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Background/Aims@#Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) responder index (SRI)-4 response has been achieved with belimumab treatment in patients with moderate disease activity in cornerstone clinical trials and following studies. However, most studies involved patients treated with a mean prednisolone-equivalent dose of approximately 10 mg/d and focused on the steroid-sparing effect of belimumab. We aimed to identify the effect of belimumab in patients with mild-to-moderate SLE who were treated with low-dose or no corticosteroids. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of patients treated with belimumab for at least 6 months between May 2021 and June 2022. The primary endpoint was SRI-4 response at 6 months. @*Results@#Thirty-one patients were included (13 low dose- and 18 steroid non-users). The mean age was 39.2 ± 11.4 years, and 90.3% of patients were female. The baseline Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment-Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SELENA-SLEDAI) score was 6.0 (4.0–9.0). The primary endpoint was achieved in 32.3% (10/31) of patients. Significant improvements in anemia, C4 levels, and SELENA-SLEDAI score were observed during treatment. Univariate analysis showed that the baseline SELENA-SLEDAI and arthritis were significantly associated with SRI-4 response at 6 months, and only the SELENA-SLEDAI remained significant (p = 0.014) in multivariate analysis. @*Conclusions@#This cohort study is the first to report the efficacy of belimumab after minimizing the effect of corticosteroids. Belimumab showed efficacy in improving the SELENA-SLEDAI score, anemia, and low C4 in patients who did not receive corticosteroids or received only low doses.
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Background@#The guidelines of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been continuously updated, with extensive discussion on the effectiveness of the COVID-19 booster vaccines and antibody generation associated with the different types of vaccine. We investigated the effects of the third dose of the mRNA vaccine on antibody titer and the factors associated with antibody production in patients with RA who had previously received two doses of the ChAdOx1-S nCoV-19 vaccine. @*Methods@#Between October 14, 2021 and June 17, 2022, two patient groups diagnosed with RA were recruited prospectively: one with two doses of ChAdOx1-S nCoV-19 and the second group with the additional third mRNA vaccine. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibody titers were determined through semiquantitative anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Antibody titers were compared in both groups considering clinical features and medications. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with antibody production. Also, we followed up the antibody titers of whom completed the 3rd mRNA vaccination. @*Results@#Among 261 patients, all patients were over 60 years old except for 7 patients and the average age was 65 years; 153 had completed two doses of ChAdOx1-S nCoV-19, while 108 patients had also received the third mRNA vaccine. The positive rates of anti-SARS-CoV-2 anti-S1/receptor binding domain-specific antibody (titer > 0.8 U/mL) were 97% (149/153) and 99% (107/108) respectively. However, positive rates for high antibody titer (> 250 U/ mL) were found in only 31% (47/153) of group 1 but 94% (102/108) of group 2. Multivariate analysis revealed that corticosteroid use (odds ratio [OR], 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16–0.75), older age (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.860–0.98), and male sex (OR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.07–0.74) were associated with a lower rate of high antibody titer acquisition after two doses of ChAdOx1-S nCoV-19. Waning of antibody titers was observed in only two of 46 patients who followed up twice after the third mRNA vaccine inoculation. @*Conclusion@#Our findings suggest that the third dose of the mRNA vaccine could be beneficial in RA patients with risk factors including older age, male sex, and corticosteroid use after two doses of ChAdOx1-S nCoV-19.
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Background/Aims@#We aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) vs. biologic disease- modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARD) in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who had an inadequate response to conventional synthetic DMARDs. @*Methods@#A quasi-experimental, multi-center, prospective, non-randomized study was conducted to compare response rates between JAKi and bDMARDs in patients with RA naïve to targeted therapy. An interim analysis was performed to estimate the proportion of patients achieving low disease activity (LDA) based on disease activity score (DAS)–28– erythroid sedimentation rate (ESR) (DAS28-ESR) at 24 weeks after treatment initiation and to evaluate the development of adverse events (AEs). @*Results@#Among 506 patients enrolled from 17 institutions between April 2020 and August 2022, 346 (196 JAKi group and 150 bDMARD group) were included in the analysis. After 24 weeks of treatment, 49.0% of JAKi users and 48.7% of bDMARD users achieved LDA (p = 0.954). DAS28-ESR remission rates were also comparable between JAKi and bDMARD users (30.1% and 31.3%, respectively; p = 0.806). The frequency of AEs reported in the JAKi group was numerically higher than that in the bDMARDs group, but the frequencies of serious and severe AEs were comparable between the groups. @*Conclusions@#Our interim findings reveal JAKi have comparable effectiveness and safety to bDMARDs at 24 weeks after treatment initiation.
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Objective@#Renal involvement in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) can lead to severe renal dysfunction requiring dialysis at diagnosis. We aimed to study the clinical and pathologic characteristics of patients with AAV dependent on dialysis at presentation and the long-term renal outcomes of patients who recovered from dialysis. @*Methods@#This retrospective study analyzed data of patients diagnosed with AAV who were on dialysis from July 2005 to May 2021 at a single tertiary center in Korea. @*Results@#Thirty-four patients were included in the study (median age: 64.5 years, females: 61.8%), of which 13 discontinued and 21 continued dialysis. The proportion of normal glomeruli (p<0.001) and interstitial fibrosis (p=0.024) showed significant differences between both groups. Multivariable analysis showed that the proportion of normal glomeruli was associated with dialysis discontinuation (odds ratio=1.29, 95% confidence interval 0.99~1.68, p=0.063), although without statistical significance. Treatment modalities, including plasmapheresis, did not show significance with dialysis discontinuation. In the follow-up analysis of 13 patients who had discontinued dialysis for a median of 81 months, 12 did not require dialysis, and their glomerular filtration rate values significantly increased at follow-up time compared to when they stopped dialysis (37.5 [28.5~45.5] vs. 24.0 [18.5~30.0] mL/ min/1.73 m²; p=0.008). @*Conclusion@#Approximately 38% of AAV patients on dialysis discontinued dialysis, and the recovered patients had improved renal function without dialysis during longer follow-up. Patients with AAV on dialysis should be given the possibility of dialysis discontinuation and renal recovery, especially those with normal glomeruli in kidney pathology.
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Background/Aims@#Although non-proliferative lupus nephritis (LN) (class I, II or V) has been considered as a less severe type of LN, data on long-term renal prognosis are limited. We investigated the long-term outcomes and prognostic factors in non-proliferative LN. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who were diagnosed with LN class I, II, V, or II + V by kidney biopsy from 1997 to 2021. A poor renal outcome was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 4 or activity score > 6 were significantly associated with poor renal outcomes. The multivariate analysis revealed that low eGFR at 6 months (HR 0.971, 95% CI 0.949–0.991; p = 0.014) was significantly associated with poor renal outcomes. @*Conclusions@#Poor renal outcomes occurred in approximately 30% of patients with non-proliferative LN after long-term follow-up. More active management may be needed for non-proliferative LN, especially for patients with eGFR < 60 mL/ min/1.73 m2 at 6 months follow-up after LN diagnosis.
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Background/Aims@#The recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been associated with changes in the epidemiology of not only infectious diseases but also several non-infectious conditions. This study investigated changes in the recorded incidence of various rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. @*Methods@#The number of patients for each disease from January 2016 to December 2020 was obtained from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. We compared the incidence of nine rheumatic diseases (seropositive rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE], idiopathic inflammatory myositis [IIM], ankylosing spondylitis [AS], systemic sclerosis, Sjögren’s syndrome, Behçet’s disease [BD], polymyalgia rheumatica, and gout) and hypertensive diseases to control for changes in healthcare utilisation before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. The disease incidence before and after the COVID-19 outbreak was compared using the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and quasi- Poisson analyses. @*Results@#Compared with the predicted incidence in 2020 using the ARIMA model, the monthly incidence of SLE, BD, AS, and gout temporarily significantly decreased, whereas other rheumatic diseases and hypertensive diseases were within the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the predicted values in the first half of 2020. In age- and sex-adjusted quasi-Poisson regression analysis, the annual incidences of IIM (rate ratio [RR], 0.473; 95% CI, 0.307 to 0.697), SLE (RR, 0.845; 95% CI, 0.798 to 0.895), and BD (RR, 0.850; 95% CI, 0.796 to 0.906) were significantly decreased compared with those in the previous 4 years. @*Conclusions@#The recorded annual incidence of some rheumatic diseases, including IIM, SLE, and BD, decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Objective@#Previous studies investigating the beneficial effect of rituximab on lupus nephritis (LN) reported controversial results. There have been few reports of renal response to rituximab according to renal function. We investigated the efficacy of rituximab in refractory/relapsing LN and the role of renal function as a predictor of renal response. @*Methods@#From 2016 to 2019, we retrospectively reviewed 22 patients with refractory/relapsing LN receiving rituximab. Renal responses (complete and partial) at 6 and 12 months were compared between normal (glomerular filtration rate [GFR]≥90 mL/min/1.73 m2 , n=11) and decreased (GFR＜90 mL/min/1.73 m2 , n=11) GFR groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to assess predictors of renal response. @*Results@#At baseline, the decreased GFR group had a higher urine proteinuria to creatinine ratio (p=0.008) and proportion of refractory LN (p=0.010) and previous cyclophosphamide therapy (p=0.035) than the normal GFR group. The overall renal response rate was 45.5% (10 patients) at 6 months and 54.5% (12 patients) at 12 months. Renal response rates were higher in the normal GFR group (81.8% and 90.9% at 6 and 12 months, respectively) than in the decreased GFR group (9.1% and 18.2% at 6 and 12 months, respectively; p＜0.001). Normal GFR and anti-La were associated with renal response to rituximab, with hazard ratios of 9.256 (p=0.008) and 5.478 (p=0.041), respectively. @*Conclusion@#Rituximab is an effective therapy for refractory/relapsing LN, particularly in patients with preserved renal function.
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Purpose@#To compare (non-contact) thermal imaging with power Doppler (PD) for the evaluation of knee arthritis with joint effusion. @*Materials and Methods@#We enrolled patients with knee arthritis who were scheduled to undergo an arthrocentesis of the knee from April to December 2020 at a single tertiary hospital. A thermography camera, FLIR ONE Pro, was used to obtain both thermographic and digital images on subjects. For each subject, thermography, ultrasonography, arthrocentesis, and blood tests were conducted at the same study visit. Thermal imaging findings and clinical characteristics were compared by dividing the subjects into PD-positive and PD-negative groups on ultrasound. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the accuracy of PD positivity. @*Results@#A total of 30 knee arthritis patients were enrolled in this study. Knee temperature was significantly higher in PD-positive group compared to PD-negative group [maximum temperature (T max): 33.2°C vs. 30.5°C, p=0.025; minimum temperature (T min): 30.7°C vs. 27.0°C, p=0.015; average temperature (T ave): 32.1°C vs. 29.1°C, p=0.016]. Also, the joint fluid white blood cell count was considerably higher in PD-positive group than in PD-negative group (24556 cells/mm3 vs. 7840 cells/mm 3 , p=0.010). The area under the ROC curve of the point measurement of T max, T min, and T ave ranged between 0.764 and 0.790. @*Conclusion@#In this study, we found that high thermographic temperatures of the knee suggest a positive PD signal. Thus, thermography might be used as an adjuvant tool of PD for non-invasive evaluation of knee arthritis.
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Background/Aims@#Anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapy is required for patients with HBV infection receiving biologics because of the high risk of HBV reactivation. However, it is unclear when to start biologics after anti-HBV treatment. We investigated the risk of HBV reactivation according to the timing of biologics initiation after anti-HBV treatment in immune-mediated inflammatory disease (IMID) patients with HBV infection. @*Methods@#We retrospectively evaluated the incidence of HBV reactivation in IMID patients who received biologics between July 2005 and April 2020. The patients were divided into two groups (within 1-week and after 1-week) according to the timing of biologics initiation after anti-HBV treatment. The cumulative probabilities and factors associated with HBV reactivation were evaluated. @*Results@#A total of 60 hepatitis B surface antigen-positive patients with IMID received biologics (within 1-week group, n=23 [38%]; after 1-week group, n=37 [62%]). During a median follow-up of 34 months (interquartile range, 20 to 74 months), three patients (5%) developed HBV reactivation. In univariate analysis, the timing of biologics after anti-HBV treatment was not significantly associated with the risk of HBV reactivation (hazard ratio, 0.657; 95% confidence interval, 0.059 to 7.327; p=0.733). The cumulative probabilities of HBV reactivation did not significantly differ according to the timing of biologics (p=0.731). @*Conclusions@#The risk of HBV reactivation was not significantly associated with the timing of biologics administration after anti-HBV treatment. Thus, biologics may be initiated early in patients with IMID undergoing treatment for HBV.
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Background@#To evaluate the incidence and related factors of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) flares after switching from intravenous tocilizumab (TCZ-IV) to subcutaneous tocilizumab (TCZSC) injection in stable RA patients. @*Methods@#We retrospectively evaluated the medical records of stable RA patients who used TCZ-IV for more than 6 months and switched to TCZ-SC between January 2013 and April 2020. RA flare was defined as an increase of more than 1.2 in the RA disease activity as assessed by the disease activity score in 28 joints. The factors associated with RA flare were evaluated by logistic regression analysis. @*Results@#Among 106 patients treated with TCZ-IV for > 6 months, 37 patients were switched to TCZ-SC after the acquisition of remission or low disease activity. RA flares occurred in 11 (29.7%) of patients who switched TCZ-SC. Results from the multivariable logistic analysis revealed that the dose of TCZ-IV per weight at switching (odds ratio [OR], 20.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.22–192.84; P = 0.008) and methotrexate (MTX) non-use (OR, 8.53; 95% CI, 1.21–60.40; P = 0.032) were associated with the risk of RA flares after switching to TCZ-SC. Interestingly, most patients who switched back to TCZ-IV had their RA activity controlled again. @*Conclusion@#MTX non-use and high dose of TCZ-IV per weight were associated with a risk of RA flare after switching to TCZ-SC. RA patients with these factors need to be carefully observed for flare after switching from TCZ-IV to TCZ-SC.
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Inflammatory arthritis can affect the auditory system during the disease course. Although most cases show asymptomatic hearing impairment, it can result in hearing loss. Here we describe the case of a 70-year-old female with hearing impairment associated with idiopathic inflammatory arthritis in her auditory system. She had suffered from hearing difficulties for decades; however, the causes of her hearing impairment had not been evaluated. Pure tone audiometry showed severe sensorineural hearing loss requiring a cochlear implant. The workup for the cochlear implant revealed erosive changes in the incudomalleolar and incudostapedial joints with soft tissue swelling on temporal bone computed tomography. Bone pathology revealed plasmacytic infiltration and granulomatous inflammation. Laboratory examinations showed elevated levels of inflammatory markers; otherwise, she had negative results for all autoantibodies. In patients with idiopathic hearing loss, inflammatory arthritis of the middle ear without peripheral arthritis can provide a clue regarding the cause of the hearing loss.
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Purpose@#We compared the feasibility of quantitative analysis methods using bone SPECT/CT with those using planar bone scans to assess active sacroiliitis. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed whole-body bone scans and pelvic bone SPECT/CTs of 8 patients who had clinically confirmed sacroiliitis and enrolled 24 patients without sacroiliitis as references. The volume of interest of each sacroiliac joint, including both the ilium and sacrum, was drawn. Active arthritis zone (AAZ) was defined as the zone of voxels with higher SUV than sacral mean SUV within the VOI of SI joint. Then, the following SPECT/CT quantitative parameters, SUVmax (maximum SUV), SUV50% (mean SUV in highest 50% of SUV), and SUV-AAZ, and the ratio of those values to sacral mean SUV (SUVmax/S, SUV50%/S, SUV-AAZ/S) were calculated. For the planar bone scan, the mean count ratio of SI joint/sacrum (SI/S) was conventionally measured. @*Results@#Most of the SPECT/CT parameters of the sacroiliitis group were significantly higher than the normal group, whereas SI/S of the planar bone scan was not significantly different between the two groups. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, SUV-AAZ/S showed the highest AUC of 0.992, followed by SUV50%/S and SUVmax/S. All ratio parameters of the SPECT/CT showed higher AUC values than the SUV parameters of SI joint or SI/S of the planar scan. @*Conclusions@#The quantitative analyses of bone SPECT/CT showed better performance in assessing active sacroiliitis than the planar bone scan. SPECT/CT parameters using the ratio of the SI joint to sacrum showed more favorable results than SUV parameters such as SUVmax, SUV50%, and SUV-AAZ.
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Background/Aims@#Because ankylosing spondylitis (AS) mainly affects sacroiliac joints, special attention should be given to normal labour and pregnancy outcomes. Here, we investigate pregnancy outcomes in Korean women with AS. @*Methods@#Based on data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service claims database since July 2007, maternal complications were compared between women with AS and 1:10 matched general population by maternal age and year of delivery. Additionally, the 27 deliveries from 21 patients with AS who were seen at a tertiary hospital were retrospectively evaluated using 1:4 matched control group by maternal and gestational age. @*Results@#In the population-based cohort, there were 1,293 deliveries in 996 patients with AS. Higher maternal age and more comorbidities were reported than in the general population. However, compared to age and delivery-year matched population, only the rate of Caesarean section (CS) was higher in women with AS (odds ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.36 to 1.70). Incidence of other maternal complications was comparable between women with AS and control subjects. In the hospital-based cohort, the CS rate was higher in women with AS (44.4% vs. 20.4%, p = 0.002). Causes of CS was not different in both groups, including previous uterine surgery. There were no significant differences in foetal outcomes, including growth restriction, foetal malformations and Apgar score. @*Conclusions@#CS deliveries were performed more often in women with AS. However, other maternal complications and offspring complications were similar between women with AS and healthy control subjects.
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Recently, a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (B.1.1.529) Omicron variant originated from South Africa in the middle of November 2021. SARS-CoV-2 is also called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19. Several studies already suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant would be the fastest transmissible variant compared to the previous 10 SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, interest, and alert. Few clinical studies reported the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant but there is insufficient time to perform actual experiments to prove it, since the spread is so fast. We analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, which revealed a very high rate of mutation at amino acid residues that interact with angiostatin-converting enzyme 2. The mutation rate of COVID-19 is faster than what we prepared vaccine program, antibody therapy, lockdown, and quarantine against COVID-19 so far. Thus, it is necessary to find better strategies to overcome the current crisis of COVID-19 pandemic.
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Objective@#. Hydronephrosis, a common complication of idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (iRPF), may lead to poor renal outcomes unless resolved in a timely manner. IgG4-related diseases characterized by elevated serum IgG4 levels are responsible for a few iRPF cases. However, the underlying immunologic features of most iRPF cases have not been clearly defined, and these cases exhibit varied responses to medical treatment. Thus, we investigated the predictive factors for hydronephrosis-associated outcomes among iRPF patients. @*Methods@#. We retrospectively included 18 iRPF patients with hydronephrosis in a tertiary referral hospital from 2012 to 2019. Hydronephrosis improvement was assessed on images taken 6 months after diagnosis. Categorical variables were compared using chi-square or Fisher’s exact test. Continuous variables were compared using Mann–Whitney U-test. @*Results@#. On follow-up images, 8 patients (44.4%) showed an improvement in hydronephrosis. Patients with improvement more frequently had reverse serum IgG4/IgG3 ratio (87.5% vs. 30%, p=0.025), abdominal aorta involvement (87.5% vs. 30%, p=0.025) and glucocorticoid treatment administration (87.5% vs. 30%, p=0.025) than those without improvement. The proportion of elevated serum IgG4 level did not differ between the two groups.Even in the 14 cases with normal serum IgG4 levels, reverse serum IgG4/IgG3 ratio was more frequently observed in patients with improvement than in those without improvement (83.3% vs. 12.5%, p=0.026). @*Conclusion@#. The reverse serum IgG4/IgG3ratio was associated with hydronephrosis improvement in iRPF patients, suggesting it to be a suitable serologic marker for predicting favourable responses to glucocorticoid treatment.
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Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease predominantly affecting the axial skeleton. AS treatment aims to reduce pain and inflammation and maintain functional capacity. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the first-line treatment for those with active AS. While for peripheral arthritis, sulfasalazine or local glucocorticoid injection can be used, these are not recommended for axial symptoms. Twenty years ago, biological products that target the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were developed. These have been approved for use in rheumatoid arthritis and AS. Since the introduction of these TNF inhibitors, the control of disease activity in AS has improved markedly. TNF inhibitors, including both anti-TNF-alpha monoclonal antibodies and recombinant TNF soluble receptors, can be considered for patients with persistently active disease despite nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug treatment. Recently, interleukin-17 inhibitors have also been approved for use in AS patients with insufficient responses to TNF inhibitors. Ongoing clinical trials are exploring the effect of Janus kinase inhibitors against AS. This review summarizes the current pharmaceutical treatment for AS, focusing on the biological products. Recommendations for AS management are also discussed in this review.
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Background/Aims@#Because ankylosing spondylitis (AS) mainly affects sacroiliac joints, special attention should be given to normal labour and pregnancy outcomes. Here, we investigate pregnancy outcomes in Korean women with AS. @*Methods@#Based on data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service claims database since July 2007, maternal complications were compared between women with AS and 1:10 matched general population by maternal age and year of delivery. Additionally, the 27 deliveries from 21 patients with AS who were seen at a tertiary hospital were retrospectively evaluated using 1:4 matched control group by maternal and gestational age. @*Results@#In the population-based cohort, there were 1,293 deliveries in 996 patients with AS. Higher maternal age and more comorbidities were reported than in the general population. However, compared to age and delivery-year matched population, only the rate of Caesarean section (CS) was higher in women with AS (odds ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.36 to 1.70). Incidence of other maternal complications was comparable between women with AS and control subjects. In the hospital-based cohort, the CS rate was higher in women with AS (44.4% vs. 20.4%, p = 0.002). Causes of CS was not different in both groups, including previous uterine surgery. There were no significant differences in foetal outcomes, including growth restriction, foetal malformations and Apgar score. @*Conclusions@#CS deliveries were performed more often in women with AS. However, other maternal complications and offspring complications were similar between women with AS and healthy control subjects.
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A substantial portion of gout patients have normal serum urate levels during an acute attack but data on the clinical characteristics and risk of recurrence compared with hyperuricemic patients are limited. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, clinical features of normouricemic and hyperuricemic patients were compared. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine whether normouricemic patients were less likely to have a recurrent attack. Results: Among a total of 221 gout patients, 88 (39.8%) had normouricemia during an acute attack. Postsurgical gout (22.7% vs. 6.0%, p < 0.001), hemodialysis initiation (9.1% vs. 2.3%, p = 0.029) and inflammatory activity were higher in normouricemic patients than in hyperuricemic patients. The frequency of renal insufficiency was lower in normouricemic patients (25.0% vs. 53.4%, p < 0.001). However, the recurrence rate of gout attack was not different between the two groups (24.7% vs. 33.0%, p = 0.220). In multivariate analysis, female sex, history of urinary stone, presence of tophi, and use of thiazide were associated with increase of recurrent gout attack, but not with serum urate status during an acute attack (hazard ratio, 1.075; 95% confidence interval, 0.972 to 1.190; p = 0.159). Conclusions: Normouricemia during an acute gout attack was more frequently observed in postsurgical episodes, hemodialysis initiation and patients with preserved renal function. While higher inflammatory activity was observed in normouricemic patients, recurrent attack was not associated with serum urate levels during an acute attack. Thus, careful follow-up should be considered in gout patients regardless of serum urate levels during an acute attack.
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Background/Aims@#Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) have been known to induce liver enzyme elevation, sometimes associated with viral reactivation or toxic hepatitis. We evaluated the incidence and risk factors of TNFi-associated liver enzyme elevation in Korean ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients who previously had normal liver enzymes. @*Methods@#Retrospectively, we collected data from the records of 363 AS patients treated with TNFi at a tertiary hospital from 2003 to 2017. Liver enzyme elevation was defined as abnormal elevation of aspartate aminotransferase and/or alanine aminotransferase levels on two or more consecutive visits. Patients with previously diagnosed liver disease were excluded. @*Results@#The incidence of liver enzyme elevation was 23.7% (occurring in 86 of 363 patients). The median duration of TNFi exposure before liver enzyme elevation was 3.72 months (interquartile range, 1.77 to 12.51). There was no difference in the occurrence of liver enzyme elevation with concomitant disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs and TNFi compared to TNFi alone (23.9% vs. 23.6%). In multivariate analysis, the hazard ratios for liver enzyme elevation were 4.62 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43 to 15.01) for male sex, 4.06 (95% CI, 2.11 to 7.84) for underlying non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and 2.53 (95% CI, 1.38 to 4.64) for hyperlipidemia. After switching to another TNFi, the liver enzyme elevation was not normalized in nine of 13 patients. @*Conclusions@#Liver enzyme elevation was observed in a quarter of patients with AS receiving a TNFi. Male sex, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and hyperlipidemia were independent risk factors for liver enzyme elevation. Switching to another TNFi had a limited effect on restoring normal liver enzyme levels.
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Background@#Little is known about capsule endoscopy (CE) findings in patients with intestinal tuberculosis who exhibit small bowel lesions. The aim of the present study was to distinguish between Crohn’s disease (CD) and intestinal tuberculosis based on CE findings. @*Methods@#Findings from 55 patients, who underwent CE using PillCam SB CE (Given Imaging, Yoqneam, Israel) between February 2003 and June 2015, were retrospectively analyzed. @*Results@#CE revealed small bowel lesions in 35 of the 55 patients: 19 with CD and 16 with intestinal tuberculosis. The median age at diagnosis for patients with CD was 26 years and 36 years for those with intestinal tuberculosis. On CE, three parameters, ≥10 ulcers, >3 involved segments and aphthous ulcers, were more common in patients with CD than in those intestinal tuberculosis. Cobblestoning was observed in five patients with CD and in none with intestinal tuberculosis. The authors hypothesized that a diagnosis of small bowel CD could be made when the number of parameters in CD patients was higher than that for intestinal tuberculosis. The authors calculated that the diagnosis of either CD or intestinal tuberculosis would have been made in 34 of the 35 patients (97%). @*Conclusion@#The number of ulcers and involved segments, and the presence of aphthous ulcers, were significantly higher and more common, respectively, in patients with CD than in those with intestinal tuberculosis. Cobblestoning in the small bowel may highly favor a diagnosis of CD on CE.