Rheumatology

The incidence and clinical features of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children were similar during the delta wave of COVID-19 to those observed during the first year of the pandemic among unvaccinated children and adolescents, Danish research suggests.

Polygenic risk scores for advanced knee and hip osteoarthritis are significantly associated with the likelihood of requiring joint replacement in community-dwelling older adults, Australian study findings indicate.

EULAR has put forward “points to consider” that aim to guide the integration of telehealth into rheumatology clinical practice.

Some people with psoriatic arthritis continue to experience a range of residual symptoms despite meeting stringent treatment targets, indicates a systematic review of real-world data.

The overall burden of vascular plaque measured on ultrasound scans is significantly associated with future risk for cardiovascular disease events in people with systemic lupus erythematosus, study findings indicate.

Individuals with juvenile idiopathic arthritis have a higher-than-average incidence of celiac disease that may be associated with a family history of autoimmunity and a more severe disease course, Italian researchers report.

Research from the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance has identified a number of factors, including diagnosis and vaccine type, that are associated with flare risk following vaccination among people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

People on immunomodulatory therapy have similar rates of breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infection to healthy controls, with a reduced risk seen in those with prior infection or seroconversion after vaccination, research suggests.

Study findings suggest that higher blood neutrophil counts and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio are associated with an increased risk for disease progression and mortality in patients with early systemic sclerosis.

This independent news story was supported by an educational grant from L’Institut Servier, Suresnes, France.

Findings from two studies suggest that the type of immunomodulatory therapy, and whether agents are used as monotherapy or in combination, may impact how well patients with immune-mediated diseases respond to COVID-19 vaccines.

Hispanic and Asian people with systemic lupus erythematosus are at significantly greater risk for developing renal, hematologic, and multiorgan disease than their White counterparts, US study findings indicate.

Among people with peripheral spondyloarthritis, those who also have psoriasis show different clinical characteristics to those without the skin condition, study findings indicate.

Treatment with a fixed-dose combination of the novel BTK inhibitor elsubrutinib and the JAK inhibitor upadacitinib offers no additional benefit over upadacitinib alone for people with rheumatoid arthritis, suggest phase 2 trial results.

Supported self-management improves attainment of urate targets in people with gout, research suggests.

COVID-19 vaccination with inactivated virus vaccines is associated with an increased risk for flares among men with gout, and colchicine prophylaxis may help reduce this risk, researchers report.

Treatment with DMARDs that target cytokine signaling is not associated with a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia in people with rheumatoid arthritis, US researchers report.

Measuring IL-22 levels may help predict whether IL-17 inhibitors or TNF inhibitors are more suitable for patients with psoriatic arthritis, Japanese research suggests.

A semi-automated method of classifying hip osteoarthritis into grades based on DXA images may be able to predict the need for total hip replacement, suggests research presented at the British Society for Rheumatology 2022 Annual Conference in Glasgow, UK.

Women with systemic lupus erythematosus are more likely to experience adverse outcomes following stroke than those without, research suggests.

Study findings presented at the British Society for Rheumatology 2022 Annual Conference in Glasgow, UK, provide support for pausing or delaying rituximab and considering other treatment options for people with rheumatoid arthritis during the COVID-19 pandemic.