Clinical rheumatology
-
Clinical rheumatology · Sep 2018
Running does not increase symptoms or structural progression in people with knee osteoarthritis: data from the osteoarthritis initiative.
Higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity improve all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events. However, the effect of running, a moderate to vigorous activity, in those with knee osteoarthritis (OA), a common arthritis that occurs with aging, a high-risk group for mortality and cardiovascular events, is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association of self-selected running on OA symptom and structure progression in people with knee OA. ⋯ Adjusted odds ratio for frequent knee pain resolution was 1.7 (1.0-2.8). Among individuals 50 years old and older with knee OA, self-selected running is associated with improved knee pain and not with worsening knee pain or radiographically defined structural progression. Therefore, self-selected running, which is likely influenced by knee symptoms and may result in lower intensity and shorter duration sessions of exercise, need not be discouraged in people with knee OA.
-
Clinical rheumatology · Sep 2018
Can we predict thrombotic tendency in rheumatoid arthritis? A thromboelastographic analysis (with ROTEM).
The higher incidence of arterial and venous events is well established in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Our aim here was to investigate whether there is a prothrombotic state in RA patients by using rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) method and to demonstrate whether the disease variables play a role in this process. A total of 85 patients who met the 2010 RA classification criteria were consecutively included in the study. ⋯ Using linear regression, variables with a major effect on ROTEM parameters were identified as DAS-28, CRP, and platelet count. As the first study in the literature, we identified that disease activation is the most important risk factor for prothrombotic state in RA patients irrespective of the drugs used. ROTEM can be used in clinical practice to predict thrombotic events in RA patients.
-
Clinical rheumatology · Aug 2018
Birmingham vasculitis activity and chest manifestation at diagnosis can predict hospitalised infection in ANCA-associated vasculitis.
We investigated the development rate and time, risk factors, predictors, and aetiologies of hospitalised infection in Korean patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 154 patients with AAV. Hospitalised infection was considered only when patients were admitted for serious infection related to AAV or AAV treatment. ⋯ In multivariable Cox hazard model analysis of significant variables in Kaplan-Meier analysis, BVAS at diagnosis ≥ 20.5 (HR 2.375) and chest manifestation at diagnosis (HR 2.422) were independent predictors of hospitalised infection during the gap-time. Bacterial pneumonia was the most common infectious aetiology (N = 29), followed by fungal infection including aspergillosis (N = 6). BVAS and chest manifestation at diagnosis can predict hospitalised infection during the gap-time.
-
Clinical rheumatology · Aug 2018
Randomized Controlled TrialEvaluation of disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with tofacitinib by RAPID3: post hoc analyses from two phase 3 trials.
Tofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. We evaluated the relationship between disease activity, according to Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) after 6-month treatment with tofacitinib, and long-term outcomes at 24 months. This was a post hoc analysis of two 24-month, phase 3, randomized controlled trials in methotrexate (MTX)-naïve (ORAL Start [NCT01039688]) or MTX-inadequate responder patients (ORAL Scan [NCT00847613]) receiving tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg twice daily (BID) as monotherapy or with background MTX. ⋯ A higher proportion of patients in RAPID3 remission/LDA versus MDA/HDA at M6 achieved CDAI remission, reported normative HAQ-DI scores (< 0.5), and achieved both normative HAQ-DI scores and radiographic non-progression at M24. Patients achieving RAPID3 remission/LDA after 6-month treatment with tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg BID have improved long-term outcomes versus patients with MDA/HDA. These findings support the use of RAPID3 to monitor longer-term disease activity in conjunction with physician-assessed measures.
-
Clinical rheumatology · Aug 2018
Clinical features, risk factors, and outcomes of patients with interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features: a population-based study.
To investigate the clinical features, risk factors and outcomes of patients with interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF). A total of 1429 patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) and undifferentiated connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (UCTD-ILD) were screened to identify patients who met IPAF criteria. Clinical, serological, and morphological features of patients with IPAF were characterized. ⋯ Multivariate analysis indicated that several factors including age, smoking history, organizing pneumonia (OP) pattern in HRCT, and anti-RNP positivity were independently associated with significantly worse survival. IPAF had the distinct clinical features and outcomes compared with other groups of ILD. Additional studies should be needed to explore the underlying autoimmune mechanism and to determine risk stratification in future clinical research.