Protocol for a multicentre randomised triple-blind controlled trial assessing the clinical efficacy of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma injections versus placebo in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (PIKOA).

Introduction: Despite their exponential use, intra-articular (IA) injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) are not part of the recommended treatments for knee osteoarthritis (OA) by most international scientific societies. The most recent clinical trials have shown conflicting results, and some did not find any clinical benefit of PRP injections. The PRP In Knee OsteoArthritis (PIKOA) trial was designed to assess the clinical efficacy and structural benefit of IA injections of PRP vs saline solution (placebo) in symptomatic knee OA.

Clinical correlates of lifetime and current comorbidity patterns in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Background: Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases (AIDs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders with diverse etiopathogenic mechanisms. This study explores the potential utility of family history, together with present and past comorbidities, in identifying distinct etiopathogenic subgroups. This approach may facilitate more accurate diagnosis, prognosis and personalized therapy.

The role of obesity and adipose tissue dysfunction in osteoarthritis pain.

Obesity has a pivotal and multifaceted role in pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA), extending beyond the mechanistic influence of BMI. It exerts its effects both directly and indirectly through various modifiable risk factors associated with OA-related pain. Adipose tissue dysfunction is highly involved in OA-related pain through local and systemic inflammation, immune dysfunction, and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and adipokines.

Osteoarthritis year in review 2024: Epidemiology and therapy.

This "Year in Review" presents a curated selection of research themes and individual studies within the clinical osteoarthritis (OA) field, focusing on epidemiology and therapy. The search was conducted in electronic database MEDLINE from March 4, 2023, to March 31, 2024, specifically targeting English-language articles involving human participants. Inclusions were based on perceived importance and relevance to identifying risk factors or advancing OA treatments.

Inflammatory low back pain with radiculopathy revealing epidural disintegration of a bullet complicated by lead poisoning.

Inflammatory low back pain with radiculopathy is suggestive of cancer, infection or inflammatory diseases. We report a unique case of a 42-year-old patient with an acute inflammatory low back pain with bilateral radiculopathy associated with weight loss and abdominal pain, revealing the disintegration of a lead bullet along the epidural space and the S1 nerve root complicated by lead poisoning. Because of the high blood lead level of intoxication (>10 times over the usual lead levels) and the failure of repeated lead chelator cycles, a surgical treatment to remove bullet fragments was performed.

Counteracting tryptophan metabolism alterations as a new therapeutic strategy for rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Alterations in tryptophan (Trp) metabolism have been reported in inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, understanding whether these alterations participate in RA development and can be considered putative therapeutic targets remains undetermined.In this study, we combined quantitative Trp metabolomics in the serum from patients with RA and corrective administration of a recombinant enzyme in experimental arthritis to address this question.

Do subjective components of disease activity contribute to heterogeneity in opioid prescriptions in inflammatory rheumatic diseases? Results from ESPOIR and DESIR cohorts.

Objectives: To determine whether subjective components of disease activity are associated with heterogeneity in opioid prescription in inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) after accounting for objective inflammatory markers.

Methods: Data from two prospective observational cohorts of early IRDs (ESPOIR for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and DESIR for spondyloarthritis (SpA)) were included. Opioid prescription duration (converted to monthly binary opioid prescription), disease activity (Disease activity score 28 (DAS28) for RA; Axial spondyloarthritis disease activity score-C-reactive protein (ASDAS-CRP) for SpA) and its components were measured respectively at 13 and 9 occasions spanning 10- and 6-years of follow-up.

Efficacy and management of tocilizumab in polymyalgia rheumatica: results of a multicentre retrospective observational study.

Objectives: The efficacy of anti-IL-6 receptors such as tocilizumab (TCZ) was demonstrated in patients with PMR in two recent randomized controlled trials. The objective of this multicentre retrospective study was to assess the efficacy of TCZ in PMR patients requiring glucocorticoid (GC)-sparing treatment, as well as different strategies for TCZ withdrawal.

Methods: We conducted a multicentre study in French tertiary healthcare departments for patients with PMR.

A new serum biochemical marker of synovium turnover predicts radiographic progression in patients with early arthritis.

Objective: To investigate whether serum Col 3-4, a new biochemical marker of synovial tissue turnover, was associated with progression of joint damage in patients with early arthritis.

Methods: A total of 788 early arthritis patients (<6 months of symptoms, 82% diagnosis of RA, 18% undifferentiated arthritis) from the prospective ESPOIR study were investigated. Progression was defined as an increase of 1 or 5 unit(s) in radiographic van der Heijde modified Sharp score between baseline and 1 or 5 years, respectively.

Recommendations for assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease and venous thromboembolism before the initiation of targeted therapies for chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases.

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other chronic inflammatory rheumatic disorders have increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with the general population. Moreover, recent data have raised concerns around a possible increased risk of major CV events (MACE) and VTE in patients treated with JAK inhibitors (JAKi). In October 2022, the PRAC has recommended measures to minimize the risk of serious side effects, including CV conditions and VTE, associated with all approved in chronic inflammatory diseases.

CovAID: Identification of factors associated with severe COVID-19 in patients with inflammatory rheumatism or autoimmune diseases.

Introduction: Autoimmune/inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIRDs) patients might be at-risk of severe COVID-19. However, whether this is linked to the disease or to its treatment is difficult to determine. This study aimed to identify factors associated with occurrence of severe COVID-19 in AIRD patients and to evaluate whether having an AIRD was associated with increased risk of severe COVID-19 or death.

Identifying high-risk profile in primary antiphospholipid syndrome through cluster analysis: French multicentric cohort study.

Introduction: Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterised by thrombosis (arterial, venous or small vessel) or obstetrical events and persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL), according to the Sydney classification criteria. Many studies have performed cluster analyses among patients with primary APS and associated autoimmune disease, but none has focused solely on primary APS. We aimed to perform a cluster analysis among patients with primary APS and asymptomatic aPL carriers without any autoimmune disease, to assess prognostic value.

Human-specific duplicate CHRFAM7A gene is associated with more severe osteoarthritis and amplifies pain behaviours.

Objectives: CHRFAM7A is a uniquely human fusion gene that functions as a dominant negative regulator of alpha 7 acetylcholine nicotinic receptor (α7nAChR) in vitro. This study determined the impact of CHRFAM7A on α7nAChR agonist responses, osteoarthritis (OA) severity and pain behaviours and investigated mechanisms.

Methods: Transgenic CHRFAM7A (TgCHRFAM7A) mice were used to determine the impact of CHRFAM7A on knee OA histology, pain severity in OA and other pain models, response to nAchR agonist and IL-1β.