Cardiovascular disease-related hospital admissions of patients with inflammatory arthritis.

Objective: Patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) have an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), suggesting a high rate of CVD-related hospitalizations, but data on this topic are limited. Our study addressed hospital admissions for CVD in a primary care-based population of patients with IA and controls.

Methods: All newly diagnosed patients with IA between 2001 and 2010 were selected from electronic medical records of the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research Primary Care database, representing a national network of general practices.

Increased risk for chronic comorbid disorders in patients with inflammatory arthritis: a population based study.

Background: Studies determining the development of a wide variety of different comorbid disorders in inflammatory arthritis (IA) patients are scarce, however, this knowledge could be helpful in optimising preventive care in IA patients. The aim of this study is to establish the risk that new chronic comorbid disorders in newly diagnosed patients with IA in a primary care setting are developed.

Methods: This is a nested-case-control study from 2001-2010 using data from electronic medical patient records in general practice.

The validity of the diagnosis of inflammatory arthritis in a large population-based primary care database.

Background: Large population-based databases based on electronic medical records (EMRs) of patients in primary care are a useful data source to investigate morbidity and health care utilization. Diagnoses recorded in EMRs are doctor-defined, but their validity can be disputed. In this study we investigated the validity of the diagnosis inflammatory arthritis (IA), a group of chronic rheumatic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, in primary care based EMRs.

Prevalence of chronic diseases at the onset of inflammatory arthritis: a population-based study.

Objective: Little is known about the presence of chronic morbidity in inflammatory arthritis (IA) patients at disease onset. Previous studies have been mainly performed in established IA patients or they focus on isolated co-morbid diseases. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of chronic diseases at the onset of IA and to determine whether this is different from the number that one might expect based on age and sex.

Do pregnant women contact their general practitioner? A register-based comparison of healthcare utilisation of pregnant and non-pregnant women in general practice.

Background: Midwives and obstetricians are the key providers of care during pregnancy and postpartum. Information about the consultations with a general practitioner (GP) during this period is generally lacking.The aim of this study is to compare consultation rates, diagnoses and GP management of pregnant women with those of non-pregnant women.

Neurodevelopmental outcome of post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilatation at 12 and 24 months corrected age with high-threshold therapy.

Background: The management of post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus remains a discussion. We describe the neurodevelopmental outcome at the corrected age of 12 and 24 months of infants with PHVD treated with high-threshold therapy.

Objective: To describe, and compare the neurodevelopmental outcome of a cohort of premature infants with grade III or IV intraventricular hemorrhage with or without development of PHVD.

Validation of the 2010 ACR/EULAR classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis: slight improvement over the 1987 ACR criteria.

Background: Recently, an American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) collaboration developed new classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic and discriminative ability of these new criteria compared with the 1987 ACR criteria and the Visser decision rule.

Methods: 455 patients with early arthritis were studied.

Predictors of stenosing tenosynovitis in the hand and hand-related activity limitations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To identify early predictors of stenosing tenosynovitis in the hand and hand-related activity limitations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Design: A longitudinal study of an inception cohort.

Setting: A large outpatient clinic.

Prevalence of hand symptoms, impairments and activity limitations in rheumatoid arthritis in relation to disease duration.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hand and wrist symptoms and impairments, and the resulting activity limitations in relation to disease duration in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Design And Patients: A cross-sectional study included 200 consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis in 4 categories of disease duration: 2-4, 4-6, 6-8 and ≥ 8 years. Patients were asked about the presence of various hand and wrist symptoms, and underwent a standardized physical examination.

Prediction of walking disability by disease-related factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between disease-related factors and walking disability in different phases of rheumatoid arthritis; and to predict future walking disability in rheumatoid arthritis, using disease-related factors assessed 2 years after diagnosis.

Methods: A cohort of 848 newly diagnosed patients with rheumatoid arthritis was followed up for a maximum of 8 years. Walking disability and several disease-related and demographic factors were recorded during follow-up.

IL10 GGC haplotype is positively and HLA-DQA1*05-DQB1*02 is negatively associated with radiographic progression in undifferentiated arthritis.

Objective: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), many genetic markers, such as the shared-epitope (SE) alleles, are described in association with radiographic progression, but limited data are available on undifferentiated arthritis (UA). We investigated whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and haplotypes in immune response genes and HLA class II alleles are associated with radiographic progression in patients with early UA.

Methods: Progression of radiographic damage was determined in white Dutch patients with early UA after 2 years of followup.

Levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibodies and IgM rheumatoid factor are not associated with outcome in early arthritis patients: a cohort study.

Introduction: To investigate whether baseline levels of anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) or IgM rheumatoid factor (IgM-RF) and changes in the year thereafter are associated with disease activity, functional and radiographic outcome in early arthritis patients, and provide additional information over baseline autoantibody status.

Methods: In 545 early arthritis patients ACPA and IgM-RF levels, disease activity (DAS28), the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and Sharp/Van der Heijde Score (SHS) were assessed annually. Baseline status, levels and first-year changes of the autoantibodies were associated with these measures at the two-year follow-up and sub-analysed according to autoantibody status.

Different properties of ACPA and IgM-RF derived from a large dataset: further evidence of two distinct autoantibody systems.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine seroconversion and the relationship with age and inflammation of autoantibodies in a large group of patients attending an outpatient rheumatology clinic.

Methods: Levels of antibodies to citrullinated proteins/peptides (ACPAs) and IgM rheumatoid factor (IgM-RF) were determined in 22,427 samples collected from 18,658 patients. The diagnosis was derived from a diagnosis registration system.

Prevalence and course of forefoot impairments and walking disability in the first eight years of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and 8-year course of forefoot impairments and walking disability in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: A total of 848 patients with recent-onset RA from 1995 through the present were included. The patients were assessed annually.

Antibodies to mutated citrullinated vimentin and disease activity score in early arthritis: a cohort study.

Introduction: The aim of our study was to investigate the association between arthritic disease activity and antibodies to mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV), because such a relation has been suggested.

Methods: Anti-MCV levels were measured in 162 patients with early arthritis (123 with rheumatoid arthritis and 39 with undifferentiated arthritis) at baseline and at 1 and 2 years of follow up. Disease activity was measured using the disease activity score (Disease Activity Score based on 28 joints [DAS28]) and serum C-reactive protein.

Protective effect of noninherited maternal HLA-DR antigens on rheumatoid arthritis development.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex genetic disorder in which the HLA-region contributes most to the genetic risk. HLA-DRB1-molecules containing the amino acid sequence DERAA (i.e.