Radiographic progression of large joint damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs

Objectives: Radiographic progression of damage to the small joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is well known; however, it has not been studied fully in the large joints. In this study, we looked at the prevalence of radiographic progression of large joint damage in patients with RA treated with biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs).

Methods: A total of 273 large joints in the upper and lower extremities of 67 patients with RA treated with bDMARDs were investigated. Radiographs for tender and/or swollen large joints were taken at least twice during the study period (mean 18.6 months), and the progression of damage was evaluated.

Results: Progressive damage was found in 20.9% of patients and 6.2% of joints. A multivariate analysis revealed that the Larsen grade (LG) alone was a risk factor for progressive damage. The LG cutoff value was determined to be 2.5 (sensitivity: 0.529, specificity: 0.805).

Conclusions: The only factor to predict progressive damage was the LG of the joints with symptoms, and the damage must be stopped within LG II. Regular radiographic examinations for large joints should be performed in addition to routine examinations for small joints, such as the hand and foot.     

Differences between the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and the modified HAQ (mHAQ) score before and after infliximab treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

We conducted a 1-year prospective study to clarify differences between the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index (HAQ-DI) and the modified HAQ (mHAQ) score among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with infliximab. A total of 87 patients were scheduled to receive infliximab infusion at a dose of 3 mg/kg at weeks 0, 2, and 6, and every 8 weeks thereafter for 54 weeks; all patients received a full examination at each infusion appointment. The 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28) and functional capability of each patient was assessed at each visit, using the HAQ-DI and the mHAQ score. A strong correlation was observed between the HAQ-DI and the mHAQ score at baseline (r = 0.892). Over the course of the treatment, the mean mHAQ score changed similarly to the HAQ-DI, but the mean HAQ-DI was significantly higher than the mean mHAQ score at each time-point (for the HAQ-DI vs. mHAQ score, baseline: 1.5 ± 0.7 vs. 0.9 ± 0.6, p < 0.0001; 6 weeks: 1.1 ± 0.7 vs. 0.6 ± 0.5, p < 0.0001; 30 weeks: 1.0 ± 0.7 vs. 0.6 ± 0.5, p < 0.0001; 54 weeks: 0.9 ± 0.7 vs. 0.6 ± 0.6, p = 0.0006). In the categories of “eating”, “reaching”, and “other activities”, the scores for several items excluded from the mHAQ score were significantly higher than those included in the mHAQ score over the year-long study period. We identified items contributing to significant differences between the HAQ-DI and the mHAQ score among RA patients treated with infliximab.     

Predictive factors associated with the progression of large-joint destruction in patients with rheumatoid arthritis after biologic therapy: A post-hoc analysis using FDG-PET/CT and the ARASHI (assessment of rheumatoid arthritis by scoring of large-joint destruction and healing in radiographic imaging) scoring method

Objective: To investigate the associations between large-joint damage and findings on fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) using the “assessment of rheumatoid arthritis by scoring of large-joint destruction and healing in radiographic imaging (ARASHI)” scoring system.

Methods: A total of 270 large joints (shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and ankles) in 27 rheumatoid arthritis patients were assessed. FDG-PET/CT was performed at the initiation of biologics. Radiographs at baseline and at 3 years were evaluated using the ARASHI score.

Results: Radiographic progression of damage was detected in 35 by Larsen grade vs. 87 by the ARASHI score. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) at baseline, Steinbrocker stage at baseline, concomitant prednisolone use, and disease activity score in 28 joints based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) at 6 months were significantly higher in the radiographic progression group. An SUVmax higher than 1.65 at baseline was a significant predictive factor for progressive damage at 3 years.

Conclusions: The ARASHI score may allow more detailed evaluation of large joints than the Larsen method. Joint destruction is likely to have progressed at 3 years in large joints, which had a higher SUVmax at the initiation of biologics.     

Radiological patterns of pulmonary involvement may predict treatment response in rheumatoid arthritis: A retrospective study

Background

There have been no reports on the relationship between lung radiological patterns and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity or RA treatment response in patients with RA-associated lung disease (RA-LD).

Patient global assessment is elevated by up to 5 of 10 units in patients with inflammatory arthritis who screen positive for fibromyalgia (by FAST4) and/or depression (by MDS2) on a single MDHAQ

BackgroundPatient global assessment (PATGL) is a component of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) activity indices, reflecting inflammation in selected clinical trial patients. In routine care, PATGL often may be elevated independently of inflammatory activity by fibromyalgia (FM) and/or depression, leading to complexities in interpretation. A feasible method to screen for FM and/or depression could help to clarify interpretation of high PATGL and index scores, including explanation of apparent limited responses to anti-inflammatory therapies.Patients and MethodsPatients with RA or SpA in routine care in Barcelona, Chicago, and Sydney complete a 2-page multidimensional health assessment questionnaire (MDHAQ) in 5–10 min. The MDHAQ includes PATGL and three indices, RAPID3 (routine assessment of patient index data) to assess clinical status, FAST4 (0–4 fibromyalgia assessment screening tool) and MDS2 (0–2 MDHAQ depression screen). PATGL was compared for each diagnosis at each site and pooled data in FAST4 positive (+) vs negative (-) and/or MDS2+ vs MDS2- patients using medians and median regressions.ResultsMedian PATGL was 5.0 in 393 RA and 175 SpA patients; 2.0–3.0 in 305 (58.9%) FAST4-,MDS2- patients, 5.5–6.0 in 71 (13.7%) FAST4-,MDS2+ patients, 7.0–7.5 in 50 (9.7%) FAST4+,MDS2- patients, and 7.0–8.0 in 92 (17.8%) FAST4+,MDS2+ patients. Positive FAST4 and/or MDS2 screens were seen in 41% of patients. Results were similar in RA and SpA at 3 settings on 3 continents.ConclusionMedian 0–10 PATGL varied from 2-3/10 to 5.5-8/10, according to negative vs positive screening for FM and/or depression on a single MDHAQ for busy clinical settings.