Publications by authors named "Artur Bachta"
Article Synopsis
- Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a rare disease mainly found in older people, and it can cause serious problems like blindness if not treated quickly.
- Doctors now prefer using ultrasound instead of a biopsy to diagnose GCA because it's easier and safer, but it needs skilled technicians to work properly.
- A case of a 74-year-old woman shows how important it is to diagnose GCA quickly with ultrasound, as delays in treatment can lead to vision loss.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to create and test a new scoring system for assessing cartilage changes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients using ultrasound.
- A systematic review and Delphi survey were conducted, followed by web-based and patient exercises where experts scored ultrasound images of finger joints in RA patients.
- The new semiquantitative scoring system showed excellent reliability for individual readings and good to moderate reliability when comparing scores between different readers, indicating ultrasound's promise in evaluating cartilage changes in RA.
Article Synopsis
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is linked to higher cardiovascular risk, and this study explored genetic links between SNPs associated with atherosclerosis and subclinical atherosclerosis (SA) in RA patients.
- A total of 289 Polish RA patients were examined, with findings indicating that none of the 29 SNPs significantly correlated with SA, but a genetic risk score (GRS) was associated with SA in patients with early-stage RA.
- The results suggest that early RA patients may share genetic risk factors for SA like the general population, while those with long-standing RA might experience diminished influence from these genetic factors, potentially influenced by treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
Article Synopsis
- Genetic factors significantly impact the development of atrial fibrillation (AF), particularly in patients undergoing hemodialysis for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD-HD).
- A study genotyped 16 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 113 AF patients with ESKD-HD and 157 control patients, revealing higher genetic risk scores (GRS) in the AF groups.
- Male sex, a history of myocardial infarction (MI), and higher GRS were identified as independent risk factors for AF, indicating a need for more extensive research to affirm these findings.
Article Synopsis
- The study looked at how well ultrasonography (US) can find and grade tears in a tendon for patients with a condition called chronic lateral epicondylitis (LE), comparing it to MRI scans.
- They found that US has a moderate agreement with MRI results, meaning it can be somewhat reliable, but not perfect.
- The researchers concluded that US is good for ruling out serious tendon tears, and if a tear is found, MRI should be used to get a clearer picture of how bad it is.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers genotyped 38 SNPs in 480 psoriasis patients and 490 controls, confirming associations with several genetic loci and calculating a genetic risk score (GRS) to measure cumulative risk.
- * A GRS combining 16 SNPs showed greater predictive accuracy for psoriasis compared to other models, indicating a strong correlation with the disease's occurrence, particularly concerning its age of onset and family history.
Article Synopsis
- The study looked at how early rheumatoid arthritis (eRA) affects blood vessels compared to chronic RA patients and healthy people.
- They measured the thickness of carotid arteries and found that eRA patients had a faster increase in thickness after one year of treatment.
- The study concluded that eRA patients showed rapid changes in their blood vessels, especially if they had symptoms for a longer time and received less aggressive treatment.
High Efficacy of Methotrexate in Patients with Recurrent Idiopathic Acute Anterior Uveitis: a Prospective Study.
Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz)
February 2017
Article Synopsis
- The study tested how well a medicine called methotrexate (MTX) works for people with a condition called recurrent idiopathic acute anterior uveitis (RIAAU).
- Out of 22 patients, 19 stayed in the study, and after 3.3 years, most patients (84%) didn't have flare-ups of their eye condition while taking MTX.
- The number of flare-ups for the entire group dropped significantly, showing that MTX at 25 mg per week is very effective in treating this eye problem.
Article Synopsis
- The paper talks about guidelines for treating polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), a type of illness that causes pain and stiffness, which are not consistent worldwide.
- It describes recommendations made in 2015 by two important groups, EULAR and ACR, based on thorough research and expert opinions on how to manage PMR.
- The guidelines include advice on medical tests, treatments like glucocorticoids, and when to refer patients to specialists, helping doctors provide the best care for PMR patients.
Article Synopsis
- There are no global guidelines yet for treating polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), which makes treatment different in various places.
- This paper shares recommendations from a 2015 meeting by experts in Europe and America to help doctors manage PMR better.
- They created eight main principles and nine specific tips that cover patient care, types of treatments, and recommendations for doctors to follow to help patients with PMR.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers included 103 SLE patients and 95 control subjects, measuring IMT and screening for plaques in multiple arteries while correlating findings with various factors like age, gender, and SLE duration.
- * Results indicate strong associations between atherosclerosis and traditional cardiovascular risk factors, suggesting that continuous immunosuppressive treatment may improve IMT and reduce atherosclerosis risk in SLE patients.
Article Synopsis
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, with a meta-analysis indicating higher intima media thickness (IMT) in RA patients, hinting at atherosclerosis progression.
- The study analyzed 317 RA patients and 111 controls to determine how various RA treatments affect IMT and atherosclerotic plaques.
- Results showed that higher doses of methotrexate (≥ 20 mg/wk), cyclosporine, or biologics lead to lower IMT and plaques compared to lower doses of MTX or other drugs, with no significant differences between the treatments.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate the reliability of ultrasonography (US) in identifying inflammatory and structural issues in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
- Thirteen early knee OA patients were examined by 11 experienced sonographers, who used specific scoring methods to assess synovitis and other knee joint abnormalities.
- The results showed that the reliability of US scoring for synovitis and cartilage damage was moderate to good, suggesting that with a standardized protocol, US can effectively identify pathological changes in knee OA.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of platelet rich plasma in treatment of chronic pes anserinus pain syndrome.
Ortop Traumatol Rehabil
December 2016
Article Synopsis
- Many people, not just athletes, can feel pain in a part of their knee called the pes anserinus, often due to repetitive strain.
- In a study, 33 patients received a treatment using their own platelets, and most felt a lot better within 6 months.
- The treatment is safe and helps improve the quality of life, especially for older women with knee issues, even though it works less well for those with serious knee problems.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate disease progression and the effectiveness of various assessment methods in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) over a 26-week period.
- Eighty-five patients starting treatment with prednisone were monitored for pain, inflammation, and quality of life through clinical exams, laboratory tests, and ultrasound evaluations.
- Results indicated that most patients improved significantly with corticosteroid treatment, and certain ultrasound findings could help predict this response; thus, incorporating specific patient-reported outcomes and inflammatory markers is recommended for better assessment in clinical settings.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to create classification criteria for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) that could help differentiate it from similar conditions, using a sample of 125 PMR patients and 169 non-PMR subjects over six months.
- - A scoring system was developed based on specific symptoms, such as morning stiffness and hip pain, with a score of 4 or higher indicating a strong likelihood of PMR, while incorporating ultrasound increased accuracy further.
- - The provisional criteria suggest that patients over 50 with certain symptoms and no alternative diagnosis can be classified as having PMR, but these criteria are intended for classification, not for diagnosis.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to create new classification criteria for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) through a cohort of 125 patients with PMR and 169 individuals with similar conditions for comparison.
- - A scoring system was developed based on symptoms like morning stiffness, hip pain, and absence of certain antibodies, achieving a score ≥4 with 68% sensitivity and 78% specificity for identifying PMR.
- - The criteria suggest that patients over 50 with specific symptoms, including bilateral shoulder pain and elevated inflammatory markers, might be classified as having PMR, but these criteria are not intended for making a diagnosis.
Practice of ultrasound-guided arthrocentesis and joint injection, including training and implementation, in Europe: results of a survey of experts and scientific societies.
Peter Mandl Esperanza Naredo Philip G Conaghan Maria-Antonietta D'Agostino Richard J Wakefield Artur Bachta
Rheumatology (Oxford)
January 2012
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to assess how US-guided arthrocentesis and joint injection (UGAJ) is practiced and the training available for rheumatologists across EULAR member countries.
- A questionnaire was distributed to various rheumatology and ultrasound societies, achieving a 75% response rate, revealing that most rheumatologists (85%) rarely use UGAJ in practice.
- Results show that less than 10% of rheumatologists receive training in UGAJ, indicating a stark contrast to the more commonly performed conventional joint injections, highlighting the need for standardized training programs.
Recurrent anterior uveitis (AU) is an autoimmune disease that in 20% of patients leads to severe visual loss or blindness, thereby a severe disability and significant quality of life impairment. That is why, it is important to conduct a long term treatment after an acute phase of the disease, to keep the remission as long as possible. Up to 50% of patients with recurrent AU have no additional symptoms of systemic disease.
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- The study aimed to assess the prevalence of inflammatory changes in the cervical spine, focusing on atlantoaxial pathology, and how these changes relate to neurological symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
- Among 100 studied patients, significant findings included 26% with inflammation, 15% with instability in the atlanto-axial joint, and 9% with basilar invagination, while neurological exams revealed abnormalities in only 14 patients.
- There was a significant correlation between symptoms, neurological examination results, and the extent of radiological damage, suggesting thorough medical history and evaluations can guide further diagnostic imaging for cervical spine issues in rheumatoid arthritis.
Article Synopsis
- Leflunomide is a newer disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) used for patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who cannot take methotrexate or have not seen improvements with it.
- The study involved 81 RA patients, mostly women, with an average age of 57.6 years, to assess the drug's effectiveness and safety over five months.
- Results showed significant improvements in disease activity scores, indicating leflunomide is a promising option for patients unresponsive to methotrexate.*
Article Synopsis
- - Autoimmune uveitis is a serious eye condition that can cause significant vision loss and necessitates ongoing treatment and monitoring by specialists.
- - Treatment typically involves systemic immunosuppressive medications, including corticosteroids, methotrexate, and cyclosporine A.
- - For patients who do not respond to standard treatments, new anti-cytokine drugs offer an alternative therapy option.