Imaging Neoangiogenesis in Rheumatoid Arthritis (INIRA) Part II: Whole-body Synovial Uptake of Tc-maraciclatide is Highly Correlated with Power Doppler Ultrasound.

Rationale And Objectives: Ultrasound (US) and MRI are more sensitive than clinical examination in detecting synovitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It is impractical however to image large numbers of joints in routine settings. Tc-maraciclatide is a radio-labeled small molecule tracer which binds with high affinity to integrin αvβ3, a cell-adhesion molecule up-regulated on neoangiogenic blood vessels, and therefore has the potential to image synovial inflammation at the whole-body level.

Pneumococcal vaccine uptake in patients with inflammatory arthritis: a single centre cohort study.

Objectives: Current guidelines recommend pneumococcal vaccination in individuals who are over the age of 65 or are immunosuppressed due to a disease or treatment. The objective of this study was to assess vaccine uptake rates in people with inflammatory arthritis for the pneumococcal, influenza and Covid-19 vaccines and factors determining uptake.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective single centre cohort study in the UK of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis between October and December 2023.

Treatment of polymyalgia rheumatica: British Society for Rheumatology guideline scope.

The last British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) guideline on PMR was published in 2009. The guideline needs to be updated to provide a summary of the current evidence for pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of adults with PMR. This guideline is aimed at healthcare professionals in the UK who directly care for people with PMR, including general practitioners, rheumatologists, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, psychologists and other health professionals.

No Waning of Pneumococcal Vaccine Responses over Time in People with Inflammatory Arthritis: Findings from a Single Centre Cohort.

Vaccination against pneumococcus reduces the risk of infective events, hospitalisation, and death in individual with inflammatory arthritis, particularly in those on immunomodulating therapy who are at risk of worse outcomes from pneumococcal disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the serological protection following vaccination against pneumococcal serovars over time. This was a single centre, retrospective cohort study of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or axial spondylarthritis who had previously received the PPSV23 polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine (Pneumovax).

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Anti-Rheumatic Drugs and Pneumococcal Vaccine Immunogenicity in Inflammatory Arthritis.

Background: Pneumococcal pneumonia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality amongst patients with inflammatory arthritis. Vaccination is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) but it remains unclear how vaccine efficacy is impacted by different immunosuppressive agents. Our objective was to compare the chance of a seroconversion following vaccination against pneumococcus in patients with inflammatory arthritis to that in the general population, as well as to compare the chance of seroconversion across different targeted therapies.

2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography in rheumatological diseases.

2-deoxy-2[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) PET-CT has revolutionized oncological imaging. The cellular processes that make cancer cells visible on FDG PET-CT also occur in a number of inflammatory cells. Exploiting this phenomenon has led to a growth of evidence supporting the use of FDG PET-CT in a wide range of infective and inflammatory diseases.

The association between gravidity, parity and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To establish if gravidity and parity associate with the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to establish if this effect is influenced by the time elapsed since pregnancy/childbirth, the number of pregnancies/childbirths, and serological status, through systematically reviewing the literature and undertaking a meta-analysis.

Methods: We searched Medline/EMBASE (from 1946 to 2018) using the terms "rheumatoid arthritis.mp" or "arthritis, rheumatoid/" and "pregnancy.

Rising Incidence of Acute Hospital Admissions due to Gout.

Objective: To describe trends in acute hospital admissions due to gout in England, with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as a comparator, alongside prescribing trends for common gout medications.

Methods: An ecological study was performed using UK National Health Service (NHS) Digital Hospital Episode Statistics data to calculate the incidence of unplanned admissions with primary diagnoses of gout or RA in adults in England between April 2006 and March 2017. NHS Digital Community Prescription data for allopurinol, febuxostat, and colchicine were considered over a similar period.

The association between lymphopenia and serious infection risk in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between occurrence of serious infection (SI) and lymphocyte counts in patients with RA using data from a single centre.

Methods: We used routinely captured data from a single tertiary rheumatology centre to explore the relationship between lymphopenia and SI risk. Adult RA patients were included over a 5-year follow-up period.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of infection risk with small molecule JAK inhibitors in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: To evaluate the risk of serious infection (SI) and herpes zoster (HZ) in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving JAK inhibitors.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of phase II and III randomized controlled trials of tofacitinib (5 mg bid), baricitinib (4 mg od) and upadacitinib (15 mg od). Patient-exposure years were calculated.

Biologic prescribing decisions following serious infection: results from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register-Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objectives: To establish whether the decision to stop, continue or switch TNF inhibitor (TNFi) therapy to a biologic drug with an alternative mode of action following a serious infection (SI) impacts upon the risk of recurrent SI in patients with RA.

Methods: Patients recruited to the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register-RA with at least one episode of SI while on TNFi were included. The biologic treatment decision following SI was considered.

Serious infection across biologic-treated patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objectives: To compare the incidence of serious infection (SI) across biologic drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using data from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis (BSRBR-RA).

Methods: The BSRBR-RA is a prospective observational cohort study. This analysis included patients with RA starting a new biologic.

A Systematic Review and Metaanalysis of Antirheumatic Drugs and Vaccine Immunogenicity in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: Vaccination is a key strategy to reduce infection risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is advocated in internationally recognized rheumatology society guidelines. The aim was to evaluate to the effect of antirheumatic drugs on influenza and pneumococcal vaccine immunogenicity.

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review and metaanalysis comparing the humoral response to influenza (pandemic and seasonal trivalent subunit vaccines) and pneumococcal (23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, 7- and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccines) vaccination in adult patients with RA treated with antirheumatic drugs.

Opportunistic infections in rheumatoid arthritis patients exposed to biologic therapy: results from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objectives: This analysis set out to estimate the risk of opportunistic infection (OI) among patients with RA by biologic class.

Methods: The British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis is a prospective observational cohort study established to evaluate safety of biologic therapies. The population included adults commencing biologic therapy for RA.

Recurrent serious infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-results from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register.

Objectives: To establish the rate of recurrent infection in RA patients recruited to the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register - Rheumatoid Arthritis. Secondary objectives were to establish whether the organ class of index infection predicted future serious infection (SI).

Methods: Using data from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register - Rheumatoid Arthritis, a prospective observational cohort, we identified patients with at least one episode of SI.

Cocaine and ANCA associated vasculitis-like syndromes - A case series.

Objectives: We analysed the spectrum of clinical manifestations of cocaine associated pseudovasculitis.

Methods: Clinical, serological, radiological and histological features of 14 patients with cocaine pseudovasculitis syndromes were included.

Results: Twelve patients had significant sinus thickening or erosive disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis patients with fibromyalgic clinical features have significantly less synovitis as defined by power Doppler ultrasound.

Background: In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) clinical measures of disease activity may not reliably discriminate between patients with active inflammatory disease and those with concomitant fibromyalgia (FM). Recent work has shown RA patients with a 28 tender joint count (TJC) minus swollen joint count (SJC) of 7 or more (joint count criteria) are more likely to meet classification criteria for FM. This study aimed to determine whether RA patients meeting clinical criteria for FM had lower levels of joint inflammation as determined by ultrasound (US).

A population study of the reported incidence of native joint septic arthritis in the United Kingdom between 1998 and 2013.

Objectives: Septic arthritis is a life-threatening condition with mortality rates of 10-15%. Previous studies in other countries have shown the incidence of septic arthritis may be changing. Our aim was investigate the incidence and pattern of native joint septic arthritis in the UK.

A large two-centre study in to rates of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination and infection burden in rheumatoid arthritis in the UK.

Background: Infections are a common complication of RA with associated morbidity and mortality. The aetiology of increased risk is complex and multifactorial. Despite this, strategies to mitigate against risk of infection including vaccination are not always addressed in primary or secondary care with wide variation in practice from multiple small single centre audits.

Key findings from studies of methotrexate tapering and withdrawal in rheumatoid arthritis.

Methotrexate is the dominant initial drug in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Despite its widespread use, methotrexate is associated with a number of adverse effects. Tapering its dose to the minimal amount required to maintain RA remission is, therefore, an important clinical goal.