients with inflammatory MSC had higher pain scores than those with non-inflammatory conditions. More than 2% of the clients had a newly detected inflammatory rheumatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Many individuals having painful MSC seek medical help only when a very high threshold of pain is reached. Even while under treatment, the high mean pain scores suggest neglect of MSC that are not adequately recognised as important contributors to disability and decreased quality of life.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Polymorphisms within the tumor necrosis factor-alpha promoter region in patients with HLA-B27-associated uveitis: association with susceptibility and clinical manifestations.

PURPOSE: The existence of genetic variations in a number of cytokines has been considered to influence susceptibility or relate to disease severity in various autoimmune diseases. Among these, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) promoter at nucleotides -308 and -238 are considered to be protective against inflammation in HLA-B27-positive individuals, whereas the SNP at position -857 has been associated with disease development in anterior uveitis. We investigate a hypothesized association between the TNF-alpha -857 C-to-T, -308 G-to-A, and the TNF-alpha -238 G-to-A SNPs and the presence of HLA-B27-associated uveitis. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred fourteen Caucasian patients with HLA-B27-associated uveitis were studied. Mean age of patients was 44.9+/-14 years (range, 16-81), and mean duration of HLA-B27-associated uveitis was 115.6+/-104 months (range, 6 months-51 years). Eighty-six patients (75.4%) suffered from an additional systemic manifestation of the disease. Sixty-three unrelated healthy HLA-B27-positive blood donors and 88 unrelated healthy HLA-B27-negative individuals served as controls. METHODS: Genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction. MAIN OUTCOME PARAMETERS: Association of genotypes at positions -857, -308, and -238 of the TNF-alpha gene with disease development. RESULTS: Frequencies of the TNF-alpha -308GA and TNF-alpha -238GA genotypes were significantly lower in patients with HLA-B27-associated uveitis (6.1% and 0%, respectively) when compared with the HLA-B27-negative control group, 23% at -308 (P = 0.003), and 7.9% at -238 (P = 0.0003). When compared with healthy HLA-B27-positive controls, a significantly lower frequency of the TNF-alpha -238GA genotype was found among patients (6.3%, P = 0.015). The frequency of the TNF-alpha -308GA genotype was also found to be lower in patients than among HLA-B27-positive control subjects, without, however, reaching statistical significance (6.1%, P = 0.07). No difference in frequencies was seen among the different groups for the SNPs at position -857. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that HLA-B27-positive individuals show a higher susceptibility towards development of an intraocular inflammation in the presence of an A allele at nucleotide -238 and, to a lesser degree, at nucleotide -308 of the TNF-alpha gene promoter.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: findings in contrast-enhanced MRI.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to define typical MRI findings of the wrist and the hand in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen PsA and 21 RA patients with arthralgia of the wrist or hand joints underwent gadolinium-enhanced MRI of the wrist and hand. Two experienced radiologists interpreted abnormalities in consensus with respect to periarticular soft-tissue swelling, synovitis with or without effusion, periostitis, bone edema, bone erosions, bone cysts, and tenosynovitis. The distribution of the abnormalities also was evaluated. RESULTS: Erosions were statistically more frequent in patients with RA (p < 0.05). Periostitis was statistically seen more frequently in patients with PsA (p < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in the frequency of synovitis, bone marrow edema, bone cysts, and tenosynovitis between the two groups (p > 0.05). The radiocarpal joint, the midcarpal joints, the carpometacarpal joints, and the metacarpophalangeal joints were significantly affected more frequently in patients with RA than in patients with PsA (p < 0.05), whereas the proximal interphalangeal joints were significantly more frequently affected in patients with PsA (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Periostitis and synovitis of the proximal interphalangeal joints are typical MRI findings in patients with PsA, whereas synovitis with erosions of the wrist, the midcarpal joints, the carpometacarpal joints, and the metacarpophalangeal joints are typical findings in patients with RA.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Role of the CCL2/MCP-1 -2518A>G gene polymorphism in HLA-B27 associated uveitis.

PURPOSE: Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) is the most common form of uveitis. Up to 50% of patients with AAU are HLA-B27 positive. Since HLA B27 itself plays only a minor role in the overall genetic background, other genetic variants are likely to contribute to the susceptibility to AAU. The chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) gene, coding for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), a chemotactic cytokine, is involved in the induction of uveitis. A CCL2 gene polymorphism, which is characterized by an A>G substitution at nucleotide -2518 in the promoter region of CCL2 has been previously shown to affect MCP-1 synthesis. The purpose of the present study was to investigate a hypothesized association between this genetic variant and the presence of HLA-B27 associated AAU. METHODS: The study group comprised 114 patients with HLA-B27 associated AAU. One hundred and eleven healthy HLA-B27 positive individuals served as the HLA-B27 positive control group, whereas 81 healthy HLA-B27 negative individuals served as a HLA-B27 negative control group. Genotyping for the CCL2 -2518A>G polymorphism was performed by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Carriers of a CCL2 -2518G allele were found significantly more often in patients with HLA-B27 associated AAU than among HLA-B27 positive controls (49.2% and 31.5%, respectively; odds ratio 2.1; 95% confidence interval 1.2-3.6; p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the CCL2 -2518A>G polymorphism may play a role in HLA-B27 associated acute anterior uveitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Inhibition of MMP-dependent chemotaxis and amelioration of experimental autoimmune uveitis with a selective metalloproteinase-2 and -9 inhibitor.

The chemotaxis of inflammatory cells depends on proteolytic disruption of extracellular matrix components. The metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9 enable T-lymphocytes to pass through basement membranes. Selective inhibition of only MMP-2 and -9 almost completely abolished the ability of lymphocytes to digest collagen. The chemotaxis of lymphocytes was reduced 40%. In our in-vivo model of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU), 46% of the animals in the treated group remained disease-free, whereas all animals in the control group developed EAU. The mean activity of the disease was also statistically significantly reduced. The data suggest that selective MMP-2 and -9 inhibition might be a treatment option.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed2003

Vitamin D receptor initiation codon polymorphism, bone density and inflammatory activity of patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

OBJECTIVES: Osteoporosis is a common finding in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and may contribute to spinal deformity and bone pain. Bone metabolism as well as inflammatory processes are influenced by the vitamin D receptor gene (VDR). We investigated initiation codon ( FokI) and 3'UTR ( BsmI) polymorphisms of the VDR for whether there could be an association with bone mineral density (BMD) in relation to bone metabolism or inflammatory activity in patients with AS. METHODS: In this study, 104 patients with AS (m/w 71/33, mean age 41+/-12 years) were investigated for their lumbar and femoral BMD by DEXA and in part by QCT measurements and compared to 54 healthy controls. Disease activity indices, serum markers of bone metabolism and inflammation were recorded. FokI and BsmI polymorphisms of the VDR were genotyped using genomic DNA from peripheral leukocytes with present or absent restriction sites defined as alleles " f" and " b" or " F" and " B," respectively. RESULTS: In male AS patients, FokI genotypes were significantly associated with spinal but not with femoral BMD values ( P=0.01) as independent predictors of low BMD, which was also influenced by BMI, and inflammatory and pain indices. CRP and ESR values were also significantly associated with FokI genotypes. BMD in female patients showed no significant association with either FokI or BsmI genotypes of the VDR. CONCLUSION: This is the first evidence that the VDR gene may be involved in BMD differences, bone metabolism and inflammatory processes in ankylosing spondylitis. A possible interaction of the vitamin D system, cytokines and bone could define new diagnostic and therapeutic implications in ankylosing spondylitis.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed2002

Anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha therapy with infliximab as an alternative to corticosteroids in the treatment of human leukocyte antigen B27-associated acute anterior uveitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potentials of infliximab, a mouse-human chimeric immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody that binds both the soluble form and the membrane-bound precursor of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), thus inhibiting a broad range of biologic activities of TNF-alpha, in the therapy of patients with acute HLA B27-associated anterior uveitis. DESIGN: Prospective noncomparative case series. PARTICIPANTS: Seven consecutive patients with acute onset of HLA B27-associated anterior uveitis, with at least three anterior chamber cells. INTERVENTION: Infliximab IV (Centocor, Malvern, PA) at a dosage of 10 mg/kg body weight was used as the only anti-inflammatory drug. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anterior chamber cells and flare were evaluated before infliximab treatment and at defined time points after treatment. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were assessed in all patients before IV delivery of infliximab and were re-evaluated after 1 week. RESULTS: Patients were observed for a mean period of 17 +/- 0.8 months. Seven patients received a single infliximab infusion of 10 mg/kg body weight. One patient received a second infusion 3 weeks after the first because of a uveitis flare-up. The median duration (+/- standard deviation) of uveitis was 8 +/- 12 days. All patients responded to infliximab with immediate improvement of clinical symptoms and a rapid decrease in anterior chamber cells. Total resolution of the uveitis was achieved with infliximab as the sole anti-inflammatory drug in all but one patient, who also showed systemic inflammatory activity, as indicated by a threefold increase in the serum CRP level. A relapse was seen in four patients after a median period of 5 +/- 6.4 months. CONCLUSION: Infliximab proved to be a powerful therapeutic agent in acute HLA B27-associated uveitis and may therefore be a future alternative or supplement to steroid treatment. Larger controlled studies on the efficacy and dosage of infliximab in different forms of anterior uveitis will nonetheless be needed to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-TNF-alpha treatment in acute, as well as chronic, uveitis.

Acute Disease↗