Demographic and clinical differences between ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: results from a multicentre retrospective study in the Lazio region of Italy.

OBJECTIVES: Axial spondyloarthritides (axSpA) are a group of disorders that share similar pathogenetic mechanisms and clinical picture. The aim of this retrospective multicentric study was to evaluate demographic and clinical differences between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA) patients. METHODS: Patients from 7 rheumatological centres in the Lazio region of Italy were included from January 1st, 2010 to April 1st, 2018, if they had undergone pelvic and/or spine radiographs or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Images were evaluated by one experienced radiologist in each centre who already had the clinical suspicion of axSpA. Clinical and therapeutic data were collected at the last observation visit. Categorical variables were presented with percentages and analysed by Chi squared test. Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation and compared using the parametric unpaired t-test or the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test, when appropriate. p-values <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: 210 axSpA patients were included: 65.2% with AS and 34.7% with nr-axSpA. When comparing the two groups, AS patients had longer disease duration, were older, were more frequently males, had a greater diagnostic delay and a higher body mass index than the nr-axSpA patients (p<0.0001, p<0.0001, p=0.003 p=0.007, and p=0.04, respectively). The peripheral joints of the nr-axSpA patients were more frequently involved, had higher frequency of inflammatory bowel disease, higher C-reactive protein levels and lower frequency of HLA-B27 positivity (p=0.005, p=0.007, p=0.01, and p=0.01, respectively). TNF inhibitors were used in 87.8% patients with AS and 78.3% with nr-axSpA (p=0.04). More fat metaplasia was observed on MRI in the nr-axSpA group than in the AS group at sacroiliac joints (p=0.003), and more backfills were detected in the AS group on spine-MRI (p=0.003). Spine-bone marrow oedema was more prevalent in AS than in nr-axSpA (p=0.04), and more sclerosis and backfill were found in AS (p=0.003 and p=0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In clinical practice, distinctive features in AS and nr-axSpA patients emerged. Imaging is crucial in guiding the choice of treatment in order to control disease activity and inflammation.

Characterization of circulating endothelial microparticles and endothelial progenitor cells in primary Sjögren's syndrome: new markers of chronic endothelial damage?

OBJECTIVE: Chronic autoimmune diseases are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death. Endothelial dysfunction represents the first stage of subclinical atherosclerosis and multiple factors contribute to endothelial injury. Among these, an altered balance between endothelial microparticle (EMP) release and endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) generation promotes endothelial dysfunction. The role of EMPs and EPCs in promoting endothelial damage in primary SS (pSS) has never been investigated. Our aim was to evaluate the role of EMPs and EPCs as markers of endothelial damage in pSS and their correlation with disease clinical and immunological features. METHODS: Circulating EMPs (CD31(+)/CD42(-)), true EPCs (CD34(+)/KDR(+)/CD133(+)) and mature EPCs (CD34(+)/KDR(+)/CD133(-)) were quantified by FACS analysis in 34 pSS patients and 18 age- and sex-matched controls. Correlation between EMP and EPC levels and parameters of disease activity and damage, clinical features and markers of immunological dysfunction was performed. RESULTS: Patients displayed higher EMP numbers with respect to healthy controls [HCs; mean 450 n/µl (S.D. 155) vs 231 (110), P < 0.0001]. EPC and mature EPC levels were higher in patients compared with HCs [mean 226 n/ml (S.D. 181) vs 69 (53), P < 0.001 and 166 (161) vs 36 (32), P < 0.0001, respectively). EMP levels directly correlated with disease duration from symptoms and diagnosis (ρ = 0.5, P < 0.01). Early EPCs inversely correlated with disease duration from symptoms (ρ = -0.5, P < 0.01) and diagnosis (ρ = -0.4, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This is the first demonstration of chronic endothelial fragmentation characterizing pSS. The reparative potentiality of the endothelial layer appears to be preserved in the earliest stages of disease. During the course of the disease, progressive exhaustion of the precursor endothelial pool may be hypothesized, leading to defective vascular layer restoration and endothelial dysfunction.

Atherosclerotic vascular damage and rheumatoid arthritis: a complex but intriguing link.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by a reduced life expectancy mainly due to cardiovascular disease. In long-standing disease, it has been widely demonstrated that both traditional cardiovascular risk and disease-related factors, including chronic inflammation and immune-mediated mechanisms, play a key role in accelerating atherosclerotic damage of the arterial wall. The short- and long-term effects of immunosuppressive treatment on cardiovascular disease outcome is, however, uncertain and a multidisciplinary approach appears to represent the best management of cardiovascular risk in these patients.