Josef S. Smolen

Developments in the clinical understanding of rheumatoid arthritis (2009)

Smolen, Josef S, Aletaha, Daniel

Abstract The changes occurring in the field of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over the past decade or two have encompassed new therapies and, in particular, a new look at the clinical characteristics of...

A pilot risk model for the prediction of rapid radiographic progression in rheumatoid arthritis (2009)

Vastesaeger, Nathan, Xu, Stephen, Aletaha, Daniel, St Clair, E. William, Smolen, Josef S.

Objectives. Identifying patients with RA at high risk of rapid radiographic progression (RRP) is critical for making appropriate treatment decisions. We developed an exploratory prediction model for...

Response of elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis to methotrexate or TNF inhibitors compared with younger patients (2009)

Köller, Marcus D., Aletaha, Daniel, Funovits, Julia, Pangan, Aileen, Baker, Daniel, Smolen, Josef S.

Objective. To compare the efficacy of MTX and MTX+TNF inhibitors (TNFis) in elderly patients with RA with that in patients of younger age. Methods. Data from two large, randomized, controlled,...

The need for prognosticators in rheumatoid arthritis. Biological and clinical markers: where are we now? (2008)

Smolen, Josef S, Aletaha, Daniel, Grisar, Johannes, Redlich, Kurt, Steiner, Günter, Wagner, Oswald

Abstract Rheumatoid arthritis is a heterogeneous disease with respect to clinical manifestations, serologic abnormalities, joint damage and functional impairment. Predicting outcome in a reliable way...

The role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in systemic lupus erythematosus (2008)

Aringer, Martin, Smolen, Josef S

Abstract Murine models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have shown apparently contradictory evidence in that either (a) tumor necrosis factor (TNF) expression was low and TNF administration...

Quantitative and qualitative deficiencies of regulatory T cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (2008)

Bonelli, Michael, Savitskaya, Anastasia, Von Dalwigk, Karolina, Steiner, Carl Walter, Aletaha, Daniel, Smolen, Josef S., ...

The objective of the study was that the regulatory T cells (Treg) that specialize in the suppression of immune responses might be critically involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease. As for...

The impact of infliximab treatment on quality of life in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (2007)

Han, Chenglong, Smolen, Josef S, Kavanaugh, Arthur, Van Der Heijde, Désirée, Braun, Jürgen, Westhovens, René, ...

Abstract In this study, we compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis...

Remission by composite scores in rheumatoid arthritis: are ankles and feet important? (2007)

Kapral, Theresa, Dernoschnig, Florian, Machold, Klaus P, Stamm, Tanja, Schoels, Monika, Smolen, Josef S, ...

Abstract Current treatment strategies aim to achieve clinical remission in order to prevent the long-term consequences of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Several composite indices are available to assess...

Interleukin-6: a new therapeutic target (2006)

Smolen, Josef S, Maini, Ravinder N

Abstract The therapeutic success of biological agents, especially the tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, has opened a new chapter in the book of therapies for rheumatoid arthritis....

The spliceosomal autoantigen heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2 (hnRNP-A2) is a major T cell autoantigen in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (2006)

Fritsch-Stork, Ruth, Müllegger, Daniela, Skriner, Karl, Jahn-Schmid, Beatrice, Smolen, Josef S, Steiner, Günter

Abstract A hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the appearance of autoantibodies to nuclear antigens, including autoantibodies directed to the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2...

Impairment of chondrocyte biosynthetic activity by exposure to 3-tesla high-field magnetic resonance imaging is temporary (2006)

Sunk, Ilse-Gerlinde, Trattnig, Siegfried, Graninger, Winfried B, Amoyo, Love, Tuerk, Birgit, Steiner, Carl-Walter, ...

Abstract The influence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices at high field strengths on living tissues is unknown. We investigated the effects of a 3-tesla electromagnetic field (EMF) on the...

Aspects of early arthritis. Traditional DMARD therapy: is it sufficient? (2006)

Machold, Klaus P, Nell, Valerie PK, Stamm, Tanja A, Smolen, Josef S

Abstract There is increasing evidence for beneficial effects of early DMARD (disease-modifying antirheumatic drug) therapy over delayed treatment in patients who present with arthritis of recent...

Methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis is frequently effective, even if re-employed after a previous failure (2006)

Kapral, Theresa, Stamm, Tanja, Machold, Klaus P, Montag, Karin, Smolen, Josef S, Aletaha, Daniel

Abstract Effectiveness of therapy with individual disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is limited, and the number of available DMARDs is finite. Therefore, at...

Imbalance of local bone metabolism in inflammatory arthritis and its reversal upon tumor necrosis factor blockade: direct analysis of bone turnover in murine arthritis (2005)

Zwerina, Jochen, Tuerk, Birgit, Redlich, Kurt, Smolen, Josef S, Schett, Georg

Abstract Chronic arthritis typically leads to loss of periarticular bone, which results from an imbalance between bone formation and bone resorption. Recent research has focused on the role of...

Tumour necrosis factor activates the mitogen-activated protein kinases p38α and ERK in the synovial membrane in vivo (2005)

Görtz, Birgit, Hayer, Silvia, Tuerck, Birgit, Zwerina, Jochen, Smolen, Josef S, Schett, Georg

Abstract Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is considered to be a major factor in chronic synovial inflammation and is an inducer of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling. In the present study...

Acute phase reactants add little to composite disease activity indices for rheumatoid arthritis: validation of a clinical activity score (2005)

Aletaha, Daniel, Nell, Valerie PK, Stamm, Tanja, Uffmann, Martin, Pflugbeil, Stephan, Machold, Klaus, ...

Abstract Introduction Frequent assessments of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity allow timely adaptation of therapy, which is essential in preventing disease progression. However, values of...

The active metabolite of leflunomide, A77 1726, interferes with dendritic cell function (2005)

Kirsch, Bernhard M, Zeyda, Maximilian, Stuhlmeier, Karl, Grisar, Johannes, Smolen, Josef S, Watschinger, Bruno, ...

Abstract Leflunomide, a potent disease-modifying antirheumatic drug used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), exhibits anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative and immunosuppressive effects....

JNK1 is not essential for TNF-mediated joint disease (2004)

Köller, Marcus, Hayer, Silvia, Redlich, Kurt, Ricci, Romeo, David, Jean-Pierre, Steiner, Günter, ...

Abstract Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) signalling molecules are considered as promising therapeutic targets of antirheumatic therapy. Among them, mitogen-activated protein kinases are thought to be of...

Phenotypic and functional deficiencies of monocyte-derived dendritic cells in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients (2004)

Köller, Marcus, Zwölfer, Bettina, Steiner, Günter, Smolen, Josef S., Scheinecker, Clemens

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) represents an autoimmune disease for which alterations of T cells, B cells as well as various antigen-presenting cell (APC) populations have been described. In...

The role of osteoprotegerin in arthritis (2003)

Schett, Georg, Redlich, Kurt, Smolen, Josef S

Abstract Bone erosion is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis. Recent evidence from experimental arthritis suggests that osteoclasts are essential for the formation of local bone erosions. Two...

SLE - Complex cytokine effects in a complex autoimmune disease: tumor necrosis factor in systemic lupus erythematosus (2003)

Aringer, Martin, Smolen, Josef S

Abstract Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a proinflammatory cytokine and a B-cell growth factor. It has numerous possible effects on T lymphocytes and dendritic cells, and it influences apoptosis....

Therapy of systemic lupus erythematosus: a look into the future (2002)

Smolen, Josef S

This manuscript is dedicated to Professor Tiny Maini in admiration of his grand mind and great work, in thankful appreciation of the numerous hours of our scientific debates, discussions on the...

Phenotypic characteristics of human monocytes undergoing transendothelial migration (2001)

Grisar, Johannes, Hahn, Philipp, Brosch, Susanne, Peterlik, Meinrad, Smolen, Josef S, Pietschmann, Peter

Abstract In our study we characterised the immunophenotype of monocytes that migrated through an endothelial cell (EC) monolayer in vitro . We found that monocyte migration led to an enhanced...

Rheumatoid arthritis associated autoantibodies in patients with synovitis of recent onset (2000)

Goldbach-Mansky, Raphaela, Lee, Jennifer, McCoy, Angela, Hoxworth, Joseph, Yarboro, Cheryl, Smolen, Josef S, ...

Statement of findings An inception cohort of 238 patients having peripheral joint synovitis of less than 12 months duration was evaluated clinically and followed prospectively for 1 year to determine...

Rheumatoid arthritis associated autoantibodies in patients with synovitis of recent onset

Goldbach-Mansky, Raphaela, Lee, Jennifer, McCoy, Angela, Hoxworth, Joseph, Yarboro, Cheryl, Smolen, Josef S, ...

An inception cohort of 238 patients having peripheral joint synovitis of less than 12 months duration was evaluated clinically and followed prospectively for 1 year to determine the clinical...

Phenotypic characteristics of human monocytes undergoing transendothelial migration

Grisar, Johannes, Hahn, Philipp, Brosch, Susanne, Peterlik, Meinrad, Smolen, Josef S, Pietschmann, Peter

In our study we characterised the immunophenotype of monocytes that migrated through an endothelial cell (EC) monolayer in vitro. We found that monocyte migration led to an enhanced expression of...

Osteoclasts are essential for TNF-α–mediated joint destruction

Redlich, Kurt, Hayer, Silvia, Ricci, Romeo, David, Jean-Pierre, Tohidast-Akrad, Makiyeh, Kollias, George, ...

The detailed cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis, a disease driven by proinflammatory cytokines, are still unknown. To address the question of...

SLE - Complex cytokine effects in a complex autoimmune disease: tumor necrosis factor in systemic lupus erythematosus

Aringer, Martin, Smolen, Josef S

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a proinflammatory cytokine and a B-cell growth factor. It has numerous possible effects on T lymphocytes and dendritic cells, and it influences apoptosis. These...

The role of osteoprotegerin in arthritis

Schett, Georg, Redlich, Kurt, Smolen, Josef S

Bone erosion is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis. Recent evidence from experimental arthritis suggests that osteoclasts are essential for the formation of local bone erosions. Two essential...

JNK1 is not essential for TNF-mediated joint disease

Köller, Marcus, Hayer, Silvia, Redlich, Kurt, Ricci, Romeo, David, Jean-Pierre, Steiner, Günter, ...

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) signalling molecules are considered as promising therapeutic targets of antirheumatic therapy. Among them, mitogen-activated protein kinases are thought to be of central...

Listeria-Associated Arthritis in a Patient Undergoing Etanercept Therapy: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Schett, Georg, Herak, Petra, Graninger, Winfried, Smolen, Josef S., Aringer, Martin

Listeriosis can be a cause of infectious arthritis. Here, we present a case of articular listeriosis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis receiving treatment with etanercept, a tumor necrosis...

The active metabolite of leflunomide, A77 1726, interferes with dendritic cell function

Kirsch, Bernhard M, Zeyda, Maximilian, Stuhlmeier, Karl, Grisar, Johannes, Smolen, Josef S, Watschinger, Bruno, ...

Leflunomide, a potent disease-modifying antirheumatic drug used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), exhibits anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative and immunosuppressive effects. Although...

Tumour necrosis factor activates the mitogen-activated protein kinases p38α and ERK in the synovial membrane in vivo

Görtz, Birgit, Hayer, Silvia, Tuerck, Birgit, Zwerina, Jochen, Smolen, Josef S, Schett, Georg

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is considered to be a major factor in chronic synovial inflammation and is an inducer of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling. In the present study we...

Imbalance of local bone metabolism in inflammatory arthritis and its reversal upon tumor necrosis factor blockade: direct analysis of bone turnover in murine arthritis

Zwerina, Jochen, Tuerk, Birgit, Redlich, Kurt, Smolen, Josef S, Schett, Georg

Chronic arthritis typically leads to loss of periarticular bone, which results from an imbalance between bone formation and bone resorption. Recent research has focused on the role of...

Methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis is frequently effective, even if re-employed after a previous failure

Kapral, Theresa, Stamm, Tanja, Machold, Klaus P, Montag, Karin, Smolen, Josef S, Aletaha, Daniel

Effectiveness of therapy with individual disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is limited, and the number of available DMARDs is finite. Therefore, at some stage...

Aspects of early arthritis. Traditional DMARD therapy: is it sufficient?

Machold, Klaus P, Nell, Valerie PK, Stamm, Tanja A, Smolen, Josef S

There is increasing evidence for beneficial effects of early DMARD (disease-modifying antirheumatic drug) therapy over delayed treatment in patients who present with arthritis of recent onset....

Rheumatoid arthritis associated autoantibodies in patients with synovitis of recent onset

Goldbach-Mansky, Raphaela, Lee, Jennifer, McCoy, Angela, Hoxworth, Joseph, Yarboro, Cheryl, Smolen, Josef S, ...

An inception cohort of 238 patients having peripheral joint synovitis of less than 12 months duration was evaluated clinically and followed prospectively for 1 year to determine the clinical...

Phenotypic characteristics of human monocytes undergoing transendothelial migration

Grisar, Johannes, Hahn, Philipp, Brosch, Susanne, Peterlik, Meinrad, Smolen, Josef S, Pietschmann, Peter

In our study we characterised the immunophenotype of monocytes that migrated through an endothelial cell (EC) monolayer in vitro. We found that monocyte migration led to an enhanced expression of...

Osteoclasts are essential for TNF-α–mediated joint destruction

Redlich, Kurt, Hayer, Silvia, Ricci, Romeo, David, Jean-Pierre, Tohidast-Akrad, Makiyeh, Kollias, George, ...

The detailed cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis, a disease driven by proinflammatory cytokines, are still unknown. To address the question of...

SLE - Complex cytokine effects in a complex autoimmune disease: tumor necrosis factor in systemic lupus erythematosus

Aringer, Martin, Smolen, Josef S

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a proinflammatory cytokine and a B-cell growth factor. It has numerous possible effects on T lymphocytes and dendritic cells, and it influences apoptosis. These...

The role of osteoprotegerin in arthritis

Schett, Georg, Redlich, Kurt, Smolen, Josef S

Bone erosion is a hallmark of rheumatoid arthritis. Recent evidence from experimental arthritis suggests that osteoclasts are essential for the formation of local bone erosions. Two essential...

JNK1 is not essential for TNF-mediated joint disease

Köller, Marcus, Hayer, Silvia, Redlich, Kurt, Ricci, Romeo, David, Jean-Pierre, Steiner, Günter, ...

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) signalling molecules are considered as promising therapeutic targets of antirheumatic therapy. Among them, mitogen-activated protein kinases are thought to be of central...

Listeria-Associated Arthritis in a Patient Undergoing Etanercept Therapy: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Schett, Georg, Herak, Petra, Graninger, Winfried, Smolen, Josef S., Aringer, Martin

Listeriosis can be a cause of infectious arthritis. Here, we present a case of articular listeriosis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis receiving treatment with etanercept, a tumor necrosis...

The active metabolite of leflunomide, A77 1726, interferes with dendritic cell function

Kirsch, Bernhard M, Zeyda, Maximilian, Stuhlmeier, Karl, Grisar, Johannes, Smolen, Josef S, Watschinger, Bruno, ...

Leflunomide, a potent disease-modifying antirheumatic drug used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), exhibits anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative and immunosuppressive effects. Although...

Tumour necrosis factor activates the mitogen-activated protein kinases p38α and ERK in the synovial membrane in vivo

Görtz, Birgit, Hayer, Silvia, Tuerck, Birgit, Zwerina, Jochen, Smolen, Josef S, Schett, Georg

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is considered to be a major factor in chronic synovial inflammation and is an inducer of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling. In the present study we...

Imbalance of local bone metabolism in inflammatory arthritis and its reversal upon tumor necrosis factor blockade: direct analysis of bone turnover in murine arthritis

Zwerina, Jochen, Tuerk, Birgit, Redlich, Kurt, Smolen, Josef S, Schett, Georg

Chronic arthritis typically leads to loss of periarticular bone, which results from an imbalance between bone formation and bone resorption. Recent research has focused on the role of...

Methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis is frequently effective, even if re-employed after a previous failure

Kapral, Theresa, Stamm, Tanja, Machold, Klaus P, Montag, Karin, Smolen, Josef S, Aletaha, Daniel

Effectiveness of therapy with individual disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is limited, and the number of available DMARDs is finite. Therefore, at some stage...

Aspects of early arthritis. Traditional DMARD therapy: is it sufficient?

Machold, Klaus P, Nell, Valerie PK, Stamm, Tanja A, Smolen, Josef S

There is increasing evidence for beneficial effects of early DMARD (disease-modifying antirheumatic drug) therapy over delayed treatment in patients who present with arthritis of recent onset....

The spliceosomal autoantigen heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2 (hnRNP-A2) is a major T cell autoantigen in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Fritsch-Stork, Ruth, Müllegger, Daniela, Skriner, Karl, Jahn-Schmid, Beatrice, Smolen, Josef S, Steiner, Günter

A hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the appearance of autoantibodies to nuclear antigens, including autoantibodies directed to the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2...

Impairment of chondrocyte biosynthetic activity by exposure to 3-tesla high-field magnetic resonance imaging is temporary

Sunk, Ilse-Gerlinde, Trattnig, Siegfried, Graninger, Winfried B, Amoyo, Love, Tuerk, Birgit, Steiner, Carl-Walter, ...

The influence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices at high field strengths on living tissues is unknown. We investigated the effects of a 3-tesla electromagnetic field (EMF) on the...

Repair of Local Bone Erosions and Reversal of Systemic Bone Loss Upon Therapy with Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor in Combination with Osteoprotegerin or Parathyroid Hormone in Tumor Necrosis Factor-Mediated Arthritis

Redlich, Kurt, Görtz, Birgit, Hayer, Silvia, Zwerina, Jochen, Doerr, Nicholas, Kostenuik, Paul, ...

Local bone erosion and systemic bone loss are hallmarks of rheumatoid arthritis and cause progressive disability. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a key mediator of arthritis and acts catabolically on...

TNF-induced structural joint damage is mediated by IL-1

Zwerina, Jochen, Redlich, Kurt, Polzer, Karin, Joosten, Leo, Krönke, Gerhard, Distler, Joerg, ...

Blocking TNF effectively inhibits inflammation and structural damage in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, so far it is unclear whether the effect of TNF is a direct one or indirect on...

Remission by composite scores in rheumatoid arthritis: are ankles and feet important?

Kapral, Theresa, Dernoschnig, Florian, Machold, Klaus P, Stamm, Tanja, Schoels, Monika, Smolen, Josef S, ...

Current treatment strategies aim to achieve clinical remission in order to prevent the long-term consequences of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Several composite indices are available to assess...

The impact of infliximab treatment on quality of life in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases

Han, Chenglong, Smolen, Josef S, Kavanaugh, Arthur, Van Der Heijde, Désirée, Braun, Jürgen, Westhovens, René, ...

In this study, we compare the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and...

CD44 is a determinant of inflammatory bone loss

Hayer, Silvia, Steiner, Günter, Görtz, Birgit, Reiter, Erika, Tohidast-Akrad, Makiyeh, Amling, Michael, ...

Chronic inflammation is a major trigger of local and systemic bone loss. Disintegration of cell–matrix interaction is a prerequisite for the invasion of inflammatory tissue into bone. CD44 is a...

The role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in systemic lupus erythematosus

Aringer, Martin, Smolen, Josef S

Murine models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have shown apparently contradictory evidence in that either (a) tumor necrosis factor (TNF) expression was low and TNF administration helpful or...

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Diagnosis and Screening

Burkhard F. Leeb, Katharina Weber, Josef S. Smolen

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common inflammatory joint disorder, with a prevalence of about 1% in the general population. It shows high variability with respect to its course and prognosis. In typical...

The need for prognosticators in rheumatoid arthritis. Biological and clinical markers: where are we now?

Smolen, Josef S, Aletaha, Daniel, Grisar, Johannes, Redlich, Kurt, Steiner, Günter, Wagner, Oswald

Rheumatoid arthritis is a heterogeneous disease with respect to clinical manifestations, serologic abnormalities, joint damage and functional impairment. Predicting outcome in a reliable way to allow...

Developments in the clinical understanding of rheumatoid arthritis

Smolen, Josef S, Aletaha, Daniel

The changes occurring in the field of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) over the past decade or two have encompassed new therapies and, in particular, a new look at the clinical characteristics of the...