The central importance of these companies in the long-term success of the Molecular Allies division is stated in the 1998 Annual Report. It notes that if the group is to achieve its aim of being a full drug discovery service provider, then it is important that it should have four core capabilities, namely informatics, chemical libraries, biological screening and genomics.

21 What is the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and weight loss? Can treatment aid the weight loss at the same time as controlling the disease?

22 Can oral folic acid (1 mg/day) be used for high-dose methotrexate therapy with subsequent leucovorin rescue in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis?

23 How often should a patient, on 8 mg/day methylprednisolone for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and on osteoporosis prophylaxis in the form of 1000 mg calcium and 400 IU vitamin D daily, have a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan to detect the development of osteoporosis?

24 In what percentage of patients with psoriatic arthritis does the arthritis precede the onset of skin or scalp lesions?

25 1. Is reactive arthritis a synonym for Reiter's syndrome? 2. It is said that Reiter's disease has been related to Chlamydia trachomatis infection. Is this correct?

26 1. Is the response of an acutely inflamed joint to colchicine pathognomonic of gouty arthritis? 2. We are told that, other than clinical tests, joint fluid microscopy is the specific diagnostic test for gout. What does joint fluid microscopy reveal? Is it the same as a polarized light study revealing needleshaped urate deposits?

27 In the prevention of gout, should allopurinol be used for life in a patient who is hypertensive, alcoholic and overweight?

28 Does a serum uric acid level of 5.7 mmol/L need treatment? Can it be significant with cholesterol levels of 213 mg/dL (5.5 mmol/L)? What is the treatment?

29 In the diet of patients suffering from gout, should tea, coffee or other compounds containing methylxanthine products be restricted?

30 1. When do joints that appear slightly swollen, but not warm, need to be tapped? 2. In what circumstances might an immunologically suppressed patient not mount a fever or not have heat around a septic joint?