Utilisation patterns of immunomodulators and pregnancy outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus: Insights from Korean national data.

Objectives: To investigate the trends in immunomodulator use and pregnancy outcomes among pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a condition requiring medication to maintain disease activity.

Methods: This descriptive study used data from the National Health Information Database in Korea from 2002 to 2018. We included 5,044 pregnancies initiated between 2005 and 2017 in 3,120 SLE patients.

Analysis of Longitudinal Lupus Data Using Multivariate t-Linear Models.

Analysis of healthcare utilization, such as hospitalization duration and medical costs, is crucial for policymakers and doctors in experimental and epidemiological investigations. Herein, we examine the healthcare utilization data of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The characteristics of the SLE data were measured over a 10-year period with outliers.

Trajectories of disease severity and their clinical outcome in real-world patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterised by variability of disease activity patterns over time. This study aimed to investigate the trajectories of SLE disease severity patterns, identify clinical and demographic variables, and assess the association between trajectories of SLE disease severity and all-cause mortality.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of newly diagnosed patients with SLE was established using the Korean nationwide healthcare claims information database between 1st January 2008 and 31st December 2016.

Information and communication technology-based patient education for autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases: A scoping review.

Objective: This review aimed to map the existing the information and communication technology (ICT)-based patient education for autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases and identify key effectiveness factors and guidelines for professionals.

Methods: A scoping review systematically reviewed PubMed, Cochrane library, EMBASE and Web of Science. We designed search strategies to identify ICT-based patient education for autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases focused on rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and systemic lupus erythematosus, published between January 2011 and October 2023.

Application of disease activity index in rheumatoid arthritis management in Korea.

Effective management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) necessitates the accurate measurement of disease activity using a treat-to-target strategy established as a cornerstone approach. Disease activity assessment tools such as the Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28), Simplified Disease Activity Index, Clinical Disease Activity Index, and Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 have been internationally validated and recognised. In Korea, the government initiated a quality assessment program mandating routine measurement of DAS28 to ensure high-quality RA management.

Risk factors of mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease: a single-centre prospective cohort study.

Objectives: To determine the risk factors for mortality in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) in comparison to patients with RA but without ILD (RA-nonILD).

Methods: Data were extracted from a single-centre prospective cohort of RA patients with a chest computed tomography scan at an academic referral hospital in Korea. Patients with RA-ILD enroled between May 2017 and August 2022 were selected, and those without ILD were selected as comparators.

Effectiveness of Korean Red Ginseng on fatigue in patients with rheumatic diseases: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Background: To evaluate the effectiveness of Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) in managing fatigue in Korean patients with rheumatic diseases.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to KRG (2 g/day, n = 60) or placebo (n = 60) groups for 12 weeks of blind phase and then open-label KRG from weeks 12 to 24 (placebo-KRG, continuous-KRG). The primary outcome was the improvement rate in fatigue, defined by an increase in Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT)-Fatigue scores at 12 weeks.

Medication utilisation trends during pregnancy and factors influencing adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate medication utilisation trends during pregnancy and identify factors associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Female patients with RA aged 20-50 years were identified from the Korean national health insurance database between 2010 and 2020. Pregnancy episodes were divided into two groups according to pregnancy outcome: the delivery group and the APO group (abortion and stillbirth).

Association of HLA-DRB1 locus with treatment response to abatacept or TNF inhibitors in patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis.

The strongest genetic risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been known as HLA-DRB1 based on amino acid positions 11, 71, and 74. This study analyzed the association between specific HLA-DRB1 locus and treatment response to abatacept or TNF inhibitors (TNFi) in patients with seropositive RA. A total of 374 Korean RA patients were treated with abatacept (n = 110) or TNFi (n = 264).

Identifying pregnancy episodes and estimating the last menstrual period using an administrative database in Korea: an application to patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: This study developed an algorithm for identifying pregnancy episodes and estimating the last menstrual period (LMP) in an administrative claims database and applied it to investigate the use of pregnancy-incompatible immunosuppressants among pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: An algorithm was developed and applied to a nationwide claims database in Korea. Pregnancy episodes were identified using a hierarchy of pregnancy outcomes and clinically plausible periods for subsequent episodes.

Comparative effectiveness of tofacitinib and tumour necrosis factor inhibitors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in real-world practice: a prospective observational study.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of tofacitinib vs tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: The study used data from a single academic referral hospital's registries of biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and tofacitinib and examined remission rates based on the disease activity score (DAS)28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) after 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for achieving remission with tofacitinib compared with TNFi, adjusting for potential confounders.

Increased cardiovascular risk in Korean patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a population-based cohort study.

To determine the increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared to the general population in Korea. Using data from the National Health Insurance Service database spanning 2008 to 2018, incident SLE patients aged 18 years and above were selected along with a 1:4 age- and sex-matched control group. The crude incidence rate (IR) of MACE was calculated as the number of events per 1000 person-years and the IR ratio (IRR) for MACE was adjusted using generalized estimating equations.

Cost-of-illness changes before and after the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus: a nationwide, population-based observational study in Korea.

Objectives: To estimate the direct healthcare cost progression from before to after systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis and to compare healthcare costs by disease severity.

Methods: Patients with incident SLE diagnosed between 2008 and 2018 were identified from the Korean National Health Insurance database. Annual direct healthcare costs for 5 years before and after SLE were estimated and compared with those of age-, sex-, and calendar month-matched (1:4) controls, without SLE.

Risk of end-stage renal disease in patients with early-onset lupus nephritis: A population-based cohort study.

Objective: To compare the risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) between patients with early-onset lupus nephritis (EOLN) and those with delayed-onset LN (DOLN).

Methods: This retrospective study of incident cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) used nationwide Korean claims databases and data from 2008 through 2018. We divided LN patients into two groups: the EOLN group (with LN onset within 12 months of SLE diagnoses) and the DOLN group (with LN onset later than 12 months after SLE diagnoses).

Epidemiology of systemic lupus erythematosus in Korea.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by diverse organ system disabilities, predominantly affecting young females. The clinical manifestations of SLE encompass various organs, including the kidney, cardiovascular system, and central nervous system. Young females with SLE experience higher mortality rates than the general population, making it imperative to gain insights into the disease patterns and associated factors.

Transcriptomic network analysis reveals key drivers of response to anti-TNF biologics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Anti-TNF biologics have been widely used to ameliorate disease activity in patients with RA. However, a large fraction of patients show a poor response to these agents. Moreover, no clinically applicable predictive biomarkers have been established.

Comparative effectiveness of JAK inhibitors and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background/aims: We aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) vs. biologic disease- modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD) in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had an inadequate response to conventional synthetic DMARDs.

Methods: A quasi-experimental, multi-center, prospective, non-randomized study was conducted to compare response rates between JAKi and bDMARDs in patients with RA naïve to targeted therapy.

Increased risk of herpes zoster with tofacitinib treatment in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a single-center prospective study.

We aimed to determine the risk of herpes zoster (HZ) in Korean rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients on tofacitinib compared with tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) treatment. From the prospective cohorts of RA patients who started tofacitinib or TNFi in an academic referral hospital in Korea, patients who started tofacitinib between March 2017 and May 2021 and those who started TNFi between July 2011 and May 2021 were included. Baseline characteristics of tofacitinib and TNFi users were balanced through inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) using the propensity score including age, disease activity of RA and medication use.

Risk of venous thromboembolism in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with Janus kinase inhibitors: A nationwide population-based study.

Objective: There was a safety concern about an increased risk of thromboembolic events in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis). This study aimed to determine the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in Korean patients with RA treated with JAKis compared with tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors.

Methods: Using the National Health Insurance Service database between 2015 and 2019, patients with prevalent RA who started JAKi or TNF inhibitor were selected as the study population.

Quantitative comparison of EGFR expression levels of optically trapped individual cells using a capacitance biosensor.

Cellular endocytosis is an essential phenomenon which induces cellular reactions, such as waste removal, nutrient absorption, and drug delivery, in the process of cell growth, division, and proliferation. To observe capacitance responses upon endocytosis on a single-cell scale, this study combined an optical tweezer that can optically place a single cell on a desired location with a capacitance sensor and a cell incubation chamber. Single HeLa cancer cell was captured and moved to a desired location through optical trapping, and the single-cell capacitance change generated during the epidermal growth factor (EGF) molecule endocytosis was measured in real time.

Clinical characteristics of rheumatoid arthritis patients with interstitial lung disease: baseline data of a single-center prospective cohort.

Background: To introduce a prospective cohort for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and to identify their clinical features in comparison with RA patients without ILD.

Methods: Using a multidisciplinary collaborative approach, a single-center cohort for RA patients with ILD (RA-ILD) was established in May 2017, and enrolment data from May 2017 to March 2021 were used to compare the clinical features of RA patients without ILD (RA-non ILD). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with ILD in RA patients.

Factors associated with selection of targeted therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Deciding which drug to choose for targeted therapy is an important step in sequential treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to identify factors for selecting Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis) rather than biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) in patients with RA in real-world practice.

Methods: We selected RA patients starting JAKis or bDMARDs from single-center prospective cohorts in Korea.

promoter variant rs35705950, rare but significant susceptibility locus in rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease with usual interstitial pneumonia in Asian populations.

Background: variant rs35705950 is the common and most significant risk variant for rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) in Western populations. However, little is known about its significant association with RA-ILD in Asian populations. We here investigate the association of rs35705950 with Korean patients with RA-ILD.