The practice of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology has made big strides in the last decade. The availability of immune modifiers, e.g. anti-cytokine agents, has changed the therapeutic landscape of arthritis treatment. What is refractory arthritis previously had now become controllable disease. This article is available only as a PDF. Please...

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterised by the production of high titres of autoantibodies and associated with a diverse array of clinical manifestations that include arthritis, vasculitis and nephritis. It is a complex disease, and genetic and environmental factors contribute to the disease pathogenesis. Abnormal Th1...

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by severe joint deformities due to bony erosions and tendon damage. The chronic inflammatory process is mediated through a complex cytokine network. The clinical expressions and outcome of the disease can vary among different ethnic groups, possibly depending upon the...

More than 75% of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are found in Asia, where hepatitis B is the leading cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).1 A hepatitis B seroprevalence survey conducted in 1999 showed that the overall prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB)...

Joint aspiration with synovial fluid analysis can provide information which complements that which is available from the history and physical examination of the patient, and can help to differentiate various causes of arthritis. It is most useful in monoarthritis, where septic arthritis as a medical emergency needs to be...