[Achievement of clinical-laboratory and ASAS-partial remission in patients with early axial spondyloarthritis according to the ESAC cohort at the 3rd year of follow-up].

BACKGROUND: According to the treat-to-target strategy for spondyloarthritis (SpA), the main goal is to achieve clinical remission or inactive disease. In 2001, the Assessment of Spondyloarhtritis International Society (ASAS) formulated the ASAS criteria for partial remission, and the Russian expert group for the study of SpA identified clinical-laboratory remission (no clinical manifestations of the disease that persists for 6 months in the presence of normal values of C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remission and complete remission (a combination of clinical-laboratory and MRI remission). AIM: To determine the frequency of achieving clinical-laboratory and ASAS partial remission in patients with early axial SpA (axSpA) at the 3rd year of follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included patients from the ESAC cohort (Early SpondyloArthritis Cohort), formed at the Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology (Moscow). Currently, the cohort includes 175 patients with axSpA. The analysis included 66 patients followed for at least 3 years, of which 37 (56%) were men and 29 (44%) were women. The average age of the patients was 31.5 (5.7) years, the average duration of the disease was 22.1 (17.0) months, 63 (95.4%) patients had HLA-B27 antigen. RESULTS: Clinical-laboratory remission was achieved by 21 (31.8%) patients with early axSpA at the 3rd year of follow-up, ASAS partial remission by 29 (44.0%) patients. CONCLUSION: In the 3rd year of follow-up of patients with early axSpA, 32% of patients achieved clinical-laboratory remission, and 44% of patients achieved ASAS partial remission. More than 40% of patients with early axial spondyloarthritis achieve remission while taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

[Activity of ankylosing spondylitis in women within one year after childbirth].

AIM: To assess the dynamics of activity of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) during the year after childbirth, to identify predictors of high activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 75 pregnant with confirmed AS (modified New York criteria, 1984) were included for prospective observation. Of these, 44 women were followed up for 1 year after delivery. The average age of the patients was 32.55.8 years, the duration of the disease was 149.096.3 months. Lactation was established in 40 women and the duration was 10 [4; 12] months. RESULTS: The BASDAI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index) at 1, 6 and 12 months after giving birth was 2.4 [1.4; 4.2], 2.6 [1.4; 4.4] and 2.7 [1.5; 4.1], respectively (p0.05). ASDAS-CRP (Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score C-reactive protein) was 2.0 [1.2; 2.7], 1.9 [1.4; 2.5] and 1.7 [1.3; 2.3], respectively (p0.05). There were no differences between the values of BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP between women with and without lactation. Predictors of high AS activity (BASDAI4) 1 month after delivery were: BASDAI4 in the 1st (odds ratio OR 8.1; 95% confidence interval CI 1,837,0) and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy (OR 5.1, 95% CI 1.220.6); NRS back pain 4 in the 2nd trimester (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.117.2); cancellation of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs therapy in the 1st trimester of pregnancy (OR 21.0, 95% CI 1.0440.9). Predictors of high AS activity in 6 months after delivery were: BASDAI4 in the 1st (OR 6.5, 95% CI 1.528.7), in the 2nd (OR 6.7, 95% CI 1.627.8) and in the 3rd trimesters of pregnancy (OR 8.7, 95% CI 1.938.6); high activity in 1 month after delivery (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.015.9). CONCLUSION: AS activity remains stable for 1 year after delivery. High AS activity during pregnancy was a risk factor for high activity within 6 months after delivery.

[Ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: Two stages of disease?] / Ankiloziruiushchii spondilit i nerentgenologicheskii aksial'nyi spondiloartrit: dve stadii odnoi bolezni?

AIM: To compare the clinical manifestations of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nrAxSpA). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A Moscow early spondyloarthritis cohort has now included 132 patients with axial spondyloarthritis, of whom 69 patients who have been followed up at least 12 months are to be involved in a preliminary analysis. The mean age at the time of inclusion in the study was 28.1±5.5 years; the mean disease duration was 24.7±15.8 months; 63 (91.3%) patients were HLA-B27 positive; 41 and 28 included patients were diagnosed with AS and nrAxSpA, respectively. RESULTS: Men were significantly more in the AS group than in the nrAxSpA group (58.5 and 32.1%, respectively; p=0.05). The patients of the two groups did not differ in main clinical parameters (the presence of arthritis and enthesitis), disease activity (BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP) and functional status (BASFI). All indicators of inflammatory activity decreased nearly 2-fold in both groups after 12 months of follow up. In 7 (25%) patients with nrAxSpA, radiologically detectable sacroiliitis (SI) developed over 12 months and the diagnosis of AS was verified. Among them, 2 (28.5%) patients had initially active SI detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); 4 (57.1%) had chronic SI, and 1 (14.4%) had no pathological MRI changes. CONCLUSION: Due to the fact that the clinical manifestations of AS and nrAxSpA are comparable, it can be assumed that the latter is an early stage of AS.

[Causes of death in patients with rheumatic diseases in Moscow].

AIM: To study causes of death of rheumatic patients in Moscow. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Autopsy protocols for 1999-2002 were analysed for two pathoanatomic departments of Moscow. RESULTS: Rheumatic diseases were detected in 165 cases (2.0% of overall number of autopsies in these departments). Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) was stated in 99 (60.0%) cases, rheumatic fever relapse (RFR) in 4 (2.4%), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 28 (17.0%), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in 8 (4.8%), systemic sclerosis (SS) in 3 (1.8%), ankylosing spondilarthritis (AS) in 2 (1.2%), systemic vasculitis (SV) in 2 (1.2%), osteoarthrosis in 11 (7.3%), gout in 3 (1.8%), polymyositis in 1 (0.6%). RHD patients died of decompensated circulation (DC) (54%), acute heart failure (AHF) (14%), thromboembolism (TE) (6%), other causes (26%). RF patients died of TE (n = 2), DC (n = 1), AHF (n = 1). Out of 28 RA patients, 5 patients died of secondary amyloidosis, 3 of DC, 7 of AHF, 1 of TE, 5 of infectious complications, 7 of other causes. SLE patients died of uremia (n = 2), acute adrenal failure (n = 1), infectious complications (n = 2), AHF (n = 2), brain edema (n = 1). CONCLUSION: Among rheumatic diseases, rheumatic heart valve disease was most severe as it caused the highest mortality. Cardiovascular pathology caused death in most of the rheumatic patients.

[The causes of death of patients with rheumatic diseases in Moscow]. / Prichiny smerti bol'nykh s revmaticheskimi zabolevaniiami v Moskve.

The study was held in order to analyze the main causes of death in cases of rheumatic diseases (RD) in Moscow. The authors studied the pathology records of autopsies performed in 1999-2002 in two pathology departments of Moscow clinics. Cases with RD were selected. The study found 165 cases of RD, which constituted 2% of all autopsies performed in these departments. There were 99 cases (60%) of rheumatic heart disease (RHD), 4 cases (2.4%) of rheumatic fever (RF) relapse, 28 cases (17%) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 8 cases (4.8%) of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 3 cases (1.8%) of scleroderma systematica (SS), 2 cases (1.2%) of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 2 cases (1.2%) of systemic vasculitis (SPV), 11 cases (7.3%) of osteoarthrosis, 3 cases (1.8%) of gout, 1 case (0.6%) of polymyositis. The death of patients with RHD had been caused by hemodynamic decompensation (HD) in 54% of the cases, acute cardiovascular collapse (ACC) in 14% of the cases, 6% of the patients had died from thromboembolism (TE) and 26%--from other conditions (intoxication, uremia, brain and lung edema etc). The death of patients with RF was caused by TE in 2 cases, by HD in 1 case and by ACC in 1 case. Secondary amyloidosis resulting in chronic renal failure and uremia occurred in 5 out of 28 cases of RA, HD--in 3, ACC--in 7, TE--in 1, infectious complications--in 5, other complications--in 7 cases. Patients with SLE died from various conditions: uremia in 2 cases, acute adrenal failure in 1 case, infectious complications in 2, ACC--in 2, brain edema--in 1 case. The complications of SS were uremia and intoxication. ACC was the cause of death in cases of gout and SS. The majority of RD cases were patients with RHD. The main cause of death in RD was cardiovascular disorders.

[Analysis of lethal outcomes of rheumatic diseases in Moscow]. / Analiz letal'nykh iskhodov pri revmaticheskikh zabolevaniiakh v Moskve.

AIM: To study the pattern of lethal outcomes due to rheumatic diseases (RD) in Moscow. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Annual reports of 38 pathological departments of Moscow have been analysed for 1999 and 2000. RESULTS: RD accounted for 1.8% diagnosis at autopsies (n = 784). RD as the main diagnosis was in 668 cases (1.53%). Diseases of the bone-muscle system caused death 3.5 times less often than rheumatism. As concommitent diseases RD were encountered in 118 cases (0.27%), diseases of the bone-muscle system were registered 2 times less frequently than rheumatism. Chronic rheumatic diseases of the heart were diagnosed in 590 cases (98.5%), rheumatic fever was detected in 9 (1.5%) patients. The main diagnosis of RA, seronegative arthritides, systemic vasculitides, SLE, osteoarthrosis was made in 49, 10 9.3, 12.7, 1.3%, respectively. Such nosological entities as osteoporosis, gout and other microcrystalline arthritides were referred to the group "other rheumatic diseases" and made up 12.7%. As concomitant pathology RA, OA, seronegative spondyloarthritides, SLE, other RD occurred in 54, 8.1, 27, 2.7, 2.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The share of RD in autopsy diagnosis accounts for 1.8% of the total number of necropsies. These figures seem to underestimate the real situation and may be explained by poor registration of RD at autopsy and a fall in the total number of autopsies for the last 10 years. For Moscow and Russia as a whole there is a prevalence of rheumatism mortality (76%), primarily deaths of chronic rheumatic cardiac diseases, over mortality due to diseases of the bone-muscular system (24%).