Efficacy of baricitinib on periodontal inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

ObjectiveDespite a widely recognized bidirectional pathobiologic relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontal disease, the impact of innovative anti-rheumatic drugs in modulating not only inflammatory and immune articular damage, but also periodontal microenvironment remains debatable. We aimed to evaluate the periodontal status in RA with and without baricitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, and to better describe association between these entities.MethodsWe performed a prospective longitudinal 24-weeks study in 21 active RA initiating baricitinib. Standard assessments included a dual rheumatologic (RA activity, disability, serological, inflammatory profile) and dental evaluation comprising plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing depth, clinical attachment level.ResultsMore than half of RA presented at baseline with chronic periodontitis, as suggested by high prevalence of sites with dental plaque, abnormal bleeding on probing, probing depth and clinical attachment level. Aggressive periodontal disease was reported particularly in disease subsets with excessive inflammatory (serum C reactive protein level) and serologic biomarkers (anti-citrullinated peptide antibodies). Furthermore, significant correlations between dental pathology, disease activity and ACPA levels were also reported (P < 0.05). Consistent improvement was noticed in both rheumatoid arthritis characteristics and periodontal status after 24 weeks of baricitinib (P < 0.05).ConclusionRA, particularly severe active ACPA-positive disease, is basically associated with altered periodontal health. JAK blockade through oral baricitinib may be efficient in patients with active RA and potentially able to modulate the inflammatory process in the periodontal tissue.     

桂枝芍药知母汤对类风湿性关节炎患者实验室指标和免疫功能的影响

目的:探讨桂枝芍药知母汤对类风湿性关节炎患者实验室指标和免疫功能的影响。方法:选取2014年12月至2016年12月南京中医药大学附属南京市中西医结合医院收治的类风湿关节炎患者110例作为研究对象，按照随机数字表法分为对照组和观察组，每组55例。对照组采用常规西医治疗，观察组在对照组的基础上联合桂枝芍药知母汤治疗，2组均治疗1个月。比较2组临床效果、临床症状改善情况、实验室指标及免疫功能指标水平；统计2组不良反应发生率。结果:观察组总有效率为92.73%，高于对照组（78.18%，P<0.05）。与治疗前比，治疗1个月后，2组握力均增大，且观察组大于对照组（P<0.05）；2组晨僵时间、20 m步行时间均缩短，且观察组短于对照组（P<0.05）；2组关节压痛数、关节肿胀数、ESR、MPV、PDW及血清CRP、血浆IgA、IgG、IgM、RF水平均降低，且观察组低于对照组（P<0.05）；2组血清C3水平均升高，且观察组高于对照组（P<0.05）。治疗期间，观察组不良反应发生率为0.00%，低于对照组（10.91%，P<0.05）。结论:桂枝芍药知母汤治疗类风湿性关节炎，可改善患者实验室指标，增强免疫功能，提高疗效，安全性较高。     

Engineered glove to evaluate hand disability in rheumatoid arthritis: A pilot-study

ObjectiveThe Hand Test System (HTS) is an engineered-sensorized glove that has been originally developed in the neuroscientific field for the evaluation of hand fingers’ speed movement. This pilot-study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility of HTS analysis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), correlating glove-derived parameters with clinical disease activity indexes, self-reported disability-related questionnaires and hand strength.MethodsFifty-five RA patients and fifty age and sex matched healthy controls (HCs) performed HTS analysis. The glove recognized the touch speed between the finger tips during standard sequences of movements, providing three quantitative parameters: touch duration (TD), inter-tapping interval (ITI) and movement rate (MR). These variables were correlated with Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disease Index (HAQ-DI), Hand Disability Index (HDI), Hand Grip Strength (HGS), DAS28-CRP, CDAI and SDAI.ResultsIntraclass correlation coefficient was 0.93 (CI: 0.92, 0.95). RA patients showed significantly slower TD, ITI and MR than HCs, for all classes of disease activity (P < 0.001). All HTS parameters correlated significantly with HAQ, HAQ-DI, HDI, HGS, DAS28-CRP, SDAI, CDAI (between P < 0.05 and P < 0.001). Of note, also RA patients in clinical remission showed a significantly higher TD compared with HCs (P < 0.001).ConclusionHTS seems a new safe and fast tool to evaluate rheumatoid hand's functionality, measuring the speed of finger movements. Furthermore, the HTS parameters significantly correlate with quality of life, disease activity, hand strength and perceived hand disability, evaluating also potential hand motor impairment in RA clinical remission.     

男性类风湿关节炎患者骨量减低的相关研究

目的探讨男性类风湿关节炎(rheumatoid arthriti,RA)患者骨量减低的相关情况及合并骨质疏松的危险因素。方法收集2013年8月至2019年5月在苏州大学附属常州市肿瘤医院诊治的男性类风湿关节炎患者38例,年龄(64. 39±9. 44)岁,对照组为40例健康正常人群,年龄(63. 53±8. 14)岁。通过双光能X线骨密度仪测定正位腰椎(L1～4)及左侧股骨近端(包括FN、Troch、Ward、Total)骨密度;运用电化学发光免疫分析法检测BAP、BGP、CTX;记录RA患者的ESR、CRP、关节肿胀及压痛数、RF以及CCP等情况。分析比较两组骨密度及骨生化指标的差异,并采用单因素分析和多因素Logistic回归分析调查类风湿关节炎患者合并骨质疏松的危险因素。结果两组间年龄、体质量指数(body mass index,BMI)差异无统计学意义(P0. 05)。类风湿关节炎组左侧股骨颈、整体髋骨BMD测量值较对照组减低(P0. 05);且类风湿关节炎组骨量减少、骨质疏松发生率较对照组显著增高(P0. 05);在骨生化指标方面,类风湿关节炎组CTX水平高于对照组(P0. 05)。单因素分析显示BMI、CRP、DAS28-ESR及CTX与男性类风湿关节炎患者继发骨质疏松相关(P0. 05);多因素Logistic回归分析显示,BMI 18. 5 kg/m2(OR=0. 014),DAS28-ESR5. 1(OR=21. 433)及CTX0. 7 ng/m L(OR=25. 875)是男性类风湿关节炎继发骨质疏松的独立危险因素(P0. 05)。结论男性类风湿关节炎患者同样易合并骨质疏松的发生,BMI、DAS28及CTX等危险因素应高度重视。     

穿山龙提取物抗急性痛风性关节炎的尿液代谢组学分析

目的:对急性痛风性关节炎大鼠给予穿山龙提取物后的尿液代谢组学进行研究,寻找相关的潜在生物标志物及相关代谢通路。方法:采用尿酸钠(MSU)诱导的急性痛风性关节炎大鼠模型,将SD大鼠40只随机分为空白组、穿山龙提取物组、模型组、穿山龙提取物干预组,每组10只。给药组灌胃给予穿山龙提取物,给药剂量0. 48 g·kg~(-1),每天1次,连续5 d,于末次给药后,收集大鼠尿液,运用UPLC-Q-TOF/MS结合模式识别方法分析,采用正、负离子扫描模式下电喷雾离子源,数据采集范围m/z 100～1 500,采用全扫描方式。结果:鉴别出了12个共同的潜在生物标志物,分别为肌氨酸,二甲基甘氨酸,脱氧胞苷,尿酸,5-HT,L-胱硫醚,4-吡哆酸,脱氧尿苷,褪黑激素,5-甲氧基色胺,富马酸和胞苷。与空白组比较,穿山龙提取物组中这12个潜在生物标志物均明显下调;与模型组比较,在穿山龙提取物干预组的潜在生物标志物中,有10个上调,2个下调,穿山龙提取物对肌氨酸,尿酸,L-胱硫醚,4-吡哆酸,脱氧尿苷,5-甲氧基色胺,胞苷,二甲基甘氨酸,褪黑激素,富马酸这10个标志物均表现出了纠正异常表达的趋势;与急性痛风性关节炎相关性最强的代谢通路为半胱氨酸和甲硫氨酸代谢、色氨酸代谢。结论:穿山龙提取物可能是通过促进半胱氨酸和甲硫氨酸代谢中胱硫醚向半胱氨酸的转化水平,上调色氨酸代谢中褪黑激素,实现对痛风性关节炎的防治作用。     

Evaluating upadacitinib for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

ABSTRACT

Introduction

The introduction of JAKs inhibitors for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis represents a promising new era in the management of the disease. New compounds under investigation, like upadacitinib, with greater selectivity for JAK1 inhibition have recently been approved for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs.