Part I: The Role of Genetics: Gene Polymorphisms and the Neuroendocrine Immune System in Rheumatic Diseases.

1. Corticotropin - releasing Hormone promoter Polymorphism - What is the Reality: Christoph Baerwald.

2. The Glucocorticoid receptor: Beta Gene variant: John A. Cidlowski.

3. ACE Polymorphism and Scleroderma: Marco Matucci-Cerinic.

4. Genetic variations in the endothelin system: do polymorphisms affect therapeutic strategies?: Gian Paolo Rossi.

Part II: The Central Nervous System: Stimulation tests of the Stress Axes and its involvement in Rheumatic Diseases.

5. Stress tests in arthritic animals: Mick Harbuz.

6. Stress system activity, innate pro - and anti -inflammatory Cytokines and susceptibility to Immune-related Diseases: Ilia Elenkov.

7. Stress tests in adults with Rheumatic Diseases: Rinie Geenen.

8. Hypoglycemia and the sympathetic nervous response: Richard Imrich.

9. Increased neural sympathetic activation in fibromyalgia syndrome: Piercarlo Sarzi-Puttini.

10. Autoantibody profile in systemic lupus erythematosus with psychiatric manifestations: a role for anti-endothelial - cell antibodies: Guido Valesini.

11. NEI interactions: the role of cortistatin/ somatostatin: Diego Ferone.

12. Prolactin And Growth Hormone Responses To Hypoglycemia In Patients With Systemic Sclerosis And Psoriatic Arthritis: J. Rovensky, R. Imrich, Z. Radikova, A. Penesova, L. Macho, J. Lukac, H. Raffayova, M. Matucci-Cerinic, M. Vigas.

Part III: The Peripheral Nervous System: Nerve Fibres, Neuropeptides and Clinical Links in Arthritis.

13. Innervation of the joint and role of Neuropeptides: YT Konttinen.

14. Neurogenic Inflammation and Arthritis: Jon D. Levine.

15. Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System in Chronic Arthritis: Rainer H. Straub.

16. Vagus nerve signaling and fever / inflammation: Andrej A. Romanovsky.

17. Adrenergic Modulation of the innate Immunity: Georges Maestroni.

18. Sleep and fatigue in Rheumatic Diseases: George Chrousos.

19. Alexithymia And Neuroendocrine-Immune Response In Patients With Autoimmune Disease: Serino F.M., Galluzzo S., Coppolino G., Vadacca M., Nilo S., Pernino N., Ligato G., Bruni R., Afeltra A.

20. The Sympathetic Nervous System Influences Cd4+Cd25+ Splenocytes To Aggravate Collagen-Induced Arthritis In The Adoptive Cell Transfer Model In Dba/1 Mice: P. Harle, U. Strauch, M. Fleck, I. Tarner, J. Scholmerich, and R.H. Straub.

Part IV: The Role of Gonadal Hormones: Sex Hormones and Rheumatic Diseases.

21. Epidemiological aspects of Rheumatic Diseases: The Sex Ratio: Tore Kristian Kvien.

22. Developmental and environmental factors and Sex Hormones: Alfonse Masi.

23. Inflammation and Sex Hormone Metabolism: Martin Schmidt.

24. Estrogens in pregnancy and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Andrea Doria.

25. DHEA in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Sjogren Syndrome: Ron Derksen.

26. Androgen And Prolactin (Prl) Levels In Systemic Sclerosis (SSc): Relationship With Disease Severity: Angela Barini, Luisa Mirone, Antonella Barini.

27. Role Of Estrogens In Inflammatory Response: Expression Of Estrogen Receptors In Peritoneal Fluid Macrophages From Endometriosis: Capellino S, Montagna P, Villaggio B, Sulli A, Soldano S, Ferrero S, Remorgida V, Cutolo M.

28. Estrogen Metabolites And Rheumatoid Arthritis: Effects On Proliferation Of Activated Human Monocytes: Capellino S, Montagna P, Villaggio B, Sulli A, Straub RH, Cutolo M.

29. Hormonal Alterations In Type I And II Hereditary Angioedema And Role Of Danazol In Steroid Hormone Conversion: Rainer H. Straub, Peter Harle, Jorgen Scholmerich, Jindrich Lokaj, Vojtech Thon.

30. BMD, Testosterone Plasma Levels And Lifestyles Correlations In Argentine Men Population: Scali, J.J.; SalomÛn, J.; Visentini, S.; Castelli, G.; Morales,E.

Part V: Glucocorticoids as Endogenous Neuroendocrine Immune Modulators: New Perspectives in the Therapy of Rheumatic Diseases.

31. Mechanisms of Glucocorticoid action and New Glucocorticoids: Frank Buttgereit.

32. Are glucocorticoids Disease Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs (DMARDS)?: Johannes W.J.

33. Less side effects than expected from Glucocorticoids: How to manage?: Jose A. P. Da Silva.

34. Circadian rhythms: Glucocorticoids and Arthritis: Maurizio Cutolo.

35. Oral pulsed dexamethasone therapy in early rheumatoid arthritis: a pilot study: Eric-Jan A. Kroot.

36. Glucocorticoid treatment induces different hormonal and cytokine responsiveness in polymyalgia rheumatica and rheumatoid arthritis with polymyalgia-like onset compared with elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis: Sulli A, Montecucco CM, Montagna P, Cavagna L, Caporali R, Capellino S, Seriolo B, Soldano S, Secchi ME and Cutolo M.

37. Is The Course Of Steroid-Treated Polymyalgia Rheumatica More Benign In Men Than In Women?: M. Parodi, R. Caporali, CM Montecucco and MA Cimmino.

Part VI: Clinical Aspects: The Neuroendocrine and the Immune Systems in Rheumatology.

38. Neuroendocrine predictors of autoimmunity: Yehuda Shoenfeld.

39. Auto antibodies and pregnancy in Rheumatic Diseases: Angela Tincani.

40. Cytokines and pregnancy in Rheumatic Diseases: Monika Oestensen.

41. Immune interactions in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Robert Lahita.

42. Defective placentation in antiphospholipid associated fetal loss: more.

hormone abnormalities then clotting?: Pierluigi Meroni.

43. Endocrine regulation of Suppressor Lymphocytes: role of the Glucocorticoid-Induced TNF- like receptor: Francesco Indiveri.

44. Multi-Endocrine Dysregulation In Fibromyalgic Patients: L. Bazzichi, A. Rossi, T. Giuliano, F. De Feo, C. Giacomelli, A. Chiapparelli, G. Consoli, S. Bombardieri.

45. Neuroendocrine Manifestations Of Phospholipid Antibody Disease: William Traverse, Beatriz Tendler, Charles Galea, Santhanam Lakshminarayanan, Ann Parke.

Part VII: Clinical Evidences: Anti-TNF strategies and effects on Neuroendocrine Immune Mechanisms in Rheumatic Diseases.

46. Anti-TNF and HPA axis: Rainer H. Straub.

47. Anti-TNF and Sex Hormones: Maurizio Cutolo.

48. The effects of TNF-blocking therapies on joint damage: Josef Smolen.

49. TNF-alpha stimulates DHEA metabolism in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes: a role for NFkB and AP-1 in the regulation of Cyp7p expression: John Dulos.

50. Atherosclerosis And Rheumatoid Arthritis: Effects Of Anti-Tnf Alpha Therapy On Lipid Profile: B Seriolo, S Paolino, A Sulli, ME Secchi, C Craviotto, M Cutolo.

51. Bone Metabolism Variations During Anti-Tnf Alpha Therapy In Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: B Seriolo, S Paolino, A Sulli, ME Secchi, C Pizzorni, M Cutolo.

52. The Selective Blockade Of TNFa reveals a TNFa/Chromogranin: A Pathway In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Alessandro Marinosci, Paola Di Matteo, Angelo Manfredi, Gabriele Di Comite, Patrizia Rovere-Querini, Elena Baldissera, Patrizia Aiello, Maria Grazia Sabbadini, Angelo Corti.

53. Nerve Growth Factor And Brain Derived Growth Factor Levels In Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated With TNFa Blockers: Flavia Del Porto, Luigi Aloe, Bruno Lagan, Viviana Triaca, Italo Nofroni, Raffaele D’Amelio.

Part VIII: Clinical Perspectives: Lipid Metabolism in Rheumatic Diseases.

54. Control of inflammation by Adipocytes: Jean Michel Dayer.

55. Leptin is a link between adipose tissue and inflammation: Peter Harle.

56. Anti-TNF therapy and Arteriosclerosis - The need to test the inflammation hypothesis in clinical Trials: Frank Ruschitzka.

57. Adiponectin and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Ulf Muller-Ladner, Bad Nauheim.

Part IX: Miscellaneous.

58. Cell Stress-Response In Skeletal Muscle Myofibers: Elena Tarricone, Anna Ghirardello, Sandra Zampieri, Rampudda Maria Elisa, Andrea Doria, Luisa Gorza.

59. Stress-Protein Expression In Skeletal Muscle Cells Of Patients Affected With Autoimmune Myositis: Elena Tarricone, Anna Ghirardello, Sandra Zampieri, Rampudda Maria Elisa, Luisa Gorza and Andrea Doria.

60. Chromograin-A as a Novel Marker Of Systemic Involvement In Rheumatoid Arthritis: Angelo Manfredi, Alessandro Marinosci, Gabriele Di Comite, Elena Baldissera, Patrizia Aiello, Paola Di Matteo, Patrizia Rovere-Querini, Angelo Corti, Maria Grazia Sabbadini