Rituximab-treated rheumatic patients: B cells predict seroconversion after COVID-19 boost or revaccination in initial vaccine non-responders.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of either a booster vaccine (one dose) or revaccination (two doses 3 weeks apart) on the antibody response to the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in patients with rheumatic disease (RD) treated with rituximab (RTX) who had not produced vaccine-reactive antibodies after the initial two vaccine doses. Further, to examine if B cell levels in peripheral blood predicted seroconversion.

Methods: We included 91 RTX-treated RD patients previously vaccinated against COVID-19.

[VEXAS gene variants explain previously unrecognized clinical syndrome].

This review aims to make clinicians aware of the newly described syndrome, VEXAS. VEXAS should become an obvious differential diagnosis in cases of unexplained inflammation, anemia, and rheumatological and/or hematological manifestations. Patients with VEXAS are typically male aged > 60, with inflammation, and macrocytic anaemia.

Patients with VEXAS diagnosed in a Danish tertiary rheumatology setting have highly elevated inflammatory markers, macrocytic anaemia and negative autoimmune biomarkers.

Background: Vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic (VEXAS) is an autoinflammatory condition with overlapping features of rheumatology and haematology caused by somatic mutations in the UBA1 gene. Patients present with highly variable symptoms and their path towards diagnosis are often complicated and characterised by extensive examinations. It is, therefore, pivotal that clinicians become familiar with the clinical presentation of VEXAS to advance identification of patients with the disease.

Biological therapy and international travel: A questionnaire survey among Danish patients with rheumatic disease.

Objective: To describe travel activities, preparations, and health problems encountered by patients with arthritis receiving biological therapy.

Methods: A travel survey was conducted in a Danish rheumatology outpatient clinic by distribution of a semistructured questionnaire to 300 consecutive patients with arthritis.

Results: Among the 273 (91%) patients returning the questionnaire, a history of traveling outside Denmark was reported by 203 (74%) respondents and outside Europe by 92 (34%).

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis facing sick leave or work disability meet varying regulations: a study among rheumatologists and patients from 44 European countries.

Objectives: To describe and explore differences in formal regulations around sick leave and work disability (WD) for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as well as perceptions by rheumatologists and patients on the system's performance, across European countries.

Methods: We conducted three cross-sectional surveys in 50 European countries: one on work (re-)integration and social security (SS) system arrangements in case of sick leave and long-term WD due to RA (one rheumatologist per country), and two among approximately 15 rheumatologists and 15 patients per country on perceptions regarding SS arrangements on work participation. Differences in regulations and perceptions were compared across categories defined by gross domestic product (GDP), type of social welfare regime, European Union (EU) membership and country RA WD rates.