Association between resolution of MRI-detected inflammation and improved clinical outcomes in axial spondyloarthritis under long-term anti-TNF therapy.

Objectives: In this post-hoc analysis of ESTHER trial, we aimed to investigate the longitudinal relationship between inflammation on MRI and the achievement of inactive disease/low disease activity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) treated with long-term tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor etanercept.

Methods: Of the 76 patients with active axSpA in the ESTHER trial, we included all patients treated with etanercept for at least 6 months for main analysis. All clinical and MRI data from 4.

Biomarkers reflecting disturbed gut barrier under treatment with TNF inhibitors in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate lipopolysaccharid-binding protein (LBP), zonulin and calprotectin as markers of bacterial translocation, disturbed gut barrier and intestinal inflammation in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) during tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) therapy and to analyze the association between disease activity, response to treatment and biomarker levels.

Methods: Patients with active r-axSpA of the German Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort starting TNFi were compared with controls with chronic back pain. Serum levels of LBP, zonulin and calprotectin were measured at baseline and after 1 year of TNFi therapy.

Anatomy-centred deep learning improves generalisability and progression prediction in radiographic sacroiliitis detection.

Purpose: To examine whether incorporating anatomy-centred deep learning can improve generalisability and enable prediction of disease progression.

Methods: This retrospective multicentre study included conventional pelvic radiographs of four different patient cohorts focusing on axial spondyloarthritis collected at university and community hospitals. The first cohort, which consisted of 1483 radiographs, was split into training (n=1261) and validation (n=222) sets.

Comparing clinical profiles in spondyloarthritis with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis: insights from the ASAS-PerSpA study.

Objectives: Assuming SpA manifestations may vary among patients with different inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) subtypes, we explored the clinical characteristics associated with the presence of Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA).

Methods: We included 3152 patients of ASAS-PerSpA study diagnosed with either axial SpA or peripheral SpA, according to their treating rheumatologist. Of these, 146 (4.

Impact of body composition on clinical outcomes in patients with active radiographic axial spondyloarthritis under biological therapy.

Objective: To assess the association of body composition, evaluated by bioimpedance analysis (BIA), with disease activity, physical function, and mobility in patients with axSpA undergoing bDMARD treatment for one year.

Methods: Patients with AS (radiographic axSpA) were enrolled in an extension of the German Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort (GESPIC). Patients were required to be candidates for bDMARD therapy at baseline presenting high disease activity despite previous treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Association of nociplastic and neuropathic pain components with the presence of residual symptoms in patients with axial spondyloarthritis receiving biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.

Objective: To evaluate the association of nociplastic (NoP) and neuropathic pain (NP) components with residual symptoms in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) receiving biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs).

Methods: 78 patients with r-axSpA from the GErman SPondyloarthritis Inception Cohort receiving a bDMARD for at least 3 months were included in this analysis. The Widespread Pain Index (WPI) and the PainDETECT (PD) questionnaire were used to quantify the NoP and the NP components, respectively.

Comparison of the effect of treatment with NSAIDs added to anti-TNF therapy versus anti-TNF therapy alone on the progression of structural damage in the spine over 2 years in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis from the randomised-controlled CONSUL trial.

Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), celecoxib (CEL), to a tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi), golimumab (GOL), compared with TNFi monotherapy on radiographic spinal progression in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) over 2 years.

Methods: R-axSpA patients, having risk factors for radiographic progression (high disease activity plus C reactive protein >5 mg/L and/or ≥1 syndesmophyte(s)), underwent a 12-week run-in phase with GOL 50 mg every 4 weeks. In the core phase (96 weeks), only patients with a good clinical response at week 12 were randomised (1:1) to GOL+CEL 200 mg two times per day (combination therapy) or GOL monotherapy.

Radiographic Progression in Sacroiliac Joints in Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis: Results From a Five-Year International Observational Study.

Objective: To evaluate progression from nonradiographic (nr-) to radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) over 5 years in patients with recently diagnosed (≤1 year) axSpA fulfilling the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) classification criteria.

Methods: A prospsective, observational study (Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis: Multi-Country Registry of Clinical Characteristics) was conducted in rheumatology practices in 29 countries. Baseline and follow-up radiographs of sacroiliac joints were centrally evaluated by three readers according to the grading system of the modified New York criteria for patients initially classified as nr-axSpA.

Goodbye to the term 'ankylosing spondylitis', hello 'axial spondyloarthritis': time to embrace the ASAS-defined nomenclature.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is the historic term used for decades for the HLA-B27-associated inflammatory disease affecting mainly the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) and spine. Classification criteria for AS have radiographic sacroiliitis as a dominant characteristic. However, with the availability of MRI of SIJ, it could be demonstrated that the disease starts long before definite SIJ changes become visible on radiographs.

EULAR points to consider for the definition of clinical and imaging features suspicious for progression from psoriasis to psoriatic arthritis.

Background: The transition from psoriasis (PsO) to psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and the early diagnosis of PsA is of considerable scientific and clinical interest for the prevention and interception of PsA.

Objective: To formulate EULAR points to consider (PtC) for the development of data-driven guidance and consensus for clinical trials and clinical practice in the field of prevention or interception of PsA and for clinical management of people with PsO at risk for PsA development.

Methods: A multidisciplinary EULAR task force of 30 members from 13 European countries was established, and the EULAR standardised operating procedures for development for PtC were followed.

Evaluation of the Disease Activity index for PSoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) with a quick quantitative C reactive protein assay (Q-DAPSA) in patients with psoriatic arthritis: a prospective multicentre cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the Disease Activity index for PSoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) based on a quick quantitative C reactive protein (qCRP) assay (Q-DAPSA) in a multicentre, prospective, cross-sectional study in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: The assessment of prospectively recruited study patients included joint examination and patient reported outcome (PRO) measures (patient global assessment, patient pain assessment). Following, the DAPSA based on a routine laboratory CRP measurement, Q-DAPSA and clinical DAPSA (cDAPSA) were calculated.

Antigen-specific immune reactions by expanded CD8 T cell clones from HLA-B*27-positive patients with spondyloarthritis.

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is tightly linked to HLA-B*27 but the pathophysiological basis of this link is still unknown. It is discussed whether either the instability of HLA-B*27 molecules triggers predominantly innate immune reactions or yet unknown antigenic peptides presented by HLA-B*27 induce adaptive autoimmune reactions by CD8 T cells. To analyze the pathogenesis of SpA, we here investigated the T cell receptor (TCR) usage and whole transcriptomes of CD8 single cells from synovial fluid of HLA-B*27-positive SpA patients and HLA-B*27-negative controls.

Validation of the Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) with a quick quantitative C-reactive protein assay (SDAI-Q) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective multicenter cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI) is a recommended composite score for assessing the remission status in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, determination of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels takes several hours and sometimes days and limits the use of the SDAI in the clinical setting. The aim of this study was to validate the SDAI using a quick quantitative C-reactive protein (qCRP) assay (as SDAI-Q) in RA patients.

Deep Learning Detects Changes Indicative of Axial Spondyloarthritis at MRI of Sacroiliac Joints.

Background MRI is frequently used for early diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). However, evaluation is time-consuming and requires profound expertise because noninflammatory degenerative changes can mimic axSpA, and early signs may therefore be missed. Deep neural networks could function as assistance for axSpA detection.

Early identification of axial psoriatic arthritis among patients with psoriasis: a prospective multicentre study.

Objectives: To evaluate a dermatologist-centred screening tool followed by a structured rheumatological examination including MRI of sacroiliac joints and spine for the recognition of psoriatic arthritis with axial involvement (axPsA).

Methods: This was a prospective multicentre study. Adult patients with a confirmed diagnosis of psoriasis who had chronic back pain (≥3 months), onset <45 years and had not been treated with any biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug in the 12 weeks before screening were referred to a specialised rheumatology clinic.

Keep an Eye on the Back: Spondyloarthritis in Patients With Acute Anterior Uveitis.

Objectives: This study was undertaken to analyze the prevalence of spondyloarthritis (SpA) in patients with acute anterior uveitis (AAU), to identify parameters associated with the presence of SpA, and to evaluate the performance of referral algorithms for identifying patients with a high probability of having SpA.

Methods: Prospectively recruited consecutive patients with noninfectious AAU underwent structured rheumatologic assessment including magnetic resonance imaging of the sacroiliac joints, allowing a definitive diagnosis/exclusion of concomitant SpA. Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare AAU patients with SpA and AAU patients without SpA.

Treatment with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors is associated with a time-shifted retardation of radiographic spinal progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

Objective: The objective of the current study was to analyse the association between treatment with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and radiographic spinal progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) from a long-term inception cohort.

Methods: A total of 243 patients with axSpA from the German Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort with at least two sets of spinal radiographs obtained at least 2 years apart during a 10-year follow-up were included. Spinal radiographs were evaluated by three trained and calibrated readers according to the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS).

Instrument selection for the ASAS core outcome set for axial spondyloarthritis.

Objectives: To define the instruments for the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society-Outcomes Measures in Rheumatology (ASAS-OMERACT) core domain set for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).

Methods: An international working group representing key stakeholders selected the core outcome instruments following a predefined process: (1) identifying candidate instruments using a systematic literature review; (2) reducing the list of candidate instruments by the working group, (3) assessing the instruments' psychometric properties following OMERACT filter 2.2, (4) selection of the core instruments by the working group and (5) voting and endorsement by ASAS.