Neutrophilic Activity Biomarkers (Plasma Neutrophil Extracellular Traps and Calprotectin) in Established Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Receiving Biological or JAK Inhibitors: A Clinical and Ultrasonographic Study.

Introduction: This study assesses the accuracy of neutrophil activation markers, including neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and calprotectin, as biomarkers of disease activity in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We also analyse the relationship between NETs and various types of therapies as well as their association with autoimmunity.

Methods: Observational cross-sectional study of patients with RA receiving treatment with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or Janus kinase inhibitors (JAK-inhibitors) for at least 3 months.

Calprotectin in Patients with Rheumatic Immunomediated Adverse Effects Induced by Checkpoints Inhibitors.

Background: this is an exploratory study to evaluate calprotectin serum levels in patients with rheumatic immune-related adverse events (irAEs) induced by immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment.

Methods: this is a retrospective observational study including patients with irAEs rheumatic syndromes. We compared the calprotectin levels to those in a control group of patients with RA and with a control group of healthy individuals.

Patient global assessment is elevated by up to 5 of 10 units in patients with inflammatory arthritis who screen positive for fibromyalgia (by FAST4) and/or depression (by MDS2) on a single MDHAQ.

Background: Patient global assessment (PATGL) is a component of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) activity indices, reflecting inflammation in selected clinical trial patients. In routine care, PATGL often may be elevated independently of inflammatory activity by fibromyalgia (FM) and/or depression, leading to complexities in interpretation. A feasible method to screen for FM and/or depression could help to clarify interpretation of high PATGL and index scores, including explanation of apparent limited responses to anti-inflammatory therapies.

Plasma calprotectin as a biomarker of ultrasound synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving IL-6 antagonists or JAK inhibitors.

Objectives: To analyse the accuracy of plasma calprotectin in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving monoclonal antibodies against IL-6 receptors (anti-rIL-6) or JAK inhibitors (JAKis) in detecting ultrasound (US) synovitis and compare it with acute phase reactants [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and ESR].

Methods: An observational cross-sectional study of RA patients receiving anti-rIL-6 (tocilizumab or sarilumab) or JAKi, (baricitinib or tofacitinib) was made. Plasma calprotectin for the diagnosis of US synovitis [synovial hypertrophy grade (SH) ⩾ 2 plus power Doppler signal (PD) ⩾ 1] was analysed using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs).

Imaging Findings in Patients with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Induced Arthritis.

Unlabelled: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-induced arthritis is an increasingly recognized adverse event in patients with oncologic disease during immunotherapy. Four patterns are well described, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-like, polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR)-like, psoriatic arthritis (PsA)-like, and oligo-monoarthritis, among others. Despite better clinical recognition of these syndromes, information about the main imaging findings is limited.

Analytical and clinical evaluation of DiaSorin Liaison® Calprotectin fecal assay adapted for serum samples.

Background: Calprotectin is a calcium-binding protein that can be measured in serum, plasma, and feces. Increased serum and plasma calprotectin concentrations have been found in chronic inflammatory rheumatic disorders. An analytical and clinical evaluation of the DiaSorin Liaison® fecal Calprotectin assay using LIAISON® XL was performed.

High Sensitivity C Reactive Protein in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated with Antibodies against IL-6 or Jak Inhibitors: A Clinical and Ultrasonographic Study.

Background: We examined whether high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) reflected the inflammatory disease status evaluated by clinical and ultrasound (US) parameters in RA patients receiving IL-6 receptor antibodies (anti-IL-6R) or JAK inhibitors (JAKi).

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with established RA receiving anti-IL-6R (tocilizumab, sarilumab) or JAKi (tofacitinib, baricitinib). Serum hsCRP and US synovitis in both hands were measured.

Palindromic Rheumatism: Just a Pre-rheumatoid Stage or Something Else?

Palindromic rheumatism (PR), a unique clinical entity, has a characteristic clinical presentation with a relapsing/remitting course. It is established that most patients with PR evolve to chronic disease, of which rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is by far the most common. The relationship between PR and RA is unclear, with similarities and differences between the two, and not all patients evolve to RA in the long-term.

Anti-carbamylated protein antibody isotype pattern differs between palindromic rheumatism and rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: A restricted response against citrullinated peptides/proteins, with less isotype usage, has been found in palindromic rheumatism (PR) in comparison with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We hypothesized that this different antibody response may be observed for other post-translational modified proteins. We compared the prevalence and isotype usage of two specificities of anti-carbamylated peptide/protein antibodies (Anti-CarP) in patients with PR and RA.

Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire as an Effective Tool to Screen for Depression in Routine Rheumatology Care.

Objective: To analyze the use of the Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) to screen for depression, as compared to 2 reference standards, the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression domain (HADS-D).

Methods: Patients from Barcelona with a primary diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or spondyloarthritis (SpA) completed the MDHAQ, the PHQ-9 (depression ≥10), and the HADS-D (depression ≥8) measures. The MDHAQ includes 2 depression items, 1 in the patient-friendly HAQ, scored in a 4-point format from 0 to 3.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Initiating as Palindromic Rheumatism: A Distinct Clinical Phenotype?

Objective: To analyze the prevalence of preexisting palindromic rheumatism (PR) in patients with established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to evaluate whether these patients have a distinctive clinical and serological phenotype.

Methods: Cross-sectional study in patients with established RA. Preexisting PR was determined using a structured protocol and confirmed by retrospective review of medical records.

Correlation of fatigue with other disease related and psychosocial factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with tocilizumab: ACT-AXIS study.

To assess the hypothesis if tocilizumab (TCZ) is effective on disease activity, and also its effect in fatigue and other clinical and psychological disease-related factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with TCZ.A 24-week, multicenter, prospective, observational study in patients with moderate to severe RA receiving TCZ after failure or intolerance to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or tumor necrosis factor-alpha was conducted.Of the 122 patients included, 85 were evaluable for effectiveness (85% female, 51.

Withdrawal of infliximab therapy in ankylosing spondylitis in persistent clinical remission, results from the REMINEA study.

Background: Recent data suggest that anti-TNF doses can be reduced in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. Some authors even propose withdrawing treatment in patients in clinical remission; however, at present there is no evidence to support this.

Objective: To assess how long AS patients with persistent clinical remission remained free of flares after anti-TNF withdrawal and to evaluate the effects of treatment reintroduction.

VARIAR Study: Assessment of short-term efficacy and safety of rituximab compared to an tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonists as second-line drug therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis refractory to a first tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonist.

Objective: to compare the short-term efficacy and safety of rituximab (RTX) therapy versus anti-TNF in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients after discontinuation of a first anti-TNF agent.

Methods: prospective observational multicenter study in the clinical practice setting, involving patients with severe RA refractory to a first anti-TNF agent, who received either RTX or a second anti-TNF (2TNF), comparing the efficacy endpoints, EULAR response (Good/Moderate) and safety at 6 months.

Results: 103 patients enrolled, 82 completed 6-month follow-up, 73.

Nailfold capillaroscopic findings in primary Sjögren's syndrome with and without Raynaud's phenomenon and/or positive anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La antibodies.

The aim of this study was to assess nailfold capillaroscopic (NC) findings in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (PSS) with and without Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) as well as in the presence of positive anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La antibodies. Videocapillaroscopy was performed in 150 patients with PSS. Data collected included demographics, presence of RP, PSS symptoms, antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor, anti-Ro, anti-La, anti-CCP, salivary scintigraphy, labial biopsy, and NC findings.

Diagnostic and therapeutic delay of rheumatoid arthritis and its relationship with health care devices in Catalonia. The AUDIT study.

Objective: Diagnosis and therapy of patients with early onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is influenced by accessibility to specialized care devices. We attempted to analyze the impact of their availability.

Methods: We analyzed time related to diagnosis delay measuring: 1) Time from first clinical symptoms to the first visit with the Rheumatologist; 2) Time from referral to the first visit of Rheumatology; 3) Time between first symptom until final diagnosis; 4) time between first symptom until the initiation of the first disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD).