Scandinavian journal of rheumatology
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Sep 2019
Multicenter Study Comparative Study Observational StudyAddition or removal of concomitant methotrexate alters adalimumab effectiveness in rheumatoid arthritis but not psoriatic arthritis.
Objective: Randomized trials have shown that concomitant methotrexate (MTX) augments the effectiveness of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but its benefit in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) has not been demonstrated. The goal of this study was to examine whether the impact of concomitant MTX on therapeutic outcomes in patients with PsA was similar to its effects in RA. Methods: We used data from highly comparable and concurrent observational studies of patients with PsA (N = 1424) or RA (N = 3148) who initiated adalimumab therapy during routine clinical care. ⋯ In contrast, in patients with PsA, neither initiation nor removal of MTX during continuous adalimumab therapy had a significant effect on therapeutic outcomes. Conclusion: Addition of MTX to adalimumab confers further therapeutic benefit in patients with RA, but not in those with PsA, suggesting differences in MTX effects in these two patient populations. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01078090, NCT01077258, NCT01111240.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Jul 2019
IgG4-related disease in patients with newly diagnosed idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis: a population-based Danish study.
Objectives: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) may present as 'idiopathic' retroperitoneal fibrosis (IRPF). We aimed to determine the occurrence of IgG4-retroperitoneal fibrosis (IgG4-RPF) in a nationwide study on patients with newly diagnosed IRPF, and to compare histopathological, imaging, and clinical features in the IgG4-RPF and non-IgG4-RPF subsets. Method: The National Danish Pathology Register was searched for biopsy codes relating to retroperitoneal tissue from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2013. ⋯ There was a positive correlation between tissue IgG4-positive plasma cells and eosinophil cell count in patients with IgG4-RPF (rho = 0.50, p = 0.043). Conclusion: Forty-five per cent of this nationwide study population with newly diagnosed IRPF could be reclassified with IgG4-RPF. The association between high numbers of IgG4-bearing plasma cells and histopathological features of IgG4-RPF supports IgG4-bearing plasma cells with a perturbed distribution between IgG4 and total IgG being implicated in the pathogenesis of IgG4-RPF.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · May 2019
Multicenter Study Observational StudyStructural progression rate decreases over time on serial radiography and magnetic resonance imaging of sacroiliac joints and spine in a five-year follow-up study of patients with ankylosing spondylitis treated with tumour necrosis factor inhibitor.
To investigate temporal changes in structural progression assessed by serial conventional radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the sacroiliac joints (SIJs) and spine in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) treated with tumour necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor for 5 years. ⋯ In a 5 year follow-up study of patients with AS treated with TNF inhibitor, structural progression decreased over time.
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Scand. J. Rheumatol. · Mar 2019
Comparative StudyAdalimumab versus adalimumab and methotrexate for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: long-term data from the German BIKER registry.
Adalimumab (ADA) has become a valuable treatment option for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The importance of combination with methotrexate (MTX) is unclear. ⋯ ADA demonstrated an acceptable risk profile and high percentages of patients in both cohorts showed sufficient treatment response. No differences in treatment response or adherence to treatment were found.