Mortality in rheumatoid arthritis patients with pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial disease: A retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare long-term mortality following diagnosis of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease between patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to evaluate predictive factors for death outcomes.

Methods: We reviewed the electronic medical records of all patients who were newly diagnosed with pulmonary NTM disease at participating institutions between August 2009 and December 2018. Patients were followed until death, loss to follow-up, or the end of the study.

Organizing Pneumonia in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Case-Based Review.

We treated 21 patients with organizing pneumonia (OP) associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or related to biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) at our institution between 2006 and 2014. Among these cases, 3 (14.3%) preceded articular symptoms of RA, 4 (19.

Glucocorticoid-resistant polymyalgia rheumatica: pretreatment characteristics and tocilizumab therapy.

Treatment with glucocorticoid (GC) is the preferred therapy for polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), but some patients show poor responses to the initial GC regimen or experience flares on GC tapering. Alternative therapies for patients with GC resistance have not yet been established. To evaluate pretreatment characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of GC-resistant PMR, we followed all patients who had been diagnosed with PMR between October 2007 and February 2013, according to our standardized protocol.

Polyvinyl alcohol-based hydrogel dressing gellable on-wound via a co-enzymatic reaction triggered by glucose in the wound exudate.

Glucose is a common component of body fluids. We describe a hydrogel wound dressing that can be obtained by pouring an aqueous solution of a polyvinyl alcohol derivative possessing phenolic hydroxyl moieties (PVA-Ph), containing glucose oxidase (GOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), onto a wound. The in situ hydrogelation progresses through GOx-catalysed hydrogen peroxide (HO) generation from glucose in the wound exudate and HRP-catalysed cross-linking between phenolic hydroxyl moieties in PVA-Ph by consuming the HO.

Pulmonary Mycobacterium abscessus disease in a patient receiving low-dose methotrexate for treatment of early rheumatoid arthritis.

A 70-year-old woman with methotrexate (MTX)-refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was referred to our hospital for introduction of biological therapy. On high-resolution computed tomography scans, the patient exhibited abnormal findings such as bronchiectasis and centrilobular small nodules, which were highly suggestive of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease. Although mycobacterial cultures of sputum specimens yielded negative results, cultures of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids grew Mycobacterium abscessus.

Different risk factors between interstitial lung disease and airway disease in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To identify clinical and genetic risk factors for interstitial lung disease (ILD) or airway disease (AD) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to evaluate differences between the associations of these factors with ILD and AD.

Methods: We reviewed high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images and clinical data of 356 RA patients obtained at their first visit. The diagnosis of ILD and AD was based on abnormal HRCT findings.

Small airway obstruction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

This work was intended to evaluate the prevalence of obstructive small-airway disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and its association with clinical characteristics. Pulmonary function testing (PFT) and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) were performed on 189 consecutive RA patients. Each case was diagnosed based on abnormal HRCT findings.

Comparison of pulmonary abnormalities on high-resolution computed tomography in patients with early versus longstanding rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To identify the predominant radiological abnormalities in the lungs of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in those with longstanding RA.

Methods: We performed high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) on a total of 126 patients with early RA (n = 65) and longstanding RA (n = 61). The most likely diagnosis for each case was made on the basis of the predominant HRCT findings and their extent in the lungs.

A simultaneous onset of organizing pneumonia and rheumatoid arthritis, along with a review of the literature.

Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a specific type of interstitial pneumonia that has been noted as one of the pulmonary manifestations during the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we report a case with a simultaneous development of OP and RA. The patient presented with concurrent flu-like symptoms and arthralgia of multiple joints, and antibiotic therapy was not effective.

Early rheumatoid arthritis in a patient with Sjögren's syndrome and pulmonary nodular amyloidosis: clinical implication of early limited use of infliximab.

Infliximab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha antibody, is among the most effective therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we report a patient with early RA of 6 months who has Sjögren's syndrome and pulmonary nodular lesions concomitantly. The patient did not respond to methotrexate (MTX, 6;Smg per week) for 3 months.

Clinical characteristics of polymyalgia rheumatica in Japanese patients: evidence of synovitis and extracapsular inflammatory changes by fat suppression magnetic resonance imaging.

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is an inflammatory condition of unknown etiology characterized by diffuse pain and morning stiffness involving neck, shoulder, and pelvic girdles. To facilitate an understanding of PMR and its proper diagnosis, we evaluated clinical symptoms, laboratory data, and radiographic findings of 32 Japanese patients with it. Distal musculoskeletal manifestations were more frequently observed than had been thought before (81% of the patients), and peripheral arthritis was most common (75%).

Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis as a complication of treatment with infliximab, anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha neutralizing antibody.

We report that a-63-year-old woman developed Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) as a complication from treatment with infliximab for rheumatoid arthritis. Although there was neither symptoms of dyspnea nor typical observations on a chest X-ray examination, low levels of oxygen saturation and findings of high-resolution chest computed tomographic scanning suggested a possibility of interstitial pneumonia. A polymerase chain reaction-based detection of Pneumocystis jiroveci in induced sputum allowed an early diagnosis of PCP and subsequent effective treatment.

Palladium catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of 5-tributylstannyl-4-fluoropyrazole.

The palladium catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryl iodides and 5-tributylstannyl-4-fluoropyrazole prepared from fluoro(tributylstannyl)acetylene proceeded smoothly giving the corresponding 5-aryl-4-fluoropyrazole in good yields.