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The aim of this multi-centre retrospective study was to clarify the prognostic factors for respiratory-related death in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) complicated rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patient background data, treatment regimen, and disease activity indicators of RA and ILD at baseline, 6 months after the diagnosis of ILD, and at the last follow-up visit were extracted. A total of 312 patients with RA-ILD (17 patients who died from respiratory-related causes and 295 survivors) were included. Patients who died from respiratory-related causes had an older median age, a higher proportion of being male, and a higher anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody positivity rate than survivors (p =.0001, .038, and .016, respectively); they also had significantly higher baseline serum levels of Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) than survivors (p =.013). Patients who died from respiratory-related causes showed significantly greater changes in serum KL-6 levels between the 6-month time point and the last visit [ΔKL-6 (6 months - last)] than survivors (p =.011). Multivariate analysis showed that the ΔKL-6 (6 months - last) corrected by disease duration was a predictor of respiratory-disease-related death in patients with RA-ILD (p < .0001). Long-term increase in serum KL-6 levels is associated with respiratory-disease related death in patients with RA-ILD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this multi-centre retrospective study was to clarify the prognostic factors for respiratory-related death in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) complicated rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patient background data, treatment regimen, and disease activity indicators of RA and ILD at baseline, 6 months after the diagnosis of ILD, and at the last follow-up visit were extracted. A total of 312 patients with RA-ILD (17 patients who died from respiratory-related causes and 295 survivors) were included. Patients who died from respiratory-related causes had an older median age, a higher proportion of being male, and a higher anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody positivity rate than survivors (p = .0001, .038, and .016, respectively); they also had significantly higher baseline serum levels of Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) than survivors (p = .013). Patients who died from respiratory-related causes showed significantly greater changes in serum KL-6 levels between the 6-month time point and the last visit [ΔKL-6 (6 months - last)] than survivors (p = .011). Multivariate analysis showed that the ΔKL-6 (6 months - last) corrected by disease duration was a predictor of respiratory-disease-related death in patients with RA-ILD (p < .0001). Long-term increase in serum KL-6 levels is associated with respiratory-disease related death in patients with RA-ILD., (© Japan College of Rheumatology 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by localized and generalized bone loss. The risk of fractures is doubled in patients with RA. Denosumab, an anti-RANKL monoclonal antibody, is used for those with osteoporosis at high risk fracture and it has inhibitory effect of progressive bone erosion in patients with RA. While the increase in bone mineral density by denosumab has been reported in patients with RA, preventive effect of fracture by denosumab remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of denosumab in treating clinical fracture risk in patients with RA., Methods: Patients with RA who received denosumab treatment between 2013 and 2019 were retrospectively evaluated using the ANSWER (Kansai Consortium for the Well-Being of Rheumatic Disease Patients) cohort data. Fracture rates were evaluated between 0 and 6 months (reference period) versus > 6 months (post-reference period) of denosumab use., Results: A total of 873 patients with RA received denosumab, and their characteristics were as follows: 88% females, mean age 68 years, and average disease duration 14.5 years. The hazard rates of all clinical fractures were 0.69 (per 100 person-years) in the reference period and 0.35 in the post-reference period, indicating a 49.2% decrease (p = 0.03)., Conclusions: Denosumab suppresses the risk of clinical fractures in patients with RA., (© Japan College of Rheumatology 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)