SELECTED ABSTRACTS
Editorial; April 28, 2015; from: The Genetics of Rheumatoid Arthritis
New Insights and Implications
David T. Felson, MD, MPH1,2; Lars Klareskog, MD, PhD3
[+] Author Affiliations
JAMA. 2015;313(16):1623-1624. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.1710.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common disabling systemic inflammatory disorder that causes chronic joint destruction. However, by most assessments, the consequences of treated disease have become less severe during the past 20 years. An armamentarium of second-line drugs, including methotrexate and biologic agents such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, in combination with widely accepted treatment strategies, which include early treatment and treatment that targets low disease activity,1 has led to a reduction in disease activity for patients with RA throughout much of the developed world.2 Despite highly effective treatments, approximately 20% of patients continue to experience pain, disability, and joint destruction. In addition, even with effective treatment, RA has been linked to increased cardiovascular mortality,3 perhaps because of long-standing high levels of systemic inflammation. The residual disease activity among patients whose disease is difficult to manage and the associated cardiovascular mortality remain important management challenges.
Opioid Analgesics for Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain
Samuel L. Whittle, MBBS, MClinEpi; Bethan L. Richards, MBBS, MClinEpi; Rachelle Buchbinder, MBBS, PhD
JAMA. 2013;309(5):485-486. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.193412.
Clinical Question Do the benefits of opioid analgesics outweigh the risks in patients with persistent pain due to rheumatoid arthritis?
Bottom Line Weak opioids (such as codeine, dextropropoxyphene, and tramadol) may be effective in the short-term management of rheumatoid arthritis pain, but adverse effects are common and may outweigh the benefits; alternative analgesics should be considered first.
Risk of Malignancies in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated With Biologic Therapy: A Meta-analysis
Maria A. Lopez-Olivo, MD, PhD; Jean H. Tayar, MD; Juan A. Martinez-Lopez, MD; Eduardo N. Pollono, MD; Jose Polo Cueto, MD; M. Rosa Gonzales-Crespo, MD; Stephanie Fulton, MSIS; Maria E. Suarez-Almazor, MD, PhD
JAMA. 2012;308(9):898-908. doi:10.1001/2012.jama.10857.
Context Concerns exist regarding the potential development of malignancies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are receiving biologic response modifiers (BRMs).
Objective To assess the risk of malignancy in patients with RA enrolled in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of BRMs.
Data Sources Electronic databases, conference proceedings, and websites of regulatory agencies were searched for RCTs evaluating abatacept, adalimumab, anakinra, certolizumab, etanercept, golimumab, infliximab, rituximab, and tocilizumab in RA from inception through July 9, 2012.
Study Selection Independent selection of studies included RCTs that compared the safety of any BRMs used in RA patients with placebo and/or any traditional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs with a minimum of 24 weeks of follow-up.
Data Extraction Independent reviewers selected studies and extracted data on quality and outcomes. Pooled estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each BRM.
Results Sixty-three RCTs with 29 423 patients were analyzed. No statistically significant increased risk of developing malignancy was observed. Of the 29 423 patients, 211 developed a malignancy during the trial (118 solid tumors, 48 skin cancers, 14 lymphomas, 5 hematologic nonlymphomas, and 26 not specified). The incidence rate for any malignancy during the first year of therapy was very low in the BRM plus methotrexate group (0.77%; 95% CI, 0.65%-0.92%), the BRM monotherapy group (0.64%; 95% CI, 0.42%-0.95%), and the controls (0.66%; 95% CI, 0.52%-0.84%). Anakinra plus methotrexate showed lower odds compared with methotrexate alone (Peto odds ratio, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.03-0.45). No statistically significant risk was observed for specific cancer sites, although the Peto odds ratio for lymphoma was 2.1 (95% CI, 0.55-8.4) in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor inhibitors compared with controls.
Conclusion The use of BRMs among patients with RA included in RCTs of at least 6 months' duration was not significantly associated with an increased risk of malignancy compared with other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or with placebo.
News From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; December 25, 2013
Limitations From Arthritis Pain Exceed Previous Estimate
JAMA. 2013;310(24):2607. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.284155.
Arthritis pain is keeping more US adults from pursuing everyday activities, sports, or hobbies than earlier projections had estimated, according to recent data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
Researchers used NHIS data for 2010 to 2012 to determine the prevalence of arthritis and arthritis-related activity limitations among US adults and compare those figures with previous estimates. Currently, 52.5 million US adults—22.7% of men and women aged 18 years or older—report having arthritis that was diagnosed by a physician. Of them, 22.7 million, or 43.2%, said arthritis pain has restricted their activities.
News From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; January 20, 2015
Veterans Have Higher Arthritis Rates Than Civilians
JAMA. 2015;313(3):236. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.17592.
Arthritis affects at least a quarter of military veterans, according to a new study that for the first time included both women and men in the US armed services (Murphy LB et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014;63[44]:999-1003).
The investigators analyzed Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from nearly 1.3 million civilians and about 112 000 veterans who participated in the surveys in 2011 through 2013. They found that 25.6% of veterans reported having arthritis compared with 23.6% of adults who had not served in the military. Female veterans had a higher incidence of arthritis—31.3%—than male veterans, 25%. Although men with a history of military service had more arthritis at every age compared with civilian men, arthritis rates were higher among young (aged 18-44 years) and middle-aged (aged 44-64 years) female veterans compared with civilian women.
HOT LINKS
To Vegan Diet, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gut Flora
Content from across the British Medical Journal (BMJ) to celebrate World Lupus Day
We've selected a number of our products to showcase in celebration of World Lupus Day, 10 May 2014. Read on for free articles from our world-renowned journals and free access to a lupus module from BMJ Learning, as well as an exclusive offer from Lupus Science & Medicine, the first Open Access lupus journal. Please share this with friends and colleagues to help spread awareness of lupus.
Lupus Science & Medicine: the first lupus-specific Open Access journal in the world
Lupus Science & Medicine is a global, peer reviewed, Open Access journal providing a central point for publication of basic, clinical, translational and epidemiological studies of all aspects of lupus and related diseases. It is an official journal of the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA), which is dedicated to advancing the science and medicine of lupus while offering support to patients and their caregivers.
Clinical phenotype associations with various types of anti-dsDNA antibodies in patients with recent onset of rheumatic symptoms. Results from a multicentre observational study : Dr Michele Compagno, et al.
Vitamin D deficiency is common and associated with increased C-reactive protein in children and young adults with lupus: an Atherosclerosis Prevention in Pediatric Lupus Erythematous substudy Dr Angela Byun Robinson, et al.
Reduced response to Epstein-Barr virus antigens by T-cells in systemic lupus erythematous patients Professor Gunnar Houen, et al.
Value of repeat biopsy in lupus nephritis flares Professor Enrique R Soriano, et al.
Pathogenic autoantibodies from patients with lupus nephritis cause reduced tyrosine phosphorylation of podocyte proteins, including tubulin Professor Anisur Rahman, et al.
Pregnancy outcomes among African-American patients with systemic lupus erythmatosus compared with controls Dr Diane L Kamen, Lee Wheless, Anna K Meyer and Gary S Gilkeson
Open Access content from Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases:
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases is an international, peer-reviewed journal committed to promoting the highest standards of scientific exchange and education. With an Impact Factor of 9.111, it is the number 1 original research journal in the field of Rheumatology.
When to order an antinuclear antibodyy test Allan Binder and Spencer Ellis
Treat-to-target in systemic lupus erythematosus: recommendations from an international task force Dr Ronald van Vollenhoven, et al.
Cigarette smoking, antiphopholipid antibodies and vascular events in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Dr Johanna T Gustafsson, et al.
Atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease in systemic lupus erythematosus: effects of in vivo statin treatment Dr Chary López-Pedrera, et al.
Impact of early disease factors on metabolic syndrome in systemic lupus erythematosus: data from an international inception cohort Professor Ian N Bruce, et al.
Improvements in health-related quality of life with belimumab, a B-lymphocyte stimulator-specific inhibitor, in patients with autoantibody-positive systemic lupus erythematosus from the randomised controlled BLISS trials Dr Vibeke Strand, et al.
