Appropriateness of lumbar spine imaging in patients presenting to the emergency department with low back pain in a Western Australian tertiary hospital.

Background: The Australian Rheumatology Association identified the use of imaging in patients with low back pain without indication of serious pathology as a low-value practice.

Aims: To determine the appropriateness of diagnostic lumbar spine imaging requests in patients with low back pain presenting to a Western Australian hospital's emergency department.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all adult patients (18 years and older) who presented with low back pain to the Fiona Stanley Hospital emergency department from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2020.

Reliability of the OMERACT Giant cell arteritis Ultrasonography Score (OGUS): results of a patient-based exercise involving experts and non-experts in vascular ultrasonography.

Objective: To test the reliability of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Giant cell arteritis (GCA) Ultrasonography Score (OGUS) and other composite scores in a patient-based exercise involving experts and non-experts in vascular ultrasonography.

Methods: Six GCA patients were scanned twice (two rounds separated ≥3 hours) by 12 experts and 12 non-experts. Non-experts received 90 min of theoretical and 240 min of practical training between rounds 1 and 2.

Cancer incidence and outcome for patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: a long-term population study in Western Australia.

Objective: To compare malignancy incidence and impact between hospitalized patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and controls.

Methods: Population-level observational study of patients with RA identified (ICD-9CM 714, ICD10-AM M05-M06) in the Hospital Morbidity Data Collection (HDMC) in Western Australia (WA) between 1985 and 2015 and non-exposed hospitalised controls matched on gender, age and year of index admission. HDMC data were linked to WA Cancer and WA Death Registry data and cancer incidence rates (CIR) per 1000 person years (PY) , incidence rate ratio ratios (IRR) with 95% CI and Kaplan Meier survival estimated.

Multi-omic analyses of a twin pair with mirror image cleft lip identifies pathogenic variant in modified by differential methylation upstream of .

Background: Disturbances in the intricate processes that control craniofacial morphogenesis can result in birth defects, most common of which are orofacial clefts (OFCs). Nonsyndromic cleft lip (nsCL), one of the phenotypic forms amongst OFCs, has a non-random laterality presentation with the left side being affected twice as often compared to the right side. This study investigates the etiology of nsCL and the factors contributing to its laterality using a pair of monozygotic twins with mirror-image cleft lip.

Incidence and outcomes for children with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy in Western Australia-a long-term population-based study.

Aim: To determine the incidence and health outcomes for juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (JIIM) in a long-term whole-population study.

Methods: We included patients under 18 years hospitalized in Western Australia (WA) from 1985 and 2015 with incident JIIM as defined by pertinent diagnostic codes for dermatomyositis (JDM) polymyositis (JPM), other JIIM and overlap myositis (JOM). We compared clinical outcomes and modified Charlson comorbidity scores with age and gender matched (2:1 ratio) patients with new onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Exploring the association between circulating endothelial protein C receptor and disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis in a pilot study.

Objectives: To investigate whether circulating endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) is associated with disease activity and inflammatory markers in rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods: Thirty-eight RA patients and 21 healthy controls (HC) were recruited via the A3BC biobank. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma were isolated from the blood of these participants.

Validation of HAND OA US inflammatory and structural damage score (HOUSE) for thumb base joints: Systematic review on truth & discrimination.

Objectives: Recently, the HAND osteoarthritis (OA) ULTRASOUND (US) Examination (HOUSE) inflammatory and structural damage scores were developed by the OMERACT US working group. However, the thumb base was not or only partly included. This systematic review examines US scoring methods and scanning techniques assessing thumb base OA, alongside existing evidence on validity, reliability, and responsiveness.

FABP4-mediated lipid accumulation and lipolysis in tumor associated macrophages promote breast cancer metastasis.

Unlabelled: A high density of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) is associated with poorer prognosis and survival in breast cancer patients. Recent studies have shown that lipid accumulation in TAMs can promote tumor growth and metastasis in various models. However, the specific molecular mechanisms that drive lipid accumulation and tumor progression in TAMs remain largely unknown.

Comparison of pregnancy outcomes between indigenous and non-indigenous lupus patients.

Aim: To compare pregnancy outcomes between IA and non IA lupus patients.

Background: Pregnancy in lupus patients confers an increased risk of maternal and fetal morbidity. There are no data on pregnancy outcomes for indigenous Australian (IA) patients with lupus.

Krill Oil for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Knee osteoarthritis is disabling, with few effective treatments. Preliminary evidence suggested that krill oil supplementation improved knee pain, but effects on knee osteoarthritis remain unclear.

Objective: To evaluate efficacy of krill oil supplementation, compared with placebo, on knee pain in people with knee osteoarthritis who have significant knee pain and effusion-synovitis.

Long-term incidence, risk factors and complications for venous thromboembolism in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Aim: To compare frequency, incidence rates (IR), risk factors and outcomes of a first venous thromboembolic event (VTE) between patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and controls.

Methods: Using state-wide longitudinal hospital data from Western Australia (WA), we recorded venous thrombosis (VT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with SLE ( = 1854, median age 40, 86% female) and matched hospitalised controls ( = 12,107, median age 40 years, females 88.6%) in the period 1985-2015.

The temporal association between adverse drug reactions and antirheumatic drugs utilisation in Western Australia: a retrospective study from real-world data (1995-2015).

Background/objectives: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can result in morbidity, mortality, and higher healthcare costs. Given the limited information available on ADRs associated with antirheumatic medications, this study aims to analyse and compare ADR reporting for these drugs in the pharmacovigilance datasets of Western Australia (WA) and the United States (US).

Methods: Therapeutic Goods Administration provided WA pharmacovigilance data of selected antirheumatic drugs to from 1995 to 2015.

Validation and incorporation of digital entheses into a preliminary GLobal OMERACT Ultrasound DActylitis Score (GLOUDAS) in psoriatic arthritis.

Objectives: The main objective was to generate a GLobal OMERACT Ultrasound DActylitis Score (GLOUDAS) in psoriatic arthritis and to test its reliability. To this end, we assessed the validity, feasibility and applicability of ultrasound assessment of finger entheses to incorporate them into the scoring system.

Methods: The study consisted of a stepwise process.

Standardization of interstitial lung disease assessment by ultrasound: results from a Delphi process and web-reliability exercise by the OMERACT ultrasound working group.

Objectives: Over the last years ultrasound has shown to be an important tool for evaluating lung involvement, including interstitial lung disease (ILD) a potentially severe systemic involvement in many rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD). Despite the potential sensitivity of the technique the actual use is hampered by the lack of consensual definitions of elementary lesions to be assessed and of the scanning protocol to apply. Within the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Ultrasound Working Group we aimed at developing consensus-based definitions for ultrasound detected ILD findings in RMDs and assessing their reliability in dynamic images.

Cancer Risk and Mortality in Hospitalized Patients With Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies in Western Australia.

Objective: To compare cancer incidence, type, and survival between patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) in Western Australia (WA) and the general population.

Methods: Administrative health data for hospitalized patients with incident IIM (n = 803, 56.5% female, median age 62.

Development and validation of an OMERACT ultrasound scoring system for the extent of calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition at the joint level and patient level.

Background: The Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition (CPPD) subgroup of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Ultrasound working group was established to validate ultrasound as an outcome measure instrument for CPPD, and in 2017 has developed and validated standardised definitions for elementary lesions for the detection of calcium pyrophosphate crystals in joints. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the reliability of a consensus-based ultrasound scoring system for CPPD extent, representing the next phase in the OMERACT methodology.

Methods: In this study the novel scoring system for CPPD was developed through a stepwise process, following an established OMERACT ultrasound methodology.

Joint surgery rates in lupus: a long-term cohort study.

Aim: With scarce data on the need and type of joint surgery in SLE, we investigated the long-term rates and underlying causes for arthroplasty, arthrodesis and synovectomy in patients with SLE.

Methods: Procedure dates for arthroplasty, arthrodesis or synovectomy were retrieved from the state-wide Hospital Morbidity Data Collection between 1985 and 2015 for patients with SLE (n=1855) and propensity-matched controls (n=12 840). Patients with SLE with ≥two additional diagnostic codes for rheumatoid arthritis were classified as rhupus.

Krüppel-like factor 4 in transcriptional control of the three unique isoforms of Agouti-related peptide in mice.

Agouti-related peptide (AgRP/) within the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) contributes to the control of energy balance, and dysregulated may contribute to metabolic adaptation during prolonged obesity. In mice, three isoforms of are encoded via distinct first exons. (ENSMUST00000005849.

Recommendations for early referral of individuals with suspected polymyalgia rheumatica: an initiative from the international giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica study group.

Objective: To develop international consensus-based recommendations for early referral of individuals with suspected polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).

Methods: A task force including 29 rheumatologists/internists, 4 general practitioners, 4 patients and a healthcare professional emerged from the international giant cell arteritis and PMR study group. The task force supplied clinical questions, subsequently transformed into Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome format.

The Novel OMERACT Ultrasound Scoring System for Salivary Gland Changes in Patients With Sjögren Syndrome Is Associated With MRI and Salivary Flow Rates.

Objective: To assess the construct validity of the novel Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) ultrasound (US) semiquantitative scoring system for morphological lesions in major salivary glands by comparing it with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and unstimulated whole salivary flow rates (U-WSFRs) in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS).

Methods: Nine sonographers applied the OMERACT 0-3 grayscale scoring system for parotid (PGs) and submandibular glands (SMGs) in 11 patients with pSS who also had MRIs performed. These were evaluated by 2 radiologists using a semiquantitative 0-3 scoring system for morphological lesions.