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Outcomes of COrona VIrus Disease-19 (COVID-19) in patients with rheumatic diseases (RDs) reported in various studies are heterogenous owing to the influence of age and comorbidities which have a significant bearing on the infection risk, severity, morbidity, and mortality. Diabetes mellitus (DM) and RDs are closely linked with underlying pathobiology and treatment of RDs affecting the risk for DM as well as the glycemic control. Hence, we undertook this narrative review to study the influence of DM on outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with RDs. Additionally, aspects of patient attitudes and immune response to COVID-19 vaccination were also studied. The databases of MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) were searched for relevant articles. Studies from mixed cohorts revealed insufficient data to comment on the influence of DM on the risk of infection, while most studies showed twice the odds for hospitalization and mortality with DM. Specific cohorts of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus revealed a similar association. Poor health was noted in patients with spondyloarthritis and DM during the pandemic. The presence of DM did not affect patient attitudes towards vaccination and did not predispose to additional vaccine-related adverse effects. Immune response to inactivated vaccines was reduced but mRNA vaccines were maintained in patients with DM. Detailed assessment of DM with its duration, end-organ damage, and glycemic control along with a focused association of DM with various aspects of COVID-19 like risk, hospitalization, severity, mortality, post-COVID sequelae, immune response to infection, and vaccination are needed in the future. Key Points • Diabetes mellitus is associated with the severity of infection, COVID-19-related hospitalization, and mortality in rheumatic diseases across most studies but studies analyzing its specific role are lacking. • Poor outcomes of COVID-19 in RA and poor health in spondyloarthritis are strongly associated with diabetes mellitus. • Diabetes mellitus may negatively influence the humoral response to inactivated vaccines but does not seem to affect the immune responses to mRNA vaccines. • Diabetes mellitus does not influence the attitude towards vaccination or deviation from the prescribed medications during the pandemic.

The 2014 Update of the Canadian treatment recommendations for the management of spondyloarthritis recommended that patients at risk of peripheral spondyloarthritis, including patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), be assessed by a rheumatologist within 6 weeks of referral. This study aimed to: (1) investigate the proportion of PsA patients who were assessed by a rheumatologist within 6 weeks of referral to the PsA Clinic at Toronto Western Hospital and (2) investigate the possible reasons for delays for consult with a rheumatologist. We identified patients with PsA who were seen by rheumatologists at the PsA Clinic between January 2013 and May 2019. We used retrospective chart reviews of medical records and referral letters to determine the number of days between referral and assessment by a rheumatologist. The causes for delays were identified as no spots in the clinic or patient rescheduling their appointment due to their inability to attend the scheduled appointment. Among 168 patients, 43 (25.6%) patients met the recommendation. The median wait time was 78.5 days (IQR 83.5). The most common cause of delay was the lack of available spots in the PsA clinic. The majority of PsA patients at the TWH PsA Clinic were not seen within the wait-time recommendation. The most common factor that prevented a timely consultation with a rheumatologist was the lack of spots in the PsA clinic. Greater access to rheumatologists can improve the timely and effective care of PsA patients.

We aimed to investigate the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness, flow-mediated dilation (FMD), and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients compared to healthy controls.We performed a cross-sectional study including SpA patients aged ≤ 50 years without traditional cardiovascular risk factors and healthy controls matched for age and gender. Baseline characteristics, laboratory data, and SpA-related parameters were recorded. All participants underwent ultrasound examination with measurement of EAT thickness, FMD, and cIMT by both an experienced cardiologist and radiologist blinded to clinical data. The relationships between the ultrasound measurements were analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficient and Person correlation.The study included 94 subjects (47 SpA and 47 healthy controls). The sex-ratio was 2.35; the median age of patients was 36 years (IQR: 28-46), and the median disease duration was 11 years (IQR: 5-16). Compared to the control group, SpA patients had significantly higher values of EAT thickness (p = 0.001) and cIMT (p 0.0001). FMD values were significantly lower in SpA patients compared to controls (p = 0.008). The univariate analysis detected a significant negative association between EAT thickness and FMD (p = 0.026; r = - 0.325), and between left cIMT and FMD (p = 0.027; r = - 0.322). No association was found between EAT thickness and cIMT.EAT thickness, FMD, and cIMT were significantly impaired in SpA patients compared with healthy controls supporting evidence of accelerated atherosclerosis in SpA. EAT thickness was correlated to endothelial dysfunction suggesting the role of EAT in predicting the early reversible stages of atherosclerosis. Key Points • Spondyloarthritis is associated with impaired subclinical atherosclerosis markers accurately increased epicardial fat and carotid intima-media thickness and endothelial dysfunction. • Increased epicardial fat thickness is correlated with impaired endothelial function in spondyloarthritis patients.

Enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) could be considered the pediatric equivalent of ankylosing spondylitis in adults albeit with certain significant differences. We aim to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR), the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS), and the preliminary Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization (PRINTO) classification criteria in ERA patients.The medical records of ERA patients who were followed up between January 2005 and September 2020 have been analyzed. The control group consisted of patients with oligoarticular JIA (n = 146), polyarticular JIA (n = 55), and psoriatic arthritis (n = 20).This retrospective study included 108 ERA (73.1% male) and 221 control patients (25.8% male). The median age at diagnosis for ERA and control patients were 12.5 and 4.0 years, respectively (p 0.001). Arthritis was observed more frequently in the control group at diagnosis and in the follow-up (p 0.001 for both), while enthesitis, sacroiliac joint tenderness, and inflammatory back pain were more common in the ERA group both at diagnosis and in the follow-up (p 0.001 for all). In sacroiliac imaging, 70.1% of ERA patients had positive findings suggestive of sacroiliitis at diagnosis and 78% in the follow-up. The sensitivities of ILAR, PRINTO, ASAS criteria for axial SpA, and peripheral SpA at diagnosis were 74.0%, 57.4%, 21.3%, and 85.1%, respectively which increased to 82.4%, 78.7%, 35.1%, and 92.5%, respectively at follow-up. The specificities were 100%, 100%, 99.1%, and 90.9%, respectively at both diagnosis and follow-up.The ASAS criteria for peripheral SpA were the most sensitive while ILAR and the preliminary PRINTO criteria were the most specific criteria for classifying ERA patients.The ASAS criteria for peripheral SpA were the most sensitive criteria for classifying ERA patients. The use of ASAS axial SpA criteria may provide early detection of axial involvement.

Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents are commonly used in treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), but clinical and radiological improvement is not achieved in all patients. We aimed to investigate the impact of anti-TNFs on inflammatory and noninflammatory parameters in patients with axSpA.In this longitudinal study, 30 biologic naïve axSpA patients with high disease activity and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. All patients were treated with anti-TNF agents for 6 months. ASDAS-CRP, BASDAI, BASFI, BASMI, patient and physician global assessments were evaluated. C-reactive protein, COX2, TNF-α IL-6, IL-17, IL-22, IL-23, IL-33, sclerostin, dickkopf-1, and noggin levels were evaluated at baseline and at 6 months of anti-TNF treatment.At baseline, axSpA patients had significantly higher median (IQR) TNF-α levels, 34.4 (31.4-37.03) vs. 18.1 (12.1-28.4) pg/ml (p 0.001), and lower DKK1, 446.7 (356.9-529.3) vs. 1088.7 (951.7-1244.4) pg/ml, and sclerostin, 312.4 (140.8-412.7) vs. 412.3 (295.4-512.8) pg/ml, compared to healthy controls (all p 0.001). The median (IQR) serum levels of IL-17, IL-22, and IL-33 increased significantly after 6 months of anti-TNF treatment, from 93.3 (85.1-104.8) to 102.1 (86.6-114.6) pg/ml (p = 0.026), 159.2 (151.9-178.4) to 183.5 (156.3-304.6) pg/ml (p = 0.033), and 127.8 (106.6-186.1) to 147.06 (128.5-213.4) pg/ml (p = 0.016), respectively. Sclerostin and DKK-1 levels increased significantly after anti-TNF treatment from 312.4 (140.8-412.7) to 405.1 (276.3-452.5) pg/ml (p = 0.018) and 446.7 (356.9-529.3) to 881.3 (663.1-972.2) pg/ml (p 0.001), while there was no significant change in noggin level.Many inflammatory cytokines increase after anti-TNF treatment and noggin is not affected by anti-TNF treatment in AxSpA. Noggin might be a therapeutic target in patients with axSpA.• Anti-TNF therapy is not sufficient for complete blockage of the inflammatory process in axial spondyloarthritis. • The increase in IL-17, IL-22, and IL-33 may decrease the efficiency of anti-TNF therapy. • Noggin might be a therapeutic target as a complementary or alternative approach to anti-TNF therapy in axial spondyloarthritis.

Axial spondyloarthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder that primarily involves the axial skeleton (sacroiliac joints and spine), causing stiffness, severe pain and fatigue. In some patients, definitive structural damage of sacroiliac joints is visible on imaging and is known as radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Some patients do not have a clear radiographic damage of the sacroiliac joints, and this subtype is known as non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Early diagnosis is important for reducing the risk of irreversible structural damage and disability. Management of axial spondyloarthritis is challenging in Saudi Arabia because of inadequate disease knowledge and the unavailability of local guidelines. Therefore, this expert consensus is intended to provide recommendations, including the referral pathway, the definition of remission and the treat-to-target approach, to all healthcare professionals for the management of patients with axial spondyloarthritis. A Delphi technique of consensus was developed by involving an expert panel of 10 rheumatologists, 1 dermatologist and 1 general physician. The experts offered consensus-based recommendations based on a review of available scientific evidence and clinical experience for the referral, screening and management of patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) affects patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Prior studies have documented gender differences in axSpA across the disease spectrum. Our study aims to assess gender differences on the effects of axSpA on patients' HRQoL.A secondary qualitative thematic analysis was conducted using data from in-depth interviews (n = 24) of patients with a rheumatologist-confirmed axSpA diagnosis. This analysis focused on gender and HRQoL themes including activity, occupation, sleep, healthcare system, mental health, medication usage, and relationships.While men on average waited a year longer than women to tell healthcare providers about symptoms (2.5 years men versus 1.6 years women), the interval between first report of symptoms to diagnosis was ~ 2 years longer for women relative to men (7.5 women versus 9.3 years men). Women and men with axSpA shared more similarities than differences regarding the impact of disease on HRQoL including (1) physical health, (2) limited mobility, (3) occupation, (4) sleep, (5) healthcare system obstacles, (6) mental health, (7) medication usage, and (8) relationships. Some women reported being dismissed by doctors due to their gender, and some described the pain experienced during pregnancy and complications during birth.axSpA adversely impacts HRQoL regardless of gender, but women seeking care for axSpA may experience greater challenges reaching a diagnosis. It is essential that providers recognize impaired HRQoL among men and women with axSpA. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to identify aspects of HRQoL to adequately address people with axSpA. Key Points • While men waited on average a year longer to tell their healthcare provider about their symptoms, the diagnostic delay is 2 years longer for women. • Women and men with axSpA have similar experiences regarding impacts on their health-related quality of life. • Some women describe difficulty during pregnancy and being dismissed by doctors due to their gender.

Introduction The outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) have not been explored in detail. Tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are commonly used for ax-SpA patients, and how they influence outcomes may have implications on COVID-19 management. Methods A nationwide multi-centric research network was queried for patients with ax-SpA, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and non-radiographic SpA (nr-SpA) who had developed COVID-19. An equal number of propensity score(PS) matched controls were extracted from the database amongst patients with COVID-19 who did not have any inflammatory arthritis. Outcomes included mortality and others including hospitalization, intensive care unit, ventilation, acute kidney injury (AKI), renal replacement therapy, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cerebral infarction, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and sepsis. Results We identified 9766 patients with ax-SpA (924 AS and 8842 nr-SpA) and 691,862 without SpA who had COVID-19. In the unmatched comparison, patients with ax-SpA had higher risk ratios (RR) for all outcomes. After matching for demographics and comorbidities, patients with ax-SpA had lower RR for mortality [RR: 0.707 (95% CI: 0.598–0.836), p

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) affects patients in the prime of their economic productivity and can cause loss of work productivity and unemployment. We aim to identify factors associated with poor work outcomes in patients with SpA.A cross-sectional study was performed in 100 patients with SpA who were employed, retired, or off work because of SpA. Data on sociodemographic and professional characteristics were collected as well as specific indices: BASDAI, ASDAS-CRP, BASFI, and BASMI. Work productivity in employed patients was assessed by the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment scale (WPAI:SpA).Patients were divided into 73 men and 27 women; the mean age was 43.68 ± 10.3 years. Fifty-nine percent of patients were employed and 26% were off work. The average disease duration was 12.24 ± 8.73 years. The mean BASDAI score was 4.4 ± 2.4, the average BASFI score was 4.6 ± 2.7, and the average ASDAS-CRP score was 2.77 ± 1.18. The mean BASMI was 4.4 ± 2.8. Among employed patients, the mean of absenteeism, presenteeism, and work productivity loss was 21.8 ± 33.13%, 42 ± 32%, and 46.5 ± 35.31%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, absenteeism was associated with ASDAS ≥ 2.1 (β = 20.14), peripheral joint involvement (β = 15.6), manual work (β = 14.31), low level of education (β = 7.92), and BASFI ≥ 4 (β = 6.39). Presenteeism and work productivity loss were associated with manual work, BASFI ≥ , body mass index ≥ 25 kg/mSpondyloarthritis affects work productivity. Screening for predictive factors should be considered by the clinician in the overall management of the disease. Key Points • SpA occurs among young and active patients; it could affect their professional lives and thus lead to loss of work productivity and unemployment. • The management of patients with SpA must be multidisciplinary; this includes assessing contextual factors in order to act on modifiable factors such as smoking and BMI, optimal management of the disease to maintain at least a low disease activity, and to ensure workstation layout and elimination of professional constraints that can affect work outcomes in patients with SpA.

Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is one of the most complex rheumatological diseases to diagnose and treat because, in the early stages of the disease, the inflammatory low back pain is often difficult to identify, and patients are diagnosed when they already have advanced structural processes. There is an urgent need to establish healthcare models that allow optimization of the management of these patients. The objective of this work is to propose a care model that is adaptable to the factual realities of Latin America. A systematic search of the literature terms (MeSH) was performed to search associated terms. Taking the model of the REAL-PANLAR project as an example and incorporating some related literature, a model of centers of excellence for SpA in Latin America is proposed that can be reasonably established and implemented. This model proposes 3 types of centers of excellence for SpA according to the level of complexity of each institution, and its criteria are defined based on indicators of structure, processes, and results. This is the first effort in Latin America to try to standardize the care of patients with spondyloarthritis. Key Points • The unmet needs in Latin America in the care of SpondyloArthritis (SpA), demand solutions that facilitate the rapid and assertive access of patients to specialized centers such as Center of Excellence in SpA. • This project facilitates the standardization of high-quality care for patients with SpA, starting from its diagnosis and up to clinical follow-up. • Due to standardization of care, better clinical and safety outcomes are achieved for patients, as well as patient-reported outcomes. • By standardized models of care, will be achieved a reduction in the progress of this pathology and optimization in the use of high-complexity services and high-cost therapies, improving cost-efficiency for public health systems in each country.

Objectives The aim of this study was to compare the symptoms, treatment patterns, and quality of life (QoL) of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients to non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) patients in the USA. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted with rheumatologists and their consulting patients in the USA from June through August 2018. Patients who had a rheumatologist confirmed diagnosis of AS and nr-axSpA were eligible to participate. Patient demographics, symptoms, and medication use were reported by the rheumatologist, while work disability and QoL measures were reported by the patient. Patient demographics, symptoms, QoL and treatment patterns of AS and nr-axSpA patients were compared using parametric tests and non-parametric tests when appropriate. Results A total of 515 AS patients and 495 nr-axSpA patients were included in this analysis. A higher proportion of AS patients were male (p < 0.001), older (p = 0.014), and more likely to be prescribed a biologic (p < 0.0001). On average, AS patients experienced slightly more symptoms at diagnosis (p = 0.023); however, nr-axSpA patients were more likely to experience enthesitis (p = 0.048) and synovitis (p = 0.003). Patient reported outcomes such as the ASAS Health Index (p = 0.171), ASQoL (p = 0.296), BASDAI (p = 0.124), and WPAI (p = 0.183) were similar between AS and nr-axSpA patients after adjusting for confounding variables such as medication use. Conclusions AS and nr-axSpA patients share the same clinical features. The burden of the disease, as assessed by QoL measurements, is also similar in AS and nr-axSpA patients; however, despite these similarities, patients with nr-axSpA are less likely to be treated with a biologic. Key Points • Ankylosing spondylitis and non• radiographic axial spondyloarthritis patients share similar clinical features and burden of disease.• Quality of life is similar among ankylosing spondylitis and non• radiographic axial spondyloarthritis after adjusting for current treatment patterns.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic condition, historically considered a predominantly male disease. However, increasing evidence suggests a more equal prevalence between men and women. Of the limited research conducted to date, it is apparent that gender differences exist in terms of time to diagnosis, treatment outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Despite this, women are underrepresented in clinical trials and most studies do not stratify by gender to identify potential differences in terms of disease manifestations and treatment response. In this perspectives article, we reflect on the potential biological and social factors contributing to these differences and propose three key areas of education and research that should be prioritised in order to address the unmet needs of female patients with axSpA, namely: (1) to identify ways to increase awareness of disease occurrence in female patients among healthcare professionals (HCPs), (2) to improve understanding of gender differences in disease manifestation and outcomes, and (3) to conduct gender-stratified clinical trials with a representative sample of female patients.

To identify biomarkers that reflect disease activity scores and to investigate the role of macrophage-associated chemokines in initial axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).Patients with axSpA were enrolled. The SpondyloArthritis Research Consortium of Canada (SPARCC) method was used to score bone marrow oedema (BMO) in the inflammatory lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Radiographic assessment of the spine was performed using the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS). Clinical variables, including inflammatory markers, serum CC chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), CCL3, CCL7, CCL8 and C-X3-C motif ligand 1 (CX3CL1), were measured. Correlation analysis between serum levels of these macrophage-associated chemokines and clinical data was performed.There were no significant differences between the axSpA group and the healthy control group in terms of serum levels of CCL2, CCL3 or CCL8. Compared to the healthy control group, the serum levels of CCL7 and CX3CL1 were significantly higher in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) (p = 0.045, p = 0.017, respectively). In the AS subgroup, the serum level of CX3CL1 had a positive correlation with SPARCC scores.In AS, serum CCL7 and CX3CL1 levels are elevated. The serum level of CX3CL1 is associated with MRI-determined oedema in AS. CX3CL1 may be useful as a biomarker to predict active inflammation in the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) in AS. Key Points • Serum levels of CX3CL1 are associated with MRI-determined oedema in AS. • CX3CL1 may be a useful biomarker to predict active inflammation in the sacroiliac joint in AS.

Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) are indicated to treat ankylosing spondylitis (AS), also termed radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). The main indication for TNFi is symptom relief, and whether they retard spinal structural damage as assessed by radiography is debated. Hips are the most common "non-spinal" joints involved in AS patients leading to major incapacitation. No major treatment guidelines mention measures to prevent peripheral joint damage, especially hips, in individuals with AS. We present our experience of prevention of structural damage in hips by TNFi in 4 AS patients from our practice. We conducted a literature review looking for articles describing prevention of structural damage progression in hips by TNFi. Over a 10-year period, three out of four patients were treated with TNFi and had no progression in hip damage as assessed by imaging. Only one patient that withdrew the TNFi due to infectious complications developed rapid worsening and required hip arthroplasty. Our literature review showed multiple case series with similar results suggesting that use of TNFi in patients with AS may prevent structural damage and at least postpone a hip replacement at a young age. Based on our experience, as well as from the literature review, we believe that treatment guidelines in axSpA should recommend prompt institution of TNFi following identification of hip involvement in patients to prevent a major source of disability. Whether interleukin (IL)-17 inhibitors or targeted synthetic anti-rheumatic drugs have hip sparing effects in patients with AS should also be investigated. Key Points • Hip involvement in ankylosing spondylitis is a major source of disability. • TNFi prevent hip damage in ankylosing spondylitis. • Prompt institution of TNFi should follow suspicion of hip involvement in ankylosing spondylitis.

The evidence shows that previous infection with enteric pathogens is a requirement to develop pSpA. Based on our previous results, variances on regulation of SIgA might influence SpA activity; thus, the aim of this study was to correlate the levels of SIgA, IgA against some enteric bacteria, and IL-17, IL-21, and IL-6 with clinical features in a group of SpA patients.Twenty-six pSpA, 20 nr-axSpA, 60 healthy volunteers (HV), and 34 patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) were included. All subjects were assessed to measure SIgA, total and specific IgA for enteric bacteria, and IL-17, IL-21, and IL-6 levels and clinical variables. For SpA patients, the diagnosis was verified 5 years after first evaluation to assess the risk of developing r-axSpA.SIgA levels were significantly higher in SpA patients than in HV and IBD (p0.0001 and p = 0.047, respectively). However, no differences for SIgA neither total IgA were found among the SpA subtypes (p = 0.624). Only IL-6 was higher in SpA than HV (p = 0.013). An inverse correlation was demonstrated for SIgA and BASFI (r: - 0.45; p = 0.003), BASDAI (r: - 0.39; p = 0.0123), ASDAS-CRP (r: - 0.37; p = 0.014), and ASDAS-ESR (r: - 0.45; p = 0.0021). There was no evidence of risk of developing r-axSpA in patients who previously showed high levels of serum antibodies.The results show that pSpA as well as nr-axSpA share a similar SIgA-intestinal involvement independently of a previous infection. This suggests that serum SIgA increases are evidence of subclinical intestinal compromise which could have influence on disease activity but not in this progression. Key Point • The levels of SIgA, IgA against some enteric bacteria, and IL-17, IL-21, and IL-6 are correlated with clinical features in a group of SpA patients.

© International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) 2020., This paper is to assess the efficacy of different biologic DMARDs (bDMARDs) on several patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in randomized controlled trials (RCT) in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). A systematic literature review (SLR) was performed. MEDLINE (May 1, 2018) was used with the filters "published in the last 10 years" and "humans." The PICO criteria used were Patients: adults with radiographic axSpA (r-axSpA) or non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA); Intervention: any bDMARD; Compararator: placebo (PBO)/any different drug; Outcome: the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI), the Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL), the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D), the Short Form 36 Health Survey physical component summary (SF36-PCS), the Short Form 36 Health Survey mental component summary (SF36-MCS), and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F). After screening 84 initial references and manually selecting other 9, 24 publications, assessing TNF inhibitors (TNFi) or IL17A inhibitors (IL17Ai) were selected. Four RCTs quantified the minimal clinical important difference (MCID) between treatment arms. Most of the RCTs compared the mean difference of PROs between different timepoints. Overall, the treatment arm was superior to the comparator. PROs were often underreported or highly heterogeneously presented. MCID was seldom mentioned. There is a need to raise the standard of care on SpA by aiming at remission and PRO associated improvements. In order to achieve this goal, the target must be clearly defined, reported, and tested.

Ramadan intermittent fasting is observed by Muslims from sunrise to sunset and alternated with moments of re-feeding. The aims of this study were to assess the impact of Ramadan fasting on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) activity and to assess its impact on chronic medications intake in patients with rheumatic diseases.This prospective monocentric study included patients with RA or SpA who fasted during Ramadan of 2019. The disease activity and the managing of chronic medications were assessed and compared between two visits: the first one 6 months before starting Ramadan fasting and the second after fasting at least 7 days.Fifty-six patients were included: 36 with RA (average age 57.5 ± 10.9 years) and 20 with SpA (average age 47 ± 12.6 years). In the RA group, the Disease Activity Scores (DAS) 28 ESR, and DAS 28 CRP decreased after fasting respectively from 4.3 ± 1.3 to 3.5 ± 1.4 (p 0.001) and from 3.4 ± 1.2 to 2.9 ± 1.3 (p = 0.001). In the SpA group, Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Scores (ASDAS) ESR and ASDAS CRP decreased respectively from 2.3 ± 0.5 to 1.9 ± 0.7 (p = 0.039) and from 1.9 ± 0.5 to 1.8 ± 0.8 (p = 0.388). Fasting did not affect significantly either compliance with chronic medications or tolerance.Fasting can be a possible way to induce rapid improvement of rheumatic diseases activity. In addition, patients with a specific fear of drug intake during this period can be reassured, which will enhance the adherence to treatment. Key Points • Fasting during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, consists of intermittent fasting observed from sunrise to sunset. • In this set of patients, beneficial effects of intermittent fasting were demonstrated on RA activity, but were less evident in patients with SpA despite a general trend towards improvement. • Fasting did not affect significantly either compliance with chronic medications or tolerance.

Dissecting cellulitis of the scalp (DCS) is a rare, primary neutrophilic cicatricial alopecia of unknown etiology. The disease follows a chronic, relapsing, and remitting course which may ultimately lead to scar formation and alopecia. The association of seronegative peripheral and/or axial spondyloarthritis in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and acne conglobata (AC) is well established. However, the occurrence of spondyloarthropathy in patients with either isolated or combined DCS is relatively rare and therefore underrecognized by clinicians. We report a patient with DCS with inflammatory peripheral arthritis and asymptomatic radiographic sacroiliitis. Using PubMed, Ovid, and Google scholar, we searched for case reports of inflammatory arthritis in HS, AC, and DCS in the English literature from 1982 to present. We identified 12 patients with DCS who had associated spondyloarthropathy with adequate clinical details for a systematic analysis. We outline key clinical features, radiographic findings, and treatment utilized for these patients. Seronegative axial and peripheral spondyloarthritis may occur in the setting of isolated DCS as well with concomitant HS and AC. The inflammatory arthritis often develops during acute flares of the cutaneous disease. Choosing optimal drug therapy may be challenging. Current options include anti-TNF-α medications, which have been reported to be effective for both the cutaneous lesions and the associated spondyloarthritis. The complex pathophysiology of the conditions that comprise the follicular occlusion triad warrants further research into the potential role of additional biologic agents.

Most accepted definitions of reactive arthritis (ReA) consider it a type of spondyloarthritis (SpA) precipitated by a gut or urogenital infection. A wider definition considers any arthritis that occurs after a mucosal surface infection as ReA. There is limited consensus regarding a working definition, status of HLA-B27, or even classification criteria for ReA. This may also contribute to a lack of systemic studies or clinical trials for ReA, thereby reducing further treatment recommendations to expert opinions only. The emergence of post-COVID-19 ReA has brought the focus back on this enigmatic entity. Post-COVID-19 ReA can present at extremes of age, appears to affect both sexes equally and can have different presentations. Some present with small joint arthritis, others with SpA phenotype-either with peripheral or axial involvement, while a few have only tenosynovitis or dactylitis. The emergence of post-vaccination inflammatory arthritis hints at similar pathophysiology involved. There needs to be a global consensus on whether or not to include all such conditions under the umbrella of ReA. Doing so will enable studies on uniform groups on how infections precipitate arthritis and what predicts chronicity. These have implications beyond ReA and might be extrapolated to other inflammatory arthritides. Key Points • Classical reactive arthritis (ReA) has a spondyloarthritis phenotype and is preceded by symptomatic gut or urogenital infection • The demonstration of antigen and nucleic acid sequences of pathogens in synovium has blurred the difference between invasive arthritis and reactive arthritis • Post-COVID-19 ReA has a transient phenotype and can have different presentations. All reported cases are self-limiting • The large amount of literature reporting post-COVID-19 ReA calls for introspection if the existing definitions of ReA need to be updated.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is clinically closely associated with arthritis. Three major arthritis clinical subtypes have been described, peripheral arthritis type 1 (PeA1), peripheral arthritis type 2 (PeA2), and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). While genetic overlaps between IBD and arthritis have been defined, detailed pathophysiology for these three major subtypes of arthritis in patients with IBD has only recently begun to be established. The genetic and molecular mechanisms distinguishing axial and peripheral arthropathies in patients with UC and CD need to be better described. Understanding the pathophysiology for PeA1, PeA2, and axSpA in the settings of both UC and CD is necessary to provide the fundamental biology underlying the clinical phenotypes in IBD arthritis. This has been attempted for CD-associated spondyloarthritis, differentiating this from both CD and axSpA, while observing unique peripheral blood mononuclear cells linking gut inflammation to joint disease. We should know more about the processes by which immune cells are perturbed in these disorders, how they translocate to joints, how they are activated, what other molecules and mediators are involved, and how gut microbes and microbial products damage joints. Information from such studies are needed to elucidate whether distinctions between IBD-related peripheral and axSpA are clinically meaningful. IBD-related peripheral and axSpA studies are needed to elucidate whether distinctions between peripheral and axSpA are clinically meaningful, to better understand immunopathogenesis, and to develop novel targeted therapies.

Objectives To compare the performance of conventional radiography, ldCT, and MRI in the diagnosis of sacroiliitis in suspected axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). Methods Patients presenting with > 3 months chronic back pain were assessed by axSpA-experienced rheumatologists and diagnosed as axSpA or not; axSpA patients were then considered nr-axSpA or AS using plain radiography. Non-axSpA patients were recruited as controls, and divided into non-inflammatory and inflammatory groups on the basis of inflammatory back pain and/or CRP/ESR elevation. Clinical variables, pelvic radiography, sacroiliac joint (SIJ) ldCT, and SIJ MRI were obtained. Results A total of 121 patients were included and had SIJ radiography and ldCT, of whom 71 additionally had an SIJ MRI. These included 23 non-inflammatory controls, 21 inflammatory controls, 32 nr-axSpA cases, and 45 AS cases. Fourteen of 32 (44%) nr-axSpA patients had positive ldCT scans, 21/24 (88%) had MRI-BMO, and 11/24 (46%) had MRI-structural lesions. ldCT had high specificity with only 1/23 (4%) non-inflammatory controls being positive. MRI-BMO had the highest sensitivity for nr-axSpA, but compared with ldCT lower specificity, with 5/15 (33%) of non-inflammatory controls being positive, and similar sensitivity for AS (20/22 (91%) vs 44/44 for ldCT). Conclusions ldCT identifies evidence of radiographic change in a significant proportion of nr-axSpA cases and is highly specific for axSpA. MRI-BMO lesions are more sensitive than either conventional radiography or MRI-structural assessment for axSpA. The relative position of these imaging modalities in screening for axSpA needs to be reconsidered, also taking into account the costs involved.Key Points• ldCT is more sensitive for erosions or sclerosis in axSpA than plain radiography, with 44% of patients with nr-axSpA having evidence of AS-related sacroiliac joint changes on ldCT.• MRI-structural lesions are no more sensitive but are less specific for AS than ldCT.• MRI-BMO is the most sensitive test for nr-axSpA of the modalities tested but is less specific for axSpA than for ldCT.

Identification of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) remains challenging, frequently resulting in a diagnostic delay for patients. Current benchmarks of delay are usually reported as mean data, which are typically skewed and therefore may be overestimating delay. Our aim was to determine the extent of median delay patients’ experience in receiving a diagnosis of axSpA and examine whether specific factors are associated with the presence of such delay. We conducted a systematic review across five literature databases (from inception to November 2021), with studies reporting the average time period of diagnostic delay in patients with axSpA being included. Any additional information examining associations between specific factors and delay were also extracted. A narrative synthesis was used to report the median range of diagnostic delay experienced by patients with axSpA and summarise which factors have a role in the delay. From an initial 11,995 articles, 69 reported an average time period of diagnostic delay, with 25 of these providing a median delay from symptom onset to diagnosis. Across these studies, delay ranged from 0.67 to 8 years, with over three-quarters reporting a median of between 2 years and 6 years. A third of all studies reported median delay data ranging from just 2 to 2.3 years. Of seven variables reported with sufficient frequency to evaluate, only ‘gender’ and ‘family history of axSpA’ had sufficient concordant data to draw any conclusion on their role, neither influenced the extent of the delay. Despite improvements in recent decades, patients with axSpA frequently experience years of diagnostic delay and this remains an extensive worldwide problem. This is further compounded by a mixed picture of the disease, patient and healthcare-related factors influencing delay.Key points• Despite improvements in recent decades, patients with axSpA frequently experience years of diagnostic delay.• Median diagnostic delay typically ranges from 2 to 6 years globally.• Neither ‘gender’ nor ‘family history of axSpA’ influenced the extent of diagnostic delay experienced.• Diagnostic delay based on mean, rather than median, data influences the interpretation of the delay time period and consistently reports a longer delay period.

Axial spondyloarthritis in HIV-positive patients raises specific treatment challenges as immunosuppressant and immunomodulating agents may adversely affect the course of the HIV infection and could increase the risk of opportunistic infections. The efficacy and safety of secukinumab in patients with HIV is unknown due to HIV patients were largely excluded from clinical trials and nowadays, the clinical evidence for the treatment with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) is provided from scarce case reports and case series. We hereby discuss a case of a male patient with concomitant axial spondyloarthritis and HIV infection successfully treated with secukinumab, achieving disease remission and without any associated complications. Nevertheless, the potential long-term effects in the use of monoclonal antibodies with a special emphasis on opportunistic infections, malignancies, and loss of HIV control clearly need to be determined more thoroughly, and continued research efforts are necessary before a clear recommendation can be made.

The spectrum of axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) (including both non-radiographic and radiographic AxSpA), also known as ankylosing spondylitis AS, has achieved growing recognition. With the development of treatments not only effective in controlling disease activity but also in slowing radiographic progression, and given the cost and risk profiles of these novel treatments and the limitations of current clinical criteria, imaging and peripheral blood biomarkers (C-reactive protein, HLA-B27 testing), the need for better biomarkers has never been greater. The purpose of this review is to present up-to-date information on the biomarkers for the diagnosis for assessing disease diagnosis, activity, treatment response, and radiographic progression of AxSpA, and entails multiple search strings used to identify articles of interest published in PubMed and the Cochrane database up to May 1, 2021. We present the current status of research in serologic biomarkers such as cytokines, adipokines, matrix metalloproteinases, calprotectin, CD74, antibodies, bone turnover markers, and circulating protein fragments of cartilage and connective tissue degradation and other biomarkers. Despite a great deal of work, most serologic results have been disappointing and to date none perform better than CRP. Recent promising preliminary data for some has been published, but require further confirmation. Transcriptomic biomarkers such as micro-RNAs and genetic biomarkers also show promise to assist in diagnosis and possibly for radiographic severity, including a recently developed panel of genetic risk markers used in a polygenic risk score instrument in AS diagnosis. These need further confirmation and application in AS as well as in nr-AxSpA.

To address the diagnostic delay in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), we have cross-culturally adapted the Hamilton axSpA questionnaire, a self-administered screening questionnaire, in the Singapore population. In this study, we compared the performance of various scoring methods for this questionnaire in detecting axSpA.The questionnaire was self-administered by eligible subjects. Scoring methods included method A, the original questionnaire scoring, and methods B-E, scoring developed based on the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) criteria for inflammatory back pain (IBP) and the referral, classification and both referral and classification of axSpA, respectively. The reference standard was diagnosis by a rheumatologist. Since the ASAS criteria-based scoring methods were mainly based on clinical axSpA features, self-report and rheumatologist-assessment of clinical axSpA features were also compared in subjects with axSpA.Of 1418 subjects (age: 54 ± 14 years, female: 73%) recruited, 46 were diagnosed with axSpA by a rheumatologist. Sensitivities of methods A-E were 35%, 61%, 63%, 48% and 83%, respectively. Self-report of clinical axSpA features exceeded rheumatologist-assessment for arthritis (83 vs 26%), good response to NSAIDs (37 vs 30%), enthesitis (35 vs 30%), dactylitis (20 vs 2%) and family history for axSpA (13 vs 4%). The reverse was true for IBP (41 vs 63%) and uveitis (4 vs 15%).A self-administered questionnaire using the ASAS referral and classification criteria-based scoring yielded relatively high sensitivity in detecting axSpA in subjects newly referred to rheumatology clinics. This supports its evaluation as a screening and referral tool in the general population in future studies. Key Points • A self-administered questionnaire could be used as a screening and referral tool. • ASAS referral and classification criteria-based scoring yielded relatively high sensitivity. • Inaccurate perception of clinical axSpA features was observed in axSpA patients.

To investigate the rate of subclinical inflammation in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)/anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α drug-induced clinical remission and to explore factors influencing clinical and imaging remission.One hundred twenty-five patients with axSpA followed up for at least 6 months were enrolled in this prospective study and randomly divided into two groups. Ninety patients were treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α or anti-TNF-α combined with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (anti-TNF-α treatment group), and thirty-five patients were treated with only NSAIDs (non anti-TNF-α treatment group). The improvements in the clinical remission rate, imaging remission rate, and disease parameters before and after the different treatments were compared. Risk factors for clinical and imaging remission were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis.The clinical and imaging remission rate was increased after treatment especially in the anti-TNF-α group (P 0.001). The remission rate of imaging in the group with clinical remission was higher than that in the group with clinical non-remission (P 0.05). After treatment, the remission rates of imaging in the clinical remission and non-remission group were significantly higher than those before treatment (P 0.0001). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher CRP was a risk factor for failure of clinical remission in axSpA (OR = 2.034, 95% CI:1.595 ~ 2.617, P 0.001), while higher ASDAScrp was a risk factor for failure of imaging remission (OR = 1.306, 95% CI:1.026 ~ 1.688, P 0.05). Anti-TNF-α treatment was a protective factor for both clinical (OR = 0.234, 95% CI:0.091 ~ 0.605, P 0.05) and imaging remission (OR = 0.511, 95% CI:0.286 ~ 0.914, P 0.05).Even after regular treatment, some clinical remission patients continued to have evidence of subclinical inflammation. Higher CRP and ASDAScrp are risk factors for clinical and imaging non-remission in axSpA respectively, Continuous NSAID treatment (more than 1 year) can effectively improve clinical and MRI inflammation in patients, but anti-TNF-α treatment is more beneficial for clinical and imaging remission. Key Points • Some patients achieving ASDAScrp remission status continue to have inflammation when assessed with objective imaging techniques. • MRI can sensitively measure bone marrow inflammation and may provide a more accurate assessment of remission. • Controlling inflammation, especially reducing CRP and ASDAScrp levels, is a key factor for achieving clinical and imaging remission in patients with axSpA.

Machine learning is applied to characterize the risk and predict outcomes in multi-dimensional data. The prediction of radiographic progression in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) remains limited. Hence, we tested the feasibility of supervised machine learning algorithms to predict radiographic progression in axSpA.This is a retrospective and hospital-based study. Clinical and laboratory data obtained from two independent axSpA groups were used as training and testing datasets. Radiographic progression over 2 years was assessed using the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS) and mSASSS worsening by ≥ two units was defined as progression. Seven machine learning models with different algorithms were fitted, and their performance for the testing dataset was assessed using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) and precision-recall (PR) curve.The training and testing groups had equivalent characteristics, and radiographic progression was identified in 25.3% and 23.7%, respectively. The generalized linear model (GLM) and support vector machine (SVM) were the top two best-performing models with an average area-under-curve (AUC) of ROC of over 0.78. SVM had the higher AUC of PR compared with GLM (0.56 versus 0.51). Balanced accuracy was over 65% in all models. mSASSS was the most informative variable, followed by the presence of syndesmophyte(s) at the baseline and sacroiliac joint grades.Clinical and radiographic data-driven predictive models showed reasonable performance in the prediction of radiographic progression in axSpA. Further modelling with larger and more detailed data could provide an excellent opportunity for the clinical translation of the predictive models to the management of high-risk patients.Key Points• Clinical and radiographic data-driven predictive models showed reasonable performance in the prediction of radiographic progression in axSpA.• Further modelling with larger and more detailed data could provide an excellent opportunity for the clinical translation of the predictive models to the management of high-risk patients.

To evaluate the association between inflammatory back pain (IBP) features, acute and structural MRI findings suggestive of sacroiliitis, and diagnosis of spondyloarthritis (SpA). Data from 224 patients who underwent MRI for suspected sacroiliitis (2005–2015) was retrospectively reviewed by an expert rheumatologist for the presence of IBP features and for clinical standard of reference diagnosis. A telephone questionnaire was performed in cases of missing data. Acute and structural MRI parameters were scored by an experienced radiologist for the presence of sacroiliitis using the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) criteria, Berlin score, and observer’s global impression (GI) scores. Association between IBP features and MRI scores, and odds ratio for SpA diagnosis, were calculated. One hundred ninety-three subjects were included (119 F:74 M, mean age 39.7 ± 15.6, mean follow-up 49 ± 18 months). Fifty-two (26.9%) subjects were diagnosed with SpA. IBP scores were significantly higher in SpA patients (p

To assess the effectiveness of secukinumab in patients with axSpA treated in routine clinical settings in 5 European countries.Retrospective analysis of a cross-sectional survey to assess real-world effectiveness of secukinumab in the management of axSpA and rheumatologist satisfaction with treatment in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK from March to December 2018. Outcomes collected included patient demographics, clinical characteristics and rheumatologist- and patient-reported satisfaction with secukinumab treatment.Five hundred thirty-five patients receiving secukinumab for more than 4 months were assessed, 359 of whom were diagnosed with AS and 178 with nr-axSpA. Rheumatologist assessment of disease status at treatment initiation indicated that 39 (7.3%) had stable/improving disease. Secukinumab treatment for 4 months or longer resulted in 515 (95.9%) patients judged as stable/improving. Treatment was associated with benefits from initiation to assessment in terms of BASDAI (6.2 vs 2.8), 44-joint count score (9.7 vs 6.6), rheumatologist global VAS score (56.9 vs 23.0) and patient global VAS scores (64.4 vs 25.5). These benefits for key clinical outcomes were sustained for periods of 12 months or longer. Patient-reported outcomes on health status using EQ-5D, global functioning using the ASAS health index and overall work impairment via WPAI were sustained over the treatment period, while patient and rheumatologist satisfaction with secukinumab treatment remained very high at 80.2 and 91.2%, respectively.Consistent benefits across multiple clinical and patient-reported outcomes were seen with secukinumab treatment in patients with AS and nr-axSpA treated in routine clinical settings across five European countries. Key Points • In routine clinical settings across five European countries, secukinumab treatment resulted in improvements in a wide range of clinical outcomes including physician-reported disease severity, disease status, pain, BASDAI, 44-joint count score and global VAS scores. • Key clinical and patient reported outcomes were sustained for a 12-month period or longer with secukinumab treatment. • Rheumatologist- and patient-reported treatment satisfaction was high with secukinumab.

To evaluate the added value of whole spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for disease activity assessment in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).Spine and sacroiliac joint (SIJ) MRI scans requested by rheumatologists between 2012 and 2018 were screened retrospectively, and patients who had known diagnosis of AS or PsA were included, if the MRI was done for disease activity assessment. All MRI scans were reviewed by two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists independently, blinded to patients' diagnosis and to the other MRI. Comparisons were done for the presence of active and structural lesions. In addition, radiologists were asked to rate for "confidence level for active inflammation related to SpA." Analysis was done using the consensus scores.Ninety patients with known diagnosis of AS (n = 55) or PsA (n = 35) were included. The frequency of active and structural lesions was not significantly different both in AS vs PsA, neither in the cervical/thoracic/lumbar spine or the SIJ. The percentage of people only with any inflammatory changes on the spine MRI without any inflammation in the SIJ MRI was 24% in AS and 23% in PsA. However, considering the confidence level of the radiologists on active inflammation, only one patient's spine MRI was scored as active, while SIJ MRI being negative for inflammation.The spinal MRI had limited added value to the SIJ MRI in SpA, when performed to assess disease activity, limiting its value in routine practice unless clinically indicated. Key Points • Spine MRI adds limited value to SIJs in SpA, when performed for disease activity assessment. • SpA disease activity assessment may be restricted to sacroiliac joint MRI, unless clinically indicated.

The objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of a spacing strategy of bDMARDs in a cohort of selected patients in disease remission or low-disease activity (LDA) without glucocorticoids affected with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). This was a single-centre study carried out on patients prospectively enrolled in the biologic Apulian registry. Patients whose disease was in remission or LDA without taking glucocorticoids during the previous 6 months and who had agreed to increase the time interval between bDMARD doses were included in this study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded at baseline and at 3, 6 and 12 months of follow-up. Endpoint of the study was the survival of spacing doses in the time lag of the study. Failure of spacing was defined as the first flare of disease. Thirty-seven RA, 28 PsA and 20 axSpA patients underwent bDMARD spacing according to a local strategy. During the follow-up, 5 RA, 6 PsA and 4 axSpA patients had a joint flare, but further 5 PsA patients manifested a skin relapse. Global persistence was 86.5% for RA (MST = 41 (95% CI: 37-45) months) and 80% for axSpA patients (MST = 36 (95% CI: 31-42) months). PsA patients showed a lower persistence, being of 60.7% (MST = 30 (95% CI: 23-36) months) (log-rank test, p = 0.03). Dose reduction by spacing bDMARD doses may be a feasible approach in patients with persistent remission/LDA activity. However, PsA patients might have greater odds of spacing failure because of skin psoriasis relapse. Key Points • Spacing of bDMARDs may be a feasible strategy for some patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and axial spondyloarthritis who achieve the target and withdrawn glucocorticoids. • Psoriatic arthritis patients showed lower persistence because of both articular and skin relapses.

Background The data on long-term outcome in enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA), the commonest category of JIA in India, is scant. Thus, we studied outcomes of ERA in a resource-constrained setting. Methods Patients with ERA (ILAR classification) (≥ 5 years of disease and ≥ 18 years) were included. Data on clinical features, Bath indices (BASMI, BASDAI, BASFI), ASDAS, and health assessment questionnaire-disability index (HAQ-DI) was collected. X-ray pelvis including hips was obtained and compared with baseline X-ray for progression of sacroiliitis and hip arthritis. Fulfillment of adult criteria of spondyloarthropathy (SpA) were also assessed. Results Seventy-three 73 patients (72 males) of median age 20 (18–23) years and disease duration 8 (5.5–11) years were recruited. There was delay in diagnosis of 4 (1.75–6) years. Thirty-nine (53%) had BASDAI ≥ 4 and 63 (91%) had ASDAS-CRP > 1.3. Two-third (60%) had functional disability (HAQ-DI ≥ 0.5). Poor outcome (BASDAI ≥ 4, ASDAS > 2.1, BASFI > 0.9, or HAQ-DI ≥ 0.5) was seen in three-fourths (n = 56.76%) of patients and was associated with hip involvement, HLA-B27 positivity, and fulfillment of axial ASAS criteria. Sixty-seven (91%) patients fulfilled axial ASAS criteria, while 71 (97%) fulfilled peripheral ASAS criteria. Overall, 81% had X-ray sacroiliitis and 37% had hip involvement. Nearly half (46.6%) and one-fourths (25%) of the patients had X-ray sacroiliitis and hip arthritis progression, respectively. Those with X-ray hip arthritis had longer delay in diagnosis (6 vs 3 years), higher Bath indices, ASDAS, and HAQ-DI. Hip arthritis correlated with radiological sacroiliitis (r = 0.301). Fulfillment of modified NY criteria was seen more often in patients with hip arthritis (95 vs 63%; p

YouTube is a popular online platform where patients often visit for information. However, the validity of the content on spondyloarthritis (SpA) on YouTube is not known.To evaluate the content, reliability, and quality of the most viewed English-language YouTube videos on SpA.Keywords "spondyloarthritis," "spondyloarthropathy," and "ankylosing spondylitis" were searched on YouTube on October 7, 2019. The top 270 videos were screened. Videos were excluded if they were irrelevant, in non-English language, or if they had no audio. Total number of views, duration on YouTube (days), video length, upload date, and number of likes, dislikes, subscribers, and comments were recorded for videos. A modified 5-point DISCERN tool and the 5-point Global Quality Scale (GQS) score were used to assess the reliability and quality of the videos.Two hundred videos were included in the final analysis (62% from healthcare professionals, 37% from patients, and 2% from news channels). Useful information, useful patient opinion, misleading patient opinion, and misleading information comprised o60%, 26%, 11%, and 3% of videos respectively. Majority of misleading videos were uploaded by patients (82%). Misleading videos commonly included wrong clinical features and unproven alternative treatments of SpA. Videos by healthcare professionals had more useful information, higher reliability, and GQS scores.Majority of YouTube videos have useful information on SpA and are important educational sources to patients. However, rheumatologists should be aware that misleading patient opinions on alternative therapies can contain inaccurate information and should hence actively correct these misinformation during their clinic consults Key Points • The majority of videos on Spondyloarthritis found on YouTube are deemed useful and are uploaded by healthcare professionals. • The majority of misleading videos were uploaded by patients and the main theme of misinformation was on clinical features and treatment of spondyloarthritis.

Evaluation of response to combination conventional synthetic DMARD (csDMARD) therapy with methotrexate (MTX) and sulfasalazine (SSZ) in active axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) patients without peripheral arthritis (group 1) as compared to active axSpA with peripheral arthritis (group 2), who are economically constrained for biologicals.A prospective, observational, single-centre, cohort study on 150 consecutive active axSpA patients who were already initiated on the above mentioned combination csDMARD therapy and satisfying the other pre-defined eligibility criteria, was conducted between July 2016 and July 2017 using ASAS20 response as primary outcome measure at 3 and 6 months post treatment.ASAS20 response at 3 months was achieved in 31/58 (53.4%) and in 24/36 (66.6%) in groups 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.2); at 6 months, these figures were 45/76 (59.2%) and 28/44 (63.6%), respectively (p = 0.6). Similarly, there was significant reduction in mean ASAS NSAID index from 29.6 to 14 over 6 months from baseline (p = 0.001), and it was similar in both groups. Using BASDAI ≥ 4 to define active disease, a 34% reduction in requirement of biologicals was also observed.In resource-limited population, treatment with combination of methotrexate and sulphasalazine over a period of 6 months is equally efficacious in patients with active axSpA with and without peripheral arthritis, as evidenced by improved ASAS20 response rates, reduction in NSAID use and fewer patients switching to biologicals. Key Points • Combination of MTX+SSZ was efficacious and safe in active axSpA patients who had economic hardships to use biologicals. • This benefit in axSpA patients was similar between those without any peripheral arthritis and those with. • MTX+SSZ combination therapy also demonstrated NSAID sparing action. • Combination of MTX and SSZ prevented escalation to biological therapy as per a BASDAI score driven policy.

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an auto-inflammatory disease that is also characterized with some of the common musculoskeletal features of spondyloarthritis (SpA). Enthesitis is the hallmark of SpA. Recently, it was postulated that exertional leg pain is a possible sign of lower extremity enthesitis associated with FMF severity. In this study, we have evaluated the association between the enthesitis, enthesitis score and disease severity in FMF patients.We enrolled 238 FMF patients that fulfilled the modified Tel-Hashomer criteria. We assessed the presence of enthesitis at the Maastricht Ankylosing Spondylitis Enthesitis Score (MASES) defined sites with standard palpation method. Then, FMF patients dichotomised two groups as enthesitis group and controls. Herein, we evaluated the enthesis extensity with MASES. FMF disease severity was determined via the international severity scoring system for FMF (ISSF). Firstly, we have compared demographic properties, disease-related features and ISSF scores of the groups. Then, we have correlated ISSF with MASES in enthesitis group.We showed that 54 (22.6%) of 238 patients had enthesitis. The demographic features were similar between the groups. The enthesitis group had higher ISSF scores (p 0.001); higher frequency of fever (p = 0.004), exertional leg pain (p 0.001), myalgia (p 0.001) and arthritis (p = 0.01); and more intense, widespread, frequent and longer attacks compared with controls. Moreover, there was a weak correlation between ISSF and MASES in the patients with enthesitis.Enthesitis may be a sign of more severe FMF phenotype and frequently associated with other musculoskeletal manifestations resemble SpA. Key points •More than one-fifth of the patients with FMF would suffer from enthesitis. •The FMF patients with enthesitis had higher ISSF scores; higher frequency of fever, exertional leg pain, myalgia and arthritis; and more intense, widespread, frequent and longer attacks as compared with controls. •Enthesitis may be a sign of more severe FMF phenotype and frequently associated with other SpA-like musculoskeletal feature.

The aim of the present study is to compare the clinical features, disease activity, and physical impairment between non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis in Tunisian patients.This is a retrospective study conducted in a single rheumatology center in Tunisia. Patients with axial spondyloarthritis fulfilling the 2009 ASAS criteria were included. The various spondyloarthritis-related variables were compared between non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. p Values below 0.05 were considered statistically significant.Among 200 patients with axial spondyloarthritis, 40 had non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis and 160 had ankylosing spondylitis. The non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis patients were more frequently female, were younger, and had shorter disease duration. Patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis experienced enthesitis more frequently compared with ankylosing spondylitis patients. Psoriasis was more frequent in non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis group, while inflammatory bowel disease was more frequent in ankylosing spondylitis group. The C-reactive protein level and functional score were significantly higher in patients with ankylosing spondylitis compared with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors were offered significantly more often to the ankylosing spondylitis group. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in other spondyloarthritis parameters.The non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis is characterized mainly by a marked female prevalence, a higher enthesitis prevalence, and a better physical function.• Patients with nr-axSpA in Tunisia are more frequently female and have shorter disease duration compared with those with AS. • Peripheral manifestations were similar between nr-axSpA and AS patients except for enthesitis which were more frequent within nr-axSpA patients. • The disease activity is similar between the 2 groups of axSpA but the physical function is better within nr-axSpA patients.

Coexistence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is rare (Sy et al. in Semin Arthritis Rheum 45:475-482, 2016). Nevertheless, we present a case of an AAV in a 53-year-old female with enteropathic spondylarthritis previously treated with tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors (TNFi). Management of vasculitis in a patient with IBD may be problematic due to the difficulty in distinguishing if the vasculitis is an extraintestinal manifestation of the IBD or a new coexistent entity. Moreover, in our report, the previous treatment with TNFi is a possible confounding factor due to the paradoxical effects induced by TNFi, including vasculitis (Ramos-Casals et al. in Curr Rheumatol Rep 10:442-448, 2008). The reported case alerts to the complexity in the management of patients with enteropathic spondylarthritis and vasculitis, as well as discusses the diversity of differential diagnosis in this particular clinical scenario.

To assess whether smoking and obesity are predictors of poor treatment response in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA). A systematic literature review was performed by searching in MEDLINE and EMBASE up to June 2019 with a strategy based on the PICO approach: Population: patients with axSpA; Intervention or exposure: smoking or obesity; Comparison: non-smokers (for smoking) and normal-weight individuals (for obesity); and Outcome: any response criteria currently validated for axSpA. The 2009 Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine levels were used for assessing the studies quality. Out of 1873 references retrieved, 46 studies were selected for full-text review and 12 for data extraction: six stratified patients by smoking and six by obesity. All were longitudinal observational studies, except one, which was cross-sectional. Overall, these studies included 5291 patients (3917 for smoking and 1333 for obesity), and all these patients were on anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy. The quality of evidence was graded as level 2b except that from the cross-sectional study which was graded level 4. For smoking, the evidence found is inconsistent: two studies finding negative effects in response to anti-TNF while the other four found no differences in clinical response to this therapy. Regarding obesity, the evidence is more consistent: five of the six studies describing a negative influence in response to anti-TNF. According to the scientific evidence in patients with axSpA, obesity is associated with a more unsatisfactory response to anti-TNF therapy. A poorer response in smokers has yet to be demonstrated. Key Points • Identifying predictors of treatment response in axSpA, especially those that are modifiable, is relevant. • Obesity increases the risk of poorer response to anti-TNF agents in patients with axSpA. • Scientific evidence for smoking habit as a predictor of treatment response in axSpA is inconclusive.

The concept of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) encompasses both non-radiographic (nr-axSpA) and traditional radiographic axSpA (r-axSpA) forms. The former was conceived following the establishment of the ASAS classification criteria for axSpA, which for the first time included the use of magnetic resonance imaging of the sacroiliac joints. This facilitated the classification of patients with axSpA who did not present substantial structural damage. This conception of nr-axSpA revolutionized the classical understanding of axSpA opening new doors for research and broadening the scope of treatment to the entire spectrum of axSpA. In this sense, epidemiologic patterns of the disease were viewed anew, and early diagnosis became a primary objective in the management of the disease. However, despite these advances, this new axSpA subtype led to some concerns within the scientific community. These issues have been addressed by several studies that set out to clarify the concept of nr-axSpA. In this review, we summarize the findings of the most relevant studies including nr-axSpA and then discuss recent advances in understanding disease clinical patterns, burden of disease, and treatment effects. Current scientific research has shown subtle differences between nr-axSpA and r-axSpA. In the near future, these advances will allow for better management of individual patients across the axSpA spectrum.