Therapy: Once-yearly therapy is enough to stave off glucocorticoid-induced bone loss | PDF (105 KB)
p293 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.101
Table of contents
June 2009 Vol 5 No 6
Research Highlights
Therapy: The threat of leflunomide-induced lung disease | PDF (74 KB)
p294 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.39
Cannabinoid receptors in SSc | PDF (51 KB)
p294 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.95
Spondyloarthropathies: Reading the signs | PDF (55 KB)
p295 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.72
Crystal arthritis: The secret of successful long-term gout therapy | PDF (53 KB)
p295 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.73
Genetics: New genetic approach confirms importance of IRAK1 in SLE risk | PDF (58 KB)
p296 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.92
Stem cells: Progenitor cells found in osteoarthritic tissue | PDF (54 KB)
p296 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.94
Pain: Towards individualized therapy for low back pain? | PDF (89 KB)
p297 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.93
In brief
Connective tissue diseases | Bone Diseases | Rheumatoid arthritis | Connective tissue diseases | PDF (45 KB)
p297 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.96
Genetics: Do kallikrein genes protect against lupus nephritis? | PDF (95 KB)
p298 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.91
In brief
Rheumatoid arthritis | Therapy | Spondyloarthropathies | Connective tissue diseases | PDF (48 KB)
p298 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.97
News and Views
Therapy: Herbals and supplements for rheumatic diseases
Donald M. Marcus
p299 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.89
Many people with chronic rheumatic diseases choose to use complementary and alternative therapies on the basis of information from unreliable sources. Does a report from a UK-based arthritis charity meet the need for rigorous, evidence-based recommendations for the public and for health-care providers?
Connective tissue diseases: New evidence-based guidelines for treating SSc
Janet E. Pope
p300 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.98
A set of recommendations developed by an international panel of experts could have an impact on the care of patients with systemic sclerosis.
Rheumatoid arthritis: Guidelines for the management of RA: breadth versus depth
Michael M. Ward
p302 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.90
The comprehensiveness of clinical guidelines is a major determinant of their usefulness, but covering a broad range of topics in depth can prove difficult.
Connective tissue diseases: The conundrum of B cell depletion in SLE
Iñaki Sanz
p304 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.100
Two consecutive trials of rituximab, a B-cell-depleting anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, have threatened the future of B-cell-targeted therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). While rumors of the demise of this approach might be greatly exaggerated, the outcomes of these studies should force academics and the pharmaceutical industry back to the drawing board.
Connective tissue diseases: What does the death of Riquent™ hold for the future of SLE?
Joan T. Merrill & Jill P. Buyon
p306 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.99
In clinical trials testing new treatments for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the failure of the 15-year drug development program for Riquent™ (abetimus sodium) is the latest in a string of disappointments for a disease that has seen no new drugs approved in over 50 years.
Reviews
Surgical options for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee
Jörg Lützner, Philip Kasten, Klaus-Peter Günther & Stephan Kirschner
p309 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.88
In cases where symptoms of knee osteoarthritis persist despite conservative treatment, surgery can be offered to patients. The choice of procedure from the available options, which include arthroscopy, osteotomy and knee arthroplasty, is influenced by factors including the location and severity of joint damage, patient characteristics and risk factors.
Tyrosine kinases as targets for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Christina D'Aura Swanson, Ricardo T. Paniagua, Tamsin M. Lindstrom & William H. Robinson
p317 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.82
Several cellular responses, in different cell types, are involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. Common to many of these responses is signal transduction through tyrosine kinases. Evidence implicating certain tyrosine kinases in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, and the potential to inhibit these kinases, is outlined in this Review.
Type 17 T helper cells—origins, features and possible roles in rheumatic disease
Francesco Annunziato, Lorenzo Cosmi, Francesco Liotta, Enrico Maggi & Sergio Romagnani
p325 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.80
Type 17 T helper (TH17 ) cells were first discovered in mice as a distinct population of T helper cells that produce interleukin-17. Since then, the origin of human TH17 cells, the factors inducing their differentiation and the possible role these cells have in the pathogenesis of human rheumatologic disorders have been matter of intense debate.
Endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction in rheumatic disease
Peter E. Westerweel & Marianne C. Verhaar
p332 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.81
Various rheumatic conditions are characterized by endothelial dysfunction and a proinflammatory state, both of which can lead to premature atherosclerosis. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells are involved in endothelial repair, but the number and function of these cells are affected in rheumatic diseases, as discussed in this Review.
Case Study
Giant osteoclasts after long-term bisphosphonate therapy: diagnostic challenges
Nidhi Jain & Robert S. Weinstein
p341 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.87
This Case Study describes a postmenopausal woman who sustained a vertebral compression fracture 1 year after discontinuing long-term alendronate therapy for osteoporosis. A bone biopsy specimen revealed numerous giant, multinucleated osteoclasts, in contrast to the current opinion that alendronate therapy reduces the number of osteoclasts. In the context of this case, the authors highlight diseases that might be associated with giant osteoclasts, and discuss how to discriminate between them in order to avoid unnecessary tests and referrals.
Perspectives
Opinion
Systemic lupus erythematosus clinical trials—an interim analysis
Maria Dall'Era & David Wofsy
p348 | doi:10.1038/nrrheum.2009.79
Over the past 5 years, there has been considerable interest in the search for new treatments for systemic lupus erythematosus; disappointingly, negative results have now been presented from several large clinical trials. What can we learn from the experience so far to ensure that future opportunities for the development of an effective therapy for this disease are not missed?
