Trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis and serious infections in granulomatosis with polyangiitis treated with rituximab.

Objective: To assess the association of trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) prophylaxis with serious infections in rituximab-treated patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adults with GPA (2011-2020) within the United States Merative™ Marketscan® Research Databases with ≥6 months enrolment prior to first (index) rituximab treatment. We defined TMP-SMX prophylaxis as a ≥28-day prescription dispensed after or overlapping the index date.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide is a biomarker for cardiovascular damage in systemic lupus erythematous: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Prediction models based on traditional risk factors underestimate cardiovascular (CV) risk in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In a large sample of unselected SLE patients, we investigated cross-sectional associations of NT-proBNP with cardiovascular damage (CVD).

Methods: Serum NT-proBNP was measured in SLE patients enrolled in the MUHC Lupus Clinic registry.

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis during treatment of granulomatosis with polyangiitis with rituximab in the United States of America: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended during ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) induction. We aimed to describe the frequency, persistence, and factors associated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) use in an adult population sample with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) treated with rituximab (RTX).

Methods: We identified adults with GPA treated with RTX within the Merative™ Marketscan® Research Databases (2011-2020).

Outcomes associated with antiphospholipid antibodies in COVID-19: A prospective cohort study.

Background: The significance of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in COVID-19 remains uncertain.

Objectives: We determined whether aPL are associated with COVID-19 and/or thrombosis or adverse outcomes during hospitalization for COVID-19.

Methods: Symptomatic adults tested for SARS-CoV-2 for clinical reasons (March-July 2020) with either ≥1 positive polymerase chain reaction (COVID-19+) or all negative (non-COVID-19) results were recruited to a biobank collecting plasma, clinical data, and outcomes.

More than a 'Hundred Days War': Persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection in a patient with ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Background: Few reports exist on the characteristics and outcomes of persistent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in immunocompromised hosts.

Methods: A 49-year-old patient with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and a renal transplant experienced multiple hospitalizations for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and relapses between October 2020 and February 2021. Careful chart review of medical history, hospitalizations, and microbiological testing including SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold values, therapies, and imaging was undertaken.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Maternal Mental Health during Pregnancy: A Comparison between Canada and China within the CONCEPTION Cohort.

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health has been described in Canada and China but no study has compared the two countries using the same standardized and validated instruments. In this study, we aimed to evaluate and compare the impact of COVID-19 public health policies on maternal mental health between Canada and China, as we hypothesize that geographical factors and different COVID-19 policies are likely to influence maternal mental health. Pregnant persons >18 years old were recruited in Canada and China using a web-based strategy.

The Canadian Mother-Child Cohort Active Surveillance Initiative (CAMCCO): Comparisons between Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

Background: Given that pregnant women taking medications are excluded from clinical trials, real-world evidence is essential. We aimed to build a Canadian Mother-Child Cohort Active Surveillance Initiative (CAMCCO) and compare frequency of prematurity, low-birth-weight (LBW), major malformations, multiplicity, and gestational medication use across four provinces.

Methods: CAMCCO is a collaborative research infrastructure that uses real-world data from large provincial health care databases in Canada; developed with standardized methods to similarly construct population-based pregnancy/child cohorts with longitudinal follow-up by linking administrative/hospital/birth databases.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Maternal Mental Health Differently Depending on Pregnancy Status and Trimester of Gestation.

Introduction: We aimed to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal mental health, stratifying on pregnancy status, trimester of gestation, and pandemic period/wave. Methods: Pregnant persons and persons who delivered in Canada during the pandemic, >18 years, were recruited, and data were collected using a web-based strategy. The current analysis includes data on persons enrolled between 06/2020−08/2021.

Measuring the Impact of MyLupusGuide in Canada: Results of a Randomized Controlled Study.

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the effects of a web-based program, MyLupusGuide, developed to facilitate self-management in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: In this randomized controlled online study, participants received either immediate access to the MyLupusGuide site or delayed access starting on month 3. The primary outcome was the patient activation measure (PAM) score.

Clinical Significance of Raynaud Phenomenon in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Objective: There are limited reports of the clinical significance of Raynaud phenomenon (RP) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with some suggesting RP is associated with less severe lupus. Since most prior studies were small and/or focused on a specific race/ethnic demographic, it is unclear if those results are generalizable. We evaluated whether RP was associated with demographic and clinical factors in a large multiethnic SLE cohort.

Evaluating the Construct of Damage in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Objective: The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC), American College of Rheumatology (ACR), and the Lupus Foundation of America are developing a revised systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) damage index (the SLICC/ACR Damage Index [SDI]). Shifts in the concept of damage in SLE have occurred with new insights into disease manifestations, diagnostics, and therapy. We evaluated contemporary constructs in SLE damage to inform development of the revised SDI.

Pregnancy Termination in Patients With Rheumatic Diseases.

Rheumatic diseases affect women during their reproductive years. Many women with rheumatic diseases become pregnant; some undergo pregnancy termination. However, there are no official guidelines on pregnancy termination in patients with rheumatic diseases.

Ustekinumab Safety in Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Review.

Chronic inflammatory conditions, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, are prevalent among women of reproductive age; patients with active disease during pregnancy may be at an increased risk of adverse birth outcomes. For this reason, physicians are focused on approaches to controlling disease activity prior to and during pregnancy. The safety profile of many therapies used for these conditions has been relatively well established, though evidence on newer therapies is lacking.

Treatment patterns and control of hypertension in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Hypertension (HTN) is common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), representing a key risk factor for cardiovascular and renal disease. We described HTN treatment patterns in SLE, evaluated uncontrolled HTN according to Canadian and American guidelines and identified factors associated with uncontrolled HTN.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study, identifying all McGill Lupus Clinic registry patients with an annual visit between January 2017 and May 2019 who were taking HTN medications.

Association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, smoking, and interstitial lung disease onset in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), respiratory manifestations include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and interstitial lung disease (ILD). We assessed whether baseline COPD and smoking were associated with RA-ILD onset.

Methods: We identified new-onset ILD in incident RA subjects within the MarketScan Commercial Claims database, using physician and/or hospitalisation diagnostic codes.

Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine Use During Pregnancy and the Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Using Real-World Evidence.

Chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) are currently used for the prevention/treatment of malaria, and treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although present data do not show their efficacy to treat COVID-19, they have been used as potential treatments for COVID-19. Given that pregnant women are excluded from randomized controlled trials, and present evidence are inconsistent and inconclusive, we aimed to investigate the safety of CQ or HCQ use in a large pregnancy cohort using real-world evidence.