Publications by authors named "Heijstek M"

Over one million people in The Netherlands are estimated having an immunodeficiency, of which the majority has an acquired immunodeficiency due to immunosuppressive medication. These patients are at risk for a more severe course of common infections, and also for opportunistic infections and viral reactivations. The following topics are discussed: types of immunodeficiency and how to estimate its severity; commonly seen infections in immunocompromised patients; recommended screening before start of immunosuppressive medication; pitfalls in clinical clues and diagnostics, and safety and immunogenicity of vaccination in these patients.

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Background: Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly due to a chronic inflammatory state.

Objectives: The main objective of this study was to investigate the difference in vascular inflammation, measured with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT (PET/CT), in PsA patients and controls. We conducted a secondary analysis to assess the association between clinical parameters of disease activity with vascular inflammation in PsA.

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Objective: To study clinical variables defining temporomandibular function in adults with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and healthy controls.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) screening protocol, mandibular range of motion (MROM), and anterior maximum voluntary bite force (AMVBF) were compared between adults with JIA and healthy controls. Unadjusted and adjusted models with corrections for sex and disease duration were constructed for active maximum interincisal mouth opening (AMIO) and AMVBF.

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Background: Immunogenicity to meningococcal serogroup ACWY (MenACWY) conjugate vaccine has not been studied in immunocompromised minors with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We determined immunogenicity of a MenACWY-TT vaccine in JIA and IBD patients at adolescent age and compared results to data from aged-matched healthy controls (HCs).

Methods: We performed a prospective observational cohort study in JIA and IBD patients (14-18 years old), who received a MenACWY vaccination during a nationwide catch-up campaign (2018-2019) in the Netherlands.

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Background: Ear, nose and throat (ENT) manifestations are common in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV), yet how to treat these manifestations remains controversial. Therefore, we systematically reviewed the literature on the efficacy of therapies on ENT manifestations in AAV.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, searching Medline, Embase and Cochrane libraries, including clinical studies between January 2005 and January 2022, in adults with AAV and ENT involvement, reporting on the effects of local and systemic therapy.

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The aim of this study was to identify the role of nasal Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) colonization and the effect of systemic or local antibiotic treatment on disease activity in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) associated vasculitis and ear nose and throat (ENT) involvement. Clinical, laboratory and histological data from all patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis and ENT involvement, who were diagnosed in two medical centres in The Netherlands between 1981 and 2020, were retrospectively collected.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of ear, nose, and throat (ENT) symptoms to different immunosuppressive therapies in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV).

Methods: In this cohort study, patients with AAV treated between January 2010 and April 2020 at 2 Dutch hospitals were included. Clinical, histological, and laboratory data were collected retrospectively.

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Introduction: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, inflammatory, musculoskeletal disease that affects up to 30% of patients with psoriasis. Current challenges in clinical care and research include personalised treatment, understanding the divergence of therapy response and unravelling the multifactorial pathophysiology of this complex disease. Moreover, there is an urgent clinical need to predict, assess and understand the cellular and molecular pathways underlying the response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

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Background: In 2011, the first European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) vaccination recommendations for pediatric patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (pedAIIRD) were published. The past decade numerous new studies were performed to assess the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of vaccinations in pedAIIRD. A systematic literature review (SLR) was therefore performed to serve as the basis for the updated 2021 EULAR/PRES recommendations.

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Objectives: Recent insights supporting the safety of live-attenuated vaccines and novel studies on the immunogenicity of vaccinations in the era of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in paediatric patients with autoimmune/inflammatory rheumatic diseases (pedAIIRD) necessitated updating the EULAR recommendations.

Methods: Recommendations were developed using the EULAR standard operating procedures. Two international expert committees were formed to update the vaccination recommendations for both paediatric and adult patients with AIIRD.

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Background: Biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but are expensive and increase the risk of infection. Therefore, in patients with a stable low level of disease activity or remission, tapering bDMARDs should be considered. Although tapering does not seem to affect long-term disease control, (short-lived) flares are frequent during the tapering process.

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The first EULAR provisional recommendations on the management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) in the context of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), largely based on expert opinion, were published in June 2020. Since then, an unprecedented number of clinical studies have accrued in the literature. Several SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been approved for population-wide vaccination programmes in EULAR-affiliated countries.

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Article Synopsis
  • A new disease called VEXAS affects older men who have specific mutations in a gene called UBA1, leading to serious inflammation and health problems.
  • The study looked back at records of patients who had been diagnosed with unclear autoinflammatory issues to find cases of VEXAS.
  • Twelve men were found with this disease, which often doesn’t respond to treatment and can lead to serious complications, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis for better care.
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Objectives: The aims of this study were to update the evidence on the incidence and prevalence rates of vaccine preventable infections (VPI) in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD) and compare the data to the general population when available.

Methods: A literature search was performed using Medline, Embase and Cochrane library (October 2009 to August 2018). The primary outcome was the incidence or prevalence of VPI in the adult AIIRD population.

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Aim: To present a systematic literature review (SLR) on efficacy, immunogenicity and safety of vaccination in adult patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD), aiming to provide a basis for updating the EULAR evidence-based recommendations.

Methods: An SLR was performed according to the standard operating procedures for EULAR-endorsed recommendations. Outcome was determined by efficacy, immunogenicity and safety of vaccination in adult patients with AIIRD, including those receiving immunomodulating therapy.

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To update the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations for vaccination in adult patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD) published in 2011. Four systematic literature reviews were performed regarding the incidence/prevalence of vaccine-preventable infections among patients with AIIRD; efficacy, immunogenicity and safety of vaccines; effect of anti-rheumatic drugs on the response to vaccines; effect of vaccination of household of AIIRDs patients. Subsequently, recommendations were formulated based on the evidence and expert opinion.

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In 2011, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) published recommendations regarding the vaccination of children with rheumatic diseases. These recommendations were based on a systematic literature review published in that same year. Since then, the evidence body on this topic has grown substantially.

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Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess 27-joint Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS-27) responsiveness, JADAS-27 changes corresponding to clinically important differences and cut-off scores for low and high disease activity in a large prospective JIA cohort.

Methods: JADAS-27 responsiveness, using effect size and standardized response mean (SRM), and changes in the JADAS-27 corresponding to clinically important differences were determined for clinical improvement (ACRpedi30) and worsening (flare). To assess whether various degrees of change in the JADAS-27 could be used to demonstrate improvement or worsening in individual patients, diagnostic parameters were computed for cut-off score changes.

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Importance: The immunogenicity and the effects of live attenuated measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination on disease activity in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) are matters of concern, especially in patients treated with immunocompromising therapies.

Objectives: To assess whether MMR booster vaccination affects disease activity and to describe MMR booster immunogenicity in patients with JIA.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Randomized, multicenter, open-label clinical equivalence trial including 137 patients with JIA aged 4 to 9 years who were recruited from 5 academic hospitals in The Netherlands between May 2008 and July 2011.

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Objectives: To compare the immunogenicity and safety of the bivalent human papillomavirus (HPV)16/18 vaccine between female patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and healthy female adolescents.

Methods: 68 patients and 55 healthy girls aged 12-18 years were included in a prospective controlled observational cohort and were vaccinated at 0, 1 and 6 months. Primary outcomes were immunogenicity expressed as seropositivity rate after three vaccine doses at 7 and 12 months and HPV-specific geometric mean antibody concentrations.

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