Lifestyle influences on outcome in rheumatoid arthritis

Functional status in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as assessed by the HAQ is poorer in the West of Scotland than the USA or elsewhere. There is a possible link with social deprivation, which is common within the Greater Glasgow Healthboard area. Our aim was to determine if differences in lifestyle could contribute to the poorer functional outcome found in socially deprived patients.     

早期类风湿关节炎患者自身抗体与放射学破坏的相关性研究

目的　探讨抗Sa抗体和抗角蛋白抗体 (AKA)对早期类风湿关节炎 (RA)放射学破坏的临床意义。方法　检测 4 2例早期RA患者的抗Sa抗体和AKA ,结合手、足X线片的病情分期和改进的Sharp评分分析。结果　初诊时及随诊 2年后抗Sa抗体、AKA阳性组X线分期较阴性组高。随诊 2年后抗Sa抗体、AKA阳性组Sharp评分较阴性组为高。随诊 2年后与初诊时相比较 ,抗Sa抗体、AKA阳性组X线分期、Sharp评分明显增高 ,抗Sa抗体阴性组增高。两种抗体同时阳性患者随诊 2年后Sharp评分明显增高。结论　抗Sa抗体、AKA可作为早期RA患者放射学破坏的预测指标。     

Case management for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Mary was in her mid-20s when a long day of shopping made her feet hurt so much that she sought the care of a podiatrist. Radiographs showed no abnormalities in her bones, so it was not until several months later, when her hands became swollen and painful, that she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by her primary care physician.     

Pseudogout in 3 patients with presumed therapy-resistant rheumatoid arthritis

3 patients, 2 women aged 71 and 76 and a 55-year-old man, were originally diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs); two of these patients fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for RA. Because the symptoms persisted, the diagnosis was reconsidered. It turned out that they had pseudogout, which is an arthropathy caused by the deposition of calcium pyrophosphate crystals; the younger woman had no obvious metabolic disorder, the older woman had underlying hyperparathyroidism, and in the man the arthropathy was probably due to benign hypercalcaemia. DMARDs were replaced by NSAIDs. Varying degrees ofarthropathy persisted in the women, but in the man they were clearly decreased. In addition to resembling gout, the clinical manifestations of pseudogout can also mimic RA. It is important to distinguish pseudogout from RA because their treatment is completely different. Furthermore, pseudogout can be the first or sole symptom of a metabolic disorder.     

Rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: systematic review

INTRODUCTION: Biologic treatments are newly used in rheumatoid arthritis. Three tumornecrosis factor alfa (TNF-alpha) inhibitors--adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab--have been licensed for rheumatoid arthritis in Hungary. B-cell targeted treatment with rituximab is the next biologic treatment. Rituximab was used earlier for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Rituximab was registered to be used in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response or an intolerance to one or more TNF-alpha blocking agents. AIM: Systematic review in the literature of efficacy of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis. To assess the efficacy and safety of rituximab treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: MEDLINE and Cochrane database were searched for randomized controlled trials with rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis. A meta-analysis of trial data was conducted. RESULTS: Three randomized controlled trials were identified including 1145 patients. 54% of patients with inadequate response to TNF-alfa inhibitors and severe disease-activity have reached American College of Rheumatology 20 criteria. This ratio is larger with 33% (95% CI, 25-41%) than without treatment, and patients have almost five times (relative risk = 4.77 95% CI, 3.12-7.31) chance to improve. Functional status represented by Health Assessment Questionnaire score improves significantly (p < 0.001) in rituximab arms (-0.4 scores) compared with placebo arms (-0.1 scores). EULAR moderate and good responses in the rituximab group were significant (p < 0.00001) compared with the placebo group, rate difference is 38% (95% CI, 32-44%). Rituximab improves also radiological symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. CONCLUSIONS: New therapeutic options, rituximab is efficacious in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Rituximab can improve symptoms of patients with inadequate response to or intolerance of TNF-alpha inhibitors.     

Individual interviews and focus groups in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a comparison of two qualitative methods

Purpose  

To compare two different approaches to performing focus groups and individual interviews, an open approach, and an approach based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).     

Depression risk in patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis in Germany

Goal

The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression and its risk factors in patients with late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated in German primary care practices.

Methods

Longitudinal data from general practices (n=1072) throughout Germany were analyzed. Individuals initially diagnosed with RA (2009–2013) were identified, and 7301 patients were included and matched (1:1) to 7301 controls. The primary outcome measure was the initial diagnosis of depression within 5 years after the index date in patients with and without RA. Cox proportional hazards models were used to adjust for confounders.

Results

The mean age was 72.2 years (SD: 7.6 years). A total of 34.9 % of patients were men. Depression diagnoses were present in 22.0 % of the RA group and 14.3 % of the control group after a 5-year follow-up period (p < 0.001). In the multivariate regression model, RA was a strong risk factor for the development of depression (HR: 1.55, p < 0.001). There was significant interaction of RA and diagnosed inflammatory polyarthropathies (IP) (RA*IP interaction: p < 0.001). Furthermore, dementia, cancer, osteoporosis, hypertension, and diabetes were associated with a higher risk of developing depression (p values <0.001).

Conclusion

The risk of depression is significantly higher in patients with late-onset RA than in patients without RA for subjects treated in primary care practices in Germany. RA patients should be screened routinely for depression in order to ensure improved treatment and management.

     

Pharmacotherapy of patients with (early) rheumatoid arthritis

As soon as the diagnosis 'early rheumatoid arthritis (RA)' is made, a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) should be prescribed without delay. Methotrexate in dosages up to 30 mg once weekly is being used more frequently than in the past, also in early RA. Combination therapy with DMARDs is indicated in case of insufficient effect of a single DMARD. Combinations with methotrexate appear to be especially effective, like methotrexate and cyclosporin. A novel effective DMARD is leflunomide. In the near future promising biologicals will probably be applied in clinical daily practice, presumably in combination with conventional DMARDs. New non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been developed that are probably safer than conventional NSAIDs. If the recent finding that glucocorticoids are able to inhibit joint damage in (early) RA will be confirmed, prednisone might be used more often in (early) RA. Bone marrow transplantation in RA is still experimental.     

Analysis of education-support groups for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

A controlled study of education-support groups for patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed that participation increased patients' knowledge about their disease (P less than 0.05) and improved some patients' perceptions of the adequacy of their families' attitudes and behavior. The groups had little effect on the patients' ability to cope with arthritis or on their compliance with prescribed treatment. Some participants felt threatened by the thought of meeting another patient with more severe rheumatoid arthritis than their own. This finding suggests that group leaders should facilitate open discussion of such emotional concerns, eg, fear and depression, that admixtures may generate.     

Lymphopenia in rheumatoid arthritis.

Lymphopenia is a recognized but poorly studied feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We set out to establish the prevalence and significance of lymphopenia in RA. A group of 66 RA patients was studied for one year. During this time 10 (15%) had persistent lymphopenia (lymphocyte count less than 1.00 X 10(9)/l) without evidence of Felty's syndrome. A separate study of lymphocyte subsets in 13 lymphopenic RA patients showed marked reduction in T-cell numbers with normal circulating B-cell numbers. The numbers of CD4 and CD8 positive T-cells were equally depressed. Lymphopenia may indicate more severe disease. It was not influenced by changes in disease activity or therapy.