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Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of fibromyalgianess, fibromyalgia syndrome (FS), and widespread pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and their relationship with clinical and demographic parameters. Patients and methods: This cross-sectional multicenter trial was performed in 14 centers across Türkiye between June 2018 and November 2019. Out of 685 patients recruited from the accessible population, 661 patients (342 RA, 319 AS; 264 males, 397 females; mean age: 48.1±12.9 years; range, 17 to 88 years) met the selection criteria. In these cohorts, those who did not meet the criteria for FS and had widespread pain (widespread pain index =7) were evaluated as a separate group. Clinical status and demographic parameters of patients in both cohorts were evaluated as well as the evaluations of RA and AS patients with widespread pain (widespread pain index =7) and RA and AS patients with FS groups. In addition, correlations between polysymptomatic distress scale (PSD) scores and Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI), Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI), and Disease Activity Score using 28 joint counts for RA patients and VAS, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), and Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) for AS patients were analyzed. Results: Frequencies of patients with FS and patients who had PSD scores =12 were 34.1% and 44.4% in all RA patients, respectively. Moreover, FS and PSD scores =12 were found in 29.2% and 36.9% of all AS patients, respectively. PSD scores of RA patients with FS were higher than all RA patients and RA patients with widespread pain. SDAI and CDAI scores of RA patients with FS were higher than all RA patients and RA patients with widespread pain. Similarly, PSD scores of AS patients with FS were higher than all AS patients and AS patients with widespread pain. ASDAS-erythrocyte sedimentation rate and BASDAI scores of AS patients with FS were found higher than all AS patients and AS patients with widespread pain. Conclusion: Disease activity scores, including pain in RA and AS, were higher in the presence of FS or fibromyalgianess. It may be related to clinical parameters, but cohort studies with long-term follow-up are needed to reveal causality. Additionally, to avoid overtreatment, coexistence of fibromyalgianess should be kept in mind in patients who have inflammatory diseases such as RA and AS, particularly with intractable widespread pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to quantitatively assess the profile of the choroidal thickness (ChT) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) using optical coherence tomography (OCT), and to examine whether the posterior eye segment abnormalities in active AS patients are reversible by infliximab therapy. Patients and methods: Thirty-one patients with AS (22 males, 9 females; mean age: 39.6±12.3 years; range, 22 to 68 years) and 24 healthy controls (16 males, 8 females; mean age: 40.8±8.9 years; range, 35 to 61 years) were enrolled between October 2014 and March 2016. Patients' clinical and demographic characteristics were recorded. Using OCT, we performed retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, ganglion cell complex, and ChT measurements in AS patients before and six months after the initiation of infliximab therapy, and in healthy controls. Results: At baseline, patients with AS had higher ChT (mean±standard deviation: 347.5±114.4 µm) compared to healthy controls (322.1±62.8 µm), although this did not reach statistical significance level (p=0.283). At six months after the first measurement, the mean ChT was significantly decreased (under infliximab therapy: 326.5±99.7 µm vs. before: 347.5±114.4 µm, p=0.018) in AS group, while no significant change was observed in the control group (p=0.102). RNFL thickness in the AS group was significantly decreased after six months of treatment with infliximab (p=0.008). Conclusion: By evaluating the posterior eye segment of patients with AS using OCT, this study has demonstrated that active AS patients had higher ChT. The significant reduction in this ChT after infliximab therapy may be mediating the established effective suppressing action of infliximab on uveitis attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This prospective clinical study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of long-term of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) therapy on arterial stiffness in ankylosing spondylitis. Patients and methods: A total of 28 active ankylosing spondylitis patients (21 males, 7 females; mean age 33.5±9.5 years; range 20 to 52 years) were enrolled. Patients' values for before the initiation of biological therapy and mid-term (24 weeks) evaluation were reported. For further evaluation, this initially reported patients were contacted two years after anti-TNF-α therapy, and their arterial stiffness was assessed by using pulse wave velocity. Results: After two years of anti-TNF-α therapy, despite the significant improvements in patients' symptoms and clinical activity parameters including Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index score (4.9±0.9, 1.9±0.5 and 1.8±0.9, p=0.0001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (35.5±23.1 mm/h, 13.8±9.2 mm/h and 25.0±17.9 mm/h, p=0.0001), and C-reactive protein (2.1±1.6 ng/dL, 0.4±0.3 ng/dL and 0.6±0.9 ng/dL p=0.0001), no significant difference was observed in arterial stiffness parameters (7.9±1.3 meter/second, 7.7±1.3 meter/second and 8.3±1.1 meter/second, p=0.620). Conclusion: In line with the previous 24-week evaluation, the results at two-year follow-up indicates that anti-TNF-α therapy does not improve arterial stiffness in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]