Glucocorticoid discontinuation rate and risk factors for relapses in a contemporary cohort of patients with giant cell arteritis.

The rates of relapses and therapy discontinuation in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA) in the modern therapeutic era have not been defined. We aimed to evaluate the glucocorticoid (GC) discontinuation rate and the factors associated with relapses in a contemporary GCA cohort. Patient and treatment data were collected cross-sectionally at first evaluation and 2 years later (second evaluation), in a multicenter, prospective GCA cohort. Predictors of relapses were identified by logistic regression analyses. 243 patients with GCA were initially included (67% women, mean age at diagnosis: 72.1 years, median disease duration: 2 years) while 2 years later complete data for 160 patients were available and analyzed. All patients had received GCs at diagnosis (mean daily prednisolone dose: 40 mg) while during follow-up, 37% received non-biologic and 16% biologic agents, respectively. At second evaluation, 72% of patients were still on therapy (GCs: 58% and/or GC-sparing agents: 29%). Relapses occurred in 27% of patients during follow-up; by multivariable logistic regression analysis, large vessel involvement at diagnosis [odds ratio (OR) = 4.22], a cardiovascular event during follow-up (OR = 4.60) and a higher initial GC daily dose (OR = 1.04), were associated with these relapses. In this large, real-life, contemporary GCA cohort, the rates of GC discontinuation and relapses were 40% and 27%, respectively. Large vessel involvement, a higher GC dose at diagnosis and new cardiovascular events during follow-up were associated with relapses.

The changing incidence of rheumatoid arthritis over time in north-west Greece: data from a referral centre.

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown aetiology that affects approximately 1% of the population. The disease presents a temporal variability in different geographic areas. We investigated RA incidence over a 40-year-period in a defined area of north-west Greece, with a total population of about 400 000 inhabitants. METHOD: This incidence study was based on retrospective review of clinical records among adults with RA newly diagnosed from 1980 to 2019 at the referral university hospital of Ioannina. An incident case was defined as any patient diagnosed with RA based on the 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria, over 16-years-old, and resident in the study area for at least 1 year before diagnosis. RESULTS: Out of 1411 cases diagnosed, women constituted a 2.65-fold higher number than men, with a lower mean age at diagnosis. The overall age-adjusted annual incidence rate (95% confidence interval) was 9.5 (8.5-10.5) for the total observation period, 11.7 (10.7-13.0) in 1980-1989, 10.4 (9.4-10.8) in 1990-1999, 9.8 (8.9-10.8) in 2000-2009, and 6.1 (5.3-6.9) in 2010-2019, presenting a statistically significant decline over time, along with a constant decrease in rheumatoid factor (RF)-positive incidence for both sexes. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest a decrease in the incidence of RA over 40 years in a geographically defined Greek population. Also, the progressive decrease in the incidence of RF-positive disease may relate to less severe expression of RA in Greek patients. These trends could be explained by different clinical, serological, and genetic factors reported in Greece compared to northern European countries.

TNFα inhibitor biosimilar associated with polychondritis. A case-based review.

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of the cartilage structures of the body with typical features of auricular chondritis, nasal and ocular inflammation, audio-vestibular damage, as well as respiratory tract manifestations. It is associated with several autoimmune diseases and many other disorders. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) inhibitors treat many chronic inflammatory disorders. They have proven effective and relatively safe in many clinical trials and observational studies. However, several autoimmune phenomena and paradoxical inflammation have been described with TNFα inhibitors, among them RP. This report presents a 43-year-old man with psoriatic arthritis treated with ABP-501 (Amgevita), an adalimumab (ADA) biosimilar and who developed RP, 8 months after the initiation of the treatment. This, is the first report of RP development during TNFα inhibitors biosimilar. We concluded that rheumatologists dealing with patients treated with TNFα inhibitors (originators or biosimilars), should be aware of several paradoxical reactions which may emerge and RP, is one of them.

Prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis in Greece: results from the national health examination survey EMENO.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is considered the most common form of autoimmune arthritis. The disease's prevalence is around 0.5-1% worldwide, but it seems to vary among different populations. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of self-reported diagnosed RA in the general adult population in Greece. The data were derived from the Greek Health Examination Survey EMENO, a population-based survey performed between 2013 and 2016. Of the 6006 participants (response rate 72%), 5884 were eligible for this study. Prevalence estimates were calculated according to the study design. Prevalence of self-reported RA was estimated to be overall 0.5% (95% CI 0.4-0.7) being approximately three times higher in women than in men (0.7% vs 0.2%, p value = 0.004). A decrease in the prevalence of RA was observed in urban areas of the country. In contrast, higher disease rates were reported in individuals with lower socioeconomic status. Multivariable regression analysis showed that gender, age, and income were related to the occurrence of the disease. Osteoporosis and thyroid disease were the two comorbidities observed at statistically significant higher rates in individuals with self-reported RA. The prevalence of self-reported RA in Greece is similar to that reported in other European countries. Gender, age, and income are the main factors related to the disease's prevalence in Greece.

Comparable or higher prevalence of comorbidities in antiphospholipid syndrome vs rheumatoid arthritis: a multicenter, case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: Evidence on comorbidity prevalence in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and its difference from high comorbidity burden rheumatic diseases is limited. Herein, we compare multiple comorbidities between APS and RA. METHODS: A total of 326 patients from the Greek APS registry [237 women, mean age 48.7 (13.4) years, 161 primary APS (PAPS), 165 SLE-APS] were age/sex matched (1:2 ratio) with 652 patients from a Greek multicentre RA cohort of 3115 patients. Prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, stroke, coronary artery disease (CAD), osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), depression and neoplasms were compared between APS and RA patients using multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: Ηyperlipidemia and obesity (ΒΜΙ ≥ 30 kg/m2) were comparable while hypertension, smoking, stroke and CAD were more prevalent in APS compared with RA patients. Osteoporosis and depression were more frequent in APS, while DM, COPD and neoplasms did not differ between the two groups. Comparison of APS subgroups to 1:2 matched RA patients revealed that smoking and stroke were more prevalent in both PAPS and SLE-APS vs RA. Hypertension, CAD and osteoporosis were more frequent only in SLE-APS vs RA, whereas DM was less prevalent in PAPS vs RA. Hyperlipidaemia was independently associated with CV events (combined stroke and CAD) in PAPS and SLE-APS, while CS duration was associated with osteoporosis in SLE-APS. CONCLUSION: Comorbidity burden in APS (PAPS and SLE-APS) is comparable or higher than that in RA, entailing a high level of diligence for CV risk prevention, awareness for depression and CS exposure minimization.

Incidence, risk factors and validation of the RABBIT score for serious infections in a cohort of 1557 patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Predicting serious infections (SI) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is crucial for the implementation of appropriate preventive measures. Here we aimed to identify risk factors for SI and to validate the RA Observation of Biologic Therapy (RABBIT) risk score in real-life settings. METHODS: A multi-centre, prospective, RA cohort study in Greece. Demographics, disease characteristics, treatments and comorbidities were documented at first evaluation and one year later. The incidence of SI was recorded and compared with the expected SI rate using the RABBIT risk score. RESULTS: A total of 1557 RA patients were included. During follow-up, 38 SI were recorded [incidence rate ratio (IRR): 2.3/100 patient-years]. Patients who developed SI had longer disease duration, higher HAQ at first evaluation and were more likely to have a history of previous SI, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. By multivariate analysis, longer disease duration (IRR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.005, 1.1), history of previous SI (IRR: 4.15; 95% CI: 1.7, 10.1), diabetes (IRR: 2.55; 95% CI: 1.06, 6.14), chronic lung disease (IRR: 3.14; 95% CI: 1.35, 7.27) and daily prednisolone dose ≥10 mg (IRR: 4.77; 95% CI: 1.47, 15.5) were independent risk factors for SI. Using the RABBIT risk score in 1359 patients, the expected SI incidence rate was 1.71/100 patient-years, not different from the observed (1.91/100 patient-years; P = 0.97). CONCLUSION: In this large real-life, prospective study of RA patients, the incidence of SI was 2.3/100 patient-years. Longer disease duration, history of previous SI, comorbidities and high glucocorticoid dose were independently associated with SI. The RABBIT score accurately predicted SI in our cohort.

Incidence of spondyloarthritis subtypes: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Several epidemiologic studies of spondylarthritis (SpA) and its subtypes have been reported during the last decades. The majority of these studies provided prevalence estimates and showed a considerable variation in the reported frequency of SpA subtypes. Most systematic reviews published in this field aimed to summarise the results of prevalence studies, however, incidence studies are important for an accurate picture of a disease occurrence in a defined population. We conducted a systematic review regarding the incidence of SpA subtypes on studies published during the last 25 years, to compare their methodology and summarise their results. METHODS: A systematic literature search of PubMed was performed to identify all published studies on the incidence of SpA subtypes between 1/1/1995 and 31/12/2019. Studies were considered eligible if the incidence of one or more SpA subtypes was measured in the general population, and met concrete inclusion criteria. Incidence rates (IR) were summarised using a random effect model. RESULTS: A total of 24 publications fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Most of them included results for two or more SpA subtypes. Sixteen studies presented the incidence of psoriatic arthritis, which gave an overall IR estimate of 9.7 cases per 100.000 person-years. Thirteen studies presented the incidence of ankylosing spondylitis with an overall IR estimate of 4.8, and eight studies presented reactive arthritis incidence with an overall IR estimate of 3.4. A small number of studies referred to the incidence of enteropathic arthritis or undifferentiated spondyloarthritis. CONCLUSIONS: Incidence studies of SpAs differ considerably in their methods, and result in a wide variation of the IRs for all SpA subtypes. Methodological differences may only partly explain the differences in disease occurrence observed among studies. More studies from different populations based on specific classification criteria are needed for a more accurate picture of SpA epidemiology.

COVID-19 in patients with gout on colchicine.

Current data demonstrated that severe cases of coronavirus-disease-19 (COVID-19) require treatment with antiviral therapy, dexamethasone, supportive care, as well as some anti-rheumatic drugs, among them, cytokine inhibitors and colchicine. Colchicine is an anti-inflammatory drug that is being used in rheumatology for many years to treat mostly gout, calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease, and Familial Mediterranean Fever. Here, we present for the first time, two patients suffering from gout being treated with colchicine, who were affected from severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) syndrome. Both patients presented with mild symptoms of COVID-19 expressed with myalgias, arthralgias, and sore throat, while laboratory investigations showed only high acute phase reactants. Four weeks later, both patients were free of symptoms with negative SARS-CoV-2 tests and without any complications. To our knowledge, there are no other studies of gout arthritis and SARS-CoV-2 infection published so far. Thus, our preliminary conclusion is that chronic use of colchicine may mitigate the clinical picture and disease course of COVID-19 in gout arthritis patients. Further studies with a large number of patients are needed to confirm the above beneficial effect of colchicine.

Calcified constrictive pericarditis resulting in tamponade in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease with multiorgan involvement, including heart. Pericarditis-the most common cardiac manifestation-occurs in up to 50% of cases, resulting in positive treatment outcomes. Rarely, it evolves to hazardous complications. A 50-year-old woman with SLE in clinical remission, receiving hydroxychloroquine 400 mg/day, presented to us with severe chest pain and low-grade fever. Physical examination revealed a friction rub and decreased breath sounds at the right lung base. Laboratory evaluation demonstrated leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, low C4 levels, and high acute phase reactants. Chest X-ray exhibited cardiomegaly, calcified pericardium, and right pleural effusion, confirmed by CT scan. PPD skin test and IGRA were both negative. Pericardial fluid, blood, and urine cultures for bacteria and fungi, as well as Gram and Ziehl-Neelsen stains were negative. Serological tests for viruses were also negative. The patient was diagnosed with calcified constrictive pericarditis (CP) due to SLE. She was treated with cyclophosphamide and methylprednisolone pulses, without improvement. Her clinical condition deteriorated, developing signs and symptoms compatible with cardiac tamponade (TMP), which was confirmed by Doppler echocardiography. The patient underwent pericardiectomy. A dramatic response was noted and she was discharged with prednisone 50 mg/day and azathioprine 100 mg/day. Thus, we review and discuss the relevant literature of SLE cases with CP or TMP. When an SLE patient presents with CP, infectious causes should be excluded first. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only case of SLE and calcified CP leading to TMP, hence physicians should be aware of this complication.

Use of conventional synthetic and biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatic diseases contracting COVID-19: a single-center experience.

To examine whether patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) treated with conventional synthetic (cs) disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and/or biologic (b) DMARDs, could be affected from SARS-CoV-2 infection and to explore the COVID-19 disease course and outcome in this population. This is a prospective observational study. During the period February-December 2020, 443 patients with IA who were followed-up in the outpatient arthritis clinic were investigated. All patients were receiving cs and/or bDMARDs. During follow-up, the clinical, laboratory findings, comorbidities and drug side effects were all recorded and the treatment was adjusted or changed according to clinical manifestations and patient's needs. There were 251 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 101 with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and 91 with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). We identified 32 patients who contracted COVID-19 (17 RA, 8 PsA, 7 AS). All were in remission and all drugs were discontinued. They presented mild COVID-19 symptoms, expressed mainly with systemic manifestations and sore throat, while six presented olfactory dysfunction and gastrointestinal disturbances, and all of them had a favorable disease course. However, three patients were admitted to the hospital, two of them with respiratory symptoms and pneumonia and were treated appropriately with excellent clinical response and outcome. Patients with IA treated with cs and/or bDMARDs have almost the same disease course with the general population when contract COVID-19.

Radiological Findings of the Cervical Spine in Rheumatoid Arthritis: What a Rheumatologist Should Know.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting mainly the peripheral skeleton in a symmetrical manner rather than the axial skeleton, but when it occurs it can affect the cervical spine (CS). Although CS involvement is a frequent radiographic finding in RA, the clinical features are scarce, but potentially life-threatening with severe neurological deficits or even death due to brain stem compression. The commonest site of inflammation of the CS is the articulation between C1 and C2 vertebrae, the atlanto-axial region. The radiological finding observed in this region is the atlanto-axial subluxation (AAS). For the evaluation of CS in RA the classical diagnostic technique used mostly is conventional radiography (CR). Since CR does not provide good information regarding synovial inflammation, other imaging modalities are used such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. However, CR is the most valuable tool for screening CS in RA patients. Thus, we reviewed the literature until December 2019 for studies regarding CS radiological manifestations using CR in RA patients. RECENT FINDINGS: We found that the frequency of radiological findings varies substantially, ranging between 0.7-95% in different studies. The commonest radiological feature was the AAS followed by subaxial subluxation. Because CS involvement can often be clinically asymptomatic, its assessment should not be forgotten by physicians and should be assessed using CR which is an easy to perform technique and gives important information as a screening tool.

Therapeutic Options and Cost-Effectiveness for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: During the last two decades, the therapeutic decisions and strategies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management have improved dramatically. Today, the therapeutic armamentarium is significantly augmented, and by using both old and new drugs, remission or low disease activity is a reasonable goal. The use of conventional synthetic (cs) disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in combination with biologic (b) or targeted synthetic (ts) DMARDs has revolutionized RA treatment. Methotrexate administration is considered fundamental among other csDMARDs for the treatment of RA. It is recommended as the initial drug (monotherapy), or in combination with other csDMARDs, bDMARDs, and tsDMARDs in a step-up strategy. Furthermore, it can be used with other csDMARDs as initial combination-therapy. On the other hand, despite the fact that bDMARDs and ts DMARDs are highly efficacious and can also be used as monotherapy in certain cases, cost-effectiveness is still questionable when compared with csDMARDs. In this direction, the classic argument of utmost importance has to do with the most appropriate treatment strategy that shall be initially applied: csDMARD combination-therapy versus monotherapy, or step-up combinationtherapy with bDMARDs, especially tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFa) blockers. For this reason, a literature review of the most important csDMARDs combination and bDMARDs combination studies has been deployed. RECENT FINDINGS: The results showed that the triple csDMARDs therapy approach is more effective and less expensive. In addition, workers' productivity is higher than any other treatment options for RA. Triple-therapy constitutes a smart, efficacious, and significantly cheaper choice for RA therapeutic management.

The lipid paradox in rheumatoid arthritis: the dark horse of the augmented cardiovascular risk.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation that, if left untreated, can cause joint destruction and physical impairments. The inflammatory process is systematic, and it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Over the last years, mortality presents a decreasing trend; still, there is a high burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in RA that seems to be related to coronary atherosclerosis. Chronic inflammation, physical inactivity, and drugs used to treat RA are some of the reasons. Thus, the management of CVD risk is essential and involves the patient's stratification using distinct parameters that include assessment of the blood lipid profile. However, 'dyslipidemia' in RA patients follows a different pattern under the impact of inflammatory processes, while therapies that target the underlying disease change the levels of specific lipid components. In this review, we explore the relationship between blood lipids and inflammation in the so-called ΄lipid paradox΄ in RA, and we present the existing knowledge over the influence of antirheumatic drugs on the lipid profile of RA patients.

Adalimumab-induced myasthenia gravis: case-based review.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease characterised by the presence of acetylcholine receptor antibodies and by blocking the transmission of the signal in the neuromuscular junction causing muscle weakness. It can be associated with several autoimmune diseases and certain drugs, between them Etanercept an anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) agent. A 42-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) refractory to methotrexate, was treated with adalimumab (ADA), a human monoclonal antibody against the TNF, in a dosage scheme of 40 mg every 14 days subcutaneously. The patient responded well to ADA therapy with sustained remission for 18 months when she developed blurred vision and eyelid ptosis of the left eye. The diagnosis of ocular MG was made. ADA has been discontinued and she started a treatment with pyridostigmine showing an excellent response and complete remission within a 2-month period. This is the first report making an association of ADA and ocular MG. Thus, rheumatologists dealing with patients treated with TNF inhibitors should be aware of the possible development of neurological adverse events, among them MG.

Epidemiological characteristics of psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a specific form of inflammatory arthritis associated with skin psoriasis. PsA makes part of a heterogeneous group of arthritides called the spondyloarthropathies. Several studies regarding the prevalence and incidence of PsA have been published during the last decades, showing a considerable variation of the disease occurrence among different populations. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent observations of epidemiological features for PsA patients. Thus, the literature was reviewed until May 2018 for studies regarding PsA epidemiology, classification criteria and risk factors for PsA development. Systematic reviews based on the international bibliography, are reporting the prevalence of the disease from 1/100.000 inhabitants in Japan to as high as 420/100.000 inhabitants in Italy. The annual incidence also varies, ranging from 1 to 23/100.000 inhabitants, while the average incidence rate is 6.5 cases/100.000 inhabitants. The random effect pooled PsA prevalence and incidence rates are 133/100.000 and 83/100.000 subjects respectively. Thus, a large heterogeneity between studies is observed. This variability could be explained by a number of factors such as the use of multiple and different classification criteria in the studies. Geographical variations are also observed regarding disease occurrence. Differences were found not only between different continents, but also within the same geographic regions. This could be explained by the different genetic background especially the distribution of the human leucocyte antigens. In addition, other factors such as environmental (infections, climate, sun exposure), dietary habits (fish oil consumption, Mediterranean diet) or life style habits (obesity, smoking), could explain the geographic variability in the prevalence estimates. The implementation of unanimous classification criteria and the conformation by the scientific community could lead to a better understanding of the disease epidemiology.

Unmet needs in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis: a long-term observational study from a single university center.

Despite the progress in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a significant number of patients do not achieve low disease activity (LDA). The aim of the study is to estimate the size of unmet needs in the treatment of AS in a long-term observational study. Between January 2003 and December 2017, 220 patients with radiographic SpA were evaluated fulfilling the ASAS criteria. They were followed up at predefined times and were naive to biological treatment with anti-tumor necrosis factor agents (anti-TNFs) and the interleukin (IL)-17 inhibitor. NSAIDs, all anti-TNFs and the IL-17 inhibitor secukinumab were used according to the European, United States and Canadian guidelines for AS. During follow-up, several clinical parameters including disease activity scores were recorded. All 220 patients had an active disease and received at least two NSAIDs for 3 months. The anti-TNF of first choice was infliximab-51%, followed by adalimumab-27% and etanercept-22%. During follow-up, 22 patients were excluded from the study (18 lost, 4 never received anti-TNF due to comorbidities). From the rest (198), 12 did not receive anti-TNFs (8 due to sustained LDA on NSAIDs solely and 4 due to treatment denial). Finally, 186 (94%) were treated with anti-TNFs demonstrating sustained long-term LDA. However, 16 patients never achieved LDA despite they received two or three anti-TNFs or the IL-17 inhibitor. Thus, a total of 20 (10.1%) patients never achieved LDA. This is the first study aiming to estimate the gap and the size of unmet needs in AS patients using the international guidelines and recommendations for AS treatment, which is 10.1%.

Granuloma annulare development in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with tocilizumab: case-based review.

Granuloma annulare (GA) is the most common non-infectious disease. Despite the fact that it is a benign disease, it can be associated with a variety of disorders and certain drugs including biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). A 50-year-old man with a history of rheumatoid arthritis refractory to methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine and infliximab was treated with tocilizumab (TCZ), an interleukin-6 receptor antagonist, 162 mg subcutaneously every week. The patient responded very well to TCZ treatment with a decrease of acute phase reactants and reduction of disease activity score for 28-joints count. However, 3 months later he developed erythematous polycyclic eruptions affecting the lower extremities consistent with a diagnosis of GA which was confirmed by a skin biopsy. TCZ has been discontinued and the patient was treated with prednisone presenting complete resolution of skin manifestations after 4 weeks. This is the first case of GA development during TCZ treatment. Thus, we review the literature and discuss the relevant cases of GA development in patients treated with bDMARDs. When dealing with patients treated with these agents, all physicians should be aware of possible adverse events and the potential development of such complications.

Conventional radiography of the hands and wrists in rheumatoid arthritis. What a rheumatologist should know and how to interpret the radiological findings.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the synovial membrane, leading to joint damage and bone destruction. Conventional radiography (CR) of the hands and wrists has been, for many years, the primary imaging modality used to diagnose and monitor RA. On the other hand, many investigators in clinical trials and observational studies used CR of the hands and wrists to demonstrate drug effectiveness and structural damage progression. The purpose of this review is to discuss the evaluation and interpretation of the hands and wrists by CR in RA patients and the radiographic changes occurring in a specific joint. Thus, the literature was reviewed until January 2019 for studies regarding RA radiological evaluation of the hands and wrists, as well as radiological progression using CR. The assessment of joint pathology in RA patients should begin with CR which is the best imaging modality to evaluate any subtle changes occurring at the bone level. Once high-quality radiographs are obtained in appropriate views/projections, then an accurate evaluation can often be made without any further imaging studies. Therefore, CR is a valuable tool for RA screening. It is an easy-to-perform technique and gives important information assisting in differentiating between RA from other arthritides. In contrary CR does not provide good information when early RA changes start to appear, such as synovial inflammation or other soft-tissue structural changes. Nevertheless, it still remains the most commonly used imaging tool in rheumatology and has a number of advantages: it is easily available in most rheumatologists and readily accessible in most patients. It is inexpensive and relatively safe. It provides immediate information and can be interpreted easily by the requested rheumatologist. Finally, the data are reproducible and can be used for serial evaluation and follow-up.

B cell depletion treatment decreases CD4+IL4+ and CD4+CD40L+ T cells in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Recent data suggests that rituximab may favorably affect skin fibrosis and lung function in patients with systemic sclerosis. Based on experimental data suggesting a key role of B and T cells in scleroderma we aimed to explore the effect(s) of rituximab treatment on T cell subpopulations. Fifteen patients with scleroderma who received rituximab treatment and six who received standard treatment alone were recruited. Peripheral CD4+IL4+, CD4+INFγ+, CD4+IL17+ and CD4+CD40L+ T cells were assessed using flow cytometry. Using ELISA, serum levels of IL4 were assessed. Skin CD4+IL4+ T cells were assessed with confocal microscopy from skin biopsies. Following rituximab treatment skin CD4+IL4+ T cells obviously decreased as seen with confocal microscopy. Moreover, peripheral CD4+IL4+ T cells decreased significantly compared to those from patients who received standard treatment alone: median (IQR): 14.9 (22.63-12.88) vs 7.87 (12.81-4.9)%, p = 0.005 and 9.43 (19.53-7.50)% vs 14.86 (21.96-6.75)%, p = NS at baseline and 6 months later respectively, whereas there was no difference in serum IL4 levels. Peripheral CD4+CD40L+ T cells also decreased significantly following rituximab treatment compared to those from patients who received standard treatment alone: median (IQR): 17.78 (25.64-14.44)% vs 8.15 (22.85-3.08)%, p = 0.04 and 22.13 (58.77-8.20)% vs 72.11 (73.05-20.45)%, p = NS at baseline and 6 months later respectively. Furthermore, peripheral CD4+INFγ+ and CD4+IL17+ T cells revealed no differences following rituximab treatment. Our study demonstrates a link between rituximab treatment and CD4+IL4+ T cell decrease both in the skin and peripheral blood of patients with SSc.

Cochlear involvement in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a clinical and laboratory comparative study.

PURPOSE: Inner ear involvement has been reported in systemic rheumatic disease while detection of cochlin-specific antibodies has been reported in patients with idiopatic sensorineural hearing loss, suggesting cochlin's strong link to autoimmune hearing loss. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to calculate the prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases, and to investigate any potential correlation with human antibodies to cochlin. METHODS: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjogren's syndrome (SS) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) according to the criteria of American College of Rheumatology were included in the study. All patients underwent a complete ear-nose-throat physical examination and audiological evaluation with pure tone audiometry and impedance audiometry. Pure tone average was calculated, taking as a starting point the hearing loss in dB according to the recommendation 02/1 of "Bureau International d' Audiophonologie" (BIAP) so as an average hearing threshold value. Sera of all patients were tested for the presence of IgG antibodies to human cochline (COCH-IgG). Sex and age-matched healthy subjects were included as controls to each group. RESULTS: A total of 133 patients were studied; 60 with RA, 41 with SLE, 24 with SS and 8 with SSc. 61.4% of patients reported vertigo, 41% hyperacousis, 39% hearing loss, 38% tinnitus, 37.9% headache and 2.1% sensation of ear pressure with unremarkable otoscopy. The prevalence of SNHL calculated for patients affected by RA, SLE, SS and SSc was 66.6%, 31.71%, 54.17%, and 75% respectively. The calculated average hearing thresholds value in RA was increased in comparison to SLE (p < 0.05). In addition it was also higher in patients with RA and secondary SS, in comparison to RA patients (p > 0.05). There was statistically significant correlation of average hearing threshold with disease activity score 28 (DAS28) in RA, but no correlation observed with disease activity index (SLEDAI) in SLE. COCH-IgG antibodies were detected in only two samples. The results were compared with those of their respective sex and age-matched healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed increased prevalence of SNHL in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease but no correlation of hearing loss with COCHIgG antibodies. The mechanism of inner ear damage remains unknown; thus, additional prospective studies will be needed to elucidate its pathogenesis.