Journal of Rheumatology

Paget disease (PD) is a skeletal disorder that is characterized by excessive osteoclast activity and subsequent increased osteoblast activity that leads to disorganized bone formation. Here, we report a case of a patient whose symptoms initially raised concern for giant cell arteritis (GCA), but further clinical examination ultimately led to an alternative diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: This real-world analysis assessed baseline demographics/characteristics and treatment patterns/effectiveness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) initiating tofacitinib in the United States (US) CorEvitas RA Registry. METHODS: The primary analysis of this study (NCT04721808) included patients with RA initiating tofacitinib with a 12-month follow-up visit from November 2012-January 2021. Outcomes included baseline demographics/characteristics and tofacitinib initiation/discontinuation reasons, treatment patterns, and effectiveness (disease activity and patient-reported outcomes at 12 months); primary effectiveness outcome: Clinical Disease Activity Index low disease activity (CDAI LDA)...

As the Chief Medical Officer for Highmark Inc. and having been on the health insurance side of medicine since 2008 while actively practicing rural family medicine in Kentucky, I have seen the effect chronic diseases can have on healthcare delivery. From a patient perspective, pain and reduced ability to ambulate cause a reduced quality of life (QOL), which is never acceptable.

OBJECTIVE: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) can restrict employment participation. Our objectives were to comparatively evaluate health factors, work factors and workplace accommodations between those who are employed and those who recently gave up employment. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted of employed and recently working, but now unemployed individuals with SSc. Demographics, employment sectors, health factors, flare frequency, work context, and information about the need, availability and use of workplace supports were collected...

OBJECTIVE: To (1) compare the capacity to detect sacroiliac joint (SIJ) erosions and baseline-to-Week-104 change in erosions between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiographs in recent-onset axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA); (2) compare treatment discriminatory capacities of MRI and radiographic scores for erosion detection in patients receiving etanercept in the EMBARK trial vs controls in the DESIR cohort. METHODS: Anonymized SIJ MRI and radiographs were assessed at patient and joint surface levels...

OBJECTIVE: Although patient outcomes in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have improved with the advent of advanced therapies, there remains a high unmet need to treat residual disease activity. The objective of the current study was to quantify residual disease activity and burden of disease in Canadian patients with PsA. METHODS: This was a multi-region, observational, retrospective analysis of patient data extracted from the Rhumadata™ and the International Psoriasis and Arthritis Research Team (IPART) registries, analyzing de-identified data from patients who had initiated advanced therapy for the treatment of PsA between January 2010 and December 2019...

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a type of systemic vasculitis characterized by autoantibody development against the neutrophil proteins leukocyte proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA and myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA. We previously reported that newly developed AAV in Japan was influenced by seasonal variations and that AAV was less frequently observed in autumn.1 .

OBJECTIVE: Patient Global Assessment (PtGA) is a patient-reported outcome (PRO) that reflects patients' judgment of health/disease activity (DA). The objective of this systematic literature review was to assess the psychometric properties of PtGA in Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA). METHODS: Research articles reporting the assessment of psychometric properties of PtGA in PsA, listed in PubMed, extracted according to the OMERACT Filter 2.1 and the COSMIN terminology, were selected...

OBJECTIVE: To compare cancer incidence, type and survival between patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) in Western Australia (WA) and the general population. METHODS: Administrative health data for hospitalised patients with incident IIM (n=803, 56% female, age 62 years), classified by a validated algorithm as polymyositis (PM)(36.3%) , dermatomyositis (DM,27.4%), inclusion body myositis (IBM,17%), overlap myositis (OM,10.7%) and other IIM (8.3%) linked to WA cancer and death registries for the period 1980 - 2014...

Vaccination remains the most important intervention to attenuate the risk and severity of infectious diseases in those immunosuppressed for the treatment of rheumatic conditions and is indeed true for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Substantial reductions in the hazard ratios (HRs) of breakthrough infections were observed in those with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) vaccinated with the initial series (HR 0.143) and after the third dose (HR 0.017) of BNT162b2 compared to unvaccinated patients...

OBJECTIVE: Scleritis may be idiopathic or caused by trauma, infections, or an immune-mediated condition. Our study aimed to understand the relationship between scleritis and immune-mediated disease, including presenting characteristics, serologies, and treatment course. Understanding these associations may allow clinicians to risk-stratify patients and predict their clinical and treatment course. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of 341 scleritis patients seen at a tertiary care center between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2020...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the prevalence and incidence of polyautoimmunity between anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP)-positive and anti-CCP-negative patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: In a nationwide register-based cohort study, patients with RA (disease duration ≤ 2 years) in the DANBIO rheumatology register and available anti-CCP test in The Register of Laboratory Results for Research were identified. The polyautoimmunity outcome included 21 nonrheumatic autoimmune diseases identified by linkage between the Danish Patient Registry and Prescription Register...

The term metabolic syndrome ( MetS ) encompasses a cluster of risk factors such as central obesity, high blood pressure, impaired fasting glucose, high triglycerides, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), all of which are specific to cardiovascular (CV) disease.1 MetS is frequently observed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).2,3 In this regard, MetS abnormalities increase the risk of CV disease in these patients.4,5 .

Sjögren syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that primarily affects the lacrimal and salivary glands. Glandular tissue destruction progresses with disease progression, severely impairing the patient's quality of life.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review of the effectiveness and safety of pharmacological treatments for adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD). METHODS: Six databases, two trial registries and conference abstracts were searched from 2012 to February 2023 for studies of pharmacological interventions in people with AOSD. Outcomes were rates of remission and response, discontinuation of concurrent treatments, complications of AOSD and treatment-related adverse events...

OBJECTIVE: Mean lung attenuation, skewness, and kurtosis are histogram-based densitometry variables that quantify systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD) and were recently merged into a computerized integrated index (CII). Our work tested the CII in low-dose 9-slice (reduced) and standard high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans to evaluate extensive SSc-ILD and predict mortality. METHODS: CT scans from patients with SSc-ILD were assessed using the software Horos to compute standard and reduced CIIs...

OBJECTIVE: Using Canadian Alliance of Pediatric Rheumatology Investigators (CAPRI) JIA registry data, we describe: (1) clinical characteristics of patients with JIA transitioning to adult care, (2) their prevalence of disease-related damage and complications and, (3) changes in disease activity during the final year prior to transfer. METHODS: Registry participants who turned 17 between February 2017 and November 2021 were included. Clinical characteristics and patient reported outcomes at the last recorded pediatric rheumatology visit, and changes observed in the year prior to that visit were analyzed...

OBJECTIVE: Vaccination against preventable infections is important for rheumatic diseases management. This study assessed the vaccination coverage and predictors among patients with rheumatic diseases using real-world data from Israel. METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study, based on a Maccabi Healthcare Services database, included adult patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), as of 30/04/2019...

OBJECTIVE: Infectious conditions are a significant cause of mortality in autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD). Among patients hospitalized with an infection, we compared in-hospital and long-term (3-year) mortality between those with and without ARD. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included members of the largest health maintenance organization in Israel, aged > 18 years at the first episode of infection, who required hospitalization during 2003-2019. We compared in-hospital mortality and the results of a 3-year landmark analysis of those who survived the index hospitalization, between patients with ARD, according to disease subgroups, and patients without ARD...

We would like to share our ideas on the recently published article, "Psoriatic arthritis and COVID-19: Patient perspectives in a large psoriatic arthritis cohort."1 The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection among patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), understand patients' opinions on their risk of COVID-19 infection, and evaluate the quality of virtual treatment offered during the pandemic's early phases.