Tofacitinib experience in patients with enteropathic arthritis.

Background/aim: The JAK-STAT pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of both the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and spondyloarthropathy group of diseases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of tofacitinib, a Janus kinase inhibitor, in the treatment of enteropathic arthritis (EA). Materials & methods: The study included seven patients, four from the authors' follow-up and three from the literature. All cases were recorded for demographic characteristics, comorbidities, IBD and EA symptoms, medical treatments and changes in clinical and laboratory results with treatment. Results & conclusion: Clinical and laboratory remission in terms of IBD and EA was achieved in three patients after tofacitinib treatment. For both spondyloarthritis spectrum diseases and IBD, tofacitinib may be an appropriate choice, as its efficacy has been shown in both conditions.

Tofacitinib, which inhibits the JAK enzyme, is an oral, nonbiologic, disease-modifying drug used in the treatment of rheumatologic diseases. Tofacitinib modulates the immune response and reduces or prevents inflammation. There are limited data on the efficacy of tofacitinib for the treatment of enteropathic arthritis. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tofacitinib in the treatment of enteropathic arthritis. Seven patients, four from the authors' follow-up and three from the literature, were included in the study. All cases were recorded in terms of demographic characteristics, comorbidities, symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease and enteropathic arthritis, medical treatments and changes in treatment and clinical and laboratory results. After tofacitinib treatment, clinical and laboratory improvement was achieved in three patients. As a result, tofacitinib may be a suitable choice for enteropathic arthritis.

Ustekinumab in enteropathic arthritis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ustekinumab in the treatment of enteropathic arthritis. Materials & methods: A systematic literature search was performed in the Pubmed database of publications between January 2010 and October 2021. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, inflammatory bowel disease and enteropathic arthritis symptoms, other extraintestinal findings, medical treatments and clinical and laboratory findings for all cases were recorded. Results: A total of 11 patients were included. While clinical and laboratory remission was achieved in terms of inflammatory bowel disease in all patients and enteropathic arthritis in nine patients after ustekinumab treatment, other extraintestinal findings for all patients completely regressed after treatment. Conclusion: Ustekinumab may be an appropriate treatment option for this patient group, considering both pathogenesis and successful treatment responses.

Treatments targeting the IL-23 pathway are highly effective in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and inflammatory bowel diseases. However, their efficacy in patients with enteropathic arthritis with peripheral and/or axial joint involvement is unclear. Ustekinumab may be a valuable option for patients who cannot adhere to other treatment options due to side effects or ineffectiveness. Considering its positive effects on joint involvement in patients with psoriatic arthritis, the current work was designed to investigate the efficacy of ustekinumab in patients with enteropathic arthritis on both gut and extraintestinal involvement, particularly musculoskeletal symptoms.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease-related Spondyloarthritis: The Last Unexplored Territory of Rheumatology.

The Spondyloarthritides (SpA) are a group of chronic inflammatory d iseases a ffecting th e spine, peripheral joints and entheses, as well as extra-skeletal structures, including the gastrointestinal tract. On the other hand, inflammatory b owel d isease (IBD), e ither Crohn's d isease o r ulcerative colitis, often affects extra-intestinal sites, including the axial and/or peripheral skeleton. IBD-related arthritis is the type of SpA that occurs in patients affected by IBD, with an incidence up to 50% during the IBD course. Although both manifestations are apparently the result of a common pathogenetic process, physicians often fail to recognize the disease in its entirety: thus, IBD-SpA is managed as two separate diseases, a musculoskeletal and a gastrointestinal one, with a profound impact on patient quality of life. Moreover, the specialty of the treating physician determines the clinical and laboratory tools for disease assessment, which, in turn, guide treatment decisions that may overlook either affected system or even act in the opposite direction. Raising awareness of the intestinal and musculoskeletal manifestations among rheumatologists and gastroenterologists will lead to earlier diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach, particularly regarding pharmacologic treatments. Given the lack of trial evidence on immunomodulatory drugs in IBD-SpA it is imperative for researchers in both medical disciplines to join efforts, in order to determine referral strategies, appropriate composite measures for disease assessment, treatment algorithms and therapeutic targets.

Microplastic consumption induces inflammatory signatures in the colon and prolongs a viral arthritis.

Global microplastic (MP) contamination and the effects on the environment are well described. However, the potential for MP consumption to affect human health remains controversial. Mice consuming ≈80 µg/kg/day of 1 µm polystyrene MPs via their drinking water showed no weight loss, nor were MPs detected in internal organs. The microbiome was also not significantly changed. MP consumption did lead to small transcriptional changes in the colon suggesting plasma membrane perturbations and mild inflammation. Mice were challenged with the arthritogenic chikungunya virus, with MP consumption leading to a significantly prolonged arthritic foot swelling that was associated with elevated Th1, NK cell and neutrophil signatures. Immunohistochemistry also showed a significant increase in the ratio of neutrophils to monocyte/macrophages. The picture that emerges is reminiscent of enteropathic arthritis, whereby perturbations in the colon are thought to activate innate lymphoid cells that can inter alia migrate to joint tissues to promote inflammation.

Uveitis-related Factors in Patients With Spondyloarthritis: TReasure Real-Life Results.

PURPOSE: Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of diseases with overlapping skeletal and extra-articular features. Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) is the most common extra-articular manifestation of SpA. The relation between AAU and SpA is well defined in the current literature. Our study aims to analyze the frequency and factors associated with AAU in different forms of SpA in a large nationwide cohort of Turkish SpA patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: The data were obtained from the TReasure database, which compiles data from records of the web-based Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and SpA patients treated with biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatismal drugs from different regions of Turkey. The clinical characteristics of SpA and uveitis are recorded. RESULTS: Data of the 4,297 SpA patients were included in the study. Overall, 475 of 4,297 patients (11.0%) had experienced 1 or more episodes of uveitis. SpA patients with older age (P < .001), a smoking history (P = .004), delayed diagnosis (P = .001), longer disease duration (P < .001), arthritis (P < .001), positive HLA-B27 (P < .001), a family history of SpA (P < .001), and radiographic damage (presence of sacroiliitis, syndesmophytes, bamboo spine, hip involvement) (P < .001 for all) more commonly had uveitis. On the other hand, uveitis was less prevalent in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (P < .001 for both). CONCLUSION: Uveitis may be the key feature leading to SpA diagnosis. Patients with radiographic damage and long disease duration have an increased risk for uveitis in both male and female SpA patients. Patients with uveitis should be referred to a rheumatologist for a thorough evaluation of SpA.

Prevalence of axial spondyloarthritis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease using cross-sectional imaging: a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an excess burden of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), which, if left untreated, may significantly impact on clinical outcomes. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of axSpA, including previously undiagnosed cases, in IBD patients from studies involving cross-sectional imaging and identify the IBD features potentially associated with axSpA. METHODS: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched systematically between 1990 and 2018. Article reference lists and key conference abstract lists from 2012 to 2018 were also reviewed. All abstracts were reviewed by two authors to determine eligibility for inclusion. The study inclusion criteria were (a) adults aged 18 years or above, (b) a clinical diagnosis of IBD and (c) reporting identification of sacroiliitis using cross-sectional imaging. RESULTS: A total of 20 observational studies were identified: 12 used CT, 6 used MR and 2 utilised both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Sample sizes ranged from 25 to 1247 (a total of 4096 patients); 31 studies were considered to have low selection bias, 13 included two or more radiology readers, and 3 included rheumatological assessments. The prevalence of sacroiliitis, the most commonly reported axSpA feature, ranged from 2.2% to 68.0% with a pooled prevalence of 21.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 17-26%]. Associated IBD features include increasing IBD duration, increasing age, male sex, IBD location, inflammatory back pain and peripheral arthritis. No significant difference in the prevalence of sacroiliitis between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis was identified. Study limitations include variability in the individual study sample sizes and patient demographics. CONCLUSION: This review highlights the need for larger, well-designed studies using more sensitive imaging modalities and multivariable modelling to better estimate the prevalence of axSpA in IBD. An improved knowledge of the IBD phenotype(s) associated with axSpA and use of cross-sectional imaging intended for IBD assessment to screen for axSpA may help clinicians identify those patients most at risk.

A case of enteropathic arthritis complicated by superimposed bilateral septic arthritis of the hips.

Polyarticular septic arthritis is an underappreciated clinical entity. Pre-existing joint diseases, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis have been shown to be risk factors for septic arthritis. However, there is a paucity of data in the literature regarding the risk of septic arthritis in those patients with enteropathic arthritis. Here, we describe the case of a 47-year-old female with a background history of ulcerative colitis who presented with difficulty mobilising and pain in the hips associated with lethargy, fever and a significant inflammatory response. After an investigative process, she was newly diagnosed with enteropathic arthritis, complicated at presentation, by bilateral septic arthritis of the hips, based on progressive radiological destruction and a joint aspirate that grew Staphylococcus aureus. After treatment with antibiotics and steroids, her pain and mobility significantly improved, and she was discharged with a plan for an elective hip replacement and to commence disease-modifying therapy with sulfasalazine. This case reminds us that we must have a high index of suspicion to diagnose septic arthritis in those who present feverish and unwell with joint pain, even in those who present with multiple joint involvement. Furthermore, it describes a rare occurrence of bilateral septic arthritis of the hips occurring in a patient with enteropathic arthritis, which unlike osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, is not well described in the literature as a risk factor for septic arthritis.

Classifications and imaging of juvenile spondyloarthritis.

Juvenile spondyloarthritis may be present in at least 3 subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis according to the classification of the International League of Associations for Rheumatology. By contrast with spondyloarthritis in adults, juvenile spondyloarthritis starts with inflammation of peripheral joints and entheses in the majority of children, whereas sacroiliitis and spondylitis may develop many years after the disease onset. Peripheral joint involvement makes it difficult to differentiate juvenile spondyloarthritis from other juvenile idiopathic arthritis subtypes. Sacroiliitis, and especially spondylitis, although infrequent in childhood, may manifest as low back pain. In clinical practice, radiographs of the sacroiliac joints or pelvis are performed in most of the cases even though magnetic resonance imaging offers more accurate diagnosis of sacroiliitis. Neither disease classification criteria nor imaging recommendations have taken this advantage into account in patients with juvenile spondyloarthritis. The use of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluation of children and adolescents with a clinical suspicion of sacroiliitis would improve early diagnosis, identification of inflammatory changes and treatment. In this paper, we present the imaging features of juvenile spondyloarthritis in juvenile ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis with spondyloarthritis, and juvenile arthropathies associated with inflammatory bowel disease.

The Seronegative Spondyloarthropathies.

The seronegative spondyloarthropathies are a group of five diseases characterized by inflammatory oligoarticular arthritis, enthesitis, and axial involvement. They have an increased incidence of the HLA-B27 gene. They are commonly associated with extra-articular features including involvement of the skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal tract. Early recognition and referral are key to limit disability, and comanagement with primary care and rheumatology offers the best outcomes.

Management of arthropathy in inflammatory bowel diseases.

The most common extra-intestinal manifestation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is articular involvement, with a prevalence ranging between 17% and 39%. It is frequently characterized by an involvement of the axial joints but may also be associated with peripheral arthritis. The target of therapy in the management of arthritis associated with IBD is to reduce the inflammation and prevent any disability and/or deformity. This requires active cooperation between gastroenterologist and rheumatologist. The treatment of axial involvement has focused on the combination of exercise with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Immunomodulators have been efficacious in patients with peripheral arthritis and other extra-intestinal manifestations, but they are not effective for the treatment of axial symptoms of spondylitis. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α inhibitors have been proven to be highly effective in the treatment of IBD patients which are steroid-dependent or refractory to conventional therapy and in patients with associated articular manifestations. The treatment of peripheral involvement and/or enthesitis and/or dactylitis is based on local steroid injections, while sulfasalazine and/or low doses of systemic steroids may be useful in case of inadequate response to intra-articular steroids. Sulfasalazine induces only a little improvement in peripheral arthritis. Immunomodulators such as methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclosporine and leflunomide show their efficacy in some patients with peripheral arthritis and other extra-intestinal components. TNF-α inhibitors should be considered the first-line therapeutic approach when moderate-to-severe luminal Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis is associated with polyarthritis. The aim of this review is to provide a fair summary of current treatment options for the arthritis associated with IBD.

Artrite enteropática no Brasil: dados do registro brasileiro de espondiloartrites / Enteropathic arthritis in Brazil: data from the brazilian registry of spondyloarthritis

As doenças inflamatórias intestinais (doença de Crohn e retocolite ulcerativa) apresentam manifestações extraintestinais em um quarto dos pacientes, sendo a mais comum a artrite enteropática. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo, observacional e multicêntrico, realizado com pacientes de 29 centros de referência participantes do Registro Brasileiro de Espondiloartrites (RBE), que se incorpora ao grupo RESPONDIA (Registro Ibero-americano de Espondiloartrites). Dados demográficos e clínicos de 1472 pacientes foram colhidos, e aplicaram-se questionários padronizados de avaliação de mobilidade axial, de qualidade de vida, de envolvimento entesítico, de atividade de doença e de capacidade funcional. Exames laboratoriais e radiográficos foram realizados. Objetivamos, neste presente artigo, comparar as características clínicas, epidemiológicas, genéticas, imagenológicas, de tratamento e prognóstico de enteroartríticos com os outros espondiloartríticos nesta grande coorte brasileira. RESULTADOS: Foram classificados como enteroartrite 3,2% dos pacientes, sendo que 2,5% tinham espondilite e 0,7%, artrite (predomínio periférico). O subgrupo de indivíduos com enteroartrite apresentava maior prevalência de mulheres (P < 0,001), menor incidência de dor axial inflamatória (P < 0,001) e de entesite (P = 0,004). O HLA-B27 foi menos frequente no grupo de enteroartríticos (P = 0,001), mesmo se considerado apenas aqueles com a forma axial pura. Houve menor prevalência de sacroiliíte radiológica (P = 0,009) e também menor escore radiográfico (BASRI) (P = 0,006) quando comparado aos pacientes com as demais espondiloartrites. Também fizeram mais uso de corticosteroides (P < 0,001) e sulfassalasina (P < 0,001) e menor uso de anti-inflamatórios não hormonais (P < 0,001) e metotrexato (P = 0,001). CONCLUSÃO: Foram encontradas diferenças entre as enteroartrites e as demais espondiloartrites, principalmente maior prevalência do sexo feminino, menor frequência do HLA-B27, associados a uma menor gravidade do acometimento axial.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (Crohn's disease and ulcerative rectocolitis) have extraintestinal manifestations 25% of the patients, with the most common one being the enteropathic arthritis. METHODS: Prospective, observational, multicenter study with patients from 29 reference centers participating in the Brazilian Registry of Spondyloarthritis (RBE), which incorporates the RESPONDIA (Ibero-American Registry of Spondyloarthritis) group. Demographic and clinical data were collected from 1472 patients and standardized questionnaires for the assessment of axial mobility, quality of life, enthesitic involvement, disease activity and functional capacity were applied. Laboratory and radiographic examinations were performed. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical, epidemiological, genetic, imaging, treatment and prognosis characteristics of patients with enteropathic arthritis with other types of spondyloarthritis in a large Brazilian cohort. RESULTS: A total of 3.2% of patients were classified as having enteroarthritis, 2.5% had spondylitis and 0.7%, arthritis (peripheral predominance). The subgroup of individuals with enteroarthritis had a higher prevalence in women (P < 0.001), lower incidence of inflammatory axial pain (P < 0.001) and enthesitis (P = 0.004). HLA-B27 was less frequent in the group with enteroarthritis (P = 0.001), even when considering only those with the pure axial form. There was a lower prevalence of radiographic sacroiliitis (P = 0.009) and lower radiographic score (BASRI) (P = 0.006) when compared to patients with other types of spondyloarthritis. They also used more corticosteroids (P < 0.001) and sulfasalazine (P < 0.001) and less non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (P < 0.001) and methotrexate (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: There were differences between patients with enteroarthritis and other types of spondyloarthritis, especially higher prevalence of females, lower frequency of HLA-B27, associated with less severe axial involvement.