Publications by authors named "T Michitsuji"
Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the effects of age on clinical characteristics and outcomes in biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (b/tsDMARD)-naïve patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Methods: We analysed the cases of 234 Japanese b/tsDMARD-naïve RA patients who underwent b/tsDMARD treatment in a multicentre ultrasound prospective observational cohort. We compared the clinical characteristics at baseline and outcomes at 12 months between those aged ≥60 years and those <60 years.
Article Synopsis
- Glucocorticoids can effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when used at low doses, but their impact on subsequent treatments with biologic and targeted synthetic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) needs evaluation.
- In a study of 307 RA patients, 160 were on glucocorticoids; those treated with these medications showed higher disease activity and less effective treatment responses after 12 months compared to those who were not.
- The findings suggest that patients requiring glucocorticoids may be in poorer health, which could explain their diminished response to b/tsDMARDs, highlighting the need to carefully consider glucocorticoid use during RA treatment.
Objectives: The link between the HLA-DRB1 locus and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) shown in genome-wide association studies strengthens the shared epitope (SE) hypothesis. We aimed to assess the impact of the double dose of the SE (double SE) on RA and explore its clinical associations, including the response to abatacept.
Methods: We evaluated RA patients treated with csDMARDs or abatacept for HLA-DRB1 typing, clinical characteristics at baseline, and disease activity and ultrasound findings over 12 months.
Article Synopsis
- - The study aimed to analyze how denosumab treatment affects serum cytokines, chemokines, and bone-related factors in patients with rheumatoid arthritis over 12 months.
- - Patients were divided into two groups: one receiving traditional RA treatments plus denosumab and the other continuing only traditional treatments, with biomarkers measured at the start, 6 months, and 12 months.
- - Results showed that denosumab treatment led to significant decreases in certain bone-related proteins, suggesting it may help prevent bone damage by lowering specific factors compared to the group that only received standard therapy.