• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.2.1-2.13
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• 2019

The enhanced differentiation and activation of osteoclasts (OCs) in the inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and gout causes not only local bone erosion, but also systemic osteoporosis, leading to functional disabilities and morbidity. The induction and amplification of NFATc1, a master regulator of OC differentiation, is mainly regulated by receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK) ligand-RANK and calcium signaling which are amplified in the inflammatory milieu, as well as by inflammatory cytokines such as TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6. Moreover, the predominance of CD4⁺ T cell subsets, which varies depending on the condition of inflammatory diseases, can determine the fate of OC differentiation. Anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies which are critical in the pathogenesis of RA can bind to the citrullinated vimentin on the surface of OC precursors, and in turn promote OC differentiation and function via IL-8. In addition to adaptive immunity, the activation of innate immune system including the nucleotide oligomerization domain leucine rich repeat with a pyrin domain 3 inflammasome and TLRs can regulate OC maturation. The emerging perspectives about the diverse and close interactions between the immune cells and OCs in inflammatory milieu can have a significant impact on the future direction of drug development.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.70-77
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• 2006

A cost effective analysis was performed for comparing leflunomide+methotrexate, etanercept monotherapy and etanercept+methotrexate for 6 months. For the patients with methotrexate-resistant RA, ACR20 data were extracted from the published clinical trials searched from Pubmed. The direct medical cost was estimated based on ACR guideline and Korean National Health Insurance reimbursement. Combination therapy of etanercept+methotrexate was found to be more cost-effective than etanercept monotherapy, which meant it was a better therapeutic strategy for methotrexate- resistant RA.

• 대한핵의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1999.05a
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• pp.200-204
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• 1999

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is o chronic inflammatory disease of joints with proliferation of synovial epithelial tissue. Therapeutic approach of the RA consists of pharmacological and surgical interventions. Synovectomy is indicated in patients with progressive inflammatory signs and symptoms intractable to medical treatment including local intracavitary steroid injection. Recently, local injection of radionuclides which emit high energy beta rays are labeled with chemical compounds such as $^{90}Y,\;^{165}Dy-ferric$ hydroxide macroaggregate and have been introduced as an alternative therapeutic modality to surgical synovectomy. Holmium-166 is one of beta emitter and Ho-166-chitosan complex was developed for radiation synovectomy. Preclinical trial is on-going at our hospital using Ho-166-chitosan. The procedure and methods of preclinical trial are discussed.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.125-134
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• 1999

The purposes of this study were to test the negative association between schizophrenia and rheumatoid arthritis(RA) and to clarify the role of prolactin and estrogen as protective factors in this association. The author compared the prevalence rate of RA between 561 patients with schizophrenia and 222 patients with mood disorder. For investigating the role of estrogen and prolactin, the author checked the plasma prolactin and estradiol level in 80 patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 77 patients with RA. The results were as follows. 1) Epidemiological data The prevalence rate of RA in the schizophrenic group was 0/561 and that of RA in the mood disorder group was 2/222. To compare these results between two groups, the author applied the Binomial test using the average prevalence rate of RA(0.8%) in the general population as a reference rate. The prevalence rate of RA in the schizophrenic group was significantly lower than that of RA in the general population. However, the prevalence rate of RA in the mood disorder group was not significantly different to that of RA in the general population. 2) Comparison of plasma prolactin and estradiol level between two groups The plasma level of prolactin in the schizophrenic group was significantly higher than that of prolactin in the RA group(p=0.000). However, the plasma level of estradiol in the schizophrenic group was significantly lower than that of estradiol in the RA group(p=0.017). These results were not consistent across gender. To contrast with the results in the female group, which were consistent with the results in the total subjects, for the male group, the plasma levels of prolactin and estradiol in the schizophrenic group were significantly higher than those of prolactin and estradiol in the RA group. These results support the results of previous studies which confirm the negative association between schizophrenia and RA. These results also suggest that the elevation of plasma prolactin level in the patients with schizophrenia has a antirheumatic effect while the elevation of plasma estradiol level in the patients with RA has a anti-schizophrenic effect, and that these effects act as a possible mechanism in the negative association between two disorders. However, these results suggest that this association is specific to female patients.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.7-21
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• 1999

This study attempts to provide the rudimentary data that might help patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis manage an independent life by the analysis of their activities of daily living(ADL). The subjects were forty patients who had been diagnosed Rheumatoid Arthritis and under drug therapy from RA clinics of the two university hospitals in Pusan. Data were collected by performing an individual interview for each of them during June 15th through July 15th 1998. Questionaires were imployed to investigate the general characteristics of patients. the traits of Rheumatoid Arthritis, and actual conditions of their activities of daily living. The questionaires utilized especially for the study of ADL is the version of Lee Eun Ok's tool which modified and complemented Katz scale (Katz, Down, Cogh and Grots 1970) and Bathel index(Bathel. 1973). It's consisted of 31 questions that each question is measured by 0-3points. The high score in the questionaire signifies the high independency in the ADL. The data were analyzed by SPSS/Win in terms of frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, close connection with the contents of the personal interview. Total mean of the ADL shows $1.55{\pm}0.68$, indicating the overall activities of daily living is generally dependent. It also indicates that patients, in the condition of dependent activity. tends either to have recourse to drugs or to take negative strategy, getting help from inside or outside family member. Hence, it is necessary that patients are exposed to the introduction and instruction of self-help devies that might help them manage a comparatively independent ADL, easing their paychological burden.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.168-174
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• 2015

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease, which is mainly characterized by disease of joints affected with synovial hyperplasia, pathological immune response, and progressive destruction; all of which represent an important social health problem. These provide new insights in its pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and disease progression in molecular changes. This review focuses on new serological and immunological markers which seem to be useful in early diagnosis and prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, such tests are widely conducted for serological biomarkers and the developments with such immunological factors to identify patients who are at risk for disease progression. This evidence of the disease based on laboratory medicine could provide the best outcome for patients. Finally, data from recent studies will help to refine the ultimate usefulness of this novel approach for early diagnosis, treatment, and helping clinicians to optimize therapy by using this approach.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Clinical Electrophysiology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 2007

Summary of background data: It is researched until now and the researches against the effect of position cold treatment the effect which pain threshold, change of skin temperature, researches the effective stiffness, the coldness in the patient it applied and relax an inflammation do the researches against were insufficient. Purpose: This project was to see how much it gives effect by using the cold air therapy an inflammation relief of rheumatoid arthritis patient. Methods: The medical subjects were 10 people from standard to diagnosis category of American College of Rheumatology(ACR) who had rheumatoid arthritis and to inspect informations about inflammation relief, have inspected ESR(erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and WBC(white blood cells). The experiment method was to let the patient bend the joint and lay down flat and treat with cold air from 10 cm away from joint line repeating 5 minutes treatment 1 minute rest and 3 minutes treatment. ESR and WBC cold air therapy reported with 5 days gap and each patient has been applied for 3 times. Result: The 5th day and 10th days ESR and WBC value shows when using cold air therapy, there was a reduction on rejected group but didn't last long, but 15th day it showed only on WBC it had its attention. Conclusions: So the cold air therapy shows it has positive effects on inflammation relief of rheumatoid arthritis patient.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.171-183
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• 2007

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of Erythrinae Cortex herbal-acupuncture solution(EC-HAS) at the Joksamni($ST_{36}$) of mice with collagen II-induced arthritis(CIA). Methods : The author performed several experimental procedures to observe the effects of the EC-HAS at the arthritis. The severity of arthritis, changes of cytokine level and antibody level, histological changes of the CIA mouse joint were analyzed. Results : 1. The incidence of arthritis and arthritis index were significantly decreased in the cases which were treated with the EC-HA. 2. Cartilage destruction and synovial cell proliferation were reduced, and the expression of the collagen fibers was similar with that of the normal group. 3. The levels of IL-6, $IFN-{\gamma}$, $TNF-{\alpha}$, $IL-1{\beta}$ in serum of the CIA mice which were treated with the EC-HA were significantly decreased compared with those of the normal group. 4. The levels of IgG, IgM and anti-collagen II in serum of CIA mice when they treated with the EC-HA were significantly decreased compared with those of the normal group. 5. The expression ratio of $CD4^+$ to $CD8^+$ cells in the EC-HA treated mice were maintained as much as the normal group of the lymph nodes in the CIA mice. 6. The $CD3e^+CD69^+$ and $CD11b^+Gr-1^+$ cell populations in the knee joint were significantly decreased in the EC-HA treated group. Conclusions : These results suggest that the EC-HA at the ST36 may be responsible roles to control on the synovial cell proliferation and to prevent the cartilage destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. These results will be important supporting evidence for the practical use of the EC-HA at rheumatoid arthritis clinic in the future.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 2011

Clinical arthritis is typically divided into rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). Arthritis-induced muscle weakness is a major problem in aged people, leading to a disturbance of balance during the gait cycle and frequent falls. The purposes of the present study were to confirm fiber type-dependent expression of muscle atrophy markers induced by arthritis and to identify the relationship between clinical signs and expression of muscle atrophy markers. Mice were divided into four experimental groups as follows: (1) negative control (normal), (2) positive control (CFA+acetic acid), (3) RA group (CFA+acetic acid+type II collagen), and (4) aging-induced OA group. DBQA/1J mice (8 weeks of age) were injected with collagen (50 ${\mu}g/kg$), and physiological (body weight) and pathological (arthritis score and paw thickness) parameters were measured once per week. The gastrocnemius muscle from animals in each group was removed, and the expression of muscle atrophy markers (MAFbx and MuRF1) and myosin heavy chain isoforms were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. No significant change in body weight occurred between control groups and collagen-induced RA mice at week 10. However, bovine type II collagen induced a dramatic increase in clinical score or paw thickness at week 10 (p<0.01). Concomitantly, the expression of the muscle atrophy marker MAFbx was upregulated in the RA and OA groups (p<0.01). A dramatic reduction in myosin heavy chain (MHC)-$I{\beta}$ was seen in the gastrocnemius muscles from RA and OA mice, while only a slight decrease in MHC-IIb was seen. These results suggest that muscle atrophy gene expression occurred in a fiber type-specific manner in both RA- and OA-induced mice. The present study suggests evidence regarding why different therapeutic interventions are required between RA and OA.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.65-84
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• 2001

We recently demonstrated that bee venom (BV) injection into acupoint (i.e. Zusanli) produced more potent anti-inflammatory and antinociciptive effect in Freunds adjuvant induced rheumatoid arthritis (RA) model as compared with that of non-acupoint injection(i.e back). However, the precise components underlying BV-induced antinociceptive and/or anti-inflammatory effects have not been fully understood. Therefore, we further investigated the anti-arthritic effect of BV after extracting the whole BV according to solubility (water soluble: BVA, ethylacetate soluble: BVE). Subcutaneous BVA treatment (0.9 mg/kg/day) into Zusanli acupoint was found to dramatically inhibit paw edema and radiological change (i.e. new bone proliferation and soft tissue swelling) caused by Freunds adjuvant injection. In addition, the increase of serum interleukin-6 by RA induction was normalized by the BVA treatment as similar with that of non-arthritic animals. On the other hand, BVA therapy significantly reduced arthritis induced nociceptive behaviors (i.e., nociceptive score for mechanical hyperalgesia and thermal hyperalgesia). Furthermore, BVA treatment significantly suppressed adjuvant induced Fos expression in the lumbar spinal cord at 3 weeks post-adjuvant injection. However, BVE treatment (0.05 mg/kg/day) has not any anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effect on RA. Based on the present results, we demonstrated that BVA might be a effective fraction in whole BV for long-term treatment of RA-induced pain and inflammation. However, it is clear necessary that further fraction study about BVA was required for elucidating an effective component of BVA.