Re: Stem Cells Put Woman's Arthritis in Remission

[Guest guest]

Wow, this is incredible. But why did they say she had RA in 38

joints. You have RA in your whole body. That makes me suspicious,

when they can't even describe the disease right. Shouldn't someone

who did the study be reviewing the news article for accuracy?

If this is true, what an amazing break through.

> Stem Cells Put Woman's Arthritis in Remission

>

> Wed Aug 25, 4:42 PM ET

>

>

> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Transplanting stem cells from a healthy

woman to

> her sister with severe rheumatoid arthritis apparently cured the

disease,

> researchers report in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.

>

> At the Northwestern University in Chicago, researchers led by Dr.

K.

> Burt used stem cells from the sibling to treat a 52-year-old woman

with

> rheumatoid arthritis in 38 joints.

>

> Prior to transplantation, the woman was given various drugs to

increase the

> odds that her body wouldn't reject the cells.

>

> Her morning stiffness disappeared before she was discharged from the

> hospital and did not recur. Her rheumatoid nodules were completely

gone 9

> months after transplantation and now one year later the patient is

> disease-free and is not taking any drugs to suppress her immune

system.

>

> At 10 months after transplantation, the patient became infected

with the

> shingles virus, but the disease responded well to the drug

acyclovir. There

> was no evidence that the transplanted cells attacked the patient's

own

> cells, a condition called graft-versus-host disease that is

essentially the

> opposite of what occurs with rejection.

>

> The procedure, the researchers conclude, " may be performed safely,

without

> the development of graft versus host disease or serious infection,

and

> results in ... marked resolution of the disease manifestations of

rheumatoid

> arthritis. "

>

> SOURCE: Arthritis and Rheumatism, August 2004.

[Guest guest]

Wow, this is incredible. But why did they say she had RA in 38

joints. You have RA in your whole body. That makes me suspicious,

when they can't even describe the disease right. Shouldn't someone

who did the study be reviewing the news article for accuracy?

If this is true, what an amazing break through.

> Stem Cells Put Woman's Arthritis in Remission

>

> Wed Aug 25, 4:42 PM ET

>

>

> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Transplanting stem cells from a healthy

woman to

> her sister with severe rheumatoid arthritis apparently cured the

disease,

> researchers report in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.

>

> At the Northwestern University in Chicago, researchers led by Dr.

K.

> Burt used stem cells from the sibling to treat a 52-year-old woman

with

> rheumatoid arthritis in 38 joints.

>

> Prior to transplantation, the woman was given various drugs to

increase the

> odds that her body wouldn't reject the cells.

>

> Her morning stiffness disappeared before she was discharged from the

> hospital and did not recur. Her rheumatoid nodules were completely

gone 9

> months after transplantation and now one year later the patient is

> disease-free and is not taking any drugs to suppress her immune

system.

>

> At 10 months after transplantation, the patient became infected

with the

> shingles virus, but the disease responded well to the drug

acyclovir. There

> was no evidence that the transplanted cells attacked the patient's

own

> cells, a condition called graft-versus-host disease that is

essentially the

> opposite of what occurs with rejection.

>

> The procedure, the researchers conclude, " may be performed safely,

without

> the development of graft versus host disease or serious infection,

and

> results in ... marked resolution of the disease manifestations of

rheumatoid

> arthritis. "

>

> SOURCE: Arthritis and Rheumatism, August 2004.

[Guest guest]

Well I should have know, someone actually counts them! If ever

asked, I will just say I have RA in multiple joints.

> >> Stem Cells Put Woman's Arthritis in Remission

> >>

> >> Wed Aug 25, 4:42 PM ET

> >>

> >>

> >> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Transplanting stem cells from a

healthy

> > woman to

> >> her sister with severe rheumatoid arthritis apparently cured the

> > disease,

> >> researchers report in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.

> >>

> >> At the Northwestern University in Chicago, researchers led by Dr.

> > K.

> >> Burt used stem cells from the sibling to treat a 52-year-old

woman

> > with

> >> rheumatoid arthritis in 38 joints.

> >>

> >> Prior to transplantation, the woman was given various drugs to

> > increase the

> >> odds that her body wouldn't reject the cells.

> >>

> >> Her morning stiffness disappeared before she was discharged from

the

> >> hospital and did not recur. Her rheumatoid nodules were

completely

> > gone 9

> >> months after transplantation and now one year later the patient

is

> >> disease-free and is not taking any drugs to suppress her immune

> > system.

> >>

> >> At 10 months after transplantation, the patient became infected

> > with the

> >> shingles virus, but the disease responded well to the drug

> > acyclovir. There

> >> was no evidence that the transplanted cells attacked the

patient's

> > own

> >> cells, a condition called graft-versus-host disease that is

> > essentially the

> >> opposite of what occurs with rejection.

> >>

> >> The procedure, the researchers conclude, " may be performed

safely,

> > without

> >> the development of graft versus host disease or serious

infection,

> > and

> >> results in ... marked resolution of the disease manifestations of

> > rheumatoid

> >> arthritis. "

> >>

> >> SOURCE: Arthritis and Rheumatism, August 2004.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Well I should have know, someone actually counts them! If ever

asked, I will just say I have RA in multiple joints.

> >> Stem Cells Put Woman's Arthritis in Remission

> >>

> >> Wed Aug 25, 4:42 PM ET

> >>

> >>

> >> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Transplanting stem cells from a

healthy

> > woman to

> >> her sister with severe rheumatoid arthritis apparently cured the

> > disease,

> >> researchers report in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.

> >>

> >> At the Northwestern University in Chicago, researchers led by Dr.

> > K.

> >> Burt used stem cells from the sibling to treat a 52-year-old

woman

> > with

> >> rheumatoid arthritis in 38 joints.

> >>

> >> Prior to transplantation, the woman was given various drugs to

> > increase the

> >> odds that her body wouldn't reject the cells.

> >>

> >> Her morning stiffness disappeared before she was discharged from

the

> >> hospital and did not recur. Her rheumatoid nodules were

completely

> > gone 9

> >> months after transplantation and now one year later the patient

is

> >> disease-free and is not taking any drugs to suppress her immune

> > system.

> >>

> >> At 10 months after transplantation, the patient became infected

> > with the

> >> shingles virus, but the disease responded well to the drug

> > acyclovir. There

> >> was no evidence that the transplanted cells attacked the

patient's

> > own

> >> cells, a condition called graft-versus-host disease that is

> > essentially the

> >> opposite of what occurs with rejection.

> >>

> >> The procedure, the researchers conclude, " may be performed

safely,

> > without

> >> the development of graft versus host disease or serious

infection,

> > and

> >> results in ... marked resolution of the disease manifestations of

> > rheumatoid

> >> arthritis. "

> >>

> >> SOURCE: Arthritis and Rheumatism, August 2004.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

How do they count them? What if you are in medically-induced-

remission? Can you still tell? I think I would count almost all the

joints in my hands, feet, plus my hips and knees. Do they use x-rays

to determine if a joint is involved?

> Jennie,

> If you've ever read clinical trial qualifications, sometimes they

will

> specify that the joint count has to be a certain number or higher

in order

> to qualify. I was surprised when I was being evaluated for a

clinical trial

> and they counted my joint count way higher than I did. That is

when I found

> out that I counted my ankle joint as one joint and they counted it

as about

> 5. Then there are all those bones in the feet that add up!

> a

>

>

[Guest guest]

How do they count them? What if you are in medically-induced-

remission? Can you still tell? I think I would count almost all the

joints in my hands, feet, plus my hips and knees. Do they use x-rays

to determine if a joint is involved?

> Jennie,

> If you've ever read clinical trial qualifications, sometimes they

will

> specify that the joint count has to be a certain number or higher

in order

> to qualify. I was surprised when I was being evaluated for a

clinical trial

> and they counted my joint count way higher than I did. That is

when I found

> out that I counted my ankle joint as one joint and they counted it

as about

> 5. Then there are all those bones in the feet that add up!

> a

>

>