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16s RNA-based metagenomics reveal previously unreported gut microbiota associated with reactive arthritis and undifferentiated peripheral spondyloarthritis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-15 Sakir Ahmed, Soumendu Mahapatra, Rasmita Mishra, Krushna Chandra Murmu, Prasanta Padhan, Punit Prasad, Ramnath Misra
Objectives Reactive arthritis (ReA) provides a unique opportunity to comprehend how a mucosal infection leads to inflammatory arthritis at a distant site without the apparent invasion of the pathogen. Unfortunately, conventional stool cultures after ReA provide limited information, and there is a dearth of metagenomic studies in ReA. The objective of this study was to identify gut microbiota associated
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Thorough assessment of the effectiveness of belimumab in a large Spanish multicenter cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus patients Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-14 Irene Altabás-González, José María Pego-Reigosa, Coral Mouriño, Norman Jiménez, Andrea Hernández-Martín, Ivette Casafont-Solé, Judit Font Urguelles, José Andrés Román-Ivorra, Marta de la Rubia Navarro, María Galindo-Izquierdo, Tarek Carlos Salman-Monte, Javier Narváez, Paola Vidal-Montal, María Jesús García-Villanueva, Sandra Garrote-Corral, María Ángeles Blázquez-Cañamero, Carlos Marras, María Piqueras-García
Objectives To provide an overview on the current use of belimumab (BLM) in SLE patients in clinical practice and to examine its efficacy in terms of standardized outcomes, drug survival, as well as patient and safety profiles. Methods A longitudinal retrospective multicentre cohort including SLE patients treated with BLM at 18 Spanish centers. Data was collected upon initiation of BLM, at 6 and 12
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Enhancing current guidance for psoriatic arthritis and its comorbidities: recommendations from an expert consensus panel Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-13 Laura C Coates, Marwan Bukhari, Antoni Chan, Ernest Choy, James Galloway, Nicola Gullick, Alison Kent, Laura Savage, Stefan Siebert, William Tillett, Natasha Wood, Philip G Conaghan
Objectives Existing guidelines for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) cover many aspects of management. Some gaps remain relating to routine practice application. An expert group aimed to enhance current guidance and develop recommendations for clinical practice that are complementary to existing guidelines. Methods A steering committee comprising experienced, research-active clinicians in rheumatology, dermatology
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Can complement activation be the missing link in antiphospholipid syndrome? Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Veronica Venturelli, Beatrice Maranini, Ibrahim Tohidi-Esfahani, David A Isenberg, Hannah Cohen, Maria Efthymiou
APS is an autoimmune disorder with life-threatening complications that, despite therapeutic advantages, remains associated with thrombotic recurrences and treatment failure. The role of complement activation in APS pathogenesis is increasingly recognised, specifically in obstetric APS. However, its exact role in thrombotic APS and on the severity of the disease is not yet fully elucidated. Further
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Flare prediction after tapering the dose of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: A nationwide cohort study Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Jina Yeo, Ju Yeon Kim, Jin Kyun Park, Kichul Shin, Eun Young Lee, Tae-Hwan Kim, Jun Won Park
Objectives To develop a model for predicting flares after tapering the dose of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Methods Data were obtained from the Korean College of Rheumatology Biologics and Targeted Therapy Registry. In total, 526 patients who received the standard-dose TNFi for at least 1 year and tapered their dose were included in the
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Hydroxychloroquine in lupus or rheumatoid arthritis pregnancy and risk of major congenital malformations: a population-based cohort study Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Ngoc V Nguyen, Elisabet Svenungsson, Annica Dominicus, Maria Altman, Karin Hellgren, Julia F Simard, Elizabeth V Arkema
Objectives To assess the infant risk of major congenital malformations (MCM) associated with first-trimester exposure to hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) among mothers with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods This population-based cohort study utilised Swedish nationwide registers and included all singleton births (2006–2021) among individuals with prevalent SLE or RA in
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Patient and health professional views on risk-stratified monitoring of immune-suppressing treatment in adults with inflammatory diseases Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Amy Fuller, Jennie Hancox, Hywel C Williams, Tim Card, Maarten W Taal, Guruprasad P Aithal, Christopher P Fox, Christian D Mallen, James R Maxwell, Sarah Bingham, Kavita Vedhara, Abhishek Abhishek
Objective To explore the acceptability of an individualised risk-stratified approach to monitoring for target-organ toxicity in adult patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases established on immune-suppressing treatment(s). Methods Adults (≥18 years) taking immune-suppressing treatment(s) for at-least six months, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) with experience of either prescribing and/or
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Machine learning-driven immunophenotypic stratification of mixed connective tissue disease corroborating the clinical heterogeneity Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Shinji Izuka, Toshihiko Komai, Takahiro Itamiya, Mineto Ota, Yasuo Nagafuchi, Hirofumi Shoda, Kosuke Matsuki, Kazuhiko Yamamoto, Tomohisa Okamura, Keishi Fujio
Objectives To stratify patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) based on their immunophenotype. Methods We analyzed the immunophenotype and transcriptome of 24 immune cell subsets from patients with MCTD, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM), and systemic sclerosis (SSc) from our functional genome database, ImmuNexUT (https://www.immunexut.org/). MCTD
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Assessing the sensitivity and specificity of myositis-specific and associated autoantibodies: a sub-study from the MyoCite cohort Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Aravinthan Loganathan, Latika Gupta, Alex Rudge, Hui Lu, Elizabeth Bowler, Fionnuala McMorrow, R Naveen, Anamika K Anuja, Vikas Agarwal, Neil McHugh, Sarah Tansley
Objectives Myositis-specific and associated autoantibodies are important biomarkers in routine clinical use. We assessed local testing performance for myositis autoantibodies by comparing line immunoassay (LIA) to protein radio-immunoprecipitation and identifying clinical characteristics associated with each myositis autoantibody in the MyoCite cohort. Methods Serum samples from patients within the
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Uptake and safety of pneumococcal vaccination in adults with immune mediated inflammatory diseases: a UK wide observational study Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Georgina Nakafero, Matthew J Grainge, Tim Card, Christian D Mallen, Jonathan S Nguyen Van-Tam, Abhishek Abhishek
Objective The uptake and safety of pneumococcal vaccination in people with immune mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) is poorly understood. We investigated the UK wide pneumococcal vaccine uptake in adults with IMIDs and explored the association between vaccination and IMID flare. Methods Adults with IMIDs diagnosed on or before 01/09/2018, prescribed steroid-sparing drugs within the last 12 months
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Predictors and prognosis of pulmonary hypertension complicating interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-12 Kathleen Morrisroe, Dylan Hansen, Wendy Stevens, Laura Ross, Joanne Sahhar, Gene-Siew Ngian, Catherine Hill, Lauren Host, Jennifer Walker, Susanna Proudman, Mandana Nikpour
Objective To identify those with concurrent pulmonary hypertension (PH) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and determine their disease severity, therapeutic approach, and survival. Methods Consecutive SSc patients enrolled in the Australian Scleroderma Cohort Study (ASCS) who were diagnosed on right heart catherisation with pulmonary hypertension were included. Logistic
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Transcriptomic profiling of osteoarthritis synovial macrophages reveals a tolerized phenotype compounded by a weak corticosteroid response Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-11 Cheng Wang, Ruben De Francesco, Lieke A Lamers, Sybren Rinzema, Siebren Frölich, Peter L E M van Lent, Colin Logie, Martijn H J van den Bosch
Objectives It is well-known that long-term osteoarthritis prognosis is not improved by corticosteroid treatments. Here we investigate what could underlie this phenomenon by measuring the short term corticosteroid response of OA-Mf. Methods We determined the genome-wide transcriptomic response to corticosteroids of end-stage osteoarthritic joint synovial macrophages (OA-Mf). This was compared with LPS-tolerized
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Biomarker analysis from the phase 2b randomized placebo-controlled trial of riociguat in early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-09 Dinesh Khanna, Frank Kramer, Josef Höfler, Mercedeh Ghadessi, Peter Sandner, Yannick Allanore, Christopher P Denton, Masataka Kuwana, Marco Matucci-Cerinic, Janet E Pope, Tatsuya Atsumi, Radim Bečvář, László Czirják, Ellen De Langhe, Eric Hachulla, Tomonori Ishii, Osamu Ishikawa, Sindhu R Johnson, Valeria Riccieri, Elena Schiopu, Richard M Silver, Vanessa Smith, Chiara Stagnaro, Virginia Steen, Wendy
Objective To examine disease and target engagement biomarkers in the RISE-SSc trial of riociguat in early diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis and their potential to predict the response to treatment. Methods Patients were randomized to riociguat (n = 60) or placebo (n = 61) for 52 weeks. Skin biopsies and plasma/serum samples were obtained at baseline and week 14. Plasma cyclic guanosine monophosphate
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Characteristics associated with patient-reported treatment success in psoriatic arthritis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-09 Christeen Samuel, Amanda Finney, Thomas Grader-Beck, Uzma Haque, John Miller, Suzanne M Grieb, Laura Prichett, Ana-Maria Orbai
Objectives To determine characteristics associated with patient-reported treatment success in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Methods Rheumatologist-diagnosed PsA patients fulfilling the CASPAR classification were recruited from a single center. PsA outcome measures included: 66/68 swollen/tender joint counts, Leeds/SPARCC dactylitis/enthesitis indices, psoriasis body surface area (BSA), and patient-reported
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Anti-histone and anti-nucleosome rather than anti-dsDNA antibodies associate with IFN-induced biomarkers in Sudanese and Swedish Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-09 Sahwa Elbagir, NasrEldeen A Mohammed, Vilija Oke, Anders Larsson, Jan Nilsson, Amir Elshafie, Elnour M Elagib, Musa A M Nur, Iva Gunnarsson, Elisabet Svenungsson, Johan Rönnelid
Objectives In SLE, anti-dsDNA can co-occur with autoantibodies against other chromatin components, like histones and nucleosomes. These antibodies induce type-1 interferon production, a hallmark of SLE. We measured antinuclear antibody (ANA) sub-specificities and investigated their associations to inflammatory biomarkers including interferon-regulated chemokines. Methods We included 93 Sudanese and
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A patient centered assessment of the 2016 ACR-EULAR Myositis Response Criteria: evaluating the meaningfulness of response Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-09 Didem Saygin, Anjana Chandrasekhara Pillai, Siamak Moghadam-Kia, Chester V Oddis, Dianxu Ren, Catherine Najem, Harman Dhatt, Rohit Aggarwal
Objectives The ACR-EULAR Myositis Response Criteria (Total Improvement Score [TIS]) is a composite measure calculated using changes in myositis core set measures. It is unclear if achieving improvement per TIS reflects improvement in any symptoms of myositis patients. In this study, we examined the association between achieving TIS improvement and patient-centered outcome measures (PCOMs). Methods
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Rheumatoid arthritis and risk of osteoarticular infection and death following Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia: A nationwide cohort study Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-09 Sabine S Dieperink, Mette Nørgaard, Frank Mehnert, Louise B Oestergaard, Thomas Benfield, Christian Torp-Pedersen, Andreas Petersen, Bente Glintborg, Merete L Hetland
Objectives Osteoarticular infection (OAI) is a feared complication of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) and is associated with poor outcomes. We aimed to explore risk of OAI and death following SAB in patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to identify risk factors for OAI in patients with RA. Methods Danish nationwide cohort study of all patients with microbiologically verified
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Identification of early risk factors for anti-citrullinated-protein-antibody positive rheumatoid arthritis—a prospective cohort study Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-08 Alexandra Cîrciumaru, Yogan Kisten, Monika Hansson, Linda Mathsson-Alm, Vijay Joshua, Heidi Wähämaa, Malena Loberg Haarhaus, Joakim Lindqvist, Leonid Padyukov, Sergiu-Bogdan Catrina, Guozhong Fei, Nancy Vivar, Hamed Rezaei, Erik af Klint, Aleksandra Antovic, Bence Réthi, Anca I Catrina, Aase Hensvold
Objective Individuals positive for anti-cyclic-peptide-antibodies (anti-CCP) and musculoskeletal complaints (MSK-C) are at risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study we aimed to investigate factors involved in arthritis progression. Methods Anti-CCP2-positive individuals with MSK-C referred to a rheumatologist were recruited. Individuals lacked arthritis at clinical and ultrasound
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Cancer risk with tocilizumab/sarilumab, abatacept, and rituximab treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a Danish cohort study Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-07 Rasmus Westermann, René Lindholm Cordtz, Kirsten Duch, Lene Mellemkjaer, Merete Lund Hetland, Bergur Magnussen, Lene Dreyer
Objectives To investigate cancer risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with tocilizumab/sarilumab, abatacept, or rituximab compared with those who received tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and compared with biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARD) naïve RA patients. Methods Nationwide registry-based cohort study of RA patients initiating treatment with tocilizumab/sarilumab
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Osteoporosis is associated with anti-topoisomerase I positivity and glucocorticoids use in patients with systemic sclerosis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-06 Charles Midol, Edgar Wiebe, Elise Siegert, Dörte Huscher, Hélène Béhal, David Launay, Eric Hachulla, Eric L Matteson, Frank Buttgereit, Vincent Sobanski
Objectives Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are at increased risk for osteoporosis (OP) and associated fragility fractures. This study aimed to identify underlying risk factors for these conditions in patients with SSc. Methods This cross-sectional study was based on a large prospective cohort of patients with SSc using retrospectively collected bone health data. OP was defined as the presence
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Macrophage activation syndrome in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis on anti-interleukin-1 or -6 therapy Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-05 Kadir Ulu, Emil Aliyev, Elif Kılıç Könte, Ayşe Tanatar, Şeyma Türkmen, Şeyda Doğantan, Zehra Kızıldağ, Belde Kasap Demir, Deniz Gezgin Yıldırım, Gülçin Otar Yener, Kübra Öztürk, Özge Baba, Ceyhun Açarı, Gülşah Kılbaş, Sema Nur Taşkın, Fatih Haşlak, Şengül Çağlayan, Esra Bağlan, Hatice Adıgüzel Dundar, Özge Başaran, Kenan Barut, Şerife Gül Karadağ, Taner Coşkuner, Hafize Emine Sönmez, Selçuk Yüksel
Objectives The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of anti-interleukin (IL)-1/-6 biologics on systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA)-associated macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). Methods Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of patients followed up with a diagnosis of sJIA-associated MAS assessed from sixteen pediatric rheumatology centers across the country. The clinical
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Inclusion-body myositis associated with Sjögren’s disease: clinical characteristics and comparison with other Sjögren-associated myositis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-02 Quentin Astouati, Thomas Machet, Camille Houssais, Jean-Baptiste Noury, Yves Allenbach, Laure Gallay, Baptiste Quere, Florence Assan, Olivier Benveniste, Jonathan Broner, Pierre Duffau, Alexandra Espitia, Anne Grasland, Gilles Hayem, Véronique Le Guern, Nihal Martis, Kuberaka Mariampillai, Gaëtane Nocturne, Xavier Mariette, Alain Meyer, Denis Mulleman, Valérie Devauchelle-Pensec, Aurore Collet, David
Objectives To describe the characteristics of patients with Sjögren’s disease (SjD) and inclusion-body myositis (IBM), and how they compare to SjD patients with other inflammatory myopathies (IM). Methods Patients were retrospectively recruited from 13 French centers and included if they met the ACR/EULAR criteria for SjD and for IM. They were categorized as SjD-IBM if sub-criteria for IBM were met
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Diagnostic value of a novel salivary gland ultrasound scoring system in IgG4-related sialadenitis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-03-02 Mingzhu Zhou, Shanshan Zhang, Xiaoyan Xie, Wei Li, Li Cui, Hanxue Zhao, Sumei Tang, Xiangdong Hu, Shanshan Wu, Jiajing Peng, Huilian Huang, Wei Ren, Ying Zhang, Ning Xu, Pengfei Sun, Yiqun Liu, Zuyan Zhang, Guangyan Yu, Yanying Liu, Yin Su
Objectives To develop a novel ultrasound scoring system for the major salivary glands in patients with immunoglobulin G4-related sialadenitis (IgG4-RS) and assess its diagnostic value in a multicenter cohort of Chinese patients. Methods Twenty clinicians (rheumatologists, stomatologists, and radiologists) participated. The study was conducted in four steps: (1) defining the ultrasonography (US) elements
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Patients’ unmet needs and treatment preferences concerning digital ulcers in systemic sclerosis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-29 Giulia Bandini, Alessia Alunno, Begonya Alcacer-Pitarch, Barbara Ruaro, Ilaria Galetti, Khadija El-Aoufy, Filipe Pinheiro, Giulia Campanaro, Judith Jade, StefanoDi Donato, Lindsay Muir, Alberto Moggi Pignone, Silvia Bellando Randone, Francesco Del Galdo, Zsuzsanna H McMahan, Marco Matucci-Cerinic, Michael Hughes
Introduction Digital ulcers (DUs) significantly impact on quality of life and function in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of our survey was to explore patients’ perspectives and their unmet needs concerning SSc-DUs. Materials SSc patients were invited through international patient associations and social media to participate in an online survey. Results 358 responses were obtained from
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A simple, clinically usable whole-body MRI system of joint assessment in adolescents and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Varvara Choida, Timothy J P Bray, Niels van Vucht, Maaz Ali Abbasi, Alan P Bainbridge, Thomas Parry, Debajit Sen, Sue Mallett, Coziana Ciurtin, Margaret A Hall-Craggs
Objectives To introduce and evaluate a simple method for assessing joint inflammation and structural damage on whole-body MRI (WBMRI) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), which is usable in clinical practice. Methods The proposed system utilises post-contrast Dixon WBMRI scans. Joints are assessed for synovitis (grade 0–2) and structural damage (present/absent) at 81 sites. The synovitis grading
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Pain is Common in Myositis and Associated with Disease Activity Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-27 Anjana Chandrasekhara Pillai, Tissa Bijoy George, Ren Dianxu, Siamak Mogadham-Kia, Chester V Oddis, Shiri Keret, Rohit Aggarwal
Background Understanding pain in myositis remains challenging. This study aimed to assess patient-reported pain and its correlation with myositis core set measures (CSMs), patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and functional measures. Methods Fifty subjects underwent baseline, 3-month, and 6-month assessments, evaluating myositis CSMs, functional measures, and patient-reported outcomes. Pain was measured
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Therapeutic Strategies and Outcomes in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: An International Multicenter Retrospective Study Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-25 Alessandra Bortoluzzi, Antonis Fanouriakis, Ettore Silvagni, Simone Appenzeller, Linda Carli, Greta Carrara, Alberto Cauli, Fabrizio Conti, Lilian Teresa Lavras Costallat, Ginevra De Marchi, Andrea Doria, Micaela Fredi, Franco Franceschini, Carlo Garaffoni, John G Hanly, Marta Mosca, Elana Murphy, Matteo Piga, Luca Quartuccio, Carlo Alberto Scirè, Paola Tomietto, Simona Truglia, Anna Zanetti, Margherita
Objectives The management of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) poses considerable challenges due to limited clinical trials. Therapeutic decisions are customized based on suspected pathogenic mechanisms and symptom severity. This study aimed to investigate therapeutic strategies and disease outcome for patients with NPSLE experiencing their first neuropsychiatric (NP) manifestation
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Remote monitoring of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a mixed methods evaluation across six hospitals in London, UK Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-25 Kathryn Watson, Helen Sheldon, Elena Pallari, Nikita Arumalla, Rachel R Olive, Olga Boiko, Camille Aznar, Emma-Jayne Adams, Ailsa Bosworth, Len Demetriou, Melanie Martin, Mary-Ann Palmer, Polly Sinclair, Emily J Smith, Nick Sevdalis, Andrew Walker, Toby Garrood
Objectives This study evaluated the scale-up of a remote monitoring (RM) service, capturing monthly Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact of Disease scores and patient-generated text messages, for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA; in remission or with low disease activity) attending routine outpatient clinics across six hospitals. We explored patients and staff experiences and implementation outcomes.
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Comparing clinical features between males and females with VEXAS syndrome: data from literature analysis of patient reports Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Robin Echerbault, Rim Bourguiba, Sophie Georgin-Lavialle, Christian Lavigne, Camille Ravaiau, Valentin Lacombe
Objectives VEXAS syndrome is an autoinflammatory disease associated with a somatic mutation of the X-linked UBA1 gene in haematopoietic progenitor cells. This disorder was originally described as a disease affecting men, but rare cases of VEXAS syndrome in women have since been reported. The theoretical existence of phenotypic sex differences in this X-linked disease is debated. We compared the features
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Impact on patient outcomes of spondyloarthritis-inflammatory bowel disease multi-disciplinary meetings Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Sarah Sayers, Danielle Lam, Qutab Shah, Jobie Evans, Miles Parkes, Carmel Stober, Joanne Rimmer, Gavin Clunie, Tania-Elena Gudu, Denise Rosembert, Sreedhar Subramanian, Stephanie Brookes-Jones, Stephen Moss, Tim Raine, Deepak Jadon
Objectives To assess the impact on patient outcomes of the spondyloarthritis (SpA) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings in a large university hospital. Methods A single-centre retrospective observational case-note review was conducted assessing the outcome of all 226 cases discussed at the SpA-IBD MDT meetings in a large UK university hospital between 2017–2022
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Interleukin-6 trans-signaling regulates monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 production in immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-23 Xue Ma, Hua-Jie Gao, Hui-Zhen Ge, Qing Zhang, Bi-Tao Bu
Objective Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) is pathologically characterized by diffuse myofiber necrosis and regeneration, myophagocytosis, and a sparse inflammatory infiltrate. The monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is a key chemokine that regulates monocyte/macrophage infiltration into injured tissues. The interleukin-6 (IL-6) signalling in the induction of MCP-1 expression has
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Lupus Low Disease Activity State and organ damage in relation to quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus: a cohort study with up to 11 years of follow-up Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-22 Ioannis Parodis, Thomas Stephens, Annica Dominicus, Daniel Eek, Christopher Sjöwall
Objectives Beyond prevention of organ damage, treatment goals in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) include optimisation of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The Lupus Low Disease Activity State (LLDAS) has received increasing attention as a goal whenever remission cannot be achieved. How SLE disease activity, organ damage, and LLDAS attainment relate to patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is not
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Comparative effectiveness of tofacitinib and tumour necrosis factor inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in real-world practice: a prospective observational study Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-17 Soo-Kyung Cho, Yeo-Jin Song, Hye Won Kim, Eunwoo Nam, Ja-Young Jeon, Hyun-Jeong Yoo, Yoon-Kyoung Sung
Objective To assess the effectiveness of tofacitinib vs tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods The study used data from a single academic referral hospital's registries of biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and tofacitinib and examined remission rates based on the disease activity score (DAS)28-erythrocyte sedimentation
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Anti-carbamylated protein antibodies drive AEC II toward a profibrotic phenotype by interacting with carbamylated TLR5 Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-17 Wei Xu, Minghua Huang, Rongrong Dong, Suyan Yan, Yan An, Baocheng Liu, Zhenzhen Ma, Kun Mu, Qingrui Yang
Objectives This study was to explore the role of Anti-carbamylated protein (Anti-CarP) antibodies in contributing to lung fibrosis in connective tissue disease (CTD)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) in an autoantigen-dependent manner. Methods ELISA tested serum samples, including 89 of CTD-ILD group and 170 of non-ILD CTD, for the anti-CarP levels. Male C57BL/6 mice were used for pulmonary
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Multiple serum biomarkers associate with mortality and interstitial lung disease progression in systemic sclerosis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-17 Mattthew James Sinclair Parker, Adelle S Jee, Dylan Hansen, Susanna Proudman, Peter Youssef, Tony J Kenna, Wendy Stevens, Mandana Nikpour, Joanne Sahhar, Tamera J Corte
Objectives To investigate the prognostic utility of 28 serum biomarkers in systemic sclerosis (SSc), SSc-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) and clinically relevant disease subgroups Methods Participants with sera, high-resolution computed tomography, and lung function within 12 months of baseline were identified from the Australian Scleroderma Cohort Study. Baseline was the time of serum
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The impact of autoantibodies on the efficacy of biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in rheumatoid arthritis: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-17 Kaoru Takase-Minegishi, Stefan Böhringer, Jackie L Nam, Yuko Kaneko, Frank Behrens, Saedis Saevarsdottir, Jacqueline Detert, Marjatta Leirisalo-Repo, Désirée van der Heijde, Robert Landewé, Sofia Ramiro, Diane van der Woude
Objective To investigate the efficacy of bDMARDs in patients with RA with RF/ACPA compared with patients without these autoantibodies. Methods Previous systematic literature reviews performed by EULAR RA management task forces were searched for qualifying RCTs. RCTs investigating the efficacy of bDMARDs and including both autoantibody-positive (≤80% of total population) and -negative RA patients were
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Follow-up ultrasound examination in patients with newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-17 Valentin S Schäfer, Christian Dejaco, Pantelis Karakostas, Charlotte Behning, Peter Brossart, Lara C Burg
Objectives Ultrasound is a standard tool to diagnose giant cell arteritis (GCA). Until now, only few studies investigated the role of ultrasound in the follow-up of GCA. The aim of this study was to assess the changes in the intima media thickness (IMT), total number of affected arteries and provisional OMERACT GCA ultrasonography score (OGUS) in a 12-months follow-up period. Methods Patients with
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Risk of cardiovascular disease decreases over time in psoriatic arthritis but not in spondylarthritis: meta-analysis of longitudinal studies Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-17 Hélène Gouze, Philippe Aegerter, Yasmine Gouyette, Maxime Breban, Maria Antonietta D’Agostino
Objectives Spondyloarthritis (SpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) represent two frequent inflammatory rheumatic disorders, characterized by an increased burden on quality of life, due to the association of several comorbidities, especially cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The estimated prevalence of CVD ranges from 12–19% and differ between the two diseases, however, its incidence is not completely known
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A multiparametric risk table for loss of clinical remission status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A starter study post-hoc analysis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-16 Simone perniola, Stefano alivernini, Elisa gremese, Gianpiero landolfi, Greta carrara, Annamaria iagnocco, Carlo alberto scirè
Objective This post-hoc analysis was carried out on data acquired in the longitudinal Sonographic Tenosynovitis/arthritis Assessment in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in Remission (STARTER) study. Its primary aim was to determine the predictive clinical and MSUS features factors for disease flare in RA patients in clinical remission, whilst its secondary aim was to evaluate the probability of disease
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Well-Being Therapy in systemic sclerosis outpatients: a randomized controlled trial Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-15 Sara Romanazzo, Sara Ceccatelli, Giovanni Mansueto, Francesco Sera, Serena Guiducci, Marco Matucci Cerinic, Fiammetta Cosci
Objectives Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) patients have psychological distress and poor well-being and need a tailored treatment. Psychological interventions, rarely tested for efficacy, showed poor benefits. The present randomized controlled trial tested the efficacy of Well-Being Therapy (WBT) in SSc patients. Methods Thirty-two outpatients were randomized (1:1) to WBT (n = 16) or Treatment As Usual (i
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Disease activity-guided dose optimisation including discontinuation of TNF-inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis is effective for up to 10 years: an observational follow-up of the DRESS study Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-11 Céleste J T van der Togt, Nathan den Broeder, Marleen S Boonstra, Aatke van der Maas, Alfons A den Broeder, Noortje van Herwaarden
Objectives To investigate safety and effectiveness of disease activity-guided dose optimisation of TNF-inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis over 10 years. Methods Observational long-term extension of a randomised study of participants who completed the 3-year extension of the DRESS-study. After the randomised phase (month 0–18), disease activity-guided dose optimisation was allowed for all. Main outcomes
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Association of the clinical components in the distal interphalangeal joint synovio-entheseal complex and subsequent response to ixekizumab or adalimumab in psoriatic arthritis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-11 Dennis McGonagle, Arthur Kavanaugh, Iain B McInnes, Lars Erik Kristensen, Joseph F Merola, Bruce Strober, Rebecca Bolce, Jeffrey Lisse, Jennifer Pustizzi, Christophe Sapin, Christopher Ritchlin
Objectives To assess the frequency of simultaneous distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint disease and adjacent nail psoriasis (finger unit) among patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and compare the efficacy of the interleukin (IL)-17A antagonist ixekizumab (IXE) and the tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitor adalimumab (ADA). Methods This post hoc analysis evaluated the simultaneous occurrence of
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The one-year infection risk among patients diagnosed with giant cell arteritis: use of antibiotics and hospitalisations Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-09 Philip Therkildsen, Annette de Thurah, Berit Dalsgaard Nielsen, Mikkel Faurschou, Bo Baslund, Ib Tønder Hansen, Mette Nørgaard, Ellen Margrethe Hauge
Objectives Patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) primarily have their infections managed by primary care providers and hospitalisation is rarely necessary. Existing studies in GCA focus on infection-related hospitalisations only, whereas the use of antibiotic prescriptions is largely unknown. This study aims to examine the one-year overall infection risk among patients with GCA. Methods This nationwide
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Effects of upadacitinib on enthesitis in patients with psoriatic arthritis: a post hoc analysis of SELECT-PsA 1 and 2 trials Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-09 Fabrizio Cantini, Antonio Marchesoni, Lucia Novelli, Giuliana Gualberti, Francesca Marando, Erin L McDearmon-Blondell, Tianming Gao, Dennis McGonagle, Carlo Salvarani
Objectives To characterize the effect of upadacitinib 15 mg once daily (UPA15) on enthesitis in patients with PsA from the SELECT-PsA Phase 3 trials. Methods Patients with an inadequate response/intolerance to one or more non-biologic DMARD (SELECT-PsA 1) or one or more biologic DMARD (SELECT-PsA 2) received UPA15, adalimumab 40 mg every other week or placebo (weeks 0–24) switched to UPA15 (week 24
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Immune checkpoint inhibitor-mediated polymyalgia rheumatica versus primary polymyalgia rheumatica: comparison of disease characteristics and treatment requirement Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-09 Olof C B Vermeulen, Elisabeth Brouwer, Riemer H J A Slart, Maria Sandovici, Abraham Rutgers, T Jeroen Hilterman, Birgitta Hiddinga, Sjoukje F Oosting, Mathilde Jalving, Albert H de Heij, Daan G Knapen, Geke A P Hospers, Kornelis S M van der Geest
OBJECTIVES To compare clinical characteristics, imaging findings and treatment requirements of patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor-mediated polymyalgia rheumatica (ICI-PMR) and primary PMR. METHODS This single centre, retrospective cohort study compared ICI-PMR in patients with cancer (n = 15) to patients with primary PMR (n = 37). A comparison was made between clinical symptoms, laboratory markers
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Are patients with gout with negative dual-energy computed tomography for monosodium urate crystal deposition easy-to-treat? Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-09 Victor Laurent, Charlotte Jauffret, Vincent Ducoulombier, Aurore Pacaud, Julie Legrand, Stéphane Verdun, Laurène Norberciak, Jean-François Budzik, Tristan Pascart
Objectives To determine the clinical associations and predictive value of two thresholds of negative dual-energy CT (DECT) for MSU crystal deposition in gout patients initiating urate lowering therapy (ULT), and identify which threshold is more clinically relevant. Methods Patients from the CRYSTALILLE cohort with a diagnosis of gout naive to ULT with baseline DECT scans of knees and feet were selected
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Cardiac involvement in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: acute eosinophilic myocarditis and chronic inflammatory cardiomyopathy Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-09 Xiaohang Liu, Yangzhong Zhou, Jing Li, Tianchen Guo, Zhuoyao Lv, Dingding Zhang, Xiaojin Feng, Jingdai Zhang, Ligang Fang, Xinping Tian, Xiaofeng Zeng, Wei Chen
Objectives Currently, cardiac involvement is used to describe all eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) cardiac problems. However, heterogeneity exists among them. We aimed to depict the disease spectrum of EGPA cardiac involvement and identify high-risk population. Methods We included EGPA patients hospitalized in our center from 2012 to 2023 and in public databases. Based on the cardiac
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Lung imaging patterns in connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease impact prognosis and immunosuppression response Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-09 Boyang Zheng, Daniel-Costin Marinescu, Cameron J Hague, Nestor L Muller, Darra Murphy, Andrew Churg, Joanne L Wright, Amna Al-Arnawoot, Ana-Maria Bilawich, Patrick Bourgouin, Gerard Cox, Celine Durand, Tracy Elliot, Jennifer Ellis, Jolene H Fisher, Derek Fladeland, Amanda Grant-Orser, Gillian C Goobie, Zachary Guenther, Ehsan Haider, Nathan Hambly, James Huynh, Kerri A Johannson, Geoffrey Karjala,
Objectives Interstitial lung disease (ILD) in connective tissue diseases (CTD) have highly variable morphology. We aimed to identify imaging features and their impact on ILD progression, mortality and immunosuppression response. Methods Patients with CTD-ILD had high-resolution chest computed tomography (HRCT) reviewed by expert radiologists blinded to clinical data for overall imaging pattern (usual
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Fragmented QRS complex could predict all-cause mortality in patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Jiayi Dai, Ting Liu, Hang Zhang, Xiaoxuan Sun, Yinghong Tang, Wei Qian, Yue Zhang, Huangshu Ye, Linwei Shan, Lin Li, Mengdi Du, Dongyu Li, Yinsu Zhu, Kefan Ma, Lin Liu, Qiang Wang, Lei Zhou
Objectives To investigate the prognostic impact and pathophysiological characteristics of fragmented QRS complex (fQRS) on patients with connective tissue disease-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (CTD-PAH). Methods This was a multicentre retrospective study recruiting 141 patients with CTD-PAH diagnosed by right heart catheterization (114 cases in the discovery cohort and 27 cases in the
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7-year follow-up atherosclerotic plaque progression in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome versus diabetes mellitus and healthy controls Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Gerasimos Evangelatos, Nikolaos Tentolouris, Petros P Sfikakis, Maria G Tektonidou
Objectives Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) carry a substantial burden of cardiovascular disease and subclinical atherosclerosis. We aimed to assess a 7-year follow-up atherosclerotic plaque progression in APS patients vs diabetes mellitus (DM) and healthy controls (HC). Methods Eighty-six patients with thrombotic APS, 86 with DM and 86 HC (all age- and sex-matched) who underwent a baseline
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Patient reported outcome for physical function in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Shiri Keret, Raisa Lomanto Silva, Tanya Chandra, Akanksha Sharma, Siamak Moghadam-Kia, Chester V Oddis, Rohit Aggarwal
Objectives There is an unmet need to develop patient-reported outcomes (PRO) measures for Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIM). To investigate the feasibility, compliance, and psychometric properties of NIH’s Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical function-20 (PF-20) in a large U.S. IIM population. Methods “Myositis Patient Centered Tele-Research” (My PACER)
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Circulating Tfh cells are differentially modified by abatacept or TNF blockers, and predict treatment response in Rheumatoid Arthritis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Irene Monjo-Henry, Mariela Uyaguari, Laura Nuño, Beatriz Nieto-Carvalhal, Elisa Fernández-Fernández, Diana Peiteado, Alejandro Villalba, Sara García-Carazo, Alejandro Balsa, María-Eugenia Miranda-Carús
OBJECTIVE CD4+CXCR5+PD-1hi follicular helper T (Tfh) cells dwell in the germinal centers (GCs) of lymphoid organs and participate in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) pathogenesis; the frequency of their circulating counterparts (cTfh-frequency) is expanded in RA and correlates with the pool of GC Tfh cells. Our objective was to study the effect of abatacept (ABT) or TNF blockers (TNFb) on the cTfh-frequency
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Serum protein profiling reveals distinct patient clusters in giant cell arteritis Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Flavia Zingg, Fabio S Ryser, Andrea D Gloor, Christos Polysopoulos, Peter M Villiger, Britta Maurer, Lisa Christ
Objectives We investigated the potential of serum proteins to distinguish clinical and molecular subtypes in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). Methods Proximity extension assays were used to analyse 1463 proteins in serum samples from patients with new-onset GCA (n = 16) and after achieving remission (n = 13). Unsupervised and supervised cluster analyses were performed. Results Unsupervised
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Where are we now in biological drugs for myositis? Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Ana Neves, Luísa Viveiros, Veronica Venturelli, David A Isenberg
Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are a rare and heterogeneous group of chronic autoimmune disorders. Up to 40% of IIM patients have long-term sequelae and significant functional disability. Its management can be challenging. New therapies are badly needed. The small number of cases with diverse presentations, and different diagnostic criteria interfere significantly with clinical trial results
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The information required by people with inflammatory arthritis to take methotrexate: a mixed-methods systematic review Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-07 Sarah J Logan, Samantha Hider, Julie Green, Sarah J Ryan
Objectives This mixed-methods systematic review aimed to identify and synthesize knowledge of the characteristics, content, and preferred format of information to support people with inflammatory arthritis (IA) to take methotrexate. Methods A literature search using MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, PsychInfo, GreyEU, Web of Science and Open Dissertation was conducted to identify all studies
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Epidemiology of antiphospholipid syndrome: macro- and microvascular manifestations Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Pedro Gaspar, Savino Sciascia, Maria G Tektonidou
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by thrombotic and non-thrombotic macro- and microvascular manifestations and pregnancy complications in the setting of persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), namely anticardiolipin antibodies, anti-β2 glycoprotein-I antibodies and lupus anticoagulant. Four decades after its first description, APS prevalence and incidence
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Anticoagulant and non-anticoagulant therapy in thrombotic antiphospholipid syndrome: old drugs and new treatment targets Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Guillermo Ruiz-Irastorza, Maria G Tektonidou, Munther Khamashta
In this review, we discuss the current evidence on classic and newer oral anticoagulant therapy, older drugs such as HCQ and statins, and new potential treatment targets in APS. Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) remain the cornerstone treatment for thrombotic events in APS. In patients fulfilling criteria for definite APS presenting with a first venous thrombosis, treatment with VKAs with a target international
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New advances in genomics and epigenetics in antiphospholipid syndrome Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Chary López-Pedrera, Tomás Cerdó, Elizabeth C Jury, Laura Muñoz-Barrera, Alejandro Escudero-Contreras, M A Aguirre, Carlos Pérez-Sánchez
APS patients exhibit a wide clinical heterogeneity in terms of the disease’s origin and progression. This diversity can be attributed to consistent aPL profiles and other genetic and acquired risk factors. Therefore, understanding the pathophysiology of APS requires the identification of specific molecular signatures that can explain the pro-atherosclerotic, pro-thrombotic and inflammatory states observed
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Viewpoint: Lupus anticoagulant detection and interpretation in antiphospholipid syndrome Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Maria Efthymiou, Maria Laura Bertolaccini, Hannah Cohen
Lupus anticoagulant (LA) is a well-established risk factor for the clinical manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Accurate LA detection is an essential prerequisite for optimal diagnosis and management of patients with APS or aPL carriers. Variability remains a challenge in LA testing, with reliable detection influenced by multiple factors, including pre-analytical conditions, anticoagulation
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Pregnancy in antiphospholipid syndrome: what should a rheumatologist know? Rheumatology (IF 5.5) Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Laura Andreoli, Francesca Regola, Alessia Caproli, Francesca Crisafulli, Micaela Fredi, Maria-Grazia Lazzaroni, Cecilia Nalli, Silvia Piantoni, Sonia Zatti, Franco Franceschini, Angela Tincani
This review focuses on the management of reproductive issues in women who have antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) or are carriers of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). The importance of aPL detection during preconception counselling relies on their pathogenic potential for placental insufficiency and related obstetric complications. The risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes can be minimized by individualized