Urate-lowering therapy, serum urate, inflammatory biomarkers, and renal function in patients with gout following pegloticase discontinuation

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Little is known about long-term clinical outcomes or urate-lowering (ULT) therapy use following pegloticase discontinuation. We examined ULT use, serum urate (SU), inflammatory biomarkers, and renal function following pegloticase discontinuation.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of gout patients who discontinued pegloticase using the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry from 1/2016 to 6/2022. We defined discontinuation as a gap ≥ 12 weeks after last infusion. We examined outcomes beginning two weeks after last dose and identified ULT therapy following pegloticase discontinuation. We evaluated changes in lab values (SU, eGFR, CRP and ESR), comparing on- treatment (≤ 15 days of the second pegloticase dose) to post-treatment.

RESULTS

Of the 375 gout patients discontinuing pegloticase, median (IQR) laboratory changes following discontinuation were: SU: +2.4 mg/dL (0.0,6.3); eGFR: -1.9 mL/min (- 8.7,3.7); CRP: -0.8 mg/L (-12.8,0.0); and ESR: -4.0 mm/hr (-13.0,0.0). Therapy post-discontinuation included oral ULTs (86.0%), restarting pegloticase (4.5%), and no documentation of ULT (9.5%), excluding patients with multiple same-day prescriptions (n = 17). Oral ULTs following pegloticase were: 62.7% allopurinol, 34.1% febuxostat. The median (IQR) time to starting/restarting ULT was 92.0 days (55.0,173.0). Following ULT prescribing (≥ 30 days), only 51.0% of patients had SU < 6 mg/dL. Patients restarting pegloticase achieved a median SU of 0.9 mg/dL (IQR:0.2,9.7) and 58.3% had an SU < 6 mg/dL.

CONCLUSION

Pegloticase treats uncontrolled gout in patients with failed response to xanthine oxidase inhibitors, but among patients who discontinue, optimal treatment is unclear. Based on this analysis, only half of those starting another ULT achieved target SU. Close follow-up is needed to optimize outcomes after pegloticase discontinuation.

Targeting transitioning lung monocytes/macrophages as treatment strategies in lung disease related to environmental exposures

BACKGROUND

Environmental/occupational exposures cause significant lung diseases. Agricultural organic dust extracts (ODE) and bacterial component lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induce recruited, transitioning murine lung monocytes/macrophages, yet their cellular role remains unclear.

METHODS

CCR2 RFP+ mice were intratracheally instilled with high concentration ODE (25%), LPS (10 μg), or gram-positive peptidoglycan (PGN, 100 μg) for monocyte/macrophage cell-trafficking studies. CCR2 knockout (KO) mice and administration of intravenous clodronate liposomes strategies were employed to reduce circulating monocytes available for lung recruitment following LPS exposure. Lung tissues and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected. Pro-inflammatory and/or pro-fibrotic cytokines, chemokines, and lung extracellular matrix mediators were quantitated by ELISA. Infiltrating lung cells including monocyte/macrophage subpopulations, neutrophils, and lymphocytes were characterized by flow cytometry. Lung histopathology, collagen content, vimentin, and post-translational protein citrullination and malondialdehyde acetaldehyde (MAA) modification were quantitated. Parametric statistical tests (one-way ANOVA, Tukey'smultiple comparison) and nonparametric statistical (Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn's multiple comparison) tests were used following Shapiro-Wilk testing for normality.

RESULTS

Intratracheal instillation of ODE, LPS, or PGN robustly induced the recruitment of inflammatory CCR2+ CD11cintCD11bhi monocytes/macrophages and both CCR2+ and CCR2- CD11c-CD11bhi monocytes at 48 h. There were also increases in CCR2+ CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and NK cells. Despite reductions in LPS-induced lung infiltrating CD11cintCD11bhi cells (54% reduction), CCR2 knockout (KO) mice were not protected against LPS-induced inflammatory and pro-fibrotic consequences. Instead, compensatory increases in lung neutrophils and CCL2 and CCL7 release occurred. In contrast, the depletion of circulating monocytes through the administration of intravenous clodronate (vs. vehicle) liposomes 24 h prior to LPS exposure reduced LPS-induced infiltrating CD11cintCD11bhi monocyte-macrophage subpopulation by 59% without compensatory changes in other cell populations. Clodronate liposome pre-treatment significantly reduced LPS-induced IL-6 (66% reduction), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-3 (36%), MMP-8 (57%), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (61%), fibronectin (38%), collagen content (22%), and vimentin (40%). LPS-induced lung protein citrullination and MAA modification, post-translational modifications implicated in lung disease, were reduced (39% and 48%) with clodronate vs. vehicle liposome.

CONCLUSION

Highly concentrated environmental/occupational exposures induced the recruitment of CCR2+ and CCR2- transitioning monocyte-macrophage and monocyte subpopulations and targeting peripheral monocytes may reduce the adverse lung consequences resulting from exposures to LPS-enriched inhalants.

Changes in Characteristics of Patients Initiating and Discontinuing Advanced Therapies for Rheumatoid Arthritis Following the Release of Safety Data

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of emerging safety data on practice patterns by describing the characteristics of patients initiating and discontinuing advanced therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) before and after January 2021.

METHODS

This cohort study evaluated US veterans with RA between April 2019 and September 2022. This period was divided into two 664-day periods before and after January 2021. Eligible patients had ≥1 diagnosis code for RA and initiated a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi), non-TNFi biologic, or JAK inhibitor (JAKi). We tested for interaction within regression models to determine whether changes in patient characteristics for tofacitinib recipients were different from changes observed for other therapies. We also evaluated factors associated with therapy discontinuation in Cox models adjusted for age, sex, and duration on therapy, including assessment for effect modification.

RESULTS

When comparing patients with RA initiating tofacitinib before (n = 2,111) with those initiating tofacitinib after (n = 1,664) January 2021, there was a decrease in mean age (64.1 vs 63.0 years) and in the proportion with cardiovascular comorbidities (all P < 0.01). These changes were significantly different from those observed for patients initiating TNFi or non-TNFi biologics. Among active advanced therapy recipients, the likelihood of discontinuation was higher for tofacitinib than TNFi (hazard ratio 1.18, 95% confidence interval 1.10-1.26, P < 0.001). The higher rate of tofacitinib discontinuation was more pronounced in the presence of cardiovascular comorbidities (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Recent safety data significantly affected prescribing practices for advanced therapies, with a reduction in JAKi initiation and an increase in JAKi discontinuation among older patients and those at high cardiovascular risk.

Determinants of Achieving Serum Urate Goal with Treat-to-Target Urate-Lowering Therapy in Gout

OBJECTIVE

Using trial data comparing treat-to-target allopurinol and febuxostat in gout, we examined participant characteristics associated with serum urate (SU) goal achievement.

METHODS

Participants with gout and SU ≥6.8 mg/dL were randomized to allopurinol or febuxostat, titrated during weeks 0 to 24, and maintained weeks 25 to 48. Participants were considered to achieve SU goal if the mean SU from weeks 36, 42, and 48 was <6.0 mg/dL or <5 mg/dL if tophi were present. Possible determinants of treatment response were preselected and included sociodemographics, comorbidities, diuretic use, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), body mass index, and gout measures. Determinants of SU response were assessed using multivariable logistic regression with additional analyses to account for treatment adherence.

RESULTS

Of 764 study participants completing week 48, 618 (81%) achieved SU goal. After multivariable adjustment, factors associated with a greater likelihood of SU goal achievement included older age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.40 per 10 years), higher education (aOR 2.02), and better HRQoL (aOR 1.17 per 0.1 unit). Factors associated with a lower odds of SU goal achievement included non-White race (aORs 0.32-0.47), higher baseline SU (aOR 0.83 per 1 mg/dL), presence of tophi (aOR 0.29), and the use of diuretics (aOR 0.52). Comorbidities including chronic kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease were not associated with SU goal achievement. Results were not meaningfully changed in analyses accounting for adherence.

CONCLUSIONS

Several patient-level factors were predictive of SU goal achievement among patients with gout who received treat-to-target urate-lowering therapy (ULT). Approaches that accurately predict individual responses to treat-to-target ULT hold promise in facilitating personalized management and improving outcomes in patients with gout.

Risk of Venous Thromboembolism With Tofacitinib Versus Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors in Cardiovascular Risk-Enriched Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

OBJECTIVE

The ORAL Surveillance trial found a dose-dependent increase in venous thromboembolism (VTE) and pulmonary embolism (PE) events with tofacitinib versus tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). We aimed to assess VTE incidence over time and explore risk factors of VTE, including disease activity, in ORAL Surveillance.

METHODS

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) aged 50 years or older with at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor received tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg twice daily (BID) or TNFi. Post hoc, cumulative probabilities and incidence rates (patients with first events/100 patient-years) by 6-month intervals were estimated for adjudicated VTE, deep vein thrombosis, and PE. Cox regression models identified risk factors. Clinical Disease Activity Index leading up to the event was explored in patients with VTE.

RESULTS

Cumulative probabilities for VTE and PE were higher with tofacitinib 10 mg BID, but not 5 mg BID, versus TNFi. Incidence rates were consistent across 6-month intervals within treatments. Across treatments, risk factors for VTE included prior VTE, body mass index greater than or equal to 35 kg/m2, older age, and history of chronic lung disease. At the time of the event, most patients with VTE had active disease as defined by Clinical Disease Activity Index.

CONCLUSION

Incidences of VTE and PE were higher with tofacitinib (10 > 5 mg BID) versus TNFi and were generally consistent over time. Across treatments, VTE risk factors were aligned with previous studies in the general RA population. These data highlight the importance of assessing VTE risk factors, including age, body mass index, and VTE history, when considering initiation of tofacitinib or TNFi in patients with active RA.

Lower body mass and lower adiposity are associated with differential responses to two treatment strategies for rheumatoid arthritis

PURPOSE

To determine if body mass index (BMI) and adipokine levels identify rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients most likely to benefit from initiation of tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) after methotrexate inadequate response.

METHODS

This is a secondary analysis of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Comparison of Active Treatments (RACAT) trial and the (TEAR) trial. Both studies compared treatment strategies starting with conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (triple therapy) versus etanercept plus methotrexate. We compared response rates between TNFi and triple therapy among patients with different BMI. Adipokines were measured at enrolment and associations with treatment response were examined using regression, adjusting for age, sex, BMI and baseline disease activity.

RESULTS

In RACAT (n=306), participants who were normal/underweight were more likely to benefit from TNFi versus triple therapy, with greater change in Disease Activity Score in 28 and greater ACR20 response (ACR 20: 64% vs 23%, p=0.001). In contrast, overweight/obese participants had similar response to TNFi versus triple therapy (p-for-interaction=0.001). Similarly, but modest patterns were observed in TEAR (n=601; ACR20: 67% vs 52%, p=0.05). In RACAT, adipokine scores consistent with lower adiposity also predicted greater response to TNFi (ACR20: 58% vs 37%, p=0.01) with better model fit compared with BMI alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower BMI and evidence of lower adiposity based on adipokine profiles were associated with a superior response to TNFi compared with triple therapy. There was no difference between treatments among overweight/obese participants. The results support TNFi being a particularly important therapeutic among normal/underweight patients, with implications for clinical decisions and trial design.

Combined repetitive inhalant endotoxin and collagen-induced arthritis drive inflammatory lung disease and arthritis severity in a testosterone-dependent manner

Respiratory-related diseases are a leading cause of death in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and are disproportionately higher in men, which may be attributable to environmental risk factors. Animal studies have demonstrated potentiated autoimmunity, arthritis, and profibrotic/inflammatory lung disease with a combination of airborne exposures and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). This study aimed to determine whether hormone-dependent differences explained these observations. Arthritis-prone male intact and castrated DBA/1J mice received intranasal inhalation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) daily for 5 wk and CIA induction. Arthritis scores and serum pentraxin-2 levels were increased in castrated versus intact mice. In contrast, airway cell influx, lung tissue infiltrates, and lung levels of proinflammatory and profibrotic markers (C5a, IL-33, and matrix metalloproteinases) were reduced in castrated versus intact mice. CIA + LPS-induced lung histopathology changes and the expression of lung autoantigens including malondialdehyde acetaldehyde (MAA)- and citrulline (CIT)-modified proteins and vimentin were reduced in castrated animals. There were no differences in serum anti-MAA or anti-CIT protein antibody (ACPA) levels or serum pentraxin levels between groups. Testosterone replacement led to a reversal of several lung inflammatory/profibrotic endpoints noted earlier in castrated male CIA + LPS-treated mice with testosterone supplementation promoting neutrophil influx, MAA expression, and TNF-α, IL-6, and MMP-9. These findings imply that testosterone contributes to lung and arthritis inflammatory responses following CIA + LPS coexposure, but not to systemic autoantibody responses. The CIA + LPS model provides a paradigm for investigations focused on the mechanistic underpinnings for epidemiologic and phenotypic sex differences in RA-related lung disease.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our study shows that testosterone acts as a key immunomodulatory hormone contributing to critical features of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated lung disease in the setting of airborne endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS) exposures and concomitant arthritis induction in mice. The exaggerated airway inflammation observed following combined exposures in male mice was accompanied by increases in profibrotic mediators, netosis, and increased expression of lung autoantigens, all relevant to the pathogenesis of lung disease in arthritis.

Health disparities in gout

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Gout, the most common type of inflammatory arthritis in the world, is characterized by painful episodes of arthritis linked by asymptomatic intercritical periods of hyperuricemia. Once characterized as a disease of wealthy white men, contemporary evidence demonstrates gout disproportionately afflicts racial/ethnic minorities, Indigenous populations and other underrepresented groups leading to significant health disparities.

RECENT FINDINGS

Herein, we review the current literature reporting a higher incidence and prevalence of gout in racial/ethnic minorities and Indigenous populations, in addition to a growing gout burden reported in females. We also examine how these population are more likely to receive suboptimal treatment for flares and chronic phases of gout. Additionally, we examine biologic and social health determinants that may be contributing to these findings.

SUMMARY

Racial/ethnic minorities, Indigenous populations, and females have experienced a disproportionate rise in the prevalence and incidence of gout in recent years, are more likely to seek acute medical care and are less likely to receive optimal long-term care for gout with urate lowering therapy. Mechanisms underpinning these findings appear to be multifactorial and include differences in social determinants of care and in some cases may be due to population differences in select biologic factors such as differences in age, sex, genetics.

Development of an Interactive Tool to Support Shared Decision-Making in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Treatment Attribute Preference

OBJECTIVE

An interactive tool identifying treatment attributes important to patients can enhance shared decision-making (SDM) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A formative survey was conducted to identify the most important treatment attributes from patients' perspective, which can be used to develop an interactive SDM tool.

METHODS

The survey was performed in two phases: qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys. The qualitative interviews were conducted to inform the design of the quantitative survey. In qualitative interviews, patients with RA (n = 10) and rheumatologists (n = 10) were introduced to the SDM tool concept. Feedback on the design and scope of the SDM tool was used to develop a quantitative survey, conducted in a large sample size of patients. Patient preferences for treatment attributes (route of administration and dosing frequency, serious side effects, out-of-pocket costs, efficacy, and monitoring requirement) were assessed via adaptive conjoint exercise involving ranking of hypothetical RA treatment configurations.

RESULTS

A total of 944 patients (males: 43%, females: 57%) with RA participated in the quantitative survey. Route of administration and dosing frequency (38%) followed by serious side effects (33%) were the two most important treatment attributes for individual patients. The recontact survey (n = 172/944) estimated tool stability of 72% (n = 124/172) in terms of the relative importance of treatment attributes.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this survey could be used in the development of an SDM tool that can potentially provide insights into patient preferences and is generally well received by patients and rheumatologists with good agreement and reliability.

Anti-citrullinated protein antibody profiles predict changes in disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis initiating biologics

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether an expanded antigen-specific ACPA profile predicts changes in disease activity in patients with RA initiating biologics.

METHODS

The study included participants from a prospective, non-randomized, observational RA cohort. For this sub-study, treatment groups of interest included biologic-naïve initiating anti-TNF, biologic-exposed initiating non-TNF, and biologic-naïve initiating abatacept. ACPAs to 25 citrullinated peptides were measured using banked enrolment serum. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed and associations of resulting principal component (PC) scores (in quartiles) and anti-CCP3 antibody (≤15, 16-250 or >250 U/ml) with EULAR (good/moderate/none) treatment response at 6 months were examined using adjusted ordinal regression models.

RESULTS

Participants (n = 1092) had a mean age of 57 (13) years and 79% were women. At 6 months, 68.5% achieved a moderate/good EULAR response. There were three PCs that cumulatively explained 70% of variation in ACPA values. In models including the three components and anti-CCP3 antibody category, only PC1 and PC2 were associated with treatment response. The highest quartile for PC1 (odds ratio [OR] 1.76; 95% CI: 1.22, 2.53) and for PC2 (OR 1.74; 95% CI: 1.23, 2.46) were associated with treatment response after multivariable adjustment. There was no evidence of interaction between PCs and treatment group in EULAR responses (P-value for interaction >0.1).

CONCLUSION

An expanded ACPA profile appears to be more strongly associated with biologic treatment response in RA than commercially available anti-CCP3 antibody levels. However, further enhancements to PCA will be needed to effectively prioritize between different biologics available for the treatment of RA.

Expansion of distinct peripheral blood myeloid cell subpopulations in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease

OBJECTIVES

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is associated with significant mortality in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with key cellular players remaining largely unknown. This study aimed to characterize inflammatory and myeloid derived suppressor cell (MDSC) subpopulations in RA-ILD as compared to RA, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) without autoimmunity, and controls.

METHODS

Peripheral blood was collected from patients with RA, RA-ILD, IPF, and controls (N = 60, 15/cohort). Myeloid cell subpopulations were identified phenotypically by flow cytometry using the following markers:CD45,CD3,CD19,CD56,CD11b,HLA-DR,CD14,CD16,CD15,CD125,CD33. Functionality of subsets were identified with intracellular arginase-1 (Arg-1) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression.

RESULTS

There was increased intermediate (CD14++CD16+) and nonclassical (CD14+/-CD16++) and decreased classical (CD14++CD16-) monocytes in RA, RA-ILD, and IPF vs. control. Intermediate monocytes were higher and classical monocytes were lower in RA-ILD vs. RA but not IPF. Monocytic (m)MDSCs were higher in RA-ILD vs. control and RA but not IPF. Granulocytic (g)MDSCs did not significantly differ. In contrast, neutrophils were increased in IPF and RA-ILD patients with elevated expression of Arg-1 sharing similar dimensional clustering pattern. Eosinophils were increased in RA-ILD vs. controls, RA and IPF. Across cohorts, iNOS was decreased in intermediate/nonclassical monocytes but increased in mMDSCs vs. classical monocytes. In RA-ILD, iNOS positive mMDSCs were increased versus classic monocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

Myeloid cell subpopulations are significantly modulated in RA-ILD patients with expansion of CD16+ monocytes, mMDSCs, and neutrophils, a phenotypic profile more aligned with IPF than other RA patients. Eosinophil expansion was unique to RA-ILD, potentially facilitating disease pathogenesis and providing a future therapeutic target.

Plasma Matrix Metalloproteinase Concentrations and Risk of Interstitial Lung Disease in a Prospective Rheumatoid Arthritis Cohort

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the associations of plasma matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) with prevalent and incident interstitial lung disease (ILD) in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

Within a multicenter, prospective cohort of US veterans with RA, we performed a cross-sectional study of prevalent ILD and cohort study of incident ILD. ILD diagnoses were validated by medical record review of provider diagnoses and chest imaging and/or pathology reports. MMP-1, 3, 7, and 9 concentrations were measured in plasma samples, then standardized and categorized into quartiles. The associations of MMPs with prevalent and incident ILD were assessed with logistic (prevalent) and Cox (incident) regression models adjusted for RA-ILD risk factors.

RESULTS

Among 2,312 participants (88.9% male; mean age 63.8 years), 96 had prevalent ILD. Incident ILD developed in 130 participants over 17,378 person-years of follow-up (crude incidence rate 7.5/1,000 person-years). Participants with the highest quartile of MMP-7 concentrations had a nearly four-fold increased odds of prevalent ILD (adjusted odds ratio 3.78 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.86-7.65]) and over two-fold increased risk of incident ILD (adjusted hazard ratio 2.33 [95% CI 1.35-4.02]). Higher MMP-9 concentrations were also associated with prevalent and incident ILD, as well as negatively correlated with forced vital capacity among those with prevalent ILD (r = -0.30, P = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

MMP-7 and MMP-9 were strongly associated with both prevalent and incident ILD in this large, multicenter RA cohort after adjustment for other RA-ILD risk factors. These population-level findings further support a potential pathogenic role for MMPs in RA-ILD and suggest that their measurement could facilitate RA-ILD risk stratification.

Development and Internal Validation of a Clinical and Genetic Risk Score for Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

OBJECTIVE

Although clinical and genetic risk factors have been identified for rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD), there are no current tools allowing for risk stratification. We sought to develop and validate an ILD risk model in a large, multicentre, prospective RA cohort.

METHODS

Participants in the Veterans Affairs RA (VARA) registry were genotyped for 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. ILD was validated through systematic record review. A genetic risk score (GRS) was computed from minor alleles weighted by effect size with ILD, using backward selection. The GRS was combined with clinical risk factors within a logistic regression model. Internal validation was completed using bootstrapping, and model performance was assessed by the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC).

RESULTS

Of 2,386 participants (89% male, mean age 69.5 years), 9.4% had ILD. Following backward selection, five SNPs contributed to the GRS. The GRS and clinical factors outperformed clinical factors alone in discriminating ILD (AUC 0.675 vs 0.635, p< 0.001). The shrinkage-corrected performance for combined and clinical-only models was 0.667 (95% CI 0.628, 0.712) and 0.623 (95% CI 0.584, 0.651), respectively. Twenty percent of the cohort had a combined risk score below a cut-point with >90% sensitivity.

CONCLUSION

A clinical and genetic risk model discriminated ILD in a large, multicentre RA cohort better than a clinical-only model, excluding 20% of the cohort from low-yield testing. These results demonstrate the potential utility of a GRS in RA-ILD and support further investigation into individualized risk stratification and screening.

Associations between Adiponectin and the Development of Diabetes in Rheumatoid Arthritis

PURPOSE

We evaluated associations between adiponectin and the risk of diabetes among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a systemic inflammatory disease associated with metabolic disturbance.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study included adults with RA from the Veteran's Affairs Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry. Adiponectin and inflammatory cytokines/chemokines were measured at enrollment on stored serum samples. Adiponectin levels were categorized and clinical variables were described across categories (<10 μg/mL; 10-40 μg/mL;  > 40 μg/mL. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models evaluated associations between adiponectin and incident diabetes adjusting for age, sex, race, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), disease-modifying therapy use, calendar year, and comorbidity. Testing for modification of effect in the context of elevated cytokines/chemokines was performed.

RESULTS

Among 2595 patients included in the analysis, those with adiponectin levels >40 μg/mL (N = 379; 15%) were older and had lower BMI. There were 125 new cases of diabetes among 1,689 patients without prevalent disease at enrollment. There was an inverse association between adiponectin and incident diabetes, however, the association was positive among patients with adiponectin levels >40 μg/mL. Patients with levels >40 μg/mL were at higher risk compared to those with levels 10-40 μg/mL [HR: 1.70 (1.34,2.16) p < 0.001]. Those with adiponectin levels >40 μg/mL had significantly higher levels of inflammatory cytokines with evidence of a modified effect of adiponectin on diabetes risk in the setting of inflammation.

CONCLUSIONS

The relationship between adiponectin and incident diabetes risk is U-shaped in RA. Patients with very high adiponectin levels have greater systemic inflammation and an altered relationship between adiponectin and diabetes risk.

Extracting forced vital capacity from the electronic health record through natural language processing in rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease

PURPOSE

To develop a natural language processing (NLP) tool to extract forced vital capacity (FVC) values from electronic health record (EHR) notes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).

METHODS

We selected RA-ILD patients (n = 7485) in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) between 2000 and 2020 using validated ICD-9/10 codes. We identified numeric values in proximity to FVC string patterns from clinical notes in the EHR. Subsequently, we performed processing steps to account for variability in note structure, related pulmonary function test (PFT) output, and values copied across notes, then assigned dates from linked administrative procedure records. NLP-derived FVC values were compared to values recorded directly from PFT equipment available on a subset of patients.

RESULTS

We identified 5911 FVC values (n = 1844 patients) from PFT equipment and 15 383 values (n = 4982 patients) by NLP. Among 2610 date-matched FVC values from NLP and PFT equipment, 95.8% of values were within 5% predicted. The mean (SD) difference was 0.09% (5.9), and values strongly correlated (r = 0.94, p < 0.001), with a precision of 0.87 (95% CI 0.86, 0.88). NLP captured more patients with longitudinal FVC values (n = 3069 vs. n = 1164). Mean (SD) change in FVC %-predicted per year was similar between sources (-1.5 [30.0] NLP vs. -0.9 [16.6] PFT equipment; standardized response mean = 0.05 for both).

CONCLUSIONS

NLP of EHR notes increases the capture of accurate, longitudinal FVC values by three-fold over PFT equipment. Use of this NLP tool can facilitate pharmacoepidemiologic research in RA-ILD and other lung diseases by capturing this critical measure of disease severity.

Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and adverse events in patients receiving tofacitinib or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors: a post hoc analysis of ORAL Surveillance

Background

In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), persistent inflammation and increasing disease activity are associated with increased risk of adverse events (AEs).

Objectives

To assess relationships between RA disease activity and AEs of interest in patients treated with tofacitinib or tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi).

Design

This was a post hoc analysis of a long-term, postauthorization safety endpoint trial of tofacitinib versus TNFi.

Methods

In ORAL Surveillance, 4362 patients aged ⩾50 years with active RA despite methotrexate, and ⩾1 additional cardiovascular (CV) risk factor, were randomized 1:1:1 to tofacitinib 5 or 10 mg twice daily or TNFi for up to 72 months. Post hoc time-dependent multivariable Cox analysis evaluated the relationships between disease activity [Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI)], inflammation [C-reactive protein (CRP)], and AEs of interest. The AEs included major adverse CV events (MACE), malignancies excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), venous thromboembolism (VTE), serious infections, herpes zoster (HZ), nonserious infections excluding HZ (NSI), and death.

Results

Across treatments, risk for NSI was higher when patients had CDAI-defined active disease versus remission; MACE and VTE risks trended higher, but did not reach significance. Hazard ratios for MACE, malignancies excluding NMSC, VTE, infections, and death rose by 2-9% for each 5-mg/L increment in serum CRP. The interaction terms evaluating the impact of treatment assignment on the relationship between disease activity and AEs were all p > 0.05.

Conclusion

In ORAL Surveillance, higher NSI risk was observed in the presence of active RA versus remission. The risk of MACE and VTE directionally increased in active disease versus remission, although statistical power was limited due to small event numbers in these categories. The relationship between active disease and AEs was not impacted by treatment with tofacitinib versus TNFi.

Registration

NCT02092467.

Serum alarmins and the risk of incident interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVES

To quantify associations of serum alarmins with risk of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).

METHODS

Using serum collected at enrolment, three alarmins (interleukin [IL]-33, thymic stromal lymphopoietin [TSLP], and IL-25) were measured in a multicentre prospective RA cohort. ILD was classified using systematic medical record review. Cross-sectional associations of log-transformed (IL-33, TSLP) or quartile (IL-25) values with RA-ILD at enrolment (prevalent RA-ILD) were examined using logistic regression, while associations with incident RA-ILD developing after enrolment were examined using Cox proportional hazards. Covariates in multivariate models included age, sex, race, smoking status, RA disease activity score, and anti-cyclic citrullinated antibody positivity.

RESULTS

Of 2,835 study participants, 115 participants (4.1%) had prevalent RA-ILD at baseline and an additional 146 (5.1%) developed incident ILD. There were no associations between serum alarmin concentrations and prevalent ILD in unadjusted or adjusted logistic regression models. In contrast, there was a significant inverse association between IL-33 concentration and the risk of developing incident RA-ILD in unadjusted (HR 0.73 per log-fold increase; 95% CI 0.57-0.95; p= 0.018) and adjusted (HR 0.77; 95% CI 0.59-1.00, p= 0.047) models. No significant associations of TSLP or IL-25 with incident ILD were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we observed a significant inverse association between serum IL-33 concentration and the risk of developing incident RA-ILD, but no associations with prevalent ILD. Additional investigation is required to better understand the mechanisms driving this relationship and how serum alarmin IL-33 assessment might contribute to clinical risk stratification in patients with RA.

Changes in Patterns of Use of Advanced Therapies Following Emerging Data About Adverse Events in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis From the Veterans Affairs Health System

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether prescribing practices for Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi), tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi), and non-TNFi biologic agents changed after the results of the Oral Rheumatoid Arthritis Trial (ORAL) Surveillance trial were released in January 2021.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving advanced therapies within the Veterans Affairs Health System from January 2012 through September 2022. Eligible patients were required to have at least one diagnosis code for RA and to have received a biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug or JAKi. Treatment courses were defined from pharmacy dispensing data and the number of new courses of each advanced therapy was quantified over time. We assessed changes in the use of each therapy before and after the release of safety data (January 2021).

RESULTS

A total of 88,253 individual drug courses (in 34,656 unique patients) were included in the study. There was a consistent increase in the number and proportion of new courses of JAKi leading up to January 2021, which was followed by a significant net decrease in JAKi use through September 2022. There was significantly less tofacitinib use after the release of safety data, with a significant difference in the slope of change in use with time. In contrast, whereas TNFi use declined leading up to 2021, its use significantly increased after January 2021.

CONCLUSION

Changes in prescribing in response to new evidence emphasize the impact that safety trials have on prescribing practices. Ongoing study in this area, with attention to specific patient characteristics and risk profiles, will help characterize these changes in practice.

Updating and Validating the Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index to Incorporate ICD-10-CM Diagnostic Codes

OBJECTIVE

To update and validate the Rheumatic Disease Comorbidity Index (RDCI) utilizing International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes.

METHODS

We defined ICD-9-CM (n = 1,068) and ICD-10-CM (n = 1,425) era cohorts (n = 862 in both) spanning the ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM transition in a multicenter, prospective rheumatoid arthritis registry. Information regarding comorbidities was collected from linked administrative data over 2-year assessment periods. An ICD-10-CM code list was generated from crosswalks and clinical expertise. ICD-9- and ICD-10-derived RDCI scores were compared using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The predictive ability of the RDCI for functional status and death during follow-up was assessed using multivariable regression models and goodness-of-fit statistics (Akaike's information criterion [AIC] and quasi information criterion [QIC]) in both cohorts.

RESULTS

Mean ± SD RDCI scores were 2.93 ± 1.72 in the ICD-9-CM cohort and 2.92 ± 1.74 in the ICD-10-CM cohort. RDCI scores had substantial agreement in individuals who were in both cohorts (ICC 0.71 [95% confidence interval 0.68-0.74]). Prevalence of comorbidities was similar between cohorts with absolute differences <6%. Higher RDCI scores were associated with a greater risk of death and poorer functional status during follow-up in both cohorts. Similarly, in both cohorts, models including the RDCI score had the lowest QIC (functional status) and AIC (death) values, indicating better model performance.

CONCLUSION

The newly proposed ICD-10-CM codes for the RDCI-generated comparable RDCI scores to those derived from ICD-9-CM codes and are highly predictive of functional status and death. The proposed ICD-10-CM codes for the RDCI can be used in rheumatic disease outcomes research spanning the ICD-10-CM era.

Lowering Expectations: Glucocorticoid Tapering Among Veterans With Rheumatoid Arthritis Achieving Low Disease Activity on Stable Biologic Therapy

OBJECTIVE

In the Steroid EliMination In Rheumatoid Arthritis (SEMIRA) trial, 65% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in low disease activity (LDA) on stable biologic therapy successfully tapered glucocorticoids. We aimed to evaluate real-world rates of glucocorticoid tapering among similar patients in the Veterans Affairs Rheumatoid Arthritis registry.

METHODS

Within a multicenter, prospective RA cohort, we used registry data and linked pharmacy claims from 2003 to 2021 to identify chronic prednisone users achieving LDA after initiating a new biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (b/tsDMARD). We defined the index date as first LDA occurring 60 to 180 days after b/tsDMARD initiation. The primary outcome of successful tapering, assessed at day 180 after LDA, required a 30-day averaged prednisone dose both less than or equal to 5mg/day and at least 50% lower than at the index date. The secondary outcome was discontinuation, defined as a prednisone dose of 0 mg/day at days 180 through 210. We used univariate statistics to compare patient characteristics by fulfillment of the primary outcome.

RESULTS

We evaluated 100 b/tsDMARD courses among 95 patients. Fifty-four courses resulted in successful tapering; 33 resulted in discontinuation. Positive rheumatoid factor, higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate, more background DMARDs, shorter time from b/tsDMARD initiation to LDA, and higher glucocorticoid dose 30 days before LDA were associated with greater likelihood of successful tapering.

CONCLUSION

In a real-world RA cohort of chronic glucocorticoid users in LDA, half successfully tapered and a third discontinued prednisone within 6 months of initiating a new b/tsDMARD. Claims-based algorithms of glucocorticoid tapering and discontinuation may be useful to evaluate predictors of tapering in administrative data sets.

Citrullinated and malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde modified fibrinogen activates macrophages and promotes an aggressive synovial fibroblast phenotype in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective

Post-translational protein modifications with malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde (MAA) and citrulline (CIT) are implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although precise mechanisms have not been elucidated, macrophage-fibroblast interactions have been proposed to play a central role in the development and progression of RA. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the downstream effects of macrophage released soluble mediators, following stimulation with fibrinogen (FIB) modified antigens, on human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (HFLS).

Methods

PMA-treated U-937 monocytes (Mϕ) and macrophage-differentiated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MP) were stimulated with FIB, FIB-MAA, FIB-CIT, or FIB-MAA-CIT. HFLS-RA cells were stimulated directly with FIB antigens or with supernatants (SN) from macrophages (Mϕ-SN or MP-SN) stimulated with FIB antigens. Genes associated with an aggressive HFLS phenotype, extracellular matrix proteins, and activated signaling pathways were evaluated.

Results

HFLS-RA cells treated with Mϕ-SNFIB-CIT and Mϕ-SNFIB-MAA-CIT demonstrated significant increases in mRNA expression of genes associated with an aggressive phenotype at 24-h as compared to direct stimulation with the same antigens. Similar results were obtained using MP-SN. Cellular morphology was altered and protein expression of vimentin (p<0.0001 vs. Mϕ-SNFIB) and type II collagen (p<0.0001) were significantly increased in HFLS-RA cells treated with any of the Mϕ-SN generated following stimulation with modified antigens. Phosphorylation of JNK, Erk1/2, and Akt were increased most substantially in HFLS-RA treated with Mϕ-SNFIB-MAA-CIT (p<0.05 vs Mϕ-SNFIB). These and other data suggested the presence of PDGF-BB in Mϕ-SN. Mϕ-SNFIB-MAA-CIT contained the highest concentration of PDGF-BB (p<0.0001 vs. Mϕ-SNFIB) followed by Mϕ-SNFIB-CIT then Mϕ-SNFIB-MAA. HFLS-RA cells treated with PDGF-BB showed similar cellular morphology to the Mϕ-SN generated following stimulation with modified FIB, as well as the increased expression of vimentin, type II collagen, and the phosphorylation of JNK, Erk1/2 and Akt signaling molecules.

Conclusion

Together, these findings support the hypothesis that in response to MAA-modified and/or citrullinated fibrinogen, macrophages release soluble factors including PDGF-BB that induce fibroblast activation and promote an aggressive fibroblast phenotype. These cellular responses were most robust following macrophage activation with dually modified fibrinogen, compared to single modification alone, providing novel insights into the combined role of multiple post-translational protein modifications in the development of RA.

A Narrowing Mortality Gap: Temporal Trends of Cause-Specific Mortality in a National Matched Cohort Study in US Veterans With Rheumatoid Arthritis

OBJECTIVE

To examine temporal trends in all-cause and cause-specific mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

METHODS

We conducted a matched cohort study in the VHA from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2017. Incident RA patients were matched up to 1:10 on age, sex, and VHA enrollment year to non-RA patients, then followed until death or end of study period. Cause of death was obtained from the National Death Index. Multivariable Cox regression models stratified by RA diagnosis years were used to examine trends in RA-related risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

RESULTS

Among 29,779 incident RA patients (matched to 245,226 non-RA patients), 9,565 deaths occurred. RA patients were at increased risk of all-cause (adjusted hazard ratio [HRadj ] 1.23 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.20-1.26]), cardiovascular (HRadj 1.19 [95% CI 1.14-1.23]), cancer (HRadj 1.19 [95% CI 1.14-1.24]), respiratory (HRadj 1.46 [95% CI 1.38-1.55]), and infection-related mortality (HRadj 1.59 [95% CI 1.41-1.80]). Interstitial lung disease was the cause of death most strongly associated with RA (HRadj 3.39 [95% CI 2.88-3.99]). Nearly 70% of excess deaths in RA were attributable to cardiopulmonary disease. All-cause mortality risk related to RA was lower among those diagnosed during 2012-2017 (HRadj 1.10 [95% CI 1.05-1.15]) compared to 2000-2005 (HRadj 1.31 [95% CI 1.26-1.36]), but still higher than for non-RA controls (P < 0.001). Cause-specific mortality trends were similar.

CONCLUSION

Excess RA-related mortality was driven by cardiovascular, cancer, respiratory, and infectious causes, particularly cardiopulmonary diseases. Although our findings support that RA-related mortality risk is decreasing over time, a mortality gap remains for all-cause and cause-specific mortality in RA.

Aortic Stenosis Risk in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Importance

Although an increased risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease has been associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the risk of aortic stenosis (AS) is unknown.

Objective

To examine the risk of incident AS, aortic valve intervention, AS-related death, and risk factors for AS development in patients with RA.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study linked data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from 2000 to 2019. Patients with RA were matched by age, sex, and VHA enrollment year with up to 10 patients without RA. The cohort was followed until incident AS, aortic valve intervention, or death. Data were analyzed from August 23, 2022, to March 3, 2023.

Exposures

the primary exposure was the presence of RA, defined using validated RA algorithms.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Aortic stenosis was defined as a composite of inpatient or outpatient diagnoses, surgical or transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or AS-related death using diagnostic and procedural codes. Risk of AS development was assessed with multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for race, ethnicity, smoking status, body mass index, rurality, comorbidities, and health care use.

Results

The cohort included 73 070 patients with RA (64 008 [87.6%] males; mean [SD] age, 63.0 [11.9] years) matched with 639 268 patients without RA (554 182 [86.7%] males; mean [SD] age, 61.9 [11.7] years) and 16 109 composite AS outcomes that occurred over 6 223 150 person-years. The AS incidence rate was 3.97 (95% CI, 3.81-4.13) per 1000 person-years in patients with RA and 2.45 (95% CI, 2.41-2.49) per 1000 person-years in the control patients (absolute difference, 1.52 per 1000 person-years). Rheumatoid arthritis was associated with an increased risk of composite AS (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 1.48; 95% CI, 1.41-1.55), aortic valve intervention (AHR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.22-1.48), and AS-related death (AHR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.04-1.54).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, RA was associated with a higher risk of developing AS and the subsequent risks of undergoing aortic valve intervention and suffering from AS-related death. Future studies are needed to confirm whether valvular heart disease, specifically AS, may be an overlooked cardiovascular disease complication in RA.

Multimorbidity Patterns and Rheumatoid Arthritis Disease Outcomes: Findings From a Multicenter, Prospective Cohort

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether unique multimorbidity patterns are associated with long-term rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease severity.

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study within the Veterans Affairs Rheumatoid Arthritis registry. We applied previously derived multimorbidity patterns based on the presence of diagnostic codes for relevant conditions prior to enrollment using linked administrative data. Disease activity and functional status were assessed longitudinally up to 5 years after enrollment. The association of multimorbidity patterns with disease activity and functional status were assessed using generalized estimating equations models adjusting for relevant confounders.

RESULTS

We studied 2,956 participants, of which 88.2% were male, 76.9% reported white race, and 79.3% had a smoking history. Mental health and substance abuse (β 0.12 [95% confidence interval {CI} 0.00, 0.23]), cardiovascular (β 0.25 [95% CI 0.12, 0.38]), and chronic pain (β 0.21 [95% CI 0.11, 0.31]) multimorbidity were associated with higher Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) scores. Mental health and substance abuse (β 0.09 [0.03, 0.15]), cardiovascular (β 0.11 [95% CI 0.04, 0.17]), and chronic pain multimorbidity (β 0.15 [95% CI 0.10, 0.20]) were also associated with higher Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) scores. The metabolic pattern of multimorbidity was not associated with DAS28 or MDHAQ. The number of multimorbidity patterns present was highly associated with DAS28 and MDHAQ (P trend < 0.001), and patients with all four multimorbidity patterns had the highest DAS28 (β 0.59 [95% CI 0.36, 0.83]) and MDHAQ (β 0.27 [95% CI 0.16, 0.39]) scores.

CONCLUSION

Mental health and substance abuse, chronic pain, and cardiovascular multimorbidity patterns are associated with increased RA disease activity and poorer functional status. Identifying and addressing these multimorbidity patterns may facilitate achieving RA treatment targets.

Enhancing the identification of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease through text mining of chest computerized tomography reports

OBJECTIVES

Algorithms have been developed to identify rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) in administrative data with positive predictive values (PPVs) between 70 and 80%. We hypothesized that including ILD-related terms identified within chest computed tomography (CT) reports through text mining would improve the PPV of these algorithms in this cross-sectional study.

METHODS

We identified a derivation cohort of possible RA-ILD cases (n = 114) using electronic health record data from a large academic medical center and performed medical record review to validate diagnoses (reference standard). ILD-related terms (e.g., ground glass, honeycomb) were identified in chest CT reports by natural language processing. Administrative algorithms including diagnostic and procedural codes as well as specialty were applied to the cohort both with and without the requirement for ILD-related terms from CT reports. We subsequently analyzed similar algorithms in an external validation cohort of 536 participants with RA.

RESULTS

The addition of ILD-related terms to RA-ILD administrative algorithms increased the PPV in both the derivation (improvement ranging from 3.6 to 11.7%) and validation cohorts (improvement 6.0 to 21.1%). This increase was greatest for less stringent algorithms. Administrative algorithms including ILD-related terms from CT reports exceeded a PPV of 90% (maximum 94.6% derivation cohort). Increases in PPV were accompanied by a decline in sensitivity (validation cohort -3.9 to -19.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of ILD-related terms identified by text mining from chest CT reports led to improvements in the PPV of RA-ILD algorithms. With high PPVs, use of these algorithms in large data sets could facilitate epidemiologic and comparative effectiveness research in RA-ILD.

Circulating Adipokines and Associations With Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether circulating levels of adiponectin, leptin, and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF-21) are associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

Adipokines were measured using banked enrollment serum from patients with RA and dichotomized above/below the median value. Incident CVD events (coronary artery disease [CAD], stroke, heart failure [HF] hospitalization, venous thromboembolism, CVD-related deaths) were identified using administrative data and the National Death Index. Covariates were derived from medical record, biorepository, and registry databases. Multivariable Cox models were generated to quantify associations between adipokine concentrations and CVD incidence. Five-year incidence rates were predicted.

RESULTS

Among 2,598 participants, 639 (25%) had at least 1 CVD event over 19,585 patient-years of follow-up. High adiponectin levels were independently associated with HF hospitalization (hazard ratio [HR] 1.39 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.07-1.79], P = 0.01) and CVD-related death (HR 1.49 [95% CI 1.16-1.92], P = 0.002) but not with other CVD events. High leptin was independently associated with CVD-related death (HR 1.44 [95% CI 1.05-1.97], P = 0.02). High FGF-21 levels were independently associated with lower rates of CAD (HR 0.75 [95% CI 0.58-0.97], P = 0.03). In subgroup analyses, associations between high adiponectin and leptin levels with CVD-related death were driven by strong associations in nonobese patients.

CONCLUSION

Adipokines are associated with HF hospitalization and CVD-related death in patients with RA, with stronger associations in nonobese participants. These findings suggest that adipokines effectively predict clinically important outcomes in RA perhaps through an association with body composition and metabolic health. Further study is needed to determine whether adipokine measures might augment existing tools to identify RA patients at increased risk of CVD.

Serum antibodies to periodontal pathogens prior to rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis: A case-control study

OBJECTIVES

1) To quantify the association between anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis serum antibody concentrations and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 2) to quantify the associations among RA cases between anti-P. gingivalis serum antibody concentrations and RA-specific autoantibodies. Additional anti-bacterial antibodies evaluated included anti-Fusobacterium nucleatum and anti-Prevotella intermedia.

METHODS

Serum samples were acquired pre- and post- RA diagnosis from the U.S. Department of Defense Serum Repository (n = 214 cases, 210 matched controls). Using separate mixed-models, the timing of elevations of anti-P. gingivalis, anti-P. intermedia, and anti-F. nucleatum antibody concentrations relative to RA diagnosis were compared in RA cases versus controls. Associations were determined between serum anti-CCP2, ACPA fine specificities (vimentin, histone, and alpha-enolase), and IgA, IgG, and IgM RF in pre-RA diagnosis samples and anti-bacterial antibodies using mixed-effects linear regression models.

RESULTS

No compelling evidence of case-control divergence in serum anti-P. gingivalis, anti-F. nucleatum, and anti-P. intermedia was observed. Among RA cases, including all pre-diagnosis serum samples, anti-P. intermedia was significantly positively associated with anti-CCP2, ACPA fine specificities targeting vimentin, histone, alpha-enolase, and IgA RF (p<0.001), IgG RF (p = 0.049), and IgM RF (p = 0.004), while anti-P. gingivalis and anti-F. nucleatum were not.

CONCLUSIONS

No longitudinal elevations of anti-bacterial serum antibody concentrations were observed in RA patients prior to RA diagnosis compared to controls. However, anti-P. intermedia displayed significant associations with RA autoantibody concentrations prior to RA diagnosis, suggesting a potential role of this organism in progression towards clinically-detectable RA.

Peripheral Blood Biomarkers for Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Biomarkers have been proposed as tools to aid in the identification and prognostication of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We performed a systematic review of studies evaluating peripheral blood biomarkers and their association with RA-ILD and its prognosis.

METHODS

Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and Scopus were queried for relevant studies, with the final search update on July 12, 2021. We included studies evaluating peripheral blood biomarkers for the identification and/or prognostication of RA-ILD, extracting the performance of individual biomarkers for identifying RA-ILD, and predicting prognosis. Modified versions of the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 and the Quality in Prognosis Studies tools were used for quality assessment.

RESULTS

Seventy studies met eligibility criteria. Study and patient characteristics, analytical methods, strength and consistency of associations, and study quality were heterogeneous. A total of 92 biomarkers were positively associated and 12 were negatively associated with RA-ILD among patients with RA in one or more report. Only a small number of biomarkers were evaluated in multiple cohorts using adjusted analyses. Biomarkers most strongly associated with RA-ILD overlapped with those identified for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Few prognostic biomarkers of RA-ILD were identified.

CONCLUSION

Several peripheral blood biomarkers are associated with the presence of RA-ILD, but few have been assessed in multivariable models, have been externally validated, have discriminated RA-ILD from other lung disease, or have prognosticated the disease course. High-quality studies investigating and validating peripheral biomarkers in RA-ILD are needed before they can be employed in clinical care.

Risk of Prostate Cancer in US Veterans With Rheumatoid Arthritis

OBJECTIVE

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have an increased risk of select cancers, including lymphoma and lung cancer. Whether RA influences prostate cancer risk is uncertain. We aimed to determine the risk of prostate cancer in patients with RA compared to patients without RA in the Veterans Health Administration (VA).

METHODS

We performed a matched (up to 1:5) cohort study of male patients with and without RA in the VA from 2000 to 2018. RA status, as well as covariates, were obtained from national VA databases. Prostate cancer was identified through linked VA cancer databases and the National Death Index. Multivariable Cox models compared prostate cancer risk between patients with RA and patients without RA, including models that accounted for retention in the VA system.

RESULTS

We included 56,514 veterans with RA and 227,284 veterans without RA. During 2,337,104 patient-years of follow-up, 6,550 prostate cancers occurred. Prostate cancer incidence (per 1,000 patient-years) was 3.50 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 3.32-3.69) in patients with RA and 2.66 (95% CI 2.58-2.73) in patients without RA. After accounting for confounders and censoring for attrition of VA health care, RA was modestly associated with a higher prostate cancer risk (adjusted HR [HRadj ] 1.12 [95% CI 1.04-1.20]). There was no association between RA and prostate cancer mortality (HRadj 0.92 [95% CI 0.73-1.16]).

CONCLUSION

RA was associated with a modestly increased risk of prostate cancer, but not prostate cancer mortality, after accounting for relevant confounders and several potential sources of bias. However, even minimal unmeasured confounding could explain these findings.

Cause-Specific Mortality in Patients With Gout in the US Veterans Health Administration: A Matched Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To compare all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk between patients with gout and patients without gout in the Veteran's Health Administration (VHA).

METHODS

We performed a matched cohort study, identifying patients with gout in the VHA from January 1999 to September 2015 based on the presence of ≥2 International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes for gout (274.X). Gout patients were matched up to 1:10 on birth year, sex, and year of VHA enrollment with patients without gout and followed until death or end of study (December 2017). Cause of death was obtained from the National Death Index. Associations of gout with all-cause and cause-specific mortality were examined using multivariable Cox regression.

RESULTS

Gout (n = 559,243) and matched non-gout controls (n = 5,428,760) had a mean age of 67 years and were 99% male. There were 246,291 deaths over 4,250,371 patient-years in gout patients and 2,000,000 deaths over 40,441,353 patient-years of follow-up in controls. After matching, gout patients had an increased risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.09 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.08-1.09]), which was no longer present after adjusting for comorbidities (HR 0.98 [95% CI 0.97-0.98]). The strongest association of gout with cause-specific mortality was observed with genitourinary conditions (HR 1.50 [95% CI 1.47-1.54]). Gout patients were at lower risk of death related to neurologic (e.g., Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease) (HR 0.63 [95% CI 0.62-0.65]) and mental health (HR 0.66 [95% CI 0.65-0.68]) conditions.

CONCLUSION

A higher risk of death among gout patients in the VHA was related to comorbidity burden. While deaths attributable to neurologic and mental health conditions were less frequent among gout patients, genitourinary conditions were the most overrepresented causes of death.

Association of Antibodies to Prevotella copri in Anti-Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide-Positive Individuals At Risk of Developing Rheumatoid Arthritis and in Patients With Early or Established Rheumatoid Arthritis

OBJECTIVE

Prevotella copri (P copri), a gut commensal, has been reported to be an immune-relevant organism in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study sought to evaluate anti-P copri (anti-Pc) antibody responses in our participant cohorts and to determine when in the natural history of RA such responses develop.

METHODS

We analyzed serum levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG antibodies from a 27-kd protein of P copri (anti-Pc-p27), an immunogenic P copri protein, in study participants at risk of developing RA, participants who transitioned to RA, participants with early RA (<1 year of disease), and participants with established RA, with comparisons made to their matched controls. We also evaluated anti-Pc-p27 antibody levels in individuals stratified by RA-related autoantibody status.

RESULTS

Overall, participants with RA had significantly higher IgA anti-Pc-p27 antibody levels and trended toward higher IgG anti-Pc-p27 antibody levels compared with matched controls. When stratified by early versus established RA, participants with early RA had median IgG anti-Pc-p27 antibody levels that were overall higher, whereas median IgA anti-Pc-p27 antibody levels were statistically significantly higher in participants with established RA compared with their matched controls. In the autoantibody-specific analyses, the at-risk population with anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies, but not rheumatoid factor (RF), trended toward increased levels of IgG anti-Pc-p27. Additionally, RA participants who were seropositive for both CCP and RF had significantly increased levels of IgA anti-Pc-p27 antibodies and trended toward higher levels of IgG anti-Pc-p27 antibodies compared with matched controls.

CONCLUSION

Our findings support a potential etiologic role for P copri in both RA preclinical evolution and the subsequent pathogenesis of synovitis.

Influence of Multimorbidity on New Treatment Initiation and Achieving Target Disease Activity Thresholds in Active Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cohort Study Using the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness Registry

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether multimorbidity is associated with treatment changes and achieving target disease activity thresholds in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults with active RA within the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry. Multimorbidity was measured using RxRisk, a medication-based index of chronic disease. We used multivariable logistic regression models to assess the associations of multimorbidity with the odds of initiating a new disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) in active RA, and among those initiating a new DMARD, the odds of achieving low disease activity or remission.

RESULTS

We identified 15,626 patients using the Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3 (RAPID3) cohort and 5,733 patients using the Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI) cohort. All patients had active RA, of which 1,558 (RAPID3) and 834 (CDAI) initiated a new DMARD and had follow-up disease activity measures. Patients were middle aged, female, and predominantly White, and on average received medications from 6 to 7 RxRisk categories. Multimorbidity was not associated with new DMARD initiation in active RA. However, a greater burden of multimorbidity was associated with lower odds of achieving treatment targets (per 1-unit RxRisk: RAPID3 cohort odds ratio [OR] 0.95 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.91, 0.98]; CDAI cohort OR 0.94 [95% CI 0.90, 0.99]). Those with the highest burden of multimorbidity had the lowest odds of achieving target RA disease activity (RAPID3 cohort OR 0.54 [95% CI 0.34, 0.85]; CDAI cohort OR 0.65 [95% CI 0.37, 1.15]).

CONCLUSION

These findings from a large, real-world registry illustrate the potential impact of multimorbidity on treatment response and indicate that a more holistic management approach targeting multimorbidity may be needed to optimize RA disease control in these patients.

Vehicle Control as a Measure of Real-World Driving Performance in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

OBJECTIVE

To quantify vehicle control as a metric of automobile driving performance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

Naturalistic driving assessments were completed in patients with active RA and controls without disease. Data were collected using in-car, sensor-based instrumentation installed in the participants' own vehicles to observe typical driving habits. RA disease status, disease activity, and functional status were associated with vehicle control (lateral [steering] and longitudinal [braking/accelerating] acceleration variability) using mixed-effect linear regression models stratified by road type (defined by roadway speed limit).

RESULTS

Across 1,292 driving hours, RA drivers (n = 33) demonstrated differences in vehicle control compared to controls (n = 23), with evidence of significant statistical interaction between disease status and road type (P < 0.001). On residential roads, participants with RA demonstrated overall lower braking/accelerating variability than controls (P ≤ 0.004) and, when disease activity was low, lower steering variability (P = 0.03). On interstates/highways, RA was associated with increased steering variability among those with moderate/high Clinical Disease Activity Index scores (P = 0.04). In models limited to RA, increases in disease activity and physical disability over 12 weeks of observation were associated with a significant increase in braking/accelerating variability on interstate/highways (both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Using novel naturalistic assessments, we linked RA and worsening RA disease severity with aberrant vehicle control. These findings support the need for further research to map these observed patterns in vehicle control to metrics of driver risk and, in turn, to link patterns of real-world driving behavior to diagnosis and disease activity.

Identification of Multimorbidity Patterns in Rheumatoid Arthritis Through Machine Learning

OBJECTIVE

Recognizing that the interrelationships between chronic conditions that complicate rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are poorly understood, we aimed to identify patterns of multimorbidity and to define their prevalence in RA through machine learning.

METHODS

We constructed RA and age- and sex-matched (1:1) non-RA cohorts within a large commercial insurance database (MarketScan) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Chronic conditions (n = 44) were identified from diagnosis codes from outpatient and inpatient encounters. Exploratory factor analysis was performed separately in both databases, stratified by RA diagnosis and sex, to identify multimorbidity patterns. The association of RA with different multimorbidity patterns was determined using conditional logistic regression.

RESULTS

We studied 226,850 patients in MarketScan (76% female) and 120,780 patients in the VHA (89% male). The primary multimorbidity patterns identified were characterized by the presence of cardiopulmonary, cardiometabolic, and mental health and chronic pain disorders. Multimorbidity patterns were similar between RA and non-RA patients, female and male patients, and patients in MarketScan and the VHA. RA patients had higher odds of each multimorbidity pattern (odds ratios [ORs] 1.17-2.96), with mental health and chronic pain disorders being the multimorbidity pattern most strongly associated with RA (ORs 2.07-2.96).

CONCLUSION

Cardiopulmonary, cardiometabolic, and mental health and chronic pain disorders represent predominant multimorbidity patterns, each of which is overrepresented in RA. The identification of multimorbidity patterns occurring more frequently in RA is an important first step in progressing toward a holistic approach to RA management and warrants assessment of their clinical and predictive utility.

American College of Rheumatology Guidance for COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients With Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases: Version 5

OBJECTIVE

To provide guidance to rheumatology providers on the use of COVID-19 vaccines for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).

METHODS

A task force was assembled that included 9 rheumatologists/immunologists, 2 infectious diseases specialists, and 2 public health physicians. After agreeing on scoping questions, an evidence report was created that summarized the published literature and publicly available data regarding COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and safety, as well as literature for other vaccines in RMD patients. Task force members rated their agreement with draft consensus statements on a 9-point numerical scoring system, using a modified Delphi process and the RAND/University of California Los Angeles Appropriateness Method, with refinement and iteration over 2 sessions. Consensus was determined based on the distribution of ratings.

RESULTS

Despite a paucity of direct evidence, statements were developed by the task force and agreed upon with consensus to provide guidance for use of the COVID-19 vaccines, including supplemental/booster dosing, in RMD patients and to offer recommendations regarding the use and timing of immunomodulatory therapies around the time of vaccination.

CONCLUSION

These guidance statements are intended to provide direction to rheumatology health care providers on how to best use COVID-19 vaccines and to facilitate implementation of vaccination strategies for RMD patients.

Associations Between Low Serum Urate, Body Composition, and Mortality

OBJECTIVE

Controversy remains as to whether low serum urate or uric acid (UA) levels contribute to adverse outcomes. We evaluated the relation between low serum UA levels and sarcopenia and assessed whether sarcopenia confounds associations between these low levels and mortality.

METHODS

We utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2006). Participants with available whole-body dual x-ray absorptiometry body composition measurements and serum UA concentrations were included. Body composition assessments included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, maximum lifetime BMI, and age-, sex-, and race-specific appendicular lean mass index (ALMI) and fat mass index (FMI) Z scores. We also calculated Z scores for ALMI relative to FMI (ALMIFMI ). We evaluated associations between serum UA levels and body composition using logistic regression and assessed associations between serum UA levels and mortality before and after adjusting for differences in body composition using Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

Among the 13,979 participants, low serum UA concentrations (<2.5 mg/dl in women, <3.5 mg/dl in men) were associated with low lean mass (ALMI and ALMIFMI Z scores), underweight BMI (<18.5 kg/m2 ), and higher rates of weight loss. The proportion of patients with low ALMI Z scores was 29% in the low serum UA group and 16% in the normal serum UA group (P = 0.001). Low serum UA levels were associated with increased mortality before we adjusted for body composition (hazard ratio 1.61 [95% confidence interval 1.14-2.28]; P = 0.008) but was attenuated and not significant after adjustment for body composition and weight loss (hazard ratio 1.30 [95% confidence interval 0.92-1.85], P = 0.13).

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia and weight loss are more common among patients with low serum UA concentrations. Differences in body composition may help to explain associations between low levels of serum UA and higher mortality.

Long-Term Adherence to Urate-Lowering Therapy in Gout: A Glass Half Empty or a Glass Half Full?

Characterized by flares of intensely painful arthritis, gout is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis worldwide. National prevalence estimates approaching 4% translate to more than 9 million persons living with gout in the United States alone, with worldwide estimates reaching as high as 10% in some regions.1,2

Genetic, social, and environmental risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease

OBJECTIVE

MUC5B and TOLLIP single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and cigarette smoking were associated with rheumatoid arthritis-interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) in a predominantly Northern European population. We evaluated whether RA-ILD is associated with these genetic variants and HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) alleles in a large RA cohort stratified by race and smoking history.

METHODS

HLA-DRB1 SE alleles and MUC5B rs35705950 and TOLLIP rs5743890 SNPs were genotyped in U.S. veterans with RA. ILD was validated through medical record review. Genetic associations with ILD were assessed in logistic regression models overall and in subgroups defined by race and smoking status, with additive interactions assessed by the relative excess risk of interaction (RERI).

RESULTS

Of 2,556 participants (88% male, 77% White), 238 (9.3%) had ILD. The MUC5B variant was associated with ILD (OR 2.25 [95% CI 1.69, 3.02]), whereas TOLLIP and HLA-DRB1 SE were not. The MUC5B variant was less frequent among Black/African American participants (5.8% vs. 22.6%), though its association with RA-ILD was numerically stronger (OR 4.23 [1.65, 10.86]) compared to all other participants (OR 2.32 [1.70, 3.16]). Those with the MUC5B variant and a smoking history had numerically higher odds of ILD (OR 4.18 [2.53, 6.93]) than non-smokers (OR 2.41 [1.16, 5.04]). Additive interactions between MUC5B-race and MUC5B-smoking were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

In this large RA cohort, the MUC5B promoter variant was associated with >2-fold higher odds of RA-ILD. While this variant is less common among Black/African American patients, its presence in this population carried >4-fold higher odds of RA-ILD.

Coadministration of Immunosuppressant Treatments With Pegloticase in the Context of Solid-Organ Transplantation and Gout: A Case Report

Refractory gout can be treated with infusions of pegloticase, which metabolizes uric acid into a product readily excreted in urine. Antidrug antibodies often develop, leading to reduced efficacy and potential infusion reactions. The concomitant administration of immunosuppressive agents has been suggested as a means of mitigating the effects of drug-related immunogenicity, rendering treatment more tolerable, and resulting in better outcomes. This report presents cases of 2 patients with tophaceous gout, each having previously undergone a solid-organ transplant, each taking immunosuppressants to prevent organ rejection, and each successfully treated with pegloticase. Although data from randomized controlled studies are needed, these cases suggest that it may be beneficial to coadminister an immunosuppressive medication to extend drug persistence with pegloticase in the management of refractory gout. This approach could allow patients to receive long-term treatment, resulting in improved patient outcomes.

Environmental Triggers of Hyperuricemia and Gout

Gout is the most prevalent type of inflammatory arthritis worldwide and environmental factors contribute to hyperuricemia and risk for gout flare. Causes of hyperuricemia include increased purine consumption from meat, alcohol, and high fructose corn syrup as well as medications such as cyclosporine, low-dose aspirin, or diuretics. Triggers for gout flares include increased purine consumption and medication use such as urate lowering therapy and diuretics. Environmental exposures including lead exposure, particulate matter exposure, temperature fluctuations, and physiologic stress have been found to trigger flares. In the right clinical scenario, these factors should be considered when treating gout patients.

Inhalant and Additional Mucosal-Related Environmental Risks for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) occurs as the result of a complex interplay of environmental factors in a genetically susceptible individual. There is considerable evidence that the lungs may serve as an initial site of tolerance loss in the generation of RA-related autoimmunity, and several environmental inhalant exposures and lung diseases have been associated with RA risk. There is additional evidence that immune and microbial dysregulation of other mucosal sites, including the oral and gastrointestinal mucosa, may contribute to the development of RA. Epidemiologic evidence linking mucosal exposures to various environmental insults as risk determinants in RA will be reviewed.

Plasma metabolomic profiling as a tool to identify predictive biomarkers of methotrexate efficacy in rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE

Methotrexate (MTX) remains the first-choice disease-modifying therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, clinical response is variable, and no reliable predictive biomarkers of efficacy currently exist. In this study, plasma metabolomic profiling is evaluated as a tool to identify pretreatment biomarkers of MTX response in RA.

METHODS

Plasma collected from RA patients initiating MTX therapy (n = 20) were analyzed by metabolomic profiling totaling 648 identified metabolites. Pretreatment metabolomic profiles were compared based on clinical response after 16-weeks of MTX therapy. Clinical response to MTX was defined by a clinically meaningful reduction in disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28-ESR) of greater than 1.2.

RESULTS

Pretreatment plasma levels of 19 metabolites were found to differ (p < 0.05) between RA patients based on response to MTX at 16-weeks. Spearman's correlation of pretreatment plasma metabolite levels with change in DAS28-ESR over the treatment period further supported three of the identified metabolites as associated with MTX response (p < 0.05). The identified metabolite levels were all found to be lower in RA patients responsive to MTX but were not found to be intercorrelated. Receiver operating characteristic analysis of each of the identified metabolites, alone or in combination, demonstrated an excellent discrimination between responders and non-responders based on pretreatment plasma levels of nornicotine (AUC = 0.84), N-methylisoleucine (AUC = 0.82), 2,3-dihydroxybutanoic acid (AUC = 0.82), and a combination biomarker panel score (AUC = 0.98).

CONCLUSION

Pretreatment plasma metabolomic profiling identified multiple metabolites associated with early response to MTX therapy in RA and represents a promising approach for the identification of clinical biomarkers of MTX response in RA.

Associations between shortened telomeres and rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease among U.S. Veterans

BACKGROUND

Shortened telomeres are associated with several different subtypes of interstitial lung disease (ILD), although studies of telomere length and ILD in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are lacking.

METHODS

Within the Veterans Affairs Rheumatoid Arthritis (VARA) registry, we performed cross-sectional and case-control studies of prevalent and incident ILD, respectively. We randomly selected a subset of RA patients with ILD and individually matched them to RA patients without ILD according to age, sex, and VARA enrollment date. Telomere length was measured on peripheral blood leukocytes collected at registry enrollment using quantitative PCR (T/S ratio). Short telomeres were defined as a T/S ratio in the lowest 10th percentile of the cohort.

RESULTS

Our cross-sectional study cohort was comprised of 54 RA-ILD patients and 92 RA-non-ILD patients. T/S ratios significantly differed between patients with and without prevalent ILD (1.56 [IQR 1.30, 1.78] vs. 1.96 [IQR 1.65, 2.27], p < 0.001). Similarly, prevalence of ILD was significantly higher in patients with short vs. normal-length telomeres (73.3% vs. 32.8%, p = 0.002). Short telomeres were independently associated with an increased odds of prevalent ILD compared to normal-length telomeres (adjusted OR 6.60, 95% CI 1.78-24.51, p = 0.005). In our case-control analysis, comprised of 22 incident RA-ILD cases and 36 RA-non-ILD controls, short telomeres were not associated with incident RA-ILD (adjusted OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.06-13.4, p = 0.94).

CONCLUSION

Short telomeres were strongly associated with prevalent but not incident ILD among patients with RA. Additional studies are needed to better understand telomere length dynamics among RA patients with and without ILD.

Adipocytokines and achievement of low disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

PURPOSE

To determine if adipocytokines are independently associated with the achievement of low disease activity (LDA) over long-term follow-up in a large rheumatoid arthritis (RA) registry.

METHODS

This cohort study evaluated adults with RA from the Veteran's Affairs RA Registry. Adipocytokines (adiponectin, leptin, and fibroblast growth factor [FGF]-21) and inflammatory cytokines were measured as part of a multi-analyte panel on banked serum from enrollment. Covariates were derived from medical record, biorepository, and registry databases. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models evaluated associations between adipocytokines and rates of 1) DAS28 LDA and remission, 2) individual Boolean remission criteria and 3) initiation of a new bDMARD or tsDMARD.

RESULTS

There were 1,276 participants with a DAS28 >3.2 at enrollment. Of these, 827 achieved LDA and 598 achieved remission over 2,287 and 4,096 person-years, respectively. Patients in the highest quartile of adiponectin had lower rates LDA before and after adjustment [aHR Q4: 0.68 (0.53,0.87) p<0.001]. Those in the highest quartile of leptin and FGF-21 also had lower rates of LDA. Higher quartiles of adipocytokines were also associated with lower rates of achieving a low patient/evaluator global scores and low tender joint counts. Among 1,236 biologic-naïve participants, values above the median for adiponectin [HR: 1.67 (1.23,1.26) p = 0.001] and FGF-21 [HR: 1.27 (1.09,1.47) p = 0.002] were associated with a greater likelihood of initiating a b/tsDMARD.

CONCLUSIONS

Adipocytokines may serve as prognostic biomarkers of a more severe RA disease course. Additional study is needed to determine whether adipocytokines are phenotypic markers or whether they actively promote disease progression.

Peptidyl arginine deiminase expression and macrophage polarization following stimulation with citrullinated and malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde modified fibrinogen

OBJECTIVE

Post-translational modifications of extracellular matrix proteins such as fibrinogen may lead to tolerance loss and have been implicated in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether fibrinogen (FIB) modified with citrulline (CIT), malondialdehyde-acetaldehyde (MAA) or both leads to altered macrophage polarization, peptidyl arginine deiminase (PAD) expression, or production of citrullinated proteins.

METHODS

PMA-treated U-937 cells (M0 cells) were stimulated with MAA, CIT or MAA-CIT modified FIB. Macrophage (M1/M2) phenotypes were evaluated by flow cytometry, RT-PCR, and ELISA. PAD enzyme expression and protein citrullination was evaluated using RT-PCR and Western Blot.

RESULTS

Flow cytometry revealed that M0 macrophages stimulated with FIB-MAA-CIT resulted in mixed M1/M2 phenotypes as demonstrated by cell surface expression and mRNA levels of CD14, CD192, CD163, and CD206 (p < 0.001 vs. others), and the release of IL-18, IP-10, CCL22, and IL-13 (p < 0.001 vs. others). While FIB-MAA treated M0 cells demonstrated a mixed M1/M2 phenotype, cytokine and cell surface markers differed from FIB-MAA-CIT. Finally, M0 cells treated with FIB-CIT demonstrated markers and cytokines consistent with only the M1-like phenotype. Exposure of M0 cells to FIB-MAA-CIT (at 48 h) and FIB-MAA (at 24 h) led to increased mRNA expression and protein expression of PAD2 (p < 0.001) with increased protein citrullination.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that MAA-modification and citrullination of FIB, in isolation or combination, yield specific effects on macrophage polarization, PAD expression and citrullination that ultimately may induce inflammatory and fibrotic responses associated with RA.

Antibodies to Citrullinated Protein Antigens, Rheumatoid Factor Isotypes and the Shared Epitope and the Near-Term Development of Clinically-Apparent Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background/Purpose

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) autoantibodies including antibodies to citrullinated protein antigens (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) can be predictive of incident clinical RA. However, there is limited understanding of how antibody changes over time impact prediction of the likelihood and timing of future clinical RA.

Materials and Methods

We evaluated relationships between ACPA, the shared epitope (SE), RF isotypes and incident RA in a prospective cohort of 90 ACPA(+) individuals without baseline arthritis identified through health-fair testing (i.e. Healthfair). We also evaluated ACPA and RF isotypes and time-to-diagnosis of RA in a retrospective cohort of 215 individuals with RA from the Department of Defense Serum Repository (DoDSR).

Results

Twenty-six of 90 (29%) of ACPA(+) Healthfair participants developed incident RA. Baseline or incident dual RF-IgA and RF-IgM positivity was associated with increased risk for incident RA (HR 3.09; 95% CI 1.15 to 8.29) although RFs were negative in ~50% of individuals with incident RA. SE was associated with increased risk of RA (HR 2.87, 95% CI 1.22-6.76). In the DoDSR cohort, triple positivity for ACPA, RF-IgA and RF-IgM was present a median of 1-2 years prior to RA diagnosis, with some sex-specific differences.

Conclusion

These findings can be used to counsel individuals at-risk for future RA and to design clinical trials for RA prevention. The findings also suggest that RF could be a surrogate outcome as a success of an immunologic intervention in RA prevention. Additional studies are needed to understand the biologic of different patterns of autoantibody elevations in RA evolution.

Relationship Between a Vitamin D Genetic Risk Score and Autoantibodies Among First-Degree Relatives of Probands With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective

Higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels have been associated with reduced risk for autoimmune diseases and are influenced by vitamin D metabolism genes. We estimated genetically-determined vitamin D levels by calculating a genetic risk score (GRS) and investigated whether the vitamin D GRS was associated with the presence of autoantibodies related to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in those at increased risk for developing RA and SLE, respectively.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we selected autoantibody positive (aAb+) and autoantibody negative (aAb-) individuals from the Studies of the Etiologies of Rheumatoid Arthritis (SERA), a cohort study of first-degree relatives (FDRs) of individuals with RA (189 RA aAb+, 181 RA aAb-), and the Lupus Family Registry and Repository (LFRR), a cohort study of FDRs of individuals with SLE (157 SLE aAb+, 185 SLE aAb-). Five SNPs known to be associated with serum 25(OH)D levels were analyzed individually as well as in a GRS: rs4588 (GC), rs12785878 (NADSYN1), rs10741657 (CYP2R1), rs6538691 (AMDHD1), and rs8018720 (SEC23A).

Results

Both cohorts had similar demographic characteristics, with significantly older and a higher proportion of males in the aAb+ FDRs. The vitamin D GRS was inversely associated with RA aAb+ (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.74-0.99), suggesting a possible protective factor for RA aAb positivity in FDRs of RA probands. The vitamin D GRS was not associated with SLE aAb+ in the LFRR (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.94-1.27). The SEC23A SNP was associated with RA aAb+ in SERA (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.43-0.99); this SNP was not associated with SLE aAb+ in LFRR (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 0.90 - 2.19).

Conclusion

Genes associated with vitamin D levels may play a protective role in the development of RA aAbs in FDRs of RA probands, perhaps through affecting lifelong vitamin D status. The GRS and the SEC23A SNP may be of interest for future investigation in pre-clinical RA. In contrast, these results do not support a similar association in SLE FDRs, suggesting other mechanisms involved in the relationship between vitamin D and SLE aAbs not assessed in this study.