View clinical trials related to Polymyalgia Rheumatica.
Filter by:Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most frequent vascularitis after 50 years of age The investigators recently showed that GCA was accompanied by an elevation in Th1 and Th17 response [1]. Even though a quantitative deficit in regulatory TL (Treg) was shown, there are to date no data concerning their precise phenotypic and functional characteristics and notably their ability to inhibit Th1 and Th17 polarisation. The hypothesis of the investigator is that, in GCA, there is quantitative and above all functional deficit of Treg. Recently, progress has been made in the identification of Treg with new markers (CD39), which will make it possible to better identify and to study their specific functions. In this study the phenotypic and functional characteristics of Treg in GCA will be analysed. Better understanding of the role des Treg in GCA should lead to better-targeted treatments for patients with GCA, notably via the blockage of cytokines that inhibit the differentiation and/or function of Treg. The study is classified interventional because a lot of blood samples are taken.
Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a medium to large vessel vasculitis with a predilection for the superficial cranial and intrathoracic arteries. Diagnosing the condition and predicting which patients will develop large vessel complications remains a challenge. There are limitations with temporal artery biopsy, magnetic resonance angiography and ultrasound of temporal arteries and American College of Rheumatology classification criteria. Positron emission tomography (PET) has been shown to be a useful modality in detecting inflammation in large intra-thoracic vessels but previously has not been able to accurately detect FDG uptake in the superficial cranial arteries due to poor spatial resolution. Newer scanners can perform finer cuts of the head and can detect uptake in these arteries. This study has three main components: 1. Cross sectional study assessing the accuracy of PET uptake in the superficial cranial and intrathoracic arteries of suspected GCA patients for the diagnosis of GCA 2. Cohort study assessing the prognostic implication of FDG aortic uptake on aortic diameter at 24 months 3. Cohort study assessing the Th1 and Th17 cytokine profile in patients with and without FDG PET uptake at 0, 6 and 24 months
Giant cell arteritis (GCA or temporal arteritis or cranial arteritis) or Horton disease is a vasculitis that occurs in older adults, affecting vessels of medium and large caliber. The diagnosis of GCA is a challenge for general practitioners and specialists. Since 1970, it is based on a combination of clinical, biological and histological signs. Temporal artery biopsy (TAB) was the reference method until recently. However, TAB has many drawbacks. Therefore, researches of the past 20 years have been intended to develop alternative diagnostic methods. This was notably the case of the color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) since the description by Wolfgang Schmidt of the halo sign. Although European and British recommendations put CDU as second line method, many authors suggest the possibility to do without TAB in many cases. In addition, many practitioners believe that it is not "ethical" to use an invasive unprofitable procedure like TAB, and have already been using CDU in their routine practice. However, no diagnostic algorithm validating this approach in a prospective series has been published to date. Therefore, the present study aim at validating a diagnostic algorithm of giant cell arteritis using color Doppler imaging of temporal arteries and cervicocephalic axes as first screening method.
The purpose of this study is to provide validation of patient-reported data in the VCRC Patient Contact Registry by comparing patient-reported data with data provided by the physician who is the primary provider caring for the patient's vasculitis. Patients enrolled in the Patient Contact Registry with Behcet's disease, eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss) (EGPA), giant cell arteritis (GCA), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's) (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), and Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) were invited via email to participate in this study.
A cross-sectional study design and online questionnaire was used to assess the informational needs of patients with several different types of systemic vasculitis. Patients were recruited from within the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium (VCRC) online Patient Contact Registry1. Survey responses from participants in the VCRC Patient Contact Registry were compared to responses from a similar survey recently administered to patients within a United Kingdom (UK) based vasculitis support group (Vasculitis UK).
The purpose of this study is to learn about how patients with vasculitis think about their illness and to assess to what extent patient perceptions of illness are associated with physical, mental, and social functioning
The purpose of this study is to learn about reproductive health, including fertility and pregnancies, in people with vasculitis.
The research hypothesis is that T lymphocytes CD8 play a role in the physiopathology of Horton's disease. At the inclusion visit, patients will have, as is the case in the usual strategy: - A complete clinical examination carried out by the doctor in charge of the patient - ESR, and CRP and fibrinogen assay - A full blood count for leukocytes and lymphocytes - A biopsy of the temporal artery (TAB) to screen for signs of vascularitis, suggesting Horton's disease. The clinician in charge of the patient will decide if a second biopsy is necessary. The biopsy will be sent to and analysed at Anatomy and Pathological cytology service. Immunohistochemical analyses will be done if the TAB is positive. In addition to the standard clinical examination and complementary examinations relative to the patients' pathology, the following will be done: - Lymphocyte immunophenotyping for the quantity of T CD4 (cluster of differentiation 4) and CD8 lymphocytes, B lymphocytes and natural killer lymphocytes. This will make it possible to calculate the absolute value for different T lymphocyte populations. - A blood sample drawn into a dry 5 mL tube (large yellow) to isolate the serum, which will be stored at -80°C for future assays for cytokines and other biomarkers of interest for Horton's disease. - 16 blood samples drawn into 6 mL heparinized tubes (large green). These will be used immediately for cytometric and functional analyses.
The aim of this open, controlled, multicentre biomedical research study is to identify new markers specifically associated with Horton's disease. This would make it possible to improve the diagnosis and management of this disease. Participation consists in taking one or several blood samples depending on the group patients/controls.
It has been reported that around 40% of GCA patients are able to decrease the prednisone dose until 0.1 mg/Kg/d or less after 6 months of treatment. In this study, we hypothesized that adding 3 months of tocilizumab to prednisone could increase the percentage from 40 to 70%.