Radiographic damage and progression of the cervical spine in ankylosing spondylitis patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors: Facet joints vs. vertebral bodies.

Objectives: To investigate radiographic damage and 4-year progression of the cervical facet joints in a prospective observational cohort of AS patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors, to compare this with damage and progression of the cervical vertebral bodies, and to study the relation with patient characteristics and clinical outcome.

Methods: Patients from the Groningen Leeuwarden AS (GLAS) cohort starting TNF-α inhibitors with baseline and 4-year radiographs were included. Cervical facet joints and vertebral bodies were scored by two independent readers according to the method of de Vlam and mSASSS, respectively.

Physical fatigue characterises patient experience of primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Objectives: Besides ocular and oral dryness, fatigue is a major symptom in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Our aim was to investigate the importance of fatigue in relation to other symptoms experienced as well as to evaluate the effect of rituximab treatment on fatigue in pSS patients with active disease.

Methods: This analysis was based on data from our open-label rituximab study in 28 pSS patients.

Newly diagnosed vs. relapsing giant cell arteritis: Baseline data from the GiACTA trial.

Objective: To report entry criteria and clinical features of patients with newly diagnosed and relapsing giant cell arteritis (GCA) enrolled in a randomized trial of tocilizumab, an interleukin-6 receptor-alpha inhibitor.

Methods: Newly diagnosed GCA was defined as diagnosis ≤6 weeks before baseline. Relapsing GCA was defined as diagnosis >6 weeks before baseline with ≥2 consecutive weeks of prednisone ≥40mg/day.

EULAR definition of arthralgia suspicious for progression to rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: During the transition to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) many patients pass through a phase characterised by the presence of symptoms without clinically apparent synovitis. These symptoms are not well-characterised. This taskforce aimed to define the clinical characteristics of patients with arthralgia who are considered at risk for RA by experts based on their clinical experience.

Selective adsorption of flavor-active components on hydrophobic resins.

This work aims to propose an optimum resin that can be used in industrial adsorption process for tuning flavor-active components or removal of ethanol for producing an alcohol-free beer. A procedure is reported for selective adsorption of volatile aroma components from water/ethanol mixtures on synthetic hydrophobic resins. High throughput 96-well microtiter-plates batch uptake experimentation is applied for screening resins for adsorption of esters (i.

The health, financial and distributional consequences of increases in the tobacco excise tax among smokers in Lebanon.

Tobacco use is a significant risk factor for the leading causes of death worldwide, including cancer, heart disease and stroke. Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where tobacco-related deaths are also rising rapidly. Taxation is one of the most effective tobacco control measures, yet evidence on the distributional impact of tobacco taxation in low- and middle-income countries remains scant.

Long-term drug survival and clinical effectiveness of etanercept treatment in patients with ankylosing spondylitis in daily clinical practice.

Objectives: Randomised controlled trials and open-label extension studies have demonstrated the clinical efficacy and safety of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) blocking therapy in pre-selected study patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Our aim was to investigate the 7-year drug survival and clinical effectiveness of etanercept treatment in AS patients in daily clinical practice.

Methods: Consecutive AS patients from the prospective observational GLAS cohort who started etanercept because of active disease were included and evaluated over 7 years according to a fixed protocol.

Reduction in Spinal Radiographic Progression in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients Receiving Prolonged Treatment With Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors.

Objective: To evaluate the course of spinal radiographic progression for up to 8 years of followup in a large cohort of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors.

Methods: Consecutive patients from the Groningen Leeuwarden AS cohort starting TNF inhibitors between 2004 and 2012 were included. Baseline and biannual radiographs were randomized with radiographs of TNF-naive AS patients and scored in chronologic order according to modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS).

Regulatory CD4+ T-Cell Subsets and Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibody Repertoire: Potential Biomarkers for Arthritis Development in Seropositive Arthralgia Patients?

Objective: Seropositive arthralgia patients (SAP) are at high risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This prospective study aimed to determine whether altered peripheral regulatory T-cells (Tregs) and defined subsets, besides a broadened anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) response, may qualify as biomarkers for RA development in SAP.

Methods: Thirty-four consecutive SAP were prospectively assessed every 6 months for minimally 2 years.

Clinical Risk Factors for the Presence and Development of Vertebral Fractures in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Introduction: To investigate the prevalence and incidence of radiographic vertebral fractures and the association with patient characteristics, clinical assessments, and medication use in a large prospective cohort of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in daily clinical practice.

Methods: Consecutive AS patients from the Groningen Leeuwarden AS (GLAS) cohort with baseline and 2-year lateral radiographs of the thoracic and lumbar spine were included. Radiographs were scored for vertebral fractures by 2 readers according to the method of Genant et al.

Relative Orientation of POTRA Domains from Cyanobacterial Omp85 Studied by Pulsed EPR Spectroscopy.

Many proteins of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and of the outer envelope of the endosymbiotically derived organelles mitochondria and plastids have a β-barrel fold. Their insertion is assisted by membrane proteins of the Omp85-TpsB superfamily. These proteins are composed of a C-terminal β-barrel and a different number of N-terminal POTRA domains, three in the case of cyanobacterial Omp85.

Analysis of serum immune markers in seropositive and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis and in high-risk seropositive arthralgia patients.

Presence of autoantibodies precedes development of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (SP RA) and seropositive arthralgia patients (SAP) are at risk of developing RA. The aims of the study are to identify additional serum immune markers discriminating between SP and seronegative (SN) RA, and markers identifying high-risk SAP. Sera from SAP (n = 27), SP RA (n = 22), SN RA (n = 11) and healthy controls (n = 20) were analyzed using the Human Cytokine 25-Plex Panel.

Altered Natural Killer Cell Subsets in Seropositive Arthralgia and Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Are Associated with Autoantibody Status.

Objective: The role of natural killer (NK) cells in the immunopathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is unclear. Therefore, numerical and functional alterations of CD56(dim) and CD56(bright) NK cells in the early stages of RA development were studied.

Methods: Whole blood samples from newly diagnosed, treatment-naive, seropositive (SP) and seronegative (SN) patients with RA (SP RA, n = 45 and SN RA, n = 12), patients with SP arthralgia (n = 30), and healthy controls (HC, n = 41) were assessed for numbers and frequencies of T cells, B cells, and NK cells.

Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome after Doxapram for Apnea of Prematurity.

Background: Doxapram has been advocated as a treatment for persistent apnea of prematurity (AOP).

Objective: To evaluate the effect of doxapram on long-term neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants as its safety still needs to be established.

Methods: From a retrospective cohort of preterm infants with a gestational age (GA) <30 weeks and/or a birth weight <1,250 g, born between 2000 and 2010, infants treated with doxapram (n = 142) and a nontreated control group were selected (n = 284).

Reduced levels of cytosolic DNA sensor AIM2 are associated with impaired cytokine responses in healthy elderly.

Objective: Human aging is associated with remodeling of the immune system. While most studies on immunosenescence have focused on adaptive immunity, the effects of aging on innate immunity are not well understood. Here, we investigated whether aging affects cytokine responses to a wide range of well-defined pattern recognition receptor (PRR) ligands, such as ligands for Toll-like receptors (TLRs), C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), NOD-like receptors (NLRs), retinoic-acid-inducible gene-I like receptors (RLRs) and the cytosolic DNA sensor absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2).

Radiographic vertebral fractures develop in patients with ankylosing spondylitis during 4 years of TNF-α blocking therapy.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and incidence of radiographic vertebral fractures in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients treated with TNF-α blocking therapy for 4 years and to explore the relationship with patient characteristics, clinical assessments, radiographic damage, and bone mineral density (BMD).

Methods: This study included consecutive AS patients with active disease from the Groningen Leeuwarden AS (GLAS) cohort treated with TNF-α blocking therapy for 4 years and with available thoracic and lumbar radiographs at baseline and at 4 years. Vertebral fractures were assessed by two readers (mild: ≥20-<25%, moderate: ≥25-<40%, severe: ≥40% reduction in vertebral height).

Stopping Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitor Treatment in Patients With Established Rheumatoid Arthritis in Remission or With Stable Low Disease Activity: A Pragmatic Multicenter, Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) biologic agents are an effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is unclear whether patients whose disease is in remission or who have stable low disease activity need to continue use of TNFi or can stop this treatment. This study was undertaken to assess whether patients with established RA who are in remission or have stable low disease activity can effectively and safely stop their TNFi therapy.

Safety of treatments for primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Introduction: Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is a disabling auto-immune disease, affecting exocrine glands and several organs.

Areas Covered: In this review we analyze the safety of therapies used in pSS. Symptomatic treatment is widely applied due to the good supportive effect and good safety profile.

Vessel involvement in giant cell arteritis: an imaging approach.

Vasculitis is classified based on the size of the involved vessels. The two major forms are small vessel vasculitis and large vessel vasculitis (LVV). Main forms of LVV are Takayasu arteritis, giant cell arteritis (GCA), isolated aortitis and chronic periaortitis.

Aging-dependent decline of IL-10 producing B cells coincides with production of antinuclear antibodies but not rheumatoid factors.

Aging is associated with development of autoimmunity. Loss of B cell tolerance in the elderly is suggested by an increased prevalence of anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs) and rheumatoid factors (RFs). Accumulating evidence indicates that B cells also impact autoimmunity via secretion of cytokines.

Economic Benefit-Cost Analysis of Select Secondary Prevention Interventions in LMIC.

We present a quantitative economic benefit-cost analysis of 2 secondary prevention targets that are part of the World Health Organization's Global Monitoring Framework for noncommunicable diseases (NCD). These targets are expected to contribute to the achievement of the overall NCD target proposed for the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goal Framework. We estimate that interventions would need to avert roughly 6 million to 7 million NCD deaths worldwide in 2030 to meet the target.

Obesity Is Common in Axial Spondyloarthritis and Is Associated with Poor Clinical Outcome.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a large cohort of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in comparison with the general population. To explore the relationship of body mass index (BMI) with clinical outcome in axSpA.

Methods: Patients from the Groningen Leeuwarden Axial SpA cohort who visited the outpatient clinic in 2011/2012 were included in this cross-sectional analysis.

Provider costs for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and related conditions in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Background: The burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD risk conditions is rapidly increasing in low- and middle-income countries, where health systems are generally ill-equipped to manage chronic disease. Policy makers need an understanding of the magnitude and drivers of the costs of cardiovascular disease related conditions to make decisions on how to allocate limited health resources.

Methods: We undertook a systematic review of the published literature on provider-incurred costs of treatment for cardiovascular diseases and risk conditions in low- and middle-income countries.