Demographics, clinical disease characteristics, and quality of life in a large cohort of psoriasis patients with and without psoriatic arthritis.

Innovation: What is already known about the topic: psoriasis (PsO) is a common skin disease with major impact on quality of life (QoL). Patient-reported data on QoL from large number of PsO patients with and without psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are limited.

What This Study Adds: In a large cohort referred to a university psoriasis center, patients with PsO and concomitant PsA (~30% in this group) had greater degrees of skin and nail involvement and experienced greater negative impacts on QoL.

The role of secukinumab in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disorder involving the sacroiliac joint, spine and less frequently the peripheral joints. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and TNF-α inhibitors are utilized to reduce signs and symptoms. Whether these agents slow disease progression, is still debatable.

Golimumab for the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton that includes ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). Patients with AS experience chronic pain due to sacroiliac joint and spinal inflammation, and may develop spinal ankylosing with syndesmophyte formation. Tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors (TNFi) have shown promise in the management of AS and axSpA by targeting the underlying inflammatory process, and providing symptomatic relief.

Effect of certolizumab pegol over 96 weeks in patients with psoriatic arthritis with and without prior antitumour necrosis factor exposure.

Objective: Previous reports of RAPID-PsA (NCT01087788) demonstrated efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) over 24 weeks in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), including patients with prior antitumour necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. We report efficacy and safety data from a 96-week data cut of RAPID-PsA.

Methods: RAPID-PsA was placebo-controlled to week 24, dose-blind to week 48 and open-label to week 216.

American College of Rheumatology/Spondylitis Association of America/Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network 2015 Recommendations for the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis and Nonradiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis.

Objective: To provide evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Methods: A core group led the development of the recommendations, starting with the treatment questions. A literature review group conducted systematic literature reviews of studies that addressed 57 specific treatment questions, based on searches conducted in OVID Medline (1946-2014), PubMed (1966-2014), and the Cochrane Library.

American College of Rheumatology/Spondylitis Association of America/Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network 2015 Recommendations for the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis and Nonradiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis.

Objective: To provide evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Methods: A core group led the development of the recommendations, starting with the treatment questions. A literature review group conducted systematic literature reviews of studies that addressed 57 specific treatment questions, based on searches conducted in OVID Medline (1946-2014), PubMed (1966-2014), and the Cochrane Library.

Screening and referral for axial spondyloarthritis--need of the hour.

Although axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is as prevalent as rheumatoid arthritis, it is commonly under recognized due to variety of reasons. AxSpA contributes to significant loss of function and disability among young adults. With the availability of newer assessment methods and effective therapeutic agents, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are possible.

Impact of Certolizumab Pegol on Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis.

Objective: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) provide an opportunity to collect important information relating to patient well-being, which is often difficult for physicians to measure (e.g., quality of life, pain, fatigue, and sleep).

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of etanercept in patients with moderately active rheumatoid arthritis despite DMARD therapy.

This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of adding etanercept to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in patients with moderately active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT01313208) enrolled RA patients with Disease Activity Score using 28 joints with C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) >3.

Treatment of spondyloarthritis beyond TNF-alpha blockade.

The advent of biologics targeting tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) has revolutionized the field of rheumatology in general and the treatment of spondyloarthritis (SpA) in particular, since - apart from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents - no disease modifying treatments are available for this frequent, inflammatory rheumatic condition. The significant improvements in signs and symptoms observed with TNF-blockers in this group of diseases, have raised the bar with regard to treatment goals, including clinical remission. Even if treatment failure with TNF-blocking agents may be a relatively rare phenomenon, cases of primary non-responders, secondary loss-of-efficacy and intolerance, have been described.

The concept of spondyloarthritis: where are we now?

The term spondyloarthritis (SpA) encompasses a group of diseases characterized by inflammation in the spine and in the peripheral joints, and other clinical features such as uveitis, dactylitis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, and association with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) B27. The spectrum of SpA encompasses axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and peripheral spondyloarthritis including psoriatic arthritis (PsA), reactive arthritis (ReA), and inflammatory bowel disease-associated arthritis. In recent years, there has been tremendous progress in understanding the natural history and pathogenetic mechanisms underlying SpA leading to the development of effective treatments.

Effect of certolizumab pegol over ninety-six weeks in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: results from a phase III randomized trial.

Objective: Previous reports of the RAPID-axSpA trial (NCT01087762) described the efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) over 24 weeks in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (SpA), including ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial SpA. We report efficacy and safety data up to week 96 of the study.

Methods: The RAPID-axSpA trial is double-blind and placebo-controlled to week 24, dose-blind to week 48, and open-label to week 204.

Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 score (RAPID3) correlates well with Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity index (BASDAI) in the assessment of disease activity and monitoring progression of axial spondyloarthritis.

Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) is a composite index, very useful for assessment of disease activity of various rheumatic diseases including RA. If RAPID3 can also reliably measure disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), it may prove to be a practical and effective quantitative assessment tool in busy practices. We studied the association of RAPID3 with Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI).

Referral patterns, diagnosis, and disease management of patients with axial spondyloarthritis: results of an international survey.

Background: Recognition, diagnosis, and management of axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA) continue to advance.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to compare referrals, diagnosis, and management of axial SpA in Western Europe (WE), North America (US and Canada), and the rest of world (RoW) in academic and community rheumatology practices and to identify areas for further education.

Methods: Rheumatologists responded online to the MAXIMA (Management of Axial SpA International and Multicentric Approaches) survey.

Golimumab administered subcutaneously every 4 weeks in ankylosing spondylitis: 5-year results of the GO-RAISE study.

Objective: Assess golimumab efficacy/safety through 5 years in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Methods: 356 patients with AS were randomly assigned to placebo, golimumab 50 mg or 100 mg every 4 weeks. At week 16, patients with inadequate response early escaped with blinded dose adjustments (placebo to 50 mg, 50 mg to 100 mg).

Use of belimumab throughout pregnancy to treat active systemic lupus erythematosus: a case report.

Background: Pregnancy can lead to flares in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and the presence of SLE in pregnancy could lead to a poor outcome for the mother and the fetus.

Objective: To describe a patient whose active SLE (including lupus nephritis) was managed with the use of belimumab throughout pregnancy.

Methods: A case report and review of relevant literature is presented.