Glossary

A disease that causes pain and stiffness from the neck down to the lower back. The vertebrae (parts of the backbone that are usually not stuck together) may become stuck together leading to a stooped over look

A disease that causes inflammation (redness and swelling) of the lining of the digestive tract (the part of the body that food travels through). This can lead to pain in the belly and below the belly, severe diarrhea (frequent, loose bowel movements), tiredness, weight loss, and malnutrition (the body not getting what it needs from food)

A kind of study design. The participants, doctors/assistants, and other researchers do not know which study drug or the amount of study drug each participant gets. This is done to make sure the study results are not influenced by these people knowing what study drug or amount of study drug participants are taking

How well a medicine works to treat the problem for which it is being taken

A word to describe a study that is run at more than one place

A type of study design. Participants are put in different groups and take different kinds and/or different amounts of study drug

A study drug with no active ingredients

A kind of study design in which some participants receive a placebo (a study drug with no active ingredients)

A skin disease in which people have red, itchy, and scaly patches on their skin

A disease of the body’s defense system that causes inflammation (redness and swelling), pain, and stiffness in the joints, and psoriasis (an itchy, painful skin problem)

Each participant being assigned to a study drug group by chance

A group of diseases that affect the joints and muscles. Some rheumatic diseases are caused by wear and tear. Others are caused by a problem with the body’s defense system

A disease of the body’s defense system that affects the joints

A side effect is considered “serious” when it results in the following: - death - puts the participant’s life at risk - causes the participant to have a stay in the hospital or stay there longer - causes disability - causes a baby being born with medical problems - the doctor thinks it may have turned into one of these problems if not treated

A medical problem of the participant that happened during the study and that the doctor thought was due to the study drug