BackgroundThe aim of this clinical trial was to assess the efficacy and safety of curcuminoid complex extract from turmeric rhizome with turmeric volatile oil (CuraMed®) and its combination with boswellic acid extract from Indian frankincense root (Curamin®) vs placebo for the treatment of 40- to 70-year-old patients with osteoarthritis (OA).MethodsThe effects of CuraMed® 500-mg capsules (333 mg curcuminoids) and Curamin® 500-mg capsules (350 mg curcuminoids and 150 mg boswellic acid) taken orally three times a day for 12 weeks in 201 patients was investigated in a three-arm, parallel-group, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Primary outcome efficacy measures included OA physical function performance-based tests, the WOMAC recommended index of joint pain, morning stiffness, limitations of physical function, and the patients’ global assessment of disease severity.ResultsFavorable effects of both preparations compared to placebo were observed after only 3 months of continuous treatment. A significant effect of Curamin® compared to placebo was observed both in physical performance tests and the WOMAC joint pain index, while superior efficacy of CuraMed vs placebo was observed only in physical performance tests. The effect size compared to placebo was comparable for both treatment groups but was superior in the Curamin® group. The treatments were well tolerated.ConclusionsTwelve-week use of curcumin complex or its combination with boswellic acid reduces pain-related symptoms in patients with OA. Curcumin in combination with boswellic acid is more effective. Combining Curcuma longa and Boswellia serrata extracts in Curamin® increases the efficacy of OA treatment presumably due to synergistic effects of curcumin and boswellic acid.Trial registrationThis trial is registered at the database www.clinicaltrials.gov. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02390349?term=EuroPharma&rank=1. Study registration number: NCT02390349.

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BackgroundBehçet's disease (BD) is an autoimmune condition with an unknown etiology that is characterized by multisystem vasculitis, oral and genital ulcers and ocular inflammation. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a hereditary inflammatory disorder caused by mutations in MEFV. It occurs mainly in people of Mediterranean origin – Sephardic Jews, Arabs, Armenians, TurksObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the frequency of MEFV mutations and its possible influence on the BD course.MethodsWe have examinated 18 patients with BD. All patients fulfilled the International Study Group Criteria for the diagnosis BD (ISG 1990). They were also investigated for HLA B51 and molecular-genetic detection of 12 MEFV mutations common for Armenians in Medical Genetic Centre of Armenia. 2 of them had also approved FMF. The diagnosis of FMF was confirmed according to the generally recognized Tel-Hashomer criteria (Livneh A. et al., 1997; 2000).ResultsAll 18 patients have positive HLA B51. As was mentioned earlier 2 of them had approved FMF and 16 who had no clinical symptoms and family history for FMF. 8 patients were found to carry a single MEFV mutation and 1 patient were compound heterozygous. The number of MEFV mutation carriers in BD patients was higher (50%) than in any other study which has been published before e.g. S. Ayesh et al 2008 – 40.5% in Palestinian population from West Bank and Jerusalem and P. Atagunduz et al 2003 – 26%, T. Tasliyurt et al 2012 – 39.1%, A. Yazici et al 2013 – 27% in Turkish population. The frequency of severe M694V mutation was significantly higher in the BD group (22.2%) than in healthy Armenian population - 4.7% (Hayrapetyan A.S., 2002). The frequency of ocular involvement was significantly lower in patients with any mutation (25%) than in patients who did not have been screened for MEFV gene mutations e.g. Wu H et al 2014 - 85.6%, Tugal-Tutkun et al., 2004 - 95%.ConclusionsWe mentioned an importance of MEFV gene mutations in ocular involvement for BD patients something which gives an opportunity for further researches in this field for determination of the exact role of MEFV gene mutation in pathogenesis of BD.Disclosure of InterestNone declared

BackgroundBehçet disease (BD) is a system inflammatory disease mostly characterized by oral and genital ulcers and variable manifestations affecting other organs, mainly skin and eye. The HLA class I molecule HLA-B*51 allele is strongly associated with BD in many different ethnic groups and appears to be a significant risk factor for BD in the ancient Silk Route areas in contrast with Western and Northern Europe and U.S.1–4ObjectivesOur purpose was to show the frequency of presence of HLA-B*51 allele in Armenian patients with BD and estimate any correlation with common symptoms of disease depended on presence of HLA-B*51.MethodsForty-seven patients of Armenian origin (28 males 59.6% and 19 females 40.4%) fulfilling the International Criteria for BD (ICBD) with mean age 29.7±11.3 years; disease duration – 5.3±12.4 years were enrolled. We observed the clinical manifestations of BD of both HLA-B*51 carriers and non-carriers.ResultsHLA-B*51 was detected in 38 (80.8%) patients, of whom 25 male and 13 female (65.8% and 34.2%, respectively). Arthritis, erythema nodosum and genital ulcers were significantly more common in HLA-B*51-positive patients (83.3%, 83.3% and 80.6% respectively) than in HLA-B*51-negative ones (16.7%, p=0.032, 16.7% p=0.032 and 19.4% p=0.023 respectively).ConclusionsIn this ever first estimation of HLA-B*51 gene frequency in patients with BD in Armenia, our results indicated that the frequency of HLA-B*51 allele in BD is 80.8% which is higher than elsewhere (in Japan 58.9%, Iran 61.9%, Turkey 75%, Saudi Arabia 76.9% Greece 78.9%)5. Furthermore, this investigation revealed HLA-B*51 carriage much more often in male than in female BD patients. In addition HLA-B*51 carriers are in significant higher risk of development of arthritis, erythema nodosum and genital ulcers.References Ohno S, Aoki K, Sugiura S at al (1973) Letter. HLA 5and Behçet disease. Lancet 2:1383 – 1384.Ohno S, Ohguchi M, Hirose S et al (1982) Close association of HLA Bw51 with Behçet disease. Arch Ophthalmol 100:1455–1458.de Menthon M, Lavalley MP, Maldini C et al (2009) HLA-B51/B5 and the risk of Behçet disease: A systemic review and meta-analysis of case-control genetic association studies. Arthritis Rheum 61:1287–1296.Gul A, Ohno S (2012) HLA-B*51and Behçet disease. Ocul Immunol Inflamm 20:37–43.Yoshiaki Ishigatsubo. Behçet disease: from Genetics to Therapies. Springer 2015: 42–43. Disclosure of InterestNone declared