A Real-World Effectiveness Study Using a Mobile Application to Evaluate Early Outcomes with Upadacitinib in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Introduction: The impact of upadacitinib on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms was evaluated during the first 12 weeks of treatment via patient-reported outcomes (PROs) using a mobile health application (app).

Methods: Participating rheumatologists from the CorEvitas RA Registry (prospective, observational cohort) recruited patients with RA initiating upadacitinib treatment. A modified version of the ArthritisPower® app was used to collect PROs, including the Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3), duration of morning joint stiffness, and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-Fatigue 7a Short Form at baseline and weeks 1-4, 8, and 12.

Evaluation of Clinical Diagnosis of Axial Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) or Elevated Patient-reported Spine Pain in CorEvitas' PsA/Spondyloarthritis Registry.

Objective: To determine the presence of axial symptoms in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and examine differences between those with or without a diagnosis of axial PsA (axPsA).

Methods: Patients with PsA at their Corevitas' (formerly Corrona) Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondyloarthritis Registry enrollment visit were stratified into 4 mutually exclusive groups based on axial manifestations: physician-diagnosed axPsA only (DxSx), patient-reported elevated spine symptoms only (DxSx; defined as Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index ≥ 4 and spine pain visual analog scale ≥ 40), physician-diagnosed and patient-reported manifestations (DxSx), and no axial manifestations (DxSx). Patient characteristics, disease activity, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) at enrollment in each axial manifestation group were compared with the DxSx group.

Energy Requirement Is Higher During Weight-Loss Maintenance in Adults Consuming a Low- Compared with High-Carbohydrate Diet.

Background: Longer-term feeding studies suggest that a low-carbohydrate diet increases energy expenditure, consistent with the carbohydrate-insulin model of obesity. However, the validity of methodology utilized in these studies, involving doubly labeled water (DLW), has been questioned.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether dietary energy requirement for weight-loss maintenance is higher on a low- compared with high-carbohydrate diet.

Ptpn6 inhibits caspase-8- and Ripk3/Mlkl-dependent inflammation.

Ptpn6 is a cytoplasmic phosphatase that functions to prevent autoimmune and interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor-dependent, caspase-1-independent inflammatory disease. Conditional deletion of Ptpn6 in neutrophils (Ptpn6) is sufficient to initiate IL-1 receptor-dependent cutaneous inflammatory disease, but the source of IL-1 and the mechanisms behind IL-1 release remain unclear. Here, we investigate the mechanisms controlling IL-1α/β release from neutrophils by inhibiting caspase-8-dependent apoptosis and Ripk1-Ripk3-Mlkl-regulated necroptosis.

An Academia-Industry Partnership for Planning and Executing a Community-Based Feeding Study.

A research team from Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School conducted a community-based feeding study in collaboration with Framingham State University (FSU) and Sodexo, the food service contractor at FSU. The study was a randomized controlled trial, implemented on the FSU campus. For the final year of the study, a satellite feeding site was established at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School.

Utilization of Patient Navigators in an Urban Academic Pediatric Primary Care Practice.

Navigating health care systems can be a challenge for families. A retrospective descriptive cohort analysis was conducted assessing referrals to patient navigators (PNs) in one urban academic pediatric primary care practice. PNs tracked referral processes and a subset of PN referrals was assessed for markers of successful referrals.

Systemic Reactions in Pediatric Patients Receiving Standardized Allergen Subcutaneous Immunotherapy with and without Seasonal Dose Adjustment.

Background: The 2003 Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters recommended standardizing allergen subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT). Data from longitudinal surveillance survey in North America reported a systemic reaction (SR) rate of 0.1% to 0.

Are Expectations Too High for Transitioning Adolescents With Inflammatory Bowel Disease? Examining Adult Medication Knowledge and Self-Management Skills.

Objective: Transition readiness assessment has focused attention on adolescent knowledge and skills, but data-driven benchmarks have not been established.

Methods: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ages 25 to 50 years, attending an outpatient gastroenterology clinic, were recruited to complete a voluntary, confidential survey asking patients to recall medications and potential side effects, and to rate their degree of independence performing health maintenance tasks.

Results: The 141 respondents (48% response rate) had mean age of 36 years with median disease duration of 11 years.

Omalizumab facilitates rapid oral desensitization for peanut allergy.

Background: Peanut oral immunotherapy is a promising approach to peanut allergy, but reactions are frequent, and some patients cannot be desensitized. The anti-IgE medication omalizumab (Xolair; Genentech, South San Francisco, Calif) might allow more rapid peanut updosing and decrease reactions.

Objective: We sought to evaluate whether omalizumab facilitated rapid peanut desensitization in highly allergic patients.

External validation of preoperative nomograms predicting biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy.

Objective: Preoperative nomograms can accurately predict the rate of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy. Although these nomograms were shown to be valid in several external validation cohorts of Caucasian patients, they have not been validated in non-Caucasian patients from Asian countries. We therefore validated these preoperative nomograms in a Japanese cohort, using different cutoff values of prostate-specific antigen concentrations for biochemical recurrence.

Pathologically determined tumor volume vs pathologic T stage in the prediction of outcome after surgical treatment of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Importance: Traditional prognostic models for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck are based on the TNM staging system. However, there is growing evidence that tumor volume (TV) may be a more accurate predictor of outcome.

Objective: To determine whether pathologic TV (pTV) in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated surgically is a more significant predictor of outcome compared with pathologic tumor (pT) stage.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation using intravascular ultrasound guidance.

Purpose: To describe the use of intravascular ultrasound (US) guidance for creation of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPSs) in humans.

Materials And Methods: The initial 25 cases of intravascular US-guided TIPS were retrospectively compared versus the last 75 conventional TIPS cases during the same time period at the same institution in terms of the number of needle passes required to establish portal vein (PV) access, fluoroscopy time, and needle pass-related complications.

Results: Intravascular US-guided TIPS creation was successful in all cases, and there was no statistically significant difference in number of needle passes, fluoroscopy time, or needle pass-related complications between TIPS techniques.

Safety of inferior vena cava filter retrieval in anticoagulated patients.

Purposes: To evaluate the safety of inferior vena cava (IVC) filter retrieval in therapeutically anticoagulated patients in comparison to prophylactically or not therapeutically anticoagulated patients with respect to retrieval-related hemorrhagic complications.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective study of 115 consecutive attempted IVC filter retrievals in 110 patients. Filter retrievals were stratified as performed in patients who were therapeutically anticoagulated (group 1), prophylactically anticoagulated (group 2), or not therapeutically anticoagulated (group 3).

Transjugular liver biopsy via the left internal jugular vein.

Purpose: To retrospectively review the indications and outcomes of transjugular liver biopsy (TJLB) with the left internal jugular vein (IJV) approach.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective review of all TJLBs performed at one institution was performed. From August 1995 to October 2004, 293 liver biopsies were performed.

Successful endovascular treatment of aortoenteric fistula secondary to eroding duodenal stent.

Aortoenteric fistulas are characterized as either primary or secondary on the basis of their cause. Most aortoenteric fistulas occur between the aorta and duodenum and are a rare but well-known cause of catastrophic gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Conventional treatment of aortoenteric fistulas uses bypass grafting and aortic ligation, but endovascular treatments have become more common.

Clinical outcome after intrahepatic venous stent placement for malignant inferior vena cava syndrome.

We evaluated the clinical outcome of malignant inferior vena cava (IVC) syndrome after intrahepatic IVC stent placement by retrospective analysis of 50 consecutive patients (25 men, 25 women, age 32-83 years) with malignant IVC syndrome who were treated with intrahepatic stent placement. Gianturco-Rosch-Z (GRZ) stents (n = 45), and Wallstents (n = 5) were inserted. Clinical outcome was assessed from patients' records using a score based on leg swelling, scrotal/vulvar edema, ascites and anasarca before and after stent placement, as well as at last follow-up visit before death.

Guenther tulip filter retrieval from a left-sided inferior vena cava.

Optional (retrievable) inferior cava filters (IVC) may have advantages over permanent filters in a certain subset of patients, especially in view of recent concerns about the long-term thrombotic complications of the latter. Retrieval of the Guenther Tulip Filter (GTF), an optional filter, has been reported in a total of 76 patients. We present the first description of GTF retrieval from a left-sided IVC using the right internal jugular approach.