Fatigue Assessment Using FACIT-F Scale in Spondyloarthropathy Patients and its Correlation with BASDAI and BASFI Scores.

OBJECTIVE: To measure fatigue in axial spondyloarthropathy patients and find its correlation with the disease activity measures. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Rheumatology Unit, Federal Government Polyclinic Hospital, from November 2021 to May 2022. METHODOLOGY: This study included 45 patients fulfilling the ASAS criteria for spondyloarthropathy. Bathankylosing spondylitis disease activity (BASDAI), Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI), and functional assessment of chronic illness therapy- fatigue (FACIT-F) scores were measured for each patient. RESULTS: In this study, there were 9 (20%) female patients and 36 (80%) male patients. There were 39 (86.7%) patients who had ankylosing spondylitis, 4 (8.9%) had axial spondyloarthropathy with peripheral arthritis and 2 (4.4%) had enthesitis-related juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The mean duration of the disease was 5.45 ± 4.19 years. Active disease with a BASDAI score of ≥4 was found in 16 (35.6%) patients while 29 (64.4%) had a BASDAI score <4. Severe fatigue with a FACIT-F score of <30 was found in 31 (68.9%) of the patients while less fatigue with FACIT-F score >30 was found in 14 (31.1%). The mean BASFI score of the cohort was 3.23 ± 2.01. Spearman's rho correlation analysis showed a significant strong correlation between the FACIT-F score, BASDAI and BASFI scores (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients with active disease and higher BASFI scores had a lower FACIT-F score suggesting more fatigue, thus correlating with the disease activity. KEY WORDS: Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity (BASDAI), Functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-fatigue (FACIT-F), Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI), Assessment in ankylosing spondylitis (ASAS).

Assessment of plasma microRNA potentials as a non-invasive biomarker in patients with axial spondyloarthropathy.

OBJECTIVE: It is assumed that abnormally expressed MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may be present in the plasma of patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthropathy (rad-AxSpA). Thus, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the expression profile of miRNAs in patients with rad-AxSpA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 15 patients diagnosed with rad-AxSpA according to the Assessment of the SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) classification criteria and nine healthy controls matched for age and gender were included in the study. Demographic data were collected, and disease activity was evaluated using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI). Peripheral blood samples were collected, and miRNAs were extracted. The expression of microRNAs was analyzed using quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) by the miScript miRNA PCR Array Human Inflammatory Response and Autoimmunity. RESULTS: A total of 84 miRNA profiles were evaluated, and expressions in the study and control groups were compared. When compared to the control group, 6 miRNAs (miR-125b-5p, miR-144-3p, miR-19a-3p, miR-20a-5p, miR-29c-3p, miR-30b-5p) were detected to be upregulated, and 42 miRNAs were detected to be downregulated in the rad-AxSpA group. A p-value < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. A significant association was found between miR-145-5p and BASDAI (p = 0.04941). MiR-144-3p, miR-302b-3p, miR-381-3p, miR-497-5p, miR-511-5p, and miR-9-5p were found to be significantly upregulated in the HLA-B27+ patients (p = 0.03063). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal miRNA expressions were detected in the plasma of the patients with rad-AxSpA. It was concluded that comprehensive studies should be continued to define these miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers for rad-AxSpA in order to detect its association with Ankylosing Spondylitis disease activity.

Ultrasonographic and clinical assessment of peripheral enthesitis and arthritis in an Italian cohort of inflammatory bowel disease patients.

AIMS: To evaluate the prevalence of clinical and ultrasonographic musculoskeletal involvement in Italian patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: In this cross-sectional multicenter study, 148 consecutive patients with IBD were evaluated by a gastroenterologist and a rheumatologist. All patients underwent a B-mode and power Doppler ultrasonographic examination of 6 pairs of entheses and of knee and ankle joints. RESULTS: A positive history for at least one musculoskeletal manifestation was reported by 40.5% of patients, more frequently in ulcerative colitis (UC) (p = 0.033). Inflammatory back pain was reported by 13.5% of patients, and a past history of peripheral arthritis by 14.9%, entheseal inflammation by 14.2% and dactylitis by 2.7%. At clinical examination, arthritis was observed in 19.6% of patients and enthesitis in 33%. Oligoarthritis and enthesitis at clinical examination were more frequently observed in UC than in Crohn disease (CD). 37.8% of total IBD patients fulfilled ASAS classification criteria for axial and/or peripheral spondyloarthritis, 8.1% ASAS classification criteria for axial spondyloarthritis, and 29.7% ASAS classification criteria for peripheral spondyloarthritis. With ultrasonographic examination, signs of entheseal involvement were observed in 87.8% of patients, while at power Doppler, ≥1 abnormality was observed in 27.1%. ASAS+ patients compared to those ASAS- had a significantly higher frequency at ultrasonography of acute entheseal abnormalities, power Doppler entheseal positivity and joint involvement. These abnormalities at ultrasonography were also observed in 34%, 13% and 12% of ASAS- patients. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal manifestations occur frequently in patients with IBD. Ultrasonographic entheseal and joint involvement were also observed in asymptomatic patients.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) collaborative care for patients with axial spondyloarthritis (AcuSpA): protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) is a chronic disease which results in fatigue, pain, and reduced quality of life (QoL). Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), especially acupuncture, has shown promise in managing pain. Although a TCM collaborative model of care (TCMCMC) has been studied in cancer, there are no randomized controlled trials investigating TCM in AxSpA. Therefore, we will conduct a pragmatic trial to determine the clinical effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of TCMCMC for patients with AxSpA. We define TCMCMC as standard TCM history taking and physical examination, acupuncture, and TCM non-pharmacological advice and communications with rheumatologists in addition to usual rheumatologic care. The purpose of this paper is to describe the rationale for and methodology of this trial. METHODS/DESIGN: This pragmatic randomized controlled trial will recruit 160 patients who are diagnosed with AxSpA and have inadequate response to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Simple randomization to usual rheumatologic care or the intervention (TCMCMC) with a 1:1 allocation ratio will be used. Ten 30-min acupuncture sessions will be provided to patients assigned to the TCMCMC arm. All participants will continue to receive usual rheumatologic care. The primary endpoint - spinal pain - will be evaluated at week 6. Secondary endpoints include clinical, quality of life, and economic outcome measures. Patients will be followed up for up to 52 weeks, and adverse events will be documented. DISCUSSION: This trial may provide evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of a TCMCMC for patients with AxSpA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03420404 . Registered on 14 February 2018.

Stability of fatigue, pain, patient global assessment and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) in spondyloarthropathy patients with stable disease according to the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI).

The study objective was to examine natural variation of the patient-reported outcome measures fatigue, pain, patient global assessment (PaGl) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) in patients with stable axial spondyloarthropathy (ax-SpA) defined on the basis of the Bath Spondylitis Ankylosing Disease Activity Index (BASDAI). 107 TNF-inhibitor treated stable ax-SpA patients were identified in the Danish rheumatology registry (DANBIO). According to the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) response criteria, stable disease was defined as a change in BASDAI < 20 between two consecutive visits. Data on BASDAI, fatigue, pain, PaGl and BASFI (0-100) from such two visits were extracted for each patient. Lower and upper 95% limits of agreement (LLoA;ULoA) and the mean of intra-individual differences (the bias) were computed for each measure. Associations were described by linear correlations and standard errors of estimation. Mean BASDAI was 35.6 ± 23.8, mean BASDAI change 0.0 ± 9.7 (range - 19 to 19) and mean inter-visit time duration 16 ± 13 weeks. LLoA;ULoA [bias] for fatigue was - 37.4;36.2 [- 0.6], for pain - 34.1;32.5 [- 0.8], for PaGl - 35.7;32.9 [- 1.4] and for BASFI - 23.2;22.6 [- 0.3]. Intra-individual differences in fatigue, pain, BASFI and PaGl were not correlated with the inter-visit time duration, were poorly inter-correlated and were poorly correlated with baseline values and with changes in BASDAI. In conclusion, natural variation of patient-reported outcome measures was substantial and unpredictable in individual ax-SpA patients in steady state defined on the basis of BASDAI. Consequently, observed changes in the daily clinic should be interpreted with caution.

Counting Costs under Severe Financial Constraints: A Cost-of-Illness Analysis of Spondyloarthropathies in a Tertiary Hospital in Greece.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the total annual direct cost of patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) in Greece. METHODS: Retrospective study with 156 patients diagnosed and followed up in the rheumatology clinic of the University Hospital of Ioannina. Sixty-four had ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and 92 had psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Health resource use for each patient was elicited through a retrospective chart review that documented the use of monitoring visits, medications, laboratory/diagnostic tests, and inpatient stays for the previous year from the date that the review took place. Costs were calculated from a third-party payer perspective and are reported in 2014 euros. RESULTS: The mean ± SD annual direct cost for the patients with SpA reached €8680 ± 6627. For the patients with PsA and AS, the cost was estimated to be €8097 ± 6802 and €9531 ± 6322, respectively. The major cost was medication, which represented 88.9%, 88.2%, and 89.3% of the mean total direct cost for SpA, AS, and PsA, respectively. The annual amount of the scheduled tests for all patients corresponded to 7.5%, and for those performed on an emergency basis, 1.1%. Further, the cost for scheduled and emergency hospitalization, as well as the cost of scheduled visits to an outpatient clinic, corresponded to 2.5% of the mean total annual direct cost for the patients with SpA. CONCLUSION: SpA carries substantial financial cost, especially in the era of new treatment options. Adequate access and treatment for patients with SpA remains a necessity, even in times of fiscal constraint. Thus, the recommendations of the international scientific organizations should be considered when administering high-cost drugs such as biological treatments.

Assessment of the spine with CT and MRI prior to interspinous/interlaminar spinal procedures: a pictorial review.

Imaging of the spine is increasingly available, whether as dedicated spine examinations or as studies that include the spine in the images obtained (e.g. CT abdomen). This pictorial review discusses imaging of the spine with CT and MRI and how prior review of this imaging can be helpful with potentially difficult spinal procedures. Pathologies illustrated include osteoarthritis, scoliosis, inflammatory spondyloarthropathies and post-operative spines.

Prevalence of axial spondyloarthritis in United States rheumatology practices: Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society criteria versus rheumatology expert clinical diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: New classification criteria for axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) have been validated by the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) working group. We applied these criteria to estimate prevalence of SpA in randomly selected, retrospectively reviewed medical records from representative US rheumatology practices. METHODS: Rheumatologists from 101 US practices identified at-risk patients, ages 18-44 years, with chronic back pain. Medical records were reviewed against ASAS criteria. The proportion of patients meeting ASAS criteria was compared to an estimate of the total number of at-risk patients treated at participating sites and, following weighting, was extrapolated to 5,520 US rheumatology practices. US Census data were used to estimate national prevalence. RESULTS: In a sample of 816 randomly selected records, 514 (63%) at-risk patients (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 59.6-66.3%) met ASAS criteria. By applying this proportion to 1,217,097 Americans estimated at risk, 766,652 were projected to meet ASAS criteria. This projection corresponds to a national prevalence of 0.70% (95% CI 0.38-1.1%) or 701 per 100,000 individuals. The prevalence estimates of ankylosing spondylitis and nonradiographic axial SpA are 0.35% (95% CI 0.18-0.554%) and 0.35% (95% CI 0.18-0.554%), respectively. Rheumatologists diagnosed axial SpA in 491 (60%) of those at risk, corresponding to 0.67% (95% CI 0.36-1.01%) prevalence overall. However, of 514 patients meeting ASAS criteria, 124 (24%) were undiagnosed by rheumatologists. CONCLUSION: This is the first systematic epidemiology study of axial SpA using ASAS criteria. Better recognition of axial symptoms is needed, as rheumatologists' expert clinical diagnoses are not always in agreement with ASAS criteria.

A questionnaire survey of patient experience with the Rheumatology Monitoring Clinic in Singapore.

AIM: The concept of a pharmacist/advanced practice nurse (APN)-led Rheumatology Monitoring Clinic (RMC) is a novel service in Singapore; we therefore conducted a questionnaire survey of patient experience. METHODS: Patients attending the RMC were provided with a set of questionnaires. As a substudy, a separate questionnaire was given to the rheumatologists and therapists conducting the RMC. RESULTS: Of the 105 patients surveyed, a total of 97 (92.4%) patients were satisfied/strongly satisfied with the overall service, and none were dissatisfied; 96% felt that the pharmacists/APNs provided clear, detailed information about their disease and medication, while 92% of patients were confident they knew what side-effects were possible. Ninety-two percent and 93% of patients were more likely to adhere to treatment, and were willing to come back for follow-up at the RMC, respectively. There was no difference in patient satisfaction in the average Likert summed scores, between the pharmacists and APNs. Age, gender, ethnicity and underlying disease did not exert any influence on the responses. All the rheumatologists surveyed were satisfied with the patients' management and the professionalism of the therapists. They opined that the RMC freed up time for them to see more complex cases. All the pharmacists/APNs concurred that the referrals were appropriately selected. CONCLUSIONS: We established the acceptability of a non-physician-led clinic in our local setting and highlighted the usefulness of having a routine clinic for monitoring medication toxicity and patient education. The RMC received positive feedback from patients, rheumatologists and allied health therapists, with a high degree of satisfaction among the respondents.

Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire for the Spondyloarthropathies.

The Health Assessment Questionnaire for Spondyloarthropathies (HAQ-S) was built by adding five new questions related with cervical and lumbar spine functions to HAQ by Daltroy et al. (in J Rheumatol 17(7):946-945, 1990). The aim of this study was to adapt the added five items into Turkish and then to test its reliability and validity. New questions were adapted to Turkish according to 'translation-back translation' method. Seventy-nine patients with ankylosing spondylitis were asked with the Turkish version of HAQ-S (HAQ-S TV). To assess, construct validity patients were evaluated by HAQ, Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath AS Metrology Index (BASMI), Maastricht AS Enthesitis Score (MASES), Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL), and laboratory variables (erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein). Construct validity was investigated with Spearmann's rank correlation coefficient. Reliability of HAQ-S TV was assessed by internal consistency. Inter- and intra-observer reliability were tested with Cronbach's alpha score. HAQ-S TV met set criteria of reliability and validity. Reliability of adapted version was found good with high internal consistency value. (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89). In addition to this intra-observer and inter-observer reliability were found adequate for total score of HAQ-S (Cronbach's alphas: 0.999 and 0.998 in order) and also for each added five questions (Cronbach's alphas >0.7). Positive correlations were found between HAQ-S TV and HAQ, BASFI, BASDAI, BASMI, MASES, ASQoL, ESR, and CRP (P < 0.05). The results of this study showed that HAQ-S TV was reliable and valid in patients with AS.

The evidence for whole-spine MRI in the assessment of axial spondyloarthropathy.

In the past decade, fat-suppression MRI techniques have been increasingly used for the assessment of axial-SpA. Indeed, newly proposed classification criteria have suggested the inclusion of fat-suppression MRI for the evaluation of the SI joint in inflammatory back pain (IBP) of suspected axial-SpA. However, recent data on the whole spine have identified certain MRI spinal lesions to be highly diagnostic of axial-SpA; that the SI joint can be spared in axial-SpA; and that IBP may originate in the lumbar spine rather than SI joint. Therefore, it is proposed that MRI of the whole spine and not just the SI joint should now become a routine part of the assessment of axial-SpA. Not only is spinal MRI of great diagnostic utility in axial-SpA but there is also increasing evidence to suggest that it can play a significant role in the management, in particular directing anti-TNF therapy in AS, and also it may be prognostically useful in axial-SpA. With the wider availability, improving technology and falling cost of MRI, and the difficulty that clinical assessment of axial-SpA poses, especially in early disease, there is now a strong case for the use of whole-spine MRI in the diagnosis and management of axial-SpA.

Assessment of the impact of disease on the individual.

From the medical or disease perspective, patients' functioning, disability and health are seen primarily as the consequences or the impact of a disease or condition. In this perspective, self-administered health status instruments are used primarily to evaluate the effects of drug treatments or surgical interventions. The interpretation of these measures is generally based on scales and scores and not on individual items. Currently used instruments are reviewed and an algorithm for the selection of instruments is provided. In the rehabilitation or disability perspective, patients' functioning and health is associated with and not merely a consequence of, a condition or disease. The basis for the understanding of functioning, disability and health--in association with the condition but also the personal and contextual factors--is WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health or ICF. This chapter illustrates the use of the ICF framework for structuring patients' problems, and the use of condition-specific ICF-Core-Sets to check for problems typically encountered in patients with a given condition.