Assessing safety and efficacy of TNFi treatment in late onset ankylosing spondylitis: a TURKBIO registry study.

Clinical data on the use of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in late-onset ankylosing spondylitis (LoAS) are limited. The present study aimed to evaluate efficacy, safety, and treatment adherence associated with the initial use of TNFi therapy in biologic naive patients diagnosed with LoAS. Patients whose age of onset was ≥ 45 years and < 45 years were classified as having LoAS and YoAS, respectively, based on the age of symptom onset. There were 2573 patients with YoAS and 281 LoAS. Baseline disease activity measures were similar between the groups. No significant differences were seen between the two groups in response to treatment and in remaining on the first TNFi at 6, 12 and 24 months. In the LoAS group, the analysis showed that TNFi discontinuation was linked to VAS pain score (HR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.06). Patient groups had similar rates of adverse events (YoAS: 8.7% vs. LoAS: 11.7%). In both biologic naive LoAS and YoAS patients, the study showed that the initial TNFi therapy was equally effective and safe.

Treatment of systemic sclerosis-associated digital ulcers: recommendations of the Turkish Society for Rheumatology.

OBJECTIVES: Digital ulcers (DUs) are associated with a significant burden in systemic sclerosis (SSc) by leading to severe pain, physical disability, and reduced quality of life. This effort aimed to develop recommendations of the Turkish Society for Rheumatology (TRD) on the management of DUs associated with SSc. METHODS: In the first meeting held in December 2020 with the participation of a task force consisting of 23 rheumatologists the scope of the recommendations and research questions were determined. A systematic literature review was conducted by 5 fellows and results were presented to the task force during the second meeting. The Oxford system was used to determine the level of evidence. The preliminary recommendations were discussed, modified, and voted by the task force and then by members of TRD via e-mail invitation allowing personalised access to a web-based questionnaire [SurveyMonkey®]. RESULTS: A total of 23 recommendations under 7 main headings were formulated covering non-pharmacological measures for the prevention of DUs and pharmacological treatments including vasodilators, anti-aggregants, antibiotics, wound care, pain control, and interventions including sympathectomy, botulinum toxin, and surgery. Risk factors, poor prognostic factors, prevention of DU and adverse effects of medical treatments were reported as 4 overarching principles. CONCLUSIONS: These evidence-based recommendations for the management of SSc-associated DUs were developed to provide a useful guide to all physicians who are involved in the care of patients with SSc, as well as to point out unmet needs in this field.

Evaluation of middle ear and hearing status of ankylosing spondylitis patients with wideband tympanometry and pure tone audiometry tests.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the middle and inner ear function and hearing status of Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. METHODS: One hundred twenty-four ears of 62 patients with AS and 90 ears (control group) of 45 healthy subjects were included in the study. The hearing levels of the participants were assessed with pure tone and high-frequency audiometry at the octave frequency between 250 and 16,000 Hz. The absorbance rates and resonance frequencies of middle ear were measured with the wideband tympanometry (WBT) test. AS group was divided into subgroups based on the disease activity, duration of follow-up, medications used for AS, and the subgroups were compared according to hearing status and absorbance and resonance frequencies of middle ears. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between the AS and control groups in terms of air and bone conduction thresholds at frequencies of 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz and the mean PTA1, PTA2, and PTA3 values (p < 0.05). In contrast, no statistically significant difference was observed between two groups in terms of high-frequency thresholds (8000-16,000 Hz). Although the middle ear resonance frequency obtained from the WBT test was higher in the AS group compared to the control group, no significant difference was observed (p > 0.05). The severity of disease adversely affected the hearing threshold at 250, and 500 Hz for air conduction, at 500 Hz for bone conduction threshold, and at PTA1 (p < 0.05). The duration and severity of disease did not affect absorbance values of WBT (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the effects of AS patients on the middle ear function with WBT and to report middle ear absorbance values and resonance frequency changes in AS patients. The higher resonance frequency values found by WBT in AS patients may be due to the stiffness that develops as a result of middle ear involvement. According to pure tone and high-frequency audiometry findings, it has been seen that AS leads to SNHL especially at low frequencies.

Minor salivary gland evaluation: Sjögren's syndrome.

BACKGROUND/AIM:  We aimed to analyze the value of 3 serial sections, spaced 200 µm apart, for quantification of lymphocyte and plasma cell foci in minor salivary gland biopsy (MSGB). MATERIALS AND METHODS:  Labial MSGBs from 69 patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and scleroderma were used for this study. Each sample was prepared as 3 serial sections spaced 200 µm apart. Lymphocytic and plasma cell focus score (LFS, PFS) were determined for each section, and the diagnostic results were compared to those obtained from a single section. RESULTS: For 22 of the 69 patients, all 3 sections were scored at <1 and interpreted as inconclusive for the presence of SS. For 20 cases, all 3 sections were scored at ≥1 and interpreted as diagnostic for SS. In the remaining 27 cases, the score was found to vary between sections. Plasma cell foci were observed in 11 cases, with 5 cases exhibiting a PFS of ≥1. Of those 5 cases, 4 also had a LFS of ≥1. CONCLUSION:  Assessment of 3 serial sections in MSGB has the potential to improve accuracy of SS diagnosis by detecting specific features that may not have been detected in a single section. We concluded that data about the PFS require further evaluation.