Publications by authors named "Simone Bernardi"

The treatment landscape for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) has evolved significantly with the introduction of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi), such as Tofacitinib (TOFA), which offer a new therapeutic option for patients who have failed or are intolerant to conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs). Safety concerns, particularly related to cardiovascular and cancer risks, prompted a need for additional investigation in real-world clinical settings. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and predictors of response to TOFA in two subpopulations of RA patients, categorized by differing cardiovascular risk profiles.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Upadacitinib (UPA) is a selective, reversible Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) approved for the treatment of RA. However, there is still no solid evidence on the long-term efficacy of UPA in treated patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of UPA to obtain remission or low disease activity (LDA) in a series of UPA patients in patients with RA after 6 and 12 months of treatment in a real-world setting.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) like tofacitinib, baricitinib, upadacitinib, and filgotinib are effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis but faced safety concerns from the FDA and EMA, particularly about serious adverse events (SAEs) such as thrombosis and cancer.
  • The study aimed to analyze the impact of the EMA's first two safety warnings on how rheumatologists in Italy prescribed JAKi from July 2019 to June 2022, using data from 29 rheumatology centers.
  • Results showed a significant reduction (32%) in JAKi prescriptions after the first warning, with a smaller decrease (16%) observed after the second warning, although there
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: The persistence in therapy of rheumatoid arthritis drugs and particularly bDMARD is a limiting factor for their long-term use. The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) may not reflect real-world contexts due to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Baricitinib, which targets both JAK1 and JAK2, has been used in Italy for several years.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

: Tofacitinib (TOFA) was the first Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) to be approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, data on the retention rate of TOFA therapy are still far from definitive. : The goal of this study is to add new real-world data on the TOFA retention rate in a cohort of RA patients followed for a long period of time.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aim: Iloprost is recommend worldwide for the treatment of RP and the healing of DUs. The aim of this study is to report the regimens of Iloprost administered in different rheumatological centers within the same regional Health System Methods: A questionnaire exploring different items related to the use of Iloprost was developed and reviewed by three expert rheumatologists. The questionnaire was distributed as an online survey to all local SSc referral centers in Emilia-Romagna (Italy).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Enthesitis and dactylitis are difficult-to-treat features of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), leading to disability and affecting quality of life.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate enthesitis (using the Leed enthesitis index (LEI)) and dactylitis at 6 and 12 months in patients treated with apremilast.

Methods: Patients affected by PsA from fifteen Italian rheumatological referral centers were screened.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Data was collected from 15 Italian rheumatology centers, tracking patients' disease activity at the start, after 6 months, and after 12 months of treatment.
  • * Results showed that around 42.7% of patients reached low disease activity or remission at 6 months, increasing to 54.9% by 12 months, with baseline DAPSA scores being the only factor significantly linked to achieving these outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether BMI and gender could lead to a different response rate to anti-TNF agents in patients affected by axial SpA.

Methods: One hundred and seventy patients with active axial SpA (defined as a BASDAI ≥ 4) treated with an anti-TNF agent [adalimumab (ADA), etanercept (ETA), infliximab (IFX)] were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were divided according to the baseline BMI as normal weight (BMI < 25), overweight (BMI 25-30) and obese (BMI ≥ 30).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Drug Rash Eosinophilia Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a systemic hypersensitivity reaction characterized by exfoliative dermatitis and maculopapular rash, lymphadenopathy, fever, eosinophilia, leukocytosis, and involvement of internal organs as liver, lung, heart, and kidney; the disorder starts within 2-6 weeks after taking a drug with an incidence that ranges from 1/1000 to 1/10000 exposures. Fatal cases are reported. The exact pathogenesis of DRESS syndrome is not completely understood, while it is reported that amoxicillin could trigger it in patients who are taking allopurinol, sulfasalazine, NSAIDs, carbamazepine, strontium ranelate, lisinopril, lansoprazole, and minocycline.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The notion of autoinflammatory diseases delineates a heterogenous group of genetic pathologies characterized by spontaneous periodic systemic inflammation in the absence of infectious or autoimmune causes. The general hypothesis is that the innate immune response in these patients is wrongly tuned, being either too sensitive to minor stimuli or turned off too late. Clinical pictures of these disorders are characterized by high spiking fever associated with involvement of musculo-skeletal system, tegumentary apparatus and serosas.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Thrombocytosis can be due to a myeloproliferative disorder or to a reactive or secondary process; among these are connective tissue disorders, in particular systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Besides being an expression of active disease, this unusual finding has also been described in SLE complicated by autosplenectomy. We evaluated the prevalence of thrombocytosis in a series of SLE patients and its relationship to functional asplenia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF