Tag Archives: rheumatoid arthritis

Histopathological and immunohistochemical study in the anterior and posterior cruciate ligament of the knee with rheumatoid arthritis in Iraqi patients

Amal Kadhem Chaloob1, Sahar A. H. AL-Sharqi2

1. Department of Basic Science, College of Dentistry, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
2. Department of Biology, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq

DOI: 10.2478/amma-2026-0011

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) causes structural changes and inflammatory responses which damage the knee tissues that include the cruciate ligaments. Scientists will gain knowledge about ligament involvement in chronic joint diseases through their research to detect these changes.
Objective: The research aims to evaluate histopathological changes together with CD16 and CD68 protein expression and ecto-5′-nucleotidase (NTD/CD73) enzyme function in ACL and PCL tissues from RA patients who receive total knee arthroplasty.
Methods: Fifty ACL and fifty PCL samples were obtained from RA patients classified according to the 2010 ACR/EULAR criteria. The researchers conducted histopathology tests along with immunohistochemistry analysis of CD16 and CD68 markers and NTD enzyme histochemistry tests.
Results: Both ligaments exhibited fibrocyte proliferation, inflammatory infiltration, fibrin deposition, and vascular changes, with more pronounced alterations in the ACL. CD16 positivity reached 92% in the ACL and 96% in the PCL, whereas CD68 was positive in 98% of ACL samples and 94% of PCL samples. NTD activity ranged from weak to strong in both ligaments but showed higher scores in the ACL. Statistical analysis confirmed significant immunohistochemical and enzymatic differences between ACL and PCL.
Conclusion: The ACL and PCL tissues from RA patients show major inflammatory and degenerative damage which affects the ACL more than the PCL. The research results demonstrate how RA affects different ligaments but they do not provide any evidence to support removing cruciate ligaments as a treatment option. The research requires non-RA controls to establish the relationship between enzyme activity and staining intensity.

Keywords: , , ,
Full text: PDF

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Psoriatic Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Crăciun Lucia1, Crăciun P2, Buicu F3

1 County Clinical Emergency Hospital of Tîrgu-Mureș , Clinic of Rheumatology
2 Chronic Haemodialysis Center of Tîrgu-Mures
3 University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tîrgu-Mureș

DOI: 10.2478/amma-2014-0041

Introduction: The psoriatic patients have an increased number of associated comorbidities. Of these, cardiovascular diseases present the highest incidence and severity. The understanding of the cardiovascular risk in patients with psoriatic arthritis was supported from the rheumatoid arthritis studies that suggested that patients with psoriatic arthritis have a risk of cardiovascular diseases similar to patients presenting rheumatoid arthritis. The presence of the metabolic syndrome further increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its components in two groups of patients: those presenting psoriatic arthritis and those with rheumatoid arthritis.
Material and method: The study included two groups of patients: group one – 40 patients with psoriatic arthritis defined by Moll and Wright criteria, respectively the group two – 51 patients with rheumatoid arthritis defined by American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to the consensus definition (incorporating IDF and American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute -AHA/NHLBI definitions).
Results: We enrolled in the study 91 patients having a mean age of 57.7±10.4SD (54.7±10.2 SD psoriatic arthritis, 60.01±10.0 SD rheumatoid arthritis). The mean disease duration (years) was 4.12±4.1SD for psoriatic arthritis and 6.7±7.8SD for rheumatoid arthritis. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 67.5% in the group with psoriatic arthritis and 37.2% in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The psoriatic patients had a higher prevalence of impared fasting glucose (52.5% vs 27.4%, p=0.018), and elevated trygliceride values as compared with those presenting rheumatoid arthritis (25% vs 11% p=0.0004).
Conclusions: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increased in patients with psoriatic arthritis as compared to patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Keywords: , ,
Full text: PDF