The Diagnosis and Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with a prevalence of 36.7/100 000 in Germany and a female/male ratio of 4:1. The clinical course is variable, with a broad spectrum of organ manifestations; lupus nephritis develops in about half of all patients.

Sustainability of rituximab therapy in different treatment strategies: results of a 3-year followup of a German biologics register.

Objective: To compare the approved treatment of rheumatoid arthritis using rituximab + methotrexate (RTX + MTX) versus the off-label treatment variants of RTX in monotherapy or RTX in combination with leflunomide (RTX + LEF).

Methods: We included RTX-naive patients enrolled in the German biologics register RABBIT (Rheumatoid Arthritis: Observation of Biologic Therapy) between 2007 and 2012 (n = 907) who started treatment with RTX. Three treatment regimens (RTX + MTX, RTX + LEF, and RTX monotherapy) were analyzed regarding therapy discontinuation, dropout, RTX retreatment, and concomitant glucocorticoid therapy.

Risk of herpes zoster in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with anti-TNF-alpha agents.

Context: The risk of bacterial infection is increased in patients treated with drugs that inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). Little is known about the reactivation of latent viral infections during treatment with TNF-alpha inhibitors.

Objective: To investigate whether TNF-alpha inhibitors together as a class, or separately as either monoclonal anti-TNF-alpha antibodies (adalimumab, infliximab) or a fusion protein (etanercept), are related to higher rates of herpes zoster in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Effectiveness of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis in an observational cohort study: comparison of patients according to their eligibility for major randomized clinical trials.

Objective: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) evaluate the efficacy of treatments in selected groups of patients defined by strict inclusion criteria. The value of these trials in predicting therapeutic effectiveness in "real world" patients is limited. This observational cohort study was designed to complement the knowledge obtained in RCTs by evaluating the effectiveness of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) according to their eligibility for the major trials.

Infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biologic agents.

Objective: To estimate the incidence rates of serious and nonserious infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who start treatment with a biologic agent, and to compare these rates with those in patients with RA who receive conventional treatment.

Methods: Patients enrolled in the German biologics register between May 2001 and September 2003 were included. Treating rheumatologists assessed adverse events and serious adverse events.