Utilizing biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic treatment sequences to subphenotype rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Many patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) require a trial of multiple biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) to control their disease. With the availability of several bDMARD options, the history of bDMARDs may provide an alternative approach to understanding subphenotypes of RA. The objective of this study was to determine whether there exist distinct clusters of RA patients based on bDMARD prescription history to subphenotype RA.

Autoantibodies against citrullinated and native proteins and prediction of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease: A nested case-control study.

Background: To identify fine specificity anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) associated with incident rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).

Methods: This nested case-control study within the Brigham RA Sequential Study matched incident RA-ILD cases to RA-noILD controls on time of blood collection, age, sex, RA duration, and rheumatoid factor status. A multiplex assay measured ACPA and anti-native protein antibodies from stored serum prior to RA-ILD onset.

Understanding Differences in Patient Descriptions of Rheumatoid Arthritis Flares Using OMERACT Core Domains.

Objective: Recently, there has been consensus on domains that constitute flares in rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, variations in patients' flare descriptions continue to be observed. This study evaluates how demographic and clinical characteristics influence these differences.

Methods: Participants enrolled in a prospective RA registry completed a qualitative survey that included the open-ended question "What does a flare mean to you?" Responses were categorized into Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) core and research domains.

Meaning of patient global assessment when joint counts are low in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with low 28-joint tender and swollen joint counts but who assessed their disease as active, to evaluate whether activity reflected RA symptoms.

Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study of patients in BRASS, a cohort of patients with established RA who had 28-joint counts assessed, scored their disease activity, identified their painful joints, and answered questions about other sites of pain and fatigue. Patients and their rheumatologists were asked about the presence of fibromyalgia.

The Role of Shared Epitope in Rheumatoid Arthritis Prognosis in Relation to Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibody Positivity.

Introduction: Shared epitope (SE) is present in high proportions of anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) + patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is associated with poor prognosis. We assessed the role of SE in RA prognosis, in relation to ACPA positivity.

Methods: Patients enrolled in the Brigham and Women's RA Sequential Study were included.

The Clinical Disease Activity Index and the Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 for Achievement of Treatment Strategies.

Objective: To compare the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) with the Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) from 2 large United States registries.

Methods: Using a cross section of clinic visits within 2 registries, we determined whether the outcome of each metric would place the patient in remission (REM), low (LDA), moderate (MDA), or high disease activity (HDA) using the CDAI, with the assumption that a patient in MDA or HDA would be a candidate for acceleration of treatment.

Results: We identified significant disparities between the 2 indices in final disease categorization using each index system.

Lifestyle and Clinical Risk Factors for Incident Rheumatoid Arthritis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease.

Objective: To determine the association between novel lifestyle factors on risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD), define the threshold at which smoking increases RA-ILD risk, and calculate the degree to which known lifestyle and clinical factors predict RA-ILD.

Methods: This nested case-control study matched incident RA-ILD cases to RA non-ILD controls on age, sex, RA duration, rheumatoid factor, and time from exposure assessment to RA-ILD. Exposures included education, BMI, smoking, anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies, race, joint erosions, rheumatoid nodules, C-reactive protein (CRP), disease activity score, functional status, disease-modifying antirheumatic drug use, and glucocorticoid use.

Rheumatoid arthritis-related lung disease detected on clinical chest computed tomography imaging: Prevalence, risk factors, and impact on mortality.

Objective: We aimed to determine the real-world prevalence and investigate risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related lung disease on chest computed tomography (CT) imaging. We also investigated the impact of RA-related lung disease on mortality.

Methods: We studied chest CT imaging abnormalities among RA patients.