Markus Gaubitz

Bio: Markus Gaubitz is an academic researcher from University of Münster. The author has contributed to research in topics: Etanercept & Rheumatoid arthritis. The author has an hindex of 27, co-authored 75 publications receiving 2250 citations.

Decreased gray matter volumes in the cingulo-frontal cortex and the amygdala in patients with fibromyalgia.

Abstract: Objective:Studies in fibromyalgia syndrome with functional neuroimaging support the hypothesis of central pain augmentation. To determine whether structural changes in areas of the pain system are additional preconditions for the central sensitization in fibromyalgia we performed voxel based morphom

Epidemiology of connective tissue disorders

Abstract: The reported prevalence and incidence of connective tissue disorders are quite variable, depending on differences in study methodology. Most important differences are the study duration, the classification criteria used for diagnosis and the country in which the study was undertaken. Sjogren's syndrome has the highest prevalence ranging between 0.5 and 3% of a given population. The prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is estimated between 15 and 50 per 100 000 individuals, with a female:male ratio of 6-10:1 in the age group between 15 and 40 yrs. The prevalence of systemic sclerosis is lower, however, varying significantly between different studies and countries. The prevalence of overlap syndromes, especially mixed connective tissue disease, is unknown, and polymyositis and dermatomyositis are regarded as very rare rheumatic diseases. Though the classification criteria for the connective tissue disorders have not been developed for the purpose of diagnosing an individual patient, these criteria still are the most valuable tool for the identification of patients with systemic rheumatic diseases such as connective tissue disorders.

Mycophenolate mofetil for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus: an open pilot trial.

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of mycophenolate mofetil in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who were inadequately controlled with corticosteroids, antimalarials, and other immunosuppresive agents.Methods: Ten patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were treated with 1500-2000 mg mycophenolae mofetil (MMF) daily for a median observation time of 11.2 ± 2.4 (8-16) months in an open clinical trial. The effectiveness and safety of treatment were analyzed using an established disease activity score, clinical status, and laboratory parameters.Results: All patients improved under treatment with no or only minor side effects. The disease activity score (SLAM) decreased statistically significantly from a median of 15.6 ± 5.5 to 9.9 ± 4.1 after three months (P < 0.01) and to 8.0 ± 3.3 after six months (P < 0.01). Hematologic parameters did not change significantly whereas a reduction of inflammatory markers was observed. Four patients with SLE-nephritis already treated with...

S2e-Leitlinie: Therapie der rheumatoiden Arthritis mit krankheitsmodifizierenden Medikamenten

Abstract: Medikamentose Therapiestrategien zur Behandlung der rheumatoiden Arthritis sind entscheidend fur den Langzeitverlauf. Sie dienen dem Ziel, durch fruhe und konsequente Unterdruckung der Entzundung Gelenkzerstorung zu verhindern und damit die Funktion zu erhalten. Erarbeitung eines Konsenses fur evidenzbasierte Empfehlungen zur Behandlung der rheumatoiden Arthritis mit krankheitsmodifizierenden Medikamenten in Deutschland. Nach einer systematischen Literatursuche wurde ein strukturierter Konsensprozess durchgefuhrt. Sechs ubergeordnete Prinzipien und 10 Empfehlungen fassen die Ergebnisse des Konsensprozesses zusammen. Verschiedene Punkte sind gegenuber der Fassung von 2012 neu, so die differenzierte Anpassung des Therapieregimes nach Zeitpunkt und Ausmas des Ansprechens, das Therapieziel Remission gemessen mithilfe des simplified disease activity index (SDAI) wie auch der potentielle Einsatz zielgerichteter synthetischer DMARDs (tsDMARDs), der JAK-Inhibitoren sowie Empfehlungen zur Deeskalation nach dem Erreichen einer anhaltenden Remission. Wie bisher steht Methotrexat (MTX) im Mittelpunkt der Therapie zu Beginn und als Kombinationspartner im weiteren Verlauf. Die Kombination mehrerer konventioneller synthetischer DMARDs, oder, bei ungunstigen prognostischen Faktoren, der Einsatz von biologischen oder tsDMARDs kommen nach dem Algorithmus bei nicht ausreichendem Ansprechen auf Methotrexat zur Anwendung. Empfehlungen fur die Deeskalation der Therapie mit Glukokortikoiden und konsekutiv gegebenenfalls auch DMARDs geben Hilfe fur den Umgang mit Patienten, die eine anhaltende Remission erreicht haben. Die neue S2-Leitlinie gibt Empfehlungen fur die Therapie der RA nach dem Prinzip des „Treat-to-Target“ (T2T) mit etablierten und neuen krankheitsmodifizierenden Medikamenten (DMARDs), einschlieslich der Biologika und JAK-Inhibitoren und macht Vorschlage zur Deeskalation nach Erreichen einer anhaltenden Remission.

Genetic Dissection of Complex Traits

Abstract: Medical genetics was revolutionized during the 1980s by the application of genetic mapping to locate the genes responsible for simple Mendelian diseases. Most diseases and traits, however, do not follow simple inheritance patterns. Geneticists have thus begun taking up the even greater challenge of the genetic dissection of complex traits. Four major approaches have been developed: linkage analysis, allele-sharing methods, association studies, and polygenic analysis of experimental crosses. This article synthesizes the current state of the genetic dissection of complex traits—describing the methods, limitations, and recent applications to biological problems.

Guidelines on the Use of Therapeutic Apheresis in Clinical Practice—Evidence-Based Approach from the Writing Committee of the American Society for Apheresis: The Sixth Special Issue

Abstract: The American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) Journal of Clinical Apheresis (JCA) Special Issue Writing Committee is charged with reviewing, updating, and categorizing indications for the evidence-based use of therapeutic apheresis in human disease. Since the 2007 JCA Special Issue (Fourth Edition), the Committee has incorporated systematic review and evidence-based approaches in the grading and categorization of apheresis indications. This Seventh Edition of the JCA Special Issue continues to maintain this methodology and rigor to make recommendations on the use of apheresis in a wide variety of diseases/conditions. The JCA Seventh Edition, like its predecessor, has consistently applied the category and grading system definitions in the fact sheets. The general layout and concept of a fact sheet that was used since the fourth edition has largely been maintained in this edition. Each fact sheet succinctly summarizes the evidence for the use of therapeutic apheresis in a specific disease entity. The Seventh Edition discusses 87 fact sheets (14 new fact sheets since the Sixth Edition) for therapeutic apheresis diseases and medical conditions, with 179 indications, which are separately graded and categorized within the listed fact sheets. Several diseases that are Category IV which have been described in detail in previous editions and do not have significant new evidence since the last publication are summarized in a separate table. The Seventh Edition of the JCA Special Issue serves as a key resource that guides the utilization of therapeutic apheresis in the treatment of human disease. J. Clin. Apheresis 31:149-162, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

American College of Rheumatology 2008 Recommendations for the Use of Nonbiologic and Biologic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract: Guidelines and recommendations developed and/or endorsed by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) are intended to provide guidance for particular patterns of practice and not to dictate the care of a particular patient. The ACR considers adherence to these guidelines and recommendations to be voluntary, with the ultimate determination regarding their application to be made by the physician in light of each patient’s individual circumstances. Guidelines and recommendations are intended to promote beneficial or desirable outcomes but cannot guarantee any specific outcome. Guidelines and recommendations developed or endorsed by the ACR are subject to periodic revision as warranted by the evolution of medical knowledge, technology, and practice.

Cognitive and emotional control of pain and its disruption in chronic pain

Abstract: Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent health problems in our modern world, with millions of people debilitated by conditions such as back pain, headache and arthritis. To address this growing problem, many people are turning to mind-body therapies, including meditation, yoga and cognitive behavioural therapy. This article will review the neural mechanisms underlying the modulation of pain by cognitive and emotional states - important components of mind-body therapies. It will also examine the accumulating evidence that chronic pain itself alters brain circuitry, including that involved in endogenous pain control, suggesting that controlling pain becomes increasingly difficult as pain becomes chronic.