Volume 1 Issue 2, December 2005

Choosing the correct management strategy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis in order to achieve the best possible outcome is a challenge to all rheumatologists. This Viewpoint considers current progress in the field of outcomes research in rheumatoid arthritis, along with future prospects of predicting individual patient response to therapy.

The standards of 'state of the art' in-office imaging are rapidly changing. This Viewpoint assesses the imaging techniques available for in-office use and highlights the obstacles that need to be overcome in this field in order for clinicians to have easy access to the right data in order to provide the best possible care.

The improved prognosis of children with systemic lupus erythematosus over the past 50 years means that rheumatologists now focus on preventing the long-term complications associated with this disease and its treatment. As discussed in this review, a specialized multidisciplinary approach is needed to ensure optimum family education, treatment and patient outcome in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is particularly common in individuals with systemic sclerosis, but is also seen in other rheumatic diseases. A number of treatment optionsfor this serious complication are available, including selective and unselective endothelin-receptor antagonists, which are the subject of this review.

Molecular biology techniques have enabled the pathophysiologic pathways involved in joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis to be elucidated at the cellular and molecular level. In this review, the authors discuss the various cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions, highlighting the role of cytokine-independent pathways and the innate immune system in these processes.