The use of ASDAS to evaluate disease activity and response to treatment in patients with axial spondyloarthritis starting the first biological drug: Are ASAS recommendations being followed?

Objectives: To determine the proportion of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) who had ASDAS calculated at baseline and at least once within two follow-up visits after starting their first bDMARD; and to evaluate the likelihood of meeting ASAS criteria for treatment continuation at 3 and 6 months.

Methods: Patients with axSpA from the Reuma.pt registry who initiated their first bDMARD and attended baseline, 3-month (3 M), and 6-month (6 M) visits were included.

Vision-related quality of life in spondyloarthritis patients with acute anterior uveitis on golimumab: the GO-VISION study.

Objectives: Acute anterior uveitis (AAU) associated with spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a common extra-articular manifestation, significantly impacting the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The GO-VISION aimed to evaluate the effects of GOL on visual related (VR) and HRQoL, as well as health-related work productivity (HRWP), in individuals diagnosed with SpA and a history of SpA-AAU.

Methods: This prospective, multicentre study included 20 SpA patients with recent SpA-AAU, treated with GOL and followed for 48 weeks.

Manifestations and predictors of neurologic involvement in Behçet's disease.

Background: Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem inflammatory disorder primarily affecting mucocutaneous tissues. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement, Neuro-BD (NBD), is a potentially severe manifestation of BD with a variable prevalence (1-59%).

Aims: We aimed to characterize BD patients with CNS involvement and to identify predictors of this clinical subtype.

ERN ReCONNET-SLICC-SLEuro expert consensus on the therapeutic management of rare systemic lupus erythematosus manifestations.

Existing guidelines for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) predominantly focus on common and major organ involvements. An international taskforce involving experts from three SLE expert groups (ie, the European Reference Network on Rare and Complex Connective Tissue and Musculoskeletal Diseases, the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus International Collaborating Clinics group, and the European Lupus Society) was established. A total of 119 participants contributed to the development of consensus therapeutic strategies for 24 rare SLE manifestations, using a multistep process.

The giant cell arteritis (GCA) ultrasound score (OGUS) at diagnosis and after initial treatment predicts future relapses in GCA patients: results of a multicentre prospective study.

Objectives: To test the prognostic role of ultrasonography at diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and the change of ultrasound abnormalities during the initial weeks of follow-up for the prediction of relapse, vascular complications, or initiation of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Methods: Prospective, multicentre study of patients with new onset GCA undergoing serial ultrasound assessment at fixed time points. The Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) GCA ultrasonography score (OGUS) was used to quantify vessel wall abnormalities.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound as a valuable tool to detect minimal inflammation in RA patients in sustained remission.

Objective: The study aimed to explore the utility of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as a tool for detecting minimal inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in sustained remission (SR) and to correlate the findings with Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) status scores and various ultrasound (US) scores.

Patients And Methods: Thirty RA patients in SR (minimum 6 months), 12 with active disease, and 10 healthy controls were included. Clinical evaluations and US assessments were performed, including grayscale US (GSUS), power Doppler US (PDUS), and Global OMERACT-EULAR Synovitis Score (GLOESS).

The value of axillary, facial, occipital, subclavian and common carotid arteries ultrasound in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic value for GCA in adding the axillary arteries (AX) to the temporal artery (TA) ultrasound, particularly in patients with a cranial phenotype of the disease; and to investigate the utility of facial (FA), occipital (OC), subclavian (SC) and common carotid (CC) ultrasound in patients with suspected GCA.

Methods: Patients with new-onset GCA and a positive ultrasound of the TA, AX, FA, OC, SC or CC, followed at the rheumatology departments of two academic centres, were retrospectively included.

Results: Two hundred and thirty patients were assessed.

Beyond sicca: high prevalence and predictors of baseline and worsening systemic involvement in patients with Sjögren's disease.

Objectives: Systemic extraglandular involvement in SS has been reported in one-third of patients but may be more frequent. We aimed to evaluate systemic disease prevalence at baseline and throughout follow-up and find its predictors.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including SS patients followed in a tertiary centre.

Anxiety and depression in patients with giant cell arteritis.

Objectives: To compare the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with GCA with that in the general population, using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and to identify independent predictors of these psychiatric manifestations in patients with GCA.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study including all patients diagnosed with GCA followed during 1 year in a vasculitis outpatient clinic. The HADS and 36-item Short Form (SF-36) questionnaires were prospectively collected.

Predictors of Interstitial Lung Disease in Mixed Connective Tissue Disease.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) frequently complicates mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and contributes to increased mortality. We aimed to identify predictors of ILD in MCTD patients. This is a nationwide, multicentre, retrospective study including patients with an adult-onset MCTD clinical diagnosis who met Sharp's, Kasukawa, Alarcón-Segovia, or Kahn's diagnostic criteria and had available chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) data.

ERN ReCONNET points to consider for treating patients living with autoimmune rheumatic diseases with antiviral therapies and anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody products.

Recent studies have shown that people who are immunocompromised may inadvertently play a role in spurring the mutations of the virus that create new variants. This is because some immunocompromised individuals remain at risk of getting COVID-19 despite vaccination, experience more severe disease, are susceptible to being chronically infected and remain contagious for longer if they become infected and considering that immunocompromised individuals represent approximately 2% of the overall population, this aspect should be carefully considered. So far, some autoimmune rheumatic disease (ARD) patients with COVID-19 have been treated with antiviral therapies or anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody products.

Clinical characterisation of a multicentre nationwide cohort of patients with antisynthetase syndrome.

Background: Antisynthetase syndrome (ASyS) is characterised by the association of inflammatory myopathy, interstitial lung disease (ILD), arthritis, Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) or mechanic's hands (MH), with the presence of anti-aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetase antibodies (anti-ARS). It has been suggested that different anti-ARS may be associated with distinct clinical pictures.

Objective: To characterise the clinical and immunological features of a multicentric nationwide cohort of ASyS patients.

Portuguese recommendations for the use of biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - 2020 update.

Objective: To update the recommendations for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with biological and targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs and tsDMARDs), endorsed by the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology (SPR).

Methods: These treatment recommendations were formulated by Portuguese rheumatologists taking into account previous recommendations, new literature evidence and consensus opinion. At a national meeting, in a virtual format, three of the ten previous recommendations were re-addressed and discussed after a more focused literature review.

Sex differences in axial spondyloarthritis: data from a Portuguese spondyloarthritis cohort.

Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), particularly ankylosing spondylitis was historically considered a male's disease and has been under-recognized in women. Emerging evidence reveals sex differences in pathophysiology, disease presentation and therapeutic efficacy.

Objective: To identify differences between sexes in a Portuguese cohort of patients with axSpA regarding clinical manifestations, disease activity, functional capacity, patient related outcomes and presence of sacroiliitis on x-ray or magnetic resonance imaging.

Efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin in shrinking lung syndrome associated with mixed connective tissue disease: a case report.

Shrinking lung syndrome is a rare manifestation of connective tissue diseases, namely systemic lupus erythematosus. It is characterised by reduced lung volumes and extra-pulmonary restrictive ventilatory pattern with good response to high-dose glucocorticoids alone or in combination with a second immunosuppressive agent. Here, we describe a case associated with mixed connective tissue disease and effectively treated with intravenous immunoglobulin.

Ultrasound halo sign as a potential monitoring tool for patients with giant cell arteritis: a prospective analysis.

Objectives: To assess the sensitivity to change of ultrasound halo features and their association with disease activity and glucocorticoid (GC) treatment in patients with newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis (GCA).

Methods: Prospective study of patients with ultrasound-confirmed GCA who underwent serial ultrasound assessments of the temporal artery (TA) and axillary artery (AX) at fixed time points. The number of segments with halo and maximum halo intima-media thickness (IMT) was recorded.

Localized Forms of Vasculitis.

Purpose Of Review: To provide an updated review on epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic assessment, treatment, and prognosis of localized vasculitis, following the 2012 Revised International Chapel Hill Consensus Conference Nomenclature on single-organ vasculitis.

Recent Findings: Localized, single-organ vasculitides encompass a group of rare conditions in which there is no evidence of concomitant systemic vasculitis. Most data on this topic derives from case reports and small case series.

Gastric Adenocarcinoma Presenting as a Rheumatoid Factor and Anti-cyclic Citrullinated Protein Antibody-Positive Polyarthritis: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

A 64-year-old male presented with a 6-month history of symmetric polyarthritis involving proximal interphalangeal joints and metacarpophalangeal joints of the hands, wrists, and ankles. Associated symptoms included vomiting, progressive fatigue, and weight loss. Laboratory results showed microcytic anemia, leukocytosis, thrombocytosis, elevated C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated protein (ACPA) antibody positivity.

SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: the Euro-COVIMID multicentre cross-sectional study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has raised numerous questions among patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases regarding potential reciprocal effects of COVID-19 and their underlying disease, and potential effects of immunomodulatory therapy on outcomes related to COVID-19. The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 and factors associated with symptomatic COVID-19 in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases are still unclear. The Euro-COVIMID study aimed to determine the serological and clinical prevalence of COVID-19 among patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, as well as factors associated with COVID-19 occurrence and the impact of the pandemic in its management.