Project description:BackgroundPain and fatigue are persistent problems in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Central sensitisation (CS) may contribute to pain and fatigue, even when treatment has controlled inflammatory disease. This study aims to validate a self-report 8-item questionnaire, the Central Aspects of Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis (CAP-RA) questionnaire, developed to measure central pain mechanisms in RA, and to predict patient outcomes and response to treatment. A secondary objective is to explore mechanisms linking CS, pain and fatigue in people with RA.Methods/designThis is a prospective observational cohort study recruiting 250 adults with active RA in secondary care. The CAP-RA questionnaire, demographic data, medical history, and patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) of traits associated with central sensitization will be collected using validated questionnaires. Quantitative sensory testing modalities of pressure pain detection thresholds, temporal summation and conditioned pain modulation will be indices of central sensitization, and blood markers, swollen joints and ultrasound scans will be indices of inflammation. Primary data collection will be at baseline and 12 weeks. The test-retest reliability of CAP-RA questionnaire will be determined 1 week after the baseline visit. Pain and fatigue data will be collected weekly via text messages for 12 weeks. CAP-RA psychometric properties, and predictive validity for outcomes at 3 months will be evaluated.DiscussionThis study will validate a simple self-report questionnaire against psychophysical indices of central sensitization and patient reported outcome measures of traits associated with CS in a population of individuals with active RA. The application of this instrument in the clinical environment could provide a mechanism-based stratification tool to facilitate the provision of targeted therapy to individuals with pain and fatigue in RA, alongside treatments that target joint inflammation.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT04515589 . Date of registration 17 August 2020.
Project description:Objectives: This study was undertaken to understand the mechanistic basis of response to anti-TNF therapies and determine if transcriptomic changes in the synovium are reflected in peripheral protein markers. Methods: Synovial tissue from 46 RA patients was profiled with RNA sequencing before and 12 weeks after treatment with anti-TNF therapies. Pathway and gene signature analyses were performed on RNA expression profiles of synovial biopsies to identify mechanisms that could discriminate among EULAR good, moderate and non-responders. Serum proteins encoded by synovial genes differentially expressed between EULAR response groups were measured in the same patients. Results: The gene signatures were able to predict good responder patients and pathway analysis identified elevations in immune pathways including chemokine signaling, Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation, and Toll-like receptor signaling uniquely in good responders. These inflammatory pathways were correspondingly down-modulated by anti-TNF therapy only in good responders. Based on cell signature analysis, lymphocyte, myeloid and fibroblast cell populations were elevated in good responders relative to non-responders, consistent with the increased inflammatory pathways. Cell signatures which decreased following anti-TNF treatment were predominately associated with lymphocytes and fewer were associated with myeloid and fibroblast populations. Following anti-TNF treatment and only in good responders, several peripheral inflammatory proteins decreased consistent with corresponding synovial gene changes. Conclusions: Collectively, these data suggest that RA patients with robust responses to anti-TNF therapies are characterized at baseline by immune pathway activation, which decreases following anti-TNF treatment. Understanding mechanisms that define patient responsiveness to anti-TNF may assist in development of predictive markers of patient response and earlier treatment options.
Project description:Methotrexate (MTX) is the most commonly used disease-modifying antirheumatic drug for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, over time, ~40% of patients may experience therapeutic failure or drug toxicity. The genetic variability of the enzymes involved in the MTX metabolic pathway seem to serve an important role in the eventual therapeutic failure or drug toxicity. Depending on the enzymes affected, the toxicity or the therapeutic response may change. The present study reports some of the polymorphisms identified in enzymes in the MTX metabolic pathway that are present in a group of Colombian patients with RA, and assesses the associations of these polymorphisms with toxicity or therapeutic response to the medication. A total of 400 patients with RA were evaluated, of which 76% were women. the average age was 60.7±13.9 years and the duration of the disease was 13.2±10.9 years. The disease activity scoring method, DAS28-CRP, was used to evaluate the therapeutic response. Toxicity was determined based on reports of adverse events during the evaluation of the patients. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) assessed using reverse transcription-PCR in the present study were MTHFR C677T, A1298C, ATIC C347G, RFC-1-G80A, FPGS-AG and DHFR-CT. The SNPs of MTHFR C677T (P=0.05) and A1298C (P=0.048) were significantly associated with the efficacy of MTX, and DHFR-CT (P=0.01) and ATIC C347 (P=0.005) were significantly associated with documented toxicity. Haematological, hepatic or renal toxicity was not associated with any of the SNPs. The results obtained in Colombian patients with RA receiving MTX are similar to those reported in other populations; however, the SNPs associated with a lack of response previously reported in the literature were not observed in our data. The SNPs identified in the present study may be used as biomarkers to predict response to MTX in terms of efficacy and toxicity in Colombian patients with RA.
Project description:ObjectiveTo investigate the frequency of remaining pain in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after 3 months of treatment with methotrexate as the only disease modifying antirheumatic drug, with a special focus on patients with a good clinical response.MethodsThe study base was cases reported to a population-based early RA cohort who had followup data from the Swedish Rheumatology Quality Register (n?=?1,241). The Disease Activity Score in 28 joints European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) response criteria were used to evaluate clinical response to treatment as good, moderate, and no response. The primary end point was remaining pain at the 3-months followup visit, defined as pain >20 mm on a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS).ResultsRemaining pain in spite of a EULAR good response at followup was associated with higher baseline disability, using the Health Assessment Questionnaire (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.2 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.4-3.4] per unit increase), and less baseline inflammation, using the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (adjusted OR 0.81 [95% CI 0.70-0.93] per 10-mm increase). Similar associations were detected for remaining pain at followup in spite of low inflammatory activity, defined as a C-reactive protein level <10. Increase in VAS pain during the treatment period was observed in 19% of the whole cohort, with frequencies in the EULAR response groups of 9% (good response), 15% (moderate response), and 45% (no response).ConclusionThese results are in line with the hypothesis that a subgroup of early RA patients exhibits pain that is not inflammatory mediated, where alternative treatment strategies to traditional antiinflammatory medications need to be considered.
Project description:Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease characterized by joint inflammation that affects approximately 1% of the general population. Itolizumab, a monoclonal antibody specific for the human CD6 molecule mainly expressed on T lymphocytes, has been shown to inhibit proliferation of T cells and proinflammatory cytokine production in psoriasis patients. We have now assessed the immunological effect of itolizumab in combination with methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis by analyzing clinical samples taken from 30 patients enrolled in a clinical trial. T and B cell subpopulations were measured at different time points of the study. Plasma cytokine levels and anti-idiotypic antibody response to itolizumab were also evaluated. The combined treatment of itolizumab and methotrexate led to a reduction in the frequency of T cell subpopulations, and plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines showed a significant decrease up to at least 12 weeks after treatment ended. No anti-idiotypic antibody response was detected. These results support the relevance of the CD6 molecule as a therapeutic target for the treatment of this disease.
Project description:Chronic pain is common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and may still persist despite regression of objective signs of inflammation. This has led researchers to hypothesise that central pain sensitisation may play a role in the generation of chronic pain in RA. Application of the disease activity score DAS28 can classify some patients with active RA solely based on a high tender joint count and poor patient global health score. In such cases, intensified treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs would be expected to yield poorer results than in cases with DAS28 elevation due to a high score for swollen joints and C reactive protein (CRP). Evaluation of central pain sensitisation in patients with few inflammatory indices may be a predictive tool regarding the effect of anti-inflammatory treatment. Computerised pneumatic cuff pressure algometry (CPA) is a method for assessing temporal summation (ie, degree of central sensitisation). The main objective of this study was to examine the prognostic values of pressure pain-induced temporal summation, ultrasound Doppler activity and the interaction between them in relation to treatment response (DAS28-CRP change) in patients with RA initiating any anti-inflammatory therapy.120 participants ?18 years of age will be recruited. Furthermore, they must be either (1) diagnosed with RA, untreated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs for at least 6 months and about to initiate disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment or (2) about to begin or switch treatment with any biological drug for their RA. Data (clinical, imaging, blood samples, patient reported outcomes and CPA measurements) will be collected from each participant at baseline and after 4 months of anti-inflammatory treatment.This study has been approved by the ethics committee for the Copenhagen region (H-4-2013-007). Dissemination will occur through presentations and publication in international peer-reviewed journals.
Project description:Objective To analyze the neuropathic pain (NeP) components in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods The painDETECT questionnaire (PD-Q) was completed by 300 RA patients (79 men, 221 women). Results Nine patients (3.0%) were categorized as likely NeP, 33 (11.0%) were categorized as possible NeP, and 258 (86.0%) were categorized as unlikely NeP. When we excluded patients with diabetes mellitus, spinal diseases, neurological diseases, and herpes zoster infection (conditions associated with NeP), 5 of the patients (1.7%) had likely NeP, and 23 (7.7%) had possible NeP without any underlying conditions. Furthermore, there were no marked differences in the percentages of these underlying conditions among the patients with likely, possible, and unlikely NeP. When we compared patients with likely and possible NeP (n=42) and unlikely NeP (n=258), the body mass index (BMI), disease activity score-28 based on the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein level, pain visual analogue scale (VAS), and PD-Q score were significantly higher in the patients with likely and possible NeP than in those with unlikely NeP. A multivariate analysis showed that BMI ≥22 and not being in clinical remission were associated with NeP. Conclusion Although RA pain has usually been classified as nociceptive pain, the present study clarified that a significant number of patients might have NeP. The present findings suggest that high disease activity and being overweight are related to NeP in RA patients.
Project description:ObjectivePost hoc analysis of pooled data from nine randomised controlled trials to assess the effect of tofacitinib (oral Janus kinase inhibitor for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA)) on residual pain in patients with RA or PsA with abrogated inflammation.MethodsPatients who received ≥1 dose of tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily, adalimumab or placebo with/without background conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and had abrogated inflammation (swollen joint count (SJC)=0 and C reactive protein (CRP)<6 mg/L) after 3 months' therapy were included. Assessments included Patient's Assessment of Arthritis Pain at month 3 (Visual Analogue Scale [VAS] 0-100 mm). Scores were summarised descriptively; treatment comparisons assessed by Bayesian network meta-analyses (BNMA).ResultsFrom the total population with RA/PsA, 14.9% (382 of 2568), 17.1% (118 of 691) and 5.5% (50 of 909) of patients receiving tofacitinib, adalimumab and placebo, respectively, had abrogated inflammation after 3 months' therapy. Patients with RA/PsA with abrogated inflammation receiving tofacitinib/adalimumab had higher baseline CRP versus placebo; patients with RA receiving tofacitinib/adalimumab had lower SJC and longer disease duration versus placebo. Median residual pain (VAS) at month 3 was 17.0, 19.0 and 33.5 in patients with RA treated with tofacitinib, adalimumab or placebo, and 24.0, 21.0 and 27.0 in patients with PsA, respectively. Residual pain reductions with tofacitinib/adalimumab versus placebo were less prominent in patients with PsA versus patients with RA, with no significant differences between tofacitinib/adalimumab, per BNMA.ConclusionPatients with RA/PsA with abrogated inflammation receiving tofacitinib/adalimumab had greater residual pain reduction versus placebo at month 3. Results were similar between tofacitinib and adalimumab.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT00960440; NCT00847613; NCT00814307; NCT00856544; NCT00853385; NCT01039688; NCT02187055; NCT01877668; NCT01882439).
Project description:Although rheumatoid arthritis (RA) results in a 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, comparable to the risk associated with diabetes mellitus, a significant care gap remains in cardiovascular risk management for this high-risk population. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a minority-serving institution to assess demographic, clinical, and laboratory data associated with referral to cardiology by rheumatology. The results showed that a minority (5%) of patients were referred to cardiology during an outpatient rheumatology encounter. Patients referred were more likely to be on antihypertensive medication and aspirin. Differences in traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as systolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, smoking history, and diabetes mellitus were not significantly associated with being referred. Patients with RA who were evaluated by cardiology were more likely to be started on cardiovascular risk-reducing medications such as antihypertensive, lipid-lowering, and aspirin therapy. This study highlights a care gap in the evaluation and referral of patients with RA and recognizes the improved preventive cardiovascular care received by patients evaluated by a cardiologist.