Five-year follow-up of patients with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the long-term outcomes of patients with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA). METHODS: We collected data on the clinical course of patients who had been identified as D2T RA in 2018 until 2023. We stratified the patients according to outcomes at the last visit: resolved D2T RA, persistent D2T RA, and mortality. We compared their clinical characteristics and investigated the predictive factors for the resolution of D2T RA or mortality. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of the causes of D2T RA identified in 2018, multidrug resistance, comorbidities, and socioeconomic factors on outcomes in 2023. RESULTS: Of 173 patients identified as D2T RA in 2018, 150 were included in the analysis. Among them, D2T RA was resolved in 67 (45%), 75 (50%) remained as D2T RA, and 8 (5%) died. Patients with resolved D2T RA were significantly younger at the latest visit (p= 0.02), had a higher proportion of treatment changes during five years (p= 0.002), and had a higher proportion of interleukin-6 receptor inhibitors use in 2023 (p= 0.04) than those in patients with persistent D2T RA or those who died. D2T RA resolved in 38% of patients with multidrug resistance, mainly with treatment changes. Rheumatic disease comorbidity index and glucocorticoid dose escalation were independent risk factors for mortality (odds ratio [OR], 3.50; p= 0.02 and OR, 31.9; p= 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: Further modifications in RA treatment are useful for resolving D2T RA. Multiple comorbidities and glucocorticoid use are associated with mortality.

Contrast of muscle magnetic resonance imaging and pathological findings of muscle tissue in patients with anti-aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase antibodies.

OBJECTIVES: TO DETERMINE WHETHER MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) FINDINGS REFLECT THE PATHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF INFLAMMATORY MYOPATHIES: Methods: Patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) diagnosed using the 2017 EULAR/ACR classification criteria in our university between 2005 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. IIMs were subclassified into the anti-ARS syndrome (ASSD), immune-mediated necrotizing myositis (IMNM), Dermatomyositis DM and others. Fat-suppressed T2-weighted MRI and muscle biopsy specimens were assessed in IIMs followed by the comparison among the four subgroups. RESULTS: MRI findings were available for 62 patients and histopathological findings were available for 27 patients. Perifascicular atrophy or necrosis in the muscle tissues from the patients with IIM was more frequently observed in patients with subcutaneous and fascial high signal intensity (HSI) on MRI than those without. Four-group comparison among ASSD, IMNM, DM and others revealed HSI in fasciae on MRI was more frequently observed in patients with ASSD and DM than others. Perifascicular atrophy or necrosis in muscle tissues was more frequently observed in patients with ASSD than in others. CONCLUSION: Patients with ASSD had distinct MRI features compared with anti-ARS negative patients. The fascial high signal intensity on MRI may reflect distinctive pathological features of muscles.

Efficacy and safety of abatacept for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review assessed the efficacy and safety of abatacept in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS: Studies published between 2000 and 2021 were searched using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Ichushi-Web and clinical trial registries. The risk of bias was assessed according to the manual for development clinical practice guidelines by Minds, a project to promote evidence-based medicine in Japan. RESULTS: Seven observational studies were included. American College of Rheumatology pediatric 30/50/70 responses at 3, 6 and 12 months were 64.8%/50.3%/27.9%, 85.7%/71.4%/42.9% and 80.0%/50.0%/40.0%, respectively. Outcomes on systemic symptoms, joint symptoms and activities of daily living were not obtained. No macrophage activation syndrome or infusion reaction occurred. Serious infection occurred in 2.6% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Abatacept improved the disease activity index. In addition, abatacept was as safe as interleukin-6 (IL -6) and IL-1 inhibitors. However, both the efficacy and safety data in this systematic review should be reviewed with caution because their quality of evidence is low or very low. Further studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of abatacept for systemic JIA, especially its efficacy on joint symptoms.

Efficacy and safety of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review assessed the efficacy and safety of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). METHODS: Studies were searched using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Ichushi-Web, and clinical trial registries (from 2000 to 2021). The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias version 2 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the manual for development clinical practice guidelines by Minds, a project promoting evidence-based medicine in Japan, for observational studies. RESULTS: One RCT and 22 observational studies were included. In the RCT on infliximab, the American College of Rheumatology pediatric (ACR Pedi) 30/50/70 responses at 14 weeks were 63.8%/50.0%/22.4%, with relative risks of 1.30 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94-1.79)/1.48 (95% CI: 0.95-2.29)/1.89 (95% CI: 0.81-4.40), respectively. In the observational studies, ACR Pedi 30/50/70 responses for etanercept at 12 months were 76.7%/64.7%/46.4%, respectively. Infliximab treatment caused anaphylaxis in 17% and an infusion reaction in 23% of patients. The incidence of macrophage activation syndrome, serious infection and malignancy caused by TNF inhibitors was 0%-4%. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, although TNF inhibitors were relatively safe, they were unlikely to be preferentially administered in patients with systemic JIA because of their inadequate efficacy. Further studies, particularly well-designed RCTs, are necessary to confirm the efficacy and safety of TNF inhibitors for systemic JIA.

Distinct impact of malignancy and allergy on the clinical and immunological features of IgG4-related disease.

OBJECTIVES: To clarify the clinical and immunological characteristics of IgG4-RD based on the underlying diseases. METHODS: Consecutive patients with IgG4-RD treated at Keio University Hospital between 2010 and 2021 were divided according to the presence of malignancy or allergy into three groups. The clinical characteristics and 56 immune cell subsets in the peripheral blood were compared among the groups. RESULTS: Among 123 patients, 18 (14.6%) had malignancy including 4 with allergy (malignancy group), 57 (46.3%) had allergy alone (allergy group), and 48 (39.0%) had neither (idiopathic group). In the malignancy group, the patients were older (70.1 vs. 54.4 vs. 64.9 years, p<0.001), male-dominant (83.3 vs. 42.1 vs. 54.2%, p=0.008), and had smoking habits (77.8 vs. 42.1 vs. 43.8%, p=0.02). They also had significant involvement of the aorta/large vessels (33.3 vs. 7.0 vs. 20.8%, p=0.02), while the patients in the allergy group tended to have orbital/lacrimal gland involvement. Remission and relapse rates were not different between the groups; however, overall survival was significantly poorer in the malignancy group (p=0.02). Comprehensive immunophenotyping of the peripheral blood revealed that the increase in CXCR5+CD2-double negative T cells and the decrease in naive CD8 T cells were characteristic of the malignancy group. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical and immunological phenotypes of IgG4-RD differ among those with underlying diseases.

Should we reconsider the definition of elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis in an ageing society?

OBJECTIVES: The management of elderly-onset rheumatoid arthritis (EORA) is challenging due to progressive functional disability, increased comorbidities, and high drug-related risks. EORA is defined as disease onset after 60 years since 1985. We assessed whether this cut-off age was optimal in a progressively ageing society. METHODS: This study used two cohorts of consecutive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients: the Nippon Medical School (NMS) cohort (n = 204) and the Keio cohort (n = 296). Clinical findings independently correlated with the age of RA onset were selected as 'EORA features' from previously reported EORA characteristics using univariable and multivariable regression analyses. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was conducted to determine the cut-off age that best selected patients with all EORA features. RESULTS: Acute onset, negative anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, and high erythrocyte sedimentation rate were selected as 'EORA features' in both cohorts. Patients with all EORA features were more numerous with age and almost exclusively older than 65 years. The optimal EORA cut-off age was 73 years with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.82 in the NMS cohort and 68 with an AUC of 0.93 in the Keio cohort. In the NMS cohort, Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index and comorbidities in patients with disease onset between 60 years and the projected cut-off age were similar to those in younger-onset RA, but differed from those in patients with disease onset older than the projected cut-off age. CONCLUSION: The optimal EORA cut-off age was greater than the conventional definition, but this needs to be validated in different patient populations.

Clinical and immunological effects of hydroxychloroquine in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite antirheumatic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Patients with active RA, despite conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (csDMARDs), were recruited. HCQ was administered for 24 weeks, in addition to prior treatment. The primary endpoint was the proportion of American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 achievement at week 24, compared to that of a propensity score matched historical control group. RESULTS: Sixty patients were enrolled and administered HCQ. We also identified 276 patients as candidates for the historical control group. Propensity score matching yielded 46 patients in each group. The proportion of ACR20 achievements at week 24 was significantly higher in the HCQ group than that in the control group (54.4% vs. 28.3%, P = 0.007). The proportion of ACR50 and ACR70 achievement at week 24 were also higher in the HCQ group than those in the control group (ACR50, 30.4% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.006; ACR70, 17.4% vs. 0%, P = 0.005). Neither hydroxychloroquine retinopathy nor any new safety signal was observed during the study. CONCLUSION: The addition of HCQ to csDMARDs was effective, with no new safety signal in patients with RA.

Characteristics of patients with difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with difficult-to-treat RA (D2T RA) and the usefulness of switching to drugs with different modes of action in real-world. METHODS: We reviewed all consecutive patients with RA treated at Keio University Hospital between 2016 and 2017 with a definition of D2T RA. We analysed clinical characteristics and evaluated the usefulness of changing drugs according to mode of action. RESULTS: Among 1709 patients with RA, 173 (10.1%) were D2T RA. The reason for the D2T RA was multi-drug resistance in 59 patients (34.1%), comorbidity in 17 (9.8%), and socio-economic reasons in 97 (56.1%). The multi-drug-resistance group had significantly higher tender joint count and evaluator global assessment than the other groups, despite receiving the most intensive treatment. The comorbidity group showed a significantly older age and higher rheumatic disease comorbidity index. Although changing the drug to another with a different mode of action was useful, the proportion of patients who achieved remission or low disease activity decreased as the number of switches increased. CONCLUSION: Of the patients with RA, 10.1% were still difficult to treat in clinical practice, despite intensive treatment. Their characteristics were distinct by the reasons of D2T RA, which suggests the need for a personalized approach to D2T RA.

Lymphadenopathy in IgG4-related disease: a phenotype of severe activity and poor prognosis, with eotaxin-3 as a new biomarker.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify relevant proteins and clinical characteristics of a phenotype of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) with lymphadenopathy. METHODS: We enrolled patients newly diagnosed with IgG4-RD in our department between January 2000 and June 2018 and performed proteomic analysis to measure serum concentrations of 1305 proteins. We extracted proteins overexpressed in patients with IgG4-RD with lymphadenopathy by comparing between those with lymphadenopathy, those without lymphadenopathy and healthy controls. We further reviewed all the patients with IgG4-RD in our institution and investigated the characteristics and prognosis of the patients with IgG4-RD with lymphadenopathy. RESULTS: Eighty-five patients with IgG4-RD were enrolled, of which, 55% had lymphadenopathy. Proteomic analysis in 31 patients with IgG4-RD and 6 healthy controls revealed that eotaxin-3 was a potential serum biomarker in the patients with lymphadenopathy versus those without lymphadenopathy and healthy controls. A cohort of 85 patients with IgG4-RD demonstrated that patients with lymphadenopathy showed a significantly higher serum IgG4, IgG4:IgG ratio, IgG4-RD responder index and eosinophilia (P < 0.001 for all), irrelevant of the extent to which organ involvement developed. Patients with lymphadenopathy treated with glucocorticoid alone relapsed with significantly higher rates than those without lymphadenopathy (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Lymphadenopathy in IgG4-RD represents a phenotype associated with high disease activities, eosinophilia and relapsing disease. Eotaxin-3 is a novel biomarker related to IgG4-RD with lymphadenopathy.

Usefulness of serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 for the management of myositis-associated interstitial lung disease.

OBJECTIVE: To identify biomarkers for assessing myositis-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). METHODS: We reviewed consecutive patients from our institution who had been newly diagnosed with PM, DM, or clinically amyopathic DM during the years 2002-2017. The patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of ILD, and the ILD group was further subdivided into three groups according to the clinical courses of induction failure, relapse and non-relapse. Baseline and time-course changes in the parameters were compared between groups. RESULTS: Among 110 patients enrolled, 75 (68%) had ILD. Baseline serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) was significantly higher in the ILD group than in the non-ILD group (1120 vs 236 U/ml; P < 0.001). In the ILD group consisting of the induction failure cases (n = 3), the relapse group (n = 24) and the non-relapse group (n = 48), baseline serum KL-6 was significantly different between the three groups [1971 vs 1870 vs 935 U/ml, respectively; P = 0.003 (relapse group vs non-relapse group)]. The time-course changes in serum KL-6 revealed that KL-6 significantly increased along with relapse, with the increase of 625 U/ml relevant to relapse. CONCLUSION: Serum KL-6 is a useful biomarker for assessing the disease activity of myositis-associated ILD.

The prognostic value of positron emission tomography/computed tomography in rheumatoid arthritis patients with methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorders.

Recently, methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorders (MTX-LPDs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been found to commonly occur in association with iatrogenic immunodeficiency. Several factors have been reported to be related to the prognosis. We herein investigate the efficacy of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in predicting the prognosis of MTX-LPD. We performed a retrospective analysis of the clinical features, characteristics, and outcomes of 18 patients with MTX-LPDs who were treated from 2004 to 2015. All of the patients were diagnosed with MTX-LPD based on the histological examination of biopsy specimens. Spontaneous regression was detected after the cessation of MTX in 5 of 18 cases (28%). The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of the FDG uptake on PET/CT was significantly lower, and the maximum size of the LPD-associated tumor was significantly smaller among the patients who showed spontaneous regression (p = 0.01, p = 0.04, respectively). Both the SUVmax and the maximum tumor size were related to better overall survival (p = 0.02, p = 0.04, respectively). Thus, PET/CT can be used to predict spontaneous regression and the prognosis at the diagnosis of MTX/LPD. Cases that showed spontaneous regression never relapsed during the follow-up period, despite the usage of several anti-rheumatoid arthritis drugs, including biological agents. The early detection of LPDs and the early cessation of MTX are important for the management of RA patients. An evaluation by F-FDG-PET/CT can be useful for predicting spontaneous regression and the prognosis.

Clinical characteristics of methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorders: relationship between absolute lymphocyte count recovery and spontaneous regression.

Several reports have shown that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk of developing lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD). Methotrexate (MTX) has been recognized as a major cause of LPD. Sometimes spontaneous regression (SR) occurs after withdrawal of MTX. Recent studies suggest that the early recovery of the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) after withdrawal of MTX is associated with the spontaneous regression of MTX-LPD. We retrospectively analyzed 26 patients with MTX-LPD to identify predictive factors for spontaneous regression. The spontaneous regression after withdrawal of MTX occurred in 13 of 26 (50%) cases. We assessed the ALC at the time of MTX cessation and 1 month after cessation in 23 evaluable cases. The spontaneous regression was observed in 3 of 11 in the ALC recovery group (27%) and in 8 of the 12 in the ALC non-recovery group (67%). Thus, we could not detect any relationship between the recovery of ALC after withdrawal of MTX and the spontaneous regression. The patients in the ALC recovery group had a poorer prognosis than those in the ALC non-recovery group (2-year overall survival: 65.6 vs. 100%, p = 0.05). According to these results, the recovery of the ALC might not be useful as a predictor of the spontaneous regression. Furthermore, the existence of extranodal sites and advanced-stage were associated with non-SR. It is suspected that MTX-LPD patients with high disease activity at the time of their diagnosis might have little hope of spontaneous regression. This result indicated the importance of the early detection of MTX-LPD.

A preliminary survey of rheumatologists on the management of late-onset rheumatoid arthritis in Japan.

Objectives We investigated the current perspectives regarding the management of late-onset rheumatoid arthritis (LORA) among rheumatologists in clinical practice. Methods This study was performed in October 2021, and included 65 rheumatologists certified by the Japan College of Rheumatology, who were administered questionnaires (including multiple choice and descriptive formulae) regarding the management of LORA. We aggregated and analyzed the responses. Results All 65 rheumatologists responded to the survey; 47 (72%) answered that >50% of newly diagnosed patients were aged ≥65 years, 42 (65%) answered that achievement of remission or low disease activity was the treatment goal, and 40 (62%) considered patient safety to be the highest priority. Most rheumatologists are concerned about the management of conditions other than RA, such as comorbidities, financial constraints, and life circumstances that interfere with standard or recommended treatment implementation. Conclusion This preliminary survey highlighted various rheumatologists' perspectives regarding the management of LORA.