Radiographic progression in axial spondyloarthritis

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Certolizumab Pegol Treatment in Three Patients With Takayasu Arteritis

Although glucocorticoids are the mainstay of treatment in Takayasu arteritis (TA), anti-tumor necrosis factor agents are other treatment options in refractory disease. The onset of TA is generally observed in females of reproductive age. Certolizumab pegol (CZP) lacks a fragment crystallizable region and this gives advantage of minimal transfer through the placenta, which makes CZP a safer option in pregnancy. Although there are case reports and trials about use of infliximab, etanercept, and adalimumab in TA, there are scarce data about use of CZP. In this article, we present three TA cases treated with CZP. While two patients benefited from CZP, one patient was refractory to CZP

The Association Between Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio and Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Elevated neutrophil count is associated with poor prognosis and increased mortality in many conditions. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has emerged as a marker of inflammation in neoplastic and cardiovascular disorders. Herein, we investigated utility of this simple tool in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS)

The Association Between Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio and Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis

Background: Elevated neutrophil count is associated with poor prognosis and increased mortality in many conditions. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has emerged as a marker of inflammation in neoplastic and cardiovascular disorders. Herein, we investigated utility of this simple tool in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods: The study consisted of 136 RA and 140 AS patients, along with 117 healthy control subjects. RA and AS activities were determined with Disease Activity Score (DAS) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity indices (BASDAI), respectively. The association between NLR and disease activity was analyzed. Results: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and neutrophil counts were significantly higher in RA and AS patients compared to healthy controls. Similarly, NLR was higher compared to control subjects, both in RA (2.53 +/- 1.4 vs. 2.16 +/- 1.0, P = 0.019) and AS (2.43 +/- 1.4 vs. 2.16 +/- 1.0, P = 0.077). NLR correlated well with ESR and CRP, both in RA and AS. Moreover, NLR increased across worsening DAS28 activity groups (2.1 +/- 1.0 in patients with remission, 2.5 +/- 1.0 in low-moderate, 3.8 +/- 2.5 in high disease activity). However, no association was found between NLR and BASDAI. Conclusion: NLR is a cheap and readily available marker for the assessment of disease activity in RA. (C) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Increased incidence of spondyloarthropathies in patients with Takayasu arteritis: a systematic clinical survey

Abstract Objectives: Takayasu arteritis and Spondyloarthritis are two distinct inflammatory diseases that affect the same age periods. Increasing number of reports on co-incident Takayasu arteritis-spondyloarthritis cases in literature raised the hypotheses about their association. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence of spondyloarthropathy spectrum diseases in Takayasu arteritis patients. Methods: Detailed clinical and demographic features of Takayasu arteritis patients were recorded and all were screened meticulously for the presence of spondyloarthropathy features following recommendations of Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society. Patients were questioned for inflammatory back pain, enthesitis, uveitis, inflammatory bowel disease, peripheral arthritis, and investigated accordingly with HLA-B27, plain X-rays and sacroiliac magnetic resonance imaging. Results: A total of 69 Takayasu arteritis patients (65 female, 94.2%) were enrolled. After detailed investigation, 14 (20.3%) Takayasu arteritis patients fulfilled the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society criteria for Spondyloarthropathy. Two of 14 (14.2%) spondyloarthropathy patients were positive for HLA-B27. Type 1 and type 2 Takayasu arteritis were more common in patients with diagnosis of both Takayasu arteritis and spondyloarthropathy than those without spondyloarthropathy. Most of patients with diagnosis of both these diseases required biologic therapies than patients with diagnosis of Takayasu arteritis alone (64.3% vs 29.1%, P = 0.014) due to refractory Takayasu arteritis. Conclusion: Our results suggest a significant association between Takayasu arteritis and spondyloarthropathy. Possible shared genetic or immunopathogenic processes may explain this association, which merits further investigations.PubMe

Application Of Auto-Inflammatory Disease Damage Index (Addi) To Patients With Fmf And Related Factors With Damage

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