Rheumatoid Arthritis: Iannone F

Lapadula G, Iannone F. · No affiliation provided · Reumatismo. · Pubmed #12874639 links to  free full text

This publication has no abstract.

Giannelli G, Iannone F, Marinosci F, Covelli M, Lapadula G, Antonaci S. · Department of Internal Medicine, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Section of Internal Medicine, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy. · Clin Exp Rheumatol. · Pubmed #16396706 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9) play a key role in tissue remodelling after processes such as joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis. Their expression may reflect the disease activity and they could therefore represent a useful marker to assess the efficacy of therapy. In this study MMP-2 and MMP-9 serum were evaluated in patients with chronic arthritis during therapy with the anti-TNFalpha mAb, infliximab. METHODS: Fifty patients with chronic arthritis, 26 with rheumatoid arthritis and 24 with undifferentiated chronic arthritis, were recruited and treated with infliximab (3 mg/kg). Serum concentrations of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were serially measured by gelatine zymography at baseline and after two and fourteen weeks of infliximab therapy. DAS-28 and ACR response criteria were applied to assess disease activity and clinical improvement. Twenty-four healthy donors were included in the study as controls. RESULTS: Although therapy with infliximab induced a statistically significant reduction of the DAS-28 score and improvement of the ACR clinical response, MMP-2 and MMP-9 serum concentrations were not modulated during therapy with infliximab. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides further evidence that blocking TNFalpha by infliximab is a powerful tool in the management of chronic arthritis. Nevertheless, infliximab does not seem to be able to modify the serum expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9, probably because modification of these enzymes is restricted to the site of joint inflammation and serum detection can not truly mirror the local situation. Additional soluble factors correlating with joint damage should be investigated as possible markers for monitoring anti-TNFalpha therapy.

Marrone M, Chialà A, Tampoia M, Iannone F, Raho L, Covelli M, Grattagliano V, Pansini N, Lapadula G. · DIMIMP, Sezione di Reumatologia, Università di Bari, Bari. · Reumatismo. · Pubmed #17435838 links to  free full text

Abstract: Joint involvement in systemic sclerosis (SSc) commonly occurs as arthralgias, while a true arthritis is less frequent. The most common arthritis developing in SSc is rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its diagnosis may be misled by concomitant joint contracture or tendon sheath involvement due to SSc. Anti-citrullinated cyclic peptide (CCP) antibodies are an emerging tool to diagnose RA and have shown to be more specific than rheumatoid factor. We assessed the prevalence of anti-CCP antibodies in SSc patients and evaluated their sensitivity and specificity for associated RA. Searching for RF and anti-CCP antibodies and joint examination were carried out in sixty consecutive SSc patients. Hands and feet standard x-rays were performed in patients complaining with arthralgia and/or arthritis. Six out of sixty (10%) SSc patients had RA according to 1987 ARA revised criteria. Anti-CCP were detected in 5 patients (sensitivity 83%) and RF was present in all RA patients (sensitivity 100%). However, anti-CCP antibodies had a much higher specificity (94%) than RF (41%) for RA. Our study suggests that anti-CCP antibodies are a useful test to identify patients with SSc having also RA. This is crucial in the management of SSc because may allow an adequate therapy of RA and prevent further joint damage in patients who already have a poor quality of life.

Iannone F, Trotta F, Montecucco C, Monteccuco C, Giacomelli R, Galeazzi M, Matucci-Cerinic M, Ferri C, Cutolo M, Maria Bambara L, Triolo G, Ferraccioli G, Valentini G, Lapadula G, Anonymous00086. · Department of Internal Medicine and Public Medicine, Rheumatology Unit, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. · Ann Rheum Dis. · Pubmed #16837489 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of switching to etanercept treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who already responded to infliximab, but presented side effects. METHODS: Charts of 553 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were retrospectively reviewed to select patients who responded to the treatment with infliximab and switched to etanercept because of occurrence of adverse effects. Clinical data were gathered during 24 weeks of etanercept treatment and for the same period of infliximab treatment before infliximab was stopped. Disease Activity Score computed on 44 joints (DAS-44), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) 1st hour, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of pain, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and C reactive protein (CRP) were assessed every 8 weeks. RESULTS: 37 patients were analysed. Adverse events to infliximab were mostly infusion reactions. No statistically significant difference between infliximab, before withdrawal, and etanercept, after 24 weeks, was detected in terms of DAS-44 (2.7 and 1.9, respectively), HAQ (0.75 and 0.75, respectively), ESR (21 and 14, respectively) and CRP (0.5 and 0.3, respectively). VAS pain decreased significantly after switching to etanercept treatment (40 and 24, respectively; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that etanercept maintains the clinical benefit achieved by infliximab, and suggests that a second tumour necrosis factor (TNF) alpha inhibitor can be the favourable treatment for rheumatoid arthritis when the first TNFalpha blocker has been withdrawn because of adverse events.

Anelli MG, Torres DD, Manno C, Scioscia C, Iannone F, Covelli M, Schena FP, Lapadula G. · University of Bari, Italy. · Arthritis Rheum. · Pubmed #16052569 links to  free full text

This publication has no abstract.

Giannelli G, Erriquez R, Iannone F, Marinosci F, Lapadula G, Antonaci S. · Department of Internal Medicine, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Section of Internal Medicine, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy. · Clin Exp Rheumatol. · Pubmed #15144129 No free full text.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PA) are both chronic rheumatic inflammatory diseases characterized by disruption of the extra-cellular matrix (ECM) protein of the cartilage, likely induced by proteolytic enzymes such as matrix metalloproteases (MMPs). The goal of this study was to quantify the expression of MMPs such as MMP-2 and MMP-9, and their physiological tissue inhibitors TIMP-2 and TIMP-1, respectively, in serum and synovial fluid. METHODS: Serum and synovial fluid from 24 RA patients and 17 PA patients were studied to determine the levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteolytic activity using a modified gelatin zymography procedure. TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were measured by a commercially available ELISA kit. RESULTS: Our results show that MMP-2 was detected in the latent form only, while MMP-9 was present in latent and active form. Both gelatinases were more concentrated in synovial fluid than in serum, and TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 concentrations were also more elevated in synovial fluid than in serum. CONCLUSIONS: To investigate the remodelling of cartilage ECM proteins, the evaluation of synovial fluid concentrations of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 is more reliable than that determined in serum. In view of these data, MMPs inhibitors might represent a possible target for new therapies delivered directly in the joint space.

Iannone F, Lapadula G. · No affiliation provided · J Rheumatol. · Pubmed #14528533 links to  free full text

This publication has no abstract.

Iannone F, Lapadula G. · No affiliation provided · Clin Exp Rheumatol. · Pubmed #10609081 No free full text.

This publication has no abstract.