Editorials:

Quality indicators in rheumatology: valid for whom?

Theodora P M Vliet Vlieland and Tom W J Huizinga

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1797-1799. doi:10.1136/ard.2009.116582

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Viewpoint:

Use of "spydergrams" to present and interpret SF-36 health-related quality of life data across rheumatic diseases

V Strand, B Crawford, J Singh, E Choy, J S Smolen, and D Khanna

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1800-1804. doi:10.1136/ard.2009.115550

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Letters:

Targeted delivery of liposomal dexamethasone phosphate to the spleen provides a persistent therapeutic effect in rat antigen-induced arthritis

U Rauchhaus, R W Kinne, D Pohlers, S Wiegand, A Wölfert, M Gajda, R Bräuer, and S Panzner

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1933-1934. doi:10.1136/ard.2009.108985

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Anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis results in a significant and long-lasting decrease of concomitant glucocorticoid treatment

L Naumann, D Huscher, J Detert, M Spengler, G-R Burmester, and F Buttgereit

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1934-1936. doi:10.1136/ard.2009.111807

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Basic and translational research:

Effects of Porphyromonas gingivalis on cell cycle progression and apoptosis of primary human chondrocytes

N Pischon, E Röhner, A Hocke, P N’Guessan, H C Müller, G Matziolis, V Kanitz, P Purucker, B-M Kleber, J-P Bernimoulin, G Burmester, F Buttgereit, and J Detert

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1902-1907.
Published Online First: 3 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.102392

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FOXP3 expression in blood, synovial fluid and synovial tissue during inflammatory arthritis and intra-articular corticosteroid treatment

S Raghavan, D Cao, M Widhe, K Roth, J Herrath, M Engström, G Roncador, A H Banham, C Trollmo, A I Catrina, and V Malmström

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1908-1915.
Published Online First: 9 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.100768

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Association of the DVWA and GDF5 polymorphisms with osteoarthritis in UK populations

A M Valdes, T D Spector, S Doherty, M Wheeler, D J Hart, and M Doherty

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1916-1920.
Published Online First: 3 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.102236

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Association study of a polymorphism of the CTGF gene and susceptibility to systemic sclerosis in the Japanese population

Y Kawaguchi, Y Ota, M Kawamoto, I Ito, N Tsuchiya, T Sugiura, Y Katsumata, M Soejima, S Sato, M Hasegawa, M Fujimoto, K Takehara, M Kuwana, H Yamanaka, and M Hara

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1921-1924.
Published Online First: 3 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.100586

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Definition of arthritis candidate risk genes by combining rat linkage-mapping results with human case-control association data

L Bäckdahl, J P Guo, M Jagodic, K Becanovic, B Ding, T Olsson, and J C Lorentzen

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1925-1932.
Published Online First: 9 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.090803

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Clinical and epidemiological research:

Development of quality indicators for monitoring of the disease course in rheumatoid arthritis

L T C van Hulst, J Fransen, A A den Broeder, R Grol, P L C M van Riel, and M E J L Hulscher

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1805-1810.
Published Online First: 15 May 2009. doi:10.1136/ard.2009.108555

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ASDAS, a highly discriminatory ASAS-endorsed disease activity score in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

D van der Heijde, E Lie, T K Kvien, J Sieper, F Van den Bosch, J Listing, J Braun, R Landewé, and for the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS)

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1811-1818.
Published Online First: 5 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.100826

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Malignancies in the rheumatoid arthritis abatacept clinical development programme: an epidemiological assessment

T A Simon, A L Smitten, J Franklin, J Askling, D Lacaille, F Wolfe, M C Hochberg, K Qi, and S Suissa

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1819-1826.
Published Online First: 3 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.097527

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Modification and validation of the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (version 3)

C Mukhtyar, R Lee, D Brown, D Carruthers, B Dasgupta, S Dubey, O Flossmann, C Hall, J Hollywood, D Jayne, R Jones, P Lanyon, A Muir, D Scott, L Young, and R A Luqmani

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1827-1832.
Published Online First: 3 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.101279

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Adverse events of low- to medium-dose oral glucocorticoids in inflammatory diseases: a meta-analysis

J N Hoes, J W G Jacobs, S M M Verstappen, J W J Bijlsma, and G J M G Van der Heijden

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1833-1838.
Published Online First: 9 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.100008

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Ankylosing spondylitis and the risk of fracture: results from a large primary care-based nested case-control study

D Vosse, R Landewé, D van der Heijde, S van der Linden, T-P van Staa, and P Geusens

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1839-1842.
Published Online First: 9 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.100503

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Efficacy and safety of steroid injections for shoulder and elbow tendonitis: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

C Gaujoux-Viala, M Dougados, and L Gossec

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1843-1849.
Published Online First: 3 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.099572

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Reliability of high-resolution ultrasonography in the assessment of Achilles tendon enthesopathy in seronegative spondyloarthropathies

E Filippucci, S Zehra Aydin, O Karadag, F Salaffi, M Gutierrez, H Direskeneli, and W Grassi

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1850-1855.
Published Online First: 8 April 2009. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.096511

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Comparative effectiveness of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors in combination with either methotrexate or leflunomide

A Strangfeld, F Hierse, J Kekow, U von Hinueber, H-P Tony, R Dockhorn, J Listing, and A Zink

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1856-1862.
Published Online First: 6 January 2009. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.098467

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Adalimumab safety and mortality rates from global clinical trials of six immune-mediated inflammatory diseases

G R Burmester, P Mease, B A C Dijkmans, K Gordon, D Lovell, R Panaccione, J Perez, and A L Pangan

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1863-1869.
Published Online First: 15 January 2009. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.102103

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Clinical efficacy and safety of abatacept in methotrexate-naive patients with early rheumatoid arthritis and poor prognostic factors

R Westhovens, M Robles, A C Ximenes, S Nayiager, J Wollenhaupt, P Durez, J Gomez-Reino, W Grassi, B Haraoui, W Shergy, S-H Park, H Genant, C Peterfy, J-C Becker, A Covucci, R Helfrick, and J Bathon

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1870-1877.
Published Online First: 5 January 2009. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.101121

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Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in systemic sclerosis: a cross-sectional observational study of 52 patients

A-L Hachulla, D Launay, V Gaxotte, P de Groote, N Lamblin, P Devos, P-Y Hatron, J-P Beregi, and E Hachulla

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1878-1884.
Published Online First: 3 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.095836

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N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in systemic sclerosis: a new cornerstone of cardiovascular assessment?

Y Allanore, K Wahbi, D Borderie, S Weber, A Kahan, and C Meune

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1885-1889.
Published Online First: 3 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.098087

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Natural course of knee osteoarthritis in middle-aged subjects with knee pain: 12-year follow-up using clinical and radiographic criteria

C A Thorstensson, M L E Andersson, H Jönsson, T Saxne, and I F Petersson

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1890-1893.
Published Online First: 3 December 2008. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.095158

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Safety of biological therapies following rituximab treatment in rheumatoid arthritis patients

M C Genovese, F C Breedveld, P Emery, S Cohen, E Keystone, E L Matteson, Y Baptiste, A Chai, L Burke, W Reiss, M Sweetser, and T M Shaw

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1894-1897.
Published Online First: 20 January 2009. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.101675

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Bone loss in patients with active early rheumatoid arthritis: infliximab and methotrexate compared with methotrexate treatment alone. Explorative analysis from a 12-month randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

G Haugeberg, P G Conaghan, M Quinn, and P Emery

Ann Rheum Dis 2009; 68: 1898-1901.
Published Online First: 21 April 2009. doi:10.1136/ard.2008.106484

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