[Pathogenic cells of rheumatic inflammation as the target of modern therapies]. / Pathogene Zellen der rheumatischen Entzündung als Ziele moderner Therapien.

In the 1970s and 1980s the course of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) could be defined as fateful despite the introduction of methotrexate as well as other immunosuppressive treatments. In most patients at this time RA was combined with an early disability due a progressive destruction of joints. In addition, comorbidity was known to be one of the major causes for a decreased life expectancy. These less than optimal options for treating RA patients led to intensive research in the pathogenesis with the aim to develop new treatment principles. Based on the increasing knowledge of pathogenically important mechanisms, so-called biologicals were developed targeting T and B cells and proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha. Over the past 10 years the repertoire of biologicals for treating RA has steadily and significantly increased, which was necessary especially for those patients classified as non-responders to available biological compounds. In the present overview cellular structures, T and B cells as well as cells of the monocyte/macrophage system are discussed as targets for immune interventions.

[University contribution to implementation of the treat-to-target concept in rheumatology]. / Universitärer Beitrag zur Implementierung des Treat-To-Target-Konzepts in der Rheumatologie.

Following similar examples for diabetes mellitus and hypertension an attempt was made to establish a treat-to-target (T2T) program for rheumatic diseases in order to improve the course of the disease. Nevertheless, it is a factum that rheumatology, a recognized discipline in internal medicine, was not represented in university clinics corresponding to its scientific, clinical and socioeconomic importance. On the question how rheumatology in university clinics can contribute to the implementation of a T2T program, several aspects have to be considered. These include improvement in training and further education, establishment of clinical scientific core topics, formulation of guidelines, initiation of controlled studies, establishment of long-term cohorts and the incorporation of pathogenetic and therapeutic information in international networks and national symposia.

[Strategies for improved healthcare of people with the endemic disease rheumatism exemplified by rheumatoid arthritis]. / Strategien zur verbesserten Versorgung von Menschen mit der Volkskrankheit "Rheuma" am Beispiel der rheumatoiden Arthritis.

New therapeutic principles and considerable diagnostic advances have made it possible to define different rheumatic diseases and especially rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at an early stage and by starting an early and aggressive medication a considerable proportion of patients with RA will reach the status of low disease activity or even remission. With the additional development of composite measures to estimate the disease activity of RA, it was the goal of an international working group consisting of rheumatologists and patients to develop recommendations for treating rheumatoid arthritis in a similar way as for patients with hypertension or diabetes, with the aim to achieve remission as often as possible. This treat-to-target initiative has taken off in quite a number of different countries including Germany leading to discussions on how this initiative can be integrated into the specific national healthcare systems and what possibilities would exist for its implementation. To develop strategies for an improved healthcare of people suffering from rheumatic diseases and using RA as an example, action elements and postulates were developed which will be discussed in more detail in the present manuscript.

A glimpse into the future: recombinant proteins and small molecules for targeted therapies in rheumatic diseases.

Whether the differences in the clinical picture and in the pathogenesis between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) will lead to different therapeutic approaches is unclear at present. Since anti-TNF-alpha agents and other biologics are not efficacious in all patients new developments are clearly needed.

Biologics in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

There are clear differences in the clinical picture and in the pathogenesis between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Biologic agents targeting TNF-alpha are efficacious in both diseases, with some tendency to work even better in spondyloarthritides (SpA) on a clinical basis. However, anti-TNF therapy was shown to inhibit radiographic progression in RA but not in AS. This is probably due to the outstanding difference in pathogenesis: while in RA osteodestructive lesions such as erosions predominate, AS patients will rather develop osteoproliferative changes such as syndesmophytes. There is some evidence that anti-TNF agents may show longterm efficacy and acceptable safety profiles over 5-10 years. There are some differences between the agents.Whether the recent developments of targeted therapies in RA with agents such as rituximab, abatacept and tocilizumab will also work for AS is unknown at present.

Radiographic changes in rheumatoid arthritis patients attaining different disease activity states with methotrexate monotherapy and infliximab plus methotrexate: the impacts of remission and tumour necrosis factor blockade.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of radiographic progression and disease activity states in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with methotrexate with or without infliximab. METHODS: Patients (n = 1049) with active RA for 3 years or less and no previous methotrexate treatment were randomly assigned (4 : 5 : 5) to receive methotrexate plus placebo or methotrexate plus infliximab 3 or 6 mg/kg at weeks 0, 2 and 6, and every 8 weeks thereafter to week 46. Disease activity was classified by the simplified disease activity index as remission (< or =3.3), low (>3.3 to < or =11), moderate (>11 to < or =26), high (>26). Radiographic progression was measured as a change from baseline to week 54 in total Sharp score. RESULTS: At weeks 14 and 54, more patients receiving methotrexate plus infliximab than methotrexate plus placebo were in remission (10.7% versus 2.8% week 14; 21.3% versus 12.3% week 54; p<0.001 for both). Methotrexate plus placebo halted radiographic progression only if patients achieved remission within 3 months, whereas methotrexate plus infliximab also halted or minimised progression in patients with low or moderate activity, respectively. Patients with persistently high disease activity levels had much less progression of joint damage if treated with methotrexate plus infliximab versus methotrexate monotherapy. Even with infliximab plus methotrexate there was a direct relationship between disease activity and radiographic changes, although the slope was deflected when compared with methotrexate monotherapy. CONCLUSION: With methotrexate, joint damage progresses even at low and moderate disease activity levels, whereas methotrexate plus infliximab inhibits radiographic progression across all disease activity states.