Impact of Sex, Serostatus, and Smoking on Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease Subtypes.

Objective: Rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) includes multiple subtypes with varying histopathology, prognosis, and potential treatments. Limited research has investigated risk factors for different RA-ILD subtypes. Therefore, we examined demographic, serologic, and lifestyle associations with RA-ILD subtypes.

Reasons for multiple biologic and targeted synthetic DMARD switching and characteristics of treatment refractory rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Switching biologic and targeted synthetic DMARD (b/tsDMARD) medications occurs commonly in RA patients, however data are limited on the reasons for these changes. The objective of the study was to identify and categorize reasons for b/tsDMARD switching and investigate characteristics associated with treatment refractory RA.

Methods: In a multi-hospital RA electronic health record (EHR) cohort, we identified RA patients prescribed ≥1 b/tsDMARD between 2001 and 2017.

Prolonged COVID-19 symptom duration in people with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: results from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance Vaccine Survey.

Objective: We investigated prolonged COVID-19 symptom duration, defined as lasting 28 days or longer, among people with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs).

Methods: We analysed data from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance Vaccine Survey (2 April 2021-15 October 2021) to identify people with SARDs reporting test-confirmed COVID-19. Participants reported COVID-19 severity and symptom duration, sociodemographics and clinical characteristics.

Temporal trends in COVID-19 outcomes among patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: from the first wave through the initial Omicron wave.

Objectives: To investigate temporal trends in incidence and severity of COVID-19 among patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) from the first wave through the initial Omicron wave.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study investigating COVID-19 outcomes among patientswith SARD systematically identified to have confirmed COVID-19 from 1 March 2020 to 31 January 2022 at Mass General Brigham. We tabulated COVID-19 counts of total and severe cases (hospitalisations or deaths) and compared the proportion with severe COVID-19 by calendar period and by vaccination status.

Temporal trends in COVID-19 outcomes among patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: From the first wave to Omicron.

Objectives: To investigate temporal trends in incidence and severity of COVID-19 among patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) from the first wave through the Omicron wave.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study investigating COVID-19 outcomes among SARD patients systematically identified to have confirmed COVID-19 from March 1, 2020 to January 31, 2022 at a large healthcare system in Massachusetts. We tabulated COVID-19 counts of total and severe cases (hospitalizations or deaths) and compared the proportion with severe COVID-19 by calendar period and by vaccination status.

Assessing the Severity of COVID-19 Lung Injury in Rheumatic Diseases Versus the General Population Using Deep Learning-Derived Chest Radiograph Scores.

Objective: COVID-19 patients with rheumatic disease have a higher risk of mechanical ventilation than the general population. The present study was undertaken to assess lung involvement using a validated deep learning algorithm that extracts a quantitative measure of radiographic lung disease severity.

Methods: We performed a comparative cohort study of rheumatic disease patients with COVID-19 and ≥1 chest radiograph within ±2 weeks of COVID-19 diagnosis and matched comparators.

Batf-mediated epigenetic control of effector CD8 T cell differentiation.

The response of naive CD8 T cells to their cognate antigen involves rapid and broad changes to gene expression that are coupled with extensive chromatin remodeling, but the mechanisms governing these changes are not fully understood. Here, we investigated how these changes depend on the basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor Batf, which is essential for the early phases of the process. Through genome scale profiling, we characterized the role of Batf in chromatin organization at several levels, including the accessibility of key regulatory regions, the expression of their nearby genes, and the interactions that these regions form with each other and with key transcription factors.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outcomes Among Recipients of Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibodies for Immune-Mediated Diseases: A Comparative Cohort Study.

Objective: Patients with immune-mediated diseases treated with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies may have worse coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes due to impaired humoral immunity, but differences compared with the general population are unknown.

Methods: We identified patients with immune-mediated diseases who received anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies within 1 year prior to the index date of polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 between January 31, 2020, and January 31, 2021. General population comparators with COVID-19 were matched up 5:1 by age, sex, and polymerase chain reaction date.

COVID-19 Outcomes Among Users of CD20 Inhibitors for Immune-Mediated Diseases: A Comparative Cohort Study.

Objective: Patients with immune-mediated diseases treated with CD20 inhibitors may have worse COVID-19 outcomes due to impaired humoral immunity, but differences versus the general population are unknown.

Methods: We identified patients with immune-mediated diseases who received CD20 inhibitors within one year prior to the index date of PCR-confirmed COVID-19 between January 31, 2020, and January 31, 2021. Comparators with COVID-19 were matched up to 5:1 by age, sex, and PCR date.

Circulating blood metabolite trajectories and risk of rheumatoid arthritis among military personnel in the Department of Defense Biorepository.

Objectives: We sought to identify metabolic changes potentially related to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis occurring in the blood prior to its diagnosis.

Methods: In a US military biorepository, serum samples collected at two timepoints prior to a diagnosis of RA were identified. These were matched to controls who did not develop RA by subject age, race and time between sample collections and RA diagnosis time to stored serum samples.

Clinical Experience With a Multidisciplinary Model of Vascular Ultrasound for the Evaluation for Giant Cell Arteritis.

Objective: Vascular ultrasound (VUS) is a first-line test for giant cell arteritis (GCA) in Europe but has been of limited use in the United States. We report clinical experience with a multidisciplinary model of VUS for the evaluation of GCA at a large US medical center.

Methods: Patients who underwent VUS for evaluation of GCA between 2013 and 2017 were reviewed.

Follow-up vascular ultrasounds in patients with giant cell arteritis.

Objectives: Literature describing follow-up vascular ultrasound (VUS) in giant cell arteritis (GCA) is limited. We report our experience with follow-up VUS obtained in clinical care of patients with GCA.

Methods: We retrospectively identified GCA patients with an abnormal initial VUS, defined as circumferential hypoechoic wall thickening ("halo sign"), or circumferential hyperechoic wall thickening without evidence of arteriosclerosis or arteritis, who subsequently underwent follow-up VUS during 2013-2018.

Deep conservation of genes required for both Drosphila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans sleep includes a role for dopaminergic signaling.

Objectives: Cross-species conservation of sleep-like behaviors predicts the presence of conserved molecular mechanisms underlying sleep. However, limited experimental evidence of conservation exists. Here, this prediction is tested directly.

The transcription factor BATF operates as an essential differentiation checkpoint in early effector CD8+ T cells.

The transcription factor BATF is required for the differentiation of interleukin 17 (IL-17)-producing helper T cells (TH17 cells) and follicular helper T cells (TFH cells). Here we identified a fundamental role for BATF in regulating the differentiation of effector of CD8(+) T cells. BATF-deficient CD8(+) T cells showed profound defects in effector population expansion and underwent proliferative and metabolic catastrophe early after encountering antigen.