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Pharmacol Res 2022 Jun 22:106325. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Department of Medicine 'B', Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Zabludowicz Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Sheba Medical Centre, Tel-Hashomer, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.

Objectives: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic progressive and debilitating form of arthritis with associated extra-articular features including uveitis, intestinal and lung apical inflammation and psoriasis. Putative associations between AS and neurologic disorders has been relatively overlooked. The purpose of this study is to assess the link between AS and major neurologic disorders and whether treatment with Tumor-Necrosis-Factor inhibitors (TNFi) has an impact on that association. Read More

Korean J Gastroenterol 2022 Jun;79(6):270-273

Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea.

Primary biliary cholangitis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune liver disease that is characterized by a positive antimitochondrial antibodies test and progressive destruction of the small intrahepatic bile duct. Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory disease of the spine and the sacroiliac joints. The association between these two is very low. Read More

J Clin Med 2022 Jun 20;11(12). Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Rheumatology, Humanitas San Pio X, 20122 Milan, Italy.

In this study, we evaluated the presence of residual disease in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in remission/low disease activity (LDA) status. This cross-sectional post-hoc analysis of the QUASAR study involving 23 rheumatology centres across Italy included adults with axSpA classified according to the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society criteria. Patients with inactive disease (score < 1. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2022 Jun 16;23(12). Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Department of Pharmacology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 61469, Korea.

Neurogenin 1 (Ngn1) belongs to the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor family and plays important roles in specifying neuronal differentiation. The present study aimed to determine whether forced Ngn1 expression contributes to bone homeostasis. Ngn1 inhibited the p300/CREB-binding protein-associated factor (PCAF)-induced acetylation of nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFATc1) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) through binding to PCAF, which led to the inhibition of osteoclast and osteoblast differentiation, respectively. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2022 Jun 15;23(12). Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Laboratory of Bone and Soft Tissue Studies, Department of Anatomy-Histology-Embryology, University of Patras Medical School, 26504 Patras, Greece.

Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) is a key regulator of bone remodeling in spondyloarthropathies. Nevertheless, data regarding its expression in cells of pathophysiologic relevance, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are lacking. Herein, we aimed to address DKK1 gene expression and Wnt pathway activation in MSCs from patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and explore the effect of IL-17 on MSCs with respect to DKK-1 expression and Wnt pathway activation. Read More

mSystems 2022 Jun 23:e0045522. Epub 2022 Jun 23.

Department of Life Science, Chung-Ang Universitygrid.254224.7, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

The metabolism of bile acids (BAs) by gut bacteria plays an important role in human health. This study identified and characterized 7α-dehydroxylating bacteria, which are majorly responsible for converting primary BAs to secondary BAs, in the human gut and investigated their association with human disease. Six 7α-dehydratase (BaiE) clusters were identified from human gut metagenomes through sequence similarity network and genome neighborhood network analyses. Read More

ACR Open Rheumatol 2022 Jun 22. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.

Objective: Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are an effective treatment for non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). To be eligible, however, many authorities require patients with nr-axSpA to show active sacroiliitis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or an elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) level, possibly resulting in a perception that patients with nr-axSpA without both factors have only low responses to TNFi treatment. We evaluated clinical responses to certolizumab pegol (CZP) in patients with nr-axSpA stratified by baseline MRI/CRP status. Read More

RMD Open 2022 Jun;8(2)

Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Objective: Studying vertebral bone loss in radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) has been challenging due to ectopic bone formation. We cross-sectionally analysed low-dose CT (ldCT) trabecular bone density Hounsfield units (HU) measurements and calculated inter-reader reliability at the vertebral level in patients with r-axSpA.

Methods: LdCT scans of 50 patients with r-axSpA from the sensitive imaging in ankylosing spondylitis study, a multicentre 2-year prospective cohort were included. Read More

Vaccine 2022 Jun 18. Epub 2022 Jun 18.

Hospital Universitário Cassiano Antônio Moraes, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES), Vitória, ES, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde Coletiva da Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES), Vitória, ES, Brazil. Electronic address:

Yellow fever (YF) vaccination is known to induce a suboptimal response in patients with autoimmune diseases (AIDs). To date, few studies have focused on the performance of 17DD-YF vaccination in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA). In general, patients with SpA are young and have less comorbidities than other patients with AIDs, and frequently receive biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) that may impact their response to vaccines. Read More

Mod Rheumatol 2022 Jun 21. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.

Objectives: To determine the frequency of symptoms meeting Rome IV functional bowel disorder (FBD) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), investigate factors associated with FBD symptoms, and assess whether having FBD symptoms might influence AS disease activity.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 153 AS patients without known colonic ulcer and 56 sex- and age-matched controls to evaluate FBD (or its subtypes) symptoms. Disease characteristics were also evaluated in AS group. Read More

Oper Neurosurg (Hagerstown) 2022 Jul 20;23(1):e72-e76. Epub 2022 Apr 20.

The Orthopedic Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi, China.

Background And Importance: Spinal osteotomy and total hip replacement (THR) are the most common surgical interventions for ankylosing spondylitis (AS). It is recommended that patients with AS with severe thoracolumbar kyphotic deformity (TLKD) and flexed hips receive spinal osteotomy before THR to reduce the risk of hip prosthesis dislocation after THR. Standardly, spinal osteotomy is performed in the prone position; however, it is impractical to place patients with AS with kyphosis and closed hips in a prone position. Read More

Expert Opin Biol Ther 2022 Jun 20. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Rheumatology Institute of Lucania (IReL): Rheumatology Department of Lucania, San Carlo Hospital of Potenza and Madonna delle Grazie Hospital of Matera, Potenza, Italy.

Introduction: Interleukin 23 (IL-23) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a protective role against bacterial and fungal infections. However, the dysregulation of the IL-23/IL-17 axis provides a solid substrate for the development of various inflammatory diseases, such as psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Areas Covered: In different clinical trials, several drugs against IL-23 have shown efficacy and safety towards PsA, with excellent results on skin and joint scores. Read More

Front Med (Lausanne) 2022 2;9:881943. Epub 2022 Jun 2.

MSD Ges.m.b.H., The Icon Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Objective: To analyze real-world evidence on work productivity and daily activity impairment (WPAI) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients treated with golimumab in Austria.

Methods: This was a prospective, non-interventional, multi-center study conducted in RA, PsA and axSpA patients initiating golimumab between April 2016 and May 2020 in 40 centers in Austria. WPAI, HRQoL (RAQoL, ankylosing spondylitis (AS)QoL and PsAQoL) questionnaires and disease activity (Clinical Disease Activity Index, CDAI, in RA and PsA; Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, BASDAI, in axSpA) were assessed at baseline and months 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24. Read More

Asian J Surg 2022 Jun 16. Epub 2022 Jun 16.

Department of Orthopaedic, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China. Electronic address:

Joint Bone Spine 2022 Jun 15:105424. Epub 2022 Jun 15.

Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Groupe Hospitalier "Hôpitaux Universitaires de Paris-Seine Saint-Denis‿, Service de Rhumatologie, 125, rue de Stalingrad, 93017 Bobigny, France; Inserm UMR 1125, 1 rue de Chablis, 93017 Bobigny, France.

Oman Med J 2022 May 31;37(3):e375. Epub 2022 May 31.

Rheumatology Department, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital and Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon.

Objectives: We sought to identify the predictors of not achieving remission or low disease activity (LDA) among axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients in four Middle Eastern countries.

Methods: In this multicenter prospective real-world study, adult patients with axial SpA diagnosed clinically during January-June 2019, and who met the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society classification criteria for axial SpA, were enrolled from the participating centers of four countries-Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE. Patient demographics, disease history, comorbidities, treatment, and compliance data were obtained at baseline. Read More

Eur Clin Respir J 2022 10;9(1):2086359. Epub 2022 Jun 10.

Respiratory Medicine Department, Hospital de São Bernardo, Centro Hospitalar de Setúbal EPE, Setúbal, Portugal.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is associated with several unique pulmonary manifestations such as apical fibrobullous disease (AFBD), which is a rare extra-spinal complication, predominantly occurring in advanced disease. Infectious complications and differential diagnosis of cavitated lung lesions may be challenging, particularly in patients already submitted to immunosuppression. In this report, we present a low body-mass-index 47-year-old male patient, ex-smoker, with AS and severe joint involvement, medicated in the past with anti-TNF-α therapy, who was diagnosed with AFBD and developed pulmonary tuberculosis and later chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis. Read More

Arch Bronconeumol 2021 Sep 17;57(9):571-576. Epub 2021 Jul 17.

Servicio de Neumoloxía, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Spanish Biomedical Research Networking Centre-CIBERES, A Coruña, Spain.

Background: Silicosis is associated with an increased risk of developing systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARD). The prognostic implications of this association are poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of SARD and autoimmune markers in a cohort of patients with exposure to silica and assess their impact on prognosis. Read More

Ann Rheum Dis 2022 Jun 14. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Rheumatology, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands.

Objectives: Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are effective in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), but are associated with a small (0.6%) increase in serious infection risk, patient burden due to need for self-injection and high costs. Treat-to-target (T2T) tapering might ameliorate these drawbacks, but high-quality evidence on T2T tapering strategies is lacking in PsA and axSpA. Read More

Curr Opin Rheumatol 2022 Jun 9. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique.

Purpose Of Review: Flares correspond to fluctuations in disease activity or symptoms. They should be avoided in chronic inflammatory diseases. In axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), work is ongoing to better conceptualise and treat flares. Read More

Arthritis Res Ther 2022 Jun 13;24(1):141. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Eonjuro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06273, South Korea.

Background: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We aimed to evaluate the effect of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis) on the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with axSpA.

Methods: This retrospective study included 450 patients with axSpA without pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Read More

Ann Rheum Dis 2022 Jun 13. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Department of Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases and Rheumatology (Including Nutrition Medicine), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Objective: The objective of the current study was to analyse the association between treatment with tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and radiographic spinal progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) from a long-term inception cohort.

Methods: A total of 243 patients with axSpA from the German Spondyloarthritis Inception Cohort with at least two sets of spinal radiographs obtained at least 2 years apart during a 10-year follow-up were included. Spinal radiographs were evaluated by three trained and calibrated readers according to the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS). Read More

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2022 Jun 13. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.

Background: Randomised controlled trials of secukinumab have shown sustained efficacy and a favourable safety profile in multiple manifestations of psoriatic disease.

Objectives: To assess the long-term, real-world retention, effectiveness, and safety of secukinumab in routine clinical practice for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque-type psoriasis (PsO).

Methods: SERENA (CAIN457A3403) is a large, ongoing, longitudinal, observational study conducted at 438 sites and 19 countries across Europe for an expected duration of up to 5 years in adult patients with moderate to severe PsO, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. Read More

Scand J Rheumatol 2022 Jun 13:1-10. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Rheumatology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, lägg till a Sweden.

Objectives: To study the agreement between clinical axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) diagnoses and fulfilment of the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS) axSpA and modified New York (mNY) classification criteria, and to compare disease/health status between axSpA subtypes.

Method: Patients with prevalent, clinical axSpA attending a rheumatology clinic were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Assessments included physical evaluation, laboratory testing, questionnaires, and appropriate imaging, allowing classification. Read More

Immunotherapy 2022 Jun 13. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Ophthalmologic Center of the Second Hospital, Jilin University, Ziqiang Street 218, Changchun, 130000, P.R. China.

Noninfectious uveitis is a common blinding eye disease, and an autoimmune response is involved in its pathogenesis. Biological agents have gradually been introduced into the treatment of noninfectious uveitis. The authors reviewed the clinical application and side effects of different biological agents on noninfectious uveitis. Read More

Int J Rheum Dis 2022 Jun 13. Epub 2022 Jun 13.

Department of Rheumatology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Objectives: This study describes the characteristics of vertebral osteophytes in different inflammatory and non-inflammatory diseases aiming to reflect the aortic-vertebrae interaction.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study including 4 group of patients, ankylosing spondylitis (AS, n = 52), Takayasu's arteritis (TKA, n = 31), diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH, n = 30), coronary artery disease (CAD, n = 10), 100 and also age-matched healthy controls (HC, n = 143). All subjects underwent a chest computed tomography scan and images of the upper and lower border of 7 adjacent thoracic vertebrae (T5 to T12) were captured. Read More

Front Immunol 2022 25;13:911922. Epub 2022 May 25.

Department of Pharmacy, Ningbo No. 6 Hospital, Ningbo, China.

Synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome, a type of chronic inflammatory disease, is rare and difficult to treat. Osteoarthropathy with skin involvement is the primary clinical manifestation of SAPHO syndrome. The unknown pathogenesis of SAPHO syndrome is speculated to be related to individual genetic differences, immune levels, microorganisms, and environmental factors. Read More

Transl Res 2022 Jun 9. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Bristol Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ, USA.

As an anti-inflammatory strategy, MAPK-activated protein kinase-2 (MK2) inhibition can potentially avoid the clinical failures seen for direct p38 inhibitors, especially tachyphylaxis. CC-99677, a selective targeted covalent MK2 inhibitor, employs a rare chloropyrimidine that bonds to the sulfur of cysteine 140 in the ATP binding site via a nucleophilic aromatic substitutions (SAr) mechanism. This irreversible mechanism translates biochemical potency to cells shown by potent inhibition of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) phosphorylation in LPS-activated monocytic THP-1 cells. Read More

J Orthop Sci 2022 Jun 8. Epub 2022 Jun 8.

Spine Center, Hakodate Central General Hospital, Hon-cho 33-2, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-8585, Japan.

Semin Arthritis Rheum 2022 May 28;55:152037. Epub 2022 May 28.

Epidemiology, Genetics and Atherosclerosis Research Group on Systemic Inflammatory Diseases, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain; Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, IDIVAL, Santander, Spain; School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain; University of the Witwatersrand, Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, South Africa.

Objectives: To identify disease-related factors associated with subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular (CV) events in a large series of patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and to identify possible differences in the effect of the potential pro-atherogenic factors between ankylosing spondylitis (AS) non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA).

Methods: This is a cross-sectional observational study of the AtheSpAin cohort, a Spanish multicenter cohort to study atherosclerosis in axSpA. Subclinical atherosclerosis determined by carotid ultrasound included assessment of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and plaque detection. Read More