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The long‐term impact of childhood‐onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in adult SLE patients in comparison to those with adult‐onset SLE is unknown. We aim to examine and compare HRQoL trajectories in adults with adolescent‐ and adult‐onset SLE. Patients enrolled in the LUpus in MInorities: NAture versus Nurture cohort were included. Adolescent‐onset SLE were those diagnosed before 24 years of age, and adult‐onset SLE were those diagnosed otherwise. Sociodemographic, clinical, medications, behavioral/psychological, and functioning data were obtained. Longitudinal trajectories of the physical component summary (PCS) and the mental component summary (MCS) Short Form 36 health survey scores were compared between the groups using a linear mixed model accounting for time‐dependent and independent covariates. A total of 470 SLE patients were included (95 with adolescent‐onset SLE and 375 with adult‐onset SLE). The mean ± SD age at diagnosis was 19.7 ± 2.8 years in the adolescent group and 39.3 ± 11.0 years in the adult group. The baseline PCS scores were higher (better physical functioning) in adolescent‐onset SLE than in adult‐onset SLE (38.9 versus 34.3, respectively; P< 0.001); however, the baseline MCS scores were comparable between the groups (41.4 versus 40.5, respectively; P= 0.53). The HRQoL improved equally in both groups with no statistically significant difference within and between the groups (last mean PCS and MCS scores 43.9 and 45.3 in adolescent‐onset SLE; 38.1 and 43 in adult‐onset SLE). Adults with adolescent‐onset SLE exhibited better physical functioning than those in the adult SLE group, despite more severe disease; noteworthy, HRQoL was below the general US population, despite clinically meaningful improvement in HRQoL over time in both groups.

To evaluate the association between the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics frailty index (SLICC‐FI) and damage accrual in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Patients from the multiethnic, multicenter LUpus in MInorities, NAture versus nurture (LUMINA) cohort were included. Damage was ascertained with the SLICC/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI) at last visit (range 0–51). The first visit in which the SLICC‐FI score could be derived was considered as the baseline (range 0–1). Univariable and multivariable negative binomial regression models were performed to determine the association between the baseline SLICC‐FI score (per 0.05 increase) and the change in the SDI score (difference between last and baseline SDI score), adjusted for sex, age at diagnosis, ethnicity, insurance, prednisone daily dose, and antimalarial and immunosuppressive drug use at baseline. Age and sex were included a priori in the multivariable model; the other variables were included if they reached P< 0.10 in the univariable models. Of the 503 patients included, 454 (90.3%) were female, with a mean ± SD age of 37.1 ± 12.5 years at diagnosis. The mean ± SD baseline SLICC‐FI score was 0.26 ± 0.06. The mean ± SD baseline SDI score was 0.6 ± 1.0, and the mean ± SD change in the SDI score was 1.9 ± 2.2. Higher SLICC‐FI scores at baseline (per 0.05 increase) were associated with greater damage accrual in the multivariable model after adjustment for possible confounders (incidence rate ratio 1.20 [95% confidence interval 1.08–1.33], P= 0.0015). The SLICC‐FI is associated with damage accrual in SLE patients from a multiethnic cohort, supporting the importance of this index in the evaluation of SLE patients, combining several aspects of their disease.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a type of arthritis that mostly affects the spine. Patients with AS also often have severe fatigue. Intravenous (IV)-golimumab, which blocks the inflammatory action of tumor necrosis factor, is approved to treat AS. We used information from a clinical trial (GO-ALIVE) to determine whether IV-golimumab reduced fatigue in patients with AS, and if fatigue improvement was associated with improvement in other AS symptoms, including spinal pain, ability to function, and inflammation. In the 1-year GO-ALIVE study, patients were assigned to receive either IV-golimumab or placebo. Patients assigned to placebo were switched to IV-golimumab starting at week 16. The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) fatigue question and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) vitality subscale were used to assess fatigue. Improvement in AS symptoms was measured using the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society ≥ 20% and ≥ 40%  improvement criteria (ASAS20 and ASAS40). After 16 weeks of treatment, patients treated with IV-golimumab, on average, had statistically significantly greater improvement in both measures of fatigue than patients treated with placebo. At 1 year, after the placebo group had received IV-golimumab starting at week 16, improvement in fatigue was similar between groups. Improvement in fatigue at week 16 increased the likelihood that ASAS20 and ASAS40 would be achieved at week 16. Similar results were observed at 1 year. Additionally, improvement in fatigue at week 16 predicted the likelihood of achieving ASAS20 and ASAS40 at 1 year. Together, these results demonstrate that IV-golimumab provided important, long-term improvement in fatigue in patients with AS that was positively associated with improvement in AS symptoms.

ObjectiveSacroiliac (SI) joint and spinal inflammation are characteristic of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), but some patients with AS have been identified who have discordant radiographic disease. We studied an AS subgroup with long-standing disease and fused SI joints. We identified factors associated with discrepant degrees of radiographic damage between the SI joints and spine.MethodsFrom the Prospective Study of Outcomes in AS (PSOAS) cohort, patients with a disease duration ≥ 20 years and fused SI joints were included in a nested case-control design. Patients with and without syndesmophytes were used as cases and controls for analysis. We used classification and regression tree (CART) analysis to determine risk factors for syndesmophytes presence and reexamined the validity of the risk factors using univariable logistic regression models.ResultsThere were 354 patients in the subgroup, 23 of whom lacked syndesmophytes. CART analysis showed females were less likely to have syndesmophytes. The next important predictor was age of symptom onset in males, with age of onset ≤ 16 years being less likely to have syndesmophytes. Univariable analysis confirmed females were less likely to have syndesmophytes (odds ratio [OR] 0.17, 95% CI 0.07-0.41). Syndesmophyte presence was associated with HLA-B27 positivity (P= 0.03) and age of symptom onset > 16 years old (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.15-6.45). All 23 patients who lacked syndesmophytes were HLA-B27 positive.ConclusionUsing CART analysis and univariable modeling, women were less likely to have syndesmophytes despite advanced disease duration and SI joint disease. Patients with younger age of symptom onset were less likely to have syndesmophytes. All patients without syndesmophytes were HLA-B27 positive, indicating HLA-B27 positivity may be more associated with SI disease than spinal disease.

ObjectiveThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created multiple uncertainties regarding rheumatic diseases or their treatment, with regard to the susceptibility to or severity of the viral disease. We aimed to address these questions as they relate to spondyloarthritis (SpA).MethodsWe created a longitudinal survey from April 10, 2020, to April 26, 2021. There were 4723 subjects with SpA and 450 household contacts who participated worldwide. Of these, 3064 respondents were from the US and 70.4% of them provided longitudinal data. To control for the duration of potential risk of COVID-19, the rate of contracting the disease was normalized for person-months of exposure.ResultsIn an analysis of US subjects who provided longitudinal data, the incident rate ratio for the 159 (out of 2157) subjects who tested positive for COVID-19 was 1.16 compared to the US population as adjusted for age and sex (range 0.997–1.361, P= 0.06). A paired evaluation using patients and household members did not show a statistically significant effect to indicate a predisposition for developing COVID-19 as a result of SpA or its treatment. Our data failed to show that any class of medication commonly used to treat SpA significantly affected the risk of developing COVID-19 or increasing the severity of COVID-19.ConclusionThese data do not exclude a small increased risk of developing COVID-19 as a result of SpA, but the risk, if it exists, is low and not consistently demonstrated. The data should provide reassurance to patients and to rheumatologists about the risk that COVID-19 poses to patients with SpA.

ObjectiveIndividuals with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have a greater cardiovascular (CV) risk than those in the general population. The effect of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis) on CV risk, including on the development of hypertension (HTN), remains unclear, with some data suggesting higher risk. We assessed the association of TNFi use with incident HTN in a longitudinal AS cohort.MethodsAdults with AS enrolled in a prospective cohort in 2002–2018 were examined every 4–6 months. TNFi use during the preceding 6 months was ascertained at each study visit. We defined HTN by patient-reported HTN, antihypertensive medication use, or, on 2 consecutive visits, systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg. We evaluated the association between TNFi use and the development of HTN with marginal structural models, estimated by inverse probability-of-treatment weighting, to account for time-dependent confounders and informative censoring. Potential confounders included age, sex, race, site, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug use, and disease activity.ResultsWe included 630 patients without baseline HTN and with at least 1 year of follow-up. Of these, 72% were male, mean age was 39 ± 13 years, and 43% used TNFi at baseline. On follow-up (median 5 yrs), 129 developed incident HTN and 163 started on TNFi during follow-up. TNFi use was not associated with incident HTN (adjusted HR 1.10, 95% CI 0.83–1.37).ConclusionIn our prospective AS cohort, TNFi use was not significantly associated with incident HTN.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the long-term effect of ixekizumab (IXE) on radiographic changes in the spine in patients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) by measuring change from baseline through 2 years in modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score (mSASSS), and to identify potential predictors of progression.MethodsThis study evaluates patients from COAST-V (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02696785, biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug–nai¨ve) and COAST-W (NCT02696798, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor–experienced) who had mSASSS data at baseline in the originating studies and 108 weeks after baseline in the extension study COAST-Y (NCT03129100). We examined the proportion of patients who did not have spinal radiographic progression through 2 years (108 weeks) of treatment with IXE (80 mg every 2 or 4 weeks) and the change from baseline to year 2 in mSASSS. Potential predictors of spinal radiographic progression were also evaluated.ResultsAmong patients with evaluable radiographs who were originally assigned to IXE (n = 230), mean (SD) change in mSASSS from baseline at year 2 was 0.3 (1.8). The proportion of nonprogressors over 2 years was 89.6% if defined as mSASSS change from baseline < 2 and 75.7% if defined as mSASSS change from baseline ≤ 0. Predictors of structural progression at year 2 (mSASSS change > 0) were age ≥ 40, baseline syndesmophytes, HLA-B27 positivity, and male sex. Week 52 inflammation in Spondyloarthritis Research Consortium of Canada spine was also a predictor of radiographic progression at year 2 in patients with magnetic resonance imaging data in COAST-V (n = 109).ConclusionThe majority of patients with r-axSpA receiving IXE had no radiographic progression in the spine through 2 years of treatment. Predictors were generally consistent with previous studies.

Objective.Cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality are increased in axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA).We conducted a cross-sectional study evaluating the 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in axSpA compared to the general US population.Methods.We included 211 adults, 40–75 years old with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or nonradiographic axSpA from 2 sites, who had available data on comorbidities, medication use, blood pressure measures, and laboratory cholesterol values. General population comparators from the 2009–2014 National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles were matched 4:1 to subjects, on age, sex, and race. We estimated the prevalence ratio for a 10-year ASCVD risk score ≥ 7.5% comparing axSpA and matched NHANES comparators using conditional Poisson regression.Results.Overall, subjects were 53.9 ± 11.2 years old, 69% were male, and 74% were White. The mean 10-year ASCVD risk score was 6.7 ± 6.9% for those with axSpA, and 9.0 ± 10.5% for NHANES comparators. Compared to those with axSpA, the prevalence of current smoking and diabetes was higher among NHANES comparators. The estimated prevalence ratio for a 10-year ASCVD risk score ≥ 7.5% comparing those with axSpA and their age-, sex-, and race-matched comparators was 0.96 (95% CI 0.74–1.24).Conclusion.The prevalence of a 10-year ASCVD risk score ≥ 7.5% was not significantly different comparing axSpA patients and those drawn from the general population who were similar in terms of age, sex, and race. Future studies should focus on improved CV risk prediction in axSpA, because underestimation by a general population risk score may potentially explain these results.

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increase blood pressure and potentially cardiovascular burden, which may limit their use in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Our objective was to determine the association of NSAID use with incident hypertension in a longitudinal AS cohort. Adults with AS were enrolled in a prospective cohort study of patient outcomes and examined every 4–6 months. Hypertension was defined by patient‐reported hypertension; antihypertensive medication use; or, on 2 consecutive visits, systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg. Continuous NSAID use was dichotomized based on the validated NSAID index. We assessed the association of NSAID use as a time‐varying exposure with the incidence of hypertension using Cox proportional hazards models. Of the 1,282 patients in the cohort, 628 patients without baseline hypertension had at least 1 year of follow‐up and were included in the analysis. Of these, 72% were male, the mean age at baseline was 39 ± 13 years, and 200 patients used NSAIDs continuously. On follow‐up, 129 developed incident hypertension. After controlling for other variables, continuous NSAID use was associated with a hazard ratio of 1.12 for incident hypertension (95% confidence interval 1.04–1.20), compared to noncontinuous or no use. The association did not differ in subgroups defined by age, body mass index, biologic use, or disease activity. In our prospective, longitudinal AS cohort, continuous NSAID use was associated with a 12% increased risk for the development of incident hypertension, as compared to noncontinuous or no NSAID use.

Objective.To assess the reliability and validity in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) of selected Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Short Forms (SF) developed by the US National Institutes of Health. The analysis was done across core sets and patient-identified domains of the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis international Society.Methods.Participants in the Prospective Study of Outcomes in Ankylosing Spondylitis (PSOAS), an ongoing, prospective longitudinal observational study, completed 6 PROMIS SF assessing global health, depression, fatigue, physical function, pain intensity, and pain interference during their PSOAS visits from September 2017 to January 2019. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, respectively. PROMIS SF were compared to legacy measures collected. Construct validity was evaluated through examination of score distributions and floor effects, and through examination of the Spearman correlation coefficients between PROMIS measures and existing legacy AS measures. Discriminant validity was tested across Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) groups.Results.Participants (n = 119) were mostly male (69%), white (81%), and with a mean (SD) age of 51 (± 15) years. Legacy measures demonstrated floor effects that were not present in PROMIS SF. Good test-retest reliability (r > 0.8) and excellent internal consistency (α > 0.9) was noted in the PROMIS SF. The 6 PROMIS SF correlated moderately to strongly [ρ 0.68 (Depression) to −0.87 (Physical Function)] with appropriate legacy measures. PROMIS scores measures worsened significantly (p < 0.05) with higher ASDAS groups.Conclusion.This study supports the reliability and construct validity of PROMIS SF to assess AS symptoms from a single-center sample of patients with AS. Further research is needed to test responsiveness, feasibility/resource burden, and different cultural/societal contexts for patients with AS.

To determine the difference in outcomes in patients who achieved or did not achieve the 2019 European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Patients from the LUpus in MInorities, NAture versus nurture (LUMINA) cohort were included. For these analyses, we compared those patients who achieved the 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria any time during follow‐up to those who did not. The predefined outcomes were the last Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/ACR Damage Index (SDI) scores and survival. Univariable and multivariable negative binomial regression models were performed; adjustment models were based on a forward selection process. In total, 98 of 640 patients never achieved the 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria. There was no difference in mean baseline SDI score among the patients who did not achieve the criteria compared to those who did. Conversely, the mean ± SD SDI score at last visit was lower for those who never achieved the criteria (1.2 ± 1.7 versus 2.0 ± 2.3, P= 0.0004). In the final adjusted model, the SDI score at last visit was 31% lower for those who never achieved the criteria (P= 0.0077). These patients were also more likely to survive, but this was not statistically significant. In our cohort, patients who did not achieve the 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria accrued less damage, suggesting that these criteria could allow us to identify a subset of patients with more severe disease than allowed by previous criteria.

Objective.To identify baseline features that predict progression of hand contractures and to assess the effect of contractures on functional status in the prospective GENISOS cohort.Methods.Rate of decline in hand extension, as an indicator of hand contracture, was the primary outcome. We assessed longitudinal hand extension measurements, modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (MHAQ) score, Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) physical function score, and demographic, clinical, and serological variables. Subjects with ≥ 2 hand measurements at least 6 months apart were included.Results.A total of 1087 hand measurements for 219 patients were available over an average of 8.1 ± 4.8 years. Hand extension decreased on average by 0.11 cm/year. Antitopoisomerase I antibody (ATA) positivity and higher modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) were predictive of faster decline in hand extension (p = 0.009 and p = 0.046, respectively). In a subgroup analysis of 62 patients with ≤ 2 years from SSc onset, ATA and diffuse disease type were associated with faster decline in hand extension; anticentromere positivity was associated with slower rate of decline. Although the rate of decline in patients with disease duration ≤ 2 years was numerically higher, the difference was not statistically significant. Hand extension continued to decline in a linear fashion over time and was inversely related to overall functional status.Conclusion.ATA was predictive of contracture development in both early disease (≤ 2 yrs) and in the overall cohort. Hand extension declined linearly over time and was inversely associated with MHAQ and SF-36 scores. ATA positivity and higher baseline mRSS were predictive of faster decline in hand extension.

Objective.Evaluate safety and efficacy of intravenous (IV) golimumab (GOL) in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) through 1 year.Methods.A total of 208 patients were randomized to IV infusions of GOL 2 mg/kg (n = 105) at weeks 0, 4, and every 8 weeks thereafter or placebo (n = 103) at weeks 0, 4, and 12, then crossover to GOL at weeks 16, 20, and every 8 weeks thereafter through Week 52. Efficacy was assessed using the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis international Society (ASAS) criteria, the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI). Health-related quality of life was assessed using the AS Quality of Life (ASQoL) index. Efficacy and safety were monitored through Week 52 and Week 60, respectively.Results.The primary endpoint (ASAS20) and all controlled endpoints at Week 16 were achieved. At Week 52, 69.5% and 65.0% of patients in the GOL group and placebo crossover group, respectively, achieved an ASAS20; 56.2% and 51.5% achieved an ASAS40; 56.2% and 55.3% achieved a BASDAI50; 24.8% and 24.3% achieved ASAS partial remission; and 25.7% and 26.2% met ASDAS inactive disease criteria (all last observation carried forward). Mean changes from baseline to Week 52 in BASFI and ASQoL scores were similar between the GOL group and the placebo crossover group (BASFI: −2.7 and −2.6; ASQoL: −5.5 and −5.4). Through Week 60, 55.4% of all GOL-treated patients had ≥ 1 adverse events (AE); 3.4% had ≥ 1 serious AE.Conclusion.Efficacy was maintained through 1 year with IV GOL 2 mg/kg among patients with active AS. AE were consistent with the known safety profile of GOL.

Objective.Findings from previous genome-wide association studies indicated an association of the NOTCH4gene with systemic sclerosis (SSc). This is a followup study to fine-map exonic variants of NOTCH4in SSc.Methods.All exons of NOTCH4were sequenced and analyzed in a total of 1006 patients with SSc and 1004 controls of US white ancestry with the Ion Torrent system. Identified SSc-associated variants were confirmed with Sanger sequencing, and then examined in a Chinese Han cohort consisting of 576 patients with SSc and 574 controls. The NOTCH4variants were analyzed for association with SSc as a whole and with SSc clinical and autoantibody subtypes with and without the influence of specific HLA-class II alleles that had been previously identified as major genetic factors in SSc.Results.A total of 12 SSc-associated and SSc subtype–associated exonic variants of NOTCH4were identified in the US cohort. Three of them are nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms and 1 is a CTG tandem repeat that encodes for a poly-leucine, all of which are located in the NOTCH4extracellular domain (NECD). Conditional logistic regression analysis on SSc-associated HLA-class II alleles indicated an independent association of the NOTCH4variants with SSc autoantibody subtypes. Analysis of the Chinese cohort supported a genetic contribution of NOTCH4to SSc and its subtypes.Conclusion.Multiple NOTCH4exonic variants were associated with SSc and/or SSc subtypes. Several of these variants encode nonsynonymous sequence changes occurring in the NECD, which implicates a potentially functional effect of NOTCH4.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is characterized by inflammation of the spine and sacroiliac joints causing pain and stiffness and, in some patients, ultimately new bone formation, and progressive joint ankyloses. The classical definition of AS is based on the modified New York (mNY) criteria. Limited data have been reported regarding data quality assurance procedure for multicenter or multisite prospective cohort of patients with AS. Since 2002, 1272 qualified AS patients have been enrolled from five sites (4 US sites and 1 Australian site) in the Prospective Study Of Ankylosing Spondylitis (PSOAS). In 2012, a Data Management and Statistical Core (DMSC) was added to the PSOAS team to assist in study design, establish a systematic approach to data management and data quality, and develop and apply appropriate statistical analysis of data. With assistance from the PSOAS investigators, DMSC modified Case Report Forms and developed database in Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). DMSC also developed additional data quality assurance procedure to assure data quality. The error rate for various forms in PSOAS databases ranged from 0.07% for medications data to 1.1% for arthritis activity questionnaire-Global pain. Furthermore, based on data from a sub study of 48 patients with AS, we showed a strong level (90.0%) of agreement between the two readers of X-rays with respect to modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS). This paper not only could serve as reference for future publications from PSOAS cohort but also could serve as a basic guide to ensuring data quality for multicenter clinical studies.

Objective.To evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravenous golimumab (GOL) in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Methods.In a phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo (PBO)-controlled trial, 208 patients were randomized (1:1) to intravenous (IV) infusions of GOL 2 mg/kg (n = 105) at weeks 0, 4, 12, and every 8 weeks, or PBO (n = 103) at weeks 0, 4, and 12, with crossover to GOL at Week 16. The primary endpoint was ≥ 20% improvement from baseline in the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society Criteria (ASAS20) at Week 16. Secondary endpoints included ASAS40, ≥ 50% improvement in the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI50), and change in the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) at Week 16. Safety was monitored through Week 28.Results.Significantly greater proportions of GOL-treated patients had ASAS20 response at Week 2 (37.1% vs 19.4%; p = 0.005) and at Week 16 (73.3% vs 26.2%; p < 0.001). At Week 16, 41.0% of those receiving GOL achieved BASDAI50 compared with 14.6% of those taking PBO (p < 0.001), and the GOL group had greater mean improvement in BASFI (−2.4 vs −0.5; p < 0.001). Through Week 16, 23.3% of patients in the PBO group and 32.4% of patients in the GOL group had ≥ 1 adverse event (AE); infections being the commonest type of AE. Through Week 28, two GOL-treated patients had a serious AE.Conclusion.GOL 2 mg/kg administered IV at weeks 0, 4, and every 8 weeks significantly reduced the signs and symptoms of AS in adults. AE were consistent with other antitumor necrosis factor therapies, with no new safety signals (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02186873).

Objective.Opioid analgesics may be prescribed to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients with pain that is unresponsive to antirheumatic treatment. Our study assessed factors associated with opioid usage in AS.Methods.A prospective cohort of 706 patients with AS meeting modified New York criteria followed at least 2 years underwent comprehensive clinical evaluation of disease activity and functional impairment. These were assessed by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI). Radiographic severity was assessed by the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Index and modified Stokes Ankylosing Spondylitis Scoring System. Medications taken concurrently with opioids, as well as C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), were determined at each study visit, performed every 6 months. Analyses were carried out at baseline, and longitudinal multivariable models were developed to identify factors independently associated with chronic and intermittent opioid usage over time.Results.Factors significantly associated with opioid usage, especially chronic opioid use, included longer disease duration, smoking, lack of exercise, higher disease activity (BASDAI) and functional impairment (BASFI), depression, radiographic severity, and cardiovascular disease. Patients taking opioids were more likely to be using anxiolytic, hypnotic, antidepressant, and muscle relaxant medications. Multivariable analysis underscored the association with smoking, older age, antitumor necrosis factor agent use, and psychoactive drugs, as well as with subjective but not objective determinants of disease activity.Conclusion.Opioid usage was more likely to be associated with subjective measures (depression, BASDAI, BASFI) than objective measures (CRP, ESR), suggesting that pain in AS may derive from sources other than spinal inflammation alone.

To provide evidence‐based recommendations for the treatment of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (SpA). A core group led the development of the recommendations, starting with the treatment questions. A literature review group conducted systematic literature reviews of studies that addressed 57 specific treatment questions, based on searches conducted in OVID Medline (1946–2014), PubMed (1966–2014), and the Cochrane Library. We assessed the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method. A separate voting group reviewed the evidence and voted on recommendations for each question using the GRADE framework. In patients with active AS, the strong recommendations included use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) when activity persists despite NSAID treatment, not to use systemic glucocorticoids, use of physical therapy, and use of hip arthroplasty for patients with advanced hip arthritis. Among the conditional recommendations was that no particular TNFi was preferred except in patients with concomitant inflammatory bowel disease or recurrent iritis, in whom TNFi monoclonal antibodies should be used. In patients with active nonradiographic axial SpA despite treatment with NSAIDs, we conditionally recommend treatment with TNFi. Other recommendations for patients with nonradiographic axial SpA were based on indirect evidence and were the same as for patients with AS. These recommendations provide guidance for the management of common clinical questions in AS and nonradiographic axial SpA. Additional research on optimal medication management over time, disease monitoring, and preventive care is needed to help establish best practices in these areas.

The First PANLAR Rheumatology Review Course was held in Barranquilla, Colombia, in April 2015. Researchers, rheumatologists, epidemiologists, and a variety of allied professionals and patients attended the meeting. The scientific program included plenary sessions and symposia delivered by renowned experts in the field, followed by an interactive forum of discussion during 2 days.A broad spectrum of topics was discussed, reflecting the current challenges and opportunities for diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Latin America. The scientific program included not only traditional disease aspects, but also social implications, research projects, and educational characteristics, patient perspectives, and novel care models, emphasizing the need for training human resources and proposing unique approaches to RA health care in Latin America, therefore helping us to increase and improve the knowledge and understanding of the characteristics of this health condition in the region, thus promoting and encouraging equity, quality, and efficiency of RA health care.