Agreement between local and central anti-synthetase antibodies detection: results from the Classification Criteria of Anti-Synthetase Syndrome project biobank.

OBJECTIVES: The CLASS (Classification Criteria of Anti-Synthetase Syndrome) project is a large international multicentre study that aims to create the first data-driven anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD) classification criteria. Identifying anti-aminoacyl tRNA synthetase antibodies (anti-ARS) is crucial for diagnosis, and several commercial immunoassays are now available for this purpose. However, using these assays risks yielding false-positive or false-negative results, potentially leading to misdiagnosis. The established reference standard for detecting anti-ARS is immunoprecipitation (IP), typically employed in research rather than routine autoantibody testing. We gathered samples from participating centers and results from local anti-ARS testing. As an "ad-interim" study within the CLASS project, we aimed to assess how local immunoassays perform in real-world settings compared to our central definition of anti-ARS positivity. METHODS: We collected 787 serum samples from participating centres for the CLASS project and their local anti-ARS test results. These samples underwent initial central testing using RNA-IP. Following this, the specificity of ARS was reconfirmed centrally through ELISA, line-blot assay (LIA), and, in cases of conflicting results, protein-IP. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio and positive and negative predictive values were evaluated. We also calculated the inter-rater agreement between central and local results using a weighted κ co-efficient. RESULTS: Our analysis demonstrates that local, real-world detection of anti-Jo1 is reliable with high sensitivity and specificity with a very good level of agreement with our central definition of anti-Jo1 antibody positivity. However, the agreement between local immunoassay and central determination of anti-non-Jo1 antibodies varied, especially among results obtained using local LIA, ELISA and "other" methods. CONCLUSIONS: Our study evaluates the performance of real-world identification of anti-synthetase antibodies in a large cohort of multi-national patients with ASSD and controls. Our analysis reinforces the reliability of real-world anti-Jo1 detection methods. In contrast, challenges persist for anti-non-Jo1 identification, particularly anti-PL7 and rarer antibodies such as anti-OJ/KS. Clinicians should exercise caution when interpreting anti-synthetase antibodies, especially when commercial immunoassays test positive for non-anti-Jo1 antibodies.

Toward Telemonitoring in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases: Protocol for a Mixed Attention Model Study.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) are chronic diseases that may alternate between asymptomatic periods and flares. These conditions require complex treatments and close monitoring by rheumatologists to mitigate their effects and improve the patient's quality of life. Often, delays in outpatient consultations or the patient's difficulties in keeping appointments make such close follow-up challenging. For this reason, it is very important to have open communication between patients and health professionals. In this context, implementing telemonitoring in the field of rheumatology has great potential, as it can facilitate the close monitoring of patients with RMDs. The use of these tools helps patients self-manage certain aspects of their disease. This could result in fewer visits to emergency departments and consultations, as well as enable better therapeutic compliance and identification of issues that would otherwise go unnoticed. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study is to evaluate the implementation of a hybrid care model called the mixed attention model (MAM) in clinical practice and determine whether its implementation improves clinical outcomes compared to conventional follow-up. METHODS: This is a multicenter prospective observational study involving 360 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondylarthritis (SpA) from 5 Spanish hospitals. The patients will be followed up by the MAM protocol, which is a care model that incorporates a digital tool consisting of a mobile app that patients can use at home and professionals can review asynchronously to detect incidents and follow patients' clinical evolution between face-to-face visits. Another group of patients, whose follow-up will be conducted in accordance with a traditional face-to-face care model, will be assessed as the control group. Sociodemographic characteristics, treatments, laboratory parameters, assessment of tender and swollen joints, visual analog scale for pain, and electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) reports will be collected for all participants. In the MAM group, these items will be self-assessed via both the mobile app and during face-to-face visits with the rheumatologist, who will do the same for patients included in the traditional care model. The patients will be able to report any incidence related to their disease or treatment through the mobile app. RESULTS: Participant recruitment began in March 2024 and will continue until December 2024. The follow-up period will be extended by 12 months for all patients. Data collection and analysis are scheduled for completion in December 2025. CONCLUSIONS: This paper aims to provide a detailed description of the development and implementation of a digital solution, specifically an MAM. The goal is to achieve significant economic and psychosocial impact within our health care system by enhancing control over RMDs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06273306; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT06273306. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/55829.

Quality of life of patients with rheumatic diseases.

OBJECTIVE: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important indicator of population health and can measure the impact of medical actions. The main objective of this study was to determine the HRQoL of patients with rheumatic diseases (RD) and compare it with that of the general population. METHODS: Observational, cross-sectional, single-center study, with consecutive inclusion of outpatients over 18 years of age seen at a Rheumatology hospital-based outpatient clinic in Madrid. Sociodemographic, clinical variables and HRQoL were recorded. HRQoL was measured with the 5-dimension, 5-level EuroQoL (EQ-5D-5L), which includes the EQ-Index (0-1 scale) and a visual analog scale (VAS, 0-100 scale). A descriptive analysis and a comparison with the HRQoL of the Spanish general population were performed. RESULTS: 1144 patients were included, 820 (71.68%) women, with a mean age of 56.1 years (range 18-95), of whom 241 (25.44%) were new patients. In patients with RD, the HRQoL measured with the EQ-Index and with the VAS, was 0.186 and 12 points lower, respectively, than in the general population. The decrease in HRQoL affected the 5 health dimensions, especially "pain/discomfort", followed by "daily activities" and "mobility". This reduction in HRQoL was observed in both men and women, and in all age ranges, although it was greater between 18 and 65 years of age. The reduction in HRQoL affected all RD subtypes, especially the "peripheral and axial mechanical pathology" and the "soft tissue pathology" group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with rheumatic diseases report worse HRQoL when compared to the general population in all dimensions of HRQoL.

Quality of life of patients with rheumatic diseases / Calidad de vida de los pacientes con enfermedades reumáticas

Objective: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important indicator of population health and can measure the impact of medical actions. The main objective of this study was to determine the HRQoL of patients with rheumatic diseases (RD) and compare it with that of the general population. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional, single-center study, with consecutive inclusion of outpatients over 18 years of age seen at a Rheumatology hospital-based outpatient clinic in Madrid. Sociodemographic, clinical variables and HRQoL were recorded. HRQoL was measured with the 5-dimension, 5-level EuroQoL (EQ-5D-5L), which includes the EQ-Index (0–1 scale) and a visual analog scale (VAS, 0–100 scale). A descriptive analysis and a comparison with the HRQoL of the Spanish general population were performed. Results: 1144 patients were included, 820 (71.68%) women, with a mean age of 56.1 years (range 18–95), of whom 241 (25.44%) were new patients. In patients with RD, the HRQoL measured with the EQ-Index and with the VAS, was 0.186 and 12 points lower, respectively, than in the general population. The decrease in HRQoL affected the 5 health dimensions, especially “pain/discomfort”, followed by “daily activities” and “mobility”. This reduction in HRQoL was observed in both men and women, and in all age ranges, although it was greater between 18 and 65 years of age. The reduction in HRQoL affected all RD subtypes, especially the “peripheral and axial mechanical pathology” and the “soft tissue pathology” group. Conclusions: Patients with rheumatic diseases report worse HRQoL when compared to the general population in all dimensions of HRQoL.(AU)

Objetivo: La calidad de vida relacionada con la salud (CVRS) se considera un indicador importante para valorar el estado de salud poblacional y medir el impacto de las actuaciones médicas. El principal objetivo de este estudio es conocer la CVRS de los pacientes con enfermedades reumáticas (RD, por sus siglas en inglés) y compararla con la población general. Métodos: Estudio observacional, transversal, unicéntrico, con inclusión consecutiva de pacientes ambulatorios mayores de 18 años atendidos en la consulta hospitalaria de reumatología. Se recogieron variables sociodemográficas, clínicas y CVRS medida con el EuroQoL de 5 dimensiones y 5 niveles (EQ-5D-5L) que incluye el EQ-Índex (escala 0-1) y una escala visual analógica (EVA, escala 0-100). Se realizó un análisis descriptico y una comparación con la población española según la Encuesta Nacional de Salud. Resultados: Se han incluido 1.144 pacientes, 820 (71,68%) mujeres, con edad media de 56,1 años (rango 18-95), de los que 241 (25,44%) eran pacientes nuevos. En los pacientes con RD, la CVRS medida con el EQ-Index y con la EVA, fue de 0,186 y 12 puntos menor, respectivamente, que en la población general. La CVRS afectó a las 5 dimensiones de salud, especialmente a «dolor/malestar», seguida de «actividades cotidianas» y «movilidad». Esta reducción de la CVRS se mantuvo tanto en varones y mujeres, y en todos los segmentos de edad, aunque fue mayor entre los 18 y 65 años. La reducción de CVRS afectó a todos los subtipos de RD, especialmente a la «Enfermedad mecánica periférica y axial» y al grupo de «Enfermedad de tejidos blandos». Conclusiones: Los pacientes con enfermedades reumáticas declaran peor CVRS en comparación a la población general en todas las dimensiones de la CVRS.(AU)

Garetosmab in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare disease characterized by heterotopic ossification (HO) in connective tissues and painful flare-ups. In the phase 2 LUMINA-1 trial, adult patients with FOP were randomized to garetosmab, an activin A-blocking antibody (n = 20) or placebo (n = 24) in period 1 (28 weeks), followed by an open-label period 2 (28 weeks; n = 43). The primary end points were safety and for period 1, the activity and size of HO lesions. All patients experienced at least one treatment-emergent adverse event during period 1, notably epistaxis, madarosis and skin abscesses. Five deaths (5 of 44; 11.4%) occurred in the open-label period and, while considered unlikely to be related, causality cannot be ruled out. The primary efficacy end point in period 1 (total lesion activity by PET-CT) was not met (P = 0.0741). As the development of new HO lesions was suppressed in period 1, the primary efficacy end point in period 2 was prospectively changed to the number of new HO lesions versus period 1. No placebo patients crossing over to garetosmab developed new HO lesions (0% in period 2 versus 40.9% in period 1; P = 0.0027). Further investigation of garetosmab in FOP is ongoing. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03188666 .

Myositis autoantibodies detected by line blot immunoassay: clinical associations and correlation with antibody signal intensity.

The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between myositis specific (MSA) and myositis associated (MAA) antibodies and diagnosis (including idiopathic inflammatory myopathies [IIM] and other systemic autoimmune diseases [SAID]), and to explore the impact of antibody signal intensity in diagnostic accuracy. We retrospectively reviewed all the serum samples obtained from patients tested for MSA/MAA by line immunoassay (LIA) between 01/01/2018 and 31/12/2020 in Ramón y Cajal University Hospital (Spain). Clinical true positive (CTP) MSAs and MAAs were defined as those patients with IIM or SAID with phenotypes expected of that MSA/MAA. Patients who did not have a phenotype compatible with that antibody were classified as clinical false positive (CFP). One hundred and thirty positive samples were analysed. Forty-six patients (33.38%) were classified as IIM, forty-two (32.3%) as SAID and forty-two (32.3%) as non-IIM/SAID. Among these 130 patients, 164 MSA/MAA were detected. Eighty-five (51.8%) positive MSA/MAA were classified as CTP, and seventy-nine (48.2%) as CFP. Strongly positive antibodies were more frequently CTP (35/47, 74.5%) than weak positives (54/68, 36.8%), (p ˂ 0.001). Antibodies classified as CTP had a higher signal intensity than CFP (36.77 AU vs 20.00 AU, CI95% 7.79-22.09, p ˂ 0.001). The probability of a CFP was associated to negative ANA, low ANA titer, and multiple positive MSA/MAA (p Ë‚ 0.001). In this study, we confirmed that CFP results using LIA are frequent, and are associated with low signal intensity MSA/MAA, negative ANA, lower titer ANA, and with multiple positive samples.

Severe COVID-19 in patients with immune-mediated rheumatic diseases: a stratified analysis from the SORCOM multicenter registry.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate risk factors for severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with immune-mediated rheumatic diseases, stratified by systemic autoimmune conditions and chronic inflammatory arthritis. METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional multicenter study was performed. Patients from 10 Rheumatology departments in Madrid who presented with SARS-CoV-2 infection between Feb 2020 and May 2021 were included. The main outcome was COVID-19 severity (hospital admission or mortality). Risk factors for severity were estimated, adjusting for covariates (sociodemographic, clinical and treatments), using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: 523 patients with COVID-19 were included, among whom 192 (35.6%) patients required hospital admission and 38 (7.3%) died. Male gender, older age and comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and obesity were associated with severe COVID-19. Corticosteroid doses over 10 mg/day, rituximab, sulfasalazine and mycophenolate use, were independently associated with worse outcomes. COVID-19 severity decreased over the different pandemic waves. Mortality was higher in the systemic autoimmune conditions (univariate analysis, p<0.001), although there were no differences in overall severity in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms and provides new insights regarding the harmful effects of corticosteroids, rituximab and other therapies (mycophenolate and sulfasalazine) in COVID-19. Methotrexate and anti-TNF therapy were not associated with worse outcomes.

Retention rate of secukinumab in psoriatic arthritis: Real-world data results from a Spanish multicenter cohort.

Secukinumab is a novel anti-IL17 biologic treatment approved for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The purpose of the present study is to identify factors that can condition the retention rate of this drug in a real-world scenario. Methods: A multicentric retrospective study was conducted based on the registries of consecutive patients diagnosed with PsA who started secukinumab from January 2016 to December 2018. For purposes of Cox-regression analysis, the time spanning from the first administration of secukinumab until its interruption or the end of the follow-up was considered the independent variable. Variables of known relevance and those who demonstrated direct association with the drug retention rate were included in the model. Results: One hundred seventy-six registries were analyzed (average age at diagnosis 44.7 ±â€…12.1 years old, 114 females). The median retention rate of secukinumab was 636 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 542.4-729.5). Presence of peripheral arthritis (hazard ratio 0.424 [95% CI 0.213-0.847, P = .015]) and a time of evolution >6 years (hazard ratio 0.468 [95% CI 0.225-0.975, P = .043]) were the 2 variables that showed a significant influence on the drug retention rate. According to our results, patients who exhibit peripheral arthritis and those with a higher evolution time will have more probabilities of a larger secukinumab retention rate.

Clinical spectrum time course in non-Asian patients positive for anti-MDA5 antibodies.

OBJECTIVES: To define the clinical spectrum time-course and prognosis of non-Asian patients positive for anti-MDA5 antibodies. METHODS: We conducted a multicentre, international, retrospective cohort study. RESULTS: 149 anti-MDA5 positive patients (median onset age 53 years, median disease duration 18 months), mainly females (100, 67%), were included. Dermatomyositis (64, 43%) and amyopathic dermatomyositis (47, 31%), were the main diagnosis; 15 patients (10%) were classified as interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (IPAF) and 7 (5%) as rheumatoid arthritis. The main clinical findings observed were myositis (84, 56%), interstitial lung disease (ILD) (108, 78%), skin lesions (111, 74%), and arthritis (76, 51%). The onset of these manifestations was not concomitant in 74 cases (50%). Of note, 32 (21.5%) patients were admitted to the intensive care unit for rapidly progressive-ILD, which occurred in median 2 months from lung involvement detection, in the majority of cases (28, 19%) despite previous immunosuppressive treatment. One-third of patients (47, 32% each) was ANA and anti-ENA antibodies negative and a similar percentage was anti-Ro52 kDa antibodies positive. Non-specific interstitial pneumonia (65, 60%), organising pneumonia (23, 21%), and usual interstitial pneumonia-like pattern (14, 13%) were the main ILD patterns observed. Twenty-six patients died (17%), 19 (13%) had a rapidly progressive-ILD. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical spectrum of the anti-MDA5 antibodies-related disease is heterogeneous. Rapidly-progressive ILD deeply impacts the prognosis also in non-Asian patients, occurring early during the disease course. Anti-MDA5 antibody positivity should be considered even when baseline autoimmune screening is negative, anti-Ro52 kDa antibodies are positive, and radiology findings show a NSIP pattern.

Clinical characteristics and COVID-19 outcomes in a regional cohort of pediatric patients with rheumatic diseases.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in pediatric patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) and identify the risk factors associated with symptomatic or severe disease defined as hospital admission, intensive care admission or death. METHODS: An observational longitudinal study was conducted during the first year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (March 2020-March 2021). All pediatric patients attended at the rheumatology outpatient clinics of six tertiary referral hospitals in Madrid, Spain, with a diagnosis of RMD and COVID-19 were included. Main outcomes were symptomatic disease and hospital admission. The covariates were sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and treatment regimens. We ran a multivariable logistic regression model to assess associated factors for outcomes. RESULTS: The study population included 77 pediatric patients. Mean age was 11.88 (4.04) years Of these, 30 patients (38.96%) were asymptomatic, 41 (53.25%) had a mild-moderate COVID-19 and 6 patients (7.79%) required hospital admission. The median length of hospital admission was 5 (2-20) days, one patient required intensive care and there were no deaths. Previous comorbidities increased the risk for symptomatic disease and hospital admission. Compared with outpatients, the factor independently associated with hospital admission was previous use of glucocorticoids (OR 3.51; p = 0.00). No statistically significant risk factors for symptomatic COVID-19 were found in the final model. CONCLUSION: No differences in COVID-19 outcomes according to childhood-onset rheumatic disease types were found. Results suggest that associated comorbidities and treatment with glucocorticoids increase the risk of hospital admission.

Remission Induced by TNF Inhibitors Plus Methotrexate is Associated With Changes in Peripheral Naïve B Cells in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Biological therapies, such as TNF inhibitors (TNFi), are increasing remission (REM) rates in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, although these are still limited. The aim of our study was to analyze changes in the profile of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in patients with RA treated with TNFi in relation to the clinical response. This is a prospective and observational study including 78 RA patients starting the first TNFi. PBMC were analyzed by flow cytometry both at baseline and at 6 months. Disease activity at the same time points was assessed by DAS28, establishing DAS28 ≤ 2.6 as the criteria for REM. Logistic regression models were employed to analyze the association between the changes in PBMC and REM. After 6 months of TNFi treatment, 37% patients achieved REM by DAS28. Patients who achieved REM showed a reduction in the percentage of naive B cells, but only when patients had received concomitant methotrexate (MTX) (OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.39-0.91). However, no association was found for patients who did not receive concomitant MTX (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.63-1.16). In conclusion, PBMC, mainly the B-cell subsets, are modified in RA patients with TNFi who achieve clinical REM. A significant decrease in naive B-cell percentage is associated with achieving REM after 6 months of TNFi treatment in patients who received concomitant therapy with MTX.

Risk of Severe COVID-19 Infection in Patients With Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the cohort of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) hospitalized due to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Ramón y Cajal Hospital, and to determine the increased risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with no IRD. METHODS: This is a retrospective single-center observational study of patients with IRD actively monitored in the Department of Rheumatology who were hospitalized due to COVID-19. RESULTS: Forty-one (1.8%) out of 2315 patients admitted due to severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia suffered from an IRD. The admission OR for patients with IRD was 1.91 against the general population, and it was considerably higher in patients with Sjögren syndrome, vasculitis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Twenty-seven patients were receiving treatment for IRD with corticosteroids, 23 with conventional DMARDs, 12 with biologics (7 rituximab [RTX], 4 anti-tumor necrosis factor [anti-TNF], and 1 abatacept), and 1 with Janus kinase inhibitors. Ten deaths were registered among patients with IRD. A higher hospitalization rate and a higher number of deaths were observed in patients treated with RTX (OR 12.9) but not in patients treated with anti-TNF (OR 0.9). CONCLUSION: Patients with IRD, especially autoimmune diseases and patients treated with RTX, may be at higher risk of severe pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 compared to the general population. More studies are needed to analyze this association further in order to help manage these patients during the pandemic.

Factors associated with COVID-19-related death in people with rheumatic diseases: results from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance physician-reported registry.

OBJECTIVES: To determine factors associated with COVID-19-related death in people with rheumatic diseases. METHODS: Physician-reported registry of adults with rheumatic disease and confirmed or presumptive COVID-19 (from 24 March to 1 July 2020). The primary outcome was COVID-19-related death. Age, sex, smoking status, comorbidities, rheumatic disease diagnosis, disease activity and medications were included as covariates in multivariable logistic regression models. Analyses were further stratified according to rheumatic disease category. RESULTS: Of 3729 patients (mean age 57 years, 68% female), 390 (10.5%) died. Independent factors associated with COVID-19-related death were age (66-75 years: OR 3.00, 95% CI 2.13 to 4.22; >75 years: 6.18, 4.47 to 8.53; both vs ≤65 years), male sex (1.46, 1.11 to 1.91), hypertension combined with cardiovascular disease (1.89, 1.31 to 2.73), chronic lung disease (1.68, 1.26 to 2.25) and prednisolone-equivalent dosage >10 mg/day (1.69, 1.18 to 2.41; vs no glucocorticoid intake). Moderate/high disease activity (vs remission/low disease activity) was associated with higher odds of death (1.87, 1.27 to 2.77). Rituximab (4.04, 2.32 to 7.03), sulfasalazine (3.60, 1.66 to 7.78), immunosuppressants (azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, ciclosporin, mycophenolate or tacrolimus: 2.22, 1.43 to 3.46) and not receiving any disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) (2.11, 1.48 to 3.01) were associated with higher odds of death, compared with methotrexate monotherapy. Other synthetic/biological DMARDs were not associated with COVID-19-related death. CONCLUSION: Among people with rheumatic disease, COVID-19-related death was associated with known general factors (older age, male sex and specific comorbidities) and disease-specific factors (disease activity and specific medications). The association with moderate/high disease activity highlights the importance of adequate disease control with DMARDs, preferably without increasing glucocorticoid dosages. Caution may be required with rituximab, sulfasalazine and some immunosuppressants.

Cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular event rates in patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases in the CARdiovascular in rheuMAtology (CARMA) prospective study-results at 5 years of follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: To determine cardiovascular (CV) mortality and incidence of the first CV event (CVE) in patients with chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases (CIRD) after 5 years of follow-up. METHODS: This is an analysis of the CARdiovascular in rheMAatology (CARMA) study after 5 years of follow-up. It includes patients with RA (n = 775), AS (n = 738) and PsA (n = 721), and individuals without CIRD (n = 677) attending outpatient rheumatology clinics from 67 public hospitals in Spain. Descriptive analyses were performed for the CV mortality at 5 years. The Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) function at 5 years was calculated to determine the expected risk of CV mortality. Poisson models were used to estimate the incidence rates of the first CVE. Hazard ratios of the risk factors involved in the development of the first CVE were evaluated using the Weibull proportional hazard model. RESULTS: Overall, 2382 subjects completed the follow-up visit at 5 years. Fifteen patients died due to CVE. CV deaths observed in the CIRD cohort were lower than that predicted by SCORE risk charts. The highest incidence rate of CVE [7.39 cases per 1000 person-years (95% CI 4.63, 11.18)] was found in PsA patients. However, after adjusting for age, sex and CV risk factors, AS was the inflammatory disease more commonly associated with CVE at 5 years [hazard ratio 4.60 (P =0.02)], compared with those without CIRD. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiovascular mortality in patients with CIRD at 5 years of follow-up is lower than estimated. Patients with AS have a higher risk of developing a first CVE after 5 years of follow-up.

Fibroelastosis pleuroparenquimatosa: un nuevo tipo de neumonía instersticial asociada a conectivopatías / Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis: a new entity of interstitial pneumonia related to connective tissue diseases

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High rates of severe disease and death due to SARS-CoV-2 infection in rheumatic disease patients treated with rituximab: a descriptive study.

The objective of this study is to describe the characteristics and outcomes of rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (RMD) patients who were treated with rituximab and had suspected or confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In this descriptive study, RMD patients who were treated with rituximab in the last 12 months at the Rheumatology Department of our hospital were screened for SARS-CoV-2 infection via telephone interview and a comprehensive review of clinical health records (01/02/2020-26/05/2020). Those with probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included. In total, 76 patients were screened. Of these, 13 (17.1%) had suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. With regard to these 13 patients, the median age at coronavirus disease (COVID-19) diagnosis was 68 years (range 28-76 years) and 8 (61.5%) were female. Five patients had rheumatoid arthritis, three had systemic vasculitis, two had Sjögren syndrome, and two had systemic lupus erythematosus. Additionally, seven patients (53.8%) had pulmonary involvement secondary to RMD. Eight patients (61.5%) developed severe disease leading to hospitalization, and seven developed bilateral pneumonia and respiratory insufficiency. Of the eight hospitalized patients, five (62.5%) fulfilled the acute respiratory distress syndrome criteria and three developed a critical disease and died. Our cohort had a high rate of severe disease requiring hospitalization (61.5%), with bilateral pneumonia and hyperinflammation leading to a high mortality rate (23.1%). Treatment with rituximab should be considered a possible risk factor for unfavorable outcomes in COVID-19 patients with RMD. However, further study is required to confirm this association.

Síndrome de la intersección distal. Una causa poco frecuente de dolor en el antebrazo / Distal intersection syndrome: an unusual cause of forearm pain

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Impact of Comorbidity on Physical Function in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis and Psoriatic Arthritis Attending Rheumatology Clinics: Results From a Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of comorbidities on physical function in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis of the baseline visit from the Cardiovascular in Rheumatology study. Multivariate models with physical function as the dependent variable (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index and Health Assessment Questionnaire for AS and PsA, respectively) were performed. Independent variables were a proxy for the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCIp; range 0-27), sociodemographic data, disease activity (erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR] and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index [BASDAI] in AS; Disease Activity Score in 28 joints [DAS28] using the ESR in PsA), disease duration, radiographic damage, and treatments. Results were reported as beta coefficients, 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), and P values. RESULTS: We included 738 patients with AS and 721 with PsA; 21% of patients had >1 comorbidity. Comorbidity burden (CCIp) was independently associated with worse adjusted physical function in patients with PsA (ß = 0.11). Also, female sex (ß = 0.14), disease duration (ß = 0.01), disease activity (DAS28-ESR; ß = 0.19), and the use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (ß = 0.09), glucocorticoids (ß = 0.11), and biologics (ß = 0.15) were associated with worse function in patients with PsA. A higher education level was associated with less disability (ß = -0.14). In patients with AS, age (ß = 0.03), disease activity (BASDAI; ß = 0.81), radiographic damage (ß = 0.61), and the use of biologics (ß = 0.51) were independently associated with worse function on multivariate analyses, but CCIp was not. CONCLUSION: The presence of comorbidities in patients with PsA is independently associated with worse physical function. The detection and control of the comorbidities may yield an integral management of the disease.