Baricitinib Improves Bone Properties and Biomechanics in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results of the Prospective Interventional BARE BONE Trial.

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by erosive joint damage, deterioration of bone mass, and biomechanics. Preclinical evidence suggests a beneficial effect of Janus kinase inhibition (JAKi) on bone properties, but clinical data are scarce to date. In this study, we evaluated the effect of JAKi through baricitinib (BARI) on 1) volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD), bone microstructure, biomechanics, and erosion repair and 2) synovial inflammation in RA patients.

Acceptable risks of treatments to prevent rheumatoid arthritis among first-degree relatives: demographic and psychological predictors of risk tolerance.

Objectives: To quantify tolerance to risks of preventive treatments among first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Preventive treatments for RA are under investigation. In a preference survey, adult FDRs assumed a 60% chance of developing RA within 2 years and made choices between no treatment and hypothetical preventive treatment options with a fixed level of benefit (reduction in chance of developing RA from 60% to 20%) and varying levels of risks.

Preferences for preventive treatments for rheumatoid arthritis: discrete choice survey in the UK, Germany and Romania.

Objective: To quantify preferences for preventive therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) across three countries.

Methods: A web-based survey including a discrete choice experiment was administered to adults recruited via survey panels in the UK, Germany and Romania. Participants were asked to assume they were experiencing arthralgia and had a 60% chance of developing RA in the next 2 years and completed 15 choices between no treatment and two hypothetical preventive treatments.

Cinematic rendering in rheumatic diseases-Photorealistic depiction of pathologies improves disease understanding for patients.

Background: Patient education is crucial for successful chronic disease management. Current education material for rheumatic patients however rarely includes images of disease pathologies, limiting patients' disease understanding. Cinematic rendering (CR) is a new tool that allows segmentation of standard medical images (DICOMs) into pictures that illustrate disease pathologies in a photorealistic way.

Autoinflammation leading to autoimmunity in adult-onset Still's disease: more than simple coincidence?

Background: Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with endocarditis, with or without a cardiac decompensation.

Case Presentation: We report the case of a 68-year-old Caucasian male diagnosed with AOSD after an initial acute manifestation of endocarditis with severe aortic acute manifestation of endocarditis with severe aortic insufficiency. The histological findings revealed Libman-Sacks endocarditis.

Performance of a Handheld Ultrasound Device to Assess Articular and Periarticular Pathologies in Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis.

The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy and performance of a new handheld ultrasound (HHUS) machine in comparison to a conventional cart-based sonographic machine in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA). IA patients with at least one tender and swollen joint count were enrolled. US was performed on the clinically affected joints using a cart-based sonographic device (Samsung HS40) and a HHUS device (Butterfly iQ).

Biomechanical stress in the context of competitive sports training triggers enthesitis.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of mechanical stress on the development of immediate enthesitis.

Methods: The BEAT study is an interventional study that assessed entheses in competitive badminton players before and immediately after a 60-min intensive training session. Power Doppler (PD) signal and Gray scale (GS) changes were assessed in the insertion sites of both Achilles tendon, patellar tendons, and lateral humeral epicondyles and quantified using a validated scoring system.

[Severe Hepatitis E virus infection in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with baricitinib].

A patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was presented, who developed an infection with the hepatitis E virus (HEV) under treatment with the Janus kinase (JAK) 1 and 2 inhibitor baricitinib. In the 3‑month routine check-up the patient had clearly elevated transaminase levels with an inconspicuous physical examination. The investigations detected antibodies of IgM and IgG classes against HEV and an elevated C‑reactive protein (CRP) level as well as HEV-RNA by real-time PCR, which is indicative of a recent HEV infection.

Treatment preferences for preventive interventions for rheumatoid arthritis: protocol of a mixed methods case study for the Innovative Medicines Initiative PREFER project.

Introduction: Amidst growing consensus that stakeholder decision-making during drug development should be informed by an understanding of patient preferences, the Innovative Medicines Initiative project 'Patient Preferences in Benefit-Risk Assessments during the Drug Life Cycle' (PREFER) is developing evidence-based recommendations about how and when patient preferences should be integrated into the drug life cycle. This protocol describes a PREFER clinical case study which compares two preference elicitation methodologies across several populations and provides information about benefit-risk trade-offs by those at risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for preventive interventions.

Methods And Analysis: This mixed methods study will be conducted in three countries (UK, Germany, Romania) to assess preferences of (1) first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with RA and (2) members of the public.

Sustained clinical remission under infliximab/rituximab combination therapy in a patient with granulomatosis with polyangiitis.

Background: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by small and medium vessel vasculitis. The use of biological therapies such as rituximab and infliximab has improved the treatment of ocular manifestations in GPA.

Case Report: We report a case of a 45-year-old Caucasian male suffering with rhinitis, sinubronchitis and exophthalmos.