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Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), a common disease in individuals older than 50 in the western world, is characterized by bilateral inflammatory pain involving the shoulder girdle and less commonly the neck and pelvic girdle. The main goals of the currently available treatment are to induce remission and prevent relapse.This review briefly presents the main epidemiological and clinical features of PMR and discusses in depth both its classical management as well as new therapies used in PMR.In general, patients with isolated PMR experience a rapid response (in less than seven days) to 12.5-25 mg/prednisone/day. Methotrexate is the conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drug most commonly used for disease management, especially for relapses of the disease. However, this agent often yields a modest effect. Randomized controlled trials do not support the use of antitumor necrosis factor agents in PMR. Several case series and retrospective studies have highlighted the efficacy of the anti-interleukin-6 receptor antibody tocilizumab in PMR. However, controlled trials are needed to fully establish the efficacy of this biologic agent in PMR. The potential beneficial effect of the Janus-kinase inhibitors remains to be determined.

Psoriasis patients have high risk of atherosclerosis, characterized by endothelial dysfunction. We aimed to study the association of the endothelial activation biomarkers monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), soluble (s) E-selectin and P-selectin with disease activity and severity in psoriasis patients treated with anti-TNF-α therapy. Also, to evaluate the relationship of metabolic syndrome features with these biomarkers and the effect of anti-TNF-α therapy on these molecules.Twenty-nine consecutive non-diabetic patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who underwent 6 months of anti-TNF-α-adalimumab therapy were studied. Metabolic and clinical evaluation was performed prior to anti-TNF-α treatment (time 0) and 6 months later. MCP-1, sE-selectin and sP-selectin serum levels were determined by ELISA.Dyslipidemic and obese patients showed higher MCP-1 levels at month 6 from the onset of anti-TNF-α therapy (p = .05 and .01, respectively). sE-selectin positively correlated with pro-inflammatory molecules such as asymmetric dimethylarginine, sP-selectin and resistin at baseline and month 6 (p .05). sE-selectin levels significantly reduced after 6 months of therapy (p = .0006).Metabolic syndrome features are associated with endothelial activation in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Adalimumab therapy led to a reduction in sE-selectin levels, supporting the beneficial effect of anti-TNF-α therapy on mechanisms associated with the development of atherosclerosis in psoriasis.

Objective Arthritis, myositis and interstitial lung disease (ILD) constitute the classic clinical triad of anti-synthetase syndrome (ASSD). These patients experience other accompanying features, such as Raynaud's phenomenon, fever or mechanic's hands. Most ASSD patients develop the complete triad during the follow-up. In the present study we aimed to determine whether the subsequent appearance of accompanying features may suggest the development of triad findings lacking at the onset in anti-Jo1 positive ASSD patients. Methods Anti-Jo1 positive patients presenting with incomplete ASSD (no >2 classic triad features) were assessed. Clinical characteristics and clusters of disease manifestations were retrospectively collected and analyzed in a large international multicenter cohort of ASSD patients. Results 165 patients (123 women) with incomplete ASSD were identified. Ninety-five patients (57.5%) developed new classic triad manifestations after 15months median (IQR 9–51) and 40 (24%) developed new accompanying features after 19months median (IQR 6–56) from disease onset. During the follow-up, the ex-novo occurrence of triad features was observed in 32 out of 40 patients (80%) with new accompanying findings and in 63 out of 125 patients (50.5%) without new accompanying findings (p=0.002). In patients with at least one new accompanying feature the odds ratio for the occurrence of new triad manifestations was 3.94 with respect to patients not developing ex-novo accompanying findings (95% CI 1.68–9.21, p=0.002). Conclusion Anti-Jo1 ASSD patients with incomplete forms at disease onset are at high risk for the subsequent occurrence of lacking classic triad findings. Although all ASSD patients should be carefully assessed for the occurrence of new triad features, a closer follow-up should be considered in the subgroup of patients developing ex novo accompanying findings. These patients, indeed, have near four-fold increased risk for new classic triad manifestation occurrence with respect to patients not presenting ex novo accompanying findings.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common form of vasculitis in adults. Cranial manifestations are typical clinical features of this vasculitis. Sometimes the presenting symptoms are nonspecific and, in some cases, large-vessel involvement may prevail. Polymyalgia rheumatica is a frequent manifestation that in some cases may be the presenting symptom of GCA. Visual complications, in particular the risk of blindness, constitute the most feared manifestations of GCA. Prompt recognition of this vasculitis is required to avoid irreversible complications. Prednisone/prednisolone at a dose of 40–60 mg/day is the cornerstone therapy in GCA. Glucocorticoids lead to rapid improvement of symptoms and may reduce the risk of irreversible visual loss. However, relapses are common when the prednisone dose is tapered. Therefore, additional therapies are required in relapsing GCA or when a rapid reduction of glucocorticoids is needed. The most widely used conventional immunosuppressive drug is methotrexate Adjunctive treatment with methotrexate may decrease the risk of relapses and reduce glucocorticoid exposure. However, comprehensive reviews indicate that the efficacy of methotrexate in GCA is modest. The experience with other conventional immunosuppressive drugs in GCA patients is scarce. In some cases, the new biologic agents are required. Among them, the most frequently used is the recombinant humanized anti-IL-6 receptor antibody tocilizumab. It improves clinical symptoms, reduce the cumulative prednisone dose and the frequency of relapses in GCA patients. However, anti-tumor necrosis factor-α therapy is not useful in GCA. Promising results on other biologic agents, such as abatacept, ustekinumab or anakinra, require further confirmatory studies.

Introduction: Giant cell arteritis is a vasculitis of large and middle-sized arteries that affects individuals older than 50 years. Although glucocorticoids remain the mainstay in the treatment of this vasculitis, other drugs are often required to achieve clinical remission and allow glucocorticoid discontinuation. Areas covered: The review summarizes the main biologic therapies used for the managements of GCA. Expert commentary: Although several biologic agents have been used in patients with GCA, the only biologic agent currently approved for this purpose is the recombinant humanized anti-IL-6 receptor antibody: tocilizumab. It has demonstrated efficacy to improve clinical symptoms, decrease the cumulative prednisone dose and reduce the frequency of relapses in clinical trials and real-life studies on patients with GCA. A trial showed that abatacept may be useful to maintain remission in GCA patients. An openlabel study suggested that ustekinumab could be useful for the treatment of patients with refractory GCA. However, further studies are required to confirm if both abatacept and ustekinumab are useful as an adjunctive therapy to reduce relapses or as a glucocorticoid sparing agent in GCA. Anakinra has been successfully used in a few patients with refractory GCA. In contrast, anti-tumor necrosis factor- α therapy yielded disappointing results in GCA.

The aim of the present study was to determine if the use of the anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α monoclonal antibody adalimumab could improve endothelial function and arterial stiffness in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. This was a prospective study on a series of consecutive patients with moderate to severe psoriasis who completed 6 months of therapy with adalimumab. Patients with history of cardiovascular events, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, hypertension or body mass index of 35 kg/m2 or more were excluded. Assessment of endothelial function by brachial artery reactivity measuring flow-mediated endothelial dependent vasodilatation (FMD%), and carotid arterial stiffness by pulse wave velocity (PWV) was performed at the onset of treatment (time 0) and at month 6. Twenty-nine patients were studied. Anti-TNF-α adalimumab therapy yielded a significant improvement of endothelial function. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) FMD% values increased from 6.19 ± 2.44% at the onset of adalimumab to 7.46 ± 2.43% after 6 months of treatment with this biologic agent (P = 0.008). Likewise, following the use of adalimumab, PWV levels decreased from 6.28 ± 1.04 m/s at the onset of adalimumab to 5.69 ± 1.31 m/s at 6 months (P = 0.03). In conclusion, patients with moderate to severe psoriasis exhibit improvement of endothelial function and arterial stiffness following anti-TNF-α therapy. These findings are of potential relevance due to increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with severe psoriasis.

Objective.We determined the performance of the Framingham score and the Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) in assessing high-risk atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods.We assembled 330 cases without established cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, and moderate or severe chronic kidney disease among 451 consecutive Spanish patients who underwent CVD risk screening and carotid ultrasound-determined plaque assessment. The findings were validated in 90 black and 97 white African patients.Results.When sensitivity for the Framingham score was set at 80% in receiver-operator curve analysis [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.799], the corresponding cutoff value and specificity were 7.3% and 63%, respectively. At a specificity of 80%, the cutoff value and sensitivity were 10.8% and 65%, respectively. When sensitivity for SCORE (AUC = 0.747) was set at 80%, the cutoff value and specificity were 0.5% and 58%, respectively. At a specificity of 80%, the cutoff value and sensitivity were 1.5% and 50%, respectively. Upon applying a cutoff value of 7.3% for the Framingham and 0.5% for SCORE in African white patients with RA, the corresponding sensitivities and specificities were 67% and 72%, and 67% and 55%, respectively. CVD risk equations did not discriminate between black African patients with and without plaque (AUC = 0.544 and 0.549 for Framingham score and SCORE, respectively).Conclusion.The Framingham score and SCORE at markedly low cutoff values of 7.3% to 10.8% and 0.5% to 1.5%, respectively, can usefully estimate plaque presence in RA. Effective population-specific CVD risk assessment strategies are needed in black African patients with RA.

Objectives To assess anti-TNF-α therapy response in uveitis associated with sarcoidosis refractory to conventional immunosuppressive therapy. Methods Open-label, multicenter, retrospective study on patients with sarcoid uveitis who underwent anti-TNF-α therapy because of inadequate response to conventional therapy including corticosteroids and at least 1 systemic synthetic immunosuppressive drug. The main outcome measurements were degree of anterior and posterior chamber inflammation, visual acuity, macular thickness, and immunosuppression load. Results A total of 17 patients (8 men; 29 affected eyes; mean ± standard deviation age 38.4 ± 16.8; range: 13−76 years) were studied. The patients had bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy (58.8%), lung parenchyma involvement (47.1%), peripheral lymph nodes (41.2%), and involvement of other organs (52.9%). Angiotensin-converting enzyme was elevated in 58.8%. The most frequent ocular pattern was bilateral chronic relapsing panuveitis. The first biologic agent used was adalimumab in 10 (58.8%) and infliximab in 7 (41.2%) cases. Infliximab 5mg/kg intravenously every 4−8 weeks and adalimumab 40mg subcutaneously every 2 weeks were the most common administration patterns. In most cases anti-TNF-α therapy was given in combination with immunosuppressive drugs. The mean duration of follow-up was 33.9 ± 17.1 months. Significant improvement was observed following anti-TNF-α therapy. Baseline results versus results at 2 years from the onset of biologic therapy were the following: the median of cells in the ocular anterior chamber (interquartile range—IQR) 0.5 (0−2) versus 0 (0−0) ( p = 0.003), vitritis 0 (0−1.25) versus 0 (0−0) ( p = 0.008), macular thickness (391.1 ± 58.8 versus 247 ± 40.5µm) ( p = 0.028), and visual acuity 0.60 ± 0.33 versus 0.74 ± 0.27; p = 0.009. The median daily (interquartile range) dose of prednisone was also reduced from 10 (0−30)mg at the onset of the anti-TNF-α therapy to 0 (0−0)mg at 2 years ( p = 0.02). Significant reduction was also achieved in the immunosuppressive load. Conclusion Anti-TNF-α therapy is effective in sarcoid uveitis patients refractory to conventional immunosuppressive therapy. Infliximab and adalimumab allowed a substantial reduction in prednisone dose despite having failed standard therapy.

Introduction: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common large-vessel vasculitis in individuals older than 50 years from Western countries. The goal of the treatment is to achieve improvement of symptoms and clinical remission as well as decrease the risk of severe vascular complications. Areas covered: The review summarizes the main epidemiological and clinical features of GCA and discusses in depth both the classic and the new therapies used in the management of GCA. Expert commentary: Prednisone/prednisolone of 40-60 mg/day is the mainstay in GCA therapy. It yields improvement of clinical features and reduces the risk of permanent visual loss in patients with GCA. Other drugs are used in patients who experience relapses (flares of the disease) or side effects related to glucocorticoids. Methotrexate is the most common conventional immunosuppressive drug used as a glucocorticoid sparing agent. Among the new biologic agents, the most frequently used is the recombinant humanized anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, which is effective to improve clinical symptoms, decrease the cumulative prednisone dose and reduce the frequency of relapses in these patients. Anti-tumor necrosis factor-α therapy is not useful in GCA. Experience with other biologic agents, such as abatacept or ustekinumab, looks promising but it is still scarce.

Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is associated with increased rates of cardiovascular (CV) mortality. CV events can be prevented by identifying patients with high CV risk who can beneficiate from strict primary prevention measures. The systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE) is the predictive model recommended in Europe, but it underestimates the CV risk in individuals under 50 years old. Objectives To determine if the use of the relative risk (RR) chart score (figure 1) may help to identify young AS patients at high risk of CV disease. Methods A set of 73 AS patients younger than 50 years old without history of CV events, diabetes mellitus or chronic kidney disease was assessed. CV risk was calculated according to the total cholesterol systematic coronary risk evaluation (TC-SCORE) and the RR chart score. A value of C-reactive protein (CRP) >3 mg/L at diagnosis, cut-off point associated with an increased risk of CV events, and carotid ultrasound data performed at the time of the assessment were also analysed. Results Twenty (27.4%) of 73 patients exhibited carotid plaques and, consequently, they were classified into the category of very high CV risk. CRP>3 mg/L at disease diagnosis was associated with the presence of carotid plaques after adjustment for confounding factors (odds ratio 5.66, 95% confidence interval 1.11–28.77; p=0.03). None of these young patients were included in the category of high/very high CV according to the TC-SCORE. Whereas only 5 (14.2%) of the 35 patients with RR=1 had carotid plaques, 15 (39.5%) of 38 with RR >1 showed plaques. A model that included the performance of carotid US in patients with RR >1 who had CRP>3 mg/L at disease diagnosis allowed us to identify 60% of young AS with very high CV risk, with a specificity of 77.4% (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.69). The performance of carotid US in young AS patients with RR >1 regardless of CRP data at diagnosis increased the sensitivity up to 75% at the expense of a significant decline in the specificity to 56.6% (AUC: 0.66) (table 1). The gold standard used to define high/very high cardiovascular risk was the presence of TC-SCORE ≥5% or carotid plaques. Conclusions RR chart score assessment may help to identify young AS at high risk who are underdiagnosed as having very high CV risk by the SCORE. Disclosure of Interest None declared

Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is associated with increased rates of cardiovascular (CV) disease. CV events in these patients can be prevented by identifying patients at high risk who can benefit from appropriate primary prevention measures. The systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE) is the predictive model recommended in Europe, but it underestimates the CV risk in AS. Objectives To determine if a lateral lumbar radiography, which is available in most of AS patients, may help to identify AS patients at high risk of CV disease. Methods 125 AS patients older than 35 years old without history of CV events, diabetes mellitus or chronic kidney disease were recruited. All patients underwent a carotid ultrasound (US) and lateral lumbar spine radiography and a multi-detector coronary tomography (MDCT) was also performed in a subgroup of 43 AS patients. Carotid plaques were defined according to the Mannheim consensus and the presence of AAC as calcific densities visible in an area parallel to the lumbar spine and anterior to the lower part of the spine. A Coronary Artery Calcification Score (CACS) superior to 100 were considered as a surrogate marker of coronary atherosclerosis. CV risk was calculated according to the total cholesterol systematic coronary risk evaluation (TC-SCORE). Results CV risk was categorised according to the TC-SCORE as low ( Conclusions Several AS patients at high CV risk who are underdiagnosed as having very high CV risk by the SCORE can be detected by a lateral lumbar radiography. Disclosure of Interest None declared

The purpose of the study is to perform an update on the current knowledge on genetics, clinical manifestations, and therapy in immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV) (Henoch-Schonlein purpura). A strong genetic predisposition in individuals with IgAV was confirmed. It was due to the association with the HLA class II region that in people of European background is mainly related to HLA-DRB1*01 allele. Recent reports support the claim that kidney disease is more common in adults than in children with IgAV. The clinical spectrum and outcome of adults with IgAV depends on the age of onset. Relapses are not uncommon in IgAV. The presence of renal impairment or proteinuria excretion exceeding 1 g/24 h at the time of disease diagnosis and the degree of renal damage on the kidney biopsy are the best predictors of end-stage renal failure in adults with IgAV. The levels of urinary IgA at the onset of the disease may predict a poor renal outcome. The use of prednisone does not seem to prevent persistent kidney disease in children with IgAV. No additional benefit of adding cyclophosphamide to glucocorticoids in adults with IgAV was found. Rituximab seems to be a promising therapy in the management of adults with IgAV. In this overview, we focus on the genetics, clinical manifestations, and therapy of IgA vasculitis, emphasizing the main differences in the clinical expression of the disease between children and adults.

ObjetiveSystemic vasculitides represent a heterogeneous group of rare complex diseases of the blood vessels with a poorly understood aetiology. To investigate the shared genetic component underlying their predisposition, we performed the first cross-phenotype meta-analysis of genetic data from different clinically distinct patterns of vasculitis.MethodsImmunochip genotyping data from 2465 patients diagnosed with giant cell arteritis, Takayasu’s arteritis, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis or IgA vasculitis as well as 4632 unaffected controls were analysed to identify common susceptibility loci for vasculitis development. The possible functional consequences of the associated variants were interrogated using publicly available annotation data.ResultsThe strongest association signal corresponded with an intergenic polymorphism located between HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DQA2 (rs6932517, P=4.16E-14, OR=0.74). This single nucleotide polymorphism is in moderate linkage disequilibrium with the disease-specific human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II associations of each type of vasculitis and could mark them. Outside the HLA region, we identified the KDM4C gene as a common risk locus for vasculitides (highest peak rs16925200, P=6.23E-07, OR=1.75). This gene encodes a histone demethylase involved in the epigenetic control of gene expression.ConclusionsThrough a combined analysis of Immunochip data, we have identified KDM4C as a new risk gene shared between systemic vasculitides, consistent with the increasing evidences of the crucial role that the epigenetic mechanisms have in the development of complex immune-mediated conditions.

Objective. To determine if the use of the relative risk (RR) chart score may help to identify young ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients at high risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Methods. 73 AS patients younger than 50 years were assessed. CV risk was calculated according to the total cholesterol systematic coronary risk evaluation (TC-SCORE) and the RR chart score. C-reactive protein (CRP) value at disease diagnosis and carotid ultrasound data were also analyzed. Results. Twenty (27.4%) patients exhibited carotid plaques being classified into the category of very high CV risk. None of them was found to have a high/very high TC-SCORE. CRP > 3 mg/L at disease diagnosis was associated with the presence of carotid plaques (odds ratio 5.66, p=0.03). Whereas only 5 (14.2%) of the 35 patients with RR = 1 had carotid plaques, 15 (39.5%) of 38 with RR > 1 showed plaques. A model that included the performance of carotid US in patients with RR > 1 who had CRP > 3 mg/L allowed us to identify 60% of very high risk patients, with a specificity of 77.4%. Conclusions. RR chart score assessment may help to identify young AS patients at high risk of CV disease.

Patients with psoriasis, in particular those with severe disease, have an increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events compared with the general population. The aim of the present study is to determine whether correlation between asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and osteoprotegerin (OPG), two biomarkers associated with CV disease, and disease severity may exist in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. We also aimed to establish if baseline serum levels of these two biomarkers could correlate with the degree of change in the clinical parameters of disease severity following the use of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α therapy in these patients. This was a prospective study on a series of consecutive non-diabetic patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who completed 6 months of therapy with anti-TNF-α-adalimumab. Patients with kidney disease, hypertension or body mass index of 35 kg/m(2) or more were excluded. Metabolic and clinical evaluation was performed immediately prior to the onset of treatment and at month 6. Twenty-nine patients were assessed. Unlike OPG, a significant positive correlation between ADMA and resistin serum levels was found at the onset of adalimumab and also after 6 months of biologic therapy. We also observed a positive correlation between the percent of body surface area affected (BSA) and ADMA levels obtained before the onset of adalimumab and a negative correlation between baseline ADMA levels and a 6-month BSA change compared with baseline results. In patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, ADMA levels correlate with clinical markers of disease severity.

Standard therapeutic schemes for vasculitis are usually associated with numerous side effects and uneven clinical response. However, recent advances in understanding of the pathogenesis of these systemic diseases have resulted in the development of a group of biologic agents potentially useful in patients with vasculitis. Thus, anti-tumor necrosis factor-α drugs may be effective in patients with refractory Kawasaki disease but have failed to do so in giant cell arteritis, and their role in Takayasu arteritis is yet unclear. Preliminary reports on the use of the anti-IL6-receptor antibody, tocilizumab, in large-vessel vasculitis have been encouraging. Interferon alpha has showed positive results in hepatitis B virus-associated polyarteritis nodosa, and hepatitis C virus-induced cryoglobulinemia. Early experience with rituximab in several types of vasculitis has been quite promising, but must be confirmed in ongoing randomized clinical trials. The development of new biologic targeted therapies will probably open a hopeful future for patients with vasculitis.

Endothelial dysfunction can be detected by the presence of elevated levels of biomarkers of endothelial cell activation. In this study, we aimed to establish whether correlations of these biomarkers with characteristics of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) exist. We also studied the effect of anti-TNF-α therapy on these biomarkers. Serum sE-selectin, MCP-1 and sVCAM-1 levels were measured by ELISA in 30 non-diabetic AS patients undergoing anti-TNF-α therapy, immediately before and after an infusion of infliximab. Correlations of these biomarkers with clinical features, systemic inflammation, metabolic syndrome and other serum and plasma biomarkers of cardiovascular risk were studied. Potential changes in the concentration of these biomarkers following an infliximab infusion were also assessed. sE-selectin showed a positive correlation with CRP (p = 0.02) and with other endothelial cell activation biomarkers such as sVCAM-1 (p = 0.019) and apelin (p = 0.008). sVCAM-1 negatively correlated with BMI (p = 0.018), diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.008) and serum glucose (p = 0.04). sVCAM-1 also showed a positive correlation with VAS spinal pain (p = 0.014) and apelin (p

Objective IgA vasculitis (Henoch-Schonlein) (IgAV), formerly called Henoch-Schonlein purpura, is the most common vasculitis in children, but it is not rare in adults. Increased familial occurrence supports a genetic predisposition to IgAV. In this context, an association with the HLA–DRB1*01 phenotype has been suggested in Caucasian individuals with IgAV. However, data on the potential association of IgAV with HLA–DRB1*01 were based on small case series. We undertook this study to further investigate this potential association by performing HLA–DRB1 genotyping in the largest series of IgAV patients ever assessed for genetic studies in Caucasians. Methods We assessed 342 Spanish patients with IgAV as well as 303 controls matched for sex and ethnicity. IgAV patients were required to fulfill the classification criteria described by Michel et al as well as the American College of Rheumatology 1990 classification criteria. HLA–DRB1 alleles were determined using the polymerase chain reaction–sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe method. Results We found a statistically significant increase in the frequency of the HLA–DRB1*01 phenotype in IgAV patients compared with controls (43% versus 27%; P < 0.001) (odds ratio 2.03 [95% confidence interval 1.43–2.87]). This was due to the increased frequency of the HLA–DRB1*0103 allele in IgAV patients compared with controls (14.3% versus 2.0%; P < 0.001) (odds ratio 8.27 [95% confidence interval 3.46–23.9]). These results remained statistically significant after Bonferroni adjustment. In contrast, a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of the HLA–DRB1*03 phenotype, due to the presence of the HLA–DRB1*0301 allele, was observed in IgAV patients compared with controls (5.6% versus 18.2%; P < 0.001) (odds ratio 0.26 [95% confidence interval 0.14–0.47]), even after Bonferroni adjustment. No association of HLA–DRB1 with specific features of the disease was found. Conclusion Our study confirms an association of IgAV with HLA–DRB1*01 in Caucasians. There also appears to be a protective effect against the development of IgAV in Caucasians carrying the HLA–DRB1*03 phenotype.

Background Retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP4), an adipokine considered as an emerging cardiometabolic risk factor, is increased in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Objective In this study, we aimed to establish the effect of anti-TNF-α therapy on RBP4 levels in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. We also assessed if RBP4 levels correlate with metabolic syndrome features and disease severity in these patients. Methods Prospective study on a series of consecutive non-diabetic patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who completed 6 months of therapy with adalimumab. Patients with kidney disease, hypertension or body mass index ≥ 35 kg/m2 were excluded. Metabolic and clinical evaluation was performed at the onset of treatment (time 0) and at month 6. Results Twenty-nine patients were assessed. Statistically significant reduction (P = 0.0001) of RBP4 levels was observed after 6 months of therapy (RBP4 at time 0: 55.7 ± 21.4 μg/mL, vs. 35.6 ± 29.9 μg/mL at month 6). No significant correlation between basal RBP4 levels and metabolic syndrome features or disease severity was found. Nevertheless, although RBP4 levels did not correlate with insulin resistance, a negative and significant correlation between RBP4 levels obtained after 6 months of adalimumab therapy and other metabolic syndrome features such as abdominal perimeter and body mass index were observed. At that time, a negative and significant correlation between RBP4 levels and disease activity scores and ultrasensitive CRP levels was also disclosed. Conclusion Our results support an influence of the anti-TNF-α blockade on RBP4 serum levels. This finding is of potential relevance due to increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with psoriasis.

The genetic component of Immunoglobulin-A (IgA) vasculitis is still far to be elucidated. To increase the current knowledge on the genetic component of this vasculitis we performed the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) on this condition. 308 IgA vasculitis patients and 1,018 healthy controls from Spain were genotyped by Illumina HumanCore BeadChips. Imputation of GWAS data was performed using the 1000 Genomes Project Phase III dataset as reference panel. After quality control filters and GWAS imputation, 285 patients and 1,006 controls remained in the datasets and were included in further analysis. Additionally, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region was comprehensively studied by imputing classical alleles and polymorphic amino acid positions. A linkage disequilibrium block of polymorphisms located in the HLA class II region surpassed the genome-wide level of significance (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.46–0.68). Although no polymorphic amino acid positions were associated at the genome-wide level of significance, P-values of potential relevance were observed for the positions 13 and 11 of HLA-DRB1 (P = 6.67E-05, P = 1.88E-05, respectively). Outside the HLA, potential associations were detected, but none of them were close to the statistical significance. In conclusion, our study suggests that IgA vasculitis is an archetypal HLA class II disease., This study was supported by European Union FEDER funds and “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias” (grant PI12/00193) from ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain). RL-M was supported by the Miguel Servet I programme of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the grant CP16/00033. FDC was supported by the Ramón y Cajal programme of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the grant RYC-2014-16458. FG was recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship from the “Instituto Carlos III de Salud” at the Spanish Ministry of Health (Spain) (CD15/00095). SR-M and BU were supported by funds from the RETICS Program (RIER) (RD16/0012/0009 and RD12/0009/0013, respectively).

Background Mutations in the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor 22 ( PTPN22 ) gene are associated with numerous connective tissue and autoimmune diseases [1]. In particular, PTPN22 has been recognized as the main non-HLA genetic risk factor involved in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility [2]. Moreover, it has been suggested that PTPN22 modulation may influence on inflammatory processes associated with RA [3,4]. Objectives To determine if PTPN22 (rs2476601, rs33996649 and rs2488457) polymorphisms, associated with RA, may influence on PTPN22 expression in RA patients compared to healthy controls. Moreover, the association between PTPN22 expression in patients with RA and their clinical characteristics was studied. Methods PTPN22 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was quantified by quantitative real-time PCR in peripheral blood samples from 42 RA patients and 24 healthy controls. PTPN22 rs2476601 (G>A), PTPN22 rs3399649 (C>T), and PTPN22 rs2488457 (C>G) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were genotyped by TaqMan SNP genotyping assays. Differences in PTPN22 expression between patients and controls were analyzed by Student9s t test, according to their genotype. Correlation coefficients were also assessed between PTPN22 expression in RA patients and their clinical characteristics. Results A significant down-regulation of PTPN22 expression in patients with RA carrying PTPN22 rs2488457 risk allele (G) compared to controls was observed (relative mean values of PTPN22 mRNA levels ± standard deviation: 2.93±0.76 vs 4.33±0.63, p=0.0004). Furthermore, an inverse relationship between PTPN22 expression and disease duration (r=-0.38, p=0.03) was found. These results were adjusted by sex, age at time of study and cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions Our study shows for the first time that the risk allele of PTPN22 rs2488457 polymorphism influences on the down-regulation of PTPN22 in patients with RA. This result suggests a transcriptional suppression of PTPN22 gene in RA, which in turn may play an important role in disease diagnosis and progression. References Stanford and Bottini. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2014, 10(10):602–11. Messemaker et al. J Autoimmun 2015, 64:74–81. Ronninger et al. Genome Med 2012;4(1):2. Diaz-Gallo and Martin. Genome Med 2012;4(2):13. Acknowledgements This study was supported by European Union FEDER funds and “Fondo de Investigaciόn Sanitaria” (PI12/00060 and PI15/00525) from “Instituto de Salud Carlos III” (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain). It was also partially supported by RETICS Programs RD12/0009 and RD16/0012 (RIER) from ISCIII. SR-M is supported by fund from the RETICS Program (RIER) (RD16/0012/0009). FG is a recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship from ISCII (CD15/00095). RL-M is supported by a “Miguel Servet tipo-I” contract from ISCIII (CP16/00033). BU is supported by funds from the RETICS Program (RIER) (RD12/0009/0013) from ISCIII (Health Ministry, Spain). Disclosure of Interest None declared

To determine the ability of Coronary Artery Calcification Score (CACS) and carotid ultrasonography (US) to detect high cardiovascular (CV) risk axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA) patients.CACS and carotid plaques were assessed in 66 consecutive ax-SpA patients (51 fulfilling criteria for ankylosing spondylitis and 15 for non-radiological ax-SpA) without history of CV events. The Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) calculated using total cholesterol (TC-SCORE) was assessed in 64 patients without diabetes mellitus or chronic kidney disease.The mean age of the patients and the median disease duration since the onset of symptoms were 49.3 and 14.5 years. HLA-B27 was positive in 47 (75%) patients. CV risk was categorised according to the TC-SCORE as low (1%; n=33), moderate (≥1% and5%; n=30) and high/very high risk (≥5%; n=1). Most patients with low TC-SCORE (27/33; 82%) had normal CACS (zero), and only 1/33 had CACS100. However, carotid plaques were observed in patients with CACS=0 (12/37; 32%) and CACS 1-100 (10/16; 62%). The sensitivity to detect high/very high CV risk using only the TC-SCORE was very low as the algorithm only detected 1/33 (3%) of patients with high/very high CV risk. Ten of 33 (30%) high/very high CV risk patients were identified using a chart TC-SCORE risk ≥5% plus the presence of CACS ≥100 in patients with moderate TC-SCORE. The replacement of CACS with carotid US identified a higher number of high/very high CV risk patients (22/33; 67%).Carotid US is more sensitive than CACS for the detection of high CV risk in ax-SpA patients.

Several protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor 22 (PTPN22) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been significantly related with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility. Nevertheless, its potential influence on PTPN22 expression in RA has not been completely elucidated. Furthermore, PTPN22 binds to C-Src tyrosine kinase (CSK) forming a key complex in autoimmunity. However, the information of CSK gene in RA is scarce. In this study, we analyzed the relative PTPN22 and CSK expression in peripheral blood from 89 RA patients and 43 controls to determine if the most relevant PTPN22 (rs2488457, rs2476601 and rs33996649) and CSK (rs34933034 and rs1378942) polymorphisms may influence on PTPN22 and CSK expression in RA. The association between PTPN22 and CSK expression in RA patients and their clinical characteristics was also evaluated. Our study shows for the first time a marked down-regulation of PTPN22 expression in RA patients carrying the risk alleles of PTPN22 rs2488457 and rs2476601 compared to controls (p = 0.004 and p = 0.007, respectively). Furthermore, CSK expression was significantly lower in RA patients than in controls (p PTPN22 expression was disclosed in RA patients with ischemic heart disease (p = 0.009). The transcriptional suppression of this PTPN22/CSK complex may have a noteworthy clinical relevance in RA patients.

Objective Cutaneous vasculitis (CV) encompasses a wide group of entities characterized by inflammation of skin blood vessels. The term single-organ vasculitis was recently coined by the 2012 Chapel Hill Consensus Conference (CHCC) to define vasculitis affecting a single organ. To our knowledge there are no published reports on single-organ cutaneous small vessel vasculitis (SoCSVV). Our aim was to characterize this entity from a wide series of patients with CV. Methods We analysed cases of SoCSVV from a series of 766 patients with CV from a single university referral centre. According to 2012 CHCC, the following conditions were required to define SoCSVV: (i) skin biopsy showing characteristic leucocytoclastic vasculitis and (ii) vasculitis limited to skin. Results We included 60 patients (26 women and 34 men) with a mean age of 56 years. The main precipitating factors for SoCSVV were drugs [26 patients (52%)] and previous infection [17 patients (34%)]. The main clinical manifestations were palpable purpura (81.7%) and fever (18.3%). The most frequent laboratory findings were leucocytosis and elevated ESR. Nearly one-quarter of patients with SoCSVV required pharmacological therapy. Corticosteroids (15%) and NSAIDs (13.3%) were the main agents prescribed. After a median follow-up of 4 months, complete recovery was observed in all the patients, although relapses occurred in 8% of patients. Conclusion SoCSVV defined according to the 2012 CHCC may be considered a benign disease usually associated with drugs and/or a previous infection.

Objective Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is frequently refractory to standard therapy. Tocilizumab (TCZ) has demonstrated efficacy in single cases and in small series of patients with AOSD. The aim of this multicenter study was to assess the efficacy of TCZ in patients with AOSD refractory to conventional treatment. Methods This was a retrospective open-label study of TCZ treatment in 34 patients with AOSD who had experienced an inadequate response to corticosteroids and at least 1 standard synthetic immunosuppressive drug and also, in many cases, biologic agents. Results The mean ± SD age of the patients (8 men and 26 women) was 38.7 ± 16.1 years. The median duration of AOSD before TCZ was initiated was 4.2 years (interquartile range [IQR] 1–9 years). The initial dosages of intravenous TCZ were 8 mg/kg every 4 weeks in 22 patients, 4 mg/kg every 4 weeks in 2 patients, and 8 mg/kg every 2 weeks in 10 patients. TCZ treatment resulted in rapid and maintained improvement in both clinical and laboratory parameters. After 1 year of TCZ therapy, the incidence of joint manifestations had decreased from 97.1% at baseline to 32.4%, the incidence of both cutaneous manifestations and fever had decreased from 58.8% to 5.9%, and the incidence of lymphadenopathy had decreased from 29.4% to 0%. A dramatic reduction in laboratory markers of inflammation, including the C-reactive protein level, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and the ferritin level, was achieved. The median dosage of prednisone was also reduced, from 13.8 mg/day (IQR 5–45) at the initiation of TCZ to 2.5 mg/day (IQR 0–30) at 12 months. After a median followup of 19 months (IQR 12–31 months), only 2 patients required permanent discontinuation of TCZ therapy because of severe infections. Conclusion TCZ treatment was associated with rapid and maintained clinical and laboratory improvement in patients with AOSD refractory to standard treatment. However, joint manifestations seem to be more refractory to treatment compared with systemic manifestations.

Objective. TRAIL is a potential biomarker of cardiovascular (CV) disease. Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with metabolic syndrome (MeS) and accelerated atherosclerosis. We assessed whether disease activity, systemic inflammation, and MeS features were associated with circulating TRAIL levels in AS patients undergoing TNF-αantagonist infliximab therapy and if infliximab infusion modified TRAIL levels.Methods. We measured TRAIL serum levels in 30 nondiabetic AS patients without CV disease undergoing anti-TNF-αtherapy, immediately before and after an infliximab infusion, and in 48 matched controls. Correlations of TRAIL levels with disease activity, systemic inflammation and MeS features, adipokines, and biomarkers of endothelial activation were evaluated. Changes in TRAIL levels following anti-TNF-αinfusion were analyzed.Results. TRAIL levels were higher in AS patients than controls. TRAIL levels displayed an inverse correlation with total and LDL cholesterol. We observed an inverse correlation with QUICKI and a marginal association with HOMA-IR. We also found an inverse correlation with resistin and a marginal association with apelin and OPN. Anti-TNF-αinfusion did not change TRAIL levels after 120′.Conclusion. Elevated TRAIL levels in AS patients may be the result of a compensatory mechanism to reduce CV risk in these patients.

Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is the most common type of primary small-sized blood vessel vasculitis in children and an uncommon condition in adults. Interleukin (IL)-6 is a proinflammatory cytokine whose effect is controlled by the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R). IL-6 transducer (IL-6ST/gp130) is the signal-transducing subunit of the IL-6R. Two hundred and eighty five Spanish HSP patients and 877 sex and ethnically matched controls were genotyped for the IL6R rs2228145 and IL6ST/gp130 rs2228044 functional polymorphisms. No significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies between HSP patients and controls were observed. Moreover, there were no differences between HSP patients according to the age at disease onset, presence of nephritis or gastrointestinal manifestations. Our results do not confirm association of IL6R rs2228145 and IL6ST/gp130 rs2228044 polymorphisms with HSP.

Association between elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels and subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular (CV) events was described in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). CRP, HNF1A, LEPR, GCKR, NLRP3, IL1F10, PPP1R3B, ASCL1, HNF4A and SALL1 exert an influence on elevated CRP serum levels in non-rheumatic Caucasians. Consequently, we evaluated the potential role of these genes in the development of CV events and subclinical atherosclerosis in RA patients. Three tag CRP polymorphisms and HNF1A, LEPR, GCKR, NLRP3, IL1F10, PPP1R3B, ASCL1, HNF4A and SALL1 were genotyped in 2,313 Spanish patients by TaqMan. Subclinical atherosclerosis was determined in 1,298 of them by carotid ultrasonography (by assessment of carotid intima-media thickness-cIMT-and presence/absence of carotid plaques). CRP serum levels at diagnosis and at the time of carotid ultrasonography were measured in 1,662 and 1,193 patients, respectively, by immunoturbidimetry. Interestingly, a relationship between CRP and CRP serum levels at diagnosis and at the time of the carotid ultrasonography was disclosed. However, no statistically significant differences were found when CRP, HNF1A, LEPR, GCKR, NLRP3, IL1F10, PPP1R3B, ASCL1, HNF4A and SALL1 were evaluated according to the presence/absence of CV events, carotid plaques and cIMT after adjustment. Our results do not confirm an association between these genes and CV disease in RA, The present work was financed by European Union FEDER funds and “Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria” (grants PI12/00060 and PI15/00525) and RETICS Programs RD12/0009 from “Instituto Carlos III de Salud” (Health Ministry, Spain) and in part by grants from the European IMI BTCure Program. RL-M and BU are financed by RETICS (RD12/0009/0013). FG is supported by a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship (CD15/00095).

To determine if the use of carotid ultrasonography (US) may improve the cardiovascular (CV) risk stratification in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).A set of 127 consecutive patients without history of CV events, diabetes mellitus or chronic kidney disease that fulfilled definitions for AS according to the 1984 modified New York criteria were recruited to assess carotid intima-media thickness and presence of plaques. CV risk was calculated according to the systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE), the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and the Reynolds Risk Score (RRS).Men outnumbered women (61.4%). The mean±SD age at the time of the study was 44.5±11.6 years. The median (interquartile range-IQR) disease duration was 13 (7-22) years. The median (IQR) BASDAI at the time of the study was 3.65 (1.7- 4.9). HLA-B-27 was positive in 77.2%, and syndesmophytes were present in 38.9%. Carotid plaques were found in 43 (33.9%). Regardless of the algorithm used for CV risk stratification, more than 50% of the patients classified as having moderate CV risk had carotid plaques. Moreover, 20.8%, 24.6% and 53.3% of AS that fulfilled the category of low CV risk according to the total cholesterol (TC)-SCORE, FRS and RRS, respectively had carotid plaques. A model that included patients with a chart TC-SCORE ≥5% or TC-SCORE ≥1%5% plus carotid plaques or TC-SCORE1% and CRP3 mg/L at diagnosis plus syndesmophytes and carotid plaques or TC-SCORE1% and CRP3 mg/L at diagnosis plus extraarticular manifestations plus carotid plaques yielded the highest sensitivity (93.0%) for high/very high CV risk in these patients. The presence of syndesmophytes was associated with increased risk of carotid plaques in AS that fulfilled definitions for low CV risk according to the TC-SCORE (OR 8.75 [95% CI 2.11-36.40]; p=0.002).Our results support the use of carotid US in the assessment of CV risk in patients with AS.

Studies on trabecular bone score (TBS) in psoriasis are lacking. We aim to assess the association between TBS and inflammation, metabolic syndrome features, and serum adipokines in 29 nondiabetic patients with psoriasis without arthritis, before and after 6-month adalimumab therapy. For that purpose, adjusted partial correlations and stepwise multivariable linear regression analysis were performed. No correlation was found between TBS and disease severity. TBS was negatively associated with weight, BMI, waist perimeter, fat percentage, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure before and after adalimumab. After 6 months of therapy, a negative correlation between TBS and insulin resistance (p=0.02) and leptin (p=0.01) and a positive correlation with adiponectin were found (p=0.01). The best set of predictors for TBS values at baseline were female sex (p=0.015), age (p=0.05), and BMI (p=0.001). The best set of predictors for TBS following 6 months of biologic therapy were age (p=0.001), BMI (p<0.0001), and serum adiponectin levels (p=0.027). In conclusion, in nondiabetic patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, TBS correlates with metabolic syndrome features and inflammation. This association is still present after 6 months of adalimumab therapy. Moreover, serum adiponectin levels seem to be an independent variable related to TBS values, after adalimumab therapy.

Increased cardiovascular (CV) mortality due to accelerated atherosclerosis occurs in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients.1 ,2 Beneficial effects of antitumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF)-α agents on disease activity and endothelial cell activation were reported in AS.3 ,4 Dramatic reduction of insulin resistance (IR) and improvement of insulin sensitivity after infliximab administration were also described in non-diabetic AS patients.5 We aimed to assess, for the first time, whether infliximab administration in AS patients may alter levels of retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP-4), a protein released from adipocytes, considered as an emerging cardiometabolic risk factor, which correlates with IR in individuals with obesity, impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes, and in non-obese subjects with or without family history of type 2 diabetes.6–⇓8 RBP-4 serum levels were measured by ELISA (Phoenix Pharmaceuticals, EK-028-28) in 30 consecutive non-diabetic and mostly non-obese AS patients without history of CV events before and after an infliximab infusion. Local institutional committee approval and patients’ informed consent were obtained. Information on blood sample determinations in this cohort was previously reported.9 Infliximab was given as an intravenous infusion in saline solution over 120 min.5 Measurements were made in …

To investigate the reliability and validity of the Spanish version of the Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool (FiRST), a brief questionnaire for the detection of fibromyalgia (FM) in patients with diffuse chronic pain seen at primary care health centres.The original FiRST French questionnaire was adapted to a Spanish version following the guidelines of the Rheumatology Spanish Society Study Group of FM, and the help provided by professors of French and Spanish Language. In a prospective and multicentre study, patients with chronic pain were initially divided into two groups: a group that included patients that had been diagnosed with FM according to the 1990 ACR criteria and the 2010 ACR preliminary criteria (n=404), and a non-FM (control) group composed of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n=147) and osteoarthritis (OA) (n=219) patients. Patients from the FM group were evaluated by assessing tender point assessment, Widespread Pain Index (WPI), Symptom Severity Scale (SSS), FiRST questionnaire and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). The non-FM group was evaluated by means of FiRST, WPI and SSS. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive value as well as the correlation between the global score and other parameters were assessed.356 of 404 FM (88.1%) patients who met the 1990 ACR criteria and the ACR 2010 preliminary criteria had a positive FiRST. In the control group (AR plus OA), only 16 (4.4%) subjects had a positive FiRST. The sensitivity value was 92% (95% confidence interval CI: 88.9-95.1), specificity 87.4% (95% CI: 80.8-94.0), positive predictive value 95.7% (95% CI: 93.3-98.1), and negative predictive value 78.2% (95% CI: 70.6-85.9). A significant correlation between the total FiRST score (patients with score 5 or 6) and WPI (p0.0001), SSS (p0.0001), time to disease progression (p0.0001) and FIQ (p0.0001) was found.FiRST questionnaire is a useful tool for the detection of FM in primary care health centres.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the interleukin-33 (IL-33)-interleukin-1 receptor like 1 (IL-1RL1) signaling pathway is implicated in the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: A total of 576 Spanish RA patients from Northern Spain were genotyped for 6 well-known IL33-IL1RL1 polymorphisms (IL33 rs3939286, IL33 rs7025417, IL33 rs7044343, IL1RL1 rs2058660, IL1RL1 rs2310173 and IL1RL1 rs13015714) by TaqMan genotyping assay. The presence of subclinical atherosclerosis was determined by the assessment of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) by carotid ultrasound (US). RESULTS: RA patients carrying the TT genotype of the IL33 rs3939286 polymorphism had lower cIMT values than those homozygous for the CC genotype (mean ± standard deviation (SD): 0.71 ± 0.14 mm versus 0.76 ± 0.16 mm, respectively) while patients carrying the CT genotype had intermediate cIMT values (mean ± SD: 0.73 ± 0.17 mm). Moreover, RA patients carrying the mutant allele T of the IL33 rs3939286 polymorphism exhibited significantly lower cIMT values than those carrying the wild allele C (mean ± SD: 0.72 ± 0.16 mm versus 0.75 ± 0.18 mm respectively; p = 0.04). The association of both genotype and allele frequencies of IL33 rs3939286 and cIMT levels remained statistically significant after adjustment for sex, age at the time of US study, follow-up and center (p = 0.006 and p = 0.0023, respectively), evidencing that the potential effect conferred by IL33 rs3939286 may be independent of confounder factors. No association with other IL33-IL1RL1 genetic variants was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our results may suggest a potential protective effect of the IL33 rs3939286 allele T in the risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with RA., This study was supported by European Union FEDER funds and “Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria” (grants PI06/0024, PS09/00748 and PI12/00060) from ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain). It was also partially supported by RETICS Programs RD12/0009 (RIER) from ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain), and in part by grants from the European IMI BTCure Program. RLM is a recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship from the “Instituto Carlos III de Salud” at the Spanish Ministry of Health (Spain) (CD12/00425). FG and BU are supported by funds from the RETICS Program (RIER) (RD12/0009/0013).

[Introduction] To determine whether the PTPN22 (protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor 22)/CSK (c-src tyrosine kinase) pathway is implicated in the susceptibility and clinical heterogeneity of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) in the largest series of Caucasian HSP patients ever assessed for genetic studies., [Methods] A set of 329 Spanish patients diagnosed with HSP fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology and the Michel et al. classification criteria and 515 sex and ethnically matched controls were recruited in this study. Two well-known CSK (CSK rs34933034 and CSK rs1378942) and two functional PTPN22 (PTPN22 rs2476601 (R620W) and PTPN22 rs33996649 (R263Q)) polymorphisms, previously associated with autoimmunity, were genotyped with TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping assays., [Results] No significant differences in the genotype and allele frequencies between HSP patients and controls were observed when the CSK rs34933034, CSK rs1378942, PTPN22 rs2476601 (R620W) and PTPN22 rs33996649 (R263Q) polymorphisms were analyzed independently. In keeping with this observation, no significant differences were found when we assessed these polymorphisms combined conforming haplotypes. In addition, there were no differences in the allele or genotype frequencies when HSP patients were stratified according the age at disease onset, sex, presence of arthralgia/arthritis, nephritis or gastrointestinal manifestations., [Conclusions] Our results do not support association between PTPN22/CSK and HSP., This study was supported by a grant from “Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias” PI12/00193 (Spain). RLM is a recipient of a Sara Borrell postdoctoral fellowship from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III at the Spanish Ministry of Health (Spain) (CD12/00425). FG and BU are supported by funds from the RETICS Program (RIER) (RD12/0009/0013).

To assess the efficacy of other biologic therapies, different from infliximab (IFX) and adalimumab (ADA), in patients with Behçet's disease uveitis (BU).Multicenter study of 124 patients with BU refractory to at least one standard immunosuppressive agent that required IFX or ADA therapy. Patients who had to be switched to another biologic agent due to inefficacy or intolerance to IFX or ADA or patient's decision were assessed. The main outcome measures were the degree of anterior and posterior chamber inflammation and macular thickness.Seven (5.6%) of 124 cases (4 women/3 men; mean age, 43 (range 28- 67) years; 12 affected eyes) were studied. Five of them had been initially treated with ADA and 2 with IFX. The other biologic agents used were golimumab (n=4), tocilizumab (n=2) and rituximab (n=1). The ocular pattern was panuveitis (n=4) or posterior uveitis (n=3). Uveitis was bilateral in 5 patients (71.4%). At baseline, anterior chamber and vitreous inflammation were present in 6 (50%) and 7 (58.3%) of the eyes. All the patients (12 eyes) had macular thickening (OCT250μm) and 4 of them (7 eyes), cystoid macular edema (OCT300 μm). Besides reduction anterior chamber and vitreous inflammation, we observed a reduction of OCT values, from 330.4±58.5 μm at the onset of the biological agent to 273±50 μm at month 12 (p=0.06). Six patients achieved a complete remission of uveitis.The vast majority of patients with BU refractory to standard immunosuppressive drugs are successfully controlled with ADA and/or IFX. Other biologic agents appear to be also useful.