No abstract

Objective. Because treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists may increase the risk of tuberculosis (TB), and because knowledge of the risk of TB in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) not treated with biologics is scarce and of uncertain generalizability to low-risk populations, this study sought to determine the risk of TB among Swedish patients with RA.Methods. Using data from Swedish nationwide and population-based registers and data from an ongoing monitoring program of TNF antagonists, the rela- Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) plays a major role in host defense against tuberculosis (TB) (1). The frequencies of TB in phase III trials of TNF antagonists (infliximab [2] and adalimumab [3]) have suggested that treatment with TNF antagonists (infliximab in particu-

No abstract

Treatment with TNF antagonists may be associated with a small to moderate increase in risk of hospitalisation with infection, which disappears with increasing treatment duration.

Objective. To determine the short-term and medium-term risks of cancer in patients receiving antitumor necrosis factor ␣ (anti-TNF␣) therapies that have proven effective in the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions. Conclusion. During the first 6 years after the start of anti-TNF therapy in routine care, no overall elevation of cancer risk and no increase with followup time were observed. Methods. By linking together data from theTumor necrosis factor ␣ (TNF␣) therapy exerts biologic effects on carcinogenesis and tumor progres-

Overall and as used in routine care against RA, TNF antagonists are not associated with any major further increase in the already elevated lymphoma occurrence in RA. Changes in the selection of patients for treatment may influence the observed risk.

Background: This population study based on a representative sample from a Swedish county investigates the prevalence, duration, and determinants of widespread pain (WSP) in the population using two constructs and estimates how WSP affects work status. In addition, this study investigates the prevalence of widespread pain and its relationship to pain intensity, gender, age, income, work status, citizenship, civil status, urban residence, and health care seeking.

Large and small proteoglycans were separately isolated from a number of connective tissues and compared to determine the extent of structural similarity. This was studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and by the peptide patterns obtained when 125I-labelled proteoglycans were digested with trypsin. All the large proteoglycans, i.e. from tendon, sclera, cartilage and aorta, appear to contain the structure typical for the hyaluronic acid-binding region, both shown by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and by content of peptides unique for this region. These proteoglycans also share other structural features of the protein core, as indicated by immunological cross-reactivity and similar peptide patterns. The large proteoglycans from aorta in addition show the presence of unique structures both upon immunoassay and with regard to peptide pattern. Among the small proteoglycans two groups can be identified, although amino acid composition and protein core sizes are grossly similar. One group consists of the small proteoglycans from aorta and cartilage having similar peptide maps and showing immunological cross-reactivity in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The other distinctly different group consists of the small proteoglycans from bone, cornea, sclera and tendon, which among them show identity in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and similar peptide patterns. Proteoglycans from the two groups, however, show partial immunological cross-reactivity.