[Frequency and severity of sarcopenia in patients with inflammatory and noninflammatory musculoskeletal diseases : Results of a monocentric study in a tertiary care center]. / Häufigkeit und Schweregrad von Sarkopenie bei Patient*innen mit entzündlichen und nichtentzündlichen muskuloskeletalen Erkrankungen : Ergebnisse einer monozentrischen Studie in einem tertiären Zentrum.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcopenia (SP) is defined as the pathological loss of muscle mass and function. This is a clinically relevant problem, especially in geriatric patients, because SP is associated with falls, frailty, loss of function, and increased mortality. People with inflammatory and degenerative rheumatic musculoskeletal disorders (RMD) are also at risk for developing SP; however, there is little research on the prevalence of this health disorder in this patient group using currently available SP criteria. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and severity of SP in patients with RMD. METHODS: A total of 141 consecutive patients over 65 years of age with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondylarthritis (SpA), vasculitis, and noninflammatory musculoskeletal diseases were recruited in a cross-sectional study at a tertiary care center. The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP 1 and 2) definitions of presarcopenia, SP, and severe SP were used to determine the prevalence. Lean mass as a parameter of muscle mass and bone density were measured by dual X­ray absorptiometry (DXA). Handgrip strength and the short physical performance battery (SPPB) were performed in a standardized manner. Furthermore, the frequency of falls and the presence of frailty were determined. Student's T-test and the χ2-test were used for statistics. RESULTS: Of the patients included 73% were female, the mean age was 73 years and 80% had an inflammatory RMD. According to EWGSOP 2, 58.9% of participants probable had SP due to low muscle function. When muscle mass was added for confirmation, the prevalence of SP was 10.6%, 5.6% of whom had severe SP. The prevalence was numerically but not statistically different between inflammatory (11.5%) and noninflammatory RMD (7.1%). The prevalence of SP was highest in patients with RA (9.5%) and vasculitis (24%), and lowest in SpA (4%). Both osteoporosis (40% vs. 18.5%) and falls (15% vs. 8.6%) occurred more frequently in patients with SP than those without SP. DISCUSSION: This study showed a relatively high prevalence of SP, especially in patients with RA and vasculitis. In patients at risk, measures to detect SP should routinely be performed in a standardized manner in the clinical practice. The high frequency of muscle function deficits in this study population supports the importance of measuring muscle mass in addition to bone density with DXA to confirm SP.

[How many patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases have the technical prerequisites for video consultations and are also willing to use this to carry out visits by medical specialist visits?] / Wie viele Patienten mit entzündlich rheumatischen Erkrankungen haben die technischen Voraussetzungen für Videosprechstunden und sind bereit, fachärztliche Visiten so durchzuführen?

BACKGROUND: The currently disseminating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and limited capacities in outpatient rheumatological care, pose questions about possible alternatives to clinical visits, also in view of the digital revolution. It is unclear whether and to what extent patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases are willing and in a position to deal with the new media, such as video consultation. METHODS: In the middle of the pandemic in May 2020 outpatients were surveyed using a standardized questionnaire in order to document their possibilities and willingness to participate in a video consultation. The treating physicians were asked whether carrying out a video consultation was considered to be a possible and meaningful option. RESULTS: Overall, 232 patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases were surveyed (64.7% female, average age 54.0 ± 15.2 years), seropositive (n = 58) and seronegative (n = 51) rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis (SpA, n = 77) including axial SpA (axSpA) and psoriatic arthropathy (PsA) as well as collagenosis and vasculitis (CoV, n = 46). The mean duration of disease was 5.5 ± 8.2 years, whereby in 75 patients (32.3%) it was the first diagnosis. The mean disease activity (0-10, subjective patient self-estimation) was 4.7 ± 2.5. Overall, 176 patients were basically aware of the possibility to carry out video consultations (75.9%) and 166 considered that they were technically capable to participate (71.6%) but only 131 were principally willing to participate (56.5%). Logistic regression analyses showed that the willingness to participate in video consultations decreased with increasing age (ß = 0.28, p = 0.01). According to the medical estimation video consultations were thought to be principally possible for 161 patients for technical reasons (69.4%) and for 127 for medical reasons (54.7%); however, a video consultation within the framework of treatment was only considered to be meaningful by the physician for 76 patients (32.8%). CONCLUSION: Not all patients can or want to participate in video consultations and the willingness declines with increasing age. The estimation of the meaningfulness of video consultations by physicians was also limited to approximately one third of the patients surveyed. This must be taken into consideration for the future planning of video consultations.

[Threat of a SARS-CoV-2 endemic in a large hospital specialized in rheumatic diseases-relative all clear through consistent testing]. / Drohende Corona-Endemie in einer rheumatologischen Spezialklinik ­ relative Entwarnung durch konsequente Testung.

The severe acute respiratory coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic is keeping most countries of the world in suspense. In Germany the prevalence of SARS-CoV­2 infections is under 2% but for weeks the numbers in Germany have also been increasing. The care in rheumatology was temporarily impaired by the first wave of the pandemic. This article reports the infection situation in the largest specialized rheumatology clinic in Germany, the Rheumatism Center Ruhrgebiet, because recently during the second wave for the first time several SARS-CoV­2 infections occurred here over one weekend, which led to considerable anxiety in many of those involved. The situation could be clarified by consistent testing of patients and personnel with the rapid antigen test and the situation could be mollified. Ultimately, only a few persons were tested positive and the courses by the patients have so far remained bland. This shows the effectiveness of the protective hygiene measures consistently implemented since April.

[Standardized documentation of health-related quality of life in patients with psoriatic arthritis : Validation of the German version of the psoriatic arthritis quality of life (PsAQoL) questionnaire]. / Standardisierte Erfassung der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität bei Patienten mit Psoriasisarthritis : Validierung der deutschen Version des "Fragebogen zur Lebensqualität von Patienten mit Psoriasisarthritis (PsAQoL)".

BACKGROUND: The standardized assessment of health-related quality of life is becoming increasingly more important. The English questionnaire on psoriatic arthritis quality of life (PsAQoL) is a disease-specific instrument for measuring the quality of life of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The aim of the present study was to translate the PsAQoL into German and to validate the German version in a cohort of PsA patients recruited from routine care. METHOD: The translation and validation of the PsAQoL questionnaire was carried out in a stepwise procedure involving affected patients with PsA. After translation of the original English questionnaire the German version was evaluated in a field test. The psychometric features of the questionnaire were then examined in a PsA cohort from routine care. In addition to the construct and group validity, the reliability of the questionnaire was tested using test-retest reliability and internal consistency. The physical functioning was measured with the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) and domains of the quality of life with the Nottingham health profile (NHP). RESULTS: In a field test with 10 patients the German version of the PsAQoL questionnaire proved to be relevant, easily understandable and feasible (processing time 4.7 ± 2.1 min). A total of 126 patients (37.3% male, age 55.6 ± 11.3 years) were included in the validation cohort. The PsAQoL showed moderate correlation with the HAQ (r = 0.65) and moderate to good correlation with the NHP (subdomains r = 0.58-0.75). The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α 0.92) and reliability in patients with stable disease course was very good (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.94). The PsAQoL can differentiate between different patient groups. CONCLUSION: The German translation of the PsAQoL provides a valid disease-specific instrument for the standardized assessment of health-related quality of life in patients with PsA. The psychometric characteristics of this questionnaire are comparable with the original English version. The German PsAQoL can therefore be recommended for clinical and scientific application.

[How well are patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases protected against measles?] / Wie gut sind Patienten mit entzündlich rheumatischen Erkrankungen gegen Masern geschützt?

BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases have an increased risk of infections due to the autoimmune disease but also due to the immunosuppressive medication. Although vaccinations are known to be effective in the primary prophylaxis of infections, the vaccination rate in Germany is generally too low. Due to the recently increasing, sometimes epidemic-like occurrence of measles, the administration of live vaccine against measles has recently become required by law. OBJECTIVE: How many patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases are currently sufficiently protected against measles? METHOD: Between December 2017 and October 2018 patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases at the Ruhrgebiet Rheumatism Center were prospectively and consecutively included. Data on the disease and treatment at the level of substance classes, patient history of vaccination and infections were collated. All information on vaccinations were controlled in the vaccination certificate. Antibodies against measles were determined using ELISA. The threshold for sufficient protection against measles was set at 150 mIU/ml. RESULTS: Out of 975 patients 540 (55.4%) could present a vaccination certificate. In 201 patients with a certificate (37.2%) vaccination had been documented since birth. Overall, 45 out of 267 patients born after 1970 (16.9%) had sufficient protection against measles. The patient history of measles in childhood showed no differences between patients with and without protective measles IgG antibodies. Protective measles IgG antibodies were detected in 901 out of 928 patients with measurement of the measles IgG antibody level (97.1%). The different principles of action of the current immunosuppressive treatments had no influence on this. CONCLUSION: These data show that at least 2.9% of the patients did not have sufficient protection against measles. Interestingly, the majority of patients born after 1970 had protective antibodies despite the lack of vaccination against measles. The efforts in primary and also in the specialist medical care should be urgently strengthened in order to be able to guarantee an adequate infection prophylaxis in particularly endangered patients.

[Evaluation of a basic educational program for patients with rheumatoid arthritis]. / Evaluation einer Basisschulung für Patienten mit rheumatoider Arthritis.

BACKGROUND: A new conceptual framework has enabled the flexible development of rheumatological patient educational programs for different healthcare settings. On this basis, a 5­h basic training program for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was developed to be used in specialized centers. Rheumatologists and psychologists were first trained and then the efficacy of the patient training program was evaluated based on the causal model of patient education. METHODS: The externally randomized waiting control group study with 249 RA patients included 3 measurement points. The impact of the 5­h basic training on disease and treatment-related knowledge as well as health competence of RA patients was examined. Secondary questions included attitudinal parameters, communication competence, effects on the disease and satisfaction with the educational program. Data were analyzed on an intention to treat basis by means of covariance analyses for the main target variables, adjusted for baseline values. RESULTS: The analyses showed that the training program was effective. Even 3 months after training, participants reported more knowledge and health competence than the waiting control group, with small to medium-sized effects (d = 0.37 and 0.38, respectively). With the exception of disease communication, no other effects of training were observed in the secondary objectives. CONCLUSION: The basic training program provides a good foundation to develop further interventions to improve attitudinal and disease parameters. It can serve as a central component for rheumatological healthcare for patients with RA at various levels.

[Clinical significance of determination of DFS70 antibodies to rule out connective tissue diseases]. / Klinische Wertigkeit der Bestimmung von DFS70-Antikörpern für den Ausschluss von Kollagenosen.

BACKGROUND: Connective tissue diseases (CTD) are autoimmune diseases highly associated with the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA). Since ANA and musculoskeletal symptoms are not uncommon in the general population, differential diagnostic challenges frequently occur for the treating physician. Dense fine speckled antibodies (DFS70) were recently discovered but their presence appeared to be rare in CTD. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study a total of 270 patients treated in the Rheumatism Center of the Ruhr Area (Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet) were preferentially included, when they were ANA+ (≥1:80). Other autoantibodies and DFS70 antibodies were also investigated. The diagnosis of CTD was confirmed by rheumatologists. The sensitivity, specificity and the positive predictive value of DFS70 antibodies were differentially evaluated for various ANA titers. RESULTS: In 91 (33.7%) of the ANA+ patients (33.7%) the diagnosis of CTD was confirmed and in 84 (92.3%) the ANA titer was ≥1:160. The DFS70 antibodies were detected in 17 out of 130 ANA+ patients without CTD (13.1%) versus 2 ANA+ patients (2.2%) with CTD (p = 0.027). None of the patients with ANA 1:80 had DFS70 antibodies. The specificity of DFS70 antibodies to detect the absence of CTD was 97.6%, the sensitivity was 13.1% and the positive predictive value was 89.5%. There was almost no effect of the strength of the different ANA titers. CONCLUSION: It was found that DFS70 antibodies are rarely present in ANA+ patients with CTD but the diagnosis of CTD cannot be reliably ruled out solely by the presence of DFS70 antibodies; however, the high specificity of DFS70 antibodies can be of clinical importance in unclear situations and in cases of anxious patients.

[Biosimilars and the nocebo effect]. / Biosimilars und der Nocebo-Effekt.

Biosimilars have been approved for use in Germany for many years and in the meantime also in rheumatology but only a few years ago. Biosimilars, which are biotechnologically manufactured products the same as reference biologicals, have actually now achieved a substantial proportion of the market in some regions but there are still doubters among patients and physicians who fear a loss of quality even if there is no evidence for this. A part of this problem can be explained by the nocebo effect but which furthermore also has a substantial medical importance. This effect is described and explained in this article. Psychosocial and context-related factors, such as the relationship between patient and physician, previous experience with treatment and treatment expectations can either improve or impair the efficacy of treatment interventions. These phenomena are commonly known as placebo and nocebo effects. As placebo and nocebo effects can influence the development of symptoms, the frequency of undesired events and the efficacy of treatment, it is decisive to know these effects and to develop strategies for prevention in order to optimize the treatment results. Although in recent years experimental studies have achieved substantial progress in the clarification of the psychosocial and neurobiological mechanisms of placebo effects, detailed mechanisms of nocebo effects are still widely unexplored. An improved understanding of these mechanisms promises the development of user-friendly strategies for the clinical care to improve treatment results and patient satisfaction.

[Rheumatological care in the Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet Rheumatism Center-a model for conurbations]. / Rheumatologische Versorgung im Rheumazentrum Ruhrgebiet ­ ein Modell für Ballungszentren.

The Ruhrgebiet Rheumatism Center, which is highly specialized for rheumatic diseases, is the largest of its kind in Germany. For many years it has fulfilled all the requirements for structural quality required by the Association of Rheumatological Acute Clinics (VRA) including regular participation in the KOBRA benchmarking project. Therefore, the center regularly receives the VRA seal for quality of care. In 2018 more than 7500 patients were treated as inpatients. Within the framework of care according to §116b (ASV since May 2019) there were nearly 25,000 outpatient patient contacts. Furthermore, an early screening program (triage) was established 5 years ago in order to be able to identify patients with musculoskeletal complaints on a potentially inflammatory rheumatic basis. This functions in the sense of an early diagnosis and treatment in accordance with the treat-to-target concept within less than 4 weeks (initially) on an outpatient basis with respect to the required urgency, in order to subsequently provide sound diagnostic support. In the last 2 years 2017 and 2018, this deadline was met in more than 90% of cases. Within the scope of inpatient care approximately one third of patients were treated in recent years with a defined rheumatological complex therapy and 10% with pain complex therapy. Approximately 3% were treated with geriatric complex therapy and 65% were short-stay patients (<4 days), i.e. patients who received the necessary diagnostics and treatment on an inpatient basis at short notice. The overall structure of the rheumatism center, the cooperation with rheumatologists in private practice, many cooperation partners, referring physicians and patients represents a model for rheumatological care in large conurbations. The care of large numbers of patients also enables the further training of many assistants and this is essential for the future of good rheumatological medicine.