Inflammatory bowel disease in axial spondyloarthritis patients. Is there any specific clinical picture? Data from the RESPONDIA and REGISPONSER registries.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects 5%-10% of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. Prior data suggest AS patients with IBD may have more severe disease and lower HLA-B27 prevalence. Yet, little is known about potential distinctions in AS with IBD compared to those without IBD.

ALCOHOL-ASSOCIATED LIVER DISEASE: NATURAL HISTORY, MANAGEMENT AND NOVEL TARGETED THERAPIES.

Alcohol consumption is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide and the primary cause of advanced liver disease. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic, frequently relapsing condition characterized by persistent alcohol consumption despite its negative consequences. Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) encompasses a series of stages, from fatty liver (steatosis) to inflammation (steatohepatitis), fibrosis, and, ultimately, liver cirrhosis and its complications.

Sex differential impact of comorbidities in spondyloarthritis: data from COMOSPA study.

Objectives: To describe and compare the prevalence of comorbidities in female and male patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) and to assess whether comorbidities had a different impact on disease outcomes in male and female patients.

Methods: This is a post hoc analysis of the COMOrbidities in SPondyloArthritis study. Differences in comorbidities regarding sex were assessed using logistic regression models.

Specific-cytokine associations with outcomes in knee osteoarthritis subgroups: breaking down disease heterogeneity with phenotyping.

Background: Despite existing extensive literature, a comprehensive and clinically relevant classification system for osteoarthritis (OA) has yet to be established. In this study, we aimed to further characterize four knee OA (KOA) inflammatory phenotypes (KOIP) recently proposed by our group, by identifying the inflammatory factors associated with KOA severity and progression in a phenotype-specific manner.

Methods: We performed an analysis within each of the previously defined four KOIP groups, to assess the association between KOA severity and progression and a panel of 13 cytokines evaluated in the plasma and synovial fluid of our cohort's patients.

Biological and glucocorticoids treatment impair the medium-term immunogenicity to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Background: This study aims to assess the sustained immunological response to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRD) undergoing different treatment regimens.

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study involving 157 AIRD patients without prior COVID-19 infection. Treatment regimens included non-treatment or glucocorticoid-only (not-treated/GCs), non-biological drugs, biological therapy, and JAK inhibitors.

Corrigendum: The paradigm of IL-23-independent production of IL-17F and IL-17A and their role in chronic inflammatory diseases.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.

Identification of the first signs or symptoms in different spondyloarthritis subtypes and their association with HLA-B27: data from REGISPONSER and RESPONDIA registries.

Objective: To describe and analyse the initial symptoms attributable to patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) and their association with HLA-B27 status.

Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional and multicentre study with patients who fulfilled the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group criteria for SpA from the Registry of Spondyloarthritis of Spanish Rheumatology (REGISPONSER) and Ibero-American Registry of Spondyloarthropathies (RESPONDIA) united registries. Differences in the first sign(s) or symptom(s) were compared across diagnoses and between HLA-B27 status.

The paradigm of IL-23-independent production of IL-17F and IL-17A and their role in chronic inflammatory diseases.

Interleukin-17 family (IL-17s) comprises six structurally related members (IL-17A to IL-17F); sequence homology is highest between IL-17A and IL-17F, displaying certain overlapping functions. In general, IL-17A and IL-17F play important roles in chronic inflammation and autoimmunity, controlling bacterial and fungal infections, and signaling mainly through activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. The role of IL-17A and IL-17F has been established in chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), such as psoriasis (PsO), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), axial spondylarthritis (axSpA), hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), multiple sclerosis (MS), and asthma.

Validation of N Protein Antibodies to Diagnose Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Large Cohort of Healthcare Workers: Use of Roche Elecsys Immunoassay in the S Protein Vaccination Era.

The aim of this study was to validate the detection of anti-nucleocapsid protein (N protein) antibodies for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in light of the fact that most COVID-19 vaccines use the spike (S) protein as the antigen. Here, 3550 healthcare workers (HCWs) were enrolled from May 2020 (when no S protein vaccines were available). We defined SARS-CoV-2 infection if HCWs were found to be positive by RT-PCR or found to be positive in at least two different serological immunoassays.

Disease control in patients with psoriatic arthritis in real clinical practice in Spain: MiDAS study.

Objective: MiDAS study assessed the percentage of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients treated in routine clinical practice who achieved control of disease activity according to Disease Activity in Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) and Minimal Disease Activity (MDA).

Methods: Observational, non-interventional, cross-sectional, multicenter study conducted under conditions of routine clinical practice in 36 centers with outpatient rheumatology clinics in Spanish public hospitals. Patients included were adults (≥18 years) with ≥6 months PsA diagnosis according to classification for PsA (CASPAR) criteria and undergoing treatment ≥3 months.

Metabolic and inflammatory profiles define phenotypes with clinical relevance in female knee osteoarthritis patients with joint effusion.

Objectives: Osteoarthritis has been the subject of abundant research in the last years with limited translation to the clinical practice, probably due to the disease's high heterogeneity. In this study, we aimed to identify different phenotypes in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients with joint effusion based on their metabolic and inflammatory profiles.

Methods: A non-supervised strategy based on statistical and machine learning methods was applied to 45 parameters measured on 168 female KOA patients with persistent joint effusion, consecutively recruited at our hospital after a monographic OA outpatient visit.

Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis are Great Consumers of Healthcare Resources, Especially Young and Women: Results from the Spanish Atlas.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess high healthcare utilization over 1 year in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and factors associated with increased healthcare utilization.

Methods: A total of 530 unselected patients with axSpA from the Atlas of Axial Spondyloarthritis in Spain-who had used at least one healthcare resource-were included in the present study. Total health care utilization was obtained from the total number of healthcare visits, medical tests, hospital admissions and emergency visits, during the 12 months prior to the survey.

Disease control in patients with ankylosing spondylitis in real clinical practice in Spain: Results of the MIDAS study.

Introduction And Objectives: Understanding the disease activity is fundamental to improve patient prognosis and patients' quality of life. MiDAS study described disease activity in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) Spanish patients and the proportion of them with controlled disease.

Methods: Observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study carried out under conditions of routine clinical practice.

Association between HLA-B27 and peripheral spondyloarthritis phenotype: results from the ASAS perSpA study.

Objective: To analyse the influence of HLA-B27 in the phenotypical expression of peripheral spondyloarthritis (pSpA).

Method: This is an observational cross-sectional study using data from the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society perSpA registry, including all patients with an available HLA-B27 test result and with a diagnosis of pSpA or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) as per rheumatologist's judgement. Demographic and clinical data, presence of extra musculoskeletal manifestations (EMM) and fibromyalgia were the variables included in a simple and multiple logistic regression model to assess their association to HLA-B27 positivity.

Uveitis in peripheral spondyloarthritis patients: an ancillary analysis of the ASAS-PerSpA study.

Background: Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) is the most frequent extra-musculoskeletal manifestation in spondyloarhtritis (SpA). Previous data on AAU focused on axial disease; therefore, it is not well known whether the clinical characteristics of patients with AAU and recurrent AAU differ between patients with axial and peripheral SpA.

Objective: Primary objective was to compare the clinical characteristics of patients with AAU from patients without AAU in axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients.

Strategies and resources to optimise the management of Psoriatic Arthritis patients: The CREA Project.

Background And Aim: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease that affects the musculoskeletal system and skin, and manifests heterogeneously, with a variable course. In current clinical practice, variability and limitations in its follow-up have been observed. The aim of the CREA project was to agree on strategies to improve the initial assessment and follow-up of patients with PsA in Spain.

Resources and strategies for the optimal care of patients with axial spondyloarthritis: The CREA project.

Background And Objective: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) are musculoskeletal diseases with different manifestations. In clinical practice, variability, and limitations in the collection of the outcomes required for follow-up have been observed. The objective of the CREA project was to agree on improvement strategies for the initial assessment and follow-up of patients with axSpA in Spain.

Glucocorticoids' treatment impairs the medium-term immunogenic response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients.

Limited data exists on SARS-CoV-2 sustained-response to vaccine in patients with rheumatic diseases. This study aims to evaluate neutralizing antibodies (nAB) induced by SARS-CoV-2 vaccine after 3 to 6 months from administration in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients, as a surrogate of sustained-immunological response. This cross-sectional study compared nAB titre of 39 SLE patients and 37 Healthy individuals with no previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, who had all received a complete regimen of a mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine within the last 3 to 6 months.

SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Vaccine-Induced Immune Imprinting Reduces Nucleocapsid Protein Antibody Response in SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Immune imprinting or original antigenic sin (OAS) is the process by which the humoral memory response to an antigen can inhibit the response to new epitopes of that antigen originating from a second encounter with the pathogen. Given the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple vaccines have been developed against SARS-CoV-2 infection. These vaccines are directed to the spike protein (S protein) of the original variant of Wuhan D614G.

Antibody Response Induced by BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 Vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 in a Cohort of Healthcare Workers.

The aim of this study was to characterize the antibody response induced by SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines in a cohort of healthcare workers. A total of 2247 serum samples were analyzed using the Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S-test (Roche Diagnostics International Ltd., Rotkreuz, Switzerland).

Expert recommendations for the use of apremilast in psoriatic arthritis.

Introduction And Objectives: Despite the evidence, there are doubts about the positioning of apremilast in the psoriatic arthritis (PsA) treatment algorithm. The objective of this project was to collect the scientific evidence and the experience of a group of rheumatologists who are experts in the management of PsA with apremilast in clinical practice in Spain.

Material And Methods: A scientific committee made up of 6 experts proposed 5 clinical scenarios where the evidence on the use of apremilast in PsA was controversial: (i) Efficacy in peripheral PsA; (ii) Efficacy in enthesitis and dactylitis; (iii) Efficacy in PsA with skin involvement; (iv) Comorbidities; and (v) Apremilast safety.

Similarities and differences between non-radiographic and radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: The patient perspective from the Spanish atlas.

Aim: Although non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (EspAax-nr) is well understood within health institutions, being considered along with radiographic EspAax (EspAax-r) as part of the same disease spectrum, patient understanding is unknown. The aim is to describe the patient's knowledge of the EspAax-nr entity.

Methods: Atlas 2017, promoted by the Spanish Federation of Spondylarthritis Associations (CEADE), aims to comprehensively understand the reality of EspAax patients from a holistic approach.

Treatment Failure in Axial Spondyloarthritis: Insights for a Standardized Definition.

Axial spondyloarthritis is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease that affects the axial skeleton and causes severe pain and disability. It may be also associated with extra-articular manifestations. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can reduce the severity of the disease and the risk of progression.

Sustained low disease activity measured by ASDAS slow radiographic spinal progression in axial spondyloarthritis patients treated with TNF-inhibitors: data from REGISPONSERBIO.

Background: To evaluate the influence of the disease activity on radiographic progression in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients treated with TNF inhibitors (TNFi).

Methods: The study included 101 axSpA patients from the Spanish Register of Biological Therapy in Spondyloarthritides (REGISPONSERBIO), which had clinical data and radiographic assessment available. Patients were classified into 2 groups based on the duration of TNFi treatment at baseline: (i) long-term treatment (≥4 years) and (ii) no long-term treatment (< 4 years).