December 2024 to March 2025
Author: Rym Abida & Clementina Lopez-Medina
Analysis of the longitudinal behaviour of serum levels of angiogenic markers in pregnant women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
De Jesús N, et al. (doi:10.1002/acr.25536) assessed the kinetics of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio in a cohort of pregnant patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). These angiogenic markers were not correlated with disease activity. However, pre-eclampsia was significantly associated with higher levels of sFlt-1/PlGF ratios, and lower levels of PlGF. These changes started before the onset of clinical manifestations.
High levels of high-sensitivity CRP as a predictive factor of developing psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis
Eder L, et al. (doi:10.1002/acr.25539) analysed data from a prospective study including 589 patients with psoriasis between 2006 and 2019. Fifty-seven patients developed psoriatic arthritis (PsA) during follow-up. High levels of hs-CRP were significantly associated with arthralgia, obesity and female gender. Multivariable analysis revealed that high hs-CRP levels were associated with future development of PsA (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01, 1.07, p=0.007). No significant interaction was found between hs-CRP and gender or body mass index.
Recommendations for monitoring of juvenile idiopathic arthritis associated uveitis in long-term disease remission
Foeldvari I, et al. (doi:10.1002/acr.25542) tried to address the absence of international guidance on monitoring children and young adults with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-associated uveitis (JIAU) in long term remission. The agreement was unanimous on starting a standard monitoring every 4 months during the first four years after medication cessation. This frequency should be maintained beyond the first four years for the patients with structural complications and reduced to every 6 months for those in stable remission.
Racial, Ethnic, Sex, and Geographical Diversity in Myositis Clinical Trials
Siva R, et al. (doi:10.1002/acr.25525) ran a systematic review that included 19 RCTs in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) between 2010 and 2023 assessing the current state of recruitment in terms of diversity in race, ethnicity, gender and geographic distribution of enrolling sites. They have specified the difference between race and ethnicity and found that almost half of the trials did not report appropriately the race and ethnicity of their participants and 16% of trials have conflated both terms. Gender ratio was found to be similar whereas most of the sites involved in the trials were located in developed countries.
Colchicine concentrations and relationship with colchicine efficacy and adverse events
Stamp L, et al. (doi:10.1002/acr.25548) assessed the correlation between colchicine concentration and its efficacy and side effects through a post hoc analysis of an RCT comparing low-dose colchicine to placebo. Trough and peak colchicine levels were available for 79 patients in the colchicine arm and were not significantly associated with colchicine-specific side effects (gastrointestinal and muscular symptoms). Higher colchicine concentration was not associated with an effective prophylactic flare prophylaxis. As a conclusion, the therapeutic drug monitoring of colchicine is of limited value in clinical setting.
Rym Abida
Rym is a specialty doctor graduated in Tunis, Tunisia focusing on autoimmune rheumatic diseases and vasculitis. She is currently a clinical research fellow and a PhD student in the department of Ageing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine at University College London and an honorary clinical fellow in the Rheumatology department at University College London Hospital. Her research interests are mainly focused on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, trying to understand long-term remission. She is also contributing to the ongoing research trials in the department. Rym is the past president of the Tunisian Association of young Internists and past representative of Tunisia in the European Young Internists board. Rym is a member of the EMEUNET Country Liaison sub-committee.
Clementina López-Medina
Clementina is a Rheumatologist and Associate Professor at Reina Sofía University Hospital and the University of Córdoba, Spain. Her main research interest is clinical and translational research in Spondyloarthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis. She also leads the Spondyloarthritis Unit at her hospital. Clementina is a member of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology (SER), the Spanish Group of Interest in Spondyloarthritis (GRESSER), the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA), and a full member of the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS). She is also a member of the EMEUNET Social Media Sub-Committee.