Remission in gout is possible: 5-year follow-up in the NOR-Gout study.

Objective: To compare the performance of remission definitions for gout in an observational treat-to-target patient cohort with 5 years of follow-up.

Methods: Inclusion criteria were crystal proven gout with increased serum urate levels and a flare. Remission was determined according to the 2016 preliminary gout remission definition, a modified preliminary definition with more lenient thresholds for the individual variables pain due to gout and patient global assessment of gout disease activity, and the simplified definition without patient reported outcomes.

Assessment of lipid-lowering therapies in high-risk patients with inflammatory joint diseases-Insights from a preventive cardio-rheuma clinic.

Background: A disparity exists between adherence to guideline recommendations for cardiovascular (CV) prevention and achieving low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals in clinical practice. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of lipid-lowering therapies in high- and very high-risk patients with coexisting inflammatory joint diseases (IJD).

Methods: This quality assurance project included all consecutive patients with IJD referred to a CV risk evaluation between 2019 and 2024 to a single clinic in Norway.

Non-adherence to urate lowering therapy in gout after 5 years is related to poor outcomes-results from the NOR-Gout study.

Objectives: Patients with gout need to adhere to medication over time to achieve good outcomes. We assessed self-reported adherence to medication with urate lowering therapy (ULT) 5 years after a treat-to-target intervention and studied how non-adherence was related to baseline demographic and disease variables.

Methods: Patients in the NOR-Gout observational study were included after a recent gout flare and serum urate >360 µmol/L.

Interstitial Lung Disease in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis or Psoriatic Arthritis Initiating Biologics and Controls: Data From 5 Nordic Registries.

Objective: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of the most common pulmonary manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but its prevalence has not been investigated in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The role of methotrexate (MTX) in ILD development remains under debate. This study (1) compares the incidences of ILD in patients with RA or PsA initiating a first biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (bDMARD) to that in the general population, and (2) investigates the role of MTX comedication on ILD incidence.

Calprotectin, a sensitive marker of inflammation, is robustly assessed in plasma from patients with early or established rheumatoid arthritis by use of different laboratory methods.

Calprotectin (S100A8/S100A9, MRP8/MRP14) is a major leukocyte protein found to be more sensitive than C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) as a marker of inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The present objective was to explore the robustness of calprotectin assessments by comparing two different laboratory methods assessing calprotectin in plasma samples from patients with early or established RA. A total of 212 patients with early RA (mean () age 52(13.

Course and predictors of work productivity in gout - results from the NOR-Gout longitudinal 2-year treat-to-target study.

Objectives: In patients with gout there is a lack of longitudinal studies on the course of work productivity. We explored longitudinal changes in and predictors of work productivity over 2 years.

Methods: Patients in the NOR-Gout observational study with a recent gout flare and serum urate (sUA) >360 µmol/l attended tight-control visits during escalating urate lowering therapy according to a treat-to-target strategy.

Identification of SNPs associated with methotrexate treatment outcomes in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.

Methotrexate is one of the cornerstones of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapy. Genetic factors or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are responsible for 15%-30% of the variation in drug response. Identification of clinically effective SNP biomarkers for predicting methotrexate (MTX) sensitivity has been a challenge.

Treatment Response to Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors and Methotrexate Monotherapy in Adults With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Data From NOR-DMARD.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) ± comedication and methotrexate (MTX) monotherapy between patients with adult juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Adult patients with JIA and RA were identified from the Norwegian Antirheumatic Drug Register (NOR-DMARD) register. Disease activity measurements at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months were compared between patients with JIA and RA starting (1) TNFi and (2) MTX monotherapy, using age- and gender-weighted analyses.

Immunogenicity and safety of a three-dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccination strategy in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases on immunosuppressive therapy.

Objectives: Humoral vaccine responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are impaired and short lasting in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID) following two vaccine doses. To protect these vulnerable patients against severe COVID-19 disease, a three-dose primary vaccination strategy has been implemented in many countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate humoral response and safety of primary vaccination with three doses in patients with IMID.

Patient Experienced Symptom State in rheumatoid arthritis: sensitivity to change in disease activity and impact.

Objectives: The Patient Experienced Symptom State (PESS) is a single-question, patient-reported outcome that is validated to assess global disease impact in RA. This study addresses its sensitivity to change, and reliability.

Methods: Disease activity, disease impact in the seven domains of RA Impact of Disease (RAID) and PESS were assessed in patients with RA from the NOR-DMARD registry, at two visits, 6 months apart.

One- and 2-year flare rates after treat-to-target and tight-control therapy of gout: results from the NOR-Gout study.

Objectives: To explore the frequency and predictors of flares over 2 years during a treat-to-target strategy with urate-lowering therapy (ULT) in patients with gout.

Methods: In the treat-to-target, tight control NOR-Gout study patients started ULT with escalating doses of allopurinol. Flares were recorded over 2 years.

Associations of Body Mass Index With Pain and the Mediating Role of Inflammatory Biomarkers in People With Hand Osteoarthritis.

Objective: To examine the association of body mass index (BMI) with pain in people with hand osteoarthritis (OA), and explore whether this association, if causal, is mediated by systemic inflammatory biomarkers.

Methods: In 281 Nor-Hand study participants, we estimated associations between BMI and hand pain, as measured by the Australian/Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand Index (AUSCAN; range 0-20) and Numerical Rating Scale (NRS; range 0-10); foot pain, as measured by NRS (range 0-10); knee/hip pain, as measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC; range 0-20); painful total body joint count; and pain sensitization. We fit natural-effects models to estimate natural direct and natural indirect effects of BMI on pain through inflammatory biomarkers.

Comparison of 2 Postoperative Therapy Regimens After Trapeziectomy Due to Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Purpose: The main aim of the present study was to evaluate whether early mobilization after trapeziectomy in the first carpometacarpal joint is noninferior to a postoperative regimen comprising the use of a rigid orthosis and mobilization after 6 weeks, with regards to patient-reported activity performance and the effect of surgery in patients with first carpometacarpal osteoarthritis.

Methods: In this prospective, randomized, controlled noninferiority trial, participants were assessed at baseline (before group allocation) and at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. The primary outcomes were activity performance, measured using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (1-10, where 1 = unable to perform), and the patient-reported effect of surgery on a 6-point scale ranging from "much worse" to "completely recovered.

Two-year reduction of dual-energy CT urate depositions during a treat-to-target strategy in gout in the NOR-Gout longitudinal study.

Objectives: There is a lack of large longitudinal studies of urate deposition measured by dual-energy CT (DECT) during urate lowering therapy (ULT) in people with gout. We explored longitudinal changes in DECT urate depositions during a treat-to-target strategy with ULT in gout.

Methods: Patients with a recent gout flare and serum-urate (sUA) >360 µmol/l attended tight-control visits during escalating ULT.

An international audit of the management of dyslipidaemia and hypertension in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from 19 countries.

Aims: To assess differences in estimated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients from different world regions and to evaluate the management and goal attainment of lipids and blood pressure (BP).

Methods And Results: The survey of CVD risk factors in patients with RA was conducted in 14 503 patients from 19 countries during 2014-19. The treatment goal for BP was <140/90 mmHg.

Risk of solid cancers overall and by subtypes in patients with psoriatic arthritis treated with TNF inhibitors - a Nordic cohort study.

Objectives: To investigate whether TNF inhibitors (TNFi) are associated with increased risk of solid cancer in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: From the Nordic clinical rheumatology registers (CRR) here: SRQ/ARTIS (Sweden), DANBIO (Denmark), NOR-DMARD (Norway), ROB-FIN (Finland) and ICEBIO (Iceland) we identified PsA patients who started a first TNFi 2001-2017 (n = 9655). We identified patients with PsA not treated with biologics from (i) the CRR (n = 14 809) and (ii) the national patient registers (PR, n = 31 350).

Fatigue is cross-sectionally not associated with objective assessments of inflammation, but changes in fatigue are associated with changes of disease activity assessments during biologic treatment of patients with established rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: The associations between fatigue and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have not been defined. The present objectives were to explore in RA patients the cross-sectional and longitudinal relation of fatigue with subjective as well as objective assessments of disease activity.

Methods: RA patients were consecutively included when initiating biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and assessed at baseline, 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months with investigation of fatigue, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs; joint pain and patient's global disease activity, MHAQ, pain catastrophizing, Mental Health score), clinical examinations (examiner's global disease activity, 28 tender and swollen joint counts), and laboratory variables (ESR, CRP, calprotectin).

Efficacy and Safety of CT-P13 in Inflammatory Bowel Disease after Switching from Originator Infliximab: Exploratory Analyses from the NOR-SWITCH Main and Extension Trials.

Background: The NOR-SWITCH main and extension trials demonstrated that switching from originator to biosimilar infliximab (CT-P13) is efficacious and safe across six diseases. However, a subgroup analysis of Crohn's disease (CD) in the main trial displayed a close to significant difference favouring originator infliximab, and more scientific data have therefore been requested.

Objective: The aim was to assess treatment efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity in an explorative subgroup analysis in CD and ulcerative colitis (UC) in the NOR-SWITCH trials.

Trends in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with incident rheumatoid arthritis: a 20-year follow-up matched case-cohort study.

Objectives: To examine all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in consecutive cohorts of patients with incident RA, compared with population comparators.

Methods: The Oslo RA register inclusion criteria were diagnosis of RA (1987 ACR criteria) and residency in Oslo. Patients with disease onset 1994-2008 and 10 matched comparators for each case were linked to the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry.

Assessing synovitis in the hands in patients with rheumatoid arthritis by ultrasound: an agreement study exploring the most inflammatory active side from two Norwegian trials.

Objective: To assess if the right hand, the dominant hand, or the hand with more clinically swollen joints (SwJ) is per se the most inflamed and exhibits the greatest change during treatment and hence preferred for unilateral scoring of synovitis by ultrasound in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Methods: Using data from two previously published Norwegian RA patient cohorts initiating treatment, bilateral metacarpophalangeal joint 1-5, proximal phalangeal joint 2+3, and wrists were evaluated by ultrasound. Using a 0-3 scoring system a grey-scale (GS), power Doppler (PD) and global synovitis score (GLOESS) was calculated for each hand (0-30).