Plavix?
September 2nd, 2010 | 
Author: Overactive Blood Platelets May Play Role in Lupus
Overactive blood platelets could trigger inflammation in those with lupus, but the anti-clotting drug Plavix might ease the painful symptoms of this autoimmune disease, a new study suggests…
"While this is interesting, I think it's kind of early to get excited and say that this is a treatment or a cure. I would like to try this in a clinical trial," said Dr. Anca Askanase, an assistant professor of rheumatology at NYU Langone Medical Centers Hospital for Joint Diseases.
The mouse model the researchers used suggests that an antiplatelet drug "might have a benefit in human disease as well," Askanase said, although "the efficacy of the mouse model is not shutting down the disease; it's improving the disease by a little bit. They don't get cured."
"Always when you move things from an experimental model to humans, things could be different," she added. "But Plavix is easy to test out in people, because it doesn't do anything bad to humans" … from HealthDay News
From drugs.com:
Severe side effects of Plavix: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); black, tarry stools; bleeding in the eye; change in vision; change in the amount of urine produced; chest pain; dark or bloody urine; fever or sore throat; loss of appetite; pale skin; seizures; severe, persistent headache; speech problems; unexplained weight loss; unusual bruising or bleeding; unusual or severe bleeding (eg, excessive bleeding from cuts, increased menstrual bleeding, unexplained vaginal bleeding, unusual bleeding from the gums when brushing); unusual tiredness or weakness; yellowing of the skin or eyes.
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Currently, indications for UVA1 phototherapy fall into four major categories …
From the 2007 book, Photodermatology, Chapter 3 – Ultraviolet-A1 and Visible Light Therapy:
In 1981, Mutzhas et al. reported the development of an irradiation device, which almost exclusively emitted in the long-wave ultraviolet (UV) A range, that is, UVA-1 (340–400 nm). The combination of a metal halide lamp with a novel filtering system offered, for the first time, the unique possibility to expose human skin to high doses of UVA-1 radiation without causing a sunburn reaction. Soon thereafter, UVA-1 irradiation devices proved to be useful in photoprovocation testing for patients with UVA-sensitive photodermatoses, in particular polymorphic light eruption. It took, however, more than a decade before the therapeutic potential of these novel irradiation devices was recognized and systematically exploited.
In 1992, Krutmann and Schöpf reported that exposure to high doses of UVA-1 radiation was beneficial for patients with severe acute atopic dermatitis. These observations prompted a continually growing interest in the therapeutic use of UVA-1 radiation. As a consequence, there is now a substantial body of literature to suggest that for selected indications UVA-1 phototherapy is superior to conventional phototherapeutic modalities. A major difference between UVA-1 and UVB or UVA/UVB radiation is given by the fact that with UVA-1 phototherapy it has been possible to achieve therapeutic responses by penetrating deep into the dermis without the usual side effects caused by less penetrating UVB and UVB-like wavelengths in the UVA-2 region. In addition, UVA-1 radiation has some unique immunomodulatory features indicating that, under appropriate circumstances, it might prove superior even when compared with psoralen plus UVA (PUVA) therapy.
UVA-1 phototherapy was used first to treat patients with atopic dermatitis, but it has since been found to be efficacious in several other skin diseases, such as localized and systemic scleroderma, in which other therapeutic options are limited. This development has been fostered by studies, in which the photobiological and molecular basis of UVA-1 phototherapy was analyzed. Currently, the indications for UVA-1 phototherapy fall into four major categories: (i) T-cell-mediated skin diseases, (ii) mast cell-mediated skin diseases, (iii) connective tissue diseases, and (iv) phototherapy in HIV positive patients.
Increasing Vit. D3 Levels May Reduce Lupus-Induced Fatigue
Increasing [Vit. D3] levels may reduce fatigue in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but not SLE severity, according to the results of an observational study reported in the August issue of Arthritis Care Research … MEDSCAPE
LA Times: Religious views influence treatment offered by doctors
When selecting a doctor, you might want to ask about his or her religious views. Why? The strength of a physician’s feelings of faith can influence the types of treatment they offer to their patients.
A study published online Wednesday afternoon in the Journal of Medical Ethics found that doctors with “stronger religious faith” were less likely to talk with patients about treatment options that could shorten their lives, such as prescribing powerful pain medicines. They were also less likely to keep patients in continuous deep sedation or to support legislation allowing doctor-assisted euthanasia.
The reverse was true for the doctors who described themselves as “very or extremely non-religious.” They were almost twice as likely as religious doctors to report that they had pursued treatments that had the potential to hasten a patient’s death, either intentionally or as a side effect … LA Times
BBC: Broccoli ‘boosts’ healthy gut
Extracts of broccoli and banana may help in fighting stomach problems, research suggests.
Laboratory studies show fibres from [both] may boost the body's natural defences against stomach infections.
Trials are under way to see if they could be used as a medical food for patients with Crohn's disease.
Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes symptoms such as diarrhoea and abdominal pain … BBC
UCLA study identifies genetic variation linked to lupus in Asian men
Genes reside along long chains of DNA called chromosomes. UCLA researchers have found that a variation in a gene on the sex chromosome X may enhance an immune response that leads to lupus in men.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that predominantly affects women. Interestingly, researchers found that although the variation occurred in a gene on the X, or female, chromosome, its influence was stronger in men than in women. Humans hold two sex chromosomes — men have an X and Y, while women have two Xs. Previous studies have shown that genetic variations on the X chromosome contribute to the development of lupus.
In this study, researchers found that certain common variations of DNA sequences within a specific X-linked gene triggered a stronger response in the immune system, increasing the risk of developing lupus, especially in men.
This study was part of an international effort to study the genetics of lupus in broader ethnic groups. Researchers genotyped 9,274 Eastern Asians individuals, including those with lupus and healthy controls. The stronger genetic effects were seen in men, compared with women, and especially in Chinese and Japanese men. Further study will look at other ethnicities.