Therapeutic alliance is associated to treatment adherence in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objectives: Therapeutic alliance (TA) is the agreement between caregiver and patient during the care process. Therapeutic adherence is a major issue for the management of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) requiring child's strong ability to follow treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between TA and adherence in patients with JIA.

Safety of surgery in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with tocilizumab: data from the French (REGistry -RoAcTEmra) Regate registry.

Objectives: To investigate the frequency and risk factors of postoperative complications in RA patients treated with tocilizumab (TCZ).

Methods: The French registry REGATE recruited 1496 RA patients receiving TCZ in routine care. Data from patients treated with TCZ who underwent surgery were reviewed.

Usefulness of polymerase chain reaction for diagnosing Whipple's disease in rheumatology.

Objectives: To determine when Tropheryma whipplei polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is appropriate in patients evaluated for rheumatological symptoms.

Methods: In a retrospective observational study done in rheumatology units of five hospitals, we assessed the clinical and radiological signs that prompted T. whipplei PCR testing between 2010 and 2014, the proportion of patients diagnosed with Whipple's disease, the number of tests performed and the number of diagnoses according to the number of tests, the patterns of Whipple's disease, and the treatments used.

Conventional radiography in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: Joint recommendations from the French societies for rheumatology, radiology and paediatric rheumatology.

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) can cause structural damage. However, data on conventional radiography (CR) in JIA are scant.

Objective: To provide pragmatic guidelines on CR in each non-systemic JIA subtype.

Efficacy and safety of biologics in relapsing polychondritis: a French national multicentre study.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and the safety of biologics in a cohort of patients with relapsing polychondritis (RP).

Methods: We conducted a French multicentre retrospective cohort study including patients treated with biologics for RP. Efficacy outcomes were clinical response (partial or complete) and complete response during the first 6 months of exposure, plus daily corticosteroid dose at 6 months.

Subcutaneous Abatacept in Patients With Polyarticular-Course Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Results From a Phase III Open-Label Study.

Objective: To investigate the pharmacokinetics, effectiveness, and safety of subcutaneous (SC) abatacept treatment over 24 months in patients with polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods: In this phase III, open-label, international, multicenter, single-arm study, patients with polyarticular JIA (cohort 1, ages 6-17 years and cohort 2, ages 2-5 years) in whom treatment with ≥1 disease-modifying antirheumatic drug was unsuccessful received weight-tiered SC abatacept weekly: 10 to <25 kg (50 mg), 25 to <50 kg (87.5 mg), ≥50 kg (125 mg).

Non-TNF-Targeted Biologic vs a Second Anti-TNF Drug to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis in Patients With Insufficient Response to a First Anti-TNF Drug: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: One-third of patients with rheumatoid arthritis show inadequate response to tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) inhibitors; little guidance on choosing the next treatment exists.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of a non-TNF-targeted biologic (non-TNF) vs a second anti-TNF drug for patients with insufficient response to a TNF inhibitor.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A total of 300 patients (conducted between 2009-2012) with rheumatoid arthritis, with persistent disease activity (disease activity score in 28 joints-erythrocyte sedimentation rate [DAS28-ESR]  ≥ 3.

Validation of FLARE-RA, a Self-Administered Tool to Detect Recent or Current Rheumatoid Arthritis Flare.

Objective: To validate the measurement properties and the detection performance of the FLARE-RA questionnaire in a longitudinal prospective study.

Methods: To validate the FLARE-RA self-administered questionnaire, we conducted a prospective trial in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to document: 1) content and construct validity by factor analysis, convergent validity by Pearson's correlation with routine assessment of patient index data (Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 [RAPID-3] questionnaire), RA Impact of Disease (RAID) score, Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), 2) reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] and Bland-Altman plot), and 3) feasibility of use. Patients were examined and questionnaires were collected at baseline and 3 months, and every week in between for RAPID-3.

Step-down strategy of spacing TNF-blocker injections for established rheumatoid arthritis in remission: results of the multicentre non-inferiority randomised open-label controlled trial (STRASS: Spacing of TNF-blocker injections in Rheumatoid ArthritiS Study).

Unlabelled: Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-blocker tapering has been proposed for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in remission.

Objective: The trial aims to compare the effect of progressive spacing of TNF-blocker injections (S-arm) to their maintenance (M-arm) for established patients with RA in remission.

Methods: The study was an 18-month equivalence trial which included patients receiving etanercept or adalimumab at stable dose for ≥1 year, patients in remission on 28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) for ≥6 months and patients with stable joint damage.

Predictive risk factors of serious infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with abatacept in common practice: results from the Orencia and Rheumatoid Arthritis (ORA) registry.

Objectives: Little data are available regarding the rate and predicting factors of serious infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with abatacept (ABA) in daily practice. We therefore addressed this issue using real-life data from the Orencia and Rheumatoid Arthritis (ORA) registry.

Methods: ORA is an independent 5-year prospective registry promoted by the French Society of Rheumatology that includes patients with RA treated with ABA.

Relationship between inflammation and infliximab pharmacokinetics in rheumatoid arthritis.

Aims: Infliximab, an anti-tumour necrosis factor-α monoclonal antibody, is indicated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Our objective was to evaluate the influence of the sources of infliximab pharmacokinetic variability in RA.

Methods: Eighty-four patients treated with infliximab for RA were included in a prospective noncomparative study.

Cutaneous melanoma in patients treated with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors: a retrospective series of 15 patients.

Background: Several case reports suggested that tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF) inhibitors might increase the incidence and/or alter the natural course of melanoma towards a more aggressive behaviour.

Objective: Our objective was to point if history of melanoma in patients exposed to TNF inhibitors could present with a particular pattern at diagnosis or during follow-up.

Methods: We performed a retrospective multicentre study settled in the West part of France to collect and analyse all cases of patients with melanoma who received anti-TNF therapy.

Dosage adjustment of anti-tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor in ankylosing spondylitis is effective in maintaining remission in clinical practice.

Objective: While remission is possible in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), it is often unclear what attitude should be adopted once remission has occurred. We investigated whether dosage adjustment is an effective means of maintaining remission.

Methods: This was a retrospective study drawn from clinical situations.

A tool to identify recent or present rheumatoid arthritis flare from both patient and physician perspectives: the 'FLARE' instrument.

Introduction: There is a lack of consensus about the definition of flare of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a measurement tool.

Objectives: To develop a self-administered tool integrating the perspectives of the patient and the rheumatologist, enabling the detection of present or recent-past RA flare.

Methods: The patient perspective was explored by semistructured individual interviews of patients with RA.

Efficacy of rituximab in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Influence of serologic status, coprescription of methotrexate and prior TNF-alpha inhibitors exposure.

Purpose: Rituximab has been shown to be efficient in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when associated with methotrexate (MTX). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the response to this treatment in daily practice in the following three specific situations: rheumatoid factor (RF)-negative RA patients, rituximab monotherapy patients and TNFα inhibitors-naive patients.

Methods: This retrospective observational study is an exploratory analysis of the response to rituximab.

Efficacy in current practice of switching between anti-tumour necrosis factor- α agents in spondyloarthropathies.

Objective: Anti-TNF-α agents are remarkably effective in the treatment of SpAs. However, 30% of patients withdraw from anti-TNF-α agents yearly because of inadequate efficacy or side effects. The objective of this study was to assess in current practice the response to a second and a third anti-TNF-α.

Prevalence and distribution of juvenile idiopathic arthritis in a region of Western France.

Objective: To determine the prevalence and distribution of the various forms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in the Poitou-Charentes region of Western France.

Methods: We surveyed all the practicing rheumatologists and pediatricians in the study region for cases of JIA meeting ILAR criteria seen in 2006 among the population of 305,198 children younger than 16 years of age who resided in the study region. The survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire followed by a phone call.

A functional haplotype of PADI4 gene in rheumatoid arthritis: positive correlation in a French population.

Objective: A functional haplotype of peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PADI4) was associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Asian populations, but the results are contradictory in Europeans. We investigated (1) the association of 2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) located in exon 2 of PADI4 with RA in another Caucasian population; and (2) the association between PADI4 and anti-citrullinated protein (anti-CCP) antibodies.

Methods: DNA samples were obtained from 405 French RA patients and 275 controls.

Sjögren's syndrome with ANCA-associated crescentic extramembranous glomerulonephritis.

A 49-year-old woman with a 1-year history of Sjögren's syndrome was diagnosed with cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis and necrotizing crescentic membranous glomerulonephritis. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies targeting myeloperoxidase were found. She reported a transient episode of nephritis 4 years earlier.

Exposition to anti-TNF drugs during pregnancy: outcome of 15 cases and review of the literature.

Objective: To report on the outcome of 15 cases of pregnancies in women treated with anti-TNF drugs during conception or pregnancy

Methods: French rheumatologists connecting to the web-site of CRI site: http://www.cri-net.com were asked to fill in a structured questionnaire reporting the outcome of pregnancy in women still treated by a TNF blocker at the time of conception.

Maintenance of infliximab treatment in ankylosing spondylitis: results of a one-year randomized controlled trial comparing systematic versus on-demand treatment.

Objective: Continuous treatment with the anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFalpha) antibody infliximab is efficacious in ankylosing spondylitis (AS), whereas treatment discontinuation results in disease relapse, with variable delay. This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of continuous treatment with infliximab with that of a treatment regimen adapted to symptom recurrence. Methotrexate (MTX) in combination with infliximab was also tested.

Anti-tumour necrosis factor treatment in patients with refractory systemic vasculitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To assess anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents in patients with refractory systemic rheumatoid vasculitis (SRV).

Methods: 1200 rheumatologists and internists were asked to provide medical files for patients with anti-TNF agents given as a second-line treatment for active SRV refractory to cyclophosphamide and glucocorticoids.

Results: We identified nine cases in which anti-TNF drugs were given for active SRV, despite previous treatment with a mean cumulative dose of 8.

Cysteine and serine proteases of synovial tissue in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Objective: To compare the activities of cathepsin B (EC 3.4.22.

[Cutaneous manifestations during treatment with TNF-alpha blockers: 11 cases].

Background: TNFalpha blockers have recently extended the therapeutic arsenal available in dermatology. However, dermatologists must be informed of their potential adverse dermatological effects. While the chief adverse effect of TNFalpha blockers is risk of infection, cutaneous adverse effects have not yet been clearly elucidated and publications on this topic are few and far between.