Articles

Lessons learned from a pilot implementation of physical activity recommendations in axial spondyloarthritis exercise group therapy

The Ankylosing Spondylitis Association of Switzerland (SVMB) aimed to implement physical activity recommendations (PAR) within their exercise groups (EGs). The PAR promote exercise in all fitness dimensions at...

Authors: Anne-Kathrin Rausch Osthoff, Theodora P. M. Vliet Vlieland, André Meichtry, Leti van Bodegom-Vos, Beatrice Topalidis, Stefan Büchi, Irina Nast, Adrian Ciurea and Karin Niedermann

Association of rheumatoid arthritis and its severity with human leukocytic antigen-DRB1 alleles in Kurdish region in North of Iraq

Rheumatoid arthritis is a complex multifactorial chronic disease, the importance of human leukocytic antigen (HLA) as a major genetic risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis was studied worldwide. The objective o...

Authors: Niaz Albarzinji, Sherzad Ali Ismael and Dashty Albustany

Fatigue is associated with disease activity in some, but not all, patients living with rheumatoid arthritis: disentangling “between-person” and “within-person” associations

Previous research has shown an unclear and inconsistent association between fatigue and disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to explore differences in “between...

Authors: Grada A. Versteeg, Peter M. ten Klooster and Mart A. F. J. van de Laar

Genetic assessment of hyperuricemia and gout in Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander subgroups of pregnant women: biospecimens repository cross-sectional study

Gout, an inflammatory condition, is characterized by the precipitation of monosodium urate crystals (MSU) in or around distal joints. The latter is caused by chronic hyperuricemia (HU)—high urate levels in the...

Authors: Ali Alghubayshi, Alison Edelman, Khalifa Alrajeh and Youssef Roman

Impact of demographic, clinical, and treatment compliance characteristics on quality of life of Venezuelan patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

We have here assessed the impact of demographic, clinical, and treatment compliance characteristics on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of Venezuelan patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We ...

Authors: Fhabián S. Carrión-Nessi, María V. Marcano-Rojas, Sinibaldo R. Romero Arocha, Daniela L. Mendoza Millán, David A. Forero-Peña, Allen W. Antuarez-Magallanes, Soham Al Snih, Martín A. Rodríguez and Yurilís J. Fuentes-Silva

Macrophage activation syndrome in a patient with adult-onset Still’s disease following first COVID-19 vaccination with BNT162b2

Adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD) is an autoinflammatory multi-systemic syndrome. Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a potentially life-threatening complication of AOSD with a mortality rate of 10–20%. E...

Authors: Frédéric Muench, Martin Krusche, Leif Erik Sander, Thomas Rose, Gerd-Rüdiger Burmester and Udo Schneider

Vitamin D and its association with symptom severity in knee osteoarthritis: a cross sectional study at a national referral hospital in Uganda

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent among patients with osteoarthritis. It is associated with joint pain, stiffness and worse physical function. Whether vitamin D deficiency is associated with osteoarthri...

Authors: Fiona Namutebi, James Kayima and Mark Kaddumukasa

Association of lifestyle and disease characteristics with self-rated wellness/health score in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

To study the relationship of self-rated wellness/health and lifestyle in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Authors: Reihane Tabaraii, Maryam Masoumi, Mahsa Bagherzadeh-Fard, Mohammad Amin Yazdanifar, Javad Balasi and Abbas Smiley

The effectiveness of e-learning in patient education delivered to patients with rheumatoid arthritis: The WebRA study—protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial

Patient education is integral to the treatment and care of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Change is taking place in the organisation of healthcare systems because of a demographic shift towards ageing pop...

Authors: Line Raunsbæk Knudsen, Kirsten Lomborg, Mwidimi Ndosi, Ellen-Margrethe Hauge and Annette de Thurah

Macrophage activation syndrome in MDA5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis and COVID-19 infection

Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a rare multiorgan system disorder that may present as a fatal complication of underlying rheumatological disease, including dermatomyositis.

Authors: Marzieh Keshtkarjahromi, Sumit Chhetri, Amulya Balagani, Umm-ul-Banin B. Tayyab and Christopher J. Haas

Increasing power in the analysis of responder endpoints in rheumatology: a software tutorial

Composite responder endpoints feature frequently in rheumatology due to the multifaceted nature of many of these conditions. Current analysis methods used to analyse these endpoints discard much of the data us...

Authors: Martina McMenamin, Michael J. Grayling, Anna Berglind and James M. S. Wason

Vitamin D supplementation in systemic lupus erythematosus: relationship to disease activity, fatigue and the interferon signature gene expression

In addition to the well-known role of vitamin D in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism, vitamin D is important in the modulation of the immune system and inflammatory processes. Vitamin D deficiency is com...

Authors: Rosalie Magro, Christian Saliba, Liberato Camilleri, Christian Scerri and Andrew A. Borg

Expectations and educational needs of rheumatologists, rheumatology fellows and patients in the field of precision medicine in Canada, a quantitative cross-sectional and descriptive study

Precision medicine, as a personalized medicine approach based on biomarkers, is a booming field. In general, physicians and patients have a positive attitude toward precision medicine, but their knowledge and ...

Authors: Sophie Ruel-Gagné, David Simonyan, Jean Légaré, Louis Bessette, Paul R. Fortin, Diane Lacaille, Maman Joyce Dogba and Laëtitia Michou

Association between ultrasound images and patient-reported outcomes in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective study

Improvements in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have made it possible to achieve treatment goals. It has been reported that both residual synovitis caused by RA and the patients’ subjective symptoms...

Authors: Masao Nawata, Kazuki Someya, Masashi Funada, Yuya Fujita, Atsushi Nagayasu, Kazuyoshi Saito and Yoshiya Tanaka

Development of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Distress Scale (RADS): a new tool to identify disease-specific distress in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) may experience psychological distress (depression, anxiety) in addition to their physical symptoms. People with RA may also experience disease-specific distress (DSD), r...

Authors: Linda Silke, Othman Kirresh, Jackie Sturt and Heidi Lempp

No increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease among people with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: findings from a longitudinal cohort study of U.S. older adults

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID) are characterized by systemic inflammation affecting the joints and bodily organs. Studies examining the association between individual IMIDs and the risk of Alzhei...

Authors: Michael J. Booth, Lindsay C. Kobayashi, Mary R. Janevic, Daniel Clauw and John D. Piette

Decentralizing healthcare in Norway to improve patient-centered outpatient clinic management of rheumatoid arthritis – a conceptual model

A growing population of older adults and improved effective treatments for inflammatory rheumatic diseases will increase the demand for more healthcare resources that already struggle with staggering outpatien...

Authors: Alen Brkic, Jung G. Kim, Glenn Haugeberg and Andreas P. Diamantopoulos

Epidemiology of musculoskeletal symptoms, rheumatologic disorders, and disability in the Zoroastrian population in Yazd, Iran: a WHO-ILAR COPCORD study (stage 1)

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints, rheumatologic diseases, and disability among the Zoroastrian population in Iran.

Authors: Ali Dehghan, Hossein Soleimani Salehabadi, Ahmadreza Jamshidi, Zohre Kamali, Mojgan Mali, Seyedeh Tahereh Faezi, Azarakhsh Baghdadi, Sogol Alesaeidi, Fatemeh Sahraei, Niloufar Azizi, Sanaz Zand, Sara Sadat Yasini, Maryam Namazi, Atefe Daya, Ryan Nazemian, Farimah Shamsi…

Specialized dermatological-rheumatological patient management improves diagnostic outcome and patient journey in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: a four-year analysis

Management of psoriasis patients with arthralgia suffering from suspected psoriatic arthritis (PsA) requires an interdisciplinary approach involving dermatologists and rheumatologists. The aim of the study was...

Authors: Jana Ziob, Charlotte Behning, Peter Brossart, Thomas Bieber, Dagmar Wilsmann-Theis and Valentin Sebastian Schäfer

Causal relationship between educational attainment and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis: a Mendelian randomization study

Educational attainment is moderately heritable and inversely associated with the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. However, the causality from educational attainment on rheumatoid arthritis remained unknown. Here,...

Authors: Guiwu Huang, Jiahao Cai, Wenchang Li, Yanlin Zhong, Weiming Liao and Peihui Wu

The impact of COVID-19 on self-management behaviours and healthcare access for people with inflammatory arthritis

Inflammatory arthritis (IA) patients have been identified as at greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19. It is likely that lockdown restrictions (enforced by the UK government in response to the COVID-19 ...

Authors: Emma Caton, Hema Chaplin, Lewis Carpenter, Melissa Sweeney, Hsiu Yen Tung, Savia de Souza, James Galloway, Elena Nikiphorou and Sam Norton

The frequency of Raynaud’s phenomenon, very early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis, and systemic sclerosis in a large Veteran Health Administration database

We describe Raynauds phenomenon (RP), potential very early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (VEDOSS), and systemic sclerosis (SSc) in Veterans deployed in support of Post-9/11 operations. We sought to describe ...

Authors: Tracy M. Frech, Maureen A. Murtaugh, Megan Amuan and Mary Jo Pugh

Inflammatory arthritis complicating galactosialidosis: a case report

Galactosialidosis (GS) is a rare inherited lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) which is characterized by a defect in the lysosomal glycoprotein catabolism. We report, for the first time, the case of a child affec...

Authors: F. Verkuil, A. M. Bosch, P. A. A. Struijs, R. Hemke and J. M. van den Berg

The fast-track outpatient clinic significantly decreases hospitalisation rates among polymyalgia rheumatica patients

This study aimed to investigate the hospitalisation rates and the reasons for hospitalisation in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR). Furthermore, it aimed to clarify the impact of a newly established F...

Authors: Stavros Chrysidis, Philip Rask Lage-Hansen, Nikoletta Svendsen and Andreas P. Diamantopoulos

Retinopathy in newly-diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus: should we screen for ocular involvement?

Ocular manifestations are common in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Retinopathy has previously been linked to disease severity and might have a significant impact on the patient’s quality of life and has a...

Authors: Hamidreza Bashiri, Nooshin Karimi, Shayan Mostafaei, Azarakhsh Baghdadi, Mohammad Nejadhosseinian and Seyedeh Tahereh Faezi

Adult onset Still’s disease in a patient with scleroderma: case report

Scleroderma and adult onset Still’s disease (AOSD) are both uncommon autoimmune disorders. These two disorders have rarely been documented to occur simultaneously. In fact, after a thorough literature review, ...

Authors: Jeffrey D. Brow, Daisy Zhu and Barbara E. Drevlow

Ixekizumab improves sleep and work productivity in patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: results from the COAST-X trial at 52 weeks

Patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis experience negative impacts on sleep, work productivity, and activity impairment. Ixekizumab, a monoclonal antibody selectively targeting interleukin-17A,...

Authors: Atul Deodhar, Philip Mease, Helena Marzo-Ortega, Theresa Hunter, David Sandoval, Andris Kronbergs, Steven Lauzon, Ann Leung and Victoria Navarro-Compán

Ixekizumab improves spinal pain, function, fatigue, stiffness, and sleep in radiographic axial Spondyloarthritis: COAST-V/W 52-week results

This analysis assessed improvements in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) treated with ixekizumab in the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) treatment respons...

Authors: Atul A. Deodhar, Philip J. Mease, Proton Rahman, Victoria Navarro-Compán, Vibeke Strand, Theresa Hunter, Rebecca Bolce, Luis Leon, Steve Lauzon and Helena Marzo-Ortega

Variation in serum urate levels in the absence of gout and urate lowering therapy

Previous studies have noted significant variation in serum urate (sUA) levels, and it is unknown how this influences the accuracy of hyperuricemia classification based on single data points. Despite this known...

Authors: Andrew Shaffer, Elizabeth Rahn, Kenneth Saag, Amy Mudano and Angelo Gaffo

Recurrent atelectasis and brain infarction in a patient with anti-neutrophil antibody negative eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a case report

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) is an anti-neutrophil antibody (ANCA)-associated necrotizing vasculitis, which predominantly affects small to medium vessels, and is associated with asthma ...

Authors: Ken-ei Sada, Atsushi Miyauchi, Daisuke Hashimoto, Riku Ino, Shigeru Nojima, Shingo Yamanaka and Masafumi Kawamura

Physical activity in patients with axial spondyloarthritis in a multi-ethnic south-east Asian country

Patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) may experience spinal stiffness and pain, leading to reduced physical function and quality of life. Despite the benefits of physical activity (PA) and exercise, pr...

Authors: Jie Kie Phang, Andrew Yu Keat Khor, Yu Heng Kwan, Chin Teck Ng and Warren Fong

Cardiovascular disease risk calculators to reflect the subclinical atherosclerosis of coronary artery in rheumatoid arthritis: a pilot study

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Coronary artery calcium (CAC) score quantifies the severity of atherosclerosis. We estimated CVD risk u...

Authors: Se Hee Kim, Sang-Heon Lee, Hae-Rim Kim and Hong Ki Min

Longitudinal development of incident gout from low-normal baseline serum urate concentrations: individual participant data analysis

Elevated serum urate (SU) concentration is the central risk factor for the development of gout. The aim of this study was to examine the incidence of gout in people with low and normal SU levels (< 7.00 mg/dL).

Authors: Philip C. Robinson, Christopher Frampton, Amanda Phipps-Green, Tuhina Neogi, Lisa Stamp, William Taylor, Tony R. Merriman and Nicola Dalbeth

Sleep disorders and gout in Australian adults

The aims of our study were two-fold. Firstly, to determine if there is an association between gout and OSA in a representative Australian adult population. Secondly, to explore associations between gout and pa...

Authors: Julia New-Tolley, Amy C. Reynolds, Sarah L. Appleton, Tiffany K. Gill, Susan Lester, Robert J. Adams and Catherine L. Hill

No association between rheumatoid arthritis and cognitive impairment in a cross-sectional national sample of older U.S. adults

Studies suggest an increased prevalence of cognitive impairment (CI) among people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, most prior studies have used convenience samples which are subject to selection biases...

Authors: Michael J. Booth, Mary R. Janevic, Lindsay C. Kobayashi, Daniel J. Clauw and John D. Piette

Coronary artery aneurysms in children is not always Kawasaki disease: a case report on Takayasu arteritis

Coronary artery (CA) aneurysms in children are a rare but potentially life-threatening finding and are highly associated with Kawasaki disease (KD).

Authors: Michelle Lee, Esra Meidan, MaryBeth Son, Audrey Dionne, Jane W. Newburger and Kevin G. Friedman

Dissociation between 2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission computed tomography, ultrasound and clinical assessments in patients with non-severe rheumatoid arthritis, including remission

Inflammation of patients joints with severe disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has already been visualized and quantified by 2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission computed tomography ([¹⁸F]...

Authors: Charline Rinkin, Pacôme Fosse, Olivier Malaise, Nathalie Chapelier, Jil Horrion, Laurence Seidel, Adelin Albert, Roland Hustinx and Michel G. Malaise

The Joint Vasculitis Registry in German-speaking countries (GeVas) – a prospective, multicenter registry for the follow-up of long-term outcomes in vasculitis

Vasculitides comprise a group of rare diseases which affect less than 5 in 10.000 individuals. Most types of vasculitis can become organ- and life-threatening and are characterized by chronicity, high morbidit...

Authors: Christof Iking-Konert, Pia Wallmeier, Sabrina Arnold, Sabine Adler, Kirsten de Groot, Bernhard Hellmich, Bimba F. Hoyer, Konstanze Holl-Ulrich, Gabriele Ihorst, Margit Kaufmann, Ina Kötter, Ulf Müller-Ladner, T. Magnus, Jürgen Rech, Fabian Schubach, Hendrik Schulze-Koops…

Relation of therapies for ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis to risk of myocardial infarction: a nested case control study

Risk of myocardial infarction (MI) is elevated in ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis (AS/PsA) compared to the general population. We evaluated the risk of MI related to the use of tumor necrosis fa...

Authors: Rachael Stovall, Christine Peloquin, David Felson, Tuhina Neogi and Maureen Dubreuil

Mechanic’s hand; is it a prodromic sign of disease relapse of anti-synthetase syndrome; a case report

Anti-synthetase syndrome is the collection of myositis and/or interstitial lung disease with the presence of various antibodies directed against an aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase. Anti Jo − 1 antibody is th...

Authors: C. T. Rosa, A. S. Thilakarathne, L. A. Senevirathne, A. Wijeyeratna and D. Munidasa

BIOlogical Factors that Limit sustAined Remission in rhEumatoid arthritis (the BIO-FLARE study): protocol for a non-randomised longitudinal cohort study

Our knowledge of immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID) aetiology and pathogenesis has improved greatly over recent years, however, very little is known of the factors that trigger disease relapses (flare...

Authors: Fiona Rayner, Amy E. Anderson, Kenneth F. Baker, Christopher D. Buckley, Bernard Dyke, Sally Fenton, Andrew Filer, Carl S. Goodyear, Catharien M. U. Hilkens, Shaun Hiu, Sean Kerrigan, Mariola Kurowska-Stolarska, Fiona Matthews, Iain McInnes, Wan-Fai Ng, Arthur G. Pratt…

Researchers’ perspectives on methodological challenges and outcomes selection in interventional studies targeting medication adherence in rheumatic diseases: an OMERACT-adherence study

Research on adherence interventions in rheumatology is limited by methodological issues, particularly heterogeneous outcomes. We aimed to describe researchers’ experiences with conducting interventional studie...

Authors: Shahrzad Salmasi, Ayano Kelly, Susan J. Bartlett, Maarten de Wit, Lyn March, Allison Tong, Peter Tugwell, Kathleen Tymms, Suzanne Verstappen and Mary A. De Vera

Innovative trial approaches in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: current use and future potential

Despite progress that has been made in the treatment of many immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), there remains a need for improved treatments. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) provide the highest...

Authors: Michael J. Grayling, Theophile Bigirumurame, Svetlana Cherlin, Luke Ouma, Haiyan Zheng and James M. S. Wason

Central Aspects of Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis (CAP-RA): protocol for a prospective observational study

Pain and fatigue are persistent problems in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Central sensitisation (CS) may contribute to pain and fatigue, even when treatment has controlled inflammatory disease. This study ...

Authors: Onosi S. Ifesemen, Daniel F. McWilliams, Eamonn Ferguson, Richard Wakefield, Kehinde Akin-Akinyosoye, Deborah Wilson, Dorothy Platts, Susan Ledbury and David A. Walsh

Pilot study of an internet-based pain coping skills training program for patients with systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) often experience pain and other symptoms that negatively impact quality of life. Interventions that enhance the use of behavioral and cognitive coping strategie...

Authors: Kelli D. Allen, Tyler Beauchamp, Christine Rini, Francis J. Keefe, Kim L. Bennell, Rebecca J. Cleveland, Kimberlea Grimm, Katie Huffman, David G. Hu, Andres Santana, Shruti Saxena Beem, Julie Walker and Saira Z. Sheikh

Association of lipoproteins and thyroid hormones with cognitive dysfunction in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Neuropsychiatric manifestations occur in up to 75% of adult systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and are one of the major causes of death in SLE patients. Cognitive dysfunction is a typical clinical fea...

Authors: Li Lu, Wei Kong, Kangxing Zhou, Jinglei Chen, Yayi Hou, Huan Dou and Jun Liang

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis in a child with ulcerative colitis: a case report

Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a condition characterized by sterile bone inflammation, usually occurring in childhood. Although the etiology remains unclear, this condition has been assoc...

Authors: Hon Yan Ng, Orlee R. Guttman and Lori B. Tucker

A rare case of Polyarteritis Nodosa associated with autoimmune hepatitis: a case report

Polyarteritis nodosa is a type of vasculitis affecting medium- and small-sized arteries that has been associated with hepatitis B but does not have an established relationship with autoimmune hepatitis. Here w...

Authors: Freda Kennedy, Rachel Kapelow, Bilge D. Kalyon, Nitzan C. Roth, Arvind Rishi and Maria-Louise Barilla-LaBarca

Correction to: Adult onset Still’s disease in the elderly: a case-based literature review

Authors: Arash Mollaeian, Jingjing Chen, Nina N. Chan, Gregory A. Nizialek and Christopher J. Haas

The BSR-PsA: study protocol for the British Society for Rheumatology psoriatic arthritis register

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) presents a unique clinical challenge. Affecting joints, skin, nails, and other organs, it is associated with various comorbidities and has a significant impact on quality of life, soc...

Authors: Gareth T. Jones, Gary J. Macfarlane, Karen Forrest Keenan, Paul McNamee, Aileen R. Neilson, Stefan Siebert, A. David Burden, Lesley Kay and Philip S. Helliwell