Publications by authors named "Konstantinos D Vassilakis"

Background: Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID) include rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and psoriasis (PsO). While biologic (b) and targeted synthetic (ts) DMARDs are effective, nearly 60 % of patients fail to achieve low disease activity status. Combination targeted therapy (CTT) using concomitantly two different b- or ts-DMARDs has been explored, but results on safety and efficacy are unclear.

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Objective: To present the clinical and imaging characteristics of patients with axial psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and to identify possible subtypes.

Methods: Data were retrieved from the Greek-multicentre PsA study. Axial PsA (axPsA) was defined as PsA (CASPAR criteria) accompanied by inflammatory back pain (present or ever) and positive imaging findings of the sacroiliac joints and/or spine (MRI: active inflammation of sacroiliac joints and/or spine; X-rays: 1984 New York criteria for radiographic sacroiliitis and/or presence of syndesmophytes in the spine).

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Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) is a multifaceted, immune-mediated disease marked by chronic musculoskeletal inflammation (peripheral arthritis and axial disease, dactylitis, and enthesitis), extra-musculoskeletal manifestations (psoriasis, nail involvement, Inflammatory Bowel Disease [IBD], and uveitis) and multi-comorbidity (cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, mental health disorders, and fibromyalgia). Immunological and non-immunological factors have led, despite the progress made in the understanding, treatment and management of PsA, to a minority of patients being able to achieve satisfactory outcomes. Following the establishment of the definition for difficult to treat rheumatoid arthritis, efforts are underway for difficult to treat PsA (D2T PsA).

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Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease with heterogeneity regarding its clinical features, mainly affecting the skin and the musculoskeletal system; additionally, extra-musculoskeletal manifestations and comorbidities are common, adding complexity to its treatment. In the last decades, a plethora of therapeutic options have been available, including conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), biological DMARDs (bDMARDs), and targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs), and many recommendations have been published regarding the proper use of them in patients with PsA. In rheumatoid arthritis, the combination of conventional with bDMARDs or tsDMARDs is a common and recommended practice, whereas in PsA there is scarce data about the benefit of this combination.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the risk of hepatitis B reactivation (HBVr) in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases treated with targeted synthetic drugs and anti-interleukin agents, focusing on those with chronic or resolved HBV infections.
  • A systematic literature review and meta-analysis found an overall low HBVr risk of less than 6%, but the risk was notably higher (14.4%) for patients with chronic HBV compared to those with resolved infections (5.1%).
  • The findings indicate that patients with chronic HBV not receiving antiviral treatment are at the highest risk of HBVr (28%), while those with resolved HBV face a significantly lower risk (4.7%).
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Objective: To present the characteristics of patients with potential difficult-to-treat (D2T) PsA.

Methods: We used data from the Greek multicentre registry of PsA patients. D2T PsA was defined as follows: patients with at least 6 months' disease duration, who have failed to at least one conventional synthetic DMARD and at least two biologic DMARDs/targeted synthetic DMARDs with a different mechanism of action and have either at least moderate disease activity (MODA) defined as DAPSA (Disease Activity index in PSoriatic Arthritis) >14, and/or are not at minimal disease activity (MDA).

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As our research interest and knowledge increases in the field of Spondyloarthritis, new aspects also emerge as regards to their therapeutic approach. JAK inhibitors (JAKi) are a relatively new treatment option, aiming molecules in the JAK-STAT pathway, which has a leading role in the pathophysiology of both Psoriatic Arthritis and Axial Spondyloarthritis. JAKi exhibit different selectivity towards the four different members of the JAK family (namely JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, and TYK2), possibly reflecting different efficacy and safety profile.

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