Longitudinal association between nailfold capillaroscopy and incident interstitial lung disease: A EUSTAR database analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate (1) the association between nailfold capillaroscopy pattern and 5-year risk for incident interstitial lung disease and (2) the association between transition in nailfold capillaroscopy pattern and risk of incident interstitial lung disease.

Methods: Data of adult patients from the EUSTAR database fulfilling the ACR-EULAR criteria with a disease duration ⩽5 years, having a scleroderma pattern at nailfold capillaroscopy with high-resolution computed tomography confirmed absence of interstitial lung disease (i.e.

Intramuscular methylprednisolone in hand osteoarthritis: a retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: To explore patient characteristics associated with response to intramuscular methylprednisolone (MP) therapy in hand OA.

Methods: We performed an exploratory monocentric retrospective study. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of hand OA who visited our outpatient clinic between July 2016 and June 2021 and received at least once an intramuscular MP injection were included.

Becoming Active in Beating osteoarthritiS: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial on the effectiveness of an information campaign in improving the management of osteoarthritis and quality of care in general practices in the Netherlands.

Introduction: Despite recommendations, non-surgical treatment modalities in knee and/or hip osteoarthritis (KHOA) are underused. An information campaign was developed targeting patients with early stage KHOA and healthcare professionals (HCPs) to optimise timing of referral to secondary care. This protocol describes the development and design of this information campaign and a randomised controlled trial (RCT) on its effectiveness in impacting healthcare utilisation.

A Sustained-Release Butyrate Tablet Suppresses Ex Vivo T Helper Cell Activation of Osteoarthritis Patients in a Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Randomized Trial.

Degenerative joint disease osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by the degeneration of cartilage, synovial inflammation and low-grade systemic inflammation in association with microbial dysbiosis and intestinal barrier defects. Butyrate is known for its anti-inflammatory and barrier protective effects and might benefit OA patients. In a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial, the effects of four to five weeks of oral treatment with sustained-release (SR) butyrate tablets (600 mg/day) on systemic inflammation and immune function were studied in hand OA patients.

Cost-utility analysis of longstanding exercise therapy versus usual care in people with rheumatoid arthritis and severe functional limitations.

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of longstanding personalized exercise therapy compared with usual care in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and severe functional disability.

Method: In this cost-utility analysis of a randomized controlled trial (n = 215), with 1 year follow-up, the study population comprised individuals with RA and reported severe difficulties in performing basic daily activities. Assessments were at baseline, 12, 26, and 52 weeks, with measurements of costs including medical and non-medical costs as recorded by patients and healthcare providers.

International consensus-based ranking of definitions for poor response to primary total knee arthroplasty: a Delphi study.

Introduction: This study aimed to rank definitions for measuring poor response one year after TKA, after assessing the face validity and feasibility of existing or newly proposed definitions.

Materials And Methods: An international, three-round, online modified Delphi study was conducted with sixty-nine panelists from twenty-three countries. Definitions were derived from a literature review or were newly proposed by an expert group.

Preventive effects of early immunosuppressive treatment on the development of interstitial lung disease in systemic sclerosis.

Background: Hypothesizing that early treatment yields improved prognosis, we aimed to investigate how the timing of immunosuppressive treatment relates to interstitial lung disease (ILD) development and the course of pulmonary function in systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Methods: A cohort was created using data from the EUSTAR database and Nijmegen Systemic Sclerosis cohort, including adult patients who started their first immunosuppressive treatment (ie mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, tocilizumab or rituximab) after SSc diagnosis, and no signs of ILD on high-resolution CT. ILD-free survival and the course of forced vital capacity % predicted (ppFVC) were assessed for up to 5 years follow-up comparing patients who started early (disease duration ≤ 3 years) vs late with immunosuppression.

Perspective of Dutch Patients with Gout on Continuation or Discontinuation of Urate-Lowering Therapy During Remission: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Objective: Long-term gout management is based on reducing serum urate by using urate-lowering therapy (ULT). A lifelong treat-to-target approach is advocated, although a ULT (taper to) stop attempt can be considered (treat-to-avoid symptoms approach) during remission. Exploring the beliefs of patients with gout on long-term ULT strategies during remission is important for optimizing gout management.

One-year effectiveness of long-term exercise therapy in people with axial spondyloarthritis and severe functional limitations.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of long-term, personalized, supervised exercise therapy on functional ability compared with usual care in people with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and severe functional limitations.

Methods: Participants were randomly 1:1 assigned to the intervention(maximal 64 sessions, with 14 additional optional sessions of supervised active exercise therapy(e.g.

Intramuscular methylprednisolone administration in hand osteoarthritis patients: a feasibility study to inform a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Inflammation is thought to play an important role in hand osteoarthritis (HOA), which is associated with pain and increased limitation of hand function.

Objectives: To explore the acceptability of therapy with intramuscular methylprednisolone in HOA among health-care providers (HCPs) and HOA patients. Additionally, the response to a single methylprednisolone injection was investigated.

Inadequate Classification of Poor Response After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Comparative Analysis of 15 Definitions Using Data From the Dutch Arthroplasty Register and the Osteoarthritis Initiative Database.

Background: Variations in defining poor response to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) impede comparisons of response after TKA over time and across hospitals. This study aimed to compare the prevalence, overlap, and discriminative accuracy of 15 definitions of poor response after TKA using 2 databases.

Methods: Data of patients one year after primary TKA from the Dutch Arthroplasty Register (n = 12,275) and the Osteoarthritis Initiative database (n = 204) were used to examine the prevalence, overlap (estimated by Cohen's kappa), and discriminative accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and Youden index) of 15 different definitions of poor response after TKA.

Large-scale chemoproteomics expedites ligand discovery and predicts ligand behavior in cells.

Chemical modulation of proteins enables a mechanistic understanding of biology and represents the foundation of most therapeutics. However, despite decades of research, 80% of the human proteome lacks functional ligands. Chemical proteomics has advanced fragment-based ligand discovery toward cellular systems, but throughput limitations have stymied the scalable identification of fragment-protein interactions.

Experiences of systemic sclerosis patients with home monitoring of their pulmonary function: a qualitative study.

Objective: To evaluate the experiences, perceived benefits and disadvantages of home monitoring of pulmonary function in SSc patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD).

Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted among SSc-ILD patients who used the home monitoring application of pulmonary function for at least 3 months. In our program, patients are instructed to perform home spirometry weekly at fixed time points using a mobile application with results being directly visible for patients and physicians.

Efficacy of methylprednisolone in very early systemic sclerosis: results of the "Hit hard and early'' randomized controlled trial.

Objective: We hypothesized that glucocorticoids would induce remission in very early Systemic Sclerosis patients by inhibition of inflammation driving the disease. We examined the efficacy and safety of methylprednisolone in very early Systemic Sclerosis.

Methods: In this trial adults with puffy fingers for less than three years, specific auto-antibodies and meeting the Very Early Diagnosis of Systemic Sclerosis criteria were randomly assigned (2:1) to methylprednisolone 1000 mg intravenously or placebo for 3 consecutive days 3 times with monthly intervals.

No (true) right to die: barriers in access to physician-assisted death in case of psychiatric disease, advanced dementia or multiple geriatric syndromes in the Netherlands.

Even in the Netherlands, where the practice of physician-assisted death (PAD) has been legalized for over 20 years, there is no such thing as a 'right to die'. Especially patients with extraordinary requests, such as a wish for PAD based on psychiatric suffering, advanced dementia, or (a limited number of) multiple geriatric syndromes, encounter barriers in access to PAD. In this paper, we discuss whether these barriers can be justified in the context of the Dutch situation where PAD is legally permitted for those who suffer unbearably and hopelessly as a result of medical conditions.

The Extent and Nature of Functional Limitations According to the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Severe Functional Disability.

Background: For a subgroup of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and severe disability, insight into their limitations is crucial for adequate treatment.

Aim: To describe the extent and nature of functional limitations in people with RA and severe disability and to explore the associations of the extent of the functional limitations with patient characteristics, disease characteristics, and outcome measures.

Methods: Baseline data of 215 participants in an RCT on the (cost-)effectiveness of longstanding physiotherapy were used.

Exploration of adverse consequences of total knee arthroplasty by patients and knee specialists: a qualitative study.

Objectives: A successful outcome according to the knee specialist is not a guarantee for treatment success as perceived by patients. In this study, we aimed to explore outcome expectations and experiences of patients with OA before and after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery and knee specialists that might contribute to the negative appraisal of its effect, and differences in views between patients and knee specialists.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were held in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Quality of reporting and nature of harms in clinical trials on supervised exercise in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or axial spondyloarthritis.

To describe the quality of reporting and the nature of reported harms in clinical studies on the effectiveness of supervised exercises in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). We performed a systematic review, searching eight databases up to February 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating supervised exercises in adults with RA or axSpA were considered eligible.

Functional limitations of people with rheumatoid arthritis or axial spondyloarthritis and severe functional disability: a cross-sectional descriptive study.

The objective of the study is to describe the nature of functional limitations in activities and participation in people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) or axial SpondyloArthritis (axSpA) with severe functional disability. Baseline data from people with RA (n = 206) or axSpA (n = 155) and severe functional disability participating in an exercise trial were used. Their three most limited activities were derived from the Patient Specific Complaint (PSC) instrument and linked to the International Classification of Functioning and Health (ICF).

Nailfold capillaroscopy and candidate-biomarker levels in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary hypertension: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Pulmonary hypertension is one of the leading causes of death in systemic sclerosis. Early detection and treatment of pulmonary hypertension in systemic sclerosis is crucial. Nailfold capillaroscopy microscopy, vascular autoantibodies AT1R and ETAR, and several candidate-biomarkers have the potential to serve as noninvasive tools to identify systemic sclerosis patients at risk for developing pulmonary hypertension.