Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ju Li, Zhongyuan Zhang, Xinhua Wu, Jie Zhou, Deqian Meng, Ping Zhu
Summary: This meta-analysis found that treatment with anti-TNF alpha agents may increase the risk of infectious adverse events while the risk of tuberculosis was not significantly different. The use of anti-TNF agents should be carefully considered based on the risk-benefit ratio suggested by the meta-analysis.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Rheumatology
Ana C. Medeiros-Ribeiro, Nadia E. Aikawa
Summary: Patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease on methotrexate therapy exhibit poor immune response to vaccines, including those for COVID-19. Emerging evidence suggests temporarily discontinuing this treatment to improve immunogenicity.
NATURE REVIEWS RHEUMATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gregor Jezernik, Mario Gorenjak, Uros Potocnik
Summary: Anti-TNF therapy has significantly improved disease control in rheumatoid arthritis, but a fraction of patients do not respond to the therapy or lose response over time. The mechanisms underlying non-response to this therapy remain largely unknown. This study sheds light on the biological processes involved in non-response to anti-TNF therapy in rheumatoid arthritis, highlighting the role of proteasome-mediated protein catabolic processes and plasma lipoproteins.
Article
Rheumatology
George Athanasios Karpouzas, Bianca Papotti, Sarah Ormseth, Marcella Palumbo, Elizabeth Hernandez, Maria Pia Adorni, Francesca Zimetti, Matthew Budoff, Nicoletta Ronda
Summary: Cholesterol loading capacity (CLC) is associated with coronary atherosclerosis presence, burden, and cardiovascular risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is particularly linked to high-risk low attenuation and obstructive plaques in non-users of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD).
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Chung-Yuan Hsu, Yu-Jih Su, Jia-Feng Chen, Chi-Chin Sun, Tien-Tsai Cheng, Tzu-Hsien Tsai, Shang-Hong Lin, Cheng-Chieh Chang, Tien-Hsing Chen
Summary: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have an inadequate response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are at a higher risk of developing acute coronary syndrome compared to those who respond well to DMARDs.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Rheumatology
Anthony James Ocon, George Reed, Dimitrios A. Pappas, Jeffrey R. Curtis, Joel M. Kremer
Summary: The study found that initiating glucocorticoids in steroid-naive RA patients is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, especially at daily doses of >= 5mg, cumulative doses exceeding 1100mg, and durations longer than 81 days. No increased risk was found at lower doses or shorter durations.
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Hongtao Guo, Li Li, Bin Liu, Peipei Lu, Zhiwen Cao, Xinyu Ji, Guilin Ouyang, Zhixin Nie, Aiping Lyu, Cheng Lu
Summary: Difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA) has become a major concern for rheumatologists due to its poor treatment response and persistent symptoms. The unclear causes and lack of data make it difficult to meet the therapeutic demands of D2T RA patients. This review discusses the challenges associated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and explores factors contributing to inappropriate response and immunological dysregulation in D2T RA.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Giovanni Adami, Angelo Fassio, Maurizio Rossini, Davide Bertelle, Francesca Pistillo, Camilla Benini, Ombretta Viapiana, Davide Gatti
Summary: Reducing glucocorticoid doses in rheumatoid arthritis patients can effectively decrease the risk of disease flare-ups. However, choosing the right tapering strategy remains challenging. The study found that tapering glucocorticoids to doses of 2.5 mg/day or below was associated with a higher risk of flare, suggesting the need for better tapering strategies to reduce the risk of recurrence in rheumatoid arthritis patients on biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mattia Bellan, Lorenza Scotti, Daniela Ferrante, Elisa Calzaducca, Giulia Francesca Manfredi, Pier Paolo Sainaghi, Francesco Barone-Adesi
Summary: This study compares the risk of severe infections among different classes of biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) using administrative data. The results show that the use of Tocilizumab is associated with an increased risk of infection compared to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor drugs, while no difference in the risk of severe infection was found for abatacept. This suggests that there are slight but important differences in the safety of different classes of bDMARDs in clinical practice.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Nicki Verweij, Gerben Zwezerijnen, Marieke ter Wee, Jerney de Jongh, Maqsood Yaqub, Dirkjan van Schaardenburg, Adriaan Lammertsma, Alexandre Voskuyl, Willem Lems, Maarten Boers, Conny van der Laken
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the application of macrophage positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The results showed that macrophage PET assessment after 2 weeks of COBRA light treatment correlated with clinical response after 3 months of treatment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomasz Wysocki, Agnieszka Paradowska-Gorycka
Summary: Rheumatoid arthritis is a common inflammatory arthritis in which tumor necrosis factor plays a key role. However, there is variation in response to TNF-targeting drugs, which may be influenced by genetic factors. The field of pharmacogenomics offers potential for developing novel prognostic tools.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Heidi Kokkonen, Linda Johansson, Hans Stenlund, Solbritt Rantapaa-Dahlqvist
Summary: The increased comorbidity and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are largely due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Risk factors for CVD present in pre-RA individuals were associated with future cardiovascular events, and even after adjustments for these risk factors and treatments after RA onset, pre-RA individuals had a higher risk of cardiovascular events compared with controls.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Shunsuke Mori, Yukitomo Urata, Tamami Yoshitama, Yukitaka Ueki
Summary: The study found that tofacitinib was more effective in inducing greater improvements in bDMARD-naive patients with active RA during the first 12 months of treatment compared to tocilizumab, but this difference was not observed in bDMARD-failure patients.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Adela Madrid-Paredes, Javier Martin, Ana Marquez
Summary: This review provides an updated overview of the potential role of -omic approaches in predicting the clinical efficacy of therapies used in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Although significant efforts have been made, there are currently no validated biomarkers of drug response in RA. -Omic studies have shown significant differences in molecular profiles associated with treatment response for different drugs and cell types. Further research analyzing the response to the complete therapeutical arsenal used in RA, including less studied therapies like sarilumab and JAK inhibitors, is greatly needed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Feng Gao, Ziqi Dai, Tong Zhang, Yuhao Gu, Desheng Cai, Mingjun Lu, Zijie Zhang, Qi Zeng, Bingxian Shang, Bing Xu, Haimin Lei
Summary: In this study, a series of novel sinomenine derivatives were designed and synthesized. Compound 17 exhibited excellent anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities, indicating its potential as a drug.
Letter
Rheumatology
Ronald F. van Vollenhoven, Sander W. Tas, Michael T. Nurmohamed
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Peter E. Lipsky, Ronald Van Vollenhoven, Thomas Doerner, Victoria P. Werth, Joan T. Merrill, Richard Furie, Milan Petronijevic, Benito Velasco Zamora, Maria Majdan, Fedra Irazoque-Palazuelos, Robert Terbrueggen, Nikolay Delev, Michael Weiswasser, Shimon Korish, Mark Stern, Sarah Hersey, Ying Ye, Allison Gaudy, Zhaohui Liu, Robert Gagnon, Shaojun Tang, Peter H. Schafer
Summary: The pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of oral iberdomide were evaluated in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The results showed that iberdomide significantly modulated the patients' white blood cells and cytokines, and selectively reduced certain gene signatures, leading to clinical efficacy in patients with specific gene characteristics.
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Rheumatology
Kristina Hornberg, Lotta Ljung, Anna Sodergren, Bjoern Sundstrom
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the deterioration of spinal mobility over time in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and compare it with corresponding age-related normal values. The results showed that the decline in spinal mobility in AS patients mainly occurred during the first few years of the disease, indicating a narrow window of opportunity for prevention.
ARTHRITIS CARE & RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Anna Sodergren, Solbritt Rantapaa-Dahlqvist, Lotta Ljung
RHEUMATIC DISEASE CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Despina Michailidou, Linda Johansson, Runa Kuley, Ting Wang, Payton Hermanson, Solbritt Rantapaa-Dahlqvist, Christian Lood
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the increased levels of neutrophil activation markers in PMR patients. The results showed that calprotectin and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were elevated in PMR patients, and neutrophil activation was associated with immune complexes and Fc gamma RIIA. The levels of immune complexes correlated with the expression of CD66b and CD11b, and decreased after glucocorticoid therapy. Calprotectin can be used as a biomarker for treatment response in PMR patients.
Article
Rheumatology
Mikael Brink, Ewa Berglin, Aladdin J. J. Mohammad, Anders Lundquist, Inger Gjertsson, Andrey Alexeyenko, Kristina Lejon, Solbritt Rantapaa-Dahlqvist
Summary: This study identified protein markers prior to symptom onset in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients, providing important insights into the underlying mechanisms and subphenotypes of the disease.
ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Antonia Boman, Heidi Kokkonen, Ewa Berglin, Gerd-Marie Alenius, Solbritt Rantapaa-Dahlqvist
Summary: Hormonal and reproductive factors play a role in the risk of cardiovascular events (CVE) in the general population. However, little is known about the impact of hormonal factors on CVE in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Ian N. Bruce, Ronald F. van Vollenhoven, Konstantina Psachoulia, Catharina Lindholm, Emmanuelle Maho, Raj Tummala
Summary: This study evaluated the time course of clinical response following anifrolumab treatment in SLE patients and found that anifrolumab treatment improved overall disease activity and skin responses from Week 8, leading to glucocorticoid reductions from Week 20. These findings provide insights for physicians and patients on the potential clinical response timeline for anifrolumab treatment.
LUPUS SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Diana Ekman, Bengt Sennblad, Ann Knight, Asa Karlsson, Solbritt Rantapaa-Dahlqvist, Ewa Berglin, Bernd Stegmayr, Bo Baslund, Oyvind Palm, Hilde Haukeland, Iva Gunnarsson, Annette Bruchfeld, Marten Segelmark, Sophie Ohlsson, Aladdin J. Mohammad, Anna Svard, Rille Pullerits, Hans Herlitz, Annika Soderbergh, Roald Omdal, Roland Jonsson, Lars Ronnblom, Per Eriksson, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Johanna Dahlqvist
Summary: The study aims to identify and genetically characterize subgroups of patients with ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV) based on sex and ANCA subtype. The research analyzed a SNP dataset derived from DNA sequencing and genotyping of AAV cases and controls. The results showed that there are differences in genetic predisposition and disease mechanisms between males and females with MPO-ANCA-positive AAV, and that double ANCA-positive AAV cases are genetically similar to PR3-ANCA-positive cases, providing implications for clinical follow-up and treatment.
Article
Rheumatology
Anton Oberg Sysojev, Saedis Saevarsdottir, Lina-Marcela Diaz-Gallo, Gilad N. Silberberg, Lars Alfredsson, Lars Klareskog, Eva Baecklund, Lena Bjorkman, Alf Kastbom, Solbritt Rantapaa-Dahlqvist, Carl Turesson, Ingileif Jonsdottir, Kari Stefansson, Thomas Frisell, Leonid Padyukov, Johan Askling, Helga Westerlind
Summary: This study investigates the influence of genetic factors on the persistence of MTX monotherapy in patients with early RA. The results indicate that while no individual SNP was significantly associated, genetic factors do have a modest heritability impact on MTX treatment persistence.
Article
Rheumatology
A. B. Blanken, M. Korteweg, L. van Boheemen, R. F. van Vollenhoven, M. T. Nurmohamed, C. J. van der Laken
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the performance and factors of influence of optical spectral transmission (OST) imaging as a new technique for measuring joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The results showed significant differences in OST scores between RA patients and the control group, and moderate correlations between OST scores and ultrasound and clinical disease activity.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Joy Buie, Lauren Bloch, Eric F. Morand, Ronald F. van Vollenhoven, Victoria P. Werth, Zahi Touma, Peter Lipsky, Kenneth Kalunian, Anca D. Askanase, L. Ines, Christopher Reed, MaryBeth Son, Timothy Franson, Karen Costenbader, Laura Eve Schanberg
Summary: Drug development in lupus has improved but lags behind other rheumatic diseases. Challenges in assessing lupus therapies include disease heterogeneity, study design limitations, and lack of validated biomarkers impacting regulatory decision-making. The meeting report addresses the need for standardized outcome measures to accelerate lupus therapeutics development and highlights ongoing efforts in outcome measure development.
LUPUS SCIENCE & MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Mikkel Ostergaard, Ronald F. van Vollenhoven, Anna Rudin, Merete Lund Hetland, Marte Schrumpf Heiberg, Dan C. Nordstrom, Michael T. Nurmohamed, Bjorn Gudbjornsson, Lykke Midtboll Ornbjerg, Pernille Boyesen, Kristina Lend, Kim Horslev-Petersen, Till Uhlig, Tuulikki Sokka, Gerdur Grondal, Simon Krabbe, Joakim Lindqvist, Inger Gjertsson, Daniel Glinatsi, Meliha Crnkic Kapetanovic, Anna-Birgitte Aga, Francesca Faustini, Pinja Parmanne, Tove Lorenzen, Cagnotto Giovanni, Johan Back, Oliver Hendricks, Daisy Vedder, Tuomas Rannio, Emma Grenholm, Maud Kristine Ljosa, Eli Brodin, Hanne Lindegaard, Annika Soderbergh, Milad Rizk, Alf Kastbom, Per Larsson, Line Uhrenholt, Soren Andreas Just, David J. Stevens, Trine Bay Laurbjerg, Gunnstein Bakland, Inge Christoffer Olsen, Espen A. Haavardsholm, Jon Lampa, NORD-STAR Study Grp
Summary: This study compared the clinical and radiographic outcomes of different biological treatments with active conventional therapy in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The results showed that abatacept and certolizumab pegol had higher clinical remission rates compared to active conventional therapy, while tocilizumab did not show significant differences. Radiographic progression was low and similar across treatments.
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Christian Lundtoft, Daniel Eriksson, Matteo Bianchi, Maribel Aranda-Guillen, Nils Landegren, Solbritt Rantapaa-Dahlqvist, Peter Soderkvist, Jeniffer R. S. Meadows, DISSECT Consortium, Immunoarray Consortium, Swedish Addison Registry Study Grp, Gerli Rosengren Pielberg, Sophie Bensing, Gerli Rosengren Pielberg, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Lars Ronnblom, Olle Kampe
Summary: Autoantibodies against the adrenal enzyme 21-hydroxylase are a hallmark manifestation in autoimmune Addison's disease (AAD). This study identified strong associations between copy number variants in the CYP21 region and the risk of AAD, most likely due to linkage disequilibrium with disease-associated HLA class II alleles.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)