Risk and predictors of fractures in early rheumatoid arthritis - A long term follow up study of an inception cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the risk of fractures in a cohort of patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA), compared to the background population, and predictors of fractures detectable early in RA. METHODS: An inception cohort of patients with RA (N = 233; 164 women/69 men, recruited 1995-2005) was evaluated according to a structured program, including repeated clinical assessments and measures of bone mineral density (BMD), from diagnosis to 10 years later. Matched population controls were identified using the national census register. Fractures through 2019 were identified based on ICD codes. Cox regression models were used to assess the risk of fractures in RA patients compared with controls, and for assessment of potential predictors for fractures in the RA population. RESULTS: RA patients had an increased risk of fractures (fully adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.52, 95 % CI 1.13; 2.06). In the RA cohort, high age, low body mass index, and low BMD were significant baseline predictors of future fractures in multivariate analyses, but baseline RA disease characteristics were not. Worse disability (i.e. higher Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) scores) over time was significantly associated with increased risk of fractures (age-sex-adjusted HR 1.33 per SD, 95 % CI 1.09; 1.63) and there was an inverse association between BMD Z-scores over time and fractures. CONCLUSION: Patients with RA had higher risk of fractures than controls. Fracture risk was related to BMD at baseline and over time in patients with RA. In addition, worse disability (measured by HAQ) over time was associated with higher risk of fractures.

Circulating Interleukin 17A and Other Inflammatory Proteins May Predict Cardiovascular Disease in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of 92 inflammatory proteins on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: This study included consecutive patients with early RA recruited between 1995 and 2002. Stored plasma samples were analyzed for 92 inflammatory proteins. CVD diagnoses were retrieved from national in-patient and cause-of-death registries. Statistical analyses were predesignated as hypothesis-driven or exploratory. For the latter, proteins were selected based on principal component analysis (ie, factor loading > 0.5 within main components). Potential predictors of CVD and coronary artery disease (CAD) were assessed using Cox regression. RESULTS: Data on baseline levels of proteins and CVD were available for 163 patients. As hypothesized, levels of interleukin 17A (IL-17A) were associated with CVD (hazard ratio 1.35, 95% CI 1.02-1.78, adjusted for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]), although not significantly with CAD. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels were significantly associated with both outcomes, but only in crude models. No associations were observed for IL-6, tumor necrosis factor, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, or IL-8. In the exploratory analyses, MCP-3 in particular had significant associations with both outcomes in crude models. CONCLUSION: Circulating IL-17A at RA diagnosis predicted future CVD, although we cannot exclude the possibility that this finding is due to multiple testing. The association was independent of traditional CVD risk factors, and of ESR at the time of diagnosis. Further, OPG may be a predictor of CVD. We also identified some novel potential biomarkers for CVD in RA.

Associations between plasma metabolism associated proteins and future development of giant cell arteritis: results from a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between biomarkers associated with metabolism and subsequent development of giant cell arteritis (GCA). METHOD: Participants in the population-based Malmö Diet Cancer Study (MDCS; N = 30447), who were subsequently diagnosed with GCA, were identified in a structured process. Matched GCA-free controls were selected from the study cohort. Baseline plasma samples were analyzed using the antibody-based OLINK proteomics metabolism panel (92 metabolic proteins). Analyses were pre-designated as hypothesis-driven or hypothesis-generating. In the latter, principal component analysis was used to identify groups of proteins that explain the variance in the proteome. RESULTS: There were 95 cases with a confirmed incident diagnosis of GCA (median 12.0 years after inclusion). Among biomarkers with a priori hypotheses, Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor E2 (ADGRE2) was positively associated (odds ratio (OR) per standard deviation (SD) 1.67; 95% CI 1.08-2.57), and Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 (FBP1) negatively associated (OR per SD 0.59; 95% CI 0.35-0.99) with GCA. In particular, ADGRE2 levels were associated with subsequent GCA in the subset sampled <8.5 years before diagnosis. For meteorin-like protein (Metrnl), the highest impact on the risk of GCA was observed in those sampled closest to diagnosis with a decreasing trend with longer time to GCA (p= 0.03). In the hypothesis generating analyses, elevated levels of receptor tyrosine-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) were associated with subsequent GCA. CONCLUSION: Biomarkers identified years before clinical diagnosis indicated a protective role of gluconeogenesis (FBP1) and an association with macrophage activation (ADGRE2 and Metrnl) and proinflammatory signals (ROR1) for development of GCA.

Cartilage destruction in early rheumatoid arthritis patients correlates with CD21-/low double-negative B cells.

BACKGROUND: Involvement of B cells in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is supported by the presence of disease-specific autoantibodies and the efficacy of treatment directed against B cells. B cells that express low levels of or lack the B cell receptor (BCR) co-receptor CD21, CD21-/low B cells, have been linked to autoimmune diseases, including RA. In this study, we characterized the CD21+ and CD21-/low B cell subsets in newly diagnosed, early RA (eRA) patients and investigated whether any of the B cell subsets were associated with autoantibody status, disease activity and/or joint destruction. METHODS: Seventy-six eRA patients and 28 age- and sex-matched healthy donors were recruited. Multiple clinical parameters were assessed, including disease activity and radiographic joint destruction. B cell subsets were analysed in peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Compared to healthy donors, the eRA patients displayed an elevated frequency of naïve CD21+ B cells in PB. Amongst memory B cells, eRA patients had lower frequencies of the CD21+CD27+ subsets and CD21-/low CD27+IgD+ subset. The only B cell subset found to associate with clinical factors was the CD21-/low double-negative (DN, CD27-IgD-) cell population, linked with the joint space narrowing score, i.e. cartilage destruction. Moreover, in SF from patients with established RA, the CD21-/low DN B cells were expanded and these cells expressed receptor activator of the nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL). CONCLUSIONS: Cartilage destruction in eRA patients was associated with an expanded proportion of CD21-/low DN B cells in PB. The subset was also expanded in SF from established RA patients and expressed RANKL. Taken together, our results suggest a role for CD21-/low DN in RA pathogenesis.

Apolipoproteins and the risk of giant cell arteritis-a nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The etiology of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and its predictors are incompletely understood. Previous studies have indicated reduced risk of future development of GCA in individuals with obesity and/or diabetes mellitus. There is limited information on blood lipids before the onset of GCA. The objective of the study was to investigate the relation between apolipoprotein levels and future diagnosis of GCA in a nested case-control analysis. METHODS: Individuals who developed GCA after inclusion in a population-based health survey (the Malmö Diet Cancer Study; N = 30,447) were identified by linking the health survey database to the local patient administrative register and the national patient register. A structured review of medical records was performed. Four controls for every validated case, matched for sex, year of birth, and year of screening, were selected from the database. Anthropometric measures, self-reported physical activity, based on a comprehensive, validated questionnaire, and non-fasting blood samples had been obtained at health survey screening. Concentrations of apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) in stored serum were measured using an immunonephelometric assay. Potential predictors of GCA were examined in conditional logistic regression models. RESULTS: There were 100 cases with a confirmed clinical diagnosis of GCA (81% female; mean age at diagnosis 73.6 years). The median time from screening to diagnosis was 12 years (range 0.3-19.1). The cases had significantly higher ApoA-I at baseline screening compared to controls (mean 168.7 vs 160.9 mg/dL, odds ratio [OR] 1.57 per standard deviation (SD); 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-2.10) (SD 25.5 mg/dL). ApoB levels were similar between cases and controls (mean 109.3 vs 110.4 mg/dL, OR 0.99 per SD; 95% CI 0.74-1.32) (SD 27.1 mg/dL). The ApoB/ApoA1 ratio tended to be lower in cases than in controls, but the difference did not reach significance. The association between ApoA-I and GCA development remained significant in analysis adjusted for body mass index and physical activity (OR 1.48 per SD; 95% CI 1.09-1.99). CONCLUSION: Subsequent development of GCA was associated with significantly higher levels of ApoA-I. These findings suggest that a metabolic profile associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease may predispose to GCA.

Mortality in patients with psoriatic arthritis in Sweden: a nationwide, population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare all-cause mortality and causes of death between patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and the general population in Sweden. METHODS: Adults with at least one main PsA diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases-10: L40.5/M07.0-M07.3) from outpatient rheumatology/internal medicine departments 2001-2017 were identified from the National Patient Register. Each case was matched to five population comparator-subjects on sex/county/age at the case's first arthritis diagnosis. Follow-up ran from 1 January 2007, or from first PsA diagnosis thereafter, until death, emigration or 31 December 2018. Mortality was assessed overall, and stratified by sex and duration since diagnosis (diagnosis before/after 1 January 2007), using matched Cox proportional hazard regression (excluding/including adjustments for comorbidity) or Breslow test, as appropriate. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) of death, overall and stratified by sex/duration since diagnosis/age, as well as causes of death in PsA cases and comparator-subjects were also described. RESULTS: All-cause mortality was elevated in PsA (HR: 1.11 (95% CI: 1.07 to 1.16); IRR: 1.18 (95% CI: 1.13 to 1.22)), mainly driven by increased risks in women (HR: 1.23 (95% CI: 1.16 to 1.30)) and cases with longer time since diagnosis (HR: 1.18 (95% CI: 1.12 to 1.25)). IRR of death were significantly increased for all ages except below 40 years, with the numerically highest point-estimates for ages 40-59 years. When adjusted for comorbidity, however, the elevated mortality risk in PsA disappeared. Causes of death were similar among PsA cases/comparator-subjects, with cardiovascular disease and malignancy as the leading causes. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality risk in PsA in Sweden was about 10% higher than in the general population, driven by excess comorbidity and with increased risks mainly in women and patients with longer disease duration.

Osteoporosis-related fractures in men and women with established and early rheumatoid arthritis: predictors and risk compared with the general population.

OBJECTIVES: To study the risk of osteoporosis-related fractures in a community-based sample of men and women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) overall, as well as early (< 1 year of disease duration, follow-up time maximum 10 years) and established (RA diagnosis since ≥ 5 years on July 1, 1997) RA, compared with the general population. To study potential risk factors for fractures in patients with RA from baseline questionnaire data. METHODS: A community-based cohort of patients with RA (n = 1928) was studied and compared to matched general population controls. Information on osteoporosis-related fractures (hip, proximal upper arm, distal forearm and vertebral fractures) during the period July 1, 1997 to December 31, 2017 was obtained by linkage to the Swedish National Inpatient Register and the Cause of Death Register. The incidence of fractures was estimated in patients and controls. Cox regression models were used to assess the relation between RA and the risk of fractures and to assess potential predictors of fractures in RA patients. Analyses were stratified by sex, and performed in all patients with RA, and in subsets with early and established RA. RESULTS: The overall incidence of osteoporosis-related fractures in the RA cohort was 10.6 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 9.31; 12.0). There was an increased risk of fractures overall in both men (hazard ratio (HR) 1.55, 95% CI 1.03; 2.34) and women (HR 1.52; 95% CI 1.27; 1.83) with RA compared to controls, with significantly increased risk also in the hip. No increased risk of osteoporosis-related fractures overall was seen in patients with early RA (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.69; 1.49). Higher age, longer duration of RA, higher HAQ scores and higher scores in the visual analogue scale for global health were predictors of fractures. CONCLUSION: Both men and women with RA were at increased risk of osteoporosis-related fractures. Patients with early RA did not have significantly increased risk during the first 10 years of disease in this study.

Gender differences in illness perceptions and disease management in patients with gout, results from a questionnaire study in Western Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Aims were to examine gender differences in patients with gout with regard to a) self-reported gout severity, b) illness perceptions (IP), c) impact on daily activities and Quality of Life (QoL), d) advice from healthcare professionals, e) having changed dietary- or alcohol habits. METHODS: Adult patients with gout identified in primary and secondary care in Sweden between 2015 and 2017 (n = 1589) were sent a questionnaire about demographics, gout disease severity, IP (using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, (B-IPQ)) and disease management. T-tests, Chi square tests, ANalysis Of VAriance (ANOVA) and linear regression models were used for gender comparisons. RESULTS: Eight hundred sixty-eight patients responded to the questionnaire. Women, n = 177 (20%), experienced more severe gout symptoms (p = 0.011), albeit similar frequencies of flares compared to men. Women experienced modest but significantly worse IP with regard to consequences, identity, concerns and emotional response (p < 0.05) as well as daily activities such as sleeping (p < 0.001) and walking (p = 0.042) and QoL (p = 0.004). Despite this and a higher frequency of obesity in women (38 vs 21%, P < 0.001) and alcohol consumption in men (p < 0.001), obese women had received significantly less advice regarding weight reduction (47 vs 65%, p = 0.041) compared to obese men. On the other hand, women reported having acted on dietary advice to a larger degree. CONCLUSIONS: Despite only modestly worse gout severity and perception, women appear to have been given less information regarding self-management than men. These gender differences should be given attention and addressed in clinical care.

The National Prevalence of Clinically Diagnosed Psoriatic Arthritis in Sweden in 2017.

OBJECTIVE: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) prevalence estimates vary across studies; studies based on national data are few. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of clinically diagnosed PsA in Sweden in 2017, overall and stratified by sex, age, education, and geography, and to quantify disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) use among those in contact with specialized rheumatology care between 2015 and 2017. METHODS: Individuals who were 18 to 79 years of age, alive and residing in Sweden on December 31, 2017, and had a prior PsA diagnosis were identified from the National Patient Register (NPR) and/or the Swedish Rheumatology Quality Register (SRQ). PsA prevalence was estimated according to a base case (BC) definition (ie, ≥ 1 main PsA International Classification of Diseases code from rheumatology or internal medicine departments in the NPR or a PsA diagnosis in the SRQ), according to 4 sensitivity analysis definitions, and for those seen in specialized rheumatology care between 2015 and 2017. In the latter group, DMARD use during 2017 was also assessed. Data for stratifications were retrieved from national registers. RESULTS: The crude national prevalence of PsA for adults, aged 18 to 79 years, was estimated at 0.39%, according to the BC definition; 0.34% after accounting for diagnostic misclassification; and 0.32% to 0.50% across all sensitivity analyses. The prevalence was lower in males and in those with a higher level of education. The prevalence for those seen in specialized rheumatology care between 2015 and 2017 was estimated at 0.24%. During 2017, 32% of patients in this population received biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs, and 41% received conventional synthetic DMARDs only. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of clinically diagnosed PsA in adults, aged 18 to 79 years, in Sweden in 2017 was around 0.35%. Among PsA cases in recent contact with specialized rheumatology care, almost three-fourths received DMARD therapy in 2017.

Radiographic damage in early rheumatoid arthritis is associated with increased disability but not with pain-a 5-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate how radiographic damage, overall and measured as joint space narrowing score (JSNS) and erosion score (ES), as well as other clinical and laboratory measures, relate to disability and pain in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: An inception cohort of 233 patients with early RA, recruited in 1995-2005, was followed for 5 years. Disability was assessed with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and pain with a visual analogue scale (VAS; 0-100 mm). Radiographs of hands and feet were evaluated using the Sharp-van der Heijde score (SHS), including JSNS and ES. The relation for radiographic scores and other clinical parameters with pain and HAQ were evaluated cross-sectionally by multivariate linear regression analysis and over time using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: ES was significantly associated with HAQ cross-sectionally at inclusion, after 2 and after 5 years, and over time. Associations for HAQ with SHS and JSNS were weaker and less consistent compared with those for ES. There was no association between radiographic scores and pain at any visit. Both HAQ and pain were associated with parameters of disease activity. The strongest cross-sectional associations were found for the number of tender joints (adjusted p<0.001 at all visits). CONCLUSION: Joint damage was associated with disability already in early RA. Erosions of hands and feet appear to have a greater influence on disability compared with joint space narrowing early in the disease. Pain was associated with other factors than joint destruction in early RA, in particular joint tenderness-suggesting an impact of pain sensitization.

Autoantibodies to Disease-Related Proteins in Joints as Novel Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to develop and characterize a multiplex immunoassay for detection of autoantibodies against peptides derived from proteins known to play a role in development of arthritis and that are also expressed in joints. METHODS: We selected peptides from the human counterpart of proteins expressed in the joints, based on mouse models that showed these to be targeted by pathogenic or regulatory antibodies in vivo. Using bead-based flow immunoassays measuring IgG antibodies, we selected triple helical or cyclic peptides, containing the epitopes, to avoid collinear reactivity. We characterized the analytical performance of the immunoassay and then validated it in 3 independent rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohorts (n = 2,110), Swedish age- and sex-matched healthy controls, and patients with osteoarthritis (OA), patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). RESULTS: Screening assays showed 5 peptide antigens that discriminated RA patients from healthy controls with 99% specificity (95% confidence interval [CI] 98-100%). In our validation studies, we reproduced the discriminatory capacity of the autoantibodies in 2 other RA cohorts, showing that the autoantibodies had high discriminatory capacity for RA versus OA, PsA, and SLE. The novel biomarkers identified 22.5% (95% CI 19-26%) of early RA patients seronegative for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide and rheumatoid factor. The usefulness of the biomarkers in identifying seronegative RA patients was confirmed in validation studies using 2 independent cohorts of RA patients and cohorts of patients with OA, PsA, and SLE. CONCLUSION: A multiplex immunoassay with peptides from disease-related proteins in joints was found to be useful for detection of specific autoantibodies in RA serum. Of note, this immunoassay had high discriminatory capacity for early seronegative RA.

Analyses of plasma inflammatory proteins reveal biomarkers predictive of subsequent development of giant cell arteritis: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between biomarkers of inflammation and subsequent development of GCA. METHOD: Participants in the population-based Malmö Diet Cancer Study (MDCS; N = 30 447), established 1991-96, who were subsequently diagnosed with GCA, were identified in a structured process. GCA-free controls, matched for sex, year of birth and year of screening were selected from the study cohort. Baseline plasma samples were analysed using the antibody-based OLINK proteomics inflammation panel (92 inflammatory proteins). Analyses were pre-designated as hypothesis-driven or hypothesis-generating. In the latter, principal component analysis was used to identify groups of proteins that explain the variance in the proteome. Within components selected based on eigenvalues, proteins with a factor loading of >0.50 were investigated. RESULTS: Ninety-four cases with a confirmed incident diagnosis of GCA (median 11.9 years after inclusion) were identified. Among biomarkers with a priori hypotheses, IFN-γ was positively associated with GCA [odds ratio (OR) per s.d. 1.52; 95% CI 1.00, 2.30]. Eight biomarkers in the hypothesis-generating analyses were significantly associated with development of GCA. Among these, higher levels of IFN-γ (OR 2.37; 95% CI 1.14, 4.92) and monocyte chemotactic protein 3 (MCP3) (OR 4.27; 95% CI 1.26, 14.53) were particularly associated with increased risk of GCA in the subset sampled <8.5 years before diagnosis. Several other proteins known to be important for T cell function were also associated with GCA in these analyses, e.g. CXCL9, IL-2, CD40 and CCL25. CONCLUSION: Elevated IFN-γ levels were found years prior to diagnosis of GCA. T cell activation may precede the clinical onset of GCA.

Incident Gout and Risk of First-Time Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Prospective, Population-Based Cohort Study in Sweden.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk of first-time acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in a large cohort of primary and secondary care patients with incident gout compared to the general population. METHODS: Using register data for the period 2007-2017, we conducted a prospective, population-based cohort with 20,146 patients with incident gout (mean age 65.6 years; 67.4% male) and 83,517 matched population controls without prior history of coronary heart disease. We calculated incidence rates (IRs) and hazard ratios (HRs) adjusted for baseline comorbidities and dispensed prescriptions. In a sensitivity analysis, we included gout cases and controls with no previously diagnosed comorbidity (6,075 cases and 44,091 controls). RESULTS: The IR of first-time ACS was significantly increased in the gout cohort compared to controls (9.1 versus 6.3 of 1,000 person-years). Unadjusted Cox regression showed that gout patients had higher risk of first-time ACS compared to controls (HR 1.44 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.33-1.56]), with a higher HR in women (HR 1.64 [95% CI 1.41-1.90]) than in men (HR 1.36 [95% CI, 1.24-1.50]). In multivariable analysis, the risk diminished but remained significant (HR 1.15 [95% CI 1.06-1.25]). The risk was similar in the sensitivity analysis (HR 1.20 [95% CI 1.01-1.44]) and still higher in women (HR 1.34 [95% CI 0.86-2.08]) than in men (HR 1.18 [95% CI 0.97-1.44]). CONCLUSION: Patients with incident gout have a 44% increased risk of first-time ACS, higher in women than in men. This risk is largely explained by the underlying comorbidities, but there is still a modestly increased risk that may be due to gout-related factors.

Male Sex Predicts a Favorable Outcome in Early ACPA-Negative Rheumatoid Arthritis: Data From an Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the relationship between sex and clinical outcomes in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) varies by autoantibody status. METHODS: Two inception cohorts of consecutive patients with early RA (ie, symptom duration ≤ 12 months) in the southern region of Sweden were investigated. Patients were stratified by anticitrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) status. The primary outcome was remission (Disease Activity Score in 28 joints [DAS28] < 2.6) at 12 months. Secondary outcomes were remission at 6 months and European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology good response at 6 and 12 months compared to baseline. In logistic regression models, which were adjusted for age, DAS28 values, and Health Assessment Questionnaire values at baseline, the relationship between sex and clinical outcomes, stratified by ACPA status, was investigated. RESULTS: In total, 426 patients with early RA were included: 160 patients were ACPA negative and 266 patients were ACPA positive. At 12 months, 27.1% (38/140) of females and 24.1% (13/54) of males with ACPA-positive RA achieved DAS28 remission. In ACPA-negative RA, 16.0% (13/81) of females and 48.6% (18/37) of males achieved DAS28 remission at 12 months. Males had higher odds of reaching remission at 12 months in the ACPA-negative patient group (pooled adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.79, 95% CI 1.97-11.6), but not in the ACPA-positive group (pooled adjusted OR 1.06, 95% CI 0.49-2.30). CONCLUSION: Male sex was associated with better clinical outcomes in ACPA-negative early RA, but not in ACPA-positive early RA. The poor outcomes in females with early seronegative RA suggest that this represents a difficult-to-treat patient group.

Association between perinatal factors and future risk for gout-a nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Increased level of urate is the strongest risk factor for gout development but since only a minority of hyperuricemics are affected by gout, other pathogenic factors must be considered. Low birth weight is associated with future morbidities causing hyperuricemia, such as diabetes and renal disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate if, and to what extent, maternal and perinatal factors, including birth weight, are associated with future risk of being diagnosed with gout. METHODS: A population-based retrospective nested case-control registry study based on regional and national health care registers in Sweden. All incident cases of gout born in 1973 and onward who had received ≥1 diagnosis of gout from 2000 through 2019 in the region of western Sweden were included. Up to 5 non-gout controls were matched to each case by age, sex, and county at the year of first gout diagnosis. A range of maternal, gestational, and perinatal factors were analyzed for their potential association to future gout development. This included the health of the mother, gestational length, birth weight, number of siblings, and congenital malformations. RESULTS: Maternal diabetes, any congenital malformation, and being small for gestational age were factors that significantly increased the risk for future gout development, odds ratio (95% CI) 3.1 (1.3 to 7.4) (p=0.01), 1.33 (1.04 to 1.7) (p=0.02), and 1.75 (1.3 to 2.3) (p<.0001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, maternal diabetes and being small for gestational age increased the risk for future gout development in young adults. As of today, these conditions are becoming more prevalent and may contribute to the ongoing gout epidemic. These results require both confirmation and further delineation of underlying mechanisms.

One-Year Treatment Outcomes of Secukinumab Versus Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors in Spondyloarthritis: Results From Five Nordic Biologic Registries Including More Than 10,000 Treatment Courses.

OBJECTIVE: To describe baseline characteristics and to compare treatment effectiveness of secukinumab versus tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) using adalimumab as the main comparator. METHODS: This was an observational, prospective cohort study. Patients with SpA (clinical ankylosing spondylitis, nonradiographic axial SpA, or undifferentiated SpA) starting secukinumab or a TNFi during 2015-2018 were identified from 5 Nordic clinical rheumatology registries. Data on comorbidities and extraarticular manifestations (psoriasis, uveitis, and inflammatory bowel disease) were captured from national registries (data available in 94% of patients) and included in multivariable analyses. We assessed 1-year treatment retention (crude survival curves, adjusted hazard ratios [HRadj ] for treatment discontinuation) and 6-month response rates (Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score [ASDAS] score <2.1, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index [BASDAI] <40 mm, crude/LUNDEX-adjusted, adjusted logistic regression analyses with odds ratios [ORs]) stratified by line of biologic treatment (first, second, and third plus). RESULTS: In total, 10,853 treatment courses (842 secukinumab and 10,011 TNFi, of which 1,977 were adalimumab) were included. The proportions of patients treated with secukinumab during the first, second, and third-plus lines of treatment were 1%, 6%, and 22%, respectively). Extraarticular manifestations varied across treatments, while other baseline characteristics were largely similar. Secukinumab had a 1-year retention comparable to adalimumab as a first or second line of treatment but poorer as a third-plus line of therapy (secukinumab 56% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 51-61%] versus adalimumab 70% [95% CI 64-75%]; HRadj 1.43 [95% CI 1.12-1.81]). Across treatment lines, secukinumab had poorer estimates for 6-month response rates than adalimumab, statistically significantly only for the third-plus line (adjusted analyses: ASDAS score <2.1 OR 0.56 [95% CI 0.35-0.90]; BASDAI <40 mm OR 0.62 [95% CI 0.41-0.95]). Treatment outcomes varied across the 5 TNFi. CONCLUSION: Secukinumab was mainly used in biologics-experienced patients with SpA. Secukinumab and adalimumab performed similarly in patients who had failed a first biologic, although with increasing prior biologic exposure, adalimumab was superior.

Lifestyle Factors and Disease Activity Over Time in Early Axial Spondyloarthritis: The SPondyloArthritis Caught Early (SPACE) Cohort.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to study the importance of baseline BMI, smoking, and alcohol consumption (AC) for disease activity (DA) over 1 year in early axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), stratified by sex. METHODS: In the SPondyloArthritis Caught Early cohort (patients with chronic back pain onset at age < 45 yrs, with pain for ≥ 3 months and ≤ 2 yrs), the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) was recorded at inclusion, 3, and 12 months. All patients included in the analysis had axSpA based on a high physician's level of confidence at baseline. Differences in ASDAS over 1 year by BMI (normal < 25 kg/m2, overweight 25-29.9 kg/m2, and obese ≥ 30 kg/m2), smoking history (never/previous/current), and AC (none, 0.1-2 units/week, 3-5 units/week, and ≥ 6 units/week) at baseline were estimated using mixed linear regression models. RESULTS: There were 344 subjects (mean age of 30.3 yrs; 49.4% men). In women, obesity was associated with 0.60 (95% CI 0.28-0.91) higher ASDAS compared to normal BMI. In both sexes, AC tended to be associated with lower DA over 1 year, with a significant association only in women with the highest AC (mean difference of -0.55, 95% CI -1.05 to -0.04). Smoking was associated with higher ASDAS over 1 year compared to never smoking in both sexes, although the difference reached statistical significance only in female former smokers. Results were similar in multivariable analysis, adjusted for all lifestyle factors and other confounders. CONCLUSION: In early axSpA, BMI and smoking are associated with higher DA over 1 year, and AC with lower DA. The magnitude of the modest associations may differ between men and women.

Association between serum urate and CSF markers of Alzheimer's disease pathology in a population-based sample of 70-year-olds.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between urate and biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology has not been investigated. METHODS: We examined whether serum concentration of urate was associated with cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, amyloid beta (Aß)42, Aß40, phosphorylated tau (p-tau), total tau (t-tau), neurofilament light (NfL), and Aß42/Aß40 ratio, in cognitively unimpaired 70-year-old individuals from Gothenburg, Sweden. We also evaluated whether possible associations were modulated by the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele. RESULTS: Serum urate was positively associated with Aß42 in males (ß = 0.55 pg/mL, P = .04). There was a positive urate-APOE ε4 interaction (1.24 pg/mL, P interaction = .02) in relation to Aß42 association. The positive urate and Aß42 association strengthened in male APOE ε4 carriers (ß = 1.28 pg/mL, P = .01). DISCUSSION: The positive association between urate and Aß42 in cognitively healthy men may suggest a protective effect of urate against deposition of amyloid protein in the brain parenchyma, and in the longer term, maybe against AD dementia.