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Objectives: To evaluate the survival of different biologic or targeted-synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARD) administered after fulfilling difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2TRA) criteria, and to assess factors related to treatment discontinuation., Methods: Retrospective study including D2TRA patients. Drug retention of the b/tsDMARD administered after fulfilling D2TRA was assessed by Kaplan-Meier plots and the log-rank test. Cox hazard models were used to identify factors affecting treatment discontinuation., Results: Of the 122 patients included, 75 maintained active treatment (61.5%) with a subsequent line after D2T compared to 47 (38.5%) who discontinued and required more successive lines of b/tsDMARDs. The median survival of the treatments was 78.3(7.6) months and the treatment after D2T with the better rate of survival was rituximab, followed by JAKi and IL6Ri, while worse survival rates were associated with abatacept and TNFi. Significant differences were noted among b/tsDMARDs (log-rank p < 0.01) and to evaluate these differences, a Cox regression was performed, taking each b/tsDMARD as a reference and comparing it with the others. DAS28 values 6-months after initiation of treatment were higher in those patients who discontinued treatment [4.4(1.2) vs 3.5(1.3), p = 0.01]. The multivariate cox regression model revealed that treatment choice after D2T [HR = 1.26(95%CI 1.06-1.05)] and lower DAS28 values at 6 months [HR = 1.49(95%CI 1.16-1.52)] were independent risk factors associated with treatment discontinuation., Conclusions: Once patients met the D2TRA criteria, the subsequent line of b/tsDMARDs with the best survival rates were rituximab, JAKi and IL6Ri. Moreover, DAS28 at 6-months of treatment after D2T was an independent risk factor for drug discontinuation. Key Points • Rituximab, IL6Ri and JAKi have better retention rates in patients after fulfilling D2TRA criteria • Clinical disease activity in the first six months after fulfillment of D2TRA criteria is an independent risk factor of subsequent treatment survival., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR).)

Objective: The study aims to evaluate the utility of major salivary gland ultrasonography for diagnosis of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and to assess its concordance with minor salivary gland biopsy (MSGB)., Methods: A cross-sectional study of 72 patients with suspected pSS was performed. Demographic, clinical, and serological data were collected. MSGB was performed, as was ultrasonography. The ultrasound technician was blind to clinical, serological, and histological data. The validity of ultrasonography compared with MSGB, the American-European Consensus Group (AECG), and American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) criteria was assessed by calculating the percentage of agreement, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and area under the curve (AUC)., Results: Based on MSGB as the gold standard, the percentage of agreement between both tests was 78% (AUC 0.75). Based on the ACR/EULAR criteria, the percentage of agreement was 83% (AUC 0.78) for ultrasonography and 81% (AUC 0.83) for biopsy. Sensitivity and specificity were 90% and 67%, respectively, for ultrasonography and 76% and 90% for biopsy. The results were similar with the AECG criteria. The intra- and inter-observer variability was good (κ > 0.7). Significant differences were observed for positive anti-Ro52 values and hypergammaglobulinemia in pathological ultrasound scans., Conclusion: Diagnostic ultrasonography is as useful as MSGB in pSS. Therefore, it could be included in the classification criteria. In this cohort, it proved more sensitive than MSGB and could be used as an initial test for patients suspected of having pSS. MSGB could be used in cases where clinical and serological results are inconclusive. Key Points • Major salivary gland ultrasonography adds diagnostic value similar to that of MSGB, thus potentially enabling this invasive procedure to be avoided. • Ultrasonography could be included in the classification criteria for primary Sjögren's syndrome. • Given that ultrasonography is more sensitive and less specific than MSGB, it could be used as an initial diagnostic test in patients with suspected Sjögren's syndrome. • Biopsy should be performed in those cases where ultrasonography, clinical, and serological data are inconclusive., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR).)