Adriana Maria Kakehasi, Angela Luzia Branco Pinto Duarte, Claiton Viegas Brenol, Diogo Souza Domiciano, Ieda Maria Magalhães Laurindo, Karina Rossi Bonfiglioli, Licia Maria Henrique da Mota, Maya H Buch, Eduardo de Almeida Macêdo, Ricardo Machado Xavier
{"title":"Challenges in implementing treat-to-target in rheumatoid arthritis: a perspective from Brazilian rheumatologists.","authors":"Adriana Maria Kakehasi, Angela Luzia Branco Pinto Duarte, Claiton Viegas Brenol, Diogo Souza Domiciano, Ieda Maria Magalhães Laurindo, Karina Rossi Bonfiglioli, Licia Maria Henrique da Mota, Maya H Buch, Eduardo de Almeida Macêdo, Ricardo Machado Xavier","doi":"10.1186/s42358-024-00403-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42358-024-00403-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Patient management in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has evolved to a \"treat-to-target\" (T2T) approach, which entails intensive treatment and regular follow-up with the goal of achieving low levels of disease activity or clinical remission. Even though a T2T approach is endorsed by professional organizations and yields superior outcomes, its implementation remains incomplete. EVEREST (EleVatE care in RhEumatoid arthritiS with Treat-to-target) is a quality-improvement initiative designed to improve the widespread implementation of a personalized T2T strategy and enable patients with RA to reach their full potential for remission. We describe the Brazilian results from the Global T2T Survey, first part of the EVEREST program.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Between June and September 2022, we conducted an online survey targeting rheumatologists in Brazil. Our objective was to evaluate the barriers and knowledge gaps hindering the effective implementation of T2T strategies. To achieve this, we employed a set of multiple-choice questions specifically crafted to elicit responses categorized in a structured order.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>166 rheumatologists participated in the survey, 51% of them with more than 21 years of experience in rheumatology. Regarding the perceived challenges in the management of RA in clinical practice, the highest percentage of agreement/strong agreement among the participants was related to the contradictory results of disease activity measures (60%). In terms of the main barriers to assess the disease activity in clinical practice, the lack of adherence to treatment and contradictory assessments between patient-reported outcomes and composite measures were indicated by 75% and 59% of the participants, respectively, as a moderate/serious barrier. The most frequently knowledge and skill gaps related to the management of RA pointed out by the participants were on the difficulty to assess patients' health literacy (54% stated to have no more than intermediate knowledge on standardized methods to assess it and 43% no more than intermediate skills on determining the level of health literacy of the patients). In general, the use of tools to support the management of RA patients in clinical practice was indicated to be unusual by the participants. Self-reflection questionnaires, patient education materials and treatment consideration checklists were pointed out as the least frequently used tools (85%, 64% and 62% of the participants stated to use them never, rarely, or only sometimes, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings indicate a greater need for design, selection, and uptake of practical strategies to further improve communication between healthcare providers and patients with RA, as well as for promoting well-informed, collaborative decision-making in their care.</p>","PeriodicalId":48634,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Rheumatology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142074301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kátia Tomie Kozu, Renan Rodrigues Neves Ribeiro do Nascimento, Patrícia Pontes Aires, Rafael Alves Cordeiro, Thais Costa Lima de Moura, Flavio Roberto Sztajnbok, Ivanio Alves Pereira, Adriana Almeida de Jesus, Sandro Félix Perazzio
{"title":"Inflammatory turmoil within: an exploration of autoinflammatory disease genetic underpinnings, clinical presentations, and therapeutic approaches.","authors":"Kátia Tomie Kozu, Renan Rodrigues Neves Ribeiro do Nascimento, Patrícia Pontes Aires, Rafael Alves Cordeiro, Thais Costa Lima de Moura, Flavio Roberto Sztajnbok, Ivanio Alves Pereira, Adriana Almeida de Jesus, Sandro Félix Perazzio","doi":"10.1186/s42358-024-00404-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42358-024-00404-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs) arise from dysregulated innate immune system activity, which leads to systemic inflammation. These disorders, encompassing a diverse array of genetic defects classified as inborn errors of immunity, are significant diagnostic challenges due to their genetic heterogeneity and varied clinical presentations. Although recent advances in genetic sequencing have facilitated pathogenic gene discovery, approximately 40% of SAIDs patients lack molecular diagnoses. SAIDs have distinct clinical phenotypes, and targeted therapeutic approaches are needed. This review aims to underscore the complexity and clinical significance of SAIDs, focusing on prototypical disorders grouped according to their pathophysiology as follows: (i) inflammasomopathies, characterized by excessive activation of inflammasomes, which induces notable IL-1β release; (ii) relopathies, which are monogenic disorders characterized by dysregulation within the NF-κB signaling pathway; (iii) IL-18/IL-36 signaling pathway defect-induced SAIDs, autoinflammatory conditions defined by a dysregulated balance of IL-18/IL-36 cytokine signaling, leading to uncontrolled inflammation and tissue damage, mainly in the skin; (iv) type I interferonopathies, a diverse group of disorders characterized by uncontrolled production of type I interferons (IFNs), notably interferon α, β, and ε; (v) anti-inflammatory signaling pathway impairment-induced SAIDs, a spectrum of conditions characterized by IL-10 and TGFβ anti-inflammatory pathway disruption; and (vi) miscellaneous and polygenic SAIDs. The latter group includes VEXAS syndrome, chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis/chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis, Schnitzler syndrome, and Still's disease, among others, illustrating the heterogeneity of SAIDs and the difficulty in creating a comprehensive classification. Therapeutic strategies involving targeted agents, such as JAK inhibitors, IL-1 blockers, and TNF inhibitors, are tailored to the specific disease phenotypes.</p>","PeriodicalId":48634,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Rheumatology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142037400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gita Manzari Tavakoli, Niloufar Yazdanpanah, Nima Rezaei
{"title":"Targeting Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) as a signaling pathway in immune-mediated diseases: from molecular mechanisms to leading treatments.","authors":"Gita Manzari Tavakoli, Niloufar Yazdanpanah, Nima Rezaei","doi":"10.1186/s42358-024-00401-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s42358-024-00401-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, plays a remarkable role in the transmission and amplification of extracellular signals to intracellular signaling pathways. Various types of cells use the BTK pathway to communicate, including hematopoietic cells particularly B cells and T cells. The BTK pathway plays a role in controlling the proliferation, survival, and functions of B cells as well as other myeloid cells. First, second, and third-generation BTK inhibitors are currently being evaluated for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases in addition to B cell malignancies. In this article, the available evidence on the action mechanisms of BTK inhibitors is reviewed. Then, the most recent data obtained from preclinical studies and ongoing clinical trials for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus foliaceus, bullous pemphigoid, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, and inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, chronic spontaneous urticaria, atopic dermatitis, and asthma are discussed. In addition, adverse effects and complications associated with BTK inhibitors as well as factors predisposing patients to BTK inhibitors complications are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48634,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Rheumatology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142019239","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Samira Tatiyama Miyamoto, Érica Vieira Serrano, Ana Paula Espíndula Gianórdoli, Lara Betini Altoé, Bianca Domingos Noronha, Pedro Henrique Alves Dos Santos, Ana Paula Truhlar Pedrini, Nicole Reis Souza da Silva, Letícia Fonseca Favarato, Luíza Vallory Alochio, Weider Andrade Tomé, Angelika Lackner, Valéria Valim
{"title":"Brazilian version of the \"Primary Sjögren's Syndrome - Quality of Life questionnaire (PSS-QoL)\": translation, cross-cultural adaptation and validation.","authors":"Samira Tatiyama Miyamoto, Érica Vieira Serrano, Ana Paula Espíndula Gianórdoli, Lara Betini Altoé, Bianca Domingos Noronha, Pedro Henrique Alves Dos Santos, Ana Paula Truhlar Pedrini, Nicole Reis Souza da Silva, Letícia Fonseca Favarato, Luíza Vallory Alochio, Weider Andrade Tomé, Angelika Lackner, Valéria Valim","doi":"10.1186/s42358-024-00395-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42358-024-00395-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Quality of Life questionnaire (PSS-QoL) is the first specific instrument to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Sjögren's disease (SjD). The aim is to translate and cross-culturally adapt the PSS-QoL into Brazilian Portuguese and to evaluate its psychometric properties.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The original English version was translated into Brazilian Portuguese by two native Brazilians who were proficient in the English language. The retranslation was conducted by two native Americans proficient in Brazilian Portuguese. A committee undertook an analysis of the translated and retranslated versions, resulting in the generation of the first Brazilian version, which was submitted to the cross-cultural adaptation phase. In this phase, 50 participants with SjD responded to the instrument in Stages I and II, resulting in the generation of the second and final Brazilian version. To assess the psychometric properties, demographic and clinical data were collected from 75 patients. The HRQoL questionnaires (final Brazilian version of the PSS-QoL, Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) and EuroQoL-5 dimension (EQ-5D)) were completed. Construct validity was analyzed using the Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficient. Reliability was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eight questions and one response item were revised due to an incomprehension rate of greater than 15% among the participants in the cross-cultural adaptation phase. The final Brazilian version of the PSS-QoL was validated, revealing a high correlation between the total score and functional capacity (r= -0.713, p < 0.001), and vitality (r= -0.770, p < 0. 001) and mental health (r= -0.742, p < 0.001) domains of the SF-36 and a moderate correlation with the other domains of the SF-36 and a moderate correlation with the EQ-5D-tto (r= -0.573, p < 0.001), and EQ-5D-VAS (r= -0.559, p < 0.001). The intraobserver (ICC = 0.939; Cronbach's alpha = 0.964) and interobserver (ICC = 0.965; Cronbach's alpha = 0.964) reliability of the total score showed very high consistency.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The Brazilian version of the PSS-QoL has been demonstrated to be a valid and reproducible instrument for the assessment of HRQoL in patients with SjD.</p>","PeriodicalId":48634,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Rheumatology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142005585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Renan Rodrigues Neves Ribeiro do Nascimento, Caio Robledo D'Angioli Costa Quaio, Christine Hsiaoyun Chung, Dewton de Moraes Vasconcelos, Flavio Roberto Sztajnbok, Nilton Salles Rosa Neto, Sandro Félix Perazzio
{"title":"Principles of clinical genetics for rheumatologists: clinical indications and interpretation of broad-based genetic testing.","authors":"Renan Rodrigues Neves Ribeiro do Nascimento, Caio Robledo D'Angioli Costa Quaio, Christine Hsiaoyun Chung, Dewton de Moraes Vasconcelos, Flavio Roberto Sztajnbok, Nilton Salles Rosa Neto, Sandro Félix Perazzio","doi":"10.1186/s42358-024-00400-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42358-024-00400-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Advances in DNA sequencing technologies, especially next-generation sequencing (NGS), which is the basis for whole-exome sequencing (WES) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS), have profoundly transformed immune-mediated rheumatic disease diagnosis. Recently, substantial cost reductions have facilitated access to these diagnostic tools, expanded the capacity of molecular diagnostics and enabled the pursuit of precision medicine in rheumatology. Understanding the fundamental principles of genetics and diversity in genetic variant classification is a crucial milestone in rheumatology. However, despite the growing availability of DNA sequencing platforms, a significant number of autoinflammatory diseases (AIDs), neuromuscular disorders, hereditary collagen diseases, and monogenic bone diseases remain unsolved, and variants of uncertain significance (VUS) pose a formidable challenge to addressing these unmet needs in the coming decades. This article aims to provide an overview of the clinical indications and interpretation of comprehensive genetic testing in the medical field, addressing the related complexities and implications.</p>","PeriodicalId":48634,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Rheumatology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141983644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Vitor Alves Cruz, Camila Guimarães, Jozelia Rêgo, Ketty Lysie Libardi Lira Machado, Samira Tatiyama Miyamoto, Ana Paula Neves Burian, Laiza Hombre Dias, Flavia Zon Pretti, Danielle Cristina Filgueira Alves Batista, José Geraldo Mill, Yasmin Gurtler Pinheiro de Oliveira, Carolina Strauss Estevez Gadelha, Maria da Penha Gomes Gouveia, Anna Carolina Simões Moulin, Bárbara Oliveira Souza, Laura Gonçalves Rodrigues Aguiar, Gabriel Smith Sobral Vieira, Luiza Lorenzoni Grillo, Marina Deorce de Lima, Laís Pizzol Pasti, Heitor Filipe Surlo, Filipe Faé, Isac Ribeiro Moulaz, Mariana de Oliveira Macabú, Priscila Dias Cardoso Ribeiro, Vanessa de Oliveira Magalhães, Mariana Freitas de Aguiar, Erika Biegelmeyer, Flávia Maria Matos Melo Campos Peixoto, Cristiane Kayser, Alexandre Wagner Silva de Souza, Charlles Heldan de Moura Castro, Sandra Lúcia Euzébio Ribeiro, Camila Maria Paiva França Telles, Juliana Bühring, Raquel Lima de Lima, Sérgio Henrique Oliveira Dos Santos, Samuel Elias Basualt..
{"title":"Safety of CoronaVac and ChAdOx1 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: data from the Brazilian multicentric study safer","authors":"Vitor Alves Cruz, Camila Guimarães, Jozelia Rêgo, Ketty Lysie Libardi Lira Machado, Samira Tatiyama Miyamoto, Ana Paula Neves Burian, Laiza Hombre Dias, Flavia Zon Pretti, Danielle Cristina Filgueira Alves Batista, José Geraldo Mill, Yasmin Gurtler Pinheiro de Oliveira, Carolina Strauss Estevez Gadelha, Maria da Penha Gomes Gouveia, Anna Carolina Simões Moulin, Bárbara Oliveira Souza, Laura Gonçalves Rodrigues Aguiar, Gabriel Smith Sobral Vieira, Luiza Lorenzoni Grillo, Marina Deorce de Lima, Laís Pizzol Pasti, Heitor Filipe Surlo, Filipe Faé, Isac Ribeiro Moulaz, Mariana de Oliveira Macabú, Priscila Dias Cardoso Ribeiro, Vanessa de Oliveira Magalhães, Mariana Freitas de Aguiar, Erika Biegelmeyer, Flávia Maria Matos Melo Campos Peixoto, Cristiane Kayser, Alexandre Wagner Silva de Souza, Charlles Heldan de Moura Castro, Sandra Lúcia Euzébio Ribeiro, Camila Maria Paiva França Telles, Juliana Bühring, Raquel Lima de Lima, Sérgio Henrique Oliveira Dos Santos, Samuel Elias Basualt..","doi":"10.1186/s42358-024-00397-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42358-024-00397-5","url":null,"abstract":"Patients with immune-mediated rheumatic diseases (IMRDs) have been prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination to mitigate the infection severity risks. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at a high risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, especially those under immunosuppression or with associated comorbidities. However, few studies have assessed the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine in patients with RA. To evaluate the safety of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in patients with RA. This data are from the study “Safety and Efficacy on COVID-19 Vaccine in Rheumatic Diseases,” a Brazilian multicentric prospective phase IV study to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine in IMRDs in Brazil. Adverse events (AEs) in patients with RA of all centers were assessed after two doses of ChAdOx1 (Oxford/AstraZeneca) or CoronaVac (Sinovac/Butantan). Stratification of postvaccination AEs was performed using a diary, filled out daily and returned at the end of 28 days for each dose. A total of 188 patients with RA were include, 90% female. CoronaVac was used in 109 patients and ChAdOx1 in 79. Only mild AEs were observed, mainly after the first dose. The most common AEs after the first dose were pain at the injection (46,7%), headache (39,4%), arthralgia (39,4%), myalgia (30,5%) and fatigue (26,6%), and ChAdOx1 had a higher frequency of pain at the injection (66% vs 32 %, p < 0.001) arthralgia (62% vs 22%, p < 0.001) and myalgia (45% vs 20%, p < 0.001) compared to CoronaVac. The more common AEs after the second dose were pain at the injection (37%), arthralgia (31%), myalgia (23%), headache (21%) and fatigue (18%). Arthralgia (41,4% vs 25%, p = 0.02) and pain at injection (51,4% vs 27%, p = 0.001) were more common with ChAdOx1. No serious AEs were related. With Regard to RA activity level, no significant difference was observed between the three time periods for both COVID-19 vaccines. In the comparison between the two immunizers in patients with RA, local reactions and musculoskeletal symptoms were more frequent with ChAdOx1 than with CoronaVac, especially after the first dose. In summary, the AE occurred mainly after the first dose, and were mild, like previous data from others immunizing agents in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Vaccination did not worsen the degree of disease activity.","PeriodicalId":48634,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Rheumatology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141933328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sarcoidosis: a general overview","authors":"Fabricio Souza Neves, Ivanio Alves Pereira, Flavio Sztajnbok, Nilton Salles Rosa Neto","doi":"10.1186/s42358-024-00381-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42358-024-00381-z","url":null,"abstract":"Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease of unknown origin, which consists of the formation of multiple sterile noncaseating granulomas. Inhaled antigens are believed to initiate disease in prone individuals, considering that almost all patients present pulmonary or mediastinal lymph node disease. Extrapulmonary manifestations are common and diverse: practically any organ system can be affected, and treatment can range from simple watchful waiting to intense immunosuppression. In this article, we review current concepts about sarcoidosis in an overview, focusing on recognition and treatment of its major clinical phenotypes.","PeriodicalId":48634,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Rheumatology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141933336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lidiana Bandeira de Santana, Thomas Alves de Souza Lima, Amanda Rodrigues Costa, Leticia Assad Maia Sandoval, Talita Yokoy de Souza, Licia Maria Henrique da Mota, Luciana Ansaneli Naves
{"title":"Exploring the association of serum prolactin with serum glucose levels and clinical findings in a cohort of patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.","authors":"Lidiana Bandeira de Santana, Thomas Alves de Souza Lima, Amanda Rodrigues Costa, Leticia Assad Maia Sandoval, Talita Yokoy de Souza, Licia Maria Henrique da Mota, Luciana Ansaneli Naves","doi":"10.1186/s42358-024-00394-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42358-024-00394-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In the context of rheumatoid arthritis and its systemic inflammatory implications, there is an increasing interest in investigating the role of prolactin in the clinical and metabolic aspects of the disease. This study aimed to explore the potential links between serum prolactin levels, serum glucose levels, and the clinical manifestations of arthritis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This exploratory, cross-sectional, observational study focused on women diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The research involved assessing prolactin and blood glucose concentrations, alongside specific clinical traits such as disease-related inflammation, morning stiffness, and fatigue intensity. The presence of changes in serum prolactin (PRL) was initially compared among the groups based on disease activity intensity. Using a multinomial regression analysis, the study analyzed the impact of predetermined clinical and metabolic factors on various categories of prolactin concentration.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of the 72 participants included in the study, hyperprolactinemia was detected in 9.1% of the sample. No differences in serum PRL were identified among the evaluated groups based on disease activity. Following multivariate analysis, no statistically significant differences were identified for the outcomes of inflammatory activity and morning stiffness within each PRL category when compared to the reference category for PRL. There was no increased likelihood of encountering blood glucose levels below 100 mg/dl among individuals with higher prolactin concentrations compared to those in the lowest prolactin category (OR 5.43, 95% CI 0.51-58.28). The presence of clinically significant fatigue revealed a higher likelihood of encountering this outcome among patients with intermediate PRL values (prolactin categories 7.76-10.35 with OR 5.18, 95% CI 1.01-26.38 and 10.36-15.29 with OR 6.25, 95% CI 1.2-32.51) when compared to the reference category.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The study found no discernible correlation between prolactin concentrations and worse scores for inflammatory activity of the disease, nor between prolactin concentrations and serum glucose levels. The findings regarding fatigue should be approached with caution given the exploratory nature of this study.</p>","PeriodicalId":48634,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Rheumatology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141903305","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wen Qi, Antoine Robert, Narcisse Singbo, Lucie Ratelle, Paul R Fortin, Louis Bessette, Jacques P Brown, Laëtitia Michou
{"title":"Characteristics of patients with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis: a descriptive retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Wen Qi, Antoine Robert, Narcisse Singbo, Lucie Ratelle, Paul R Fortin, Louis Bessette, Jacques P Brown, Laëtitia Michou","doi":"10.1186/s42358-024-00396-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42358-024-00396-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In 2021, an EULAR task force published a definition of difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA). Our current knowledge of D2T RA with the EULAR definition is based on European and Asian cohorts, and no North American cohort has yet to be published. The aim of this study was to compare D2T RA patients to non-D2T RA who are good responders to advanced therapy, and to describe their evolution in an university health center patient cohort.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This is a retrospective single centre study of the medical records of all adults with RA on at least one biologic or target synthetic DMARD (b/tsDMARD). D2T RA group was defined according to the EULAR definition of D2T RA. The non-D2T RA group was defined as a b/tsDMARD good responder who had low-disease activity or remission for at least one year on 1 or 2 b/tsDMARD mechanism of action. We compared the patients' comorbidities, and history of b/tsDMARD use. Descriptive statistics and proportions were calculated. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test was used to estimate and compare median survival.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 417 patients, 101 (24%) were D2T RA and 316 (76%) were non-D2T RA. D2T RA group was slightly younger (63 ± 9 years versus 65 ± 12 years, p = 0.045), more likely to have concomitant non-inflammatory pain (28% versus 8%, p < 0.0001) and to discontinue at least one b/tsDMARD due to intolerance (39% versus 10%, p < 0.0001). In the D2T RA group, JAK inhibitors were associated with longer drug continuation when used as the third b/tsDMARD. Fewer patients were using corticosteroid at their most recent follow-up in this Canadian cohort compared to others (16% versus from 29 to 74%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Concomitant non-inflammatory pain was more prevalent in D2T RA patients compared to b/tsDMARD good responder non-D2T RA patients. Steroid-sparing strategies is possible even in D2T RA patients. Future prospective research may compare JAK inhibitors with other mechanisms of action in D2T RA.</p>","PeriodicalId":48634,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Rheumatology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141898701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ketamine in fibromyalgia: a systematic review.","authors":"Jozélio Freire de Carvalho, Eduardo Pondé de Sena","doi":"10.1186/s42358-024-00393-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s42358-024-00393-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Fibromyalgia (FM) subjects are treated with antidepressant agents; in most cases, these drugs lose efficacy or have adverse effects. Ketamine is an anesthetic drug used in FM in some studies. This article aims to systematically review the safety and efficacy of ketamine in fibromyalgia (FM) patients.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>We systematically searched articles on FM and ketamine published at Pubmed from 1966 to 2021. This study was registered at PROSPERO.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were only 6 articles published in this field, with a total of 115 patients. The female sex was predominant (88 to 100%). The age varied from 23 to 53 years old. Disease duration ranged from 1 month to 28 years. The dosage of ketamine changed from 0.1 mg/kg-0.3-0.5 mg/kg in intravenous infusion (4/5) and subcutaneous application (1/5). Regarding outcomes, the Visual analog scale (VAS) before ketamine was from 59 to 100 mm and after treatment from 2 to 95 mm. Most short-term studies had a good response. Only the study with 8 weeks of follow-up did not observe a good response. Side effects were common; all appeared during the infusion and disappeared after a few minutes of the ketamine injection.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The present study demonstrates the effectiveness and safety of ketamine in FM patients in the short term. Although, more studies, including long-term follow-up studies, are still needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48634,"journal":{"name":"Advances in Rheumatology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141793814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}