The role of the gastrointestinal microbiome on rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and reactive arthritis: A systematic review.

Background: There is an increasing body of literature observing a state of dysbiosis in the gut microbiome in different autoimmune conditions including inflammatory arthritis. It is unknown whether the microbiome can be a biomarker for prognostication purposes or for stratification of treatment strategies. This review aims to evaluate the existing evidence on the association between the microbiome and inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and reactive arthritis (ReA) population groups.

Area-Level Socioeconomic Status Impacts Health Care Visit Frequency by Australian Patients With Inflammatory Arthritis: Results From the Australian Rheumatology Association Database.

Objective: Individuals with inflammatory arthritis require long-term rheumatologist care for optimal outcomes. We sought to determine if socioeconomic status (SES) influences general practitioner (GP) and specialist physician visit frequency and out-of-pocket (OOP) visit costs.

Methods: We linked data from Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD) participants with rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis to the Pharmaceutical Benefits (PBS) and Medicare Benefits Schedule from 2011 to 2018.

Surrogate endpoint metaregression: useful statistics for regulators and trialists.

Objectives: The main purpose of using a surrogate endpoint is to estimate the treatment effect on the true endpoint sooner than with a true endpoint. Based on a metaregression of historical randomized trials with surrogate and true endpoints, we discuss statistics for applying and evaluating surrogate endpoints.

Methods: We computed statistics from 2 types of linear metaregressions for trial-level data: simple random effects and novel random effects with correlations among estimated treatment effects in trials with more than 2 arms.

Interpersonal Process of Dyadic Coping in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Perspective From the Australian Rheumatology Association Database.

Objective: Dyadic coping, the process of coping that transpires between couples challenged by one partner's illness, is an important predictor of disease adjustment and patient well-being. However, the extent of dyadic coping in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unclear. This study examines the effect of dyadic coping on psychological distress and relationship quality from the perspectives of both participants with RA and their spouses.

Trajectories of self-reported pain-related health outcomes and longitudinal effects on medication use in rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective cohort analysis using the Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD).

Objective: To determine distinct trajectories of self-reported pain-related health status in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), their relationship with sociodemographic factors and medication use.

Methods: 988 Australian Rheumatology Association Database participants with RA (71% female, mean age 54 years, mean disease duration 2.3 years) were included.

Mortality estimates and excess mortality in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To determine long-term (20 year) survival in RA patients enrolled in the Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD).

Methods: ARAD patients with RA and data linkage consent who were diagnosed from 1995 onwards were included. Death data were obtained through linkage to the Australian National Death Index.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in inflammatory arthritis patients: serial surveys from a large longitudinal national Australian cohort.

Objectives: To determine COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rates in inflammatory arthritis patients and identify factors associated with changing vaccine hesitancy over time.

Methods: This investigation was a prospective cohort study of inflammatory arthritis patients from community and public hospital outpatient rheumatology clinics enrolled in the Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD). Two surveys were conducted, one immediately prior to (pre-pandemic) and another approximately 1 year after the start of the pandemic (follow-up).

Serum urate as a proposed surrogate outcome measure in gout trials: From the OMERACT working group.

Serum urate (SU) is the most common primary efficacy outcome in trials of urate-lowering therapies for gout. Despite this, it is not formally considered a validated surrogate outcome. In this paper we will outline the definitions of biomarkers and surrogate outcome measures, respectively as well as the available frameworks and challenges in the assessment of the validity of serum urate as a surrogate in gout (i.

A Versatile, Secure, and Sustainable All-in-One Biobank-Registry Data Solution: The A3BC REDCap Model.

A key element in the big data revolution is large-scale biobanking and the associated development of high-quality data collections and supporting informatics solutions. As such, in establishing the Australian Arthritis and Autoimmune Biobank Collaborative (A3BC), we sought to establish a low-cost, nation-scale data management system capable of managing a multisite biobank registry with complex longitudinal sample and data requirements. We assessed several international commercial and nonprofit software platforms using standardized system requirement criteria and follow-up interviews.

Corticosteroid Use and Risk of Herpes Zoster in a Population-Based Cohort.

Objective: To examine the relationship between corticosteroid use and herpes zoster risk.

Methods: With data from a large cohort of adults (the 45 and Up Study) recruited between 2006 and 2009 and linked to health data sets, the effect of corticosteroid use on zoster risk was analyzed by Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age, sex, and other characteristics.

Results: During 602,152 person-years (median, 7.

Use of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and the subsequent risk of herpes zoster in older adults.

Objectives: To examine the association between DMARD use and subsequent risk of herpes zoster in a large, heterogeneous and prospective population-based cohort.

Methods: Using data from a cohort of adults (45 and Up Study) recruited between 2006 and 2009 and linked to pharmaceutical, hospital and death data (2004-2015), the effect of DMARD use on zoster risk was analysed using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities and corticosteroid use.

Results: Among 254 065 eligible participants, over 1 826 311 person-years follow-up, there were 6295 new DMARD users and 17 024 incident herpes zoster events.

Bias, coverage, and asymptotic behaviour of random effects meta-analysis: a clinically driven simulation study.

Aims: The study of foundational features of meta-analysis is incomplete and continues to remain important. Using simulations we study bias and coverage and the asymptotic behaviour of the DerSimonian and Laird (D&L) meta-analysis with varying trial numbers and sizes, levels of risk, and extent of treatment effects.

Methods: With simulated data we model risk of untoward events in randomized controlled trials in meta-analyses.

Oral Complementary Medicine Use among People with Inflammatory Arthritis: An Australian Rheumatology Association Database Analysis.

Objectives: To describe oral complementary medicine (CM) use in people with inflammatory arthritis, associations with use, and changes in use over time.

Methods: Demographic, clinical, and patient-reported outcome data from 5,630 participants with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) were extracted from the Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD), a national observational database. CM use at entry into ARAD was ascertained for participants recruited between 2002 and 2018.

Factors associated with commencing and ceasing opioid therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To determine factors associated with opioid use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Methods: Adult RA patients (n = 3225, 73% female, mean age 57 years, median follow-up 54 months) were recruited into the Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD) between 2001-2015. A logistic regression examining both within- and between-patient effect sizes for time-varying covariates, and transition-state analysis for covariates associated with opioid commencement or cessation were used to examine determinants of current opioid use.

Investigating Dimensions of Stiffness in Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis: The Australian Rheumatology Association Database Registry and OMERACT Collaboration.

Objective: It is not known how the experience of stiffness varies between diagnoses or how best to measure stiffness. The aims of our study were to (1) compare stiffness in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using patient-reported outcomes, (2) investigate how dimensions of stiffness are associated with each other and reflect the patient experience, and (3) analyze how different dimensions of stiffness are associated with physical function.

Methods: An online survey was sent to Australian Rheumatology Association Database participants (158 PsA, and 158 age- and sex-matched RA), assessing stiffness severity, duration, impact, importance, coping, and physical function [modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (mHAQ)].

Malignancy risk in Australian rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy: an update from the Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD) prospective cohort study.

Background: Tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) therapy has been available for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients for several decades but data on the long-term risk of malignancy associated with its use is limited. Our aims were to assess malignancy risk in a cohort of Australian RA patients relative to the Australian population and to compare cancer risk for patients exposed to TNFi therapy versus a biologic-naïve group.

Methods: Demographic data for RA participants enrolled in the Australian Rheumatology Association Database (ARAD) before 31 Dec 2012 were matched to national cancer records in May 2016 (linkage complete to 2012).

Cardiovascular risk management in rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis: online survey results from a national cohort study.

Background: Chronic inflammatory arthritis is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Pharmacological management and healthy lifestyle modification is recommended to manage these risks, but it is not known how often these are utilised and whether there is any difference in their use between patients with different types of arthritis. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the proportion of participants with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) receiving pharmacological or lifestyle management strategies for CV risk factors.

Biologics and cardiovascular events in inflammatory arthritis: a prospective national cohort study.

Background: Inflammatory arthritides including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This process may be driven by systemic inflammation, and the use of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors could therefore potentially reduce cardiovascular risk by reducing this inflammatory burden. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether the risk of cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients with inflammatory arthritis is associated with treatment with anti-TNF therapy, compared with other biologics or non-biologic therapy, and to compare the CVE risk between participants with RA, PsA and AS.