Association of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Acute Anterior Uveitis, but Not Psoriasis, With Disease Duration in Patients With Axial Spondyloarthritis: Results From Two Belgian Nationwide Axial Spondyloarthritis Cohorts.

Objective: To determine the link between extraarticular manifestations (EAMs) and baseline characteristics in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (SpA), and to define their potentially differential prognostic value in 2 large, independent Belgian axial SpA cohorts with distinct recruitment periods.

Methods: Information on demographic and clinical characteristics and extraarticular manifestations (EAMs) was obtained from patients with axial SpA originating from the (Be)Giant (Belgian Inflammatory Arthritis and Spondylitis) cohort, which includes consecutive axial SpA patients whose data have been collected since 2010, and from the ASPECT (Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients Epidemiological Cross-sectional Trial) cohort, a Belgian registry of cross-sectional data collected between February 2004 and February 2005 from consecutive patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or probable AS.

Results: Among the 1,250 Belgian patients studied, disease duration was associated with risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with an increase in risk by 20% per 10 years of disease duration (relative risk [RR] 1.

Effectiveness of methotrexate with step-down glucocorticoid remission induction (COBRA Slim) versus other intensive treatment strategies for early rheumatoid arthritis in a treat-to-target approach: 1-year results of CareRA, a randomised pragmatic open-label superiority trial.

Objectives: Combining disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) with glucocorticoids (GCs) is an effective treatment strategy for early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA), yet the ideal schedule and feasibility in daily practice are debated. We evaluated different DMARD combinations and GC remission induction schemes in poor prognosis patients; and methotrexate (MTX) with or without GC remission induction in good prognosis patients, during the first treatment year.

Methods: The Care in ERA (CareRA) trial is a 2-year investigator-initiated randomised pragmatic open-label superiority trial comparing remission induction regimens in a treat-to-target approach.

Patients lacking classical poor prognostic markers might also benefit from a step-down glucocorticoid bridging scheme in early rheumatoid arthritis: week 16 results from the randomized multicenter CareRA trial.

Introduction: Considering a lack of efficacy data in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (eRA) presenting without classical markers of poor prognosis, we compared methotrexate (MTX) with or without step-down glucocorticoids in the CareRA trial.

Methods: Disease-modifying antirheumatic drug-naïve patients with eRA were stratified into a low-risk group based on prognostic markers that included non-erosiveness, anti-citrullinated protein antibodies and rheumatoid factor negativity and low disease activity (Disease Activity Score in 28 joints based on C-reactive protein (DAS28(CRP)) ≤3.2).

Methotrexate in combination with other DMARDs is not superior to methotrexate alone for remission induction with moderate-to-high-dose glucocorticoid bridging in early rheumatoid arthritis after 16 weeks of treatment: the CareRA trial.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of intensive combination strategies with glucocorticoids (GCs) in the first 16 weeks (W) of early rheumatoid arthritis (eRA) treatment, focusing on high-risk patients, in the Care in early RA trial.

Methods: 400 disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD)-naive patients with eRA were recruited and stratified into high risk or low risk according to classical prognostic markers. High-risk patients (n=290) were randomised to 1/3 treatment strategies: combination therapy for early rheumatoid arthritis (COBRA) Classic (methotrexate (MTX)+ sulfasalazine+60 mg prednisone tapered to 7.

Etanercept 50 mg once weekly is as effective as 25 mg twice weekly in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Objective: To compare the efficacy, pharmacokinetics and safety of etanercept 50 mg once weekly with 25 mg twice weekly and placebo in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Methods: A 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared the effects of etanercept 50 mg once weekly, etanercept 25 mg twice weekly and placebo in 356 patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (3:3:1 randomisation, respectively). The primary end point was the proportion of patients achieving a response at week 12 based on the Assessment in Ankylosing Spondylitis Working Group criteria (ASAS 20).

A prospective randomised multicentre study comparing continuous and intermittent treatment with celecoxib in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip.

Objective: To compare the effects of continuous and intermittent celecoxib treatment in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis in flare.

Methods: In this 24-week, prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, patients were randomly assigned to receive continuous (n = 62) or intermittent (n = 61) treatment with celecoxib 200 mg once daily. The primary efficacy end point was the area under the curve (AUC) of the change in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) total scores between baseline and week 24 divided by the time interval.

Determinants of gastro-protective drugs co-prescription during treatment with nonselective NSAIDs: a prospective survey of 2197 patients recruited in primary care.

Objective: Our goal was to identify the magnitude of gastro-protective drugs (GPDs) co-prescription and the profile of patients who received GPD co-prescription, during nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) treatment in a "real life setting" of primary care practice.

Methods: A pragmatic prospective 6-month survey of 2197 new takers of nonselective NSAIDs, selected and followed by general practitioners (GPs) on the bias of their usual standards of care.

Results: Forty-seven percent of our survey population used at least one GPD during the 6-month follow-up.

A naturalistic study of the determinants of health related quality of life improvement in osteoarthritic patients treated with non-specific non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Objectives: To capture changes in the quality of life (QoL) occurring in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) during treatment with non-specific non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and to identify factors that predict such changes.

Methods: A naturalistic, prospective follow up of 783 patients with OA in whom primary care physicians decided to start treatment with non-selective NSAIDs. Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA index (WOMAC) were assessed at baseline and after 3 months.

[Involutional osteoporosis in women: therapeutic strategy. Recommendations of the Belgian Bone Club].

Osteoporosis is now considered as a major public health issue and a serious threat for the quality of life of elderly women. Several new compounds are currently marketed for the prevention and treatment of involutional osteoporosis in women. Therefore, it is important to offer to the practitioners pragmatic solutions to be used for the rational management of this disorder.

A porcelain gallbladder affecting the assessment of bone mineral content.

Dual-photon absorptiometry is a reliable method for the assessment of bone mineral content (BMC). The presence of focal bone disease, degenerative joint disease, or aortic calcifications may complicate the evaluation of BMC and may lead to erroneous findings. The misleading effect of a porcelain gallbladder is described.

Intra-articular treatment of inflammatory arthritis: double-blind trial comparing bufexamac with methylprednisolone acetate.

A double-blind trial was carried out to weigh the effectiveness and tolerance of intraarticular injections of bufexamac (20 mg) against methylprednisolone (40 mg) in 40 patients with an acute bout of inflammatory arthritis. Leucocyte and polymorphonuclear counts and viscosity measurement of the synovial fluid were performed before and 14 days after injection, which showed methylprednisolone to be significantly superior to bufexamac in suppressing inflammation. In both groups a statistically significant improvement of pain on mobilisation and pain index was noted, but the number of clinical remissions was significantly higher in the methylprednisolone group.

An European open multicentre trial with auranofin in rheumatoid arthritis.

In 8 European countries a multicentre trial was started in 672 patients with RA. The safety and efficacy of Auranofin (oral gold), was evaluated. There seems to be no difference in response to treatment between patients treated with Auranofin 3 mg twice daily or 6 mg once daily.

Enumeration of T-lymphocytes and T-lymphocyte subsets in rheumatoid arthritis using monoclonal antibodies.

The number of T-lymphocytes and T-lymphocyte subsets was measured in peripheral blood of 51 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. T-lymphocytes were counted by E-rosette tests and by the immunogold staining method with OKT3.PAN monoclonal antibody.

Enumeration of T lymphocytes subsets in autoimmune disease using monoclonal antibodies.

The numbers of T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, helper and suppressor T lymphocytes were measured in peripheral blood of patients with autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, erythema nodosum, Sjögren's disease, Wegener's disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenia, pernicious anaemia and Hashimoto's disease). B lymphocytes were enumerated by direct immunofluorescence and T lymphocytes by E rosette tests and by indirect immunofluorescence with OKT3.PAN Helper and suppressor T lymphocytes were determined by indirect immunofluorescence with OKT4.