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ID PMID Title PublicationDate abstract
24533550 Involvement of valgus hindfoot deformity in hallux valgus deformity in rheumatoid arthriti 2014 Sep The involvement of valgus hindfoot deformity in hallux valgus deformity was confirmed in a rheumatoid arthritis case with a destructive valgus hindfoot deformity. Correction of severe valgus, calcaneal lateral offset, and pronated foot deformity instantly normalized hallux valgus deformities postoperatively. Thus, careful hindfoot status evaluation is important when assessing forefoot deformity, including hallux valgus, in rheumatoid arthritis cases.
24260990 'What I want clinicians to know'--experiences of people with arthritis. 2013 Jul 25 AIM: To explore the perceptions and experiences of people with osteoarthrits (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) regarding the knowledge and skills they want nurses and allied health professionals (AHPs) to have to manage their care needs. METHOD: Two condition-specific focus groups were conducted in London with five people with OA and eight people with RA in January 2011. A semistructured interview guide was used. The focus groups were audiotaped and the transcripts analysed using content analysis. RESULTS: Shared and condition-specific themes were identified. The shared themes were: living with pain; the need for self-management; and meaningful consultation. The condition-specific themes were: no experts in OA; and wanting to talk in the RA participants. CONCLUSION: People with OA and RA wanted nurses and AHPs to listen, empathise and help them to manage their condition, especially the pain. Participants with RA would value psychological support. We need to ensure that nurses and AHPs have the knowledge and skills to address these needs.
23864169 GUEPARD treat-to-target strategy is significantly more efficacious than ESPOIR routine car 2013 Oct OBJECTIVE: To analyse seven RA Core Data Set measures and three indices for their capacity to distinguish treatment results in early RA in the GUEPARD treat-to-target clinical trial vs ESPOIR routine care. METHODS: Post hoc analyses compared 65 GUEPARD and 130 matched control ESPOIR patients over 6 and 12 months for mean changes in measures, relative efficiencies and standardized response means (SRM). Three indices-28-joint disease activity score (DAS28), clinical disease activity index (CDAI) and routine assessment of patient index data (RAPID3)-were compared for mean changes and numbers of patients with high, moderate or low activity or remission using κ values. RESULTS: Greater improvement was seen for GUEPARD vs ESPOIR, statistically significant for physician and patient global estimates and pain and health assessment questionnaire physical function (HAQ-FN), but not joint counts and laboratory tests. Relative efficiencies with tender joint count as the referent measure indicated that pain (2.57) and global estimates by patient (3.13) and physician (2.31) were most efficient in distinguishing GUEPARD from ESPOIR. Mean improvements in GUEPARD vs ESPOIR were -3.4 vs -2.6 for DAS28 (0-10) (24%), -29.8 vs -23.1 for CDAI (0-76) (23%) and -13.0 vs -7.8 for RAPID3 (0-30) (40%) (all P < 0.01); agreement was moderate between CDAI vs DAS28 (κ = 0.56) and vs RAPID3 (κ = 0.48), and fair between DAS28 vs RAPID3 (κ = 0.26). CONCLUSION: Patient and global measures indicate greater efficacy than joint counts or laboratory measures in detecting difference between GUEPARD treat-to-target and ESPOIR routine care. A RAPID3 of only patient measures may help guide treat-to-target in busy clinical settings.
24068421 Progressive intraparenchymal lung nodules dissemination in a heavy smoker and seropositive 2013 Anthony Caplan first described rheumatoid lung nodules associated with pneumoconiosis in coal-miners (Caplan, 1953). Intraparenchymal lung nodules were later described in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who were never exposed to coal dust and/or without pneumoconiosis. Rheumatoid lung nodules are usually detected in unselected patients: 0.2% in chest radiography and 4% in high-resolution computed tomography (Nannini et al., 2008). Patients could be reluctant to perform surgical lung biopsy for an accurate histopathological diagnosis. We present a peculiar association between a seropositive RA and a presumptive active tuberculosis (TB) disease in a 59-year-old male patient, ex-smoker with a previously healed pulmonary TB disease. The purpose of this report is to describe an unusual case of a presumptive relapse of the nodular TB disease, which progressed to an extensive nodular bilateral dissemination under anti-tuberculosis therapy, mimicking a metastatic carcinoma. The diagnosis of rheumatoid necrobiotic lung nodules was confirmed after open biopsy left pulmonary was performed. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded pulmonary rheumatoid nodules were processed for histology and stained with Masson's trichrome. Central structure of the removed pulmonary nodules is typical of a rheumatoid nodule with central necrosis surrounded by a palisade of macrophages. The accumulation of anthracotic pigment was noticed inside the pulmonary nodules in a RA patient without professional exposure to coal or mineral dust. This rare entity is an appearance of the rheumatoid nodules lung syndrome and anthracosis in a heavy tobacco former smoker.
23303834 Long-term results of simple hemiresection arthroplasty in the rheumatoid distal radio-ulna 2013 Sep We retrospectively studied the radiological and clinical results of a simple hemiresection arthroplasty, a modification of previous oblique distal ulnar resections, in 62 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (68 wrists) over a mean follow-up of 103 (range 60-173) months. Fourteen wrists (20%) became fused at the radiocarpal joint and 28 wrists fused (41%) at the midcarpal joints during follow-up. Severe ulnar translocation of the carpus was observed in two wrists (3%), radio-ulnar convergence in five wrists (7%), as well as a significant decrease of carpal height ratio, without any radiological findings of stylocarpal impingement. Improvements in forearm pronation and supination, and reduction in pain were maintained at the last follow-up. Grip strength was not significantly improved. The Jebsen-Taylor hand function test showed improvements in writing, card turning, and simulated feeding. Fifty-two patients (58 wrists, 85%) were satisfied with the results at the last follow-up. Simple hemiresection arthroplasty showed good long-term results with few complications.
23923032 A metabolically-stabilized phosphonate analog of lysophosphatidic acid attenuates collagen 2013 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a destructive arthropathy with systemic manifestations, characterized by chronic synovial inflammation. Under the influence of the pro-inflammatory milieu synovial fibroblasts (SFs), the main effector cells in disease pathogenesis become activated and hyperplastic while releasing a number of signals that include pro-inflammatory factors and tissue remodeling enzymes. Activated RA SFs in mouse or human arthritic joints express significant quantities of autotaxin (ATX), a lysophospholipase D responsible for the majority of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) production in the serum and inflamed sites. Conditional genetic ablation of ATX from SFs resulted in attenuation of disease symptoms in animal models, an effect attributed to diminished LPA signaling in the synovium, shown to activate SF effector functions. Here we show that administration of 1-bromo-3(S)-hydroxy-4-(palmitoyloxy)butyl-phosphonate (BrP-LPA), a metabolically stabilized analog of LPA and a dual function inhibitor of ATX and pan-antagonist of LPA receptors, attenuates collagen induced arthritis (CIA) development, thus validating the ATX/LPA axis as a novel therapeutic target in RA.
24480452 Efficacy of biologic agents in improving the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score i 2014 May OBJECTIVES: The Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) is a validated physical function measure. It is predictive for disability and mortality. The objective of this study was to determine the comparative efficacy of biologic agents in improving HAQ in patients with established RA who failed DMARDs or anti- TNF agents and in early RA (ERA). METHODS: We performed random effects meta-analyses of published randomised, placebo-controlled trials. Outcome was the mean difference in change in HAQ for biologic agents compared to controls (ΔHAQB-ΔHAQC). Indirect comparisons of the different biologic drugs were conducted using the Q-test based on analysis of variance. Meta-regression was performed using the method of moments. RESULTS: Twenty-eight trials were included: 19 with DMARD-failures; 4 with anti-TNF-failures and 5 ERA. The following biologics were represented: abatacept, adalimumab, certolizumab, etanercept, golimumab, infliximab, rituximab and tocilizumab. Efficacy of biologics at reducing HAQ was significantly different based on prior treatment (p=0.001). In RA patients with DMARD failures, ΔHAQB-ΔHAQC was -0.22; 95%CI: -0.24, -0.20 (I2=55%). Infliximab, abatacept and tocilizumab had lower ΔHAQB-ΔHAQC compared to other biologics (p<0.02). In anti-TNF-failures, ΔHAQB-ΔHAQC was -0.36; 95%CI: -0.42, -0.30 (I2=0%). In ERA, methotrexate-naïve trials, ΔHAQB-ΔHAQC was -0.19; 95% CI: -0.26, -0.13 (I2=0%). There were no significant differences in the efficacy of different biologics for anti-TNF failures and ERA. CONCLUSIONS: Biologic agents were efficacious at lowering HAQ in RA. Differences between agents in RA with DMARD failures were less than the minimally clinically important difference for HAQ; therefore, the clinical significance of these differences is unclear.
23392597 The new 2012 German recommendations for treating rheumatoid arthritis : differences compar 2013 Feb The German Society for Rheumatology recently published guidelines for the sequential therapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). These recommendations were developed as a transition from the 2010 EULAR (EUropean League Against Rheumatism) recommendations to the national clinical practice and are based on an updated systematic literature research and expert discussion. While most EULAR recommendations have remained unchanged, some were modified based on new evidence from randomized, controlled trials, current clinical practice, or national drug approval status. The guidelines also include a treatment algorithm for sequential therapy of RA with disease-modifying agents including biologics.
25394926 [Cholesterol crystals in synovial fluid in patients with rheumatoid arthritis may be linke 2014 Nov 10 We report two cases of cholesterol crystals (CC) in synovial fluid (SF) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Injection of triamcinolone had satisfactory effect on the bursitis in one patient which is in contrast to previous reports. Both patients died short after presentation. There is evidence suggesting that RA synovium is more permeable to low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein than healthy synovium. It has been hypothesised that the cholesterol lowering statins (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) might have an anti-inflammatory effect in RA.
24617098 Early recognition improves prognosis in elderly onset RA. 2014 Jan Although commonly diagnosed in the third to fifth decades of life, the incidence and prevalence of RA continue to increase up to the ninth decade. Age at onset is particularly relevant as the presentation may differ in elderly onset RA (EORA) compared with young onset RA (YORA). Patients with EORA frequently report a more acute presentation, especially if positive for rheumatoid factor (RF). Fever, fatigue and weight loss appear to be more common in EORA. Although small joints are most frequently involved in the RA population overall, there is common involvement of large joints in EORA and these proximal symptoms may mimic polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). In YORA, approximately 80% of patients are seropositive for RF however a lower frequency has been reported in EORA. Anti-CCP antibodies have been detected in over 70% of patients with RA and are highly specific for RA. The value of anti-CCP antibodies is even higher in patients with an atypical presentation (e.g. PMR-like symptoms), or those who are RF negative. X-rays of the hands and feet should always be performed in patients with a suspected inflammatory arthritis. Baseline joint erosions are present in a similar proportion in patients with YORA and EORA. In the elderly, the differential diagnosis of RA is extensive as many conditions present in a similar way e.g. PMR, osteoarthritis, polyarticular gout, pseudogout and malignancy. Anti-CCP antibodies are very useful for identifying EORA patients with a polymyalgic onset. Ultrasonography or MRI can also be helpful in differentiating PMR from EORA.
24347778 Pott's disease and hypercalcemia in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis receiving methotre 2013 Nov Methotrexate (MTX) may have adverse effects on multiple organs and system. A few cases of pulmonary tuberculosis in-patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) while receiving MTX monotherapy has been reported in the literature. We submit a case of vertebral tuberculosis with hypercalcemia in a patient receiving MTX monotherapy. Patient with RA taking MTX for 15 years developed pancytopenia, skin necrosis, tuberculous spondylodiscitis and hypercalcemia. The present case showed adverse effects of MTX therapy may occur even after years of continuous treatment. Due to pancytopenia in older patients, life-threatening tuberculosis at unusual sites may develop.
24382334 The association between TNFα gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to rheumatoid arthriti 2016 Apr AIM: The aim of our study was to determine the genetic associations between polymorphisms of the TNFα gene (-308G/A and -238G/A) with disease susceptibility and severity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in an ethnic Kashmiri population. METHODS: Allele and genotype frequencies of TNFα-308G/A and TNFα-238G/A polymorphisms were compared between 150 RA patients and 200 healthy controls by using polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Demographic, clinical and serological data were prospectively evaluated. Disease activity score (DAS28) was also assessed. RESULTS: We did not find any significant association between TNFα-308G/A and TNFα-238G/A polymorphism and RA risk (P > 0.05), but TNFα-308GG genotype was associated significantly with rheumatoid factor seropositivity (P < 0.01) and TNFα-238GA genotype was associated with swollen joint count < 5 (P = 0.04) as well as with less severe disease activity as measured by DAS28 score (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest the possible roles of TNFα-308GG and TNFα-238GA as important determinants for the development of certain manifestations and disease severity in RA in ethnic Kashmiri population.
24517518 Successful leukocytapheresis therapy in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis on maintenance 2015 Jan We report the case of a 44-year-old female undergoing maintenance hemodialysis in whom early-phase rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was successfully treated by leukocytapheresis (LCAP). The effects of prednisone, tacrolimus, and etanercept were limited, but LCAP was highly effective and its efficacy continued even after cessation of LCAP. Moreover, remission was maintained for 2 years after discontinuation of medication. LCAP may be an important treatment option for RA patients with end-stage renal failure who are on hemodialysis.
25365092 The development of the disease activity score (DAS) and the disease activity score using 2 2014 Sep In rheumatoid arthritis, disease activity cannot be measured using a single variable. The Disease Activity Score (DAS) has been developed as a quantitative index to be able to measure, study and manage disease activity in RA in daily clinical practice, clinical trials, and long term observational studies. The DAS is a continuous measure of RA disease activity that combines information from swollen joints, tender joints, acute phase response and patient self-report of general health. Cut points were developed to classify patients in remission, as well as low, moderate, and severe disease activity in the 1990s. DAS-based EULAR response criteria were primarily developed to be used in clinical trials to classify individual patients as non-, moderate, or good responders, depending on the magnitude of change and absolute level of disease activity at the conclusion of the test.
24322035 Lichen planus secondary complications associated with the use of biologic therapy for rheu 2013 OBJECTIVES: Biologic therapy such as Etanercept, which is a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitor, has been extensively used as election therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. The purpose of this case presentation was to inform about the possibility that lichen planus lesions could potentially become complicated by secondary infections in patients treated with Etanercept. Furthermore, we aimed at analyzing if the complication of the cutaneous lesion was coincidental or it was due to the immunosuppressive systemic therapy, and whether the infected lesion would respond to antibiotic therapy. CASE SUMMARY: The patient was a 59-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis and that have had lichen planus lesions for approximately 25 years. Only recently, she had been received immunosuppressive therapy (Etanercept and Methotrexate). Further on, the lichen planus flared up with a secondary infection determined by a Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. Uncommon myocardial complications were also characteristic of this case. RESULTS: While a case report described already the appearance of lichen planus following Etanercept therapy (Battistella M et al., 2008), the possibility that the lesion could become secondary complicated following this therapy was never reported before, according to our knowledge. Additionally, we describe in this case the interplay between Etanercept therapy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. CONCLUSIONS: Our case is not a lichen planus induced by Etanercept, but it is aggravated and secondary infected with Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus during the therapy. The additional cardiac complication (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) may represent solely an evolutive sign of rheumatoid arthritis and therefore not influenced by Etanercept.
24739614 Anti-citrullinated protein antibody-positive rheumatoid arthritis associated with RS3PE sy 2014 A 73-year-old man with a history of myasthenia gravis (MG) was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on a history of polyarthritis and positivity for anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA). He presented with a high level of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and RS3PE syndrome-like pitting edema in the extremities, which improved following treatment with low-dose prednisolone. This is an interesting case of ACPA-positive RA associated with RS3PE syndrome-like pitting edema and a high VEGF level.
23763756 Distribution of amyloid deposits in the kidneys of a patient with reactive amyloidosis ass 2013 Jun 14 BACKGROUND: We previously reported that the amount of amyloid A (AA) amyloid deposited in renal biopsy specimens was highly correlated with parameters of renal function. However, the distribution of amyloid deposits throughout the kidneys of these patients, and the degree of renal abnormality, remained unclear. Therefore, we describe the features of reactive amyloidosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in an autopsied patient. CASE PRESENTATION: The present report case is a 50-year-old female with RA and reactive amyloidosis. She was diagnosed as RA in 1978. Diagnosis of AA amylodosis was made by renal biopsy in 1991 for the reason of proteinuria. Because of the pancreatitis, she was died in 2006 and autopsy was performed. Renal tissues from autopsy specimens were evaluated for their proportions of amyloid-positive areas. A total of 6 specimens (three tissue blocks from each kidney obtained at autopsy) were evaluated in this study. The size of each block was approximately 20 mm × 20 mm. One section of whole tissue was photographed in each case. The borders of the amyloid-positive areas in each specimen were traced in each photograph, excluding any tissue-free spaces. The total amyloid-positive area was measured, and the percentage area of amyloid per whole-tissue section (percent (%) area of amyloid deposition) was calculated. The distribution of amyloid deposits in the kidneys was examined. The significance of differences in the mean percent (%) area of amyloid deposition between the right and left sides and among three long-axis levels (upper, middle and lower) were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a significance level of p <0.05. CONCLUSION: The area of amyloid deposition in these samples was about 7-11%, and the degree of variability among them seemed to be small. It also shows a comparison of amyloid deposition between the right and left sides and between the long axis samples for quadruplicate determinations; no significant differences were evident, and thus the percent (%) area of amyloid deposition throughout the whole kidneys appeared to be uniform in this patient.
24691560 Network meta-analysis for comparing treatment effects of multiple interventions: an introd 2014 Nov Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized trials have long been important synthesis tools for guiding evidence-based medicine. More recently, network meta-analyses, an extension of traditional meta-analyses enabling the comparison of multiple interventions, use new statistical methods to incorporate clinical evidence from both direct and indirect treatment comparisons in a network of treatments and associated trials. There is a need to provide education to ensure that core methodological considerations underlying network meta-analyses are well understood by readers and researchers to maximize their ability to appropriately interpret findings and appraise validity. Network meta-analyses are highly informative for assessing the comparative effects of multiple competing interventions in clinical practice and are a valuable tool for health technology assessment and comparative effectiveness research.
24533552 A case of bilateral rheumatoid pleuritis successfully treated with tocilizumab. 2014 Nov The patient was a 77-year-old woman diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 1973. She was initiated on infliximab therapy in addition to methotrexate administration in 2009. The therapeutic response decreased after the fifth dose of infliximab, and the patient developed rheumatoid pleuritis due to increased RA disease activity. The therapy was switched from infliximab to tocilizumab, which resulted in amelioration of the arthralgias well as pleuritis. Our results suggest that tocilizumab is an effective treatment alternative for the treatment of rheumatoid pleuritis.
25842886 [Orthopedic treatment of the shoulder joint impairment in patients with rheumatoid arthrit 2014 Dec Brachial joint affection in patients, suffering rheumatoid arthritis, occupies a third place after such of the elbow and the hand. Due to significant reduction of a freedom degree, caused by inflammation, the upper extremity looses function of active instrument for the items transposition. Volume of surgical treatment of such patients depends on stage of the process. On early stages arthroscopic synovectomy of brachial joint is performed and on the late--endoprosthesis. Late results of the treatment are mainly positive. Satisfactory results are based, predominantly, on raising of activity of general rheumatoid inflammation.