Use of vasoactive/vasodilating drugs for systemic sclerosis (SSc)-related digital ulcers (DUs) in expert tertiary centres: results from the analysis of the observational real-life DeSScipher study.

INTRODUCTION: DeSScipher is the first European multicentre study on management of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and its observational trial 1 (OT1) evaluated the efficacy of different drugs for digital ulcer (DU) prevention and healing. The aim of this study was to assess current use of vasoactive/vasodilating agents for SSc-related DU in the expert centres by analysing the baseline data of the DeSScipher OT1. METHOD: Baseline characteristics of patients enrolled in the OT1 and data regarding DU were analysed. RESULTS: The most commonly used drugs, in both patients with and without DU, were calcium channel blockers (CCBs) (71.6%), followed by intravenous iloprost (20.8%), endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) (20.4%) and phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors (16.5%). Of patients, 32.6% with DU and 12.8% without DU received two drugs (p < 0.001), while 11.5% with DU and 1.9% without DU were treated with a combination of three or more agents (p < 0.001). Sixty-five percent of the patients with recurrent DU were treated with bosentan and/or sildenafil. However, 64 out of 277 patients with current DU (23.1%) and 101 (23.6%) patients with recurrent DU were on CCBs alone. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that CCBs are still the most commonly used agents for DU management in SSc. The proportion of patients on combination therapy was low, even in patients with recurrent DU: almost one out of four patients with current and recurrent DU was on CCBs alone. Prospective analysis is planned to investigate the efficacy of different drugs/drug combinations on DU healing and prevention. Key Points • The analysis of DeSScipher, the first European multicentre study on management of SSc, has shown that the most commonly used vasoactive/vasodilating drugs for DU were CCBs, followed by intravenous Iloprost, ERAs and PDE-5 inhibitors. • More than half of the patients with recurrent DU received bosentan and/or sildenafil. • However, the proportion of patients on combination therapy of more than one vasoactive/vasodilating drug was low and almost one out of four patients with current and recurrent DU was on CCBs alone.

Classification, categorization and essential items for digital ulcer evaluation in systemic sclerosis: a DeSScipher/European Scleroderma Trials and Research group (EUSTAR) survey.

BACKGROUND: A consensus on digital ulcer (DU) definition in systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been recently reached (Suliman et al., J Scleroderma Relat Disord 2:115-20, 2017), while for their evaluation, classification and categorisation, it is still missing. The aims of this study were to identify a set of essential items for digital ulcer (DU) evaluation, to assess if the existing DU classification was useful and feasible in clinical practice and to investigate if the new categorisation was preferred to the simple distinction of DU in recurrent and not recurrent, in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: DeSScipher is the largest European multicentre study on SSc. It consists of five observational trials (OTs), and one of them, OT1, is focused on DU management. The DeSScipher OT1 items on DU that reached ≥ 60% of completion rate were administered to EUSTAR (European Scleroderma Trials and Research group) centres via online survey. Questions about feasibility and usefulness of the existing DU classification (DU due to digital pitting scars, to loss of tissue, derived from calcinosis and gangrene) and newly proposed categorisation (episodic, recurrent and chronic) were also asked. RESULTS: A total of 84/148 (56.8%) EUSTAR centres completed the questionnaire. DeSScipher items scored by ≥ 70% of the participants as essential and feasible for DU evaluation were the number of DU defined as a loss of tissue (level of agreement 92%), recurrent DU (84%) and number of new DU (74%). For 65% of the centres, the proposed classification of DU was considered useful and feasible in clinical practice. Moreover, 80% of the centres preferred the categorisation of DU in episodic, recurrent and chronic to simple distinction in recurrent/not recurrent DU. CONCLUSIONS: For clinical practice, EUSTAR centres identified only three essential items for DU evaluation and considered the proposed classification and categorisation as useful and feasible. The set of items needs to be validated while further implementation of DU classification and categorisation is warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Observational trial on DU (OT1) is one of the five trials of the DeSScipher project (ClinicalTrials.gov; OT1 Identifier: NCT01836263 , posted on April 19, 2013).

[S2e guideline: treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with disease-modifying drugs]. / S2e-Leitlinie: Therapie der rheumatoiden Arthritis mit krankheitsmodifizierenden Medikamenten.

BACKGROUND: Medication-based strategies to treat rheumatoid arthritis are crucial in terms of outcome. They aim at preventing joint destruction, loss of function and disability by early and consistent inhibition of inflammatory processes. OBJECTIVE: Achieving consensus about evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in Germany. METHODS: Following a systematic literature research, a structured process among expert rheumatologists was used to reach consensus. RESULTS: The results of the consensus process can be summed up in 6 overarching principles and 10 recommendations. There are several new issues compared to the version of 2012, such as differentiated adjustments to the therapeutic regime according to time point and extent of treatment response, the therapeutic goal of achieving remission as assessed by means of the simplified disease activity index (SDAI) as well as the potential use of targeted synthetic DMARDs (JAK inhibitors) and suggestions for a deescalating in case of achieving a sustained remission. Methotrexate still plays the central role at the beginning of the treatment and as a combination partner in the further treatment course. When treatment response to methotrexate is inadequate, either switching to or combining with another conventional synthetic DMARD is an option in the absence of unfavourable prognostic factors. Otherwise biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs are recommended according to the algorithm. Rules for deescalating treatment with glucocorticoids and-where applicable-DMARDs give support for the management of patients who have reached a sustained remission. DISCUSSION: The new guidelines set up recommendations for RA treatment in accordance with the treat-to-target principle. Modern disease-modifying drugs, now including also JAK inhibitors, are available in an algorithm.

[The road to early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis : the evolution of diagnostic and classification criteria in the past decades]. / Auf dem Weg zur Frühdiagnose der systemischen Sklerose : Aktuelle Weiterentwicklung der Klassifikations- und Diagnosekriterien sowie Symptome zur Früherkennung.

Increasing knowledge about the rare disease systemic sclerosis (SSc) and improved diagnostic methods in recent decades has led to the possibility of diagnosing systemic sclerosis in earlier disease stages. In this review, we describe the evolution of diagnostic and classification criteria for SSc, beginning with the preliminary ARA criteria for the classification of SSc in 1980, then presenting the criteria for limited and diffuse cutaneous SSc by LeRoy et al. in 1988 and 2001, and finishing with a discussion of the recently published new ACR-EULAR classification criteria in 2013. In addition, we seize the ongoing discussion about the intermediate subtype of SSc and highlight whether the two special subtypes CREST syndrome as well as SSc sine scleroderma are similar or different from the limited cutaneous SSc subtype. Finally, we address the question when a patient should be referred to the rheumatologist and discuss potential red flags for early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis.

[Therapeutic management in early disease stages of systemic sclerosis : early diagnosis - early symptoms - early problems]. / Therapeutische Strategien im Frühstadium der systemischen Sklerose : Frühe Diagnose - frühe Symptome - frühe Probleme.

Increasing knowledge about the rare disease systemic sclerosis and improved diagnostic methods in the course of recent decades has led to the possibility of diagnosing systemic sclerosis at earlier disease stages. However, earlier diagnosis has an impact on routine clinical care of affected patients, and rheumatologists need to know about early symptoms, their diagnosis, and clinical management. In this review, the therapeutic management of early disease stages is described. In particular, we focus on diagnostic tools which should be included in a "basic assessment" of systemic sclerosis and discuss the diagnosis and treatment options of early symptoms such as Raynaud phenomenon, puffy fingers and hand edema, digital ulcers, calcinosis cutis, and cardiopulmonary, renal, and gastrointestinal involvement. Finally, the options of early immunosuppressive treatment and autologous stem cell transplantation for patients with rapid progressive and severe disease are reviewed.

[Clinical presentation of tuberculosis in routine practice]. / Klinische Präsentationen der Tuberkulose im Alltag.

Since the beginning of the biologics era tuberculosis is known to be a potential life-threatening complication during treatment of patients with rheumatic diseases. National and international societies have developed recommendations for tuberculosis screening and treatment of patients at risk for development of tuberculosis. Owing to the relative rareness of overt tuberculosis in patients with rheumatic diseases, the experience of individual rheumatologists with this complication is limited. Therefore, we have analyzed the tuberculosis cases from 2006-2011 in our rheumatology referral center (treating more than 1,500 inpatient and 8,000 outpatient cases every year) to obtain a real-life picture more than 10 years after initiation of the first application of biologics outside of controlled clinical trials. We identified 4 cases that illustrate the difficulties of diagnosis and treatment.