Diseases Commons^™

Enhancing Physician Perspectives Of Skilled Occupational Therapy Services For Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Valerie S. Trinidad

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

This Capstone Project, with a focus in research, sought to identify a relationship between self-reported functional performance and participation restriction as described by satisfaction with one’s execution or participation in a described occupation. A correlational study design was employed under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Decker, EdD, OTD, OTR/L who oversaw all IRB processes, documentation, study development and deployment, as well as co-authored and provided mentorship for creation of a publishable manuscript of this project. The established Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and the newer Keele Assessment of Participation (KAP) were the two outcome measures of focus for surveying …

Testing A Novel Peptide-Infused Cream For Treatment Of Rheumatoid Arthritis In Dr4tg Mice, Alisha J. Moynahan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that causes joint pain and damage. Studies have shown that inducing immune tolerance towards RA-specific proteins/peptides in RA mouse models can reduce arthritis severity and pro-inflammatory responses. The objectives of this study were to determine if a novel peptide cream treatment could modify RA-specific immune responses and reduce joint swelling in a humanized mouse model expressing the HLA-DRB1*0401 allele (known as DR4tg mice), the strongest genetic risk-factor for RA. Hyaluronan-Phosphatidylethanolamine cream infused with synthetic peptides HomoCitJED and CitJED was applied to HomoCitJED-immunized DR4tg mice before or after arthritis induction. Knee joint …

Methotrexate And Cardiovascular Events, Alpesh Shah

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association of MTX with cardiovascular morbidity, cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality in patients with autoimmune disease. Our primary outcome was incident cardiovascular events. After screening 13,479 citations, we identified a total of 30 eligible studies. We synthesized adjusted risk estimates using a random effects model. MTX was significantly associated with a 25% reduction in cardiovascular events (pooled RR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.86, I²: 11%), a 55% reduction in cardiovascular mortality (0.45, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.80, I²: 33%) and a 40% reduction in all-cause mortality (0.60, …

What Is The Effectiveness Of Roxithromycin In Management Of The Signs And Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis?, Adriana Distanislao

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not roxithromycin is effective in management of the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of three primary studies in the English language published in 2006, 2009, and 2011.

DATA SOURCES: Randomized, controlled and double blind clinical trials testing the effectiveness roxithromycin in management of inflammation and signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis were found using the PubMed and Ovid databases.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Improvement in the signs and symptoms of tenderness/inflammation using the American College of Rheumatology-20 (ACR-20) scoring approach, improvement of quality of …

Gender Perceptions In Rheumatic Disease: A Secondary Analysis, Jean Heise

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Problem: Rheumatoid arthritis affects approximately 1.3 million people in the United States. A chronic disease with a variable course leaves affected individuals in a state of uncertainty. Many individuals experience joint and muscle pain, a major symptom of the disease. Current literature provides varying information of gender perceptions and management of joint and muscle pain in rheumatic diseases. Purpose: The purpose of this secondary analysis was to explore (1) gender perception of seriousness of joint and muscle pain in rheumatoid arthritis, (2) gender perception of joint and muscle pain interference with daily life, (3) gender perception of controllability of joint …