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Results. Patients with >5 peripheral affected joints showed significantly more sonographically diagnosed destructive changes in the TMJ than did patients with <5 affected joints. There was no significance between the number of affected peripheral joints and disc dislocation in the closed-mouth position. In the maximum open-mouth position, there was a significant correlation between the number of affected peripheral joints and disc dislocation. Patients with a JIA duration >23 months had a significantly higher rate of disc dislocation and destructive changes. Patients with a JIA duration >60 months had a significantly higher rate of destructive changes of the TMJ than patients with a disease duration <60 months, but no statistical significance was found concerning disc dislocation. Conclusion. The significant correlation between pathologic sonographic findings, duration of JIA, and the number of affected peripheral joints make the technique interesting for use as a diagnostic screening method.

The investigation of human tear film proteins and lipids is of value for the elucidation of contact lens incompatibilities, tear film instabilities, dry eye syndrome and various other eye diseases. Improved efficient methods for the investigation of human tear film proteins and lipids are presented in this paper. Tear proteins were examined by ultrathin sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, celluloacetate gel, isoelectric focusing, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The methods differ in sensitivity, resolution, convenience and reproducibility. Tear lipids were examined by high-performance thin-layer chromatography, and good separation into the major lipid classes was achieved. With this method it is possible to examine the lipids present in tears of an individual subject and not just in pools made up from the tears of several persons.

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In the present study, two established non-medicinal treatment methods are compared with regard to their effect on various psychological pain parameters in patients with fibromyalgia. Twelve patients underwent hydrogalvanic baths, 13 patients the Jacobson relaxation training. Statistical evaluation showed only one significant difference in the different dimensions of pain measured at the beginning and end of the therapy. In comparison with patients receiving Jacobson-therapy, there is a significantly higher decrease in pain intensity in the period from breakfast till lunch in patients receiving bath-therapy. Apart from this, no differences between the two treatment groups could be found, either in the quality of pain, the psychological symptoms accompanying it, in sleep quality or in pain behaviour.