The prevalence of endoscopic gastric mucosal damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients often take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids as supportive drugs. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of endoscopic gastric damage and their prescribed medications under an actual clinical condition.

Methods: We collected the data of 1704 RA patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal fiberscopy.

Study on the frequency and risk factors of moderate-to-severe sleep apnea syndrome in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the frequency of moderate-to-severe sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) that possibly influences long-term prognosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to analyze the risk factors for this group.

Methods: We examined respiratory disturbance index (RDI) by polysomnography in 62 hospitalized RA patients. Risk factors of moderate-to-severe SAS (RDI ≥20) were analyzed using a multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Comparison of the clinical utility of tocilizumab and anti-TNF therapy in AA amyloidosis complicating rheumatic diseases.

Objectives: Anti-cytokine therapy is reportedly useful in amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis complicating rheumatic diseases. However, to date no studies have directly compared the utility of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibition to that of interleukin-6. The aim of our retrospective study was to compare the clinical utility of tocilizumab (TCZ) and anti-TNF (TNF inhibitor) therapy.

Tocilizumab induced acquired factor XIII deficiency in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Factor XIII is one of the twelve coagulation factors and also known as a fibrin-stabilizing factor. In 2012, we encountered a male RA patient with hemorrhagic factor XIII deficiency who had been treated with tocilizumab for two years. There are few reports regarding the relationship between tocilizumab (a humanized monoclonal antibody against the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R)) and factor XIII.

Successful tocilizumab treatment in a patient with adult-onset Still's disease complicated by chronic active hepatitis B and amyloid A amyloidosis.

We report successful tocilizumab (TCZ) use in a patient with adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) complicated by chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and AA amyloidosis (AAA). Treatments with corticosteroid and various types of immunosuppressants were unsuccessful. Aggravation of CHB ensued, and entecavir was started.