Garifallia Sakellariou

Safety of tumor necrosis factor α blockers in hepatitis B virus occult carriers (hepatitis B surface antigen negative/anti–hepatitis B core antigen positive) with rheumatic diseases

To assess the safety of anti–tumor necrosis factor α (anti‐TNFα) therapy on the course of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in carriers of antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti‐HBc) affected by chronic inflammatory arthropathies.

In patients with early rheumatoid arthritis, the new ACR/EULAR definition of remission identifies patients with persistent absence of functional disability and suppression of ultrasonographic synovitis

Objectives To test the American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) and disease activity score in 44 and 28 joints (DAS, DAS28) definitions of remission in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), against disability and ultrasound-detectable synovitis. Methods In an observational study of early RA patients, remission rates were determined and compared in 166 patients. The remission definitions included the simplified disease activity index (SDAI≤3.3), ACR/EULAR (categorical), DAS28 (<2.6) and DAS (<1.6). The health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) was completed at baseline and 12 months, power Doppler-positive synovitis (PDPS) was assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Cross-sectionally, the outcomes were low functional disability (HAQ≤0.5) or absent PDPS in all joints, while longitudinally the outcomes were stable low functional disability and persistent absent PDPS in all joints. Results At baseline, 33.7% of patients achieved DAS28 remission, 43.37% DAS remission, 16.8% SDAI remission, 13.8% ACR/EULAR remission. DAS28, SDAI and ACR/EULAR remission was cross-sectionally associated with low functional disability and absent PDPS. All definitions were longitudinally associated with low functional disability: positive likelihood ratios (LR+) of 3.24 for DAS28, 2.14 for DAS, 4.86 for SDAI, 5.67 for ACR/EULAR criteria, and with absent PDPS for DAS28 (LR+ 1.66), SDAI (LR+ 6.46), ACR/EULAR (LR+ 5.07). Conclusions The new remission definitions confirmed their validity in an observational setting and identify patients with better disease control.

Low-dose oral prednisone improves clinical and ultrasonographic remission rates in early rheumatoid arthritis: results of a 12-month open-label randomised study.

IntroductionIn early rheumatoid arthritis (RA), low-dose oral prednisone (PDN) co-medication yields better clinical results than monotherapy with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). In addition, ultrasonography (US) evaluation reveals rapid and significant effects of glucocorticosteroids on subclinical synovitis. No data currently exist that examine the clinical and US results offered by glucocorticoid co-medication over DMARD monotherapy in early RA patients.MethodsTwo hundred and twenty patients with early RA (< 1 year from clinical onset) were treated according to a low disease activity (LDA) targeted step-up protocol including methotrexate (MTX) and, in the active treatment arm, low-dose (6.25 mg/day) oral PDN over 12 months. Clinical disease activity measures were collected at baseline, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months, and US examination of hands was performed at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Grey-scale and power Doppler (PD) synovitis were scored (0 to 3) for each joint. At 12 months, clinical remission according to the disease activity score among 28 joints was defined as the clinical outcome, and a total joint PD score of 0 (PD negativity) as the imaging outcome.ResultsEach group included 110 patients with comparable demographic, clinical, laboratory and US characteristics. At 12 months, the LDA rate was similar in the two groups, whilst the clinical remission rate (risk ratio = 1.61 (95% confidence interval = 1.08, 2.04)) and PD negativity rate (risk ratio = 1.31 (95% confidence interval = 1.04, 1.64)) were significantly higher in the MTX+PDN group.ConclusionIn early RA, despite a similar response rate in terms of LDA, low-dose oral PDN co-medication led to a higher proportion of clinical remission and PD negativity compared with MTX monotherapy, thus ensuring a better disease activity control.Trial registration numberCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN2486111

Serum levels of CXCL13 are associated with ultrasonographic synovitis and predict power Doppler persistence in early rheumatoid arthritis treated with non-biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.

IntroductionBiological markers specifically reflecting pathological processes may add value in the assessment of inter-individual variations in the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The current study was undertaken to investigate whether baseline serum levels of the chemokine CXCL13 might predict clinical and ultrasonographic (US) outcomes in patients with recent-onset RA.MethodsThe study included 161 early RA patients (disease duration < 12 months) treated according to a disease activity score (DAS) driven step-up protocol aiming at DAS < 2.4. Clinical disease activity measures were collected at baseline, 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months, and US examination of the hands was performed at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Grey-Scale (GS) and Power Doppler (PD) synovitis were scored (0 to 3), with overall scores as the sum of each joint score. CXCL13 levels were measured at baseline by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and evaluated in relation to the achievement of low disease activity (LDA, DAS < 2.4) and US residual inflammation (PD ≤ 1) at 12 months.ResultsBaseline levels of CXCL13 were significantly higher in RA compared to healthy controls (n = 19) (P = 0.03) and correlated with measures of synovitis, such as the swollen joint count (R 0.28, P < 0.001), the US-GS (R 0.27, P = 0.003) and US-PD (R 0.26, P = 0.005) score. Although CXCL13 did not predict the likelihood of achieving clinical LDA at 12 months within a structured treat-to-target protocol, elevated levels of CXCL13 were associated with more frequent increases of methotrexate dosage (P < 0.001). Using adjusted analyses, the highest levels of CXCL13 (> 100 pg/ml) were the only independent predictor of residual imaging inflammation (P = 0.005), irrespective of initial US-PD scores, disease activity status, acute phase reactants and autoantibodies. Among the patients in clinical LDA at 12 months, US-PD scores ≤ 1 were less frequently achieved in the high baseline CXCL13 (> 100 pg/ml) group, with an adjusted OR = 0.06 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.55, P = 0.01).ConclusionsCXCL13 emerges as a new biological marker in early RA, accurate in assessing the severity of synovitis and the persistence of US-PD activity over time in response to conventional treatments.

Cardiovascular Comorbidities Relate More than Others with Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objectives To explore the influence of comorbidities on clinical outcomes and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods In patients included in the cross-sectional observational multicenter international study COMORA, demographics, disease characteristics and comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, renal failure, ischemic heart disease, stroke, cancer, gastro-intestinal ulcers, hepatitis, depression, chronic pulmonary disease, obesity) were collected. Multivariable linear regression models explored the relationship between each comorbidity and disease activity measures: 28-swollen joint count (SJC), 28-tender joint count (TJC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), patient’s and physician’s global assessment (PtGA, PhGA), patient reported fatigue and 28-Disease Activity Score (DAS28). Results are expressed as mean difference (MD) adjusted for the main confounders (age, gender, disease characteristics and treatment). Results A total of 3,920 patients were included: age (mean ±SD) 56.27 ±13.03 yrs, female 81.65%, disease duration median 7.08 yrs (IQR 2.97–13.27), DAS28 (mean ±SD) 3.74 ± 1.55. Patients with diabetes had more swollen and tender joints and worse PtGA and PhGA (MD +1.06, +0.93, +0.53 and +0.54, respectively). Patients with hyperlipidemia had a lower number of swollen and tender joints, lower ESR and better PtGA and PhGA (MD -0.77, -0.56, -3.56, -0.31 and -0.35, respectively). Patients with history of ischemic heart disease and obese patients had more tender joints (MD +1.27 and +1.07) and higher ESR levels (MD +5.64 and +5.20). DAS28 is influenced exclusively by cardiovascular comorbidities, in particular diabetes, hyperlipidemia, ischemic heart disease and obesity. Conclusions Cardiovascular comorbidities relate more than others with disease activity in RA. Diabetes and hyperlipidemia in particular seem associated with higher and lower disease activity respectively influencing almost all considered outcomes, suggesting a special importance of this pattern of comorbidities in disease activity assessment and clinical management.

Performance of the 2010 Classification Criteria for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Literature Review and a Meta-Analysis

Objectives To evaluate the performance of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) 2010 classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with a systematic literature review and a meta-analysis. Methods PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and the abstracts of the ACR and EULAR meetings (2010–2012) were searched for original articles or abstracts with the following inclusion criteria: 1) recent onset arthritis, with at least one swollen joint and no alternative diagnosis; 2) the ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria as index test; 3) the prescription of methotrexate (MTX) or disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) at any time during follow-up as reference standard. Data were pooled using the bivariate model. Three meta-analyses were performed with MTX (primary analysis), DMARDs or their combination (secondary analyses) as reference standard. Heterogeneity was formally tested and explored performing an influence analysis. Results The search identified 1,277 references. Six full papers and 4 abstracts met the inclusion criteria. With MTX as reference standard, sensitivity (95% confidence interval, CI) was 0.80 (0.74,0.85), specificity 0.61 (0.56,0.67), positive likelihood ratio (LR) 2.11 (1.92,2.32), negative LR 0.31 (0.25,0.38) and the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 6.74 (5.49,8.28). Using DMARDs as reference standard, sensitivity was 0.73 (0.64,0.80), specificity was 0.74 (0.68,0.79), LR+2.85 (2.53,3.22), LR− 0.35 (0.27,0.45) and DOR 8.03 (6.4,10.09). Using the combination of MTX and DMARDs as reference standard, intermediate results were obtained. The influence analysis detected one potentially influential study. However, its exclusion from the meta-analysis did not have a clinically relevant impact on the results. Conclusions The new classification criteria have good sensitivity, lower specificity and an overall moderate diagnostic accuracy. These results confirm that the criteria have classificative and not diagnostic function.

Ultrasonographic and MRI characterisation of the palindromic phase of rheumatoid arthritis

Palindromic rheumatism (PR) is an episodic arthropathy characterised by recurrent attacks of short-lasting articular and periarticular inflammation without residual joint involvement. Although definite knowledge on the disease entity of PR is lacking, the clinical and immunological similarities and the frequent progression to chronic arthritis may suggest a pathogenic relationship with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).1 2 In particular, anticitrullinated protein antibody (ACPA)-positive PR has been regarded as a prodromic phase of RA.3 Compared with autoantibody-positive arthralgia, a well-established model of preclinical RA,4 ACPA-positive PR shows a clearly detectable articular phase and might thus represent a very early self-remitting stage of the disease. Typical attacks of PR may escape definite joint effusion at clinical examination, in spite of considerable periarticular and para-articular swelling, pain and loss of function.1 More accurate identification of the anatomical targets of PR might expand our knowledge on the mechanisms of disease initiation in very early RA before its full-blown clinical stage. We have undertaken a study to characterise the imaging correlates of acute arthritis in ACPA-positive PR. Inclusion criteria were: (1) fulfilment of the diagnostic criteria for PR1; (2) an …

EULAR recommendations for the use of imaging in the clinical management of peripheral joint osteoarthritis

The increased information provided by modern imaging has led to its more extensive use. Our aim was to develop evidence-based recommendations for the use of imaging in the clinical management of the most common arthropathy, osteoarthritis (OA). A task force (including rheumatologists, radiologists, methodologists, primary care doctors and patients) from nine countries defined 10 questions on the role of imaging in OA to support a systematic literature review (SLR). Joints of interest were the knee, hip, hand and foot; imaging modalities included conventional radiography (CR), MRI, ultrasonography, CT and nuclear medicine. PubMed and EMBASE were searched. The evidence was presented to the task force who subsequently developed the recommendations. The strength of agreement for each recommendation was assessed. 17 011 references were identified from which 390 studies were included in the SLR. Seven recommendations were produced, covering the lack of need for diagnostic imaging in patients with typical symptoms; the role of imaging in differential diagnosis; the lack of benefit in monitoring when no therapeutic modification is related, though consideration is required when unexpected clinical deterioration occurs; CR as the first-choice imaging modality; consideration of how to correctly acquire images and the role of imaging in guiding local injections. Recommendations for future research were also developed based on gaps in evidence, such as the use of imaging in identifying therapeutic targets, and demonstrating the added value of imaging. These evidence-based recommendations and related research agenda provide the basis for sensible use of imaging in routine clinical assessment of people with OA.

Glucocorticoids in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Interest in the numerous benefits of corticosteroid medication in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) goes back to the mid-1950s, and has recently been renewed. The established evidence of their rapid symptomatic effects, along with the growing recognition of their long-lasting disease-modifying properties and preliminary data about their sub-clinical action, led us to reconsider the potential of corticosteroids in the treatment of RA, given their acceptable safety profile, especially when used at low dosages. Over time, several corticosteroid-based therapeutic approaches have been explored in order to optimize their clinical benefits, while limiting the adverse effects. Clinical data reported with initial high-dosage corticosteroid schedules with subsequent step-down schemes suggest clinical efficacy, but are not applicable to patient management in a real-life setting. Encouraging results on the clinical and sub-clinical effects of low dosages have led to a shift in usual daily practice. We present past and recent efforts to clarify the role of corticosteroids in the treatment of RA, focusing on the best approach in terms of dose and timing of corticosteroid administration. Additional information about different routes of administration, step-down schedules and adverse effects are also considered.

Musculoskeletal ultrasonography for psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis patients: a systematic literature review

Objective To systematically review the role of musculoskeletal US in patients suffering from PsA or psoriasis (Pso) in terms of prevalence, diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring and treatment. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted through medical databases (MEDLINE via PubMed, Embase) and the grey literature up to September 2015 to inform a new study of the Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Study Group of the Italian Society for Rheumatology. All articles reporting data on musculoskeletal US in PsA or Pso were included and extracted according to the underlying clinical question. Results A total of 86 publications were included. The prevalence of US abnormalities showed a wide range for each examined feature (e.g. 37-95% for entheses thickness of the lower limbs). The performance of US for diagnosis of disease or elementary lesions was variable across studies, but no study evaluated the overall performance of US in addition to clinical findings for diagnosing PsA. Considering US in defining PsA and Pso prognosis, several works focused on US of entheses of lower limbs in Pso, while for the monitoring of PsA activity five different scoring systems were identified. Last, the results of the role of US in guiding intra-articular interventions were controversial for the clinical outcomes, but in favour of US for accuracy. Conclusion despite the recognized importance of US in the management of PsA and Pso, this review clearly demonstrated the need of pivotal research in order to optimize the use of US in the diagnosis and monitoring of psoriatic disease.